Gluten-Free Blueberry Cake Cupcakes

Love blueberry cake? Here's my cupcake version.

Just in time for July Fourth, here's a sweet little recipe for blueberry cake cupcakes. I know that's redundant- calling it a blueberry cake cupcake. I mean, how can a blueberry cake be a cupcake too? It's either cake or cupcake. It can't be both.

Or can it?

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Please Shine Down on Me

I am a sun worshiper. Basking in the hot afternoon rays of summer is by far my guiltiest pleasure, and a joy I am not about to relinquish anytime soon. Yes, I am well aware of the dangers of sun damage, and the potential of cancer, but since making the move to a more holistic and natural lifestyle, I have begun to question whether or not my sunscreen is doing more harm than good.

When the president of the American Academy of Dermatology says, "Sunscreens are an essential weapon in the fight against skin cancer," it’s a daunting undertaking to suggest alternative thinking. It may seem like second nature to you to apply sunscreen before going out in the sun, as the media has been bombarding us with reports of the dangers of the sun for some time now. Sun block has been added to many common skin care products like face and body moisturizer, bug repellent, even makeup! Kids versions have been made and exciting with bright coloured lotions, sprays and fragrances.

But the issue here is whether sunbathing without sunscreen enhances one’s health or undermines it. The overriding mantra of any dermatologist would be that the sun is the main culprit behind skin cancers and malignant melanomas. The incidence of these cancers has risen dramatically in the last two or three decades, in US there are 54,000 cases annually, during which time the use of potent UVB-blocking sunscreens has also skyrocketed. There must be a correlation between these two factors, or at least they are not correlating, leading many scientists to rethink the sun block theory.

How Sunscreen Works
Sunscreen works by combining organic and inorganic active ingredients. Inorganic ingredients like zinc oxide or titanium oxide reflect or scatter ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Organic ingredients like oxybenzone absorb UV radiation, dissipating it as heat.
When purchasing sunscreen, the Sun Protection Factor or SPF measures how effectively the sunscreen formula limits skin exposure to UV-B rays that burn the skin. The higher the SPF the more protection the sunscreen will provide. For example, SPF 15 sunscreen allows a person to stay out in the sun 15 times longer than they could w/o sunscreen, so someone who burns in 10 minutes could be out for 150 minutes w/o burning. SPF does not measure UV-A. If you are looking for UV-A protection, the experts recommend that you purchase a product that has broad-spectrum protection.

3 Reasons Why Sunscreen Isn't Awesome
1.Sunscreen ingredients are powerful free radical generators that increase cellular damage and changes that lead to cancer.
Avobenzone is a powerful free radical generator that is easily absorbed through the epidermis and is still a chemical that absorbs ultraviolet radiation energy. Since it cannot destroy this energy, it has to convert the light energy into chemical energy, which is normally released as free radicals. It is used in sunscreen to block long-wave UVA making a “broad-spectrum” sun block. It does not effectively UVB or short-wave UVA radiation so this ingredient is combined with organic compounds to produce a typical commercial sun block. In sunlight, avobenzone degrades and becomes ineffective within about 1 hour.

2. Sunscreen ingredients can have strong estrogenic activity.
Even worse for your health is the fact that many common free radical generating sunscreen chemicals also have estrogen like-effects. Estrogenic chemicals can mimic hormonal (or real) estrogen, the key female sex hormone. When the body's hormone receptors recognize the estrogenic chemical as estrogen, the result is feminization of the tissue. Such effects can increase cancers, cause birth defects in children, lower sperm counts and penis size in men, diminish libido, plus a plethora of other medical problems. These effects are similar to many banned chemicals such as DDT, Dioxin, and PCBs.

3. Sunscreen Blocks Vitamin D Production
The other major problem with sunscreen, aside from the potential chemical toxicity, is that it blocks your skin’s ability to make vitamin D by more than 95 percent. The major biologic function of vitamin D is to maintain normal blood levels of calcium and phosphorus. Vitamin D aids in the absorption of calcium, helping to form and maintain strong bones. It promotes bone mineralization in concert with a number of other vitamins, minerals, and hormones. It has also been associated with improvement of the following conditions: diabetes, heart dihttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifsease, arthritis, infertility and PMS, Autoimmune disorders, fatigue, depression and seasonal affective disorder. Regular sun exposure is the best way to obtain the recommended amount of Vitamin D. The best place to get vitamin D is from UV-B from sunlight. For fair-skinned people it only takes about 20 minutes of sun exposure on your hands and face to achieve the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA).

This does not mean that we should all go out and get as much sun as we want. We all must exercise caution and avoiding a burn is key. Sunburn is a sign of serious skin damage and is very different from a tan in terms of health.

Our Prayers Have Been Answered
A friend passed on a website to me that I have become totally addicted to: Skin Deep: Cosmetic Safety Database. You can type in almost any personal care product and it will rate it on a scale from 1 to 10 depending on its toxicity level. The first thing I looked up was sunscreen, as I have had my fair share of burns after a long day on the dock and needed to find a compromise. Badger Sunscreen, a product I had never heard of, registered as a zero, the lowest rating of toxicity, so of course I made a bee line for the health food store to pick up several tubes. Badger is an American company that makes a line of skin care products from all-natural, organic ingredients. I have been performing several “scientific tests” at my cottage over the past few weekends and I can attest that it is totally effective, despite its list of pronounceable ingredients. It also smells amazing thanks to its lavender essential oil. Now, truth be told, natural sun blocks do just that: they block the sun, literally. I have discovered with the SPF 30, the zinc levels are so high, that your skin turns a slight bluish-white tinge unless you rub it in very well. I’d rather look like a mime than a lobster anyway.

You can buy this product on line from the Badger website, or pick up a tube at your local health food store. Keep in mind that because the quality of this product is so high, the price reflects this. The SPF 15 formula retails for about $15 and the SPF 30, about $16. Some things you just can’t put a price on, and for me, there’s no question. A sun block that does more good than harm? Slather it on, and let the sun shine in!

June Jewels

Today my mother and I decided to drive to the country to visit my grandparents. There is nothing I love more than getting out of the city on a beautiful summer day, since there is always something new to discover this time of year. During a walk, I came across a patch of wild strawberries and promptly plunked myself down in the bush to devour all the little gems that I wait all winter for. Real strawberries, whether wild or from a farm, are rather small, bright red and soft – so delicate that they almost melt on the roof of your mouth, no teeth required. They are rich, fragrant and incredibly sweet.

In case you haven’t noticed, fresh, locally grown strawberries have been trying to squeeze their way into big box grocery stores for the past week or so. The problem is we’ve been so “spoiled” by those gargantuan, hard, tasteless, nutrition-less freaks from California that we have forgotten all about the real deal. I guess we are just in the habit of supporting our southerly neighbors, since it couldn’t possibly be because we prefer the flavour! In Ontario, strawberry farmers are now struggling to survive as we continue to buy produce form foreign countries. Some cannot even afford to pay workers to pick their berries, as the labour alone ends up costing them more per pint than the Californians get at wholesale. Many grocery stores have yearlong contracts with their foreign suppliers and cannot be bothered to buy local produce and pay the often-higher prices. According to the Greenbelt Foundation, there was an 18-per-cent decline in Ontario's strawberry acreage from 2003 to 2005. We produce a humble six million kilograms of strawberries to California's one billion kilograms each year. Be responsible! Buy local and support your provincial farmers and your taste buds.

Where the Wild Ones Are
If you have the privilege of finding wild strawberries, make sure that they have not been sprayed and that they are not near a road where dust and exhaust are being thrown at them. They will be very small indeed, about the size of a fingernail, but don’t be fooled by their modest magnitude; these little ones pack a huge punch – far greater than their American counterparts.




Since strawberries like to hide underneath their leaves, they are often hard to spot. Look for leaves that come in threes, growing very close to the ground (see photo). If you pull back the foliage, you will see some tiny red berries that just want to find a home (in your stomach). It’s almost like treasure hunting, but more fun since you get to eat your jewels!

When it Rains, it Pours

I had a really bad week.
Awful, in fact.
A friend passed away, I had to leave my beloved job, and to top it all off, I noticed that my cat’s Alzheimer’s is progressing at an alarming rate (yes, cats can get Alzheimer’s too). My emotions ran the gamut this week, but they were mostly unpleasant. The only high was when my boss threw an end-of-the-year celebration where, admittedly, I “overindulged”, just short of parading around with a lampshade on my head.

When the body undergoes any kind of stress, whether it is physical or emotional, the first vitamin in your body to take the hit, are the B vitamins. Also referred to as the “B complex”, this collective of essential nutrients act as the catalytic spark plugs of the body, needed in every step along the path of food converting to energy. In other words, without them, you’re about as lively as a bag of bricks (which would accurately describe how I felt this morning).

The B complex vitamins are a group of vitamins that include:
* Thiamine (B1)
* Riboflavin (B2)
* Niacin (B3)
* Antithetic acid (B5)
* Pyridoxine (B6)
* Cyanocobalamin (B12)
* Folic acid
* Biotin
Each have their own specific and crucial roles within our bodies, but they function quite well as a group, and often appear together in our foods in the proportions that we need. That is why taking a supplement (which is what I am about to suggest), is less advisable than eating a balanced diet, since they are abundant in whole foods.

But, desperate times call for desperate measures. I have been taking a “stress formula” all week long, just to support my precious little temple of a body until the storm passes. That means, in addition to my healthy diet, I have been taking 50 mg of a B complex with my breakfast. This is a rather safe does for any adult, but you can begin with less and see how you feel. I have friends that notice a great difference with 25 mg and others who go above and beyond. B vitamins are water soluble, which means that you will excrete anything your body does not use in your urine, so there is little risk of overdosing. And on the topic of urine, please be advised that yours will turn neon green or yellow when you take B vitamins, or any good multivitamin containing them. Don’t be alarmed, this is just the extra that your body doesn’t need. Before taking any supplement, absolutely consult an experienced sales associate at your local health food store first.

There are inconclusive studies that have been done about B vitamins and stress, but I have seen positive results in myself and that’s all the proof I need. I also take a B complex during my world adventures to help my body cope with the stresses of traveling, and to give me more energy, which helps tremendously with jet lag. I even know people who have given up coffee thanks to these little capsules of vigor. A miracle? No.
B complex? Yes.

Where else can I get B vitamins?
The B vitamins are abundant in whole foods, but the best sources are whole grains! Ever read the ingredient list on a bag of Wonderbread? If you see the term “enriched” on something, a list of the B vitamins will typically follow, as when grains are refined, they lose all their nutrition and namely, their B vitamins. Manufacturers add them back in after processing, but it is all in vain. Don’t eat Wonderbread. Eat quinoa instead.

B vitamins are also present in (surprise!) fruits and vegetables.

Bonus Material: Hangover Help
The best way to avoid a hangover is not drinking at all. Sorry, I’m a nutritionist - I have to say that.
However, for after those long summer night parties and cottage weekends I would recommend the following:

Before you go to bed (if you can remember) take a 50 mg dose of a good B complex vitamin with as much water as you can handle.
Upon rising, repeat.

There are several reasons we feel so crummy the day after, but most of them have to do with being dehydrated, and the fact that while you’re sleeping, your cells are frantically metabolizing the alcohol that they’re drowning in. Acetaldehyde is a by-product of metabolizing alcohol. Acetaldehyde induces a deficiency of vitamin B1. Thiamin, or Vitamin B1, is so critical to brain and nerve function it is often called the nerve vitamin. The reason you should take a B complex is that, as a collective, they will give you the energy to make it to brunch with your folks. Hey, at least they’re paying.

Mediterranean Fish in Foil Packets- with Rice

 Easy grilled fish in foil- perfect for summer

This easy as 1, 2, 3 recipe has been a summer family staple since I was a blushing bride, learning to grill fish. We won't talk about how many years ago that was, Dear Reader. I mean, the blushing bridal part. Let's just say my oldest son is 26 and leave it at that.

So, you may ask- if you're a blushing bride yourself- how do you grill a slab of fresh fish and veggies all at once and have it turn out so tender and flaky and savory that your newly minted partner for life will turn to you and whisper, I knew I married the right girl? Or boy (I make no assumptions around here, goddess forbid). Well, here's a little secret I learned way back when. Back before cooking blogs and Food TV and Jamie Oliver. I learned it from a woman who liked my paintings. This is the only way to make fish, she told me. Trust me.

I trust you, I answered. Now tell me your secret.

Foil, she said. And onions, garlic and tomatoes. It's a Mediterranean style fish- not the typical butter and Ritz cracker crumbs you get around here (we were living on Cape Cod at the time). This is the real thing, she continued. Real food. Big flavor. You'll love it!

And she was right.

Here's my easy version of Mediterranean fish- grilled (or baked) with spinach, tomatoes, onions and garlic. I also added balsamic vinegar and fresh chopped herbs.

Easy Mediterranean Fish Recipe in Foil Packets- Serve with Rice

The fish I used this time was halibut. But any hefty white fish will do- cod, haddock, tilapia, or orange roughy would all be brilliant.

4 serving size fish fillets, rinsed and patted dry (about 1 1/2 pounds)
A squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Sea salt and fresh pepper
8 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
2 red or sweet yellow onions, cut into pieces
4 cups baby spinach leaves- or chopped spinach
8 plum or Italian tomatoes, roughly chopped
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
A sprinkle of red pepper flakes, to taste
Extra virgin olive oil, as needed

Fire up the grill to medium high heat. If you are cooking indoors, preheat the oven to 375ºF.

Tear off a large sheet of aluminum foil and place it on a large platter or tray.

Lay the fish fillets in the center, in a single layer. Squeeze a little lemon juice over the fillets. Season with sea salt and fresh pepper.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the garlic, onion, baby spinach and tomatoes. Add the balsamic vinegar, fresh chopped herbs, red pepper flakes and toss to mix. Drizzle with enough extra virgin olive oil to moisten it all. Season with a little sea salt and pepper. Toss to coat.

Tear off a second sheet of foil the same size as the bottom sheet.

Turn up all the edges of the bottom sheet a bit to catch any liquid that runs to the edge.

Spoon the spinach-tomato mixture on top of the fish. Drizzle on any remaining olive oil left in the bowl.

Lay the second piece of foil on top of the fish and veggies and crimp the foil closed all around the edges to make a large packet.

Carry the packet with the platter or tray to the grill and carefully transfer the packet to the preheated grill. Cover the grill and cook until the fish is done- about 20 minutes or so- depending on the thickness of the fillet, and how hot your fire is. The fish should flake easily with a fork, and appear opaque.

Serve with hot cooked rice. I served mine with my tasty Spanish Brown Rice Bake recipe.

Karina's Note for Gluten-Free Folks:

This is a safe way for those with celiac disease or food allergies to eat at pot luck barbecues and picnics. Bring your own packets! Make single individual packets for each person to make it easy to share the grill with no danger of cross contamination.

More (Fabulous!) Summer Grill Recipes From Food Bloggers:

Kalyn's Kitchen: Grilled Salmon with Asian Dipping Sauce
Cooking with Amy's Shrimp and Mango Kebabs
Food Blogga's Grilled Watermelon
Gluten-Free Bay's Grilled Chipotle Lime Chicken

Brown Rice Tortilla Chips- It's Easy To Make Your Own

Gluten-free tortilla chips made from brown rice tortillas.

Take a gander at these golden crispy brown rice tortilla chips. I managed to eat the whole bowl, still slightly warm from the skillet.

Are you a salty crunchy snack person, or a sweet and creamy snack person? It's an easy question for me. I can answer it in my sleep. While dancing backwards blindfolded one hand tied behind my back (don't try this at home). Or even while insanely preoccupied attempting to balance my checkbook.

Wait. That's not true. I never balance my checkbook. I haven't in twenty years (does that count as never, or only mostly never?).

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The Cleanest, Greenest Laundry

Soap that grows on trees...literally?! It’s true my dear friends, and I am so glad to be the bearer of such earth-saving, laundry-loving, chemical-free news. When I first head about soap nuts, I must admit, I was extremely skeptical. How could these little nuts actually clean my clothes? I was convinced in just one wash load of laundry, as my clothes were fresh and clean without any harsh detergents that would otherwise leave dangerous chemicals on my skin! It seems ironic to me that we use such toxic substances to clean our clothes, while they typically end up leaving more damaging chemicals behind.

What is a Soap Nut?
A soap nut is the fruit of the Ritha tree, also known as the Soap Nut tree, or Soapberry tree, indigenous to northern parts of Asia, India and Nepal. For centuries, soap nuts have been used by people in these areas to wash their laundry and finest textiles (wool, silk, cashmere…).
The Soap Nut tree synthesizes its own natural soap-like saponins that coat the outer shell of the fruit. When the fruits ripen and fall from the tree, local families harvest the windfall, and then remove the inner fruit from the outer shell. The soap nut shell is then dried in the sun, using absolutely no chemical processing or manufacturing processes. In fact, the whole process uses no fossil fuels either, (except in the transportation of the product).

How do Soap Nuts work?
Soap nuts release their saponins in hot water, so you must use medium-high water temperatures when washing to ensure that it is liberated into the washtub. Soap nut saponins circulate as a natural surfactant in the wash water, reducing the surface tension of the water and freeing dirt, grime and oils from the clothing. And unlike the harsh chemicals, which are poured down the drain with your waste water, soap nuts produce no harmful residues, are 100% biodegradable and septic safe.

The best part
They are reusable! After each load of laundry, leave your soap nut shells to dry completely and use them once again in your next load. When all the saponins have been released from the outer shell, toss them in the compost heap or green bin to return back to the earth. This makes them incredibly affordable too.

How to use Soap Nuts
Place 4-6 soap nut shells in the small cotton bag that will be provided when you purchase them. If you like your laundry scented, place a few drops of your favorite essential oil directly onto the bag before placing in the washing machine.

Soap nuts are especially recommended for babies and people who suffer from any kind of skin sensitivities or allergies. In addition, the soap nut saponins naturally exhibit antibacterial and antifungal properties.


What else can I do with Soap Nuts?
Soap nuts have even more uses than just laundry detergent. A “soap nut solution” can be made from the leftover shells to be used as hair shampoo, pet shampoo, all purpose-cleaner and even dish soap! Wowee. I have yet to try washing my hair with this solution, but I will give a full and honest report once I’ve really gone to the dark side. I did wash my hair with the leftover liquid from making tofu once, so it’s really not that much of a stretch. This, by the way, is a very ineffective cleaner, but great for repelling bad dates. I’ll try the soap nuts (check out the directions below).

How to make Soap Nuts Solution
In a small/medium cooking pot with a lid, add some water, and cook a small handful of soap nuts for about five minutes. Cover the pot with a lid while cooking. After five minutes, remove the pot from heat and let cool. Remove the soap nut shells, and place in the compost.

* By increasing the amount of soap nuts when making the solution, you can make the solution stronger, and adding more water will make it weaker.

Strawberry Banana Muffins

Summer strawberries make sweet and tender muffins.

My latest vegan muffin recipe is a tender, fragrant strawberry banana treat. And they just so happen to be wheat-free, dairy-free and egg-free.

June is sexy gorgeous here in northern New Mexico. The sun is just the right amount of hot. The sky is flawless cobalt blue. The morning shade is deliciously cool. The mockingbirds sing their magic in the junipers. And the strawberries at the market are drop dead ripe. If fruit is love, it must be a strawberry- red and juicy and flirtatious.

And if I was so inclined I would wax voluptuous, like a cheap romance novel. I would detail every lip licking moment in my big strawberry love. How I crush and whip them into smoothies. Churn them into dairy-free sherbet. Bake them into golden scones. Macerate them in orange infused liqueur. And stir them slowly into sticky banana muffin batter.

In fact, I would flaunt my muffins.
 

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Popcorn and a Sunset

...it sure beats a movie.

There are a few things I want to discuss in this entry, as the topic of popcorn, surprisingly, brings up a few important health issues.

The first thing I want to talk about is microwaving, which is the method most of us use to make popcorn, unless we’re at the movies. Throughout its 40-year history as a commercial product, the microwave oven has been steeped in controversy. Personally, I don’t use one. I feel that it goes against everything I stand for when it comes to my food: eating on the run, rushing through cooking and food preparation, the lack of interest in healthy foods and in the meal itself as an "occasion". And after studying holistic nutrition, I learned a lot more about how microwaving alters the structure of the food being cooked in a completely unnatural way. I may discuss this in greater detail in another post, but I would encourage you to do your own research on microwave ovens.

I have found that the best way to make popcorn at home is air popping. You can pick up an air popper at almost any second-hand store (trust me, I’ve picked up many for friend and family) for about five dollars. Instead of using cups and cups of oil, which is the traditional way to make popcorn, air popping uses hot air to convert water inside the raw corn kernel to steam. When the pressure from the steam becomes too great, the outer hull explodes and the result is a fluffy, healthy treat. Air popping adds no fat, and when you buy your own raw kernels you won’t be consuming any chemicals, artificial flavors or colours. Frighteningly, the buttery taste that often adds flavor to our favorite microwave popcorn brands is linked with a serious lung disease called bronchiolitis obliterans. A component of artificial butter flavor is the chemical diacetyl. It is used for aroma and taste in butter, some cheeses and snack and bakery products. In tests at NIOSH (The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health), laboratory rats that breathed high concentrations of vapors from butter flavoring, including diacetyl, developed significant airway damage.

In addition, it is wise to buy organic raw kernels if possible, as corn is one of the most genetically modified foods in North America. You can buy organic corn in the bulk section of health food stores and it’s actually cheaper than buying the over-packaged stuff in the bags.

Since air-popped popcorn is rather bland, I love adding flavor with nutritional yeast. This is yet another wonderful food to pick up in the bulk section of a health food store! Nutritional yeast, similar to brewer's yeast, is a nutritional supplement that can be used as an ingredient in recipes or simply as a condiment. It is a deactivated yeast, produced by culturing the yeast with a mixture of sugarcane and beet molasses, then harvesting, washing, drying and packaging it. It is commercially available in the form of flakes, or as a yellow powder similar in texture to cornmeal (pictured on popcorn above). It is popular with vegans and vegetarians since it is a source of protein and vitamins, especially the B-complex vitamins. It is also naturally low in fat and sodium. Some brands of nutritional yeast, though not all, are fortified with vitamin B12. The vitamin B12 is produced separately from bacteria and then added to the yeast.

Nutritional yeast has a flavor that is described as nutty, cheesy, or creamy, which makes it popular as an ingredient in cheese substitutes. It makes salad dressings smooth and rich, and tops whole grain pasta in place of parmesan.

When I began writing this post, I did not expect that a little bowl of popcorn could raise so many issues, but I hope that I have given you some ideas on how to eat this delicious snack more responsibly!

Gluten-Free Blueberry Crisp

Gluten-free blueberry crisp, Baby.

I've had more than a few requests this week for berry crisp and cobbler recipes, so I thought I'd reprise one of my favorite simple desserts- a berry crisp. I used blueberries in this recipe, but any combination of berries will work- try blackberries and raspberries. Toss in some strawberries. Make a mix of all four. It's all good.

Although fresh berries are lip-smacking wonderful in this crisp (and now is the time of year, after all, for fresh berry picking), frozen wild blueberries aren't terrible. They'll work. Do what you gotta do I always say.

Whatever gets you through.

As for me, it's been a busy week. And I have good news. My latest hip x-ray shows stability and healing. Those titanium spare parts of mine have been behaving. They're staying put. I'm now allowed to be a tad more adventurous! Translation? More walking. No bungee jumping, though. Those carefree bungee jumping days are over, My Darlings.

Oh wait. I never did any bungee jumping.

I'm not the bungee jumping type. I'm more like a wander on the beach picking up stones type. A bookstore browsing type. A lost in my thoughts thinking about colors and words type. I've never had an urge to strap on a helmet and hurl myself off a bridge, come to think of it. Well. Maybe that one time. On my first honeymoon when I woke up and thought, Uh oh. But I digress.

Let's get back to blueberries.

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Strawberry Chocolate Chip Sherbet- A Dairy-Free Vegan Recipe

Ripe strawberries make delicious non-dairy sherbet

Now is the perfect time for a sherbet recipe. Why? Because June is lush and abundant in strawberries. And how do I love these sweet ruby gems? Any way I can get 'em. Popped into my mouth straight from the colander. Rolled in brown sugar and nibbled. Baked into scones (have you tried my Strawberry Chocolate Chip Scones recipe?) and berry studded banana muffins. Nestled into Balsamic Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp. Macerated in Patron Citronge. 

And this week- transformed into a bliss inducing non-dairy frozen confection.

Sherbet- berry pink and creamy and just sweet enough. Studded with semi-sweet chocolate chips. (All right, I confess. I love strawberries and chocolate and I commingle the two every chance I get.)

I hope you dig it.

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