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Italiano

11/21/2010

Rather than red and white checkered table cloths with candles set in wine bottles (reminiscent of an Italian cafe), try ivory linens, crystal stemware, and lush ivory roses surrounded with baby's breath in a crystal vase.

Remember that simplicity can be elegant and refreshing. Couple this look with parmesan and garlic breadsticks angled at the top of each plate. Be sure to set out a separate plate in which to place your breadstick after the first bite is taken. In a rich red colored dish, serve freshly steamed green beans drizzled with garlic butter and topped with pimento or thinly sliced, steamed red bell pepper. Add your crystal candle holder at the head of each place setting and fill with a six inch ivory candle. Finally, to complete this wonderful dining experience, play your favorite instrumental music very softly.

Follow these simple directions and you're sure to have a meal that's elegant and sophisticated. Salute'!

Cupcakes

11/21/2010

Cupcakes have captivated the the world and our tastebuds. How can you enhance a chocolate cupcakes recipe? Cupcakes are so named because in early times, the ingredients were measured in cups instead of weighed. The first cupcakes were not necessarily small in size. The best way to make the best chocolate cupcake in the universe is to use the best chocolate you can get your hands on. It is only the best if it tantalizes and charges your tastebuds with delicious eloquence and melt in your mouth delight. Remember the chocolate square called "ice cubes"? It was a little but powerful morsel that literally melted in your mouth like an ice cube. That is the deliverance of delicacy that you want to provide to your guests. Once your palette says "ahhhh thats the best", is when will you know to use it in your recipe. Delicate, sumptuous and luscious, that is your goal for you and your guests.

A beautiful way to display cupcakes is to explore the colors in them. A chocolate cupcake with white icing and mint green leaves with light pink floral design would be eloquently displayed on a crystal platter with pink lace peaking out from under each cupcake. A sterling and crystal tong laying neatly to one side picks up its glitz and exploits the glamour. Now shave a few curls of rich , dark, chocolate on the platter and with a few sprinkles of irredescent edible crystals you have something your Guests would almost enjoy looking at rather than eat. Don't forget to place tealights nearby in white just to pick up the glow.

The Most Expensive Champagne in the World

11/21/2010

With approximately 49 million bubbles in any given bottle of champagne its no wonder it is called "the bubbly".

Some vintage 1907 Heidsieck champagne that's been sitting on the bottom of the ocean for the past 80 years is being sold for $275,000 a bottle at the Ritz-Carlton in Moscow. Over 200 bottles of the long-lost, perfectly-preserved bubbly were salvaged from a shipwreck off the coast of Finland.

Champagne Varieties
Every champagne house or grower offers a range of different wines. Varieties include:

Blanc de Blancs. Wines made primarily from chardonnay, the exclusive white grape variety of the Champagne region. Literally translated, the phrase means "white of whites."
Blanc de Noirs. A white or slightly tinted wine made from black grapes, usually pinot noir.
Brut. A champagne style that is very dry.
Cuvee. A blend of many still (nonsparkling) wines.
Demi-Sec. A sweet champagne.
Rose. A champagne with a slightly pink tint that may come from the addition of a small portion of red wine from contact with grape skins.
Vintage. Champagnes produced exclusively from the wines of a single harvest. Producers "declare a vintage" only in exceptional years.

Champagne and Cupcakes

11/21/2010

Champagne and Cupcakes will assist you in the design of your table decor and make it asthetically pleasing for all of your entertaining needs. These are simple tips and tricks to bring your table to life and reflect what you are serving. When I put together a meal I want my table to be part of the entertaining experience. And what a great way to let your guests know that you went and enjoyed going that extra mile for their dining pleasure.

Five Elements of a Relationship

11/21/2010

BELIEVE in who you are with, why you are with them and the reasons that brought you together in the first place.

DREAM in the chemistry, creation and future possibilites.

LIVE as if you will be apart for awhile, hold on and cherish the time you have together, make it happy and make parting sweet sorrow.

LAUGH when you tickle eachother with wit and charm, smile with your eyes when you look at eachother and be spontaneously playful.

LOVE.....with all your heart.

Hold these five elements near and dear and every day will be an "I love you" kind of day.

Every Day is Valentines Day

11/21/2010

In my experience many Men either fear or put up with Valentines day. Don't get me wrong there are Men that love it too. No matter what the situation, belief or disbelief you really have to look at, once again, what works for that individual couple. If your man treats you daily to romance and forgets or chooses not to celebrate Valentines Day than do yourself a favor and Shhhhh...If your man has to be reminded, primed and prodded to remember, my question to you is why do you want something that isn't from the heart? I find it interesting when I hear complaints that "I had to remind him" or "he's getting better at it". When I hear this the excitement would be lost for me. If he does something special on a day that is not a "hallmark" holiday and thinks of a romantic gesture spontaneously that would mean more to me than seeing it starred on the calendar as a date he "better" remember. Ladies remember why he is your "Valentine" to begin with..for me it is because he is the one I want to spend my time with and nothing can replace that.

Always Wait to Hear the Reason

11/21/2010

It doesn't matter how young you are or how seasoned in love. Every relationship is different and cannot be compared to another. I look at it like a newborn baby. Only that particular Mother and Father could create that child. As in love the only two that can create a specific relationship are the two individuals in the relationship. Of course there will be similarities and there will also be diversities. Is there convention or rules in a relationship? No! The complexities only need be recognized by the two who understand and live it. Anyone who stands in judgement of anothers relationship really need to step back and see what works and doesn't work in their own. The matter of fact is the life, the love and the heart and soul only two can share. It is in the understanding and devotion that will make things work. And when the heart sinks in complexities, although it is easier said than done, always wait for the reason for the despair you are feeling. Nine out of ten times sense will be made and understanding will prevail.

Romance is a Gesture that Touches the Heart in Many Ways

11/21/2010

1. He wrote her notes and left them on her car in little envelopes, it was his way to let her know she was in her heart on Sweetest Day and every day. Then on one very special Sweetest Day the little envelope was on her door when she arrived home. She read the note once again knowing she was in his heart, she opened the door, there before her was a trail of rose petals and an atmosphere of candlelite and romance. The trail of flowers led her to the dining room table perfectly set with dinner for two. Six years later to hear her speak of that day you can almost hear her heart melt.

2. Mom fell in love with someone new after her divorce and when that occurred her ex-husband no longer wanted to be in the picture. Her Daughter asked if she could call the new man in their life "Daddy". The Mom asked her Daughter to talk with him about it . The Daughter went to him and said, "can I call you Daddy?" The love of Mom's life replied, "only if I can call you my Daughter." They never looked back to a time they werent a family and to this day when Mom gets flowers so does "Daddy's Daughter". To see her family draw so close and bond together shows the blessing that faith, devotion and romance can provide. Mom is more in love every day. 3. She thought it was a visit to her family in Europe, he had another idea. As they were walking through the gates of Jasna Gora , one of the the holiest places in Europe where miracles happen all the time, he asked her to be his wife! It was a gloomy and rainy day, but after the proposal the rain stopped and the sun came out...Our own little miracle!

4. A day at the beach turned into applause and a proposal. They were strolling down the beach as they had done many times before when he turned suddenly and got down on one knee. He proposed as if they were the only two in existence. When she said "yes" and they embraced they heard a roar of applause from onlookers and the entire beach celebrated their promise to eachother.

5. He lived on a street near her and "courted" her constantly. Visiting her and making every effort to insure his stand of devotion to her. Giving up was not in his vocabulary. As of today they have spent 60 amazing years together and he still talks about the day that he chased her until she caught him. A "meant to be" kind of romance that will be neverending.

Romancing a Heart

11/21/2010

Although moonlight and roses can touch a womans heart there is something far more powerful and lasting you can give her to show her how deeply you care for her. A gift is put on a shelf and adorned for all to see, as lovely a sentiment as it is there is nothing more intimate or precious than caressing a womans heart. It wont cost you a single penny yet worth a million. A book I recently read confirmed what works and what doesnt. Words of affirmation, quality time and the want to be with her when the odds are upon you and you still make it happen.

Quality time~ You make the time, you don't find the time. That gesture within itself shows her that you will do what it takes to be with her.
Words of affirmation~ By reinforcing how you feel can get her through the day as each loving word mentioned lingers on her mind. It takes little time to say you are thinking of her and wish you were with her at that moment. A note, a reply, a phone call all take just a second to make and a lifetime to forget. (not to mention how much easier it is on you when she is secure and happy.)

When you wrap up every conceivable romantic holiday such as "Sweetest Day" or "Valentines Day"or any of the treasured "Heart" holidays you celebrate in a way that fuels your original connection and you will keep the flame alive with passion.Treat everyday with loving respect, follow through with a quick phone call or message that will make all of the difference. You will be thanked profusely and in ways she will melt you completely

Adorn Your Fireplace with Grace

11/21/2010

We always think of holiday time and the Christmas season to adorn our Fireplaces. A quick and easy Autumn adornment is to swag your favorite color leaves and indian corn across the mantle with straw baskets framing the fire on the hearth. Fill the straw baskets with pumpkins and gourds and don't forget the scented candles to add frangrance to the season.

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