DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

   I love food. I do also love unhealthy food, unfortunately, and in an attempt to help myself and others with trying to eat healthier, I made this list to make people aware that what you might think of as healthy, might just be quite the opposite. But remember – if eating a kind of food makes you feel good, then do so! Being happy and content is just as important for your health as nutrition is… at least I like to think so! 10. Vegetable Oils    Like some of us learned in Chemistry class, fat is supposed to be more healthy the more liquid it is, therefore it’s commonly believed that all vegetable oils are healthy. And hey, they’re from plants, too! So this sounds about right. It is actually a general rule that the fat is more healthy the more liquid it is, since the “healthy” double bonds in the unsaturated (or good, if you will) kind of fat will decrease the melting point. However, what most people forget, is that ordinary butter can be liquid too, if it...

   Father's Day lands in June, but did you know that there is a holiday for every day this month? Here they are! June 1: National Go Barefoot Day - This shouldn't be too hard to do now that it's June. June 2: Leave the Office Early Day - Do I need to make up an excuse, or can I just leave? June 3: Chimborazo Day -Build a science fair-worthy volcano in honor of Chimborazo (in the Andes in Ecuador). June 4: International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression - It's a long name, but a good cause. June 5: World Environment Day - Dedicate the day to go green for the world environment. Wait - this should be done every day. June 6: Drive-in Movie Day - Do they still exist? June 7: VCR Day - Go back in time by watching home videos on the old VCR. June 8: Upsy Daisy Day - Every time you royally screw up, say, "Upsy daisy" to lighten the mood. June 9: Donald Duck Day - Write Mr. Duck's biography to honor him ...

   This showstopping cake is layered with dark chocolate ganache and white chocolate cream, then topped with marshmallowy peppermint frosting. To give the final product pastry-shop flair, set a pile of chocolate curls in the center. Or lean chocolate shards against each other, teepee style. Ingredients cake 2 2/3 cups all purpose flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 2 1/4 cups sugar 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 3 large eggs 1 large egg yolk 1 1/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted 2 cups ice water Dark chocolate ganache 1 1/3 cups heavy whipping cream 2 tablespoons light corn syrup 14 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped white chocolate cream 12 ounces high-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina), finely chopped 3 cups chilled heavy whipping cream, divided 1 1/2 teaspoons pure peppermint extract peppermint frosting 2 1/4 cups sugar 1/2 cup water 3 large egg w...

   Most of us know December 25 by one name – Christmas. We all know the story of Christmas, but most of us don’t know when the first Christmas was celebrated. Today, the world as we know it grinds to a halt on Christmas day, shops and restaurants all close down. It is a day of peace and tranquility, yet a time of great joy, for many. However, it was not always like that. I have created a list of a few significant events, some joyful and sprit raising, others sad and astonishing, that happened on the day we have come to know solely as “Christmas”. This list is in Chronological order, all dates are AD. 10. First Christmas/325    This is the first date that Christmas was celebrated for certain on December 25. This is significant because Christmas is, arguably, the most widely celebrated holiday in the world. It is also a strange date to pick, since many astronomers and scientists agree that Jesus would have been born sometime during our current summer mont...

    Flores de Mayo (English: "Flowers of May") is a Catholic festival held in the Philippines in the month of May. Lasting for a month, it is held in honor of the Virgin Mary . The Santacruzan refers to the pageant on the last day of Flores de Mayo , held in honour of Reyna Elena and Constantine finding the True Cross in Jerusalem.        The name is derived from Flores, the Spanish word for "flowers". Also known as "Flores de Maria" ("Flowers of Mary") or "Álay" (Filipino for "offering"), the term refers to the festival as a whole. It was believed that "Flores" (short term for Flores de Mayo) originated in 1865 from the town of Malolos, Bulacan, when the young girls would make a floral offering to the Virgin Mary in the parish church.     In the Bicol region, especially in the locality of Barangay Sabang in Naga City, the Flores de Mayo is held every Wednesday and Saturday of May. It is headed b...

Y. Origami Box Ornaments by Samantha Miller This awesome  project for D.I.Y. Origami Box Ornaments comes to us from Samantha Miller of Paper Red Shoes . I love the idea of hanging these for display (like she's done in the photo at the end of this post). Here are the directions and more from Samantha: I have folded a few thousand of these boxes and have learned the following along the way: cut a good square, fold crisply, and practice before you use paper you really like! Supplies needed : Vintage or antique book Paper cutter or scissors Ruler Ribbon Fishing line. Directions (CLICK ON THE IMAGES FOR A LARGER VIEW): Tip : Whatever is on the topside of the square (as circled) is what you will see on the finished box. Step 1: Choose a great book. One with plate illustrations is usually best like old dictionaries with pictures. This one is over 100 years old! I got it from Oxfam for £10. Step 2 : Tear eight pages from the book. Cut four pag...