CALLE OCHO FESTIVAL FROM MIAMI, FLORIDA!!!

    The Calle Ocho Festival or "El Festival de la Calle Ocho", is a one day "rumba"-fiesta-that culminates the Miami Carnival. This festival takes place in March each year between 27th avenue and 4th avenue, along Southwest 8th street, that is 23 blocks along "Calle Ocho" in "Little Havana" with activities for everybody.
     Even thought this festival is not counted amongst the official Hispanic holidays, more than 1 million people attend this block party to participate, and to see top Hispanic artists perform at every street intersection at the designated stages.

    You can hear salsa, reggeaton, merengue, bachata, balada, hip hop and more. Personalities like El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, Cellia Cruz, Oscar D'Leon, El Grupo Niche and many more have performed at the festival
    "El Festival de la Calle Ocho", is one incredible party that in 1998 was recorded in the Guinness Book of Records for having the longest conga line in the world with 119,000 people participating in it.
Music is not the only attraction going on at this Hispanic festival, the super famous block party has a kid's area with clowns, magicians, food galore, and products geared to moms and children.

    Another area of the festival is the "party zone", which is filled with a "carnaval" atmosphere, with street dancers and musicians that interact with the public. It is a novelty for non-Hispanic people to see the salseros or salsa dancer on the street. They come from the major salsa schools. But you will also see many people dancing to the same rhythms.

Foods at "Festival de la Calle Ocho"

    One of the best attractions of the festival is the food, it has many typical Latin flavors, especially of Cuban origin. It included hundreds of kiosks or booths that offer international food along with a sampling of free products....all at the rhythm of lively Hispanic music.

    You can find ropa vieja con plantos (shredded skirt steak with plantains), carbrito (baby goat), other barbecued meats, arepas (which come form Colombia, Venezuela, etc.), and the delicious ceviche (seafood).
    The most popular drink is Cuba Libre. To make it...use rum and coke served with a wedge of lime. You can also find fresh fruit juices at restaurants and Mojito Cubano, a drink that is made with white rum, lemon, and mint.

Some History of the Festival

    In 1978, Cubans invited the neighborhood to know more about Cuban culture and Calle Ocho Festival was born.
    This festival happens in the heart of "Little Havana", a wonderful neighborhood where the festive air invades it all at any time of the day. In the morning you can smell the scent of coffee recently brewed and enjoy a "cafe' con leche", along with freshly bakes pastries. At lunchtime beans, rice, Cuban sandwiches, etc. are amongst the favorite and popular foods you can find.
    The "Little Havana" enclave started because in the 1960's, Cuban refugees began settling around Miami's "Calle Ocho" and another major influx of Cubans occurred during the Mariel boat lift of 1980, that ended up increasing the Cuban population in and around the Miami area.

    The stores along Calle Ocho sell typical Cuban and more recently South and Central American products, (especially Nicaraguan) as new immigrants make their way into the neighborhood.

    The Calle Ocho Festival is the perfect party for travelers to enjoy all of the different flavors of Cuba and other Latin American Countries. This part of Miami is ripe with the music, art and flavors or many different Hispanic cultures, all living in one place. Attending the Calle Ocho Festival will make you feel like your in another country without leaving the United States.

10 UNUSUAL USES FOR PEANUT BUTTER!

   Peanut butter is for some, food of the gods. It can be eaten with chocolate, it can be eaten with jam, it can be smeared on chicken, and it can even be used in drinks! It seems that the uses for the wonderful stuff are endless. So, in order to prove that that really is the case, I have put together this list of 10 uses for peanut butter that you probably don’t know. Hopefully there should be at least one or two tips here that everyone will benefit from. If you know of other great peanut butter uses, be sure to tell us in the comments.

10. Lube It Up

   Peanut butter is an excellent lubricator. If your lawnmower blades are getting a little tight and rusty – smear on some of the spread and voila – perfect lubrication. This hint is particularly useful because almost every time I need lube, I don’t have any around – but I always have a jar of peanut butter in the cupboard. It can be used for virtually all your lubrication needs.

9. Animal Medicine

   If you own a cat or a dog, you will know how hard it can be to get them to take their medication – especially when it is in pill form. Fortunately cats and dogs love peanut butter – so next time you have to give them some medication, mix it up with a spoonful and feed it to them. No more struggling with the animal as you hold its mouth open and try to force feed it a bitter pill.

8. Butter Replacement

   Most recipes that use butter can be cooked with peanut butter instead. In cookies and cakes this can make a wonderful and subtle taste difference. Next time you are making fudge brownies, try using peanut butter instead – it will be like eating a huge Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup. You can also stir peanut butter into a sauce instead of butter to give it a nutty finish.

7. Mousetrap Bait

   Mice are not particularly fond of cheese – so it is strange that it is the first food people go for when they are baiting their mousetraps. What most people don’t know is that mice prefer peanut butter – how this has been proven I do not know, but the fact that peanut butter is so much cheaper than cheese, makes this tip a very handy and frugal one. So next time you need to bait a mouse trap, don’t bother loading it with camembert or 5 year aged cheddar, stick on some trusty peanut butter.

6. Price Tag Removal

   Despite the major advances in science in recent years, no one seems to have managed to invent a label that can be removed easily without leaving any glue behind. Fortunately, we have peanut butter. Rub some of the tasty spread on the label glue and rub with a cloth – it works brilliantly.

5. De-fish the house

   If you have ever fried fish, you will know that it leaves behind a rather unpleasant fishy smell in the house. To help eradicate the smell, take a tablespoon of peanut butter after you have finished frying the fish, drop it in the frying pan and fry it off for a minute or two. The smell of peanut butter is the house is much more enjoyable than stale fish and oil.

4. Leather Cleaner

   Peanut butter is an excellent cleaner for leather furniture. Just rub a small amount on and work it in in a circular motion. Remove with a buffing cloth and there you have it! The caveat to this tip is peanut-butter smelling furniture. To avoid that you might want to mix a little perfume oil in it – but not too much. Also, if you do add the perfume, make sure you don’t mix up your jars or you will end up with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich that tastes like mouth wash.

3. Peanut Butter Cookies

   This one doesn’t seem quite so weird, but it is included because these cookies use peanut butter as the main ingredient – there is no flour at all. The cookies are a mix of peanut butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla. You can even throw in a handful of chocolate chips if you wish. The resulting cookies are amazingly tasty and it only takes about 20 minutes from start to finish. You can read the full recipe here, which is also the source of the image above. The site is my sister’s, so check out the other articles too!

2. Gum Remover

   While it doesn’t happen quite so often to us adults, children often end up with gum in their hair. This would normally be followed up by a lot of tugging and pulling with a comb to remove it, and the eventual chopping of the locks. But what most people don’t realize, is that peanut butter is a perfect “gum remover” – not only will it remove gum from hair, but it will remove it from carpet and any other object that is tainted with the chewy stuff. Just rub some peanut butter into the gum and you can wipe the whole mess off with a cloth.

1. Shave With It

   Believe it or not, peanut butter makes a great shaving gel. Just apply it like you would apply the gel, and shave as normal. It works just as well and anyone that has bought a container of shaving gel will know, it is a hell of a lot cheaper. The end result is a very smooth shave and, as a bonus, the oils in the peanut butter are very good for your skin, so you don’t need to spend even more money on moisturizer for your legs or face. You might want to remember to use smooth peanut butter though – the chunky stuff doesn’t work quite as well.

ONE GREAT CHOCOLATE COOKIE RECIPE COMING YOUR WAY!

   This recipe comes from LilaLoa.  If you make some of these let me know how they came out.  Good luck!

I can't stop thinking about how everyone should really try my chocolate cookies with coconut icing. So I've decided to post my chocolate cookie recipe. And peer pressure you all into trying it. Seriously, all the cool kids are doing it. In case you haven't noticed...I make A LOT of chocolate cookies. It's what I do. You can trust me on this when I say that this is the go-to recipe for chocolate cookies. So, you know, just try it.

The End-All for Chocolate Cookies Recipe:

1 cup butter

1/4 cup shortening

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

2/3 cup cocoa

3 or 3 1/2 cups flour

Cream butter, shortening and sugar together. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Add baking powder and salt and mix again. Stir in the cocoa until well blended. Add flour 1 cup at a time. IF YOU ARE GOING TO MAKE COOKIES RIGHT AWAY, ADD 3 1/2 cups flour. If you are going to "chill" the dough, or just wait for another day to make your cookies, STOP AT 3 cups. It will be totally soft and look all wrong, and you will want to ignore me completely and add more flour, but I'm telling you -- DON'T DO IT. Practice self-restraint. You will be glad you did, and I will be proud of you. Roll out on lightly floured surface. Bake at 375 F for 6 1/2 minutes. (I roll my cookies 3/8" thick.)

There are some things I think you should know:

*** I don't have conversions for the metric world. I'm sorry. Please don't leave me hating messages. But I will tell you that this may be the most forgiving cookie recipe in the world. You can just google conversions and anything that's remotely close to being right will work for these cookies.
*** You don't have to add shortening if that grosses you out or you hate it on sheer principle or you can't find it where you live. It just makes the cookies a little softer. You can omit it entirely or substitute it with butter.
*** If you find that the dough has cracks in it when you try to roll it - don't freak out. It's okay. Just knead it for a minute and it will be ever so smooth and wonderful.

These cookies don't spread. At all. And they are the perfect mix of soft and solid. And if you leave them in the oven too long, you can crush them up and make a great chocolate pie crust. And if you want brownies -- only add 1 cup of flour, leave out the shortening and bake in an 8X8 square pan for 25 minutes. Have left over cookies that didn't get decorated because you totally forgot about them when you went on a Mediterranean cruise? That's okay. Melt some mint chocolate chips and spread on top. And you have instant thin mints. (Sometimes I do that even if I didn't forget my cookies while on a cruise. Because... well...truthfully, I've never been on a cruise. There. My secret is out. I feel so much better.) Oh, and you can also use slightly overbaked cookies in frosting. Just crush them up and call it cookies and cream, and it is SO much better than Oreos ever thought about being.

Whoa. I'm starting to worry myself. I promise you I'm not as obsessed with these cookies as it sounds. Okay, forget it, I totally am. If you were really my friend, you would make these.

JELLIED CHAMPAGNE DESSERT RECIPE!

   Fashion this refreshing dessert to look like a glass of bubbling champagne, making it perfect for New year's Eve.

8 Servings

Prep: 20 min. + chilling

20 20

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
• 2 cups cold white grape juice, divided
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 cups Champagne or club soda
• 8 fresh strawberries, hulled

Directions

• In a small saucepan, sprinkle gelatin over 1 cup cold grape juice; let stand for 1 minute. Heat over low heat, stirring until gelatin is completely dissolved. Stir in sugar. Remove from the heat; stir in remaining grape juice. Cool to room temperature.
• Transfer gelatin mixture to a large bowl. Slowly stir in Champagne. Pour half of the mixture into eight Champagne or parfait glasses. Add one strawberry to each glass. Chill glasses and remaining gelatin mixture until almost set, about 1 hour.
• Place the reserved gelatin mixture in a blender; cover and process until foamy. Pour into glasses. Chill for 3 hours or until set.
• Yield: 8 servings.

TOP 10 OLD WIVES TALES!!

   Almost all of us have, at some time, been chided by a parent or grandparent who has been mislead by an old wives’ tale. Their intentions are always good, but unfortunately they are misguided. There are thousands of old wives’ tales – ranging from the seemingly logical to the outright bizarre.
   This is a list of ten of the most common old wives’ tales which are, in fact, bunkum! Feel free to use the comments to tell us about some of the more unusual tales you have come across in your life.

10. Feed a Fever Starve a Cold

   In fact, both colds and fevers cause dehydration – so liquids are essential when suffering from either. In addition, missing out on food when you are sick is never a good idea as food provides the body with the sustenance it needs to get healthy. So, you should feed a fever and feed a cold. This, of course, does not mean to overeat – it means to eat healthy balanced meals.

9. Eating Before Swimming

   There is an old wives’ tale that says that if you eat within an hour of swimming you will get cramp. The Red Cross says that eating directly prior to swimming does not increase risk of cramp at all. They do, however, recommend at least waiting for digestion to begin if you have eaten a particularly fatty meal. They also recommend that you not eat gum or food while you are swimming.

8. Chocolate Causes Acne

   There is actually not an iota of evidence to support this tale – no food type (not just chocolate) can cause acne or bad skin. Needless to say, eating too much chocolate or sugary food is unhealthy for the body, but it will not cause skin problems. Acne is actually caused by changes in the lower layers of the skin surrounding hair follicles.

7. Carrots Improve your Vision

   It is possible that this tale came about due to allied propaganda during the second world war when rumors were spread that the British airmen had excellent night vision due to eating carrots. The myth was spread to stop the Germans from discovering that the British were using Radar. While carrots contain vitamin A which is good for healthy eyes, eating lots of them will do nothing to improve your vision.

6. Catching a Cold

   There are a huge number of myths about how to catch a cold, but in fact there is only one way to catch a cold virus – by direct contact with the virus itself. You can stand outside on a cold night with wet hair and your chances of getting a cold do not increase at all. The reason that colds seem to spread more in Winter is not from the cold itself, but the fact that people tend to live more often indoors and this increases your chances of coming in to contact with a sufferer. It is also worth mentioning that if you get a cold in your nose, you can not stop it from spreading to your chest if the virus is programmed to attack you there. Most cold medicines are completely pointless and do nothing to help except alleviate the pain through the inclusion of painkillers.




5. TV and Eyesight

   My parents constantly told me off for sitting too close to the television when I was a kid – I was told that my eyesight would deteriorate from doing so. The same was also said of reading in dim light. In fact, neither of these things do any damage to the eyes. It should be noted, however, that spending too much time in front of the TV is not good for children (regardless of how close they sit) as research has shown that children who spend 10 hours or more in front of the television each week are more likely to become overweight, aggressive, and slower in school.

4. Masturbation Causes Blindness

   The tale states that masturbation will cause blindness (in France it is said it will cause deafness). This is not true (at least not completely) and the idea has probably been spread in order to prevent children from masturbating for religious reasons. Curiously, sperm contains quite a lot of zinc, and a serious zinc deficiency can cause a decline in vision. However, it is nearly impossible to cause a zinc deficiency through masturbating.

3. Knuckles and Arthritis

   While it is true that constant knuckle cracking can reduce the strength of your grip and cause swelling, it does not lead to arthritis. There are many causes of arthritis (such as trauma or infection of a joint, or old age), but knuckle cracking is not one of them.

2. Spicy Food and Ulcers

   If a person suffers from an ulcer, spicy food can often aggravate it; however, ulcers are not caused by spicy food at all – if they were, ulcers would be pandemic in many eastern nations. An ulcer is usually caused by overuse of medications like aspirin and anti-inflammatories.

1. Toads and Warts

   It is almost certain that this strange old wives’ tale has come about because of the appearance of wart-like growths on many toads. In fact, these growths are not human compatible at all. Warts are caused by viruses and they are almost always exclusive to a particular genus of creature. Human’s cannot catch warts from other animals, and animals can not catch human warts. The most common human wart virus is called the human papillomavirus.

A LITTLE HELP TO TAKING BETTER PICTURES IN 2012!!

   This article comes from www.yumsugar.com .  Who doesn't want a little help to take better, more professional pictures this coming year?  I know I do (bought myself a new camera for Christmas.  Can't wait to take and share pictures with all of you of my own projects and recipes that I have made!)

   Is one of your New Year's Resolutions to take better photos? We've got you covered. Check out some of our favorite tried-and-true tips to help your photos pop this year. Have any secrets of your own? Share them in the comments!

Play With Angles

   Don't just snap pics from a bird's eye view — get low, high, or level with your subject (especially food) to get the most interesting shot.  Don't get stuck taking an overhead shot, just cause you're sitting above your plate. Sometimes, the best shots are found when you're at eye level with your fluffy, carb-filled stuffing, and others are captured when you're looking straight down at your uncut pumpkin pie. Don't be afraid to move around!

Use Tissue as a Diffuser

  
   In order to avoid too harsh a flash when using an SLR camera, which can happen if you point your flash directly at your subject, Messina suggests taping a piece of tissue paper over the flash to diffuse it. This helps to soften the light before it hits a subject's face. Just be careful to keep the tape away from the flash itself, since it can get in the way and add a strange shadow to the photo. And, yes, I'm talking about the same white tissue paper used to line gift boxes — so it's inexpensive, too!

Use the Rule of Thirds

  

   Having been used since the 1700s it's widely accepted that adhering to the rule of thirds helps to make your photographs, paintings, and videos more visually interesting, and evoke feeling from the viewer. Learn more about how to master it after the break.
   If you were to look into your camera's viewfinder, and imagine that there are nine lines running across the entirety of your image — three vertical, and three horizontal — the rule of thirds states that your main focal point should be aligned with one of the linear intersections. The image you see here is a perfect example. Take note however that rules are made to be broken, especially where art is concerned. Having fun with what you're capturing is the most important rule of all!

Set Your Camera to Sport or Action For Pet Pics

Create a distraction-free zone — Your pet's attention span can be short, especially if there's a lot of toys, objects, or items in his view. Clear out the area you'll be photographing in, so Fido's attention will be squarely on you.

But, Keep his favorite toy or treats handy — Although you should clear the area of unwanted clutter, you'll want to keep your pet's favorite toy or treat handy for when it's time to snap the pic. A little coaxing goes a long way.

To see a few more tricks, just keep reading.

• Avoid using your camera's flash — One of the most distracting things about pet photos is the glare from the flash in his eyes. Open up a few windows for natural light, or take the photo shoot outside instead.
• Get down to their level — The best way to really capture your pet's features is by getting down on all fours and photographing them at their eye level. Hovering over from above may be your usual position, but it doesn't give us much to look at . . . except the tops of their heads!
• Choose the right setting — Fast-moving pets can make for blurry photos. Try changing your camera's setting to "sport" or "action" mode, which increases your camera's shutter speed and captures images faster, thereby reducing blur.

For Detailed Up Close Shots, Use Macro

  

,,,Ever left wondering why your up-close-and-personal shots of your babies, pets, or objects are blurry while the background is in focus? Wonder no more! Zooming in and focusing on an object can result in some amazing images, but only if your camera's settings are optimized. Beginners can easily start shooting in close focus by shifting their camera to the Macro mode. Macro allows you to get as close as 10 cm from your subject, with some prosumer grade cameras getting in as tight as 2 cm. You'll know your Macro settings by the flower symbol on your camera.

Use Your Flash Outside

   Switching your camera's flash to the "on" position during a sunny day photo session helps to eliminate those dark shadows from under eyes and noses and even helps to bring your subjects into focus on a cloudy day.  Ever noticed the dark shadows cast on your friends' and family's faces after you've taken pics outside? It may seem counter-intuitive, but switching your camera's flash to the "on" position during a sunny day photo session helps to eliminate those dark shadows from under eyes and noses, and even helps to bring your subjects into focus on a cloudy day. Use your flash "Fill" setting for a general pick-me-up to your photos, and snap away!

Use a Compact to Diffuse Light

   A compact mirror can bounce the light from your flash just like a diffuser does. With your camera pointed at your subject, hold a compact open and angled in front of the onboard flash. When you shoot, the flash bounces and adds light to dark areas around the subject and gives a nice, natural light effect (which would have otherwise been harshly washed out with a flash alone). I tested this trick myself — see what I thought after the jump!

   Although this is a handy trick, I will say that the separate flash I paid extra for diffuses light a bit better, but the mirror trick works great in a pinch!

Turn on Lights For Better Camera Phone Pics

    I love my iPhone, but sometimes I wonder if I should blame my phone or my photography skills for the blurry pics that sometimes end up in my photo library. Cell phone picture quality can depend on a variety of factors including the number of megapixels and flash capabilities. If you happen to have a decent camera phone, here are some tips to help you take great pics.

• Keep your camera still — The more still your subject, the clearer your image will be. This is especially true in low-light environments where shutter speed is much longer.
• Make sure your subject is well-lit — If your camera doesn't have a built-in flash, try to take a pic in an environment with decent lighting. If you are indoors, simply turn on some lights!
• Get close — Because camera phones usually have low resolution, it's best to take images as close as you can, but be sure to stay within proper focus range.
• Keep your camera lens clean — We all know how dirty cell phones can get. Just wiping off your lens with the proper cleaner and a soft cloth can make a world of difference.

Remove Blemishes in Photoshop

Get ready for the barrage of Kodak moments and impromptu family portrait sessions during the coming holiday season. The joy of technology lets us change even less-than-flattering pictures into a worthy keepsake. There's a simple tool you can use in Photoshop to make your face look clear and bright in your own photos, even when person behind the camera forgets to adjust the lens to ideal settings.

Sure, while excessive airbrushing in order to sell products is bad, zapping that zit from a nice family photo is totally legit. If you have basic knowledge of Photoshop, this tutorial should be easy to follow. Check out my steps to using the clone tool after the break.  (If you don't have Photoshop, so what!  I have a version of Photoshop Elements.  You can usuall get last years version or the year before for under $50.  Works the same way without the big layout of cash for Photoshop.  "The Doktor")

First, you'll want to choose a photo to be touched up. Drag that image into Photoshop to begin!

• Zoom into your "problem area" in order to make the blemish more visible and easier to work with. You can do this by hitting Command and the + button, selecting View > Zoom In, or increasing the percentage at the bottom left hand side of your image.
• Select the Clone tool.
• Make sure your clone tool is the same size as the blemish you want to cover up. At the top toolbar, you can adjust the size of the clone tool, and I recommend using a feathered brush for nice and soft results.
• Since the purpose of the clone tool is to essentially copy and paste a patch of good skin over a patch of not-so-good skin, you should choose to clone an area that is close to the blemish in order to match up skin tone and lighting. Click Option to "copy" a section of the photo, then simply click your mouse to "paste" it over the blemish.
• Pro tip: The clone tool works best in this case when you simply click once rather than clicking and dragging, as you may find that your image gets pixelated and fuzzy. If this is the case, you can always revert back a step and start again.
• That's it! It doesn't take a ton of work to touch up your pics, and you can even use this method for covering up dark under eye circles and whitening teeth.

Watch Your Horizons

   The weather is heating up, so while you're wielding your camera on your upcoming vacations, this tip will come in handy — remember to "watch your horizons." What this means: if you're taking landscape photos (and especially pictures of the beach, or bodies of water), your horizon (the line that separates earth from sky) should be off-center — not jetting through the middle of your photograph — in order to give your image more character. Similar to the rule of thirds, your horizons would be best placed higher or lower than the middle of your frame. But as always — "rules" like these are meant to be broken, so be sure to experiment!

Take Great Instagrams

   From Oct. 22-23, London's East Gallery hosted the My World Shared photography exhibit, which may not seem unusual, until you learn that this was the first exhibit ever curated to feature only Instagram pics.
   A community of passionate "Instagrammers" have launched the exhibit and a website that's stocked with info for other Instagram addicts, like city-based groups, photo walks, and tips on how to become Most Popular, how to boost your profile, even "10 ways to make Instagram profitable."
   If you're looking to up the ante in Instagram yourself, we've rounded up a few tips on how to take better cellphone pics below. Snap away!

• Play with angles — Don't just take photos from your eye view! Be adventurous and get low, high, or level with an object to snap some really interesting angles.
• Get close — Because camera phones have lower resolution than a full-blown digital camera, it's best to take images as close as you can, but be sure to stay within proper range so your pics don't look grainy or blurry.
• Get focused — Choosing to focus on one particular object will generally create more interesting photos. Instead of snapping the entire scene at the beach, hone in on the seashells that wash up on shore, a playful umbrella, palm trees, or kids playing in the surf.
• Make sure your subject is well-lit — If your camera doesn't have a built-in flash, try to take a pic in an environment with decent lighting. If you are indoors, simply turn on some lights!
• Keep your camera lens clean — We all know how dirty cell phones can get. Just wiping off your lens with the proper cleaner and a soft cloth can make a world of difference.

Cool Effects to Add to Your Photos

While you may have mastered the Rule of Thirds and your camera's settings, have you tried playing around with different photo effects? These tips and tricks can help you take your images to the next level, whether it's during the photo-taking process or afterward in Photoshop.

Bokeh

    You probably know what bokeh is, just not what it's called. Bokeh is the photography effect that produces a blurred background. With an SLR, you get bokeh by setting your aperture value low and then focusing on a subject. It's a beautiful photography effect and in most snappers' bag of tricks. The other side of bokeh is the gorgeous patterns you can create in your photographs. You can make dots, like in the picture, or you can get ambitious and make hearts or a holiday theme (like stars) with DIY Photography's bokeh instructions.

Polar Panorama

   I stumbled upon this little planet effect, called Polar Panorama, on a blog, and got lost inside the 50 examples it provides for this fun and unique effect. I'm all about learning new ways to have fun with my photo library, so naturally I added this to my editing experimentation to-do list. Plus, the effect totally reminds me of the planets from Super Mario Galaxy; I adore that game.
   This tutorial shows you how to make the effect yourself, and although it looks like a labor-intensive process, the steps are actually quite easy — just straighten your photo so the image is level, make the image is a square, rotate, and apply the "polar effect" in Photoshop.

Light Trails

   Apparently, shooting light trails is super easy, but you'll have to venture out of manual mode to achieve it. Just by using longer shutter speeds (around 10 or 20 seconds), a tripod, and finding your perfect aperture mode for the light you're shooting in (start with your f-stop at f/8, and take it down if your shots are overexposed and up if underexposed), light trails are easily captured. Check out the rest of the tip details on Digital Photography School and have some photography fun!

Aged

   Age any photo instantly — and without Photoshop — just by uploading it to this Japanese site, which will spit out a 100-year-aged photo instantly! While you can probably figure out the site in Japanese, click the "English" link in the top right corner to translate the site.

Movie Stills

   With this easy tutorial, you can quickly turn your ordinary pics into movie-like stills in just 12 steps. If you know how to add layers and adjust blur, this process should be a snap, but if you don't, it's OK— the tutorial is easy enough for you to grasp, since there are screen shots to show you how to do it.

Lomo

   The "Lomo Effect" makes your pics look like they were expertly shot and developed using the (sometimes expensive) plastic cameras with just a few simple steps. Check out the great tutorial here!

Tilt-Shift

   Is this a picture of a miniaturized London street? Nope, it's the real deal, just made to look like a tiny version of itself! The effect is called Tilt-Shift and it's totally awesome. You can make virtually any picture look like a scaled-down version of the real thing with a few easy adjustments in Photoshop. Want to do it yourself? Check out this easy-to-follow tutorial to get you on your way. One quick tip though — make sure your photos of choice are taken from a higher angle, as miniature scale models are usually shot from above.

COFFEE CAKE POUND CAKE!

   Combine two loves--coffee cake and pound cake--for a memorable dessert that'd delicious any time of day. Bake the cake for your next brunch gathering and secure your spot in history as the World's Best Hostess.

Ingredients

• PECAN STREUSEL
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup butter
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans
• POUND CAKE BATTER
• 1 cup finely chopped pecans
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 6 large eggs
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 (8-oz.) container sour cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preparation

1. 1. Prepare Pecan Streusel: Combine first 3 ingredients in a bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles small peas. Stir in 3/4 cup pecans.
2. 2. Prepare Pound Cake Batter: Preheat oven to 350°. Bake 1 cup pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through. Cool 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325°.
3. 3. Beat butter at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until creamy. Gradually add granulated sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.
4. 4. Stir together flour and baking soda; add to butter mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla.
5. 5. Pour half of batter into a greased and floured 10-inch (12-cup) tube pan. Stir together toasted pecans, brown sugar, and cinnamon; sprinkle over batter. Spoon remaining batter over pecan mixture; sprinkle with Pecan Streusel.
6. 6. Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 20 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 to 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack, and cool completely (about 1 hour).

THE SPANISH SEMANA SANTA TRADITION!

    While Semana Santa is a national tradition throughout Spain, the "Andalucians" arguably "feel" the week more than other regions of Spain. Throughout 7 days, Andalucia is surrounded by a spiritual halo. Semana Santa is a tradition which is repeated year after year, a time when the devout and curious joint together to participated in the procession and converge on the streets and squares which take on the ambiance and mystique of an open air temple.

    The skill and expertise behind the parades rest with the religious fraternities and brotherhoods. They have the responsibility of maintaining the statues as well as coordinating the penitents and musicians. Sometimes up to two thousand members of a brotherhood take part, some carry candles, rods or banners depending on their level of seniority. The most senior is the president who carries a golden rod.

    The "costaleros" who carry the weight on the floats and their sculptured representations of the biblical scene are directed by the overseer or head of the group who ensures that the float is carried with maximum seriousness, grace and tradition. To be able to survive the long hours and distance carrying the heavy "thrones" the costaleros have a cushion, known as the costal, which prevents the direct contact of the wood rubbing against the skin. The thrones are followed by "nazarenos" dressed in tunics, hoods and masks and women dressed in traditional costume.

    The high point of the procession is when the float exits and enters the respective church. This is the moment when art and religion seem merged into one. A sculpture of images created by superb craftsmen. The best floats date back to the 16th and 17th centuries and can still be seen today.

    The entire scene is alive with color and sound, thanks to the polychromatic variety of tunics, hoods, ensigns and banners. Emotions are stirred by the slow rhythmic beating of the drums and processional marches, the swaying paces of the bearers and the poignant wailing of the "saeta" which is a sacred song similar to the flamenco and sung through the Holy Week processions.

    Even if you are not religious, it is difficult not to be moved, the atomsphere is so vital and poignant. For some it is a fun filled fiesta time, for others a week of ritual and reflection. Without a doubt, Holy Week in Andalucia is a tradition that is an integral part of the culture and appropriatly reflects the spirit of the people.

    Year after year, each and every village proudly enjoys the berauty and mystery of "Semana Santa", although there are variances and some towns for instance, will preserve certain traditions more than others. The villages and hamlets generally hold their parades on Thursdays and Fridays, while the large capital cities have week long celebrations and attract thousands of people from far and wide.
    Irrespective of size, each float represents the pride and enthusiasm of every Andaluz who will spend the entire night, from dusk until dawn, accompanying them in solemn reverence to his or her religion.

10 GREAT FOOD COMBINATIONS OF ALL TIME!

   Here are ten combinations of foods that seem to be a match made in heaven.   These food combinations are not in any order, they can all be easily interchanged. Feel free to add your own favorites to the comments.

10. Eggs and Bacon

   Nothing starts the day off better than a couple of eggs and fatty bacon. The protein of the eggs and the grease of the bacon form a great mixture that powers you through the day. It should also be mentioned that bacon generally is great combined with all kinds of other foods as well.

9. Butter and Popcorn

   Popcorn was originally discovered by the Native Americans. Popcorn became increasingly popular during the Great Depression because it was relatively cheap, it’s use was especially popular in movie theaters. Now when you go to the movies the spell of popcorn almost seems irresistible, despite its now horrendously expensive price. Butter and popcorn was bound to be a match made in heaven, after all, what is better than fresh corn smeared with butter?

8. Pizza and Beer

    Let’s all face it, what is better than a nice pepperoni pizza and an ice cold beer? The hot grease of the pizza is nicely washed down by the refreshing beer. And to further enhance an already great evening, when dining on this lovely combination, throw in a movie, some buttered popcorn, and make a night of it! Just watch out for the calories – as delicious as this mix is, it was clearly designed by Satan himself to get us all to hell faster.

7. Salt and Pepper

   The combination of salt and pepper dates back to seventeenth century French cuisine, as it was thought that pepper was the only spice which did not overpower the natural taste of the food. All foods can be better with a little bit of salt and pepper. On their own both pepper and salt can be used in savory and sweet cooking – and in combination they can convert something bland into something wonderful. Every chef worth his weight will use these two together on almost everything he cooks.

6. Burger and Fries

   Although french fries may date back to the 1600s-1700s, their popularity sky-rocketed when they began to be sold worldwide through fast food chains, especially McDonald’s. Most fast food chains quickly paired the fries with burgers, creating one delicious meal. Did you know that it was American Soldiers who coined the term “French Fries”, when they tasted them for the first time in Belgium during World War I? In most other English speaking parts of the world they are referred to simply as “chips” and French Fries is considered an Americanism.



5. Spaghetti and Meatballs

   Some claim the combination began in the early 20th century, where Italian immigrants were making them in New York City. However, others claim that the pairing dates back to Old World Italy. Regardless of the origin, the two compliment each other and make for a great, filling meal – and an especially good one for the poor college student.

4. Cheese and Crackers

   The classic combination of cheese and crackers became increasingly popular with the development of the Ritz cracker in 1934, by Nobisco. The combo serves as a great snack, especially for small get togethers. Unlike most of the other entries on this list, this is a food combination loved by both rich and poor – whether you put cheap old cheese on store-bought crackers or the finest truffle laced mature brie on handmade crackers – the combination is simple, tasty, and unbeatable for parties.

3. Tortilla Chips and Salsa

   Although the combination of chips and salsa is typically considered to be Mexican food, the combo really boomed when tortilla chips began being mass produced in Los Angeles. Now the combination serves as one of the most popular appetizers and snacks. This is also a combination that can be as unique as it’s maker – as long as your salsa contains tomatoes, you can add virtually anything else and it will still taste great with tortilla chips.

2. Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

One of the ultimate combinations, the gravy moistens the potatoes and adds the little extra flavor to create the perfect combination. Letting the gravy poor all over the potatoes, seemingly completes the mashed potatoes. This is obviously such a popular combination that it is a signature dish of Kentucky Fried Chicken.

1. Oreos and Milk

   The Oreo was created in February 1912 by Nabisco in New York City. Oreos immediate popularity resulted in it being the best selling cookie of the 20th century. It has since been dubbed “Milk’s Favorite Cookie”. The milk seems to be the perfect match to the chocolate of the oreo, making the duo one of the best. But, despite the popularity of the oreo and milk combination, milk and any type of cookie is great!