Hello..........

I am really sorry for the late delays of posts latley, I have been very busy this holiday season cooking up food,getting gifts, and doing importaint things. I have not been blogging because of the holiday season interfearence this december-january christmas season.

I think that I will be posting soon whenever I can because by the look of my schedule it is pretty full.

I came up with some ideas that may be posted later on, please check it out when it comes out.

Food: it will come out excitingly with some of my fav recipes....... i just have not decided yet !

BEAUTY & FASHION:
diy conditioning mask
products i used during the winter
natural base makeup prep
december fashion need favourites
beggining beauty: where to shop
diy lush !!! cupcake face mask !!
december favourites

Dance:
Painful.Painful and even more painful: stretching and muscle pain when dancing
pointe protection: make your feet comfy and less painful when using pointes
ARAD/RAD vs BEIJING vs USA vs RUSSIAN ballet
inside pointe shoes: what I do
NEVER GIVE UP : dance motivation
DANCE FAVS : dance brands, types,etc
dance and hair: what i use for practice

Lifestyle: ( 1-2 from this section will be posted )
Durian!!!!!!! pancakes tasting
Chili flavoured chocolate ?!!!?!?!?!
10 super snack hacks
beautiful trip to vietnam ( hanoi )
New years resolution
A LOOK BACK : my  christmas list.
DECEMBER FAVS :)

Art: ( 1-2 from this section will be posted )
Learning the " canting " way, an introduction to BATIK
pens....pencils.....and paper the pattern way of zentangling
THE LUV ( luvre ) meuseum: paris, experience and realities
Inside the worlds of art: EXPLORING GIVERN(e?)Y home of claude monet

Genius 5 types of sweet treat dips

Winter is already here and there will be Christmas parties,holiday events, or just you watching home alone at home with some food and drinks.

I decided to come up with these dips simply by looking for stuff in my cabinet in my kitchen for a nice warm snack. I came across the usual oreos,chips and granola bars. I got board of this so I decided to come up with certain constructions to make sweet dips. Sweet dips that are great to dip any sweet food in there, trust me it is delicious.

PS  ALL IMAGES BY SHUTTERSHOCK ROYALTY FREE


Simply this is great for snacking, I dipped everything from twinkies to strawberries in my dips because they are all sweet and sensational, it is a change from the usual snacks you eat it can basically be a revolution.



Today I am going to recreate accessible snacks / treats into dips which are simple, and also beautiful. Marshmallows,peppermint,oreos,chocolate. Everything wintery and snackish. This is also obviously great for parties,pot lucks,gatherings,etc as people will want more and more from this. smile because the revolution is coming.


I hope you guys enjoy this delicious melt in your mouth treat. because you will keep on wanting more and more and more.

Today I will be making a oreo cookies and creme dip, a white chocolate peppermint candy dip, a red velvet dip, a PB & J dip and lastly a chocolate spice cream dip.

Oreo / cookies and creme dip



you will need :

1 XL bag ( one case ) of  original oreos/ peppermint flavored oreos ( for Christmas )

easy : simply seperate the cream from the cookies, put the cream in one bowl ONLY THE CREME and microwave for 1 minute, then stir it should be ooey gooey goodness, for the cookies in a ziplock bag, place the cookies and crush them with a rolling pin into a fine powder, then fold it into the oreo creme and you can literally dip anything into it !!

I dipped : chocolate bars, strawberries, cookies,crackers and even twinkies ! : / ( i kno kinda gross....twinkies .......... )

White chocolate Peppermint candy DIP


You will need :

2 bars of white chocolate
a heaping 1/4 cup of cool whip ( whipped creme, already whipped)

1 large bag of peppermint candy or candy canes ( CANES HIGHLY RECOMMENDED )
2-3 tbsp of marshmallow fluff ( check  my previous recipe for this one if you do not know what it is )
a few mint leaves to garnish
1 tbsp peppermint extract
1 ts vanilla extract

HOW TO : melt the hot chocolate over a double broiler until fully melted. Prepare the SMALL box of cool whip by pouring 1/2 of the whipped cream into the serving dip bowl, carefully fold in the chocolate. BEFORE MAKING ALL OF THIS, freeze the candy/canes in the freezer. take them out and place it  into a ziplock bag and crush them into a fine powder with a mallet, then carefully fold it into the chocolate cream with all of the other ingredients, top the dip with more peppermint candy powder / crushes and some mint leaves !! enjoy !!

RED VELVET CREME DIP

YOU WILL NEED :

2-4 UNFROSTED LARGE RED VELVET CUPCAKES ( i went to georgetown cupcakes , and tell me  i died after eating the red velvet cupcakes !! ( PS eorgetown cupakes won cupcake wars and they have a show i belive called DC cupcakes ? ) )
1/2 stick of creme cheese (  en espanol es quesa crema )
1 drop of red food coloring ( en espanol es color comida roja )
1/4 container of cool whip


HOW TO : in a bowl with you hands slowly crumble the cup cakes into little crumbs, set aside. In another bowl with a mixer mix the cool whip and creme cheese ( quesa crema ) together until it it whipped and well combined, slowly remove and transfer to the serving dip bowl, lastly fold in the cupcake crumbs and the food coloring until well mixed, THEN SERVE !!

THE PB & J DIP

U WILL NID :

1/2 jar of peanut butter ( cremy or chucky don't care :P )
1/2 jar of jelly/jam ( depends where u come from ) ( I used blueberry or blackberry )
1/2 container of cool whip
3-4 heaping tbsp of powdered sugar
GARNISH :
fresh berries ( depends on your jam flavour ) I used black and blueberries
Roughly chopped peanuts ( optional )



HOW TO : In a bowl combine the creme. peanut butter,sugar and jelly and whip it all up with a mixer transfer into the serving dip bowl, garnish with berries and peanuts and EAT !!

CHOCOLATE SPICE DIP:



GET THE SPICES HERE :http://www.mccormick.com/Spices-and-Flavors

YOU WILL NEED:

1 bar of 50% dark chocolate
cinnamon POWDER
nutmeg POWDER
pumpkin pie spices mix POWDER
all spice POWDER
star anise POWDER
clove ( POWDER )
1/4 container cool whip
orange or citrus rinds ( chopped finely into small peices )

HOW TO : melt the chocolate until fully melted over a double broiler, in another bowl add the cool whip, then slowly add in the chocolate, whip it all up with a mixer till whipped and smooth, then add in a dash of each spice powder fold it in, lastly fold in the orange rinds.

ENJOY GUYS !! I hope this post inspired you trough your boundaries from food, ENJOY !!

Happy holidays,

Ms.Spice

smores attack milk shake

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. It's a cold night and you are sipping your warm hot chocolate and eating smores in front of your fireplace while watching home alone this christmas. YUP! it was this crazy idea I made for this smores milkshake perfect for a sweet treat in liquid creamyness !

It may sound crazy although seriously it is just way too heavenley !! I mean enjoying this milkshake is just like going to heaven .................. because it is just so creamy and flavour blasting !!


( photo by shutter shock search s'mores )

The nice thing about this milkshake is that you do not really have to make smores to put into the blender it is much simpler and more beautiful than being tired of making smores, it just contains the ingredients of smores and seriously it is just a chocolate smore attack in your mouth when you sip it all up.


( image by amazon online store search kraft marshmallow creme )

SImple and i should not talk anymore, I mean this milkshake should be the star of this post! ENJOY!

RECIPE : SMORES MILKSHAKE

ingredients : ( makes 1-2 servings ( large servings )

A good glug of milk ( I used 1/2 chocolate 1/2 2% milk )
7-9 large graham crackers ( crushed into a fine powder form )
5 generous tablespoons of marshmallow fluff/cream
mega marshmallows ( around 4-7 microwaved for 1 minute to a sticky form )
1 small scoop of vanilla ice cream
1 small scoop of chocolate ice cram
1 pump of chocolate syrup
1 ts of java chocolate chips

1 ) simply make a milkshake base by combining the kilk and both types of icecreams.
2 ) after everything is blended up together, add in the syrup,chips,and marshmallow ingredients, blend till well combined, creamy and smooth
3 ) add in the crush graham crackers blend for about 10 seconds, unplug the blender and serve !!
4 ) drink it all up, garnish with whipped cream,chocolate sauce, more crushed graham crackers and mini marshmallows !! enjoy !!

I hope this just made your day better :)

happy holidays ;),

Ms.Spice

Dulce de leche apple cinnamon quesadillas

This is such a simple treat that I always enjoy on a crisp winter day for breakfast, as I can speak spanish too, I purchased dulce de leche and had it with cookies dusted with powdered sugar, it just gave me to love to fall in love with dulce de leche, because it was too delicious.


( image by caloriecounter.about.com ) ( this is my usual brand that I use )

I usually like to used the canned or jarred dulce de leche because it is convenient and easy to purchase usually in your local supermarket or latino store close by, although I also like to make it myself at home where i will give you a simple recipe.

I decided to come up with dulce de leche apple cinnamon quesadillas because I just love latino food..... it's super delicious with the tortillas and dulce de leche from the latino culture and apple and cinnamon from the winter/fall twist, it is just great to enjoy all year round and it is delicious.

If you do not know what dulce d eleche is it is the best caramel in the world, latino style and it is my love ( me gusta dulce de leche mucho !! ) ( i might have got my spanish wrong ) ! it is condensed milk caramelized to deliciousness !

I hope you enjoy this latino winter twist idea !! enjoy !!

( image by shuttershock search apple and cinnamon )

Recipe : APPLE CINNAMON DULCE DE LECHE QUESADILLAS

For the homemade dulce de leche ( easy and kinda authentic ) ( can method )

 ingredients : one can of thick sweetened condensed milk ( I used the eagle ( bordens ) or carnation brand )

steps

1 ) remove any labels from the can of condensed milk.
2 ) fill a boiling pot with some room temperature water
3 ) add the can into the center of the water filled pan ( the water should cover the can in the whole process )
4 ) bring it to a boil on medium heat
5) let it simmer for at least 4 hours, add more water if it has evaporated just enough to cover the can
6) remove the can from the water ( turn off the heat obviously....) remove with kitchen thongs
7) let it cool on a stove wire rack until it is completely cooled
8 ) open the can with a can opener when it is 100% cooled ( cooling can take up to 1 hour )
9 ) there is your dulce de leche enjoy!

made easy and simple.... trust me the long process it totally worth it !!!!

For the quesadillas you will need ( makes 2-3 quesadillas )

10 tbs of dulce de leche
 2 tbs confectioners sugar
2-4 apples
5 tbs of cinnamon spice ( grounded into a powder )
2-3 tortillas

to cook : olive oil

1 ) with a chopping board and knife chop the apples into a crescent moon shape thinly sliced, set aside
2 ) combine all of the cinnamon and confectioners sugar in a bowl, set aside.
3 ) with the tortilla spread 2-3 generous tablespoons of dulce de leche on one side, on that one side add in some apple slices and cinnamon sugar, fold the quesadilla in half so that everything is secured.
4 ) heat a large skillet over medium heat pour some olive oil and evenly distribute it around the pan, add your quesadilla folded in half cook one side till golden brown, flip and cook the other side till golden brown.
5) serve on a serving plate with toppings.

For the topping : dulce de leche caramel cinnamon cream

Ingridients :

 200 ml whipping cream
4 tbs confectioners sugar
5 ts cinnamon spice powder
5-6 tbs dulce de leche

1) whip up the whipping cream and sugar together with a mixer, when whipping slowly add in the dulce de leche, then whip till really fluffy and well combined.

2 ) after fluffy slowly fold in the cinnamon

3) top over the quesadillas or dip the quesadillas into the cream

4 ) EAT AND ENJOY !!!! :)

I hope you guys liked this recipe :)

muchos gracias,

Senorita Spice

DIY BODY BUTTER !!!!!!

The solid winter days are coming :( bad for me and the dry skin eh? Every winter I usually finish about 1-2 pots of body butter to revive my skin to just not be way too dry, actually I even use up tons of tubes of hand cream or butters, I use it a lot during the winter  although all year round it can be used. Body butters and creams can be really pricey at times, even though they smell good and is very nourishing one pot can be expensive and FULL I mean FULL of bad chemicals and stuff....

My favorite butters/creams :


( image couretsey of loccitane,the body shop and nourish organic online store )

I realized that the base for these products were mainly oil,butters,fragrances and tons of other chemicals and fragrances, I decided to try out without the chemicals and formulated a body butter recipe that is all natural and organic, while still keeping your skin smiley and happy. It is just a base of natural scents,butter and oils that will keep your skin glowing and smooth all winter long plus it makes a good lot of body butter, PS because a little goes a long way it is very, I mean very moisturizing.

Image couretsey of shutter shock royalty free images, from right to left : shea butter, coconut oil and violet/lavender essence scent oil ).

I hope everyone has a blissful winter with wonerful skin, especially formulated for dry to normal skin and is just great,effective, and more cheaper and moisturizing.

Home made organic all-natural body butter ( makes around one pot )

for the base :

1/2 cup of Shea butter , organic and all natural
1/4 cup of cocoa butter, organic and all natural
1/4 cup of mango butter, organic and all natural
1/8 cup of almond or avocado oil
1/8 cup of coconut or hazelnut oil

1) prepare a double broiler on a pot over medium to low heat, add your butters and oils until it is fully melted but not boiling.

2) transfer into a bowl ( freezable ) and place in the refrigerator for up to 2 hours plus or until solid, it should still be able to pierce into though.

3) after it has set prepare a mixer, and whip up the base mix until whipped and fluffy, it should not be stale,hard or oily.




For the add ins : ( optional, you can add stuff in or not, the base is just unscented and natural )

grounded dried spices/herbs ( ex. cinnamon,rosemary,etc)
liquid soap coloring ( specifically soap coloring, to make it colorful )
extracts/fragrances/essences/essential oils
dried lavender or other add ins like ( aloe gel,etc )

how to : after whipping everything slowly with a spoon fold in any add on's lightly fold it, just to make it Incorporated nicely but not too fluffy.

Storage how to and tips :

Personally, I like to store it in mason jars or old candle jars ( i like the ones from bath and body works) with pre made personalized labels / pictures.

Store it in a dark and cool place not in a hot place, if not it will melt.

If it starts to get oily, transfer into a bowl and repeat steps two and three but do not add anymore add on's.

can last up to 1-2 months,best used fresh.

Where to get all the stuff :

http://www.brambleberry.com/

Dr . Adorable site

http://www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com/


Picture couretsey of shutter shock

Enjoy it spicers ! :

good luck,

Ms.Spice

how to get a flexible back fast : dance beginners !!

I always had A hard time getting flexible especially for those who attend dance/cheer/gymnastic sports that require yourself to be really flexible in order to be successful. These are some moves I used for when I was a beginning dancer to get my flexible back ( this is especially formatted for dancers. ) These are 5 poses/moves to help you.

1st move : bridge / back bend  ( if you do not know what this looks like, search it up :) ) ( from easiest level to hardest 1 = easy, 4= hardest )

1st stage : start off with your hands on the floor laying on you back hands  backwards ( wrist facing your body ) legs bent ( like you are doing a slight kneel but not all the way ) then slowly push yourself lifting your hands and feet ( sole and palms on the floor ) and your back should be arched like a bridge. Hold this position for 5-10 seconds.

2nd stage : repeat 1st stage, the when you are arched slowly try to walk your hands and feet closer to each other.

3rd stage : on a wall.

Stand up in front of a wall and go into an arch legs slightly bent and arch your body back, arching you down if you cannot go all the way down use the wall and your hands by " stepping " on the wall with your palms to help you.

4th and final stage : similar to 3rd stage do a full back bend/ arch/bridge without a wall completely straight away.

2nd move/pose  is Child's pose : simple and relaxing ( only one stage .... kinda.... )

Easy kneel down on your knees head and stomach  ( sticking ) on your thighs/legs, hands straight and forwards ( do not bend your hands/arms !! ) and slowly with your fingers slowly drag yourself forward to stretch.

3rd move / pose is derriere kicks ( or batmonton something in ballet.... )

basically hold your arms and hands or relax them on a barre bar / ballet dancing bar or on a table about your chest high, arms shoulder width your whole body facing the table/bar do not turn your hips, stomach tucked inn and chin up have a straight back, point your legs  and carefully lift and kick back ( your legs ) do NOT bring your chest forward to the bar or lean forwards and/or back, keep your mind and body straight.... this may hurt a little............. muscles and stretching............ lower back guys.

4th move/pose: back pulls

lay on your stomach fully on the ground then bend your arms shoulder width ( like about to do a push up but with your stomach on the ground ) , then gradually push yourself up lifting the back up legs on the ground still but back and chest lifted.

5th move/pose: pike stretch/toe touch

get up on your feet and stand up , without curving your back or bending your knees aim to touch your toes, DO NOT BEND KNEES !! just get up keep your back straight and touch your toes, hold for 8-15 seconds. then relax with child's pose.

I just hope that these straches would help you in dance/gym/cheer or whatever you are doing, it sure helped me and gradually now I do have a flexible back. hope you enjoyed

good luck,

Ms.Spice