DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

    Trumpets blare, women weep and a giddy crowd roars as burly men carrying towering wooden pillars charge through narrow streets in a medieval tradition of pride and devotion to their patron saint.     For more than 800 years, the ancient central Italian town of Gubbio has erupted in a riot of yellow, blue and black each May for the " Festa dei Ceri"  ( Festival of the  Candles) to honor patron saint  Ubaldo Baldassini , a 12th century bishop. one of the teams grimacing with the heavy candle     In a day filled with feverish festivities that include hurling jugs of water onto a crowd, the highlight is a strenuous race where three teams tear through the town and up a mountain with 400-kg wooden pillars balanced on their shoulders.     The festival taps into a deep-rooted sense of local pride and tradition -- the sort of fierce identity tied to their town or region that Italians are famous ...

These can be prepared a number of different ways. Pick one flavoring, then roll them in the coatings of your choice. ingredients 3 tablespoons raw cacao powder 1 1/2 cups Medjool dates, pitted 3 tablespoons (or more) unsweetened shredded coconut or quick-cooking oats Pinch of sea salt Flavoring options: (choose one) 1 tablespoon unsweetened shredded coconut 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder Coating options: (mix and match) 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut 1/4 cup lightly toasted sesame seeds 1/2 cup crushed lightly toasted pistachios 1/2 cup crushed lightly toasted hazelnuts Ingredient info: Raw cacao powder and unsweetened shredded coconut can be found at natural foods stores, specialty foods stores, and some supermarkets. preparation Purée cacao powder, dates, 3 tablespoons coconut, and salt in a food processor until almost smooth, adding water by teaspoonfuls if too dry and crumbly and cocon...

This smooth, shiny glaze is ideal for cookies that will be decorated with food-safe pens. It covers cookies very well (the color of your dark gingerbread won't show through), and dries to a hard enough finish that iced cookies can be stacked on top of each other (perfect for storage or for putting into a holiday gift basket). Try building on the base layer of coating with an outline or decorations in a contrasting color. ingredients  Volume   Ounces   Grams 1/4 cup meringue powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 3 to 4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted 1/3 to 1/2 cup cool water 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Food color or paste directions 1. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the meringue powder, salt, and confectioners' sugar. Add 1/3 cup cool water and the vanilla and stir, or beat on slow speed. the mixture will seem hard and lumpy, but the sugar will dissolve after 4 or 5 minutes and everything will smooth out....

    Most ghostly experiences along roadways happen at night. The ghosts that are reportedly seen along these roadways vary from subtle wisps to full-fledged, seemingly corporeal bodies that get into the car and carry on conversations.     Many road-ghosts just walk down the road where they were killed, or appear alongside a driver hoping to catch a ride back to their home. Sometimes ghosts move alongside a car as it speeds down the highways and still others appear abruptly in front of the vehicle, nearly causing an accident.     Haunted highways are not only occupied by ghosts, but also phantom cars. Sometimes, these phantom cars appear in the rear view mirror as two headlights (that quickly disappear), other times, a vehicle will allow a car to pass only to discover there is no car behind them after all.     This type of paranormal activity as legend throughout the world, but to experience it is a rare...

    We all know the scoop about Zombie movies. A deadly virus or chemical agent is released. A guy / girl is subjected to the deadly toxin and is gruesomely transformed into a hideous monster who desires the flesh of living humans. Thus a Zombie is born. As it bites person after person, it spreads it's horrific condition exponentially across communities, states and countries and pandemonium is spread globally . These things are all the makeup of a thrilling edge of your seat horror flick. The following are the top 5 most terrifying Zombie films of all time. In no particular order. Night of the Living Dead (1968)     No Zombie movie would be complete without this horror classic. George Romero's first and thought to be the birth of the modern zombie and zombie film. This Flick tells the story of an African American man, a White woman, and five others who are panic ridden by the unexplained presence of living dead. They barricade themselves ...

    The annual airing of  A Charlie Brown Christmas  has become as much a part of Christmas as Santa and Rudolph.     Charlie Brown's Christmas tree, Snoopy's decorated doghouse and Linus' classic recitation on the true meaning the season have become true baby-boomer Christmas icons. Throw in Vince Guaraldi's classic soundtrack, and you have an animated special that has defined a generation. A Charlie Brown Christmas was not the first time the Peanuts characters were animated. In the early 1960's they appeared in a series of commercials for the Ford Motor Company. A Charlie Brown Chirstmas was conceived, written, animated and produced in only six months, and was finished only a week before the air date. The first airing, on December 9, 1965, was sponsored by Coke. A CBS executive who watched a preview was disappointed and declared the program, "A little flat....a little slow", and said he thought Peanuts was better su...

This is a loaf cake that my mum liked to make and it remains a firm favorite of mine. The lemon syrup poured over the freshly baked cake seeps down into the sponge and adds a special moisture to the taste. Perfect to have with a cup of tea in the afternoon. ingredients flour for dusting the pan 1 stick butter, softened, plus more for greasing the pan 3/4 cup superfine sugar 2 large, free-range eggs, beaten finely grated zest and juice of 3 lemons 1 1/2 cups all-purpose or light spelt flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 cup milk 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar, sifted preparation Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 9-inch non-stick loaf pan. In a medium mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together with a wooden spoon (or use an electric mixer). Gradually beat in the eggs and mix until light and fluffy. Stir in the lemon zest, flour, and baking powder, and mix well. Add 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice and mix well again. Then beat i...