DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

  This recipe was found at  www.passionateaboutbaking.com  .  I dessert that could be the centerpiece for your next party or gathering. The base was intended to be a sponge until I added melted chocolate to it. I panicked since it wasn’t light as air and soft … so it got a good sugar syrup soaking. Was the right medicine for the cake. It giddily drank up the juices on offer and was just right a base for the balsamic cherries and mousse filling! The mousse filling was adapted from a simple chocolate mousse recipe in my Thermomix cookbook. By the time I had the machine on, I was in panic mode again.  Something told me that it was too hot for it to set as a cake topping.  Goblets are different; chocolate mousse will always be delicious in any form, barely set in goblets too.I had to do better and couldn’t take a  cake chance and  eventually added a spoon of gelatin. It worked a charm and I was thrilled to see i...

    Carnival in Cologne  is almost as old as the history of the city itself. But the organized carnival celebrated today only dates back 178 years.     The Greeks and Romans celebrated cheerful spring festivals in honor of  Dionysos  and  Saturn  with wine, women and song. The ancient Germans celebrated the winter solstice as a homage to the Gods and expulsion of the evil winter demons. Later the Christians adopted the heathen customs. The period of fasting (Lent) prior to Easter was heralded in by " Fastnacht"  or  "Karnival"...carne vale = Farewell to meat!     In the Middle Ages, the celebration of Carnival, the masquerade, often took on drastic forms, very much to the displeasure of the city council and the church. Bans and ordinances did little to help, the celebration was wild and spirited.     The boisterous street carnival was extended in the 18th century t...

  This diy comes from  www.shanty-2-chic.com  .  How many times do we  forget where our keys are?  What better way than to have that special key hanger.  I know you can do it! This is one of my FAVORITE projects! It’s quick, easy and cheap! Lots of bang for your buck;)   I say cheap because I started with pieces from our scrap wood pile:) I used an old sheet of bead board, a 1×6 and 1×3′s. I trimmed out the bead board with the 1×3′s using Gorilla Glue wood glue and a staple gun to secure them. Next, I hammered a saw tooth hanger through the back. I attached the 1×6 with wood glue and drilled 2″ screws through the back (pre drill so the wood doesn’t split) I spray painted it with 1 coat of Rust-Oleum black gloss. I found these super cute glass knobs at Hobby Lobby (50% off of course;) and paired them with these pretty hooks from Home Depot. I...

   Get in on the fun of the King Cake. Hide a little toy baby in the cake and whoever finds it has one year of good luck! Prep: 40 min. + rising Bake: 25 min. + cooling Yield: 12 Servings Ingredients 40 25 65              Ingredients 2 packages (1/4 ounce  each ) active dry yeast 1/2 cup  warm water (110° to 115°) 3/4 cup sugar,  divided 1/2 cup  butter, softened 1/2 cup  warm 2% milk (110° to 115°) 2 egg yolks 1-1/4 teaspoons  salt 1 teaspoon  grated lemon peel 1/4 teaspoon  ground nutmeg 3-1/4 to 3-3/4 cups  all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon  ground cinnamon 1 egg, beaten GLAZE: 1-1/2 cups  confectioners' sugar 2 teaspoons  lemon juice 2 to 3 tablespoons  water Green, purple and yellow sugars Directions In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add 1/2 cup sugar, butter, milk, egg yolks, salt, lemon p...

     Australia Day  (previously known as Anniversary Day, Foundations Day and ANA Day) is the official national day of Australia. Celebrated annually on January 26th, the day commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove in 1788. The hoisting of the British flag there, and the proclamations of British sovereignty over the eastern seaboard of New Holland.     Australia Day is an official public holiday in every state and territory of Australia, and is marked by the Order of Australia and Australian of the Year awards, along with an address from the Prim Minister.     Although it was not known as Australia Day until over a century later, records of celebrations on January 26th date back to 1808, with Governor Lachland Macquarie having held the first official celebration of the formation of New South Wales in 1818. In 2004, an estimated 7.5 million people attended Australia Day celebrations and functio...

   This diy comes from  www.alderberryhill.blogspot.com  .  I like this one alot.  I like to make things scary and creepy without all of the bloog and gore.  This is right down my street.  Perfect for Halloween or a Day of The Dead Party. I give this 2 thumbs up! Ghoulish Centerpiece . And now I'll tell you all about it! I had all of this already in the house, some of it I bought about a month ago, some of it is more than a year old. The glass bowl & vase was thrifted, the skull and pumpkins are from the dollar store and the decorative balls were in my bathroom on the window sill looking fit for the garbage. Putting this whole thing together was pretty simple. Rip the scrapbook paper into strips and start adhering them to the skull with mod podge. Keep going until you've covered the entire skull leaving the eyes, nose & mouth uncovered. Spray paint your bowl fillers ...

  This comes from  www.bigindoortrains.com  .  Make a few or many, maybee enough for your very own Christmas village.  Enjoy! Building a Glitterhouse The house shown in the photo is a good starting product for learning to build "putz" houses. What You Will Need If you are going to build vintage-style cardboard houses, stop throwing away used, clean cardboard yesterday. Save cereal boxes, the backs of writing tablets, anything flat, firm and clean, that you can save. Please keep some corrogated cardboard on hand, too - it makes the best bases. In addition, for this project you'll need: A sharp mat knife or Xacto knife (or both) A stiff metal ruler Elmer's white Glue-All. A glue stick would also come in handy. Clear glitter. I use the “Sulyn” brand. Several sheets of acid-free white bond paper Flat white paint (flat latex interior wall paint is good) to prime the building (and give it the chalky feel of the original) Acrylic paint in the col...