Awesome new Giveaway @ sassyNpunk Blog: Di Depux Giveaway

sassyNpunk Blog: Di Depux Giveaway: sassyNpunk's super kawaii partner in crime, Di Depux , is sponsoring our latest giveaway! Really excited about this contest and the huge pri...

Please help me get the word out about Breast Cancer

Hello Kitties!
Today I am asking that anyone that has/had or even knows someone with Breast Cancer to help me raise donations for the MSABC Put on your Pink Bra Breast Cancer Awareness Stride I will be participating in on October 22nd 2011. I have 25 days to help raise $250 to help make a difference, so any donations will help us take 1 more step further into helping these courageous women! I will be walking  for these beautiful women and for my loved ones that have had this unfortunate disease in hopes that they would do the same for me.  Thank you all and May God Bless each and every one of you! To find out more, please visit Spooky's Personal Page or just The American Cancer Society: Making Strides

Hearts & Bows,
X's & O's,
Spooky

I've been attending the school of Hard Knocks

Hello Kitties,

I've been having a rough month lately, so that's why I haven't been posting much at all. I try not to dwell on negativity so I've been steering clear of the blogging realm. I just wanted to say that I haven't abandoned you at all. I recently had back surgery, so I was down for that time for recovery, but while I was in the hospital, my cat Aura had passed away in a horrific way. Then, about 2 weeks later my cousin, Tabitha ended her battle with cancer at such a young age. Just when things couldn't get worse, my dog, Luna passed away within the week, so needless to say, I took some time off from posting anything. I'm just now feeling slightly better and my back is feeling much better so I can sit at the computer longer. I will be posting more this week. Thank you to all my readers for understanding and please direct any friends that you think would enjoy my blog.

                                                   Rest In Peace

                                                  Luna
                                                 

                                                  Tabitha Argoe Lyons

                     Aura (the cat) with Lotus (whose still with us thankfully)


Hearts & Bows,
X's & O's
Spooky

Strawberry Anarchy Facebook Contest! (CLOSED)

Hello Kitties! One of our favorite blogs, Strawberry Anarchy is having a super cool Facebook contest right now! Click on this link here to check out Strawberry Anarchy's FB page and don't forget to "like"! Also, while your there, drop them a line or two and tell them that SpookySweets sent you! You can also find Strawberry Anarchy's adorable button on the right hand side of my blog or go to strawberryanarchy.blogspot.com Thanks Kittens! Hearts & Bows, X's & O's---Spooky

Whoa!!!!

Hello Kitties! Just wanted to give a HUGE Shout out to Pet Sugar at Drop Dead Cute and Ex-Boyfriend Collection for presenting an Amazing Contest!!! I can't believe that I won!!!! Check out dropdeadkawaii.com and ex-boyfriendcollection.com Thanks again you guys!

A Short and Sweet Update

Hello Kitties, I hope to be posting more soon, and I just wanted to tell all of my readers that I had my Spinal Fushion surgery last Monday, the 25th of July. The procedure went well, but I've had one heck of a recovery! I'm still on bed rest until I see my surgeon next week. So I haven't abandon you, my lovelies. Take care and thanks for reading. Hearts & Bows, X's & O's---Spooky

Fun & Fizzy Ramune

Hello Kitties,

Today, I'm introducing the popular Japanese Summer staple, Ramune.
What exactly is Ramune? Well, for those that haven't caught on to this refreshing drink, Ramune soda is an oddly-enjoyable experience. Ramune was introduced in Kobe, Japan by Alexander Cameron Sim. It is widely recognized by it's Codd-neck bottle design. The bottles are made of glass and has a glass marble inside the top.
Ramune bottles can be a bit intimidating at first, because of the amount of force needed to push the marble down with a little plastic plug, that comes with the "cap". The real "cap" is however, the marble. Once you push firmly on the marble using the plastic device, you hear a loud "POP". It's like breaking into a bank that contains an ambrosial tonic. It takes a bit of practice to enjoy this beverage favorite, because of the marble pushing back on the flow. What I've discovered in my experience in opening the bottles, is that now, I look forward to hearing that "POP"!!!! It's quite fun, and it means that my taste buds are in for a real treat!
Ramune is a modern symbol of summer in Japan and is widely consumed during warm festivities, day and night. It is so popular that even Hello Kitty herself has her paws on the product.!

Ramune comes in a variety of palate-pleasing flavors. Flavors such as Original, Peach, & Lychee. Ramune also comes in "Not-So-Pleasing" sounding flavors such as Wasabi, Octopus, and Curry. I've never been able to try those crazy flavors, because, thankfully, I've never found them at my local Asian Grocery Store.
My favorite flavors would have to be Peach & Original. You can review these sodas on your own, although, Original, to me, tastes like a lighter cream soda flavor, but, others have they're own idea of what it tastes like.
Which ever flavors you choose, I'm fairly sure you'll find Ramune Sodas quite tasty.
Thank you all for reading!
Hearts & Bows,
X's & O's-----Spooky

Lychee Paradise

                         
Hello Kitties, Summer is the season for fresh Lychees!
Lychee (pronounced: lee-chee), is one of my favorite fruits ever! This amazing fruit is the sole member of the genus Litchi in the soapberry family. It is a tropical and subtropical fruit native to China, yet it is cultivated in many parts of the world--including Florida.
Lychee are odd-looking fruits that are about the size of a golf ball, and have a rough, bumpy textured, pinkish-red rind that is inedible, but when removed, it exposes a sweet, translucent, milky-white flesh. The flesh is glossy and somewhat similar to that of a grape.

The flavor of the lychee is to me, undescribable, yet if I had to, I would say something like a blend of sweet pear, apple, with soft flowery notes. I can even taste a subtle sweetness of grapefruit, but without the bitterness or sourness. It's one of a kind. Every time I take my first bite of the fragrant fruit, I just feel like my senses are alive and in heaven. Succulent and juicy, lychees always add a smile to my face.
If you ever have the opportunity to find fresh lychee fruit in your area (usually found in Asian Supermarkets), then grab some! You'll just have to taste them for yourself.
Before you head out to go searching for lychees, take some time to do a little research on how to pick out the best, ripened fruits, or just simply ask someone knowledgeable to help you.
What you do want to look for is the most vibrant pinkish-red rinds. Give them a slight squeeze to test for firmness. You don't want them to be too hard, nor too soft. Like Goldilocks, it has to be just right.
Brownish lychees are still okay, but you have to eat them right away. Also, the brown ones are so overly ripe that they are incredibly juicy, yet the flavor is lost and can even be bitter. You don't want these unless you're going to whip up a batch of Lychee Martinis.
*Just remember--the middle of these fruits have a big, brown pit, which you'll want to discard*
Whatever you do, just give Lychees a try. If you don't like them, at least you can say you tried something new.
When I bought my very first batch of fresh lychees, I peeled them and brought them into work for others to try. Some of the girls turned their noses up at them because they claimed that the fleshy fruit resembled "eyeballs", LOL!! But almost everyone that tried them (even the skeptics), thought the flavor was delicious!
If you aren't fortunate enough to find fresh lychees in your area, there are still plenty of other options, such as, lychee nuts (not really nuts, they are dried lychee), canned lychee, lychee drinks, jellies, candies, and even a fruit called Rambutans, (pictured below) which are similar to lychees and are closely related.

Here are some great lychee recipes I've found over the Internet.

Blackberry Frozen Yogurt with Lychees  (Recipe from veggiebelly.com)
makes about 2 servings. you will have left over frozen yogurt.

2 cups plain yogurt, I used low fat.
1 ½ cups blackberries either fresh or thawed from frozen
½ cup sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice, optional
a 20 oz can of lychees in syrup

Drain the lychees and gently pat them dry. Place the drained lychees in the fridge till you are ready to use them.

Place a sieve or strainer over a vessel. Place a double layer of cheese cloth over the strainer. Put the yogurt in the cheese cloth. Gather and tie the ends of the cheese cloth to form a bundle. Put the yogurt bundle with the strainer and vessel in the fridge. We want most the liquid from the yogurt to drain. This will take about 2 hours.

In the meanwhile, puree the blackberries, sugar and lemon juice in a blender. Push the blackberry mixture through a sieve or strainer. Discard the seeds in the strainer.

When the yogurt has drained, return it to the blender along with the strained blackberry mixture. Blend till everything is combined well. Taste the mixture and adjust sugar if needed.

If you have an ice cream maker, process the yogurt blackberry mixture according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

For creamy frozen yogurt without an ice cream maker:If you don’t have an ice cream maker, you can still make creamy frozen yogurt. Pour the blackberry yogurt mixture into a shallow dish, cover the dish, and place in the freezer. Freeze for about 2 hours until the yogurt is half frozen.

Now Scrape the yogurt and put it back in the blender. Blend until smooth. Return the mixture to the dish, cover, and freeze again. Let the yogurt freeze another 2 hours. Scrape up the yogurt and blend again. Repeat the freeze-blend-freeze process 3 times. This will result in creamy frozen yogurt without an ice cream maker!

To serve, fill a serving dish with ice cubes. Remove the drained lychees from the fridge. Arrange the lychees, hole-side up, over the ice. Place the frozen yogurt in a zip lock bag, and snip the end of the bag. Pipe the yogurt into the lychees. Serve immediately.

NotesIf your lychees aren’t firm enough to stand up straight or hold the frozen yogurt, freeze the lychees for about 30 minutes. This will make them firm enough to hold their shape and easier for you to pipe in the yogurt.

If you decide to place the lychees on a bed of ice, make sure you serve the dish immediately. Otherwise the ice will melt and your lychees will drown.

An easier method – simply chop up the lychees and top the frozen yogurt with the chopped lychees.

Lychee Saketini (unfiltered)

This lychee saketini recipe combines lychee juice with unfiltered sake, which possesses a sweet, floral note that complements the sweetness of the lychee.

Servings: 2 glasses

You'll  Need:

2 fl oz vodka
4 fl oz unfiltered sake
4 fl oz lychee juice
Lychee nuts for garnish

Fill a shaker two thirds full of ice. Add vodka, unfiltered sake, and lychee juice. Shake vigorously. Serve in a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a lychee nut.

Coconut and Lychee Sorbet:

You'll Need:

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 2 1/2 cups chilled fresh or well-stirred canned unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 3/4 cups chilled lychee juice
• 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
• 
  

1. Bring the water, sugar, and salt to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.

2. Transfer the sugar syrup to a small bowl and refrigerate, tightly covered, for at least 1 hour, until thoroughly chilled, or for up to 2 days.

3. Whisk together the coconut milk and lychee juice in a large glass measure or bowl. Whisk in the chilled syrup and lime juice. Pour the mixture into an ice-cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to a freezer container and freeze for at least 2 hours before serving. (The sorbet is best served on the day it is made.)

4. Spoon the sorbet into serving bowls or glasses to serve.

Lychee-Rose Cupcakes with Raspberry Meringue Buttercream

Found this recipe from Darjeeling Dreams. Find this recipe here

I will find more Lychee goodies to share with all of you later my Kittens,

Hearts & Bows,

X's & O's-----Spooky Von Sweets

Summertime Copy Cat Drink Recipe: Taco Bell's Limeade Sparkler *EDITED*

*Edited* I just wanted to let all my Kitties know that this recipe is from itsfoodtastic.com and it's easy and very delicious too! Thank you itsfoodtastic.com for an amazingly refreshing drink recipe! Hello Kitties,
   I know it's been a while since we last spoke, but my brain has been on overload of thinking about new content for  Super Kawaii Me! So, I've been thinking a lot about Summer, and it is a very Hot Summer here in Florida this year! In order for me to stay cool, I occasionally go to Taco Bell and order an Ice-cold Limeade Sparkler. The only problems I personally have with this is that A) the Limeade is usually smaller than I'd like, plus, no free refills, and B) they are expensive! I think they are around $2.99 here. So, I found a much better solution to these problems, a perfect Copy Cat Recipe that costs around the same price, but you get more bang for your buck! Enjoy either a Traditional Limeade or Cherry-Limeade Sparkler right in your very own home.

Limeade Sparkler:


You'll need:


~Sierra Mist, Sprite, or 7UP *(Sierra Mist is recommended because this is what TB uses)*
~Frozen Limeade concentrate, thawed.*(If you'd like to make Cherry Limeade, use the frozen     Cherry Limeade concentrate)* 
~Ice
~Lime (cut into quarters)


Fill a cup/glass with ice. (The ice is what keeps the limeade at the bottom of the cup and produces the TB look. If you just use cold Soda without ice, the drink will not taste exactly the same.)
Put 2 to 4 ounces of your choice limeade concentrate in the bottom of the glass, depending on how strong you want the lime flavor, and how big your glass is.
Fill to top of the glass with Sierra Mist. Add a lime quarter for garnish, or just squeeze the juice into your drink. Serve and Enjoy!!!!! Yummy and Super Refreshing.


*For an Adult Version: add a shot of rum or tequila, but Please drink responsibly.*


That's all for right now Kittens,


Hearts & Bows,
X's & O's------Spooky Von Sweets

Summer Wallpapers are Here!

Hello Kitties! Since Summer is Officially here, I'd thought I'd share some kawaii wallpapers and super adorable pics for you all to enjoy! *(I did NOT create these images, but I just wanted to share them with you all)*    Please enjoy and have a Happy and Safe Summer!

 Hearts & Bows,
 X's & O's----Spooky Von Sweets

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

S'mores Bars (I'm so in Heaven)

Yep, the title says it all, now if I could only taste them right now. I don't know about you, but just looking at the pictures is fulfilling to me. Check out the recipe from Mandy's Recipe Box (p.s.--she's pretty gratuitous with the pics). Time to make your mouth water with envy!

Milk Chocolate Cupcakes & Chocolate Mocha Buttercream

Hello Kitties!
I just can't stop finding Yummy Goodies Today!!! Well, if anyone knows me, you know my undying love for Cupcakes. Here's a recipe I'm dying to try. Check out the Key Lime Cuppies with Raspberry Sauce here

Kit-Kat Cakes?!!!!

This Cake is simply Amazing!!!!! Kit-Kats are like the Holy Grail of Candies for me, they're Super-Tasty and Delicious, they come in all kinds of flavors (Green Tea, Lychee, Strawberry, and more!), and they're fun to eat, but a Kit-Kat Wedding Cake? Heck yeah!!! Check it out at Wonderwoman Creations Blog

*Find the other Yummy Flavors of Kit-Kat over at jbox.com

Donut-Shaped Cookies! Adorable and Delicious!

Check out these Super Kawaii Cookies made by the the Closet Crafter!

Summer Update!

Hello Kitties! You might have noticed that there are New Additions being made to my blog daily, for Your Viewing Pleasure.  My blog also premiers the site's New Banner, matching background, and Button made by the awe-inspiring Keren Dukes. Keren is the founder and Blogger of the well-formed site, Free Pretty Things for You.com. Please check out her site, it's amazing! Thank You again Keren!                                                        

2011 Summer Trends


Summer is here and it's gonna be a Hot One.......for Fashion. As I've been observing the younger crowd and older, I'm seeing a trend in colors that were familiar to me from last year. Oranges, ranging from light corals to blazing tangerines, are being accompanied with Bold flashes of turquoise, with hints of saffron yellows combined with flecks of dark, Royal purples and light, lovely lilacs and lavenders. Yes, the colors are back, but I'm never tired of seeing the summery colors of the oceans.

Another  trend popping up through the years is the feathery fishing flies, called "Hackles".
"Hackles" are long, skinny rooster feathers used to make fishing lures, that are somehow finding their way into many female trend-setters hair as extensions.You can find these at most fly-fishing shops, but beware, they don't come with a cheap price tag! These funky, feather-extensions are anywhere from $29.95 all the way up to$480!!!! Well, since I'm into the rights of animals and won't go into grisly details of how the producers of this costly, yet beautiful trend make them, I think I'll stick to my hair bows, and maybe a faux-hackle or rooster-friendly hackle, if possible.

Well my Kitties, That's all for now. Please Check back for more!
Hearts & Bows,
X's & O's,

Spooky Von Sweets

Happy Memorial Day!

Hello Kitties! Hope that all of my readers are having a Spectacular Memorial Day Holiday Today! im sure many of you are planning something outdoors, so, lets not forget to help Save Our Environment by using these terrific Washable It's Not Paper Collection from http://www.shopplasticland.com

                                                       Washable It's Not Paper Platter $22.00

                                                          It's Not Paper Hot Dog Trays $17

                                                          It's Not Paper Dessert Plates $14

Don't forget to use this nifty Timer for cooking up some BBQ

                                                              Retro Hamburger Timer $9

When you get ready to go to your fridge, you'll smile everytime with this super adorable 

                                                   Blue Babushka Russian Doll Magnet $6.00

Always Remember to wear an Apron, like this one, to keep your clothes from getting BBQ sauce on them too!

                                                             Barbeque Ninja Apron $17

Keep your Lemonade Cool, by the Pool with these

                                                     FREEZE! Guns Ice Cube Tray $10.00

                                                      Retro Robots Ice Cube Tray $10.00

When the Family is all stuffed with good food and ready to hit the road, treat your feet with these Turkish Home Slippers made by SmilingKnitting at Etsy.com

That is all for today! Please check back for more updates. Thank you all and have a Happy Memorial Day!

                                                                        Hearts & Bows

                                                                           X's & O's,

                                                                                          ~  Spooky Von Sweets

Kawaii Cute over at Shanalogic.com

Hello Kitties! I just had to share these Fabulous New Items that I found over at ShanaLogic.com!

                                                                Fairy Tale Unicorn $60

                                                         Little Bunny Prince Necklace $26

                                                       Kitty Katkeshi Silk-Screen Print $25

                                                             Deer Silhouette Earrings $19

                                                   Siamese Baby Deer Cameo Necklace $23

                              Fine Art Wooden Plaque- My Poor Meatball by Cuddly Rigor Mortis $55

Well, That's all for now Kitties, Check back later for more!
          Hearts & Bows,
             X's & O's
Spooky Von Sweets

More Kawaii Finds!

Hello Kitties!

         It's time for an update on my latest findings! I do love to find things that I can find online for cheaper in stores around where I live. The photos aren't great, but you get the idea.

I found these Super Cute and ever so popular Japanese Erasers
from the Dollar Value for $0.99 for a full pack! You can also find the single erasers @ Walgreens, in the Pharmacy for $0.99 a piece.

Ice Cream Water Gun!

Summer got ya all Hot and Bothered? Well, cool off with this  Sweet Ice Cream Cone -shaped Water Gun! Also available at the Dollar Value for only $1.79



I'll be back with more Kickin' Kawaii fun!
Thanks to all my Kitties for Reading!

Hearts & Bows
X's & O's

Spooky Von Sweets