DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

   This comes from  www.theknottybride.com .  Alot of neat diy projects in one neat little package.  Take an afternoon to yourself and get into the zen of paper folding and cutting! Happy holidays TKB readers! It’s Lauren from  Lauren Elise Crafted  again and today I am back to share a special holiday version DIY. {Note: each of these projects could be employed as décor elements for a lovely winter wedding! …  Especially  if it’s holiday-themed!} Christmas is in just a few days! Are you ready? As usual, I am running a bit behind and if you’re like me, you’ll be scrambling  for a few days trying to get everything done. Every year I tell myself that things will be different, that I’ll be organized beforehand but it never seems to play out that way. As much as it plagues me to say this, I am contributing to that holiday rush. I am here today to help ease the holiday madness and show you some quick décor o...

    The  U.S. National Tobaggan Championships  is the only organized wooden toboggan race in the country and possibly the world. The toboggan chute is located in Camden, Main at the Camden Snow Bowl, a community owned year round recreation area which has developed thousand of deicated skiers since 1936. All race revenue goes to off setting the Snow Bowl budget. History     The original chute was first built in 1936 by a dedicated group of volunteers who also built a ski lodge and ski hill, one of the earliest in America. The chute was again rebuilt in 1954 by local Coast Guardsmen and lasted until 1964 when it was brought to an end because of rot and neglect.     In 1990 it was resurrected once again out of pressure treated wood by another enthusiastic group of volunteers and material donors and was to become known as the  Jack Williams Toboggan Chute . The week before the race, many hours are...

   Maha Shivaratri  is celebrated with great devotion and religious fervor by Hindus, in honor of Lord Shiva, one of the Hindu Gods forming the Trinity. The festival falls on the moonless, 14th night of the new moon in the Hindu month of Phalgun (in the month of February - March, according to English Calendar). On the festival of Maha Shivaratri, devotees observe day and night fast and worship Shiva Lingam, to appease Lord Shiva. Many interesting legends have been related to the festival of Maha Shivaratri, explaining the reason behind its celebrations as well as its significance.    According to one of the most popular legends, Shivaratri is the wedding day of Lord Shiva and Parvati. It is also believed that Lord Shiva performed ‘Tandava’, the dance of the primal creation, preservation and destruction on this auspicious night of Shivaratri. According to another popular legend, described in Linga Purana, it was on Shivaratri that Lord Shiva manifested hi...

I had never tried to combine chocolate with any citrus, except for orange. The reason is I grew up with Orange Milano cookies from Pepperidge Farm–I thought orange and chocolate were the only possibility. Then I took my first bite of a truffle infused with citrus. Hmm, was it lemon, grapefruit, or passion fruit? It didn’t matter. The combination triggered a sensory awakening. I wanted to take cue from those pop-in-your-mouth confections to create my own dessert–one that mimics the richness of a truffle but packed with chocolate–blown up from bite size to cake size. This dessert should resolve anyone’s chocolate cravings–a heart of truffle-textured chocolate surrounded by passion fruit curd and sandwiched between two classic chocolate cake layers, with everything enveloped in a ganache frosting done two ways. (More chocolate = additional antioxidant benefits if you want to play up the health angle for this decadence.) The curd lends a refreshing offset to the overall rich...

I’m particularly drawn to apples this autumn–the incredible heirloom apples from our favorite upstate farm stand may be the reason.  Ashmead’s Kernel, Newtown Pippin, Kid’s Orange Red, and Pink Pearl—even the names are delicious at  Montgomery Place Orchard . Right now, half of the refrigerator is filled with apples ready to be baked, caramelized, sauced, and more. I have been experimenting with several recipes, but here’s the first, a simple snack cake. Not too sweet, apple essence in every bite, and paired with classic spices, these individual treats are excellent for anytime of the day. Spiced Apple Snack Cakes makes 18-20 cakes Sautéed Apples INGREDIENTS 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 2 Granny Smith, Honey Crisp or your favorite apples, medium-large, peeled and cored, cut into 1/4-inch dice 2 tablespoons granulated sugar DIRECTIONS 1. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a 10-inch non-stick skillet over high heat until golden. Add apples, cover ...

This diy comes from  www.mommyisacoocoo.blogspot.com  .  Something to do with those extra ornament left over from Christmas.  Enjoy!   How to make a Valentine Ornament Wreath Did you go out and buy a bunch of ornaments at 50% off after Christmas? I hope so because there is no need to wait until next Christmas to have some ornament loveliness in your home! ~ My Valentine Ornament Wreath ~ Here is what you need: a glass of wine (if you are anal and will worry about bulb placement) a plastifoam wreath (DON'T buy floral foam) shaped like a heart glue sticks and a glue gun spray paint (to color the foam wreath). I used red. Use whatever color you like best. about a million ornaments (different {Valentine} colors and sizes work best). spray on glitter (usually $5.99 at craft stores or $1.00 if you buy body glitter left over from Halloween a small piece of ribbon to hang your wreath Spray paint your foam ...

   Lahti Ski Games  is a yearly international winter sport event. The games last for three days, during which participants compete in cross-country skiing, ski jumping and Nordic combined. In the nearly 90-year history of the Lahti Ski Games the fireworks seen on Saturday night have become one of the highlights of the event. The goal of establishing the games was to get a competition similar to the Holmenkollen Ski Festival in Finland.    The idea for the games came from a Finnish legend, Lauri Pihkala in 1922. He wrote an article about a competition equal to the Holmenkollen Ski Festival after the double win of Anton Collin and Tapani Niku at Holmenkollen the same year. In the article Pihkala suggested Lahti as the location for the competition because of the city’s location and grounds. First Competition Ever Held    The first Lahti Ski Games was held 3–4 February 1923. From the very beginning volunteers have played a ...

1. I  always  use a kitchen scale to weigh my ingredients. They’re small, light, and don’t have to be fancy or expensive; here is what I use:  Salter 1020 Aquatronic Electronic Kitchen Scale . It’s just a great habit to get into. You wouldn’t believe the difference in what one person may scoop as a cup of flour, versus another, and weighing it to the exact gram/oz is your safest bet. Having too much flour can sure dry out a cake in a hurry, just as too little will throw it off kilter. I really believe that using a scale is one of the habits that made me a much better baker, and definitely more consistent. Trust me! I even use mine to weigh my coffee grinds for a perfect pot, my serving portions (when I’m eating clean), homemade burgers, and when dividing batches of pizza dough, etc. 2. You may notice that I bake “layer by layer,” so rather than baking a higher cake and slicing layers for a standard 3-layer cake, I bake 3 more shallow layers in 2...