The first insight into my issues...

You'll see throughout the future blogs that I love to dip things in chocolate. All types of things. It's an easy way to dress up desserts with little effort. And besides, everything needs at least a little chocolate, right?

I've found that dipping in melted chocolate chips is good, but it's easy to burn the chocolate chips and you're never sure how much oil are in them, so you're never sure how well they'll adhere to the item you're dipping. So, after strolling around the store one day in boredom, wondering what else was hidden there that would make my trip worth while, I found Almond Bark. Sounds gross, right? It's not. It's a candy coating that comes in chocolate and vanilla flavored bricks. They're about $2.00 for 24oz, but they go a long way. The almond bark does a pretty good job and is very tasty.

The first dipping I did was with pretzles ties. Mmmmmmm. Sweet and salty. Always a big hit. Of course, I dipped them in white chocolate (vanilla Almond Bark) and just couldn't stop at that. Before the chocolate dried on some of them I showered them in red and green sprinkles (it was Christmastime). With others, I waited until the white chocolate was dry, melted down some milk chocolate and drizzled the milk chocolate on top of them with a spoon.

Yes, I'm neurotic.

That was the start of my chocolate dipping. That led to strawberries (don't dip them in white chocolate - it's not as good- but you can definitely drizzle the white chocolate on top!), manderin oranges, mint leaves (see below) and gummy bears. Just a note on the gummy bears. Don't just throw a handful into the chocolate, thinking that it would be much easier to cover them that way, then fish them out. Learned that the hard way and I wish I had a pic :) They melt in the chocolate so you're left with a gooey, chocolatey mass that only your starving husband and brother will dare to eat by ripping chunks off, leaving a mess on the counter, their hands and mouths.

Chocolate mint leaves are more for decoration than eating, but they are so easy and leave a big impression.

Step 1. Wash and dry mint leaves. They need to be dry before you do the chocolate or the chocolate won't work.

2. Melt the chocolate.

3. With a paint-brush, clean and preferably never used for actual painting, "paint" the chocolate on each leaf. You have to work a little fast if you have a lot of leaves so the chocolate won't cool and harden on you, but don't go too fast. The leaves are somewhat delicate. Place the painted leaves on a cookie sheet, chocolate side up.

4. Place the cookie sheet in the refrigerator until hard.

5. Peel the leaf off the chocolate. It's suprisingly easy to do - they come right off!

Hope ya'll enjoy this.... In the future, I'll be trying different deserts for holidays and such a bit early so I can then post about them in case anyone is interested and wants some ideas. You're also free to leave any tips you know or any questions. I'll answer them if I can :)