DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

The kitchen can either come with great amounts of pleasure or great amounts of stress. Luckily, with a few great kitchen tools that have multiple purposes, you'll be able to fret less and whip up many more delicious meals. These 10 affordable tools are essentials in any kitchen, and you probably have several of them in your own. Read on to find out the many uses for each tool and share your tips in the comments! Silicone Spatulas    Silicone spatulas come in pretty colors that brighten    up your kitchen, and they come in very handy while baking, but I like to use mine for frying or scrambling eggs. They're delicate on the egg and help keep things from sticking to the pan too much. Pastry Scraper    Typically, pastry scrapers are used for handling pastry dough. This handy tool is also incredibly useful when it comes to transferring chopped vegetables from your cutting board to your pan. Microplane Zester/Grater ...

    The  Viareggio Carnival  was established in 1873 when some of the local  "signori"  decided to organize a Sunday a little different from the rest, by inventing a procession of decorated floats which travelled up and down the main street of the city. On the occasion , a masked protest was also organized by a number of citizens, as they were forced to pay too many taxes and as a result the chief tax collector was certainly made fun of!! The parade was liked alot, not only by the patrons but also by the citizens and the idea of making floats that interpreted humor and dissatisfaction of the people and the events that came about in that year.    Carnival of Viareggio celebrating 139 years of life and activity under the sign of a vivid tradition such as the long – established European tradition of Carnival festivals, is no doubt one of the best known events in Italy.     Carnival of Viareggio since it was born...

  The Carnival of Venice historically had a reputation for attracting Europe's aristocracy, but it was also a time when the poorer of society could dress up and mingle with the upper classes.  Venice still has a reputation for being a very expensive city though, if you're on a budget don't let this put you off on visiting the Carnival of Venice as you can actually visit Venice on a shoestring budget.    The Carnival of Venice starts around two weeks before Ash Wednesday and ends on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. Venetian Carnival Masks    Masks have always been a central feature of the carnival; traditionally people were allowed to wear them between the festival of  Santo Stefan (St. Stephen's Day, December 26th)  and the start of the carnival season and midnight of Shrove Tuesday.  They have always been around Venice.  As masks were also allowed for Ascension and from October 5th to Christm...

   Chocolate-covered peanut butter  cups , malted milk balls, or your favorite candy bar can be the star of this easy  Christmas  candy-bark recipe. If you're not big on dark chocolate, use white chocolate instead. Dark Chocolate Candy Bark ingredients 6 ounces   chocolate-flavor candy coating, chopped (1 cup) 6 ounces   dark chocolate, chopped (1 cup) 1 tablespoon   shortening 2 cups   chopped assorted chocolate candy bars, such as chocolate-coated caramel-topped nougat bars with peanuts, chocolate-covered English toffee, chocolate-covered peanut butter cups, or malted milk balls 1/2 cup   salted peanuts, chopped directions 1. Line a large baking sheet with heavy foil; grease foil. Set aside. In a large microwave-safe bowl combine candy coating, chocolate, and shortening. Microwave, uncovered, on 100 percent power (high) for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes or until chocolate melts, stirring ever...

   This recipe comes from  www.madincrafts.com  .  This is for all of you that miss those chocolate mochas from Starbuck's, after the holidays are over.  Enjoy! Starbucks Peppermint Mocha Knockoff (with Homemade Chocolate Mint Syrup) Do you remember how I told you I was going to share a  yummy way to use up my herb garden mint ? Time to make good on that promise. If you have ever grown mint, you know that it is an “aggressive grower” A.K.A. even Jess can’t kill it. Despite my brown thumb, my chocolate mint plant has been producing like crazy, so I needed to find a good way to put it to use. What better way than to make some yummy chocolate-chocolate mint syrup? For the recipe, you will need about 30 mint leaves. I didn’t actually count mine out, but I am pretty sure I had a good 3 dozen. Rinse them and pat them dry with a paper towel. Next, rip the leaves into sma...

     The origins of  Mardi Gras  can be traced back  to Medieval Europe, though we have no written record of how that really transformed into the current Mardi Gras of today.  But the origins of the Mardi Gras we celebrate today....with Kings, Mardi Gras colors, and brass bands....are traced to New Orleans.    Although we can trace its history to the Romans, a French-Canadian expolorer,   Jean Baptiste Le Moyne   Sieur de Bienville , landed on a plot of ground 60 miles directly south of New Orleans in 1699 and called it " Pointe due Mardi Gras".   He also established  "Fort Louis de la Louisiane" (which is now Mobile)  in 1702.  In 1703, the tiny settlement of Fort Louis de la Mobile celebrated the very first Mardi Gras.    In 1704, Mobile established a secret society (Masque de la Mobile)....similar to those who form our current Mardi Gras Krewes.  It lasted until 1709....

   Visitors from all over the world will be playing in the snow and enjoying the winter festivities at one of the biggest winter celebrations that Canada has to offer.  Quebec, Canada has been host to the winter wonderland known to locals as  "Carnaval de   Quebec",  for more than 50 years and shows no signs of slowing down anytime in the near future as this year's carnival will see more than 400 unique activities.  It has been dubbed as the "The coolest Part in the World", and why not?  It has all of the offerings that you would expect form traditions Nordic culture, only they have went all out and included events for people of all generations, tastes, and backgrounds. \\     The Winter Carnival got its start in 1894 and has grown each consecutive year by updating events and festivities to fit every lifestyle.  Starting at the end of January and lasting up until the middle of February....