Bring in the New Year with Sexy Lingerie

The Christmas and Hanukah festivities have barely wound down, and now it's time to celebrate the New Year! Women love beautiful lingerie - especially with our great end-of-season clearance sale!

Try these French lingerie sets - now 30% off! With our express shipping, you can be sure to have it in time for New Year's Eve!

Lingerie Sale - 30% off!

It's the end of the year and A Little Lingerie Company is having a sale. Shop now and get 30% off all bras and lingerie sets by Ascension, Volage, and Angelie Plus, as well as off Panache camisoles!

Go save at A Little Lingerie Company! The shopping cart will calculate the discount automatically.

Chanukah Traditions

Chanukah has become the most well-known Jewish holidays, but it is actually of minor significance in the Jewish tradition. Click here to read more about the history of this holiday, what gifts are traditionally given, and how to make fabulous potato latkes!

Traditional Victorian Christmas Gifts

The post-Victorian, industrial era had a major impact on how people celebrated Christmas, and what types of gifts they gave. To learn more, check out this article on A Victorian Christmas.

Romance in the Bath

Top 10 Items to Add Romance to Your Bath:

1. Rose petals
2. Almond oil
3. Bath salts
4. Bubble bath
5. Essential oils - musk, rose, vanilla
6. Fluffy sponge
7. A bottle of champagne (or any other sparkling beverage you love)
8. Plate of fruit and melted chocolate or honey
9. You
10. The one you love

Feather Fun

Feathers have always been part of fashion. Whether women put them in their hats or wore maribou slippers with their lingerie, the soft, fluffiness of feathers has always had an appeal. There softness is also what makes them so sensual - which is why we include them in our Secret Delights Lingerie Gift-o-Grams.

Click here for a source for fabulous bulk feathers, for whatever fun crafts you wish to make.

Gift Ideas: Cookies

Here's a link to a great gingerbread recipe. Cookies rule!

Gingerbread recipe.

Jamie Lee Curtis on the Gift of Valuing Yourself for Who You Are

As a second generation Hollywood star JAMIE LEE CURTIS knows a lot about game playing, but the kind of games she prefers to play are board games, so no one was more thrilled than she to be selected as the spokesperson for Hasbro classic games, such as Monopoly®, Clue® and Guess Who?®.

"If I'm anything in the world, I'm a game player," she tells ET's JANN CARL. "I think games, [Hasbro's], are kind of an old-fashioned idea, but they're a very modern gift. To me they are the quintessential family game and all other toys go out the window."

Jamie thinks the long-term success of board games is that they're able to bring together disparate groups of people. For example, she plays board games with her husband CHRISTOPHER GUEST, who is 10 years older than her, her 18-year-old daughter and her nine-year-old son in the evening, or when she's on location.

"Games make great presents," Jamie enthuses. "Housewarming, hostess gift -- what better hostess gift? I don't bring alcohol, flowers die, but games last forever. They're great baby gifts. You have a baby, you give the game of Life®. Or give two because they suck them, you know? You're having a fight with your husband? Bring home Battleship® and say, 'Let's do this and not fight.'"

There is a great deal of knowledge that comes with being a second generation Hollywood baby, and the outspoken star of such films as 'Halloween,' 'True Lies' and 'Christmas with the Kranks' isn't afraid to weigh in on subjects, such as the rampant plastic surgery in Hollywood.

The 47-year-old star also talks to Jann about aging gracefully in a superficial industry and delivers her candid opinion on the plastic surgery trend that has become alarmingly too common in recent years.

"I think more than ever it's an epidemic that's out of control and it seems like people are under a drug," says Jamie Lee. "What's so sad to me is these people are completely ruining their faces, their beautiful God-given faces, and they look like aliens, and yet it's as if nobody is saying anything."

Jamie Lee is not exempt from the growing number of actresses, socialites and everyday people who have tried everything from Botox to liposuction and more.

"I fell prey to the whole thing too," she admits. "First, it didn't work emotionally. You know what I mean? It felt fraudulent. The act of going through with it made me feel ashamed of myself. I don't do anything anymore. I now realize it didn't work for me."

As for Botox specifically, Jamie Lee says, "You know what? You don't have an expression! All these actresses have these foreheads that look like Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum!"

Concerned that people in Hollywood will devastate their lives by making radical changes using surgery that was once used solely for major defects and injuries -- or for minor corrective measures -- Jamie Lee observes, "There's an actress who many people consider one of the most beautiful people, and you look at her and go, 'What did she do to herself?! She doesn't look like her anymore. What happened?' And I think that's a terrible, terrible thing to have happen, and I think it's really going to ruin people's lives."

"Everything begins with the inside," concludes Jamie, "and it really has to do with appreciating and recognizing yourself internally, and that takes hard work."

Source: http://et.tv.yahoo.com/celebrities/12140/

Taking Care of Yourself during the Holidays

The holiday season can be a stressful time of year - it’s easy to get caught up in all the things that need to be done. That’s why it’s always good to take a few moments each day to make sure you’re taking care of yourself. Here are some tips to help you put yourself at the top of your list:

1. Take a break to let yourself feel. Find a private space, breathe deeply, and try to connect with what you’re feeling. Sometimes you’ll find that what you are feeling isn’t what you expected. Maybe you thought you had everything under control, but you realize you’re feeling frazzled. That’s a warning sign to ease up on yourself.

Taking a moment to feel is especially important for people who are experiencing sadness or loss during the holiday season. Maybe you’ve lost a loved one this year, or maybe you’ve never had a family and always feel it very keenly during the holidays. Maybe you’re having economic problems and can’t provide the sort of celebration you wanted this season.

Whatever the cause, taking some time to feel the pain and struggle will lighten the load. Whether you acknowledge the pain or not, it’s going to be there. Save yourself the stress of having to hide it by finding some private moments to let it surface. Letting it surface can feel hugely relieving after struggling to hold it in, even though the pain may run deep.

2. Treat yourself to something fun. Whether it’s your favorite chocolate truffle or a special DVD, let yourself indulge. To enjoy your holidays, you need to make sure you’re doing enjoyable things. Sounds obvious, but it’s amazing how often we forget that. Be sure to include something you love in each day’s plans – read a favorite book, listen to a favorite radio program, wear your favorite holiday clothes. Indulge yourself with a million little treats – and the occasional big one.

3. Good enough is really pretty darn good. Don’t knock yourself out to make everything perfect or to show up for every event. Do as much as you can without driving yourself crazy – or inhibiting yourself from enjoying the season – and then stop, settle in, and enjoy yourself.

Most Romantic Holiday Husband of 2005: Will Smith

Will Smith has been voted “Most Romantic Holiday Husband of 2005” by A Little Lingerie Company.

A Little Lingerie Company’s president, Jennifer Michelle, says, “Will Smith was a natural pick because he is just as famous for his wonderful marriage (to Jada Pinkett Smith) as for his amazing acting and musical talent.”

The Most Romantic Holiday Husband award is a way to honor men of achievement who have also kept their focus on their personal and family lives.

Says Michelle, “Our male customers are very devoted to their partners. I was delighted when I started this company to see how truly in love so many men were with their wives, and I wanted to let people know about it. There is such a feeling that people don’t really care anymore, and men in particular get such a bad rap, that I wanted to show this other side.”

The quote that Michelle says clinched Will Smith as the winner was, “You're so much stronger when your partner is strong. I honestly believe there is no woman for me but Jada. Of all the women I've met - and there've been a few - no one can handle me the way Jada does. Once you feel someone locked in on you, it's no contest. As fine as other women can be, as tempting sexually, I'm not going anywhere. This is it. I can't imagine what anyone else could offer." (Source: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000226/bio)

Mexican Chocolate

So rare and precious was chocolate centuries ago that the Aztec emperor Montezuma sipped it from a golden cup. Never would he have imagined that his elixir's prized ingredient would become an everyday luxury as it is today.

In modern Mexico, chocolate is still primarily something to drink, whipped to a froth with a wooden beater called a molinillo. Its other common use is in moles, adding depth and color to these rich, savory sauces.

Oddly enough, though, Mexican chocolate rarely, if ever, appears in desserts. But if you think about it, Mexican chocolate is a natural for the baker's pantry. Not only is it already sweetened, but it's also often made with vanilla, cinnamon or almonds.

Given these nuances of flavor, a dessert made with Mexican chocolate is irresistibly intriguing. It's chocolate, but with a subtle, mysterious difference.

In the old days, Mexican women ground cacao beans on a metate, or grinding stone, warmed over a fire to extract the oil, then adding different seasonings. Today, the chocolate is produced in modern factories, but remains faithful to the old traditions.

The Mexican chocolate you're likely to find in supermarkets is formed into round tablets that have been scored so they can easily be broken into smaller pieces. Two of the most common brands are Ibarra and Abuelita; they're packaged in distinctive hexagonal boxes. Both work equally well in desserts; Abuelita has a stronger cinnamon flavor for when you want to play up the spice flavor.

Distinctive taste

Mexican chocolate's unique composition and texture mean you can't substitute it freely for other chocolate when baking. Because it's very sweet, the sugar in a recipe may have to be reduced. And unlike other chocolates, which are smooth and shiny, Mexican chocolate is dry and granular.

So if a cake recipe calls for regular baking chocolate, don't swap it out entirely for Mexican chocolate. You'll need to use a little regular chocolate to keep the cake moist.

This trick works well in a Mexican chocolate layer cake, with that little bit of regular chocolate boosting the intensity of chocolate flavor. This velvety cake is frosted with a rich ganache frosting made mostly with Mexican chocolate too.

Just as luxurious is the ganache dipping sauce that's served with churros at Cobras & Matadors. It's made simply with Mexican chocolate and cream and comes together in minutes. For the churros, instead of a traditional churro recipe, we pulled together a quick pâte à choux (cream puff dough) and piped it into hot oil. It worked beautifully.

Probably the most common dessert in Mexico is flan, but chocolate versions are rare. We reworked a traditional recipe with Mexican chocolate and came out with a dessert so rich that a sliver is enough.

This silky flan, the moist layer cake and the luxurious churro dip are just the beginning. There's a whole range of possibilities for Mexican chocolate.

Perhaps this once rare ingredient is even more precious than Montezuma thought.

Churros and chocolate dip

Total time: 1 hour
Servings: Makes about 18 to 20 (4-inch) churros

Note: The chocolate dip recipe is from Cobras & Matadors. The restaurant uses Ibarra brand Mexican chocolate. The churros are made with a pâte à choux (cream puff paste) recipe adapted from "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck.

Chocolate dip:
5 (3.1-ounce) disks Mexican chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Place the chocolate and cream in the top of a double boiler or in a metal bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until the chocolate is melted, about 15 to 20 minutes. Makes 2 cups.

Churros:
6 Tbsps. ( 3/4 stick) butter, cut into pieces
1 tsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
Pinch of nutmeg
1 cup flour
2 eggs
Oil for frying

1. Bring 1 cup water to boil in a saucepan with the butter, sugar, salt and nutmeg. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the butter has melted. Meanwhile, measure out the flour.

2. Remove the butter mixture from the heat and immediately pour all the flour into the pan. Beat vigorously with a wooden spatula or spoon for several seconds to blend thoroughly, then return the pan to the stovetop.

3. Beat over moderately high heat for 1 to 2 minutes until mixture leaves the sides of the pan and the spoon, forms a mass and begins to film the bottom of the pan.

4. Remove the pan from the heat, and make a well in the center of the paste with the spoon. Immediately break an egg into the center of the well. Beat it into the paste for several seconds until it has been absorbed. Repeat with the second egg, beating it in until absorbed. Beat for an additional 1 to 2 minutes to be sure the mixture is well blended and smooth.

5. Spoon the paste into a pastry bag fitted with a three-fourths-inch star tip.

6. Heat 2 inches of oil in a large skillet to 350 degrees. Pipe churros directly into the oil in strips or loops, using a spatula to cut off each churro from the pastry tip. Fry 3 to 4 at a time, separating the churros if they begin to stick together; don't overcrowd the pan. Fry until dark golden, about 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the churros to a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat with the rest of the paste.

7. Serve immediately with chocolate dip.

Nutrition information per each 20 churros with 1 teaspoon dipserving:
150 calories; 2 grams protein; 9 grams carbohydrates; 0 fiber; 12 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 34 mg. cholesterol; 23 mg. sodium.

Mexican chocolate layer cake

Total time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Serves: 10 to 12

Note: From Mary Ellen Rae of the Times Test Kitchen. An unsweetened chocolate such as Scharffen Berger 99% cacao boosts the cake's chocolate flavor.

Cake:
3 (3.1-ounce) disks Mexican chocolate, finely chopped
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsps. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 eggs, separated, room temperature
2 tsps. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups milk, room temperature

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. Line the bottoms with parchment paper, and butter the paper. Set aside.

2. Melt the Mexican chocolate and the unsweetened chocolate in a metal bowl over a pot of simmering water. Remove from the heat and set aside.

3. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon together. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until well combined and creamy. Beat in the egg yolks and vanilla. Stir in the melted chocolates. On low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and milk, mixing just until all traces of flour are incorporated, ending with flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. In a separate bowl, using clean beaters, beat the egg whites until stiff. Stir one-third of the egg whites into the cake batter. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites.

4. Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans, gently smoothing the top. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool the pans on a rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the inside edge of each pan to loosen the cakes. Remove the cakes from the pans and the parchment paper from the cakes. Cool completely before frosting.

Ganache frosting and assembly:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 (3.1-ounce) disks Mexican chocolate, finely chopped
2ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
2 Tbsps. butter, cut into small pieces
1 Tbsp. light corn syrup
1 Tbsp. Kahlúa liqueur

1. Heat the cream in a small saucepan just until simmering.

2. Place the chopped Mexican chocolate and unsweetened chocolate in a bowl. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Let stand for a few minutes, then gently whisk until the chocolate has melted. Stir in the butter until melted, then add the corn syrup and Kahlúa. Refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes until stiff enough to spread. With a spatula, beat the ganache to make it smooth and spreadable.

3. Place one cake layer, bottom side up, on a serving platter. Frost the top with about one-third of the ganache, spreading it to the edges. Top with the second cake layer, again bottom side up. Spread the remaining ganache over the top and sides of the cake.

Nutrition information per 12 servings:
589 calories; 8 grams protein; 68 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams fiber; 34 grams fat; 17 grams saturated fat; 119 mg. cholesterol; 153 mg. sodium.

Mexican chocolate flan

Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes plus chilling time
Servings: 10 to 12

Ingredients:
2 cups milk
2 (3.1-ounce) disks Mexican chocolate
1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
1 cup heavy whipping cream
10 egg yolks

1. Place the milk in a medium saucepan with the chocolate and one-fourth cup sugar. Cook over medium heat until the chocolate and sugar are dissolved, stirring to blend in the chocolate, about 5 to 10 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl and stir in the whipping cream. Set aside.

2. Place the remaining 1 cup sugar in a large skillet over high heat. When the sugar starts to melt, reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the caramel is clear and golden brown, about 5 to 7 minutes. Quickly spoon the caramel over the bottom and around the sides of a glass 8-inch round cake dish. Set aside until firm.

3. Lightly whisk the egg yolks, then mix them into the milk mixture. Pour into the baking dish, place in a pan of hot water and bake at 325 degrees until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Place on a rack to cool slightly, then refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight. Gently release the flan from the dish by running the tip of a knife around the edge. Use your fingers to gently pull the sides away from the edge. Place a serving platter on the cake dish and invert the flan onto the platter.

Nutrition information per 12 servings:
285 calories; 5 grams protein; 35 grams carbohydrates; 0 fiber; 15 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 202 mg. cholesterol; 30 mg. sodium.

Source: Barbara Hansen, http://www.latimes.com/features/food/foodanddrink/sns-fdcook3-wk2,0,3542821.story