How to make a chocolate covered strawberries

Summer is almost here and so is sun, fun and lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. My friend Tania* thinks there is nothing better then start your day with a light desert :) she loves strawberries and always makes small batches of this almost guilt-free desert when berries are in season.

Chocolate cover strawberries are quick to make, delicious and look fabulous. All you need to make it is some fresh strawberries with stems, white and milk chocolate and of course, some cooking inspiration.  

As with all berries, this is quickly perishable desert so prepare it on the day of serving.

Here is how to make it:

1. Rinse your berries and dry them thoroughly on a paper towel.

 

2. Use chocolate chips or finely chopped chocolate. Melt your white and milk chocolate separate, in a double boiler, stirring until it is melted completely. If you'd like, add about 1/2 to 1 tea spoon of neutral tasting cooking oil to make chocolate more flexible. Do not cover your chocolate to avoid a liquid condensation and dripping into your pan.

3. Remove the chocolates from the heat. Hold your prepared berries by the stem and dip them in either white or milk chocolate. Place on prepared baking sheet lined with a parchment or wax paper. Use the contrast color chocolate and a fork or culinary bag to drizzle over your berries.

 

4. Place strawberries in a refrigerator for about 30 minutes to an hour until the chocolate is set. Your fabulous chocolate covered strawberries are ready to serve!

*Tania is one of the owners of the cozy guest house by the Black Sea. If you'd like to have a summer vacation right next to the one of the best Crimean beaches, Belyaus, please  contact her through her Instagram (@belayus_homesweethome) She will be happy to hear from you!

 

Desert hike and the jumping cactus

Spring has come to the desert! It looks like the cactuses are ready to bloom and it is just a matter of time when we'll see them in full bloom.

The sun is shining and the temperature is just right. A perfect time for picnics!

We were lucky to find some time for a short hike in the desert. There are many people there right now. Everyone is very friendly and it is pleasant to exchange simple hellos and good mornings when we meet on the narrow trail.

It was an interesting moment while we were there and it happened with us for a second time now. There was a group of teenagers standing on the trail next to a teddy bear cholla cactus, known also as a jumping cholla. They said they are waiting to see when the cactus is actually going to jump.

The thing is, it will not. The cactus got its name because that little balls of barbed spines cholla stems are easily detached when brushed against. The spines give it the soft furry looks of a teddy bear.

It is tempting to touch it (believe me!) but beware. It will end up on your skin or clothing. The little balls are a young plants which will root when they hit the ground. They can be carried away by the animal or unsuspecting person and will root in another corner of desert. This is the way the plant reproduce and spread itself.

If you get this on you, don't try to grab it and pull it off because it will now be in your hand also. The best way to remove it is with a hair comb by placing it in between you and a cactus and flicking it away. Make sure nobody is in the way where you flicking it! Pick out any thorns still there.

A little botanical lesson, huh :)

Anyway, it was nice to get some desert air and see that things are ready for spring. It was a cold winter this year so we are ready for some sunshine.

How to free a lizard from a sticky trap

July here in the desert is hot and humid thanks to occasional rain clouds or even rains. It is hard to stay outside so we are really limited on outdoor activities during monsoon season. It is the only time of year when cicadas are so loud. There are lots of bugs in the garden and it's really a paradise for hungry lizards who are hunting under the cover of leaves in flower beds.

 

Talking of lizards, I just remember a very good tip I found online last year. There are a sticky pads offered by pest control companies to get rid of bugs and spiders. It is so sticky that you can not free yourself once you touched it. The lizards don't know this, so when they are going to eat the bugs on a sticky trap they can get stuck, too.

So, if it will ever happen, do not try to free the lizard by pulling it off the pad, EVER! Their skin is thin and fragile. Instead, get the sticky pad with a lizard to a flat surface in the garden, place a very shallow plastic container underneath. Pour some vegetable oil in a small container and have a table spoon ready. Wear a protective gloves if you want. Hold the sticky paper with a lizard a  bit up at the head area that oil would not get into the mouth or the eyes. With the table spoon, start pouring the oil on the paper at the lower body area first and continue until you free the animal completely. Lizard will run away as soon as it can so hold your paper next to the ground.

I found this tip very useful. Whatever we humans do, it has good and bad sides, so it's nice to know how to help to reduce the negative effect on nature.

Our winter garden

We had a very warm winter this year so no wonder that my garden is happy. I am picking up cherry tomatoes and bell peppers for our salad right from the bush.

We just harvested our yearly 5 (!) oranges (the orange tree is still a baby) and our lemon meyer tree is in full bloom. Everything in our garden was planted not too long ago so we are pretty happy with how it is turning out.

(Some of the ingredients for this incredible :) art work were happily stolen by our forever-puppy little dog during a photo session and was eaten quietly in a far corner. Bad girl.)

I am already preparing the soil for the spring planting and finding some great seeds to plant. Light gardening makes me happy and I love to take a pictures of our plants! This year I even used some of the pictures to make some new photo cards.

Oh, and the little colorado spruce.

It seems to be happy in the spot it is at and looks like it is going to make some side branches!

Termites

We spoke about termites yesterday with one of our team members. I remembered I recently took a picture of their habitats in desert and would like to share it with you:

 Now, think of what they can do to your home. 

Update on termites: when I noticed the comment by this post left by Melissa I realized that I did not mention that termites are good for the Earth. They do not damage the live plants, they are practically working as a cleaners by removing the dead wood from the face of planet. So everything in nature a special purpose and it works in harmony. The unfortunate thing is that they do not know the difference between the wood in your house and a dead tree on the ground.

Living desert

Saguaro cacti are in full bloom right now. It is so beautiful to see the giant thorny desert candle happy.

 The birds love the saguaro, too. It's safe home for some of them.

 If you will walk by quietly you will here the little babies yelling, feed me!

The desert is full of life now and even slightly noisy from the bees getting a sweet nectar from the saguaro flowers, birds singing and all the little animals doing their things.

While the desert is still cool in the morning, you can see a lot of the desert inhabitants. Now is the time to visit the desert!

Good Morning

If you wake up early in a morning and explore, you might see some pretty cool things. The ones you normally can not see during the day.

We wake up at 4 AM (or even earlier) every day but most of the time we are starring at the computer screen sipping tons of coffee. For a difference, we decided to take a walk in a desert yesterday and I am very happy we did!

What we saw on our way:

- lots of huge trucks full of carrots and the whole carrot field full of people working at gathering them. They were not for public sale sadly.

- gorgeous red wing blackbirds hiding in a barley field. I don't see them around our neighborhood.

 

 

- blooming cactuses. They are simply gorgeous...

... and very thorny, by the way!

Where in the world: the answer

Remember this photo I placed a week ago with the question, where in the world was it taken?
Thank you for all your comments, guys. Katrine and Lena lakizka guessed right. Yana was very close to the right answer also! This photo was taken in Morocco, North Africa.

We were driving through the desert on a tourists bus and this was a first time in my life I saw a goats claiming trees. It's a daily routine and the shepherd is just walking around watching them.

Thanks for participation, everyone!

Tumble weed snowman

Snowman made of tumble weed, how often do you see this?Love this guy, he is so cute and cheerful. True desert snowman!
He is not ours, I just saw him walking by, but I am thinking of making one next year. Maybe, we'll even knit a pair of gloves and scarf to keep him warm :)

Live Desert

It is getting colder here in Arizona but a desert is still full of life! If you'd like to walk in the desert you can see all kind of creatures.
But of course, you should pay attention. I know this now, because I didn't! I was walking trying not to step on a black ants and suddenly heard that rattle noise. A rattle snake was bathing in a warm sun rays right next to a walking path! Lucky me, my husband was quick and took it to the brush.Good by and farewall, snaky! Hope we will not meet again!

A large desert tortoise was sitting right in the road. We thought it is better for him to be in a safe location and moved him off to the side of the road so that he would not get run over. Stay safe, cutie!
Of course, there is more wild life to see.Enjoy your walk and watch where you are walking! :)

Lovely break in Sedona, Arizona

We were so lucky to be invited to join our friends for a trip to Sedona last week!Previously I was never impressed with Sedona even though a lot of people are just love the area, but not this time!What a great mini vacation!
I enjoyed everything - our half day hiking trip & photo opportunities.This trip also was a great mix of nature, architecture at Tlaquepaque and shopping for souvenirs.We tried some gourmet pizza at Picazzo's. If you've never tried it, the toppings were ground lamb, wild mushrooms, spinach, Alfredo sauce, garlic and topped with Parmesan cheese. It was absolutely delicious, right after the hike it hit the spot with an ice cold beer!

The accommodation were perfect. We had a condo that butted up to the creek that was surrounded by huge old trees. You could hear the rushing stream just a few feet from the door and we were able to sit with our doors open and watch the colorful birds and lively squirrels all day long!

We had some perfect rainy weather which we miss living in a desert. This kept the temperature cooler, about in a mid seventies.

I came back home so refreshed and full of creative ideas! I've already ran to Michael's and Jo-Anns for some supplies. Guess what? They are putting Fall items for sale already! Guys, it mean we are almost to the end of summer!






So enjoy your warm weather while you still can!