I decided at the very last minute that ignoring Valentine’s Day would not be right.  I can’t instruct my boys to be thoughtful and romantic,  and not model it, right?   So, during my mad dash to the grocery store for a re-supply of flu essentials, I picked up a box of strawberries to make Chocolate Covered Strawberries.

Strawberries can be tricky to buy;  the color doesn’t mean everything.  Twist the package and make sure that there are no bruised berries, look in the middle for mold (I know, ick!).  If there is any moisture in the package it’s a bad sign.  Smell the box – does it smell like strawberries?    If not – move along.  Since my berries passed the tests – they got to come home.

Once at home I pulled out a package of Ghirardelli chocolate chips, and some sprinkles.  I melted 1/2 cup of chocolate chips in a small custard cup at 30 second intervals until the were easy to stir, then added another 1/4 cup and stirred until it was smooth.

Then it was just a matter of dip, drop (onto a parchment covered baking sheet), and dust with sprinkles.  They sat in the refrigerator until I was ready to serve them:

3/4 cup of chocolate chips covered almost 1 lb of strawberries (minus a snitched one!).  The sprinkles in the back are sugar crystals…not the effect I wanted – they needed white chocolate.

 

This is not expensive or hard to do, but it looks great!  Add Chocolate Covered Strawberries to your meal plan – 1/4 lb has 189 calories and 10 grams of fat – easy to fit into any diet!

 

 I am not Irish, but my husband's grandmother was, and I figure that's a close enough connection to celebrate St. Patrick's Day!  Besides wearing green and using the green napkins, tablecloths, towels, glasses, and dishes (yeah, it's a thing), I also have Irish inspired food planned.  Of course, corned beef is not Irish, but I love it, so I'm making it!  Also on the menu are peas and carrots, a lovely green and orange combination, sauteed cabbage, and of course, mashed potatoes. 

No green beer or green milk here, it just makes a mess, and I'm really not all that comfortable with massive amounts of food coloring, no matter if they're generally recognized as safe....now....

It really seems like a lot of food with Easter just 6 days away, which is why there is no dessert.  However, if you're looking for a dessert, try The Ultimate Irish Dessert Recipe Collection for some fun looking things.

I know corned beef isn’t an Irish meal, but it’s good, and since I plan on braising it in a nice Irish beer, that should make up for it, right?  The 3 top ways to prepare corned beef are boiling, slow-cooking, and pressure cooking.  But I don’t want to do any of those; I want to braise.

In my possession is a lovely 3.5 package of corned beef and an unspecified quantity of Guinness.   The cooking method is quite simple:  Preheat oven to 300.  Slide beef into non-metallic pan that has a tight fitting lid.  Sprinkle on the little spice packet that came with the beef.  Pour a bottle of beer over the top.  Add enough water to cover.  Put on the lid (if it does not fit tightly, put a layer of foil between the lid and the top of the pot  but don’t press it down).  Put the whole thing in the oven for 2 hours, flip it over, and cook for 2 more hours. 

What else to serve with it?  Potatoes, cabbage, and carrots, of course! You could, of course, arrange all those things around the beef during that last hour of cooking.  I wouldn’t mock you.   But how about trying something fun like Ale Braised Cabbage and Leeks (this recipe calls for pale ale, but that’s not what I have, and no worries), Ginger Ale Glazed Carrots, and Dilled Boiled Potatoes?  That’s what’s on our menu for Tuesday!

Members can add the entire meal to their plans.