DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

Halloween Pumpkin Heads Tutorial Supplies: 3" styrofoam balls 1/4" dowels, 12 to 14" long tacky glue Paper Perfect palette knife acrylic paint: burnt orange crocus yellow black burnt umber country red hot shots red short pieces of tree branch rusty wire I have my supplies all gathered and have actually already glued the dowels into the styrofoam balls. Using the palette knife, spread the paper perfect over the styrofoam ball, as thinly and evenly as possible, while still getting good coverage. It really doesn't matter what color of Paper Perfect you use (it comes in several colors). You'll be painting it all orange anyway. Two down and several more to go! Once the balls are all covered with Paper Perfect, they have to dry at least 24 hours. Check carefully to see if they're dry before proceeding. Once dry, apply a basecoat of burnt orange acrylic paint, using...

    On the first Thursday of July and the previous Tuesday every summer, the  Ommegang  lights up the magnificent of Brussels. History     The secular setting stages the glorious and majestic procession in Brussels of Emperor Charles V Guests of honour sit at the delicately worked windows of the Town Hall to watch the reconstitution of this historical meeting from the beautifully decorated balconies. The Prince of Orange, who would become William the Silent, many ladies in waiting, city councillors, the emperor's bulldog and other hounds, his fal conry train with ladies carrying skittish birds perched proudly on their hands--all accompany the Emperor. Accompanied by his son Philip, Crown Prince of Spain and Duke of Brabant, and his sisters Eleanor, Queen of France and Mary of Austria, Queen of Hungary and Regent of the Netherlands. This majestic pageant strides along the proud façades that once housed the guilds and the elegant architec...

Here is a pretty simple dessert that pays homage to the popular Jos Louis snack cake from Vachon here in Canada. I've used my standard chocolate scratch cake recipe with some marshmallow frosting in the middle and covered the whole thing in a layer of chocolate ganache...way better than it's name sake! As I was finishing this cake off, my daughter arrived home with a bunch of 13 year olds working on a school film project so this one did not last long. Chocolate Cake 2 cups sugar 2 cups all purpose flour 3/4 cup cocoa 2 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 2 eggs 1 cup soured milk 1 cup black coffee 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1 tsp vanilla extract Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat with electric mixer for 2 minutes. Pour into 2 greased and floured 9 inch cake pans or one large 10 -12 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The time will be long...

    The  RMS Queen Mary  is reputed to be one of the most haunted objects in the world. The ghost stories and haunted tales told about the ship are so popular that it has inspired countless investigators to climb aboard. Whether you believe the ship is haunted or not, there is no discounting its long history.     The Queen Mary was built as a fabulous ocean liner that could cross the Atlantic in just two weeks. She was built for the Cunard White Star Line, the same company that built the ill fated Titanic. Construction started on the ship in 1930, but took nearly four years to complete.     Though the ship operated for over thirty years, there were a few problems associates with it. During its maiden trip just after it had been officially named, the ship lost control. She came close to hitting another ship, before managing to stop. During World War II, the Queen Mary became one of several ocean liners to be used as ...

   Naadam  (Mongolian:  Наадам ,  lit. "games" ) is a traditional type of festival in Mongolia. The festival is also locally termed "eriin gurvan naadam" ( эрийн гурван наадам ) "the three games of men". The games are Mongolian wrestling, horse racing and archery and are held throughout the country during the midsummer holidays. Women have started participating in the archery and girls in the horse-racing games, but not in Mongolian wrestling.    The biggest festival (Naadam of the Country) is held in the Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar during the National Holiday from July 11 – 13, in the National Sports Stadium. Other cities and towns across Mongolia and those with significant Mongolian populations in China, have their own, smaller scale Naadam celebrations. It begins with an elaborate introduction ceremony featuring dancers, athletes, horse riders, and musicians. After the ceremony, the competitions begin.    Naadam is ...

This creamy no-bake Snickers cake is stacked with creamy layers of homemade chocolate and peanut butter pudding along with some graham crackers softened to a cake like texture. Draping the mad goodness of the creamy layers is a heavy pouring of caramel and chocolate ganache sauce. Of course I can never just stop at good enough, I had to take it over the top and chop up some Snickers for added authenticity and then finish that off with some caramel and chocolate drizzle. It’s cakery for the lazy. I love icebox cakes because they require no baking and always seem so much easier. But you know what is not easier, making nice even layers. I just don’t have that cake carving skill nailed down yet. These days I don’t have time to practice that. I’m sure you’ve noticed the spotty posting. Life is just getting in the way and I’m not sure how to get the multiplying-to-do list to chill the freak out before I have a freak out. I should stop now – I’m being a whiner ...