DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

   This recipe comes from LilaLoa.   If you make some of these let me know how they came out.  Good luck! I can't stop thinking about how everyone should really try my chocolate cookies with coconut icing. So I've decided to post my chocolate cookie recipe. And peer pressure you all into trying it. Seriously, all the cool kids are doing it. In case you haven't noticed...I make A LOT of chocolate cookies. It's what I do. You can trust me on this when I say that this is the go-to recipe for chocolate cookies. So, you know, just try it. The End-All for Chocolate Cookies Recipe: 1 cup butter 1/4 cup shortening 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 teaspoon salt 3/4 teaspoon baking powder 2/3 cup cocoa 3 or 3 1/2 cups flour Cream butter, shortening and sugar together. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Add baking powder and salt and mix again. Stir in the cocoa until well blended. Add flour 1 cup at a time. IF YOU ARE GOING TO MA

   Peanut butter is for some, food of the gods. It can be eaten with chocolate, it can be eaten with jam, it can be smeared on chicken, and it can even be used in drinks! It seems that the uses for the wonderful stuff are endless. So, in order to prove that that really is the case, I have put together this list of 10 uses for peanut butter that you probably don’t know. Hopefully there should be at least one or two tips here that everyone will benefit from. If you know of other great peanut butter uses, be sure to tell us in the comments. 10. Lube It Up    Peanut butter is an excellent lubricator. If your lawnmower blades are getting a little tight and rusty – smear on some of the spread and voila – perfect lubrication. This hint is particularly useful because almost every time I need lube, I don’t have any around – but I always have a jar of peanut butter in the cupboard. It can be used for virtually all your lubrication needs. 9. Animal Medicine    If yo

    The Calle Ocho Festival or "El Festival de la Calle Ocho", is a one day "rumba"- fiesta-that culminates the Miami Carnival. This festival takes place in March each year between 27th avenue and 4th avenue, along Southwest 8th street, that is 23 blocks along "Calle Ocho" in "Little Havana" with activities for everybody.      Even thought this festival is not counted amongst the official Hispanic holidays, more than 1 million people attend this block party to participate, and to see top Hispanic artists perform at every street intersection at the designated stages.     You can hear salsa, reggeaton, merengue, bachata, balada, hip hop and more. Personalities like El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, Cellia Cruz, Oscar D'Leon, El Grupo Niche and many more have performed at the festival     "El Festival de la Calle Ocho", is one incredible party that in 1998 was recorded in the Guinness Book of Records for having the

   Fashion this refreshing dessert to look like a glass of bubbling champagne, making it perfect for New year's Eve. 8 Servings Prep: 20 min. + chilling 20 20 Ingredients 1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin 2 cups cold white grape juice, divided 2 tablespoons sugar 2 cups Champagne or club soda 8 fresh strawberries, hulled Directions In a small saucepan, sprinkle gelatin over 1 cup cold grape juice; let stand for 1 minute. Heat over low heat, stirring until gelatin is completely dissolved. Stir in sugar. Remove from the heat; stir in remaining grape juice. Cool to room temperature. Transfer gelatin mixture to a large bowl. Slowly stir in Champagne. Pour half of the mixture into eight Champagne or parfait glasses. Add one strawberry to each glass. Chill glasses and remaining gelatin mixture until almost set, about 1 hour. Place the reserved gelatin mixture in a blender; cover and process until

   Almost all of us have, at some time, been chided by a parent or grandparent who has been mislead by an old wives’ tale. Their intentions are always good, but unfortunately they are misguided. There are thousands of old wives’ tales – ranging from the seemingly logical to the outright bizarre.    This is a list of ten of the most common old wives’ tales which are, in fact, bunkum! Feel free to use the comments to tell us about some of the more unusual tales you have come across in your life. 10. Feed a Fever Starve a Cold    In fact, both colds and fevers cause dehydration – so liquids are essential when suffering from either. In addition, missing out on food when you are sick is never a good idea as food provides the body with the sustenance it needs to get healthy. So, you should feed a fever and feed a cold. This, of course, does not mean to overeat – it means to eat healthy balanced meals. 9. Eating Before Swimming    There is an old wives’ tale that

   This article comes from www.yumsugar.com .  Who doesn't want a little help to take better, more professional pictures this coming year?  I know I do (bought myself a new camera for Christmas.  Can't wait to take and share pictures with all of you of my own projects and recipes that I have made!)    Is one of your New Year's Resolutions to take better photos? We've got you covered. Check out some of our favorite tried-and-true tips to help your photos pop this year. Have any secrets of your own? Share them in the comments! Play With Angles    Don't just snap pics from a bird's eye view — get low, high, or level with your subject (especially food) to get the most interesting shot.  Don't get stuck taking an overhead shot, just cause you're sitting above your plate. Sometimes, the best shots are found when you're at eye level with your fluffy, carb-filled stuffing, and others are captured when you're looking straight down at your uncu