Happy Long Weekend

Hi friends! Hope everyone is having a wonderful long weekend. There's one more day off to go out and enjoy beautiful snow-covered Toronto. I highly recommend venturing to one of the many outdoor public skating venues. I recently went on a spur-of-the-moment late night skate downtown at Nathan Phillips Square.

Now I'm no Joannie Rochette, however my company, the grand atmosphere of being nestled in the heart of the city surrounded by lights and tall buildings and of course Batman made it a perfect way to spend the evening. That's right I said Batman because there just so happened to be an older gentleman on the ice dressed in a full Batman costume and in full superhero character I might add. He had no skates on, but I assumed by watching him glide across the ice in his boots with his long cape trailing behind, he must have been hired by the rink for entertainment purposes. Not only was he extremely theatrical, he made sure to help all the rookie skaters back up on their feet after some tumbles.

The best part of this story comes only after I returned my rental skates and asked about Batman. The rink attendant had absolutely no idea what I was talking about as the venue only hires Santa's to skate around with the public during the holiday season.

This made me think - superhero on a call of duty or strange man with possible mental issues? I suggest children be supervised during public skating at all times...

Happy LOVE Day

Move over Christmas, New Years, Easter, Halloween and birthdays because it's my favourite day of the year again...

Happy Valentine's Day to all my blog readers! Let yourselves love and be loved on such a magical and romantic day. I can only hope it brings flowers, chocolates, candlelit dinners, heartfelt cards, kisses and plenty of sexy time for all.

Don't be a Bitter Betty by celebrating Single Awareness Day if you aren't part of a pair this year. Show family and friends they are loved as well. Whether I'm attached or solo, February 14th still remains my most favourite day of the year.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all the gypsies who dig my blog!

Enjoy these festive pictures xoxo

Dear Santa,
All I want for Christmas this year is the man pictured below. He sure knows how to bring home the bacon A.K.A. a real Christmas tree and a little something from Tiffany's! :)

Holiday Hot Cocoa

When the weather cools down, there's nothing I enjoy more than putting on an over sized sweater and curling up with a hot cup of cocoa. Here are a few recipes I found online via Cafemom blog to spice up that regular cup with a little holiday spirit.

Mexican Hot Chocolate: A spicy twist to the original. Simply add 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and a pinch of chili pepper to your cup. The zip from the cinnamon and chili pepper will warm you right up.

Toffee Treat: Stir in butterscotch chips into the original hot cocoa until melted, top with whipped cream, and then sprinkle with crushed toffee bar pieces (Heath bars are recommended).

Cookies & Cream: This one is easy but oh so delicious. Simply crush Oreo cookies and sprinkle them on top of the whipped cream. You can even dip them into the hot cocoa for an extra chocolate-y treat.

Holiday Hot Cocoa: With stores not lacking in the peppermint department this time of year, crush up pieces of hard peppermint candies (approximately one per cup), stir into the chocolate, and add 1/2 teaspoon of peppermint extract for good measure. Sprinkle any leftover candies over the whipped cream.

Raspberry Heaven: Pour raspberry liqueur (preferably Chambord) into an original hot chocolate for a decadent drink. Garnish with a piece of crystallized ginger, if desired.

White Delight: Heat 6 cups of milk and 2 cups of heavy cream until bubbles form, then pour over 12 ounces of white chocolate (finely chopped) in a medium heat-proof bowl. When it begins to melt, stir to combine, then whisk in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Continue whisking until light foam forms. Serves 8.

Frozen Hot Chocolate: Sounds like an oxymoron, doesn't it? Simply mix 3 ounces of your favorite high-quality chocolate (melted) with two teaspoons of store bought cocoa mix and 1 1/2 teaspoon of sugar in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until well blended. Remove and slowly add 1/2 cup of milk, stir until smooth, and then cool to room temperature. Then blend mix, 1 cup of milk, and 3 cups of ice in blender until smooth. Top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

Sexy Citrus: Add in 2 strips of orange peel and 2 strips of lemon peel to 4 ounces of melted semi-sweet chocolate, 3/4 cup half-and-half, and 3/4 cup of milk, over heat. Remove peels after 2 minutes and add Brandy and Limoncello to taste. Zing!

Rise & Shine: To put a pep in your step, add 1/2 cup of hot coffee to 1/2 cup of milk. Mix in 1 1/2 teaspoons of unsweetened cocoa, 1 tablespoon of grated milk chocolate, and sugar to taste. Definitely worth climbing out of bed for.

Russian Hot Chocolate: Mix together 2 ounces of Kahlua, 1 ounce of vodka, and 1 cup hot chocolate made from milk. It won't just be the temperature that warms you up with this drink.

Peanut Butter Better: Chocolate and peanut butter is the best combo ever, right? So why aren't we putting it into our drinks? Melt peanut butter cups into your favorite hot cocoa for a candy-inspired beverage.

Country Cocoa: Stir in maple syrup to your original hot cocoa for a completely different (yet delicious) version.

Thank you Brittny Drye for all the recipe ideas and the write up!