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Showing posts with label celebration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label celebration. Show all posts

Jan 3, 2014

Today is Toss Your Fruitcake Day

One of my favorite holiday traditions as a kid was enjoying my grandmother's fruitcake. Have you ever tasted a really good fruitcake? My grandmother made the most awesome fruitcake in the world! Assumption Abbey Bakery in Southwest Missouri makes an awesome fruitcake almost as good as my grandmother's! The Abby is located near Ava, Mo., nestled in the foothills of the Missouri Ozarks.

Jasper Mirabile, Jr. recently interviewed Assumption Abbey’s Father Cyprian on his ‘Live! From Jasper’s Kitchen’ radio show and wrote an article about the interview on kansascity.com.

He writes that "only eight monks, tirelessly and lovingly work at producing these cakes each day" and that "the task begins early each morning when one of the monks begins cracking 265 eggs."

What makes the cakes so good? Mirabile writes that the fruit is first soaked in burgundy wine, added to the batter then baked. Then the monks inject each cake "with over 1 ounce of rum and then soak them in corn syrup." After each cake if finished, the monks gather and pray over each cake.


This is a quote from the Abby's website:
"O GOD, CREATOR OF ALL THINGS
BLESS NOW THESE CREATIONS OF OUR HANDS.
THAT THESE CAKES MAY BE RECEIVED
AS TOKENS OF YOUR LOVE
AND SHARED WITH FRIENDS AS HINTS
OF YOUR EUCHARISTIC FEAST...."

If you're not a fruitcake lover, this dark, rich, traditional style fruitcake will make you one! Each cake is made with raisins, pineapple, currants, citron, walnuts, and wine and laced with rum.

The monks of Assumption Abbey produce 125 fruitcakes a day! That's almost 25,000 cakes per year. You can order you cake here:  Assumption Abbey Bakery  It comes in a decorative, re-useable tin and weighs about 2 lbs.

A good fruitcake is aged. If it contains alcohol and is wrapped in alcohol-soaked linen before storing, it could remain edible for many years. 

Tell me about your fruitcake experience in the comments!

Jul 9, 2013

Happy National Sugar Cookie Day!


tea cup cookies
Tea Cup Sugar Cookies

Today we honor a food that is simple, versatile, and delicious.

The recipes for sugar cookies are simple with 6 ingredients and they can be dropped for an everyday treat or cut out with themed cookie cutters and decorated with frosting or sprinkles for a special celebration.


Love this photo of Tea Cup Sugar Cookies used with permission
from Oh Sugar Events




How To Make Sugar Cookies with Icing


Do you have a recipe for sugar cookies? 
Share it in the comments.

More Cookie Photos
Cookies: Teacups

Check out this 101-Piece Cookie Cutter Set
Looking for cookie cutters for that special occasion cookie? Try this cookie cutter collection. Click the image to see what shapes are included and get the current price.

These can also be used for playdough!

Apr 6, 2013

Celebrating Scotland With Tartan Day

Scottish Board of Highland Dancing

Scottish Board of Highland Dancing


Everyone knows about St. Patrick's Day when people all over the world celebrate their Irish Heritage. But do you know about Tartan Day when people all over the world celebrate their Scottish Heritage?

Every year people with Scottish heritage celebrate Tartan Week during March and April with Tartan Day falling on April 6, Throughout this week festivals are dedicated to celebrating the full, rich culture of Scotland.

In the United States there are more than 20 million people who can claim descent from Scotland, most of whom take immense pride in their Scottish heritage.

Woodrow Wilson said: "Every line of strength in American history is a line colored with Scottish blood."

Learn more about Tartan Day at Celebrating Scotland With Tartan Week

Facebook Page Celebration Everyday

Image by Jim.Henderson used under Creative Commons 
CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.

Apr 2, 2013

International Children's Book Day

Infant Books
My grandson eating his first book!
Today we are celebrating International Children's Book Day, a yearly event sponsored by the International Board on Books for Young People. This day is celebrated to inspire a love of reading and to call attention to children's books.

Instilling a love of reading promotes a lifetime of learning and enjoyment. I have created a page Best Children's Books For The Early Years that promotes the books that I enjoyed reading to my children and my grandchildren.
 
 "There is a whole host of fabulous children's books out there waiting to be discovered - not just by children but by adults who are young at heart too!"

To find out more about the day and events happening near you, visit International Childrens Book Day website.

What is your favorite children's book? (or 2 or 3)

Click here for More April Holidays and Celebrations

Mar 1, 2013

Happy Saint David's Day For My Welsh Friends

Stained glass window Jesus College Chapel, Oxford,
St David. Late 19th Century.

Happy Saint David's Day 

(Welsh: Dydd Gŵyl Dewi) to all of the Welsh people who celebrate.


March 1 is the feast day of Saint David, the patron saint of Wales, in remembrance of the death of Saint David in 569. The date was declared a national day of celebration within Wales in the 18th century, and a public holiday in 2000.

Public celebrations of Saint David's Day are held in Wales with an annual parade, concerts are held in pubs, clubs, and other venues, and food festivals.


The Los Angeles St. David's Day Festival - National Day of Wales is the largest annual event of its kind in the United States. 



For more celebrations see:

March Holidays and Celebrations
Celebrate Everyday

Update 3/3/15
I found a lovely site that I want to share with you here. 
Tuesday Cuppa Tea, St. David's Day, 
Shelley Daffodil Time Teacup, Things Welsh


Image: Stained glass window in Jesus College Chapel, Oxford, showing St David. Late 19th century.
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic


Jan 23, 2013

Celebrate National Pie Day

sweet potato pie
billy.bebop CC BY 2.0
The American Pie Council promotes January 23 as Celebrate National Pie Day. They say the pie-sibilities are endless! According to them the apple pie is America's favorite (of 231 varieties, not sure where they get these numbers), followed by pumpkin pie which seems to me is a seasonal favorite and coming in third is the pecan pie, which my family only ever ate during the Thanksgiving/Christmas holidays.

I grew up with sweet potato pie as my favorite until I went to Miami and ate real key lime pie....  mmmm!! Sweet potato pie is probably the healthier choice! 

What is your favorite pie? Leave me a comment!


Image billy.bebop CC BY 2.0)

edited 1/23/17

Jul 15, 2012

July is National Ice Cream Month

Ice Cream Sign
photo credit ruffin_ready (CC BY 2.0)
July is National Ice Cream Month (USA)
National Ice Cream Day is
3rd Sunday in July

“We dare not trust our wit for making our house pleasant to our friend, so we buy ice cream.” ~~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Vanilla continues to be America's flavor of choice in ice cream probably because it is the most versatile, mixing well with toppings, drinks and bakery desserts. According to the International Dairy Foods Association, America's top five favorite individual flavors are vanilla, chocolate, cookie 'n cream, strawberry and chocolate chip mint.

“My advice to you is not to inquire why or whither, but just enjoy the ice cream while it’s on your plate.” ~~Thornton Wilder

Want to know how to healthy up your favorite frozen treat:  Just because it's dessert doesn't mean it has to be unhealthy - check out these nutritious additions perfect for summer.  Healthy Ice Cream Tips

What are your favorite ice cream flavors?

May 28, 2012

Memorial Day Lantern Floating in Hawaii

Lantern floating is an Asian spiritual tradition that beautifully symbolizes the wish for all beings to live in peaceful coexistence....in remembrance of loved ones, or as symbolic prayer for a harmonious future...40,000+ residents and visitors who cast afloat lanterns...hope that Lantern Floating Hawai`i brings you a sense of peace and warm remembrance of your departed loved ones.

The following video is part of the 2010 ceremony featuring Keola Beamer and R. Carlos Nakai.



at Ala Moana Beach Park, Honolulu, HI
 

The following video is a brief history of the journey of lantern floating ceremony to Hawaii.