DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

   Offbeat pumpkins are stealing the spotlight from ordinary varieties. Green Goblin Origin : An heirloom from Chioggia, Italy; also called sea pumpkin but most commonly sold as ‘Marina di Chioggia’. Design cred : Knobby blue-green skin has frosty highlights. Can you eat it? You definitely should! It’s delicious cut into wedges, drizzled with olive oil, seasoned with salt and herbs, and roasted until tender. Cinderella Origin : An heirloom from France; also sold as ‘Rouge Vif d’Etampes’. Design cred : It’s easy to see how the softly flattened top and ridged, deep orange skin could have inspired Cinderella’s carriage in Charles Perrault’s classic French fairy tale. Can you eat it? Yes, the rich orange flesh is tasty in pies. Mini Fairytale Origin : A miniature version of an heirloom fr...

   A number of symbols help us recognize St. Nicholas. They developed from his most popular stories and customs. Miter A special tall pointed hat worn by a bishop. The miter is a general symbol for bishops, but it is unique to St. Nicholas among holiday gift-givers. (also mitre) Crozier A hooked staff carried by a bishop; represents a shepherd's staff as the bishop is to be the shepherd of the people, as Jesus is the Good Shepherd. Again, a crozier is a general symbol for bishops, but unique to Nicholas among gift-givers. (also crosier) Three Gold Balls Represent the gold given to provide dowries for the impoverished maidens. Nicholas' gold balls became the pawnbroker's symbol. Sometimes oranges or apples are used to represent the gold. Gold Coins Another way of representing the gold given as dowries. Money Bags Usually three, but sometimes one, represent the gold thrown into the house to provide dowry money. Three Maidens The ...

   Holiday shopping figures are often viewed as significant indicators of the current economic climate, and Halloween is no exception. This year, the Halloween shopping numbers have climbed out of the grave they were in last year and returned to the levels they were at in 2008. And with more and more people buying their Halloween items online, this is good news for both our economy and the e-commerce sector as a whole. (Click Image To Enlarge)

      HISTORY OF THE BIRDSVILLE RACES    The first race meeting held at the newly formed township of Birdsville, situated on the Diamantina River, eight miles north of the South Australian border, was held on the 20th, 21st, and 22nd of September (1882), and was largely attended, nearly 150 station owners, managers, stockmen, and other employees being present. The weather was delightful, the entrances for the various events good, and the finishes in most of the races close and exciting. Nearly 200 pounds was raised by public subscription, which speaks well for the prosperous condition of the district.    The settling took place in Mr Tucker’s hotel, where the amounts were paid over to the respective winners, the usual toasts proposed and duly responded to, after which a meeting was held in Messrs. Burt and Co.’s large iron store, when a jockey club was formed, to be called the “Border Jockey Club”, forty-two names being enrolled as members. Steward...

   Christmas time is right around that corner, so why not a graphic to celebrate the origins of the Christmas tree? This graphic, created by All in One Garden & Leisure , gives a rather unique look at the tree’s beginnings and its, for lack of better words,   a journey through time.    One of the interesting stats presented by the graphic is the number of households who choose to put an artificial tree up versus a real tree taken right out of the forest (or jungle if you’re celebrating Christmas in South Africa). The pie charts in the graphic demonstrate that more people in the U.S. opt to go with a natural tree then their fellow tree buyers in the U.K. My gut reaction when I saw that stat was, “I wonder how many trees are actually grown the U.K.? Doesn’t seem like there is nearly as much land.” And sure enough, my question was answered right below that. As I suspected, there are more trees (many, many more trees actually) grown in the U.S....

  San Miguel de Allende was founded in 1542 by Fray Juan de San Miguel when he built a mission to serve the many Indian groups in the area. It became known as San Miguel el Grande. The main church in town is the Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel. Naturally the town takes great pride in celebrating the Feast Day of San Miguel, the patron saint. San Miguel de Allende can put on some great Fiestas and for this one they go all out. The feast day of San Miguel is September 29 but the actual celebration can last a week or more. The modern custom is to have the major part of the Fiesta on the weekend following Sept. 29 but the actual day is also celebrated.    San Miguel, or Saint Michael the Archangel as he is known to the English speaking world, is noted for his warrior role. When Lucifer revolted against the rule of God it was San Miguel Archangel who was sent to do battle with Lucifer and banish him to Hades. San Miguel is often invoked as a protector for troops goi...

   Whip up a happy holiday with pumpkin carving ideas and tricks the neighborhood will love! I found these ideas at Sunset Magazine.  They have alot of west coast living decor and eating ideas.  Visit it at www.Sunset.com    Show off a traditional Halloween message in a highly unusual way. Jackie Ortega, owner of San Francisco's Craft Gym, says this project is easy to pull off once you know the secret.    Start by printing out "trick" and "treat" in bold letters on paper to use as a stencil. Center "treat" on your pumpkin and use a pushpin to dot the outline of the letters, then scoop out the pumpkin and carve between the dots (use toothpicks to hold centers of "e" and "a").    Carving "trick" on the back is, well, trickier. Turn your stencil o...