DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

   This recipe comes from  www.madincrafts.com  .  This is for all of you that miss those chocolate mochas from Starbuck's, after the holidays are over.  Enjoy! Starbucks Peppermint Mocha Knockoff (with Homemade Chocolate Mint Syrup) Do you remember how I told you I was going to share a  yummy way to use up my herb garden mint ? Time to make good on that promise. If you have ever grown mint, you know that it is an “aggressive grower” A.K.A. even Jess can’t kill it. Despite my brown thumb, my chocolate mint plant has been producing like crazy, so I needed to find a good way to put it to use. What better way than to make some yummy chocolate-chocolate mint syrup? For the recipe, you will need about 30 mint leaves. I didn’t actually count mine out, but I am pretty sure I had a good 3 dozen. Rinse them and pat them dry with a paper towel. Next, rip the leaves into small pieces. Rip, don’t cut. You want to bruise and beat up the lea

   Chocolate-covered peanut butter  cups , malted milk balls, or your favorite candy bar can be the star of this easy  Christmas  candy-bark recipe. If you're not big on dark chocolate, use white chocolate instead. Dark Chocolate Candy Bark ingredients 6 ounces   chocolate-flavor candy coating, chopped (1 cup) 6 ounces   dark chocolate, chopped (1 cup) 1 tablespoon   shortening 2 cups   chopped assorted chocolate candy bars, such as chocolate-coated caramel-topped nougat bars with peanuts, chocolate-covered English toffee, chocolate-covered peanut butter cups, or malted milk balls 1/2 cup   salted peanuts, chopped directions 1. Line a large baking sheet with heavy foil; grease foil. Set aside. In a large microwave-safe bowl combine candy coating, chocolate, and shortening. Microwave, uncovered, on 100 percent power (high) for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes or until chocolate melts, stirring every 30 seconds. 2. Stir 1 cup of the assorted

    The Sapporo Snow Festival  is a famous festival held annually in Sapporo, Japan, over 7 days in February.  Currently, Odori Park, Susukino, and Tsudome are the main sites of the festival.  The 2011 Yuki-matsuri dates are February 7th to the 13th.    The festival is one of Japan's largest and most distinctive winter events.  In 2007, about 2 million people visited Sapporo to see the hundreds of snow statues and ice sculptures at the Odori Park and Suskino sites, in central Sapporo, and the Satoland site.  The festival is thought to be an opportunity for promoting international relations. The International Snow Sculpture Contest has been held at the Odori Park sit since 1974, and teams from various regions of the world participate.    The subject of the statues varies and often features as event, famous building or person from the previous yer.  For example, in 2004, there were statues of Hideki Matsui, the famous baseball player who at that time pl