Some of you will remember that I recently confessed to a less than exemplary week of eat-my-own-weight in chocolate behaviour.

I didn't eat my own weight in chocolate you understand (although damn it, I would love to try!) but I did eat enough to feel thoroughly shame-faced and hypocritical. Therefore after the fortunate revival of my inner-nutritionist and a few weeks of super-healthy living, I was determined not to slide down a slippery slope this Easter!

Chocolate overload is a common problem at this time of year. We know it's going to happen, we know we'll regret it afterwards, but many of us simply can't resist.

Even if we try to, it's amazing how crafty the Easter bunny can be. Eggs at work, eggs at church, eggs from family and eggs right at the check-out ? just as we thought we'd managed to resist ? it's all a bit overwhelming!

But what can we do about it? Well, I've decided that the world is divided into two types of people.

First, the type that eats every single chocolate egg, bunny and chick, as soon as they can, all in one sitting and probably all before breakfast. If you're one of those people, I'm sorry ? I can't help you! It's too late, you've gone and done it.

Just go outside immediately and start exercising it off!

However, if you're the second type of person, the type that rations everything out, resulting in a two week long chocolate frenzy, I can help you ? and this is how.

You're probably in two minds ? you want the chocolate, but you kind of wish it was over.

You've had enough, but you can't quite stop and you certainly can't bring yourself to throw it away? am I right? The answer is simple.

We need to cleverly turn that chocolate into something semi-healthy and also, we need to distribute it far and wide. Now admittedly, sharing chocolate is not so healthy for everyone else, but it healthy for you ? especially if you have your sights set on itsy-bitsy swimwear this year.

Some of you will have seen this recipe before, but it's so useful post-Easter that I thought we'd better re-print it.

By dipping fruit in chocolate, you get a little bit of chocolate and LOTS of fruit! Fruit is packed with antioxidants ? great for boosting your immune system and protecting your heart.

Strawberries do dip incredibly well, but other berries or pieces of pear, plum, apricot or peach work well too.

This recipe is great for sharing with friends, an excellent way to get more fruit into reluctant spouses or children, and crucially, a brilliant way of using up Easter chocolate. If you don't have 300g of chocolate, don't buy more! Just scale down the recipe instead.

Most Easter chocolate melts down well ? as long as it's just solid chocolate. You can try it with caramel/milkyway eggs etc, but I'm not guaranteeing the results! If it won't stick to the fruit, you could just use it as a chocolate fondue.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Ingredients

300g Easter egg chocolate - big shells, or smaller foil wrapped eggs. Alternatively, 300g dark chocolate (e.g. Endangered Species Chimpanzee Bars from Lindos, Lindt 70 percent or Lindt Bittersweet chocolate)

1 large punnet of Strawberries

3 kiwis

1 handful raisins

1 tsp butter or dairy free margarine

1 non-stick pan

1 large or 2 small baking sheets

Waxed baking parchment

1. Melt the butter/dairy free margarine over a very low heat in a non-stick pan

2. Break up the chocolate into single pieces and add to the pan, allowing them to melt very gently (this takes about 5 minutes)

3. Meanwhile rinse the strawberries and blot with kitchen towel to remove excess water. Peel the kiwis and slice into 6 round slices. Cover a large baking sheet with waxed baking parchment.

4. When the chocolate is melted, take off the heat and tip the pan a little to one side so that it creates a pool of melted chocolate.

5. Dip each strawberry and kiwi slice in chocolate, so that is half covered in chocolate. Then place the fruit immediately on the waxed paper.

6. If you have any remaining chocolate, stir in a handful of raisins till they are covered. Then place these on the baking tray using a teaspoon. Don't worry if they are not all separated, they break apart easily when they are set.

7. Place in the fridge. The chocolate will have set in half an hour.

8. These peel off the waxed paper easily, but if you are with friends, just place the baking sheet on the table and peel off the fruit directly!