DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

   This recipe was found at  www.marthastewart.com  .  Good luck! Enjoy this cake on its own or with a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream.                           Prep Time   15 minutes Total Time   2 hours, 15 minutes Yield  Serves 9   Ingredients 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan 6 ounces blackberries (1 1/3 cups) 1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 5-by-9-inch loaf pan and line with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides; butter parchment. In a food processor, puree blackberries with 2 tablespoons sugar. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together butter and 1

History of the Iditarod      The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race  first ran to Nome in 1973, after two short races on part of the Iditarod Trail in 1967 and 1969. The idea of having a race over the Iditarod Trail was conceived by the late  Dorothy Page . In 1964, Page was chairwoman of the  Wasilla-Knik Centennial  and was working on projects to celebrate Alaska's Centennial Year n 1967.     She was intrigued that dog teams could travel over land that was not accessible by autos. In the early 1920's, settlers had come to Alaska following a gold strike. They traveled by boat to the coastal towns of Seward and Knik and from there, by land into the gold fields. The trail they used is today known as  The Iditarod Trail,  one of the National Historic Trails as so designated b the U.S. Congress. In the winter, their only means of travel was by dog team.     The Iditarod Trail soon became the major thoroughfare through Alaska. Mail was carried across this tra

Harry's Roadhouse Cinnamon Rolls Recipe from:  Harry's Roadhouse Cookbook by Harry Shapiro and Peyton Young This is the recipe that makes me feel like a magician. It is not that difficult, but it takes planning: you need to make the dough a day ahead. But when these beauties come out of the oven, all worth it. We serve cinnamon rolls on Saturday and Sunday mornings only. It’s one of the rituals I love about the restaurant. Because they take a while to rise, the rolls usually don’t come out of the oven until close to 8:00 a.m. The counter at Harry’s is usually packed by this time, and all the customers "ooh" and "aah." That makes it worth getting out of bed at 5:30 a.m. on a weekend morning! This recipe makes 6 large cinnamon rolls and can easily be doubled.  PREP TLME: 10 minutes to make dough  10 minutes to assemble rolls  TURNOUT TIME: 8 hours plus 1 1/2 hours FEEDS: 6  DOUGH 1 tablespoon active dry yeast 1/4 cup warm

     The Carnival of Brazil , is an annual festival held 46 days before Easter. On certain days of Lent, Roman Catholics and some other Christians traditionally abstained from the consumption of meat and poultry, hence the term  "carnival ", from  carnelevre , "to remove meat". Carnival celebrations are believed to have roots in the pagan festival of  Saturnalia , which, adapted to Christianity, became a farewell to bad things in a season of religious discipline to practice repentance and prepare for Christ's death and resurrection.     Rhythm, participation, and costumes vary from one region of Brazil to another. In the southeastern cities of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, huge organized parades are led by samba schools. Those official parades are meant to be watched by the public, with mini parades  ("blocos")  allowing a public participation can be found in other cities. The northeastern cities of Salvador, Porto Segur and R