Do-It-Yourself White Chocolate Roses

                     White Chocolate Roses 

They teased me, even jeered at me, from the page. There's just no way I could make those white chocolate roses, I thought to myself, when I saw the beautiful photo in Susie Norris' new book Chocolate Bliss. It's just way too Martha - plus desserts ain't my thing. When I've got to come up with something sweet, I always flip through recipes before chickening out and speeding off last minute to the closest bakery. 

So, when offered the chance to join forces with Susie for recipe from her book, I couldn't help bringing up the seemingly impossible as I meekly said, "Could we possibly do the roses?" Much to my surprise, Susie quickly quipped, "Sure!  those are soooo easy!" You don't know me, I thought to myself.

Beauty aside, I thought if I could in fact pull this off, those roses could really come in handy - from adorning a simple store-bought cake, cupcakes or as a stunning garnish on a dessert plate. Susie, by the way, also likes to give them as gifts, “I like to present the roses in a reusable box, such as a small jewelry box lined with plastic wrap with the roses inside.  Import shops often sell ethnic boxes and are a great place to pick these up.”

  So, we went for it, and the shocking thing is that it really was easy!  First you have to make Susie's recipe for Chocolate Plastique (see below). Be sure to use one of the better brands of block chocolate, not those Nestle chips commonly used for cookies.  You end up with a dough like ball of white chocolate.  If you want colored roses, add a few drops of coloring gel (not liquid drops), available at baking shops, to the mix and knead it out. Make sure you wear plastic gloves and you cover your counters with plastic as this coloring gel stains. Use some white powdered sugar or cornstarch to roll it out - just a bit thinner than a pie crust.  The video above kicks off just after rolling out the chocolate. 

SheSez Shares Secret: Our Prized Red Velvet Cupcake Recipe

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Bella Couture Cupcake cover 

It's the case with every coveted recipe.  There's a secret ingredient.  My Red Velvet Cupcake recipe is no exception. When I share this recipe with friends, they see the buttermilk and say, "Ah, that's the secret ingredient!"  But it's not.  Lots of cake recipes call for buttermilk. The secret ingredient in the red velvet cupcake recipe is something I learned way back in the day when my mom would buy those cheap (but ever so tasty!) Duncan Hines mixes.  She'd always add a couple dollops of sour cream.  Pssssst!  It also works like magic with red velvet cupcakes.  It give the cakes a moisture and richness that's out of this world!

I put the cupcakes I made - shown above -  in these little Valentine's Day covers by Bella Couture Cupcake. We just started selling the line of cupcake covers at the SheSez store - and it makes baking all the more fun! The cupcake covers are basically like little jackets you dress up your cakes up in after you bake them. There are dozens of really unique "textile-inspired" designs to choose from.  Why not put a little fashion in your food?

Gluten: The Hidden Cause of Your Health Problems?

It's hard to believe that eating a slice of whole wheat bread, a staple of the American diet, could actually be bad for you, right?   But in some cases, gluten can cause serious health problems. Those problems often continue for years as they are incorrectly attributed to various diseases, when all along the problem was simply gluten.

Gluten is a special type of protein commonly found in wheat - anything from breads to processed foods.   It can also be hidden in everyday products such as medicines, vitamins, and lip balms. 

Beautiful Bling for the Buck: Michelle Roy jewelry at the SheSez store!

 

           Flower Stretch Ring                                     

Sure, Michelle Roy designs jewelry for an exclusive celebrity clientele that includes the likes of Madonna, Demi Moore, Ava Longoria and J-Lo.  But that's not why we love her.  We love Michelle's jewelry because it's stylish, well-made and can turn even the most simple clothing into a sophisticated ensemble. We can always count on Michelle to have the hottest, chic pieces and, what's more, we can afford them! 

So, we were delighted when Michelle invited us into her Robertson Boulevard showroom to pick out a few items to offer our readers at the SheSez store on Open Sky (in case you don't remember, Open Sky is our e-commerce partner - they run our store for us....we pick out things we love, and they do the rest). Linleigh hand-selected the items. Then, the two of us put together the short video below offering a close-up look at the  selections, as well as tips on how to wear them. " 

First up?  Michelle's fabulous cocktail rings, which have stretch bands, enabling you to wear them on your index or middle finger - whichever you prefer.  There are three designs: flower (at very top of this article), dome, and studded (both below). The gold flower and dome versions have Swarovski crystals, and will blend perfectly with your real jewelry. Wear them with even your best pieces and no one will suspect a thing!  And, get this: they're just 41 bucks!

 

               Dome Stretch Ring

 
             Stud Stretch Ring 

 
       Clover Neckace in gold 

What's more elegant and feminine than a single, 14 karat gold-dipped clover pendant necklace?  With the Clover Necklace's ($79) clean, simple design, we guarantee you'll want to wear it everyday. The chain is also adjustable, so you can wear the clover pendant shorter or longer depending on what you’re wearing. It's also a perfect gift as it comes it a little box with a good luck poem inside. This is, by the way, one of Linleigh's favorite gift items for Bat Mitzvahs. The Clover Necklace also comes two other versions: with a silver pendant and chain and with a gold pendant but a turquoise beaded chain.

All three versions of the Clover Necklace, by the way, are currently on sale for 25-percent off as part of a Valentine's Day promotion on Open Sky.  To get your coupon code, go to this page, fill out your email address and put "SheSez" as your favorite Shopkeeper.  Your coupon code will be emailed to you within 48 hours.  Then come back with your coupon code and order it. Don't wait!  The offer is only good through Valentine's Day. If you have any problems, just shoot us an email and we'll jump in.

                      Leaf Bib Necklace  

The Leaf Bib Necklace ($95) above is a terrific statement piece.  It's gold-plated brass with Swarovski crystals. Wear it with a simple, high, crew neckline on an all black or white background, or with a strapless top or dress and you're "dressed to kill". This is the piece I have on in the video (yep, I wore it right out of the store!). It comes in two versions: with a chain ($95) and on a ribbon ($104).  The one pictured above on a chain is the one Linda is wearing in the video. The one pictured below is the one on the ribbon.

                     

Come Fly With Me: Packing for a Carry on Baggage Weekend Trip

 

I had a packing conundrum this past weekend as I was preparing to travel to Houston for a four event Bat Mitzvah extravaganza.  Do I check my one bag and pay the $18.00 baggage fee and then wait and hope to get my bag at the other end?  Or do I figure out a way to carry on my 2 airplane allotted bags?  With my handbag counting as one bag, squeezing all my party outfits into a 21” roller board wasn’t going to be a stress free possibility.  I had the additional dilemma of timing my arrival with the start of the first party, so the extra 30-40 minutes waiting for my bag was going to be cutting into my precious cocktail hour. The voice of reason was rearing its stubborn head while contemplating the beauty of making this the ultimate packing challenge.  

Not Just a Tank Top...

 

I took my friend, Lissa out today for a quick post surgery shopping mall run in this torrential Los Angeles rain and I stumbled upon a fantastic find. Check out Express’s sequined tank. It comes in myriad colors: navy, black, graphite, sapphire, hot pink, nude, etc…  For $29.50, this 60% cotton/40% modal tank comes in sizes xxsmall-large. 

Bloumebaby: Sustaining the Earth and Our Babies

   
 
     Handmade Organic Crochet Deer                                          Yoga Mat

Leave it to a California mom to come up with a retail line for babies that provides healthy, sustainable products without losing style or quality.  Manhattan Beach resident Annie Totten has really come up with a gem with Bloumebaby.   The on-line company offers products that cater to a modern, green lifestyle, ranging from high quality apparel to toys to bedding to bath products.  We particularly love the smart way she organizes the sales categories: Dress, Play, Eat, Sleep, Bathe, Travel and....finally For Momma. Yes, we moms need babying sometimes too! 

21 Questions for an Integrative Nutritionist

Just about everyone is thinking more about nutrition nowadays.  How can we be as healthy as possible?  How can we eat foods that will help not hurt us - now and in the long run? How can we maximize our energy? I'm constantly reading about nutrition trying to educate myself, but sometimes I get confused with all the different opinions.  With that in mind, we turned to Integrative Nutritionist and SheSez contributor Elissa Goodman. We asked her 21 simple questions about nutrition in the year 2010 - do's and don'ts - and things we can do to enhance our bodies and our health by merely choosing the right foods. 

 

1.      What exactly is an integrative nutritionist?

An integrative nutritionist is someone who advises people on the alternative and holistic world of nutrition. This approach to nutrition integrates a variety of different dietary theories: new and old, Northern and Eastern, as well as Southern and Western. The approach emphasize the importance of health and wellbeing, but it tends to go one step further and delve into the personal side of diet, not to mention the social and political aspects.

 

2.      When is it time to hire a nutritionist and how much does it cost?

It's time to hire a nutritionist when you feel that you need guidance handling your health or want to be educated on how to enhance your wellbeing. Some people may only meet with a nutritionist once and can take the recommendations from there - applying them as needed. Other people, particularly those with related health conditions, may need regular, ongoing visits.

Since nutritionists bring a varied range of experience to their jobs, the rate they charge for their services also differs. Rates may also vary depending on whether the nutritionist runs a private practice or works as part of a healthcare clinic or in some type of facility or health club setting. The hourly rate for a private nutritionist consultation typically costs from $100 to $375.

 

3.      What's the one thing we should not eat in 2010?

Don’t eat ANYTHING with high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). New research shows that consuming HFCS actually causes the body to grow fat cells and contributes to the early-onset of diseases like heart disease and diabetes. Moreover, traces of mercury have been found in almost half of the commercial HFCS used in the United States. HFCS is found in everything from soda to bread, and is a large factor in our country’s quickly rising rates of obesity. The solution is to read food labels! HFCS is not only found in common foods like cookies and candy, but also shows up in chips, breakfast cereals, salad dressings, and sauces. . Knowing that HFCS doesn’t only make you fat, but also makes you sick, should help you avoid fast-food and soda this year!

Golden Globes Red Carpet: Linleigh's Favorites and a Few Faux Pas

I especially love to watch the Golden Globes each year starting at 4 o'clock with the red carpet bit all the way to the bitter end. Drinking a glass of nero d'Avola and eating a red velvet moon pie while watching celebrities don beautiful gowns, I'm in golden globe nirvana. So what did I like? Who did I think wore it well? Let's start with Emily Blunt who chose a pale pink frothy gown by Dolce Gabbana. She was lovely. Her makeup was soft and she accessorized perfectly by just paying homage to her wrists.

 
                                       Emily Blunt   

Secondly, I loved Olivia Wilde's ensemble. She was sexy in her fully sequined jet and silver Gucci dress with the asymmetrical drape and just the appropriate cleavage for that neckline. Mariah Carey, take note.

 
                  Olivia Wilde 

The Hurt Locker: A Work of War Worth Watching

                         The Hurt Locker 

I'm at a stage in life where I can't bear to watch violence as a form of entertainment.  Real life makes me anxious enough.   This has presented a problem for my husband and me as one of the things we love to do is go to the movies together.  So, when he said he'd like to see The Hurt Locker,  a movie a group of American soldiers fighting in Iraq, I was quick to decline.  However, I started seeing so many fantastic reviews that I decided to brave it. I’m glad I did.