The Twelve Days of Chocolate

OK, so granted, I'm a little late and am therefore off by one day, but if it makes you feel any better I was out scoring an exclusive interview with an R&B Singlelista Sensation, that you all are going to DIE FOR! 

Now, I'm not going to tell you her name quiet yet, but if you've thought it's been a bit chilly these past few days, then you're already thinking in the right direction!

Now... back to the business at hand!

Ladies, we are officially within the Twelve Days of Christmas -cue live audience applause-, and I thought what better way to celebrate than to bring you our Twelve Must Haves of Christmas!  

-cue live, LOUD, audience applause-

Yes, singlelistas, we've got all kinds of luxe recommendations in store for you, but today I thought we'd kick off this celebration with a little something special to warm your soul!

Now everybody knows that I'm a BIG fan of holiday cheer! And by cheer, I mean spirits! And by spirits, I mean something served in a sugar rimmed martini glass! But during the holidays I have another bev of choice, one that's reminiscent of my childhood days and reflective of an innocence now lost.

Aww..moment of silence for simpler days gone by...

Ok..moment over!

#12 Haute Chocolate

Yes, my loves during the Christmas season, I'm all about the cocoa and so item #12 on our list is a Haute Chocolate Bar!

Here's how it works:

Begin with your favorite base of chocolate.  You can keep it classic by choosing a popular pre-packaged brand, such as Swiss Miss or Nestle, or you can opt for something a little more indulgent and begin with pure chocolate pieces from Godiva or Ghirardelli. It's one million percent up to you!

Next, set out as many types of  fun chocolate toppings and mix-ins as your little childhood heart can dream of (what, you thought mixers were only for adult bevs? Please!). Think marshmellows, candy canes, toffee crumbles, fruit zests, ice cream, liquors, and more. Your imagination is the limit!

Then, set out all of the cutesy coffee mugs you can find (bonus points for mugs that are over sized, or decorated in festive holiday themes or sassy girly-girl phrases!).

Finally, invite all of your girlfriends in out of the cold for an evening of haute cocoa and girl talk--- singlelista style!

Now, I don't want to tell you how to do your cocoa, but I have a few chic suggestions for Haute Chocolate offerings that might help heat up your girls night!

Peppermint White Hot Chocolate

Ingredients:


8 oz white chocolate, chopped


3 1/2 cups milk


6 hard peppermint candies, crushed fine


1/2 tsp peppermint extract


2/3 cup whipping cream


Preparation:


Beat chilled cream with crushed mints until stiff peaks form. Refrigerate for about an hour. Meanwhile, heat milk to a simmer, them mix in chocolate. Whisk until chocolate is melted and smooth. Add mint extract and stir through. Pour into mugs and top with minty whipped cream.


Grand Marnier Hot Chocolate

Ingredients:

1 cup half n' half


2 cups milk


1/2 cup orange juice


6 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped


1/3 cup Grand Marnier


Preparation:


Heat half and half, milk, and orange juice until just boiling. In a mixing bowl, add about 2/3 cup of hot milk to the chocolate and whip smooth. Add the rest of the milk and whisk again. Simmer for around 2 minutes to reheat through. Add Grand Marnier and serve.


Spiced Hot Chocolate

 

Ingredients:


4 tablespoons cocoa powder, unsweetened


1/3 cup sugar


1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon


1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg


dash salt


1/2 cup hot water


3 1/2 cups milk

1 teaspoon vanilla


4 cinnamon sticks


Preparation:


In a medium saucepan, combine cocoa, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Stir in the water. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat. Boil, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Gradually stir in milk and continue to heat until heated through, stirring frequently. Do not boil. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Serve in mugs with cinnamon sticks. Makes 4 servings.

Hot Chocolate Float

Ingredients:

2 envelopes hot cocoa mix


2 cups warm water

2 scoops vanilla ice cream

Preparation:

Make hot chocolate as you normally would. Top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Serve in a mug with a chocolate dipped spoon for extra flair.
                                                                               --

Mmm... craving chocolate yet?

Feel free to take us up on these suggestions or  you and your girlfriends come up with some of your own.   The only must have ingredients are good girlfriends and frothy, melty chocolate.

With item #12 from out Twelve Must Haves of Christmas list, your holiday is sure to be off to a savory, steamy start!

Love life...every SINGLE moment of it!
-xoxo

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Notes from Down the Aisle: Holiday Edition

We at The Singles’ Salon know first hand that the holidays can be a difficult time for some singlelistas. So for any of you experiencing the singlelista blues, we thought now would be a great time for another installment of "Notes from Down the Aisle"- a preview of the other side of “I DO!”

Our mystery matronista is back with more exclusive insights from wifedom. Pay attention ladies, you just might discover that being married isn’t all mistletoe after all!

'We' instead of 'Me': Holiday Edition

Ahhhh, the holidays! There’s no better time of year.

You have vacation time and oh so many options. What will you do? Will you read that long anticipated book by the fire? Will you organize your closets? Maybe you’ll catch up with family and friends that you haven’t seen in a while. Maybe you’ll sit at your mother’s house and eat yourself into a comatose state. Maybe you’ll catch up on your favorite reality shows or movies that you haven’t seen on your TiVo or DVR. Maybe you will just take a fabulous trip to Europe.

Singlelistas, the options are limitless!

However, once you say “I Do”, your holiday plans are no longer entirely your own. If you thought you had too much to do during the holidays as a single woman; once you add the hubby, you can multiply your list by two (not including gifts).

Don’t get me wrong, it’s a wonderful feeling to be a part of a dynamic duo. However, truthfully speaking, when I first found out that I had to cancel my long awaited holiday spa visit complete with a peppermint facial scrub and gingerbread foot salts for one of his Christmas gatherings, my initial feeling was one of resentment.


I had so many questions.

When did he find out about the event anyway?

Whose function is it?

How does he even know these people?

Does he HAVE to go?

Hell, do I HAVE to go?

When it came down to it, none of the answers to these questions even mattered. What mattered is that these events were important to him and he wanted his wife to be there. PERIOD.


Well, either I could have continued to be resentful or I could choose to be happy about spending that special time of year with the man that I love. I chose to take the positive route, and had to take the following steps to come to terms with relinquishing some of my holiday time:


1. Be considerate. I know it’s difficult, but try to place yourself in your significant other’s shoes. I like to show up fashionably late with my husband on my arm at my events. So why should I feel that my husband feels any differently about being with me at his events?

2. Have an honest conversation with your significant other about their expectations for the holidays. Through trial and error, I’ve learned to start the holiday season by asking my husband what he plans to do for the season. This includes what events he wants to attend, what events he wants to host, what friends and family he wants to see, how much he plans to spend, what events we can go to solo, etc. From there, I give input about my plans. Then we compromise if there are any conflicts. (Trick: Unless your mate is more social than you, ask him what he plans to do first- 9 out of 10 times, he has 3 things compared to your 10. My hubby tends not to put up as much of a fuss if he thinks that his events got first preference.)


3. Communicate your intentions to your family and friends. Prior to me meeting my husband, my family was a neat little foursome and we spent all of our holidays cooking, eating, talking, watching movies, and just enjoying each other’s company. The first holiday that my husband and I were together, we spent half of the day with his family and the other half with mine. I felt so guilty because I felt that I destroyed our neat little foursome, by having a husband. It just wasn’t the same anymore. Weeks prior to the holiday, I sat down with my family and talked about my holiday plans so that we could devise a way to make it through the holiday without anyone feeling neglected. I also try to let my friends know if I have any conflicts early on, so that I can schedule other times to see them one-on-one if possible.

4. Prepare. Prepare. Prepare. You may attend several events in the same day, so be sure to dress to accommodate all of the events and do your shopping or preparing of dishes early. You keep a better attitude if you don’t allow the events to be overwhelming.

5. Make the best out of the situation. Happiness is a choice. You may not think you have much in common with your mate’s friends, family, and/ or co-workers, but you’re a renaissance woman. Your expansive knowledge allows you to relate to anyone from a CEO of a Fortune 500 company to a five-year-old child. If you just can’t bring yourself to enjoy the food, the surroundings, or the music after a while, and then go to number 6.

 6. Tag out. You and your significant other need to have a sign or code word for when either of you have had enough. If his family or co-workers get on his nerves after a while, it’s likely that they’ll get on yours much faster. Both of you have to agree that after the code is given that you are leaving- and soon.


7. Make time to do something that you want to do for yourself. The great thing about following tips 1-6, is that after all is said and done you can do what you want with your time. Sneak away on a Sunday after church (while he’s watching football) and get a holiday flavored drink at a local coffee shop and read your favorite book or magazine.

Being a matronista can be a fabulous thing! However, going from “me” to “we” during the holidays can be a trying process.

So for you all of you “MEs” out there, enjoy the freedom of the season, and have yourself a holly jolly holiday!

Love life…every SINGLE moment of it!
-XOXO

PS- Need more convincing that singlelista holidays are DEFINITELY worth celebrating? Check out THIS ARTICLE, written for The Singles’ Salon founding editor and recently published onBettyConfidential.com. Single bells, anyone?

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