If there’s one thing in life I hope I never learn it’s the amount of tortilla chips I’ve consumed.

After years of study around the world, I think I’ve found the perfect chip. Light, crispy, just the right amount of salt and oil, able to hold salsa and/or cheese dip easily. Ahhh.

This may sound like a description of any chip from Doritos to the best Mexican restaurant chip you’ve ever had. Semantically, yes, but to a true tortilla chip aficionado, these words have a much deeper meaning.

On a good day, the finest chips I’ve had are from Pappasito’s Cantina, who are also the purveyors of the finest Margaritas this side of the Rio Grande, but that’s another post.

Typically I have 2 favorite supermarket brands of chips, Mission and Santita.

- Missions are a “gourmet” -read expensive-  tortilla chip; medium-thick chip, can be heavy, good crunch, oil and salt, about $4.00 a bag.

- Santita are the best chip for the price; medium-thin crispy chip, slightly dry, slight salt, $2. per bag.

However, today my friends, I will share with you Holy Grail of tortilla chips. Restaurant taste and quality right in your supermarket.

Xochtil, Totopos de Maiz (white Corn Chip) by Salsa Xochitl.

Xochitl {so-cheel} was queen of Tollan, lived in the 11th century Mexico. She was the daughter of Papantzin, a noble in King Tepacaltzin’s court. Xochitl, whose name means “flower”, is credited with inventing pulque, the fermented juice of the agave plant, and and an early forerunner of tequila.

I was all set to buy my usual Santitas, when I saw the Xochitl. They were new to my Publix store since the new reset. Being the aforementioned “chip aficionado” I felt it my duty to check them out.

I opened them as soon as I got to the car. Manna from heaven. Just like my beloved Pappasito’s chips.

The downside is that they are not cheap. They are priced up there with the gourmet chip- $3.99- $4.25. But they are worth it.

Don’t waste them on amateurs. Save them for yourself, when you can enjoy every last snappy CRUNCH!

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If you’re like me and my BFF, you’re always looking for a nice bottle of wine to crack open and enjoy in the evening. Not for a special occasion, not for an evening with friends, not to enjoy with a special meal. No…. just because.

Having a glass of wine “just because’” really is about enjoying the Sweet Life. Something as small as this is a celebration in itself. The problem is, most of the time a decent bottle of wine is at least $18 – $25 a bottle. That’s not a lot when you’re out with friends at a restaurant, but when you’re at home, that’s not a casual price.

I’ve found the answer – how does $10.99 sound?
Yes, you can truly buy a nice bottle of wine for $10.99. To top that off, it comes with a delightfully charming name and label; Cupcake Vineyards.

Don’t just take my word for it, The Wine Spectator gives the Chardonnay 88 points.

I’ve tried the Chard and the Cab. Both are very good and I highly recommend them.

What’s even better is that you can give this as a nice host/hostess gift and it’s classy and reasonable.

Give it a try – what have you got to lose?

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I’m in the planning stages of some exciting changes at La Dolce Diva.

To get me started, I’d love your input! Could you spare a few moments to answer 10 questions?

It’s completely anonymous.

I may have a few more surveys in the coming weeks – stay tuned.

You’re opinion matters! You may see the very changes you suggest in the near future.

CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE SURVEY

Thanks again for taking the time!

La Dolce Diva, Inc.

Life’s a bath, Soak it up!

If you’ve read anything about my La Dolce Diva Bath & Body company, then you know, I’m all about trying to pass on a positive message to our Divas- In- Training…I guess that has to apply to boys with cooties too.

Some family friends of my Diva-Girl Niece have started a fresh niche business that I wanted to tell you about.

Graphic designers, John and Danny Clavijo said “Enough with the negative!” and decided to do something about all the rude, crude and not-so-cool stuff they were seeing kids wear at schools, parks, shopping malls… you name it.

Something positive needed to be done. So they did it.
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Movie: Julie & Julia 2009

We all know how this ends, Julia Child’s Mastering of Art of French Cooking is published and becomes a world wide success. It’s in practically every chef’s kitchen library, whether the book has been cracked open or not. It is there. After you see this movie, you’ll  probably be inspired to crack it open and make the Boeuf Bourguignon a La Julia Child. I hope that didn’t spoil anything for you.

So, we know what happens at the end of the story, which is really the beginning of Julia’s success, at what the French call “a certain age”..meaning old and over 40. If you have read My Life In France based on letters and mementos saved and sent home by Paul and Julia Child, you may wonder why this wasn’t made into a movie on it’s own. Or maybe not. If it’d been made into a movie, it would probably not have been anymore than a docudrama that had a foodie based cult-following. It needed a spin and a sexy way of bringing it to the masses for box office bonanza. Enter Meryl Streep. Followed by Julie Powell.

Let’s start with the lesser known, Julie Powell. I will address her as I know her from the movie, I won’t go into the foodie-blogger- backlash she has received or her actual Julie & Julia Blog itself (I never read it), you can look into that yourself. Just Google Julie Powell Backlash.
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Reuters

If you think that that Meryl Streep was over the top in The Devils Wears Prada as Runway editor Miranda Priestly, you are sadly mistaken. In case you didn’t know it, she was based on real life Vogue Editor-In-Chief  Anna “Nuclear” Wintour.

Known to be quite ferocious, demanding, condescending, powerful and any other adjective you want to throw in that implies she may eat her young, have been used to describe her.

What can’t be denied is her work ethic and survival instincts. Ms. Wintour has been Editor-in-Chief at vogue magazine for 20 years.
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Imagine my delight and surprise when my sister presented me with a Goddess Mother’s Day gift (I call myself Goddess Mother instead of “Godmother” to my almost 2 year old Dinky Diva niece). A complete volume of everything Elvis, all Elvis, all the time.

I may have mentioned, a time or ten, that I am a devoted Elvis fan. Not the creepy, know every detail, groupie, obsessed kind of fan…but with this encyclopedia, I am am equipped to become one, if I so desire.

Just about every detail Elvis’ life has been meticlously researched,  detailed and chronicled.  As the author, Adam Victor notes, ” this encyclopedia is longer than the Old Testament”; a comparison to higher powers? I will leave that up to you to decide. I know my vote is in on that count *wink*.

I have already made a spot on my coffee table for this handsome compendium, if someone could just help me by prying it out of my hands.

Darla at Chic Critique was kind of enough to give a fabulous review of our Dolce Divina Tiramisu Collection!

Chic Critique gives beauty product reviews for the modern woman.  They are very honest (they loved our products- so of couse they are totally honest *wink*) and humorous too! I think you will enjoy reading about La Dolce Diva as well as their other reviews.

I especially liked their recent pictures on wearing “natural” and complimentary colored eye-makeup.

Enjoy…and thanks again Chic Critique!

How do some of us become aware of what brands are cool, trendy, status, luxury, cheap, knock-off, while others don’t have a clue? Maybe we are the ones that don’t have a clue. Or maybe we have an appreciation for an art form that seems superficial or commonplace to a lot of people who do not see fit to give it any thought or value. And some of us are just label-whores who could care less about the soul or aesthetic of a brand and just wear it like a badge of status. We won’t comment on what that status is.

In our world of commercialization and mass production, there are many designer brands that have been so worn down that they barely have a glimmer of the original spark that made them special. In some cases, the luxury brands we know today were known for a specialty far different than we know them for now. For example: Gucci; leather, Hermes; equestrian and artisan leathers, Louis Vuitton; steamer trunks, Chanel: hats, bell-bottoms, layered costume jewelry.  What- you think Madonna came up with that? Puleeze!

As popularity and notoriety of the different brands grew, their clients came to depend on them for quality merchandise and requested they expand into other areas or there was just a natural growth that occurred. While some of these brands made the decision to stay small luxury shops, others licensed their names to everything from cars to dog collars.  This distinction did not always lead to a cheapening of the brand, sometimes it simply broadened it. The real eye-opener is where the money comes from. For the most part, all the licensing of perfume, accessories, watches etc., is what pays the bills and for the marketing that keeps the brand’s identity in the luxury column.

All this was a long way around to recommend a book that I found utterly fascinating, Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster.

Deluxe, takes you through the story and growth of many of the well-known luxury brands. Dana Brown is unflinching and unbiased in her revelations of where some of those brands are today and how they got there – good and bad. Underneath it all, I still sensed that she held a respect and regard for the fashion business.

In Ms. Brown’s easy story-telling manner, you will learn how luxury leather-goods are produced in the same factory as well-known Private Label brands. How Chanel No. 5 came to be. Why actresses started being “styled” by designers instead of dressing themselves. The reason high-end perfume cost so much. The use of Logos for branding. That Caesar only wore silk togas. How mega-luxury-brand corporations were  formed by scooping up the low-hanging fruit of floundering status names. The management and marketing of brand identity in magazine advertisements. That fashion is a business first, but must have the art to be successful.

As some of you may already know, I attended The Fashion Institute of Technology in New York for four years. So, for me, fashion is my livelihood, a business, an art and a passion. I am definitely not a major status fashion plate, by any means, but true luxury brands are important to me. Even though so many luxury brand name items can be acquired for not-so-luxury prices, at the heart, there is still a history and an aesthetic that I respect.

I realize that many find fashion superficial and trivial. But the truth is, fashion is one of the first ways we assert our independence as a child. It is a powerful force in social situations throughout our lives. Remember that Benetton Rugby Shirt, Calvin Klein jeans, Polo oxford, Reebok high-tops, Pappagallo purse you just had to have? Is that too much of a throw-back?…How about Manolo Blahniks, Seven for All Mankind jeans, Juicy Couture sweats? Ring any bells? Whether you actually acquired the objects of your affection or not, can you admit that at some point in time, fashion has had some impact on your life?

I am La Dolce Diva and I am addicted to fashion…are you?

What luxury item did or do you just have to have?

Remember George Michael? Well, I just saw him in concert a couple months ago and he was totally FAB! He looked great, his voice was phenomenal and the show was such an eighties flashback that I felt like I was a Diva-In-Training again! You have to admit the eighties were one of the most fun decades we have lived through.

Take a listen to a few samples below from his most recent release of TwentyFive Live. There are 2 CDs, 1 is for Loving and the other is for Living ~ I think you will like it.

You may be surprised at some of the songs included on the TwentyFive CD or if you choose to download an MP3. Check out, Feeling Good, Don’t Let the Sun Go Down On Me and, of course, your favorites, Careless Whisper, Faith and A Different Corner.

Let’s face it, George Michael is not always at the top of our mind when we think of a great gift and even if we do think of him, we shake our heads at the “unfortunate “situations” Georgie-Boy has put himself into.

Well, don’t pity the boy…think of the good times. When he debuted with Wham! in the 80’s we all thought he was a doll, including my 10 year baby-sister who declared, “He is going to be big!”  Well, 25 years later, he is still a major talent with a beautiful voice.

I also recommend the TwentyFive Complete DVD Collection of all George Michael videos including those from his WHAM! days with Andrew Ridgley. You will smile and dance to your old favorites and have fun seeing some that were never shown this side of the pond.

I recently spent an entire evening watching all 205 minutes. It was like the old MTV days when they actually played Music Videos. Before “Reality” killed the Video star.