DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

    Horror films have been a part of American (and international) culture since the very beginning of cinema. In the last 40 years alone, we have seen so many new icons of horror; from Freddy to Jigsaw, and Jason to Pinhead. But are these nightmarish juggernauts also the stuff money is made of? We’ll see, as I present to you the top 10 most financially successful (highest-grossing) horror film franchises (Note: Many of these films are 15+ years old, so the amounts of money shown are in 2007-2011 U.S. dollars, and the amounts of money are only the profits of films (not TV shows, video games, etc.); also, there are some spoilers!): 1. “Friday the 13th” Series Main Villain(s): Pamela Voorhees; Jason Voorhees; a crazed ambulance-driver; Freddy Kreuger Number of movies, etc .: 12 (including the remake, and “Freddy vs. Jason”); 1 TV show; 1 video game Amount of Money Grossed, to date : $380,637,525 (not counting the TV show and video game) Average Amount of Money Gro

Peanut butter brittle adds crunch to this decadent, eggless chocolate cake. No, it's not a mistake. This cake really doesn't contain any eggs. The oil in the batter makes the cake moist; the rest of the ingredients provide enough structure to give the cake a great crumb. Ingredients Brittle Vegetable oil 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup light corn syrup 1/4 cup water 1 cup chopped lightly salted dry-roasted peanuts 1 teaspoon creamy (smooth) natural peanut butter (made with only peanuts and salt)* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract cake Nonstick vegetable oil spray 3 cups all purpose flour 2 cups sugar 2/3 cup sifted natural unsweetened cocoa powder (sifted, then measured) 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 2 cups water 2/3 cup vegetable oil 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 2 teaspoons vanilla extract Filling and frosting 4 ounces imported milk chocolate, chopped 5 tablespoons heavy whipping cream 2 1/4 cups powdered sugar 1 1/2

   Beer and wine have been called many things: delicious, evil, holy, unholy, addictive, and so on, but there is no doubt that one of the most beloved of all human inventions is beer and wine. Therefore, you should know more about it, and thus this list was born: 10 Interesting Facts About Beer and Wine. 10. Wine (and Beer) is Good For You    This item may be familiar to most avid Listverse readers and has been presented on numerous lists, but I found that I still had to have it in somewhere, as there seems to be the instant stereotyping of relating wine and beer to unhealthiness. However, over the course of a ten year study, wine, and specifically red wine, has been found to possess great cardiovascular benefits (aka: it helps your heart!). This has been attributed to antioxidants called flavonoids, which are present in the skin and seeds of grapes, and reduce the risk of heart disease by improving cholesterol and lowering blood clotting. Further studies have even shown tha

   In this East Coast-style breakfast treat, a tender sour cream coffee cake is topped with a thick layer of cinnamon-scented streusel. Ingredients topping 1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar 1/2 cup sugar 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, warm 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour cake 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 3/4 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 1 1/2 cups sugar 2 large eggs 1 1/3 cups sour cream 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Preparation topping Mix both sugars, cinnamon, and salt in medium bowl and whisk to blend. Add warm melted butter and stir to blend. Add flour and toss with fork until moist clumps form (topping mixture will look slightly wet). Set aside. cake Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt int

Britain has a long and varied past – it has been conquered repeatedly, it has conquered others, and it has colonized half the planet. Through its history, many strange traditions and festivals have arisen. This list looks at ten of the most unusual. 10. Gurning    The Egremont Crab Fair – one of England’s weirder events – gets its name from crab apples rather than the marine variety. It started back in the 13th century when the Lord of the Manor gave away crab apples to the populace. In fact, to this day, the Parade of the Apple Cart, where apples are thrown into the crowds on the Main Street, is part of the fair. There are a host of other non-mechanized, traditional events – greasy pole climbing, a pipe smoking contests, a talent show, Cumberland wrestling, a hounds trail. But lets face it, the reason Egremont makes the news every year is the gurning competition. Home of the Gurning World Championships.    Gurning, involves a rubber-faced skill that is totally bizarre and

History of the Cherry Blossom Trees and Festival    Each year, the National Cherry Blossom Festival commemorates the 1912 gift of 3,000 cherry trees from Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo to the city of Washington, DC. The gift and annual celebration honor the lasting friendship between the United States and Japan and the continued close relationship between the two countries.    In a simple ceremony on March 27, 1912, First Lady Helen Herron Taft and Viscountess Chinda, wife of the Japanese ambassador, planted the first two trees from Japan on the north bank of the Tidal Basin in West Potomac Park. Between the governments of the two countries, coordination by Dr. Jokichi Takamine, a world-famous chemist and the founder of Sankyo Co., Ltd. (today know as Daiichi Sankyo), Dr. David Fairchild of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Eliza Scidmore, first female board member of the National Geographic Society, and First Lady Helen Herron Taft, the trees arrived in Washington.    A first ba

   We have already mentioned food myths on a variety of lists – but until now we have not made a food-specific misconceptions list. This list explores some of the most common myths we have about food and (no-doubt controversially) debunks them. In the case of the more controversial topics, I have included sources. 10. Fat Free – Lose Weight    The Myth: Fat free food is calorie free    This is a very common myth – so common that food manufacturers market to it. The misconception that fat free is better is the reason that so many products are labelled “fat free,” “low in fat,” “fat reduced,” etc. So many people who want to lose weight will chow down on all of these “low fat” foods thinking they are going to lose weight – even worse, they often tend to eat more of the low fat food than they would have if it were full fat. What really matters when trying to reduce weight is calories – eat fewer calories than you burn and you will lose weight. When fat is removed from food