DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

   Here's another recipe found at  www.sweetapolita.com  .  She makes such lovely desserts!! Vanilla Buttermilk Cake with Instant Fudge Frosting I have a real thing for the 70s. I mean, heck, I was born smack dab in the middle of them, into a family of much older siblings ready and eager to love, spoil, and torment an unsuspecting baby sister, so overall I’d say it was a pretty fabulous era. When I think back to my first memories of cake, they come along with my first memories of life at all: sitting around the dining room table with siblings who, at that time, would have been about 15, 14, and 8. I have particularly fond memories of the family birthday dinners gathered around that same table, eating the birthday kid’s meal of choice: my mom’s lasagna, my dad’s famous barbeque steak dinners, or, any other favourite of the time. There was, though, one thing that didn’t vary: the cake. Throughout the 70s (and possibly the 60s), I remem...

    Each July, tens of thousands of spectators line the banks adjacent to the Stari Most, the Old Bridge that crosses Bosnia-Herzegovina’s beautiful Neretva River in the city of Mostar. Undeterred by the Balkan sun, onlookers keep their eyes locked on the apex of the single-arch bridge where, one by one, divers enter the water in a spectacle of machismo and local tradition as they vie for title in the world’s longest-running high diving competition: the Ikari.     As one of the oldest venues for extreme sporting events, the Stari Most has been the place to go for male rites of passage since it was first built back in 1566. Set in the Ottoman Empire’s regional capital, the Old Bridge connected the Neretva River’s two banks at its narrowest point, a strategic location that marked the centre of the city’s earliest development. The name Mostar comes from the “mostari,” or bridge-keepers who held watch over the structure from the Halebinovka Tower...

   This recipe was found at  www.inkatrinaskitchen.com .  Go ahead and make it!   I dare you!! My method was a little bit different from the original which calls for 16oz of candy corn and 16 oz of peanut butter. Since making these I found that Kristan from  Confessions of a Cookbook Queen  made them too. And yeah hers are adorbs so check them out. Here's what I did: Homemade Butterfingers Printable Recipe Ingredients : 3 cups candy corn 1 cup peanut butter Chocolate for dipping Directions : 1.   Melt candy corn in the microwave for about 60 seconds. Check and stir returning to microwave for 15 second intervals until completely melted. 2.   Add peanut butter and combine. Return to microwave if necessary to incorporate until creamy. 3.   Pour into a greased 8x8 pan (or whatever pan you like to get the thickness you desire) and let cool about an hour. 4.   Cut candy into d...

   Bilbao's ‘Great Week' (‘Semana Grande' or ‘Aste Nagusia') is the most important and recognizable fiesta in Bilbao. The celebration begins on the first Saturday after the 15th of August and lasts 9 days. Bilbao's ‘Semana Grande' has been officially celebrated since 1978 and has been taking place continuously year after year with the exception of the year 1983 when Bilbao suffered severe floods. During those 9 days in August the whole of Bilbao is vibrant and full of life and there is a great variety of things to see and do. Bilbao during its fiestas is definitely the place to be!! • The first day of the fiestas will begin with the so-called txupinazo, which, since 2001, has taken place in the Plaza del Teatro Arriaga. This involves the launching of a rocket and the reading of the proclamation of the fiestas. • One of the most  interesting  things to see is a spectacular fireworks show, which will take place everyday at 22.30 ...

   This recipe comes from  www.changingmydestiny.wordpress.com  .  I know many of you have asked me for an apple butter recipe, and here is a truely, tastey one.  Good luck and don't go overboard on the butta! I used  this easy recipe from Cake Student  because I had everything on hand and it worked out beautifully. I used a little more water than the recipe called for, and I did add slightly more brown sugar and spices. By slightly more, I mean rounded teaspoons instead of being specific with my measurements. I mean can a few extra pinches of brown sugar really hurt? Crock Pot Apple Butter (Makes a little more than 1 pint) 1 dozen apples, peeled, cored, cubed 1/2 Cup Water 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon All Spice Step 1: Peel, Core, and Chop a dozen apples. I used apples from our trip to the  Apple Orchard . I’m no apple expert, but these apples were more dense than the apples I typically buy...

    Moon Festival, Mooncake Festival , or the  August Moon Festival  - they are the different names of the same festival, which is popularly also known as the  Mid Autumn Festival . It is a celebration of abundance and togetherness.   The Chinese believe in praying to the moon god for protection, family unity, and good   fortune. It falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, a date that  parallels  the Autumn Equinox of  the   solar  calendar.On this day the moon is unusually bright, clear and round. Historical accounts are silent about the exact origin of this festival, but as far as the assumption of the  scholars  are  concerned , it is related to the two  customs  in China. The first customs concern the Chinese farmers. China is an agricultural country and farming in China is intricately associated with the seasons. In the ancient times, the farmers used to worship Earth God and pray...

 Here's I very nice and elegant recipe I found at  www.pastrygal.com  .  These would be great for an adult dinner or party Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake A few months ago, reader Mika sent me an email asking if I could recreate a dessert that knocked her socks off at a restaurant in her home town. She wanted to be able to make it whenever the craving hit. And let’s face it, when it comes to chocolate, that could be any time of day or night. It was a Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake and she included a photo, so I could get a visual reference. Looked good to me. I was in. But I kept peering at that photo. Did my eyes deceive me? Where, oh where was the third part of the “Triple” in the name? If I let my pastry imagination run amuck, Triple Chocolate Mousse would mean there would be three kinds of mousses — one layer each of white, milk, and dark chocolate. I consulted the Great Sultan: Google. Turns out, the “triple” refers to the ...