DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

   In this East Coast-style breakfast treat, a tender sour cream coffee cake is topped with a thick layer of cinnamon-scented streusel. Ingredients topping 1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar 1/2 cup sugar 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, warm 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour cake 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 3/4 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 1 1/2 cups sugar 2 large eggs 1 1/3 cups sour cream 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Preparation topping Mix both sugars, cinnamon, and salt in medium bowl and whisk to blend. Add warm melted butter and stir to blend. Add flour and toss with fork until moist clumps form (topping mixture will look slightly wet). Set aside. cake Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, and ...

Britain has a long and varied past – it has been conquered repeatedly, it has conquered others, and it has colonized half the planet. Through its history, many strange traditions and festivals have arisen. This list looks at ten of the most unusual. 10. Gurning    The Egremont Crab Fair – one of England’s weirder events – gets its name from crab apples rather than the marine variety. It started back in the 13th century when the Lord of the Manor gave away crab apples to the populace. In fact, to this day, the Parade of the Apple Cart, where apples are thrown into the crowds on the Main Street, is part of the fair. There are a host of other non-mechanized, traditional events – greasy pole climbing, a pipe smoking contests, a talent show, Cumberland wrestling, a hounds trail. But lets face it, the reason Egremont makes the news every year is the gurning competition. Home of the Gurning World Championships.    Gurning, involves a rubber-faced skill that is ...

History of the Cherry Blossom Trees and Festival    Each year, the National Cherry Blossom Festival commemorates the 1912 gift of 3,000 cherry trees from Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo to the city of Washington, DC. The gift and annual celebration honor the lasting friendship between the United States and Japan and the continued close relationship between the two countries.    In a simple ceremony on March 27, 1912, First Lady Helen Herron Taft and Viscountess Chinda, wife of the Japanese ambassador, planted the first two trees from Japan on the north bank of the Tidal Basin in West Potomac Park. Between the governments of the two countries, coordination by Dr. Jokichi Takamine, a world-famous chemist and the founder of Sankyo Co., Ltd. (today know as Daiichi Sankyo), Dr. David Fairchild of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Eliza Scidmore, first female board member of the National Geographic Society, and First Lady Helen Herron Taft, the trees arrived in Washing...

   We have already mentioned food myths on a variety of lists – but until now we have not made a food-specific misconceptions list. This list explores some of the most common myths we have about food and (no-doubt controversially) debunks them. In the case of the more controversial topics, I have included sources. 10. Fat Free – Lose Weight    The Myth: Fat free food is calorie free    This is a very common myth – so common that food manufacturers market to it. The misconception that fat free is better is the reason that so many products are labelled “fat free,” “low in fat,” “fat reduced,” etc. So many people who want to lose weight will chow down on all of these “low fat” foods thinking they are going to lose weight – even worse, they often tend to eat more of the low fat food than they would have if it were full fat. What really matters when trying to reduce weight is calories – eat fewer calories than you burn and you will lose weight. ...

   Batter up! When it’s your turn to bring dessert, hit a home run with one of these easy, adorable treats. PB-and-Jam Session Total time: 1 hour, 25 minutes | Makes 12 For the cupcakes and frosting: Use 1 batch of Easy Yellow Cupcakes and 1 batch of Easy Cream Cheese Frosting . Make as directed. Mix ⅓ cup creamy peanut butter into the frosting. To decorate: Frost the cupcakes and top each with 1 teaspoon raspberry jam and 1 teaspoon chopped roasted peanuts . Take a Bow Total time: 1 hour, 20 minutes | Makes 12 For the cupcakes and frosting: Use 1 batch of Easy Yellow Cupcakes and 1 batch of Easy Cream Cheese Frosting . Make as directed. To decorate: Frost the cupcakes and top each with a “bow” formed from a strip of gummy tape (cut and assembled using dabs of frosting to stick the pieces together, as necessary).                  ...

   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 big part in arrangin...