DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

  Water is the element that most characterises Venice and it is no coincidence that the most famous and spectacular festivity in the city takes place on the waters of the Grand Canal. The spectacular eventstarts with a magnificent historical procession consisting of splendid,elaborately carved boats complete with hundreds od figures in gorgeous brocadecostumes.     Even now the  Regata Storica  is one of the most spectacular, picturesque and moving events of Venetian life, capable of both charming the tourists and exciting the locals.    A historical procession commemorates the welcome given to Caterina Cornaro, wife of the King of Cyprus, in 1489 after she renounced her throne in favour of Venice. It is a procession of 16th century style boats, with the famous Bucintoro, the boat representing the Serenissima, at its head.     Then comes the competitio n.  The spectators participate with gusto and shouts of e...

   Candy corn is many things. It’s one of the most well known symbols of Halloween and also a best selling candy every year. Despite its large sales and popularity, it’s often out shined by other candies, especially chocolates.    Enough of that! Here, candy corn is in the spotlight. Learn its history and some fun facts! The Beginning    The corn looking tri-colored confection was invented in the 1880s by George Renninger of the Wunderlee Candy Company which was based in Philadelphia. When first invented, the candy was made by hand and had a slightly more difficult process than it does today.    It was not available all year long like it is today. Instead, it was made for only 8 months out of the year and was available seasonally – in the fall when farmers harvested their  real  corn, and of course, around Halloween.    When first sold to customers, the corn lookalike was quite popular among farmers as it actua...

   It's unbelievable at the number of names witches are called from different countries and at different centuries in our history. Plus let me not forget the types of "witchcraft" each one may practice compared to another one. Good or bad witch, male or female and even what kind of heritage you come from. So here's a list of the different ones, all in alphabetical order. Alexandrian - This tradition was begun in the 1960's by Alex Sanders. Alex Sanders lived in England.  He used what are known to be slightly changed Gardnarian traditions and calls himself the "King of Witches." Covens involve both men and women. British Traditional -This is, according to Silver RavenWolf a "mix of Celtic and Gardnarian beliefs." Covens involve both men and women. One can study a course and receive a degree in British Traditional Witchcraft. Celtic Wicca -Celtic Wicca focuses mainly on Celtic and Druidic gods and goddesses (along with a few ot...

   The Corn Palace serves as a multi-use center for the community and region. The facility hosts stage shows, as well as sports events in its arena. The World's Only Corn Palace is an outstanding structure which stands as a tribute to the agricultural heritage of South Dakota.     The original Corn Palace, called "The Corn Belt Exposition" was established in 1892. Early settlers displayed the fruits of their harvest on the building exterior in order to prove the fertility of South Dakota soil. The third and present building was completed for it first festival at the present location in 1921.    The exterior decorations are completely stripped down and new murals are created each year. The theme is selected by the Corn Palace Festival Committee and murals are designed by a local artist. Corn Palace History    The World's Only Corn Palace is Mitchell's premier tourist attraction. Some 500,000 tourists come from a...

    Black cats have been the subject of much fear and superstition for centuries.     Depending on the part of the world you lived in, and the time in history in which you lived, they could be associated with evil, demons, illness, prosperity, luck....even a storm at sea. Superstitions about these cats still remain, and unfortunately they sometimes become the objects of fear.     The color black was ( and still is, to an extent) associated with mystery, darkness and evil. Cats that were totally or mainly black were therefore often associated with witches. As a result, many a poor woman was burnt at the stake or drowned in the local river in the Middle Ages in Britain, and her pet cat was often burned or drowned along with her.     Some people believed these cats were demons, or a form of the devil, in disguise, so the woman who owned the cat must therefore be a witch. Others believed that the cats aided...

S’mores Macarons Smores macarons – these little buggers are my latest obsession, or more accurately, macarons in general are my latest obsession. I’m particularly loving these because, call me a sucker, but I love cute food. Along with that, these smores macarons are pretty mighty in flavor. The macaron portion is made with crushed graham crackers, the filling is of course a toasted marshmallow and to finish things off true to form, I dipped the tops in chocolate. I’m not sure how many of you guys will be making this anytime soon, since you have probably been turning out one cookie tray after another and baking burnout maybe quickly approaching. Guess what? It happens to me as well, but I have a baking blog so I keep trucking along, because truth is, I like my relationship with you guys. Hanging out over food-uh, yeah. Why else are we here, right? So, bookmark this recipe when you’re back to baking-it’s totally worth it. PRINT...

    You can’t have Halloween without candy! Those fun-size bars are cute and we all look forward to indulging in them every October. But, what do we know about our favorite candy besides the fact that they taste good? Here are some fun (and little known) candy facts for the most popular Halloween goodies! Snickers: *The best selling candy bar of all time. *Was named after the Mars’ family’s favorite Horse. *When first available in the early 1930s, Snickers cost only 20 cents. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups: *Were invented by Harry Burnett Reese, a dairy farmer from Hershey, PA. *Reese created them in his basement after being inspired by the Hershey Chocolate company. *Reese used Hershey chocolate in his confections, and the Peanut Butter Cups were his most popular candy. *Reese left farming to create his own candy business – H. B. Reese Candy Co. *Reese’s company was sold to the Hershey Company in 1963 for $23.5 mill...