As you may have garnered from the tone of my most recent posts, going back to late April, I’ve been a little down. I have been avoiding Twitter and other Social Media time suckers. I haven’t been posting as much as I would like and I haven’t been feeling quite like myself.

I’ve been cleaning my house every day, working out, eating right and playing with the kids whenever I can. I’ve also been drinking a lot of this:

It finally came to me what has me down and I’m sure there are thousands upon thousands of other “stay at home” moms who feel the same way as I do. Because I’m not really a stay at home mom, I’m a work at home mom. I spend the hours between household and child duties attempting to make a name for myself as not one, but two online identities. I’m the heart and soul behind this blog as well as attempting to get a fledgling photography business off the ground.

It’s all proved to be a little too much. On top of writing gigs that I’ve also accepted for other websites, I have two of my own blogs and personal commitments. I can’t keep up with Facebook or my own Twitter feeds and I feel like I’ve lost touch with a lot of my readers and fellow food bloggers. I don’t have enough time to spend on my business to promote it or even to get out there and take photos and I don’t have enough time to spend with my kids.

And I just can’t say no to this face anymore:

What I’ve come to conclusion of is this: I need to give something up or I’m going to explode from within. I need to devote more time to my family and playing with my children while they are still this young and tender age, and I need to devote more time to the passions I really appreciate. As much as the business of photography is calling my name, for now I am going to have to slow it down. This is not to say that I will not be doing some gigs here and there, but I will not be pursuing the business until the kids go to school.

I need this time to be a mom and make cupcakes with my son and play patty cake with my daughter. I need to just take their pictures and hone my skills where I can. I need to spend less time devoted to a computer and more time to the flesh and blood I brought to this earth.

Hopefully this conclusion means less wine, but why ruin a good thing right?

When I’m down, I tend to want to eat desserts and lots of them, but this year I’m trying to be different. I have a challenge within a little workout community that I’m involved in that has us all going for the coveted “six-pack abs” and out goal was “by summer”. Well I take that to mean that I have to have a six-pack by June 21st, 19 days away! Well, I’m trying very hard everyday to make it to that goal and I won’t let a little depression get in my way. So when the dessert demons called, I made something that comes in under 350 calories per serving.

These strawberry rhubarb fools will make the most of the seasons finest fruits and hopefully will let you keep your belt buckle where it is!

Wondering what a fool is? These Strawberry Rhubarb Fools take their name from an old English dessert Gooseberry Fool. Traditionally just fruit purée with a whipped cream topping, nowadays you’ll find Dessert Fools of all kinds. Some people put a little whipped egg whites in their fool, but not me. I prefer a simple fruit compote (purée) and a thick as I can get it whipped cream.

So if you are looking for that simple but satisfying dessert and have been searching fruitlessly, my Strawberry Rhubarb Fool will fill the gap.

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Strawberry Rhubarb Fool

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour

For the Strawberry Rhubarb Compote:
1 lb fresh rhubarb, cut into 1″ chunks
1 lb fresh strawberries, stems and green leaves removed
1/2 cup fine sugar
zest and juice of one lemon
2 tsp vanilla extract or 1 tsp vanilla extract + 1 vanilla bean

For the Whipped Cream:
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp  vanilla extract
1 tbsp sugar

1. For the Strawberry Rhubarb Compote: In a medium sized saucepan, combine all ingredients. Turn to medium high and bring to a boil.
2. Lower to a simmer and continue to cook on low heat for about one hour (stirring occasionally) or until all the fruit has broken down and the compote has thickened up.
3. Set aside to cool at room temperature (if serving within four hours, otherwise refrigerate).

1. For the Whipped Cream: In a chilled bowl, add all ingredients.
2. Using a stand mixer or handheld beaters, beat on medium high speed until the cream becomes stiff.

To Serve:

In bowls, small glasses or parfait cups, spoon 1/4 of the compote. Top with 1/4 of the whipped cream and serve. Repeat for remaining 3/4.

Similarly delicious recipes from other fabulous food blogs:

Persimmon Pudding Fool on White on Rice Couple
Rhubarb Fool with Whipped Cream & Gingersnapson Cookin’ Canuck
Pear Ginger Compote on Whipped the Blog
Cinnamon Panna Cotta with Spicy Autumn Fruit Compote on Baking Obsession
Barely Cooked Scallops with Tomato Compote and Champagne Beurre Blanc on Caviar and Codfish