For one red-hot day a year, the world’s chili heads, heat-seekers and extreme eaters can take their passion to extremes. International Hot and Spicy Foods Day sparks a wildfire of events, from habanero-eating challenges to fancy-dress contests and cook-offs of popular recipes. Among serious aficionados, it also re-kindles the great debate: which chili pepper tops the official Scoville heat scale?
There’s no denying the daredevil nature of some of the celebrations. However, people who like a meal to tingle their taste buds, not make their eyes water, shouldn’t feel left out. Enjoying a touch of heat in our cooking is a worldwide human trait, so what better day to invite your family and friends to discover a different cuisine? Thai, Indian, Creole and Caribbean dishes are all famous for their blends of aromatic ingredients, but many cultures boast their own favourites. After all, variety is truly the spice of life…
Word of the Day
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| Definition: | (noun) A small, white or yellowish cystlike mass just below the surface of the skin, caused by retention of the secretion of a sebaceous gland. | ||
| Synonyms: | whitehead | ||
| Usage: | The soap promised to eradicate milia by thoroughly cleansing the skin and unclogging pores. | ||
History
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.jpg) | The Sinulog Festival takes place on the island of Cebu in the Philippines, held at the same time as the frenzied Ati-Atihan Festival in Kalibo and the more sedate Dinagyang in Iloilo City. The festival celebrates both early Cebuano culture and the history of the Christianization of Cebu, combining the pageantry of early years with today's Christian ritual. An image of Cebu's patron saint, the Santo Niño ("the Holy Child," Jesus), is carried in a procession along the streets, while drums beat in the ritual for a bountiful harvest and revelers dance in the streets. | ||
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| The average age of first-time mothers is at an all-time high in the U.S. - over 26. The change is largely due to a big drop in teen moms | |||
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1759 - The British Museum opened.
1920 - The motion picture "The Kid" opened.
1938 - Benny Goodman and his band, plus a quartet, played at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
1961 - Mickey Mantle signed a contract that made him the highest paid baseball player in the American League at $75,000 for the 1961 season.
1964 - "Hello Dolly!" opened at the St. James Theatre in New York City.
1970 - Buckminster Fuller, the designer of the geodesic dome, was awarded the Gold Medal of the
American Institute of Architects.
1976 - The TV show "Donny & Marie" premiered on ABC-TV.
1985 - "Playboy" magazine announced its 30-year tradition of stapling centerfold models in the bellybutton and elsewhere would come to an immediate end.
1996 - Wayne Newton performed his 25,000th Las Vegas show.
DAILY SQU-EEK
If You Were Born Today, January 16
You are playful yet ambitious. While security is extremely important to you, so is personal freedom and you have a very determined, self-centered streak. You are smart, a little defiant at times, and very convincing and persuasive. There is certainly a bit of an entertainer in you, even those of you who are on the shy side. While you are a real thinker and dreamer, you are also a doer. You are spiritual and always aware that life is about something much more than the mundane. Famous people born today: Ethel Merman, Dizzy Dean, Sade, Kate Moss, Aaliyah, Debbie Allen.
You can turn this upside down and still have a happy birthday.| Picture of the day | |
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Longleat is an English stately home and the seat of the Marquesses of Bath. Built in the 16th century by Sir John Thynne and was designed by Robert Smythson, it is a leading and early example of the Elizabethan prodigy house. The house is set in 1,000 acres (400 ha) of parkland landscaped by Capability Brown, with 4,000 acres (1,600 ha) of let farmland and 4,000 acres (1,600 ha) of woodland, which includes a Center Parcs holiday village. It was the first stately home to open to the public, and also claims the first safari park outside Africa.
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Beat the Drum
Photograph by Prasad Perakam, National Geographic
Students study the chenda, or wooden drum, at India’s Kerala Kalamandalam, a famous art and culture school. “After a while [the] teacher asked them to take a break, but one student was continuing his practice,” says photographer Prasad Perakam. “That showed me his passion and dedication to this art.”
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Tangier Side to Side Shrug pattern by Cheryl Beckerich
The shrug is worked side to side, in one piece from left sleeve to right sleeve. The bottom and center border
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Rickrack Rib Slouchy Hat Pattern
Casual yet eye-catching, this gorgeous garnet-colored knit hat pattern is perfect for year-round wear. The Rickrack Rib Slouchy Hat Pattern is full of bold t...
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Larkollen pattern by Madeleine Bergh
The pattern is a free interpretation from an old genser pattern of Sandnes Uldvarefabrik A / S, Strikk ESS 737s
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Fox Scarf pattern by Stephanie Koras
Bea by Woll Butt DK / 8 ply 50% Rayon, 25% Acrylic, 25% Cotton 269 yards / 100 grams average rating from 9 votes 45 projects stashed 31 times
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Lizzie « GOODKNITS // a knitting & crochet blog
I have been wanting a new slipper for a while. I kept putting it off because I couldn’t think of anything that didn’t start exactly like my Mary Janes. I knew I...
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Gracey ballerina pattern by Irene Strange
Practise and perfect amigurumi by making Irene Strange’s happy hippo
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RECIPE
MAPLE SUGAR SNOW CANDY
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Quaker Hill Farm Sugar Snow
Fresh, clean snow This is a task for a Mom, Dad or adult to do with youngsters because liquid candy is very, very hot. Please use caution.
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CROCKPOT RECIPE
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CRAFTS
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Dollar Store Crafts » Blog Archive » Tutorial: Party Cup...
I'm a big fan of silly, whimsical objects and gag gifts. I thought it would be funny to have a cup with a handle that wasn't your ordinary, everyday cup handle. &nb...
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CHILDREN'S CORNER ... recipe
These Fruit Roll-up flowers are the perfect combination of kid food and crafty fun.
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Fantastical Fruit Roll-Ups flowers
Creative chefs of any age will love this edible art idea. These Fruit Roll-Ups flowers are the perfect combination of kid food and crafty fun.
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PUZZLE
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QUOTE
thanks, helen
"Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home."
-- Edith Sitwell
The World’s Most Expensive Dollhouse Costs a Lot More Than a Real House
By Sumitra Priced at an eye-watering $8.5 million, the Astolat Dollhouse Castle is easily the most expensive dollhouse in the world. The 800 pound, 9 foot tall museum-quality miniature house, with its 29 rooms and a wizard’s tower to boot, was inspired by the fantasy castle ‘Astolat’ that features in Alfred Tennyson’s poem Lady of the Shalott, and built over a period of 13 years, between 1974 and 1987.
Miniature artist Elaine Diehl was primarily in charge of building the Astolat Dollhouse, but she collaborated with many artists all over the world. According to Wikipedia, the “interiors and adjoining areas were each constructed to the highest standards of that time,” while “the exterior took a year to sculpt to the final finish.”
"what is your name?" in Alabamu (Texas USA) - Chiholchifama naasooli?
CLEVER
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EYE OPENER
What I wish I knew when I got my first migraine
A migraine is not the same thing as a headache
Before experiencing a migraine first-hand, I used the two terms interchangeably. I thought of a migraine as just a bad headache, where you would just take Excedrin instead of aspirin. Now I know that they are two completely separate experiences. A headache is a nuisance, but otherwise everyday life can continue: for the most part, you can still drive, work, and eat. Having a migraine, however, is like stopping time. In its most intense moments, the scope of your world becomes so small and singular to your at-that-exact-moment feelings. The edges of reality become distorted.
Everyone has different symptoms, and they can fluctuate in severity
Personally, I experience a decrease in eyesight clarity (making it nearly impossible to drive), go through waves of nausea and seasick-on-land motion sensitivity, and a pounding in my head which spreads to the base of my skull, rattling my core stability. Sometimes I catch it early, am able to take some migraine medication, and stave off a terrible episode. Other times, it comes out of nowhere, full force, and knocks me out. Navigating the unknown is perhaps the most difficult part of maintaining a life with migraines—I can never really plan for one. They could occur days, weeks, or months apart. Luckily, through years of experience, and with the help of some great doctors, I have been able to create a system that works well for me.
There is an entire community of migraine sufferers. You are not alone.
When I was first diagnosed, I was in high school and did not come across anyone else who seemed to understand what I was going through. It wasn’t until college that I met a few people who understood my struggle. I was fascinated as I realized it affects all ages and types of people. And everyone’s story was different. One friend of mine needed a dark, quiet room for three hours. Another used a cold wash cloth on his forehead, a dose of prescription migraine medicine, and a nap. I found that for me, going on birth control helped regulate hormones that were potential triggers. We may all have different symptoms and strategies, but we understand each other in a way many don’t. During an episode, at a time where I was at my most uneasy, it is comforting to know that I am not alone.
Lovely little watercolor! I need to learn how to do that:)
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