Day of the Dead is an interesting holiday celebrated in central and southern Mexico during the chilly days of November 1 & 2. Even though this coincides with the Catholic holiday called All Soul’s & All Saint’s Day, the indigenous people have combined this with their own ancient beliefs of honoring their deceased loved ones….
Tag: fun facts
Haunted Ginger Bread House with Template! Do You Dare??
While grave-digging recently, I came across this stunning, spooky beauty from Oh Sugar Events. Oh sure I could make one in time for Halloween and post it on Once Upon a Spice 😉 RIGHT! So instead, I decided to post the lovely images along with the template (at the bottom) for you–I dug long and deep…
Birthday Girls Don’t Cook…Unless They Want To :-) Just For Today The Kitchen is Closed
I want to take this opportunity to thank all of my wonderful friends in the blogosphere and social media forums for your amazing warmth, gracious likes, faithful follows and cherished comments. You are appreciated beyond words! Also, I am enormously humbled and grateful to the extreme talents who have nominated “Once Upon a Spice” for…
France: Food, Wine, Culture & Cooking
We are dedicating this week to enchanting, romantic and mesmerizing France. While my concentration will be on food and recipes, I found it fitting to first offer some interesting facts about “la République française.” Also known informally as “l’hexagone” (the hexagon) because of the general form of the country. To not only whet the palate,…
Southern Smothered Chicken Breasts with Onion Gravy & Food Facts of the Old South
This week’s recipes will be dedicated to the Rich South where regional cuisine developed local food supplies and blended with the varied cultural backgrounds of its cooks. The rural agricultural South produced vegetables, fruits, nuts, rice and corn. Game was plentiful: deer, rabbits, squirrels, birds and ducks of all kinds. Oysters, crabs, shrimp, saltwater and…
Vino! Some Ancient Medicinal Mysteries
Wine: The Spirit of the Vine…
CinniBird: 2015’s Most Noteworthy Kitchen Gadgets
No matter how many times we study our bestie barista artfully pour milk into a rich double shot of espresso, we just can’t recreate the foamy graphic as gracefully at home. (It’s a wrist thing, right?). Now this hand-held kitchen gadget is about to erase our latte art envy for good and help us up…
The BEST, EASY Fluffy Made From Scratch Pancakes
It’s National Pancake Week and we kicked off the week with a favorite of Abraham Lincoln’s, the Johnnycake. Now I’m bringing you the history behind pancakes and the best, fluffy,made from scratch recipe…ever! It’s said that the origin of pancakes can be traced back to the Ancient Greeks who made a form of pancake known…
Johnnycakes, Hoecakes, Corncakes: Preferred Victuals of America’s 16th President, Abraham Lincoln
In honor of President’s Day and one of America’s Favorite Presidents, today’s offering on this sixteenth day of February are a couple of victuals desired by our 16th President, Abraham Lincoln. According to the sixteenth President’s last bodyguard, Colonel William H. Crook, “Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln breakfasted precisely at nine AM. Mr. Lincoln was a…
Mardi Gras King Cake: Recipe & History
The sweetest tradition of Mardi Gras is the vibrant, multi-colored King Cake. January 6th kicked off the Mardi Gras season for 2015. Staying true to Mardi Gras culinary tradition one must bake and serve this colorful, nut-filled wonder each year. Similar to coffee cake, this ring-shaped confection is as rich in tradition and history, as…
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