Strawberry Hunting

Two funny things about growing up in the Conde household - my kids LOVE my homemade food, and because I spoil them with special treats for special occasions they associate all holidays/events with food. I am sure I am creating some sort of future issue for them with food, wives/husbands, their kids, or all of the above :)! Anyhow, they love to eat so I love to cook for them.

We really don't do a romantic Valentine's thing around here and never really have. First of all, Marcelo (nor I) isn't big on commercialized romance. Secondly, we have 3 kids and sitters aren't easy to come by on those types of days. Thirdly, I can't stand the crowds and it really isn't very romantic to deal with all of that anyway. So, about 5 years ago on a whim I decided to make some chocolate covered strawberries for everyone. I bought the really nice long-stemmed strawberries and dipped them and rolled them in sprinkles for the kids. Well, one successful food event around here makes a tradition. So, I have done this every year since then. They look forward to it ALL year long!

For the last 2 years, the long-stemmed strawberries have been extremely hard to come by. The grocery stores sell them already dipped, but that defeats the purpose and my kids would reject them because they weren't made by me and they didn't have any sprinkles on them :) So, for the whole week I have been stopping into various stores and checking to see if they have any to no avail. Finally, today I broke down on my 6th store and asked to speak to the produce manager at Kroger. Of course he had no more in the back - he had "sold" them all to the bakery. So, I tracked down the bakery manager. She said no at first. But I begged. Then I begged some more. Then I told her about it being for the kids and how many places I'd been. Then I begged some more. She finally relented so I got the long-stemmed strawberries.

I think I might have to come up with something else if strawberry hunting continues to be this much work every year. But what could possibly top chocolate covered strawberries????