RECIPE for the Perfect Cup of Hot Cocoa- Amarettogirl Style!

*Disclaimer - I am not a professional cook by any means, I am simply a creative and this is how I make one awesome gourmet cup of hot cocoa. I'm sure its not that different than other's recipes - but it's how I do it - enjoy!

Hot Cocoa Ring available at my ETSY shop!!

Nestles Abuelita Hot Cocoa Tabs

First, YOU WILL NEED:

1. A blender

2. Nestle's Authentic Mexican Hot Cocoa Tablets (I know it kills this little indie girl that a major American Co. (not a Mexican one) is the parent Co., but trust me, after I tried it I was converted and it is perhaps easier to obtain then actual Mexican hot chocolate depending on where you live. But hey, if you can get your hands on some hard-core Mexican Chocolate without Nestle - by all means do so!Abuelita tablets are FANTASTIC and are intended to be melted down into milk in a blender.

3. Four cups of your fave kind of Milk, I use fat-free (can use all the help I can get in that area!)
Note- It's a good idea to have at least four people you would like to serve some of this gourmet hot cocoa to lined up (sharing is always better) unless you want a mega-cup of hot cocoa all to yourself!

4. Some Amaretto coffee flavoring syrup ( I get my bottle from Whole Foods Coffee concession)

5. A capful of good Vanilla Extract

6. Pinch of cinnamon

7. Pinch of nutmeg

8. Pinch of Allspice

9. Pinch of chili powder

10. A small dash of salt

11. Optional: a small (like a tablespoon) amount of your favorite DARK chocolate ground up

Ok so now heat up your milk in a saucepan (I do around two cups which is what the nestle box states at a time. Then place the first two cups of HOT milk in a blender and add ONE of the Nestle Abuelita tablets. Blend carefully on low speed - then add in two additional cups of hot milk on low speed. Add in the cap full of Vanilla Extract and all of the pinches and dashes to taste (instead of sugar, which is what the Nestle box suggest).
Then Voila- serve immediately.

The Nestle box has a good reminder that

hot liquids may expand when blended - do not overfill blender- cover blender lid with a towel when blending and blend on low speed

(though I was naughty and sped up the blending to make sure my tablet was completely liquified!)

Ok and as an added note- if you consider some magical, tantalizing thoughts while your concoction is blending it will be that much more phenomenal; who knows you may be able to influence love!So go off and enjoy an AWESOME cup of hot cocoa and create a loving memory.

-Ciao Amarettogirl

A Unique Giveaway!

So in my internet escapades through crafty bloggers, I came across a pretty unique giveaway. As many of you know, giveaways through crafty/creative blogs usually exist of craft supplies, handmade products or various things like that (which are ALWAYS wonderful).

However, blogger, Yourstrulydear from Utah is one-upping the traditional giveaways to a whole new level! So here's what you get:

A 5'3 x 7'5 Zebra Print Rug from CSN!

So if you're interested these are the entry options and what you have to do:

TO ENTER

1. be a blog follower on YOURSTRULYDEAR and leave a comment saying so (1 entry)

2. leave a comment telling YOURSTRULYDEAR your favorite animal (1 entry)

3. blog about this giveaway [&leave the link] (1 entry)

4. tweet about this giveaway [@yourstrulydear] (1 entry)

**giveaway will close monday (march 15th) at midnight. us and canadian residents only

Hope you all enjoy and that someone I know gets lucky! ;) -Ciao Amarettogirl

MassMarket Imitating Handmade Ofcourse!

detail photo by m. diaz

I was in the chain, mega-shop, Target a few weeks ago browsing through the office supply section and along the notebooks/journals and blank books I ran across this little gem of a blank book.

It's nothing new for mass-marketed items to imitate hand-made. Still, it kills me that this particular book is a mass manufactured item and not handmade (especially when it looks so, so, so, so handmade and is ridiculously cheap). How can artisans compete?!

Aesthetically I had to get it- though I felt like a traitor in doing so!

I had to get it because when I held it I couldn't get over all of those buttons and it has this wonderful feel when you hold it in yours hands. I kept thinking what a great place for including all my sewing notes and that's exactly how I'm using it.

Still I feel so guilty. :(

blank journal from Target journal in use my own apron instructions

Amarettogirl Designs - Featured in my First Etsy Treasury!

Designer and fellow crafter LJ's Studio Creations made an Etsy treasury and featured me and my French Macaroon Extraordinaire ring in it! Yay this the first treasury that I have been featured in. I'm in the bottom left corner. If you want to see more of my products click HERE!

Treasury made by LJ's Studio Creations

Another Amazing Stop Motion...

I was hopping around the blogosphere and I came across Angela Kohler's wonderful blog through checking out my new classmate Breanne Sinibaldi's blog (she's a photographer and graphic designer). I had to post about this for all of my students who have a stop-motion animation soft-spot like me!

Mai Sweetshop on Etsy

I've just updated my Etsy shop with some new and now available Mai Sweetshop products. So be sure to go check it out!

A Mai Sweetshop Exclusive! Macaroon Extraordinaire ring available now in my Etsy shop! a Maisweetshop charm not yet available

Blythe & Pullip Art

I've started an illustration based off of a photograph of a shelf in my studio and decided to scan the drawing and dump color in digitally. Sometimes it's fun to just fool-around and play. Not to mention it's a great way to destress! You gotta love photoshop!

-Ciao Amarettogirl detail of Blythe illustration by m. diaz

Snow Blizzard 2010

Snowdays2010 photo by m. diaz Snowscape 2010 photo by m.diaz snowed in photo by m. diaz our road photo by m. diaz

My First WebCOMIC Chica & Chulo's Snowday Adventures

Chica and Chulo get snowed

A Winter Day

Today has just been cold, wet and gray. Half-snow, half-rain (not conducive to driving) and plain ol' yukky and thats how I feel too. It feels as though winter is lasting 4eva...So I thought I would kick-up a fire and share a sneek-peek into a new project (or two) that I'm working on.

another winter day photo by m. diaz New drawing/painting and linoleum print of my wolf girl by m. diaz a cupcake pinchusion I bought

I have another exhibit coming up after Spring Break and that means more artwork for me. I'm really interested in continuing the theme of the shifter-like creatures from my last exhibit. I was also so moved by my Benecio Del Toro's Wolfman movie I knew it would affect my work and show up there.

Last year I visited the Putney School in Vermont as a visiting artist to do an artist talk. While I was there I got to visit the local town, have some wonderful food and I visited a delightful book shop with a diversified children's book section, which is where I found this adorable cupcake pincushion.

I had been seeing quite a few 'feltie' pincushions on the blogosphere, and since I love all things cupcakes (just see my Mai sweetshop line that I launched a year and a half ago), I really had to make my own. So now I have.

Here is MY version of a cupcake pincushion. Yay.

Cupcake Pincushion by m. diaz