Life at a "Swell's" pace

It's Wednesday again and that means another link up with Jenn over at Going the Distance Blog. This week I am posting my easy chocolate-covered strawberries. This recipe has been up on my blog for about a year now under the Recipes section at the top of the page, but I just love it, so I thought I would share it again. Even though strawberries aren't in season, this easy-to-do snack is always a hit in my house even if it's 15 degrees outside.

Super simple chocolate-covered Strawberries

This quick and easy recipe is above and beyond the simplest thing you do this summer. These are great for quick, prompt to get-together or even just a night of movies at your own house. They take all of 15 minutes from start to finish and can be done anytime.

You want to start out with some pretty good sized strawberries. The bigger the better!

Now, I like to remove the stem on some and leave the stem on others. For this I like to use the small end of my melon ball'er and it takes away less of the meaty part of the strawberry.

Or you can use the straw method I have seen throughout the "pins" on Pinterest and Twitter. I still feel that this approach takes too much of the strawberry away, but it's your call.

Line a plate or serving platter with parchment or wax paper. I like to place the plate or serving platter upside down on the paper and draw the outline then cut it out so that it's uniform with the platter.

I use rich/pure chocolate candy bars with semi-sweet chocolate chips for a taste that is more pleasing to the taste buds than just straight chocolate. I've found that it pairs nicely with the sweet taste of the strawberries too.

The reason the method is so quick and easy is because of the mixing of the chocolate. Make sure your strawberries are at room temperature, that is key here.

Tip: Placing your spatula upside down in a glass help keep the mess and splatters on your counter under control too.

Melt your chocolate, little bits at a time. I like to use the microwave at 30 second intervals so that I don't "burn" the chocolate. You house is going to small like Willy Wonka during the phase and it almost makes you want to eat the air. Ha!

Keep heating and stirring and mixing the chocolate for an even consistency and to combine the chocolate candy bar with the chips.

Now comes the fun part!

DIPPING THE BERRIES!

And make sure you don't have little thieves! :)

Once you get all your strawberries coated, let them sit in room temperature to harden. Placing them in the refrigerator only allows moisture to cover the chocolate and the berries and your chocolate won't harden correctly. Once they are hardened you can place them in the refrigerator in a covered container so that moisture can't touch them. Or serve them immediately!

Enjoy!

Eco-Tip: Purchase a paper shredder to shred non-recyclable papers in. You can use the shredded paper for packing material and for gift bags instead of throwing in the landfill. For this and other tips on going green visit, The Earth and Me: Go Green.

For further tips on making your life a bit more informative on the "green" front, visit my Examiner Green Pages:

1. Little Rock Green Living Examiner

2. Portland Green Living Examiner

On September 30, 2013 my little Bean turned 10 years old. I couldn't believe he is already 10 when that Monday rolled around. It was almost a feeling of regret in a way. A regret to all the things I wanted to do with him before he got to the big one/zero. But I remembered all of the things we HAVE done up to number 10. From road trips, to moving to Oregon, to all of the things in between. We even fit a Foghat concert in there. Foghat! I mean really, how many other kids, under the age of 10, can say they went to a Foghat concert and actually jumped into a mosh pit and sang along? Not many, but my Bean did! It's been a great 10 years for him and I hope he has enjoyed every minute of it along the way, just as much as Mommy and Daddy have.

For Skylar's 10 year birthday we wanted to go mini golfing, but you know Oregon, the rain falls like crazy here. It was a bit of a bummer because since our Sunriver trip, he has really taken a liking to the golfing scene. But we settled on a good game of bowling instead. Here is a recap of his 10th birthday, bowling party.

I found the cutest invitations at Staples. I loved the colorful bunting at the top. They were PERFECT for a birthday party!

The bowling alley put his name on the board to show everyone he was celebrating his birthday. See that little boy on the left? That's our good pal Conner and I will tell you what, he is the funniest kid you will ever meet. He cracks us up all the time. We love him and his family!

He got some cool gifts and the bowling alley even gave him a "retired" bowling pin with his name on it.

The bowling pin was the favorite of the night, for sure!

So even though his birthday party was on Sunday, his actual birthday was on Monday. We took him out to eat at a local restaurant here that he really likes and came back to have him blow out a candle to make a wish.

FYI: He has been birthday wishing for a miniature donkey for the past three years. We think by next year we might be on the path to getting it. We are in the process of looking for a house to buy outside the city limits. Fingers crossed!

Overall Skylar said he had a great birthday for both days and I was glad! One of his large birthday gifts from us was a visit to the LEGO Kids Fest in Portland. Those pictures to come soon.

I can't believe I have a 10 year old!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEAN! WE LOVE YOU SO VERY, VERY MUCH!

And for his dad's birthday that falls in September too, the 16th to be exact, we had a small little at-home celebration. Jeff works so dang hard throughout the week that he likes to keep it low-key. I think it's because he turned 41. Ha!