Sugary Sweets & Stunning Stilettos = FABULOUS FUN!!!

I am going to be quick and to the point...for me to do this it is an absolute miracle of self-restraint...so, here's the skinny...

Sinful Vegan Red Velvet Cake from Jamaica's Cakes

The Second Annual SUGAR & STILETTOS Bake Sale Extravaganza for Charity slated for May 19, 2012/11am-3pm once again benefiting the Westside Food Bank and St. Joseph Center's Food Pantry is less than five weeks away...OOH LA LA!!!

Mr. Sugar & Stilettos 2011, comedian Richard Lewis, with me and my son, Joshua

Just take a look at these three pictures from last year...

Sweet Butter Kitchen & Cafe's Sexy Stiletto Cupcakes

And you'll know that you can't miss a minute of the FUN this year...I mean, really, need I say more?! I don't think so...

See you on May 19th!

xoxo Nanci aka Your Sugar Queen

GET READY because The Second Annual SUGAR & STILETTOS Bake Sale Extravaganza for Charity is almost here!!!

OMG, OMG, OMG...May 19th is just around the corner...I am practically hyperventilating from all the excitement! If you haven't already done so MARK YOUR CALENDARS...get your "you know what" moving and WRITE IT DOWN....The Second Annual SUGAR & STILETTOS Bake Sale Extravaganza for Charity will take place on May 19, 2012/11am-3pm once again benefiting the Westside Food Bank and St. Joseph Center's Food Pantry. I guarantee you that this year's event is going to be even bigger, better and, of course, sweeter!

How do I know this? Because I've been planning like a crazy woman and these are just a few of the new things happening...

1. Look at this stunning $2,000.00 diamond tiara necklace up for raffle, donated by Cheryl Alpert of XIV Karats Jewelers in Beverly Hills...tickets are $25.00 each...for details on how to enter go the the website home page - www.sugarandstilettos.com

2. JESSICA ALBA...yes, you heard me right...has autographed a pair of her "kitten heels" stilettos from her very own closet and donated them for us to raffle...tickets are $10.00 each...details are also on the website's home page.

3. ANA ORTIZ from "Ugly Betty" and Marc Cherry's new show, "Devious Maids" is also autographing a pair of her Prada "kitten heel" stilettos for us to raffle...tickets are $10.00 each...details will be posted soon.

4. In addition to all our professional bakeries from last year we have already added (to name just a few) the beyond fabulous Huckleberry Bakery & Cafe, the amazing Milo & Olive, Susan the Baker's delectable toffee barks plus Mike's All American Softy Truck will be there selling ice cream sundaes, all sorts of coffee drinks and hot dogs...I mean really, does it get any better than that!

5. As far as gift certificates and items to sell we are adding...Porta Via Restaurant in Beverly Hills, Stan's Donuts - a UCLA/Westwood institution - my dad has been going since he was in grad school in 1949, The Organizing Architect (4 hours of professional Annette pulling your chaotic life into order), Tiffany Moore Dancing (have your cake and then have a blast working it off), cut and blow-dry by Maxime himself of The Salon by Maxime in Beverly Hills, Kids on Stage, The Paper Source, S & S custom notepad & pen from rep Debbie Goldberg of Halo Branded Solutions, S & S custom plastic cake knife from LoTech Sales in Colorado...these are just some of the new things we have...and all of this is in addition to everyone who has signed on again from last year's event...contributors will be updated on the website's Bake Sale Extravaganza page frequently so you can always check it out for up to the minute news.

6. We are working on securing the Mr. S & S 2012...it will be hard to top Richard Lewis, Mr. S & S 2011, but we will at least get very close...stay tuned for that exciting announcement...

Well, if that doesn't have you all revved up and ready to ROCK 'n ROLL on May 19th my beauties I don't know what will...so put your dancing shoes on - preferably stiletto types, come hungry for treats of all kinds and bring a wallet full of money to spend. I promise that you will have the time of your life...not to mention getting to feel good about helping feed women and children in your own community suffering from hunger and food instability.

If for some reason you can't come or live out of town please do not hesitate to participate by buying raffle tickets or just writing a donation check to either the Westside Food Bank or St. Joseph Center and sending it to:

Sugar & Stilettos Bake Sale Extravaganza
ATT: Nanci Christopher/Charity
11400 Olympic Blvd. - Suite 590
Los Angeles, CA. 90064

MERCI MILLE FOIS for joining me on this incredible journey of love, nurturing and passion for making a difference in the world...

xoxo Nanci

P.S. The first 50 people to show up will get a FREE S & S GIFT...see you on May 19th!

A couple of sweet Valentine's Day ideas...

Well, yes, here it is again that sweetest of days...Valentine's Day...whether you have a sweetheart or not doesn't make a wit of difference...it is still a day to celebrate love, chocolate and everything else of the sweet, sugary variety. I am going to offer up just a couple of ideas for you to ponder...each one delectable and sure to delight anyone you decide to share them with!

I simply LOVE these Buttery Shortbread Cookies of Sarabeth Levine's (Sarabeth's Bakery/NYC). They are light and melt in your mouth buttery down to their last crumb...the dough is so silky smooth that handling it is a wonder in of itself. Just yesterday I made these treasures for Valentine's gifts for my nieces and nephews. Instead of the fluted cookie cutters I normally use I used heart shaped ones and then covered  them with bright red heart decorations. I then wrapped each one individually in a little cello bag and tied a red stain ribbon around the top...adorable is not even the word!

Buttery Shortbread Cookies

If I were technologically savvy and you all know by now that I am NOT, I would have taken a picture of my little creation with my digital camera, uploaded it (or is it downloaded...I can never keep those two things straight) and then posted it on this very blog so you could see what I'm talking about and be inspired. Unfortunately, I can't quiet manage that with my new computer and all, plus my technologically brilliant niece, Casey, is not here to help me so you will just have to imagine it on your own...so sorry about that! You can see, however, see what they look like in their fluted form above. In either case, these cookies are extremely easy to make and just IMAGINE how happy your cherished ones will be when they receive this bundle of love from you...trust me, they will be very happy...

The Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting (Magnolia Bakery/NYC), while not difficult, is more time consuming than the cookies but well worth it if you want to really impress someone. It is a gorgeous, huge (3 layer) hunk of a beauty queen cake...a sure fire dazzler if ever there was one....all it needs is a tiara!

Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting...so pretty!

However, to give full disclosure, be prepared for your kitchen to look a bit like the set of Sweeney Todd or one of those CSI shows...the red dye used to essentially make a chocolate cake look red, can get messy. I always try to be as careful as possible when making this cake but I still end up with a bloody looking mess...it's quite comical actually so I suggest giving in to your inner child who adores messes and you'll be fine. The end result will be a magnificent masterpiece...and you will be Queen for a Day in the eyes of whoever you make it for.

If you don't have time for baking of any kind...well, then simply go out and buy some red or chocolate candies (heart shaped marshmallows are nice too), wrap them up real pretty and give them to anyone who is dear to your heart...in addition to making that person feel loved and appreciated you will feel the same about yourself...a gift for everyone...

Happy Valentine's Day...hope it is filled with love, laughter and light...

xoxo Nanci

P.S. A special HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my Dad, Murray Neidorf, who will be 85 tomorrow...we call him our Sweetheart Baby...how lucky and blessed we are to have him in our lives...

HAPPY NEW YEAR/BONNE ANNEE 2012...avec chocolat bien sur!

Bonjour tout le monde et Bonne Annee 2012!

I sure am glad to turn the page on 2011 - oh, not that it didn't have some high points (i.e. Joshua moving up to Middle School and the 6th grade, the First Annual Sugar & Stilettos Bake Sale Extravaganza for Charity) but there were other less wonderful events (i.e. my dad's health scare, my mom's back surgery) that I am happy to put behind me and my family...so here's to a new beginning, a new year filled with good health, an abundance of joy, overflowing love and of course...chocolate...lots and lots of chocolate...because really is there any better way to celebrate life that to eat or drink something of the chocolate persuasion...no, I think not!

Jacques Torres' Chocolate Chip Cookies with Valhrona Feves

So, to get your 2012 off to the best start possible I am proposing the following three recipes for you to make ASAP...each and every one of them is tried and true, top of the line and sure to delight anyone you choose to share them with...

The first is my all time favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe by Jacques Torres/NYC. People the world over say that THEY have the best recipe but I guarantee you THIS ONE is THE ONE! I mean, really...look at those beauties...I dare you to tell me that these cookies are not DIVINE...and I made them in my very own little French country kitchen with my 1940's O'Keefe & Merrit oven...un vrai paradis...

Nutella Scones - OOH LA LA!

The second is for Nutella Scones...alright, let's get this straight...Chocolate Scones, with tons of chocolate in them...and then Nutella drizzled all over the tops of them and toasted hazelnuts to boot...did I just hear you sigh and swoon in a slightly wozzy way? Yes, I thought so.

Patricia Helding's Classic Fat Witch Brownies

The third (and certainly not last for any reason whatsoever) is Patricia Helding's Classic Fat Witch Brownies. I have tried a million brownie recipes (well, maybe not a million but a lot!) and this recipe is truly a classic. Patricia said it took her forever to be able to share it with the world (it's one of many of her treasures in her inspiring and fabulous book, Fat Witch Brownies)...and am I ever glad that she did. It is definitely my go to brownie recipe...crackly, moist and cakey all at the same time.

So there you have it mes belles...go forth and bake...go forth and make everyone (including yourself) incredibly happy with all these delectable chocolate delights...

xoxo Nanci

It's Almost Thanksgiving and Have I got a Recipe for You!

OOH LA LA!!!

A pictured is worth a thousand words, n'est pas?! So, take a long minute and feast your eyes on the stunning beauty above that I created for Thanksgiving just for you...well, alright, not just for you, but with you (and me!) in mind. Forgive me for being redundant, but isn't she gorgeous?

Her name is Pumpkin Cheesecake with Marshmallow-Sour Cream Topping and Biscoff Cookie Crust. While the name may not fall trippingly off the tongue I guarantee you 100% that this creation of mine will make your taste buds sing with delight, shout from the mountaintops and say Hallelujah, Amen!

I dreamed this baby of mine up after looking at all the recipes for pumpkin cheesecake that I had recently accumulated in the whirlwind of Thanksgiving treats that was flooding my favorite magazines and blogs. I simply took the best of three recipes (one for the crust, one for the cheesecake, one for the topping), tweaked them a bit, added pecans as a decorative touch and put them together...et VOILA a masterpiece!

I have nothing left to say...this posting is short and sweet (very, very sweet!)...except to say, go forth and bake this creation of mine...you will absolutely be the STAR BAKING DIVA of your Thanksgiving feast...family and friends will will applaud your brilliance and love you forever more...ENJOY, ENJOY, ENJOY!

Happy Thanksgiving each and every one of you...may your day be filled with love, laughter, joy and everything deliciously sweet that life has to offer...

xoxo Nanci

P.S. This recipe is not difficult at all but it does take time due to the overnight chilling...so just start a day early, take one step at a time and savor the fun...

Pumpkins, Cranberries and Maple, Oh My!

Yes, yes, yes FALL is in the air. As much as I love the spring and summer (they really are my favorite seasons) with an abundance of sunshine and beach days not to mention fruit desserts galore, ice cream and lazy days reading I also love the fall for its bounties...spectacular colored leaves (at least back east!), cool breezy nights and the beginning of more hearty foods to eat. I mean who doesn't love, love, love all things pumpkin, cranberry and maple?! HELLO Fall, Happy Halloween and Happy Thanksgiving...

So, if you haven't already started baking some glorious fall delights let me entice you to do so with these beauties...

Grandma Rose and Aunt Irene's Pumpkin Bread...this is by far my most requested and beloved recipe. Quite simply it is the most moist and delicious pumpkin bread I have ever tasted and apparently many others agree! You can make it in loaves, mini bundts or muffin form...whatever suits your fancy. You can also add chocolate chips, nuts, cranberries and/or a dollop of fresh whipped cream...just don't tell my Grandma or Aunt...they were purists and only liked it plain!

Orange Cranberry Cornmeal Cake...a Zoe Nathan/Huckleberry Bakery and Cafe (Santa Monica, CA.) recipe...this cake is to die for...you will not be able to stop eating it...consider yourself forewarned!

Maple Walnut Layer Cake with Fluffy Maple Frosting...a Magnolia Bakery (NYC) recipe and one of the first things I made when I began my obsessive baking odyssey almost three years ago. This cake is so over the top wonderful you will not believe that, in fact, you made it your very own self!

Alright, mes belles, start baking and let me know how it all turns out!

xoxo Nanci

What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?

What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail? Isn't that a great question?! My friend, Donald, gave me that quote written on a rectangular block of granite type material for my birthday several years ago. It has been sitting on my desk just next to my computer ever since. I look at it every single day. I ponder its meaning often, yet not often enough if the truth be told.

We, the big collective "we" including me, more often than not let our fears and insecurities get in the way (or completely stop us) from going after our dreams and passions. How ridiculous is that?! I mean, think about it for a minute...a fear or insecurity is really just a thought...a thought that only holds power over us if we let it...otherwise, quite frankly it's meaningless. There would be no artists, writers, entrepreneurs, business titans or medical breakthroughs (to name just a few things) if someone, somewhere didn't say to themselves, "To hell with the odds and statistics, the naysayers and doomsdayers, I  believe in this dream of mine and I'm going to go after it with all engines roaring...it's going to make me happy to do so and most certainly others as well. My passion and perseverance will bring me success...so join me in the fun or get out of my way!"

What's the absolute worst that can happen? Someone says no to you, someone doesn't "get" your vision, it takes longer and much more work than you ever imagined...well, so what! At least you are out there spreading positive energy around (and in my opinion the world is desperately in need of more magical, bright, positive energy - could we possibly ever have too much of that stuff...I don't think so!) and at the same time you are following your heart, your destiny, your bliss, your instincts...sharing with everyone the very essence of who you are and what you uniquely have to offer them. When fully engaged like that I truly believe that you (read me, too) are at the top of your game, the height of what it means to be a human being on this planet, experiencing the nirvana of life.

So I ask you again...What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail? Think about it, ponder it and then get up off your ass and do something about it! You have nothing to lose and everything to gain...and do yourself another favor...bake yourself a treat and get lost in the thrill of it all...

xoxo Nanci

P.S. Here's one of my favorite recipes to get you started...Graham Cracker Pecan Chewy Bars...sinfully delicious. http://www.sugarandstilettos.com/r_graham-cracker-pecan-chewy-bars.html