Oh Ganache

O.k., I couldn’t talk about it, without sharing the recipe. Milk Chocolate Ganache Dipped Strawberries are one of my favorite desserts, and with Valentine’s Day around the corner it is time to make a batch, or two, or maybe three…

Here is what you will need:

  • Strawberries, washed, and patted dry
  • Milk Chocolate Chips
  • Heavy Whipping Cream
  • Small Sauce pan, Stainless steel bowl (to make a double boiler), wooden spoon, and a strong will not to eat all of the Chocolate Ganache as you are making it.

Let’s melt some chocolate. I’m using 1/3 of a bag of Milk Chocolate Chips. I like to use a double boiler to melt my chips, and I keep the temperature at med-low, but this is when my paranoia kicks in… If even one little drop of water makes its way into the melting chocolate it will harden and seize, so make sure that your kiddos have the water guns put away, and hope that it doesn’t start raining in your kitchen. If by some chance a sneaky little drop of water makes it in to the melting chocolate, add in a little (full fat) butter, keep it on the heat, and give it a good stir, that should make the chocolate nice and smooth again.

Now let’s add in the Heavy Whipping Cream. I use a 2:1 ratio Two parts chocolate to one part Heavy Cream. Keep it on the heat, and keep stirring until you get a nice and glossy Ganache. Then hang on, don’t eat it all just yet, the Ganache is way too hot to dive into.

Time to dip… Make sure your Strawberries are washed, and patted dry, so the Ganache will stick to the berries. Then dip away. I like to place mine on waxed paper, and then into the fridge to cool.

The Chocolate Ganache Dipped Strawberries should be kept refrigerated, and will probably be good for 2-3 days, but I kinda doubt that they will be in the fridge that long, they are way too tasty!

Hmmmm, what do you do if you have leftover Ganache? EAT IT!!! Eat it all. Eat it super quickly, get to it before your kiddos figure out what Ganache is made of, and they eat the whole bowl… Or you could always make Truffles!

Let your Ganache cool in the fridge for just a bit, and gather a few supplies. You’ll need Cocoa Powder, or Chopped Nuts, or even Powdered Sugar will work. I’m using Cocoa Powder and Red Sugar for mine. Set up an assembly line, and its time to make Truffles!

Roll a spoon full of Ganache into a ball, and then roll the ball into the Cocoa Powder/Sugar mixture, and then it is onto some waxed paper, and off to the fridge to chill. Keep these in the fridge in an air tight container, and enjoy! They are easy to make, and would make delicious homemade Valentine’s Day candy for your sweetie!

Monday’s at Ziggie’s

We have a new family tradition on Monday nights, and this is one that I am super happy about. When James comes home from work we gather up the kids, and then we are off to our new favorite restaurant Ziggie’s Cafe for dinner.

Ziggie’s Cafe opened recently, and the food is amazing. You can get breakfast anytime of the day, or night, and on Monday nights kids 12 and under get dinner for free. You do have to purchase an adult meal for every free kids meal, but it is well worth it!

My kids love their pancakes, and they are thrilled when they get to have Ziggie’s Cafe pancakes for dinner.

So far I’ve tried their Pork Chops and Pork Tenderloin, and both were so tasty. James loves their Club Sandwiches. By the time dinner is over we are too stuffed for dessert. I hope to one day go to Ziggie’s Cafe for Cheesecake and Coffee, maybe for a girl’s afternoon out… Their pies look pretty good too.

One of my favorite things about Ziggie’s Cafe is their itty bitty packets of Domino Sugar.

Domino Sugar is my favorite kind of sugar to cook with, and I was tickled with the notion of  tiny packets of Domino Sugar for coffee… I know it is silly, but it is the little things that make me happy.

We all are enjoying this new family tradition, and I’m enjoying the break from the kitchen. I can’t wait for next Monday!

Who Doesn’t Love Bacon

Recently I’ve been noticing a pattern, Bacon is everywhere, and everybody loves it… Well maybe not everybody, but many people do. My kids could eat their weight in bacon for breakfast, if only Mommy would let them. Recently I had a phone conversation with a great friend all about Bacon, and how awesome it is. I even got a cool catalog in the mail that featured Bacon wallets, Bacon band-aids, and even Bacon Toothpicks and Mints. Yep, bacon is super-awesome right now.

Last night on Top Chef, even Chef Rocco DiSpirito professed his love for Bacon, during the breakfast challenge. I totally have to agree with adorable Rocco, Bacon is awesome!

So what about you… Do you have that favorite breakfast item that you just can’t resist?

Apples and Pears

This Fall a good friend of the family went out and picked at a local orchard once the season was finished. He visited my husband at work, and asked if I could use a few Apples and Pears. I told James, of course!

For about a week James came home everyday with two big bags of fruit. I think I ended up with about a 1/2 bushel of Apples and 1/2 bushel of Pears. Time to find some recipes for all of this fruit.

I see a lot of Apple Pies in our future, and I had better bake one for our friend to say thanks!

Pudding Cups and Ice Pops

Snacks are a must have in our house, and I’m always trying to save a bit on family favorite treats. I spotted an Popsicle Mold at the store for $2.00, and I thought it would be great to make some Pudding Pops for Thade.

My Popsicle mold made 4 Pudding-pops, so I was left with a lot of leftover pudding… But none of it went to waste.

I filled my Silicone Baking Cups with the leftover pudding, and made individual pudding cups. They were just as tasty as the store bought individual cups, but we can reuse our cups, so there was no packaging waste. I stored the homemade cups in the fridge in Gladware. The kiddos loved the tasty treats too.

What homemade snacks or treats do you like to make for your family?