This post was supposed to be published on Friday morning. However, after sitting down to my computer to put the finishing touches on it, I was immediately distracted by the awful events that occurred in Newtown, Connecticut. Now I’m not one to talk about politics, gun laws, mental health issues, etc., but a horrible event such as this cannot go unmentioned. It wouldn’t be right for me to post about delicious chocolate covered strawberries and how you deserve to treat yourself every once in awhile, while ignoring current events. My heart goes out to everyone that was affected.

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A few weeks ago I was asked if I would be interested in trying some Harry & David chocolate covered strawberries. Never being one to turn down chocolate, I happily accepted and was thrilled to find a pretty teal box waiting for me when I got home from work last week. I’ve been so wrapped up in buying gifts and being in the spirit of giving, I haven’t taken much time to do anything for myself. So these strawberries were the perfect treat!

I’m always fascinated when perishable foods are shipped – I expect them to arrive in less than stellar condition, but I’m always pleasantly surprised. They always come with reusable ice packs, which are always handy in a household of runners. After admiring the box (which I absolutely plan on re-using for gifts!) and the pretty bow, I tore into the strawberries. Each strawberry had its own compartment, and was surrounded by foam to keep it in place. I imagine this helped keep the strawberries fresh and bruise-free, which brings me to my next point.

The strawberries were so fresh! These weren’t just your average grocery store sized strawberries – they were big, plump, and juicy. Though I love strawberries, I usually shy away from them at the grocery store for a few reasons; they go bad so quickly, and they are generally just not impressive. So cover some plump and juicy strawberries in chocolate, and you have yourself a winner. These strawberries had a mixture of white and milk chocolate and made a surprisingly thick coating. Admittedly I couldn’t wait and dug right in. While I love strawberries, the chocolate definitely stole the show for me – it wasn’t just chocolate simply used to cover the strawberries, it was delicious in it’s own right. I would absolutely purchase these for myself, or a friend!

So in this time of giving, make sure to take a time-out for yourself, too. You deserve it. And don’t forget… Life is for one thing – living.

Disclaimer: These chocolate covered strawberries were sent to me free of charge, in return for my honest feedback. All opinions are my own.