Joyeux Salome Noel

I have been thinking what oh what to give my Red Boa beauties for Christmas.  I was searching high and low, online and within my brain, when the answer found me... on Facebook of all places, compliments of the social media hostess with the cultural mostess, Bobbi Todres.  It is the following clip, which in and of itself is a true holiday treat.  But what warrants its gift status from me to you is what it represents.

In it you will get a delicious taste of Strauss' Salome, performed at the Met Opera in 2008, starring soprano Karita Mattila.  I have long been captivated by all things Salome. The story of the young girl whose dance resulted in "the head of John the Baptist on a platter" made quite the impact on me in my youth

I have enjoyed a number of different takes on the story, from the original Bible story to Oscar Wilde's play to Strass' operatic adaptation of the play, the lovely Rita Hayworth's cinematic dance, and perhaps my favorite, Carlos Sauras' flamenco version.  But I don't think any have affected me as much as Karita Matilla's performance of the Dance of the Seven Veils. You see, she was not a teenage dancer showing her studied skills.  She is a soprano singer, who at the time the scene was shot was 48 years old.  In her modern garb she de-veils down to her knickers, for all the Met patrons and video viewers to see.  And based on the pics I found a la Google, in the 2004 version she stripped down to the altogether.

I was agog at the confidence and attendant sexiness her bold act exuded and inspired.  This was no waif, but a full-blown woman, all curves and experience, the perfect choice to grasp and parlay the fever and fervor behind the Wilde/Strauss vixen.

And so, my beauties, what I am giving you here is a taste and reminder of YOUR OWN unique, undying and undeniable allure and attractiveness.  The Salome depicted may be a fictional character, but the woman who plays her is as real as they come.  Merry Christmas, you beautiful woman.

(For the 7 veils flamenco version I mentioned, click here)

Monkeying Around with everyone's favorite food

Pepperoni Pizza Monkey Bread

Everyone loves pizza; this is not news.  But this recipe is a new way to serve it -- monkey bread style, meaning in pull-apart fashion.  It makes for a playful snack at your next holiday get-together; and also is a nice departure from the turkey, ham and fixin's flavors.  So what are you waiting for, grab a piece and dunk!

Ingredients

• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 4 tbsp butter
• 2 lbs pizza dough (I used 2 balls of Trader Joe's fresh dough)
• 6 oz. mozzarella cheese, cut into small cubes (about 48 pieces)
• pepperoni (about 48 slices)
• 2-3 cups marinara sauce for serving

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, heat garlic and butter over medium heat until garlic begins to brown. Remove from heat and allow to sit. Brush the inside of a bundt pan with the garlic butter.
2. Pull off large marble-sized balls of dough and flatten. Place a slice of pepperoni and a piece of cheese on each, folding the dough around the cheese and pepperoni and pinching well to seal.
3. Brush the pizza ball with the garlic butter and place in the prepared bundt pan. Continue until all dough has been used.
4. Cover and allow to sit for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400F and bake for 35 minutes, until top is browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Invert onto a platter and serve with warmed marinara sauce for dipping.

from Confections of a Foodie Bride

Beauty Can Be a Pain

Today's beauty standards laud sprayed-on sunshine, instant Rapunzel-length manes and solid walls of thick black lashes.  These are easy, painless and usually immediate fixes.  But things weren't always so easy for those setting the glamour standard.

Here are a few examples of how the Tinsel Town beauties of old had to suffer (or at least, alter) and certainly work for their art:

• Perhaps most famous is gorgeous Rita Hayworth's hairline raise (via electrolysis) as mandated by Fox Studios
• Louis B. Mayer commanded svelte Swedish beauty Greta Garbo to have her hairline and teeth fixed and to lose weight!
• Joan Crawford underwent plastic surgery and is said to have slept nightly with her face secured with surgical tape, and started her days by immersing that same face into a a bowl of ice and water
• Bette Davis also used tape to gift her face a lift.  Plus, she 'colored outside the lines' when applying lipstick in order to feign a fuller mouth. In her later years she resorted to cosmetic surgery as well
• Norma Jean Baker changed more than her name.  The iconic Miss Monroe reportedly went under the knife to improve her chin and nose.

On the less invasive and much pleasanter side, here are a few tricks des femmes to make you feel fabulous:

• Take an ice bath laden with some classic Chanel No. 5
• The old cucumber on the eyes de-puff trick
• Homemade facial masks using vitamin-rich ingredients such as avocado and eggs
• Pond's Cold Cream - still receiving rave reviews from the entertainment industries youthful beauties
• Be a flake - exfoliate
• le French manicure
• This page boasts a bevy of home beauty tricks

Who is your icon for classic beauty?  This fun little quiz will help you identify your inner screen goddess.   Come and share your results on our Red Boa Facebook page.

Gorgeous or Ghoulish... or Both

The Awesome Costume
from Joie de Vivre


It's that time -- the time for the serious Halloweener to get in gear and begin planning this year's outlandish outfit.... if she hasn't already.  Here are some ideas from hand-spun to haute couture to get your creative costume juices flowing.

talk about creative!  a living breathing comicbook

a cute and easy twist on a popular floor game

comfy, easy & oh so malevolent  

totally awe-inspiring... and equally time-consuming

now go perch yourself on someone's lawn

for those who look like a Barbie doll, may as well play it up playrfully

layers, gloves and a bonnet will make you the Southern belle of the ball 

a kimono, bedecked wig, parasol and classic makeup can change you completely

Sally <3

Going grey - this monochrome approach makes for the most interesting of ghostly get-ups

be a Bollywood babe with some layers, bangles & eye makeup

turn men to stone as a modern Medusa 

homemade Bellatrix LeStrange

upgrade your basic party toga to give you goddess status 

Simply get a gown from the thrift store, add tulle puff sleeves, the pointy crown & wand, and voila! You have Glinda.... or is it Galinda?

accessories make this Venetian wonder

pretty without being overt, look closely, her midriff is covered 

wow, this has got to be the cutest clown costume ever

classic literary beauty, and rentable too!

for fairy flirty, just add wings

a little paint can go a long way

OK, so I added this pic just because I love it

this one too

Ballerina Marina Franca, 1941

Getting Pinned

Get ready for your soft-focus, powdered, primped, painted & eventually photoshopped close-up

by Joie de Vivre

Think you could never look like one of these stunning pin-up models? Think again. These glam gals are just ordinary women who jumped onboard the latest trend train -- pinup photography. Inspired and emboldened by the recent rise in boudoir photography, especially on the part of brides, women of all ages and marital states are giving themselves the gift of glamour and signing up for these cute and innocuous photo shoots.

A far cry from the teased and draped glamour shots found in the local mall, this latest fad affords the subject more than just 8x10 glossies -- it offers nostalgia.... a trip back to what we now perceive as a 'gentler more innocent time'... which it most likely was not.... but that's not the point. So then what is the point, you ask? It is a little bit of all the good stuff our world today calls for in order for us to make sense of it and retain our hope and promise for the future.

These photos make women feel like fresh-faced desirable Betties.... as opposed to aging in-need-of Botox has-beens the media and cosmetics companies make us out to be. The clothes, hair, makeup and overall vibe of these shots is simple and flirty without skewing sleazy. And they are a fun and lasting way for women to do a little something nice for themselves and have something to show... something BEAUTIFUL to show.... for it, in perpetuity.

I for one intend to contact my favorite photographer [insert Amy Allen Photography plug here] and arrange for one of these playful photography sessions. Who knows, if I end up with twelve good shots I may even go for a calendar! Time to blow up the beach ball, grab a sailor hat and visit the vintage store, and of course pick up a tube of Chanel's CoCo Red Lipstick... then pose... and practice my pout.

Keep your eyes on the Siren School event calendar for a Pampered PinUp party this winter.

Kahlua & Chocolate Pecan Pie.... oh my!

(from http://www.bhg.com/recipe/pies/chocolate-pecan-pie-with-kahlua/)


Ingredients

• Pastry for Single-Crust Pie (see below)
• 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate pieces
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup light-color corn syrup
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, melted 
• 1/4 cup coffee liqueur
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
• Coffee Whipped Cream (optional)
• 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate pieces, melted
• Pecan halves, toasted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare Pastry for Single-Crust Pie. On a lightly floured surface, use your hands to slightly flatten dough. Roll dough from center to edge into a 12-inch circle. Wrap pastry circle around rolling pin; transfer to a 9-inch pie plate. Ease pastry into pie plate without stretching it. Trim pastry to 1/2 inch beyond edge of pie plate. Fold under extra pastry. Crimp edge as desired. Do not prick pastry. Sprinkle with the 3/4 cup chocolate pieces.
2. For filling: In a medium bowl, combine eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, melted butter, coffee liqueur, flour, and vanilla. Stir in the 1 cup chopped pecans. Slowly pour filling over chocolate pieces in crust, spreading evenly.
3. Cover edge of pie with foil to prevent overbrowning. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil. Bake about 10 minutes more or until edge is puffed and a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Cover and chill within 2 hours.
4. If desired, prepare Coffee Whipped Cream before serving. Garnish pie with the melted chocolate and the pecan halves. Spoon the whipped cream on top of each serving (if using). Makes 8 servings.
5. Pastry for Single-Crust Pie: In a medium bowl, stir together 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in 1/3 cup shortening until pieces are pea-size. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon cold water over part of flour mixture; toss gently with a fork. Push to side of bowl. Repeat with additional cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time (4 to 5 tablespoons total), until all is moistened. Shape into a ball.
6. Coffee Whipped Cream: In a small bowl, combine 2/3 cup whipping cream and 1 tablespoon coffee liqueur. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form.

Creme Brulee that's not a Crime

by Anajak (http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=1255845)

Ingredients

• 1 egg
• 1 cup milk
• 3 T castor sugar
• 1 t vanilla extract

Directions

• Preheat oven to 180C or 350F.
• Lightly beat the egg in a bowl. 
• Add and combine milk, sugar and vanilla 
• Place 2 ramekins or small cups into a medium sized casserole dish 
• Pour the mixture evenly into the two small dishes and then carefully pour an inch of hot water into the casserole dish
• BE CAREFUL not to splash any water into the ramekins or cups
• Bake for 35 mins or until a knife comes out clean...
• YUM and not too bad for a decadent dessert 

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 2
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 148.6
• Total Fat: 4.6 g
• Cholesterol: 103.3 mg
• Sodium: 77.9 mg
• Total Carbs: 18.8 g
• Dietary Fiber: 0.0 g
• Protein: 6.8 g

Meringue Heart for Sweethearts

Meringue Red Heart to Share

(from MyLifetime.com)
Serves 2

Ingredients

• 3 medium egg whites
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 6 ounces caster sugar
• For the filling
• 5 fluid ounces double cream
• 2 ounces icing sugar
• 1 tablespoon crushed raspberries
• To decorate
• 2 ounces fresh red berries
• 3 tablespoons redcurrant jelly (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 225°F. Using an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites with the lemon juice and a third of the sugar until they form firm peaks. Add another third of the sugar and continue to whisk for 2-3 minutes. Add the remaining sugar and mix just enough to incorporate it into the meringue. 


2. Lightly oil a baking tray and then line it with baking parchment, pressing it down well. Using a piping bag fitted with a 1/4-inch plain nozzle, pipe out a heart shape about 6 inches long and 4-5 inches across. Fill in the center by continuing to follow the shape of the heart until it is full. Starting on the outside rim of the heart, pipe another single line on top of the one you originally piped but pull the end away from the heart as shown in the picture, so it tapers away. Repeat the process a third time, making sure you pipe directly on top of the 2 lines you have already piped. You are building an outside edge that is higher than the middle of the heart. (You will probably have quite a lot of meringue left over after making the heart, but it's not practical to whisk up less than this quantity of meringue; make another heart with the surplus, if you like, as they store well.)


3. Bake the heart in the center of the oven for 40-50 minutes, until the outside is set. You should be able to slide a palette knife under the heart and lift it up from the paper. Do not overbake the base or it will be totally dry in the center. Leave to cool on the tray.


4. Whip the cream with the icing sugar and crushed raspberries until firm. Spoon or pipe the cream into the heart. Decorate the heart with the red berries, making sure all the cream is hidden. 


5. If you want to glaze the berries, heat the redcurrant jelly in a small pan with a tablespoon of water and brush it over the berries to make them shine. 

Les Chapeaux

Queen Anne, Founder of Ascot

I fully intended to post a detailed history of Ascot -- and have spent a good deal of time researching it all... but something kept getting in the way.... what else .... the HATS!  


I just can't get past them -- nor do I wish to... they are far too much fun.  So then let's just say that on 11^th August 1711, Ascot (originally called East Cote and founded by Queen Anne) held its first race, Her Majesty’s Plate, with a purse of 100 guineas.  Now that we have that out of the way, let's take a look at the fillies... 

 

  

  

 

 

  

 

and a stallion or two

 

(now I'm satisfied)