★~♥~♥~★~ El Morno! ♥~★~★~♥
December 13, 2013

★~ Todays Quote: In the right light, at the right time, everything is extraordinary.  ~Aaron Rose

★~ Santa Lucia Day:

Santa Lucia Day: According to the old Julian calendar, December 13th was the longest night of the year. The ancient people were very much aware of the diminishing daylight and feared the cold and hunger that accompanied the sun’s decline. Men yearned for a friendly spirit to intercede and restore the light to the earth. Over many centuries, this spirit of light became personified in St. Lucia, the Queen of Light. In the present day, St. Lucia’s Day is most commonly celebrated in Sweden. “Lucia,” usually the eldest daughter who comes singing the ancient Sicilian song “Santa Lucia,” awakens families all over Sweden.Dressed in white and wearing a crown of lighted candles, she presents saffron buns and Christmas cookies to members of the family.

More about St. Lucia Day 

St. Lucia Bun Recipe This is NOT a Pioneer Women Bun Recipe.

★~ Cocoa Day:

Cocoa is the champion of wintertime beverages because no one wants to come home after a day of sledding and relax by the fire with a mug of orange juice. Whip up some hot coco to enjoy with your Santa Lucia Buns! And for lovers of Green Chili, I’m told this is an excellent recipe: Green Chili Hot Chocolate 

★~ Ice Cream Day:

For those of you paying close attention, yes, we have already had holidays to celebrate ice cream flavors, ice cream cones, ice cream sodas, ice cream sandwiches, and ice cream sundaes. Does ice cream really need an additional day of reverence? Of course it does! And there’s no better opportunity than in the midst of the sweet-tooth overload that is part of the holiday season. Scoop up some of your favorite holiday flavored ice cream and celebrate Ice Cream Day! Might I suggest peppermint ice cream?  Ho Ho Ho.

★~ Today in History:

♥~ 1913 – Leonardo da Vinci’s La Gioconda or, Mona Lisa for us art neophytes, was returned to the Louvre Museum in Paris after a two-year absence. The stolen painting was recovered and was valued at that time at $5,000,000. In 1962, appraisers set the value at one hundred million dollars. It is said that Mrs. Gioconda’s only payment for four years of modeling was free entertainment by jesters, players and singers.

♥~ 1961 – Grandma Moses (Anna Mary Robertson Moses) died at the age of 101. The self-taught artist took up painting in her sixties; having her first showing in New York City at the ripe, young age of eighty. Her style was nostalgic and primitive — mostly rural scenes: The Old Oaken Bucket, Christmas at Home, The Quilting Bee.

♥~ 1978 – The Philadelphia Mint struck the first Susan B. Anthony dollar coins, with 1979 dates and the first “P” mintmark since the silver nickels of World War II. Denver production began on January 9, 1979, and San Francisco minting began on February 2, 1979. The Susan B. Anthony dollar, the first coin to honor a woman, was not a hit with the public for several reasons, most importantly because it was often mistaken for a quarter.

★~Born Today:

[youtube]http://youtu.be/cMPEd8m79Hw[/youtube]

♥~ 1913 – Archie Moore Boxing Hall of Famer: Light Heavyweight Champ: only boxer to have fought both Rocky Marciano and Muhammad Ali; career: won 194, lost 26, drew 8, KOs 141 [world record], no contest 1; died Dec 9, 1998

♥~ 1925 – Dick Van Dyke Emmy Award-winning actor/comedian: The Dick Van Dyke Show, Diagnosis Murder

♥~ 1929 – Christopher Plummer (Orme) Emmy Award-winning actor: The Moneychangers [1976-1977], Madeline [1993-1994]; The Sound of Music

♥~ 1949 – Randy Owen musician: guitar, singer: group:Alabama:

♥~ 1989 – Taylor Swift songwriter, singer: LPs: Taylor Swift, Fearless; singles: Tim McGraw, Teardrops On My Guitar, Our Song, I’m Only Me When I’m With You,Picture To Burn; she was highest-selling artist of 2008 in the U.S. with combined sales of more than four million albums; CMA Entertainer of the Year [2009]

★~ Good to Know:

Cole and I are hot chocolate purest and find the idea of dumping a few scoops of some mix (or a packet of Swiss Miss) into a mug, adding a few glugs of milk, and heating the whole thing in the microwave an abomination. But we realize that many people might use a mix because they have no idea how simple it is to make from hot chocolate from scratch (I can make it, it’s easy) .

Here is how to make real hot chocolate. Your winters will never be the same.

Melt your chopped chocolate (or chocolate chips) with half of your milk. For a big mug of hot chocolate, use 3 ounces of chocolate for every two cups of milk; feel free to use good-quality cocoa powder in the place of some or all of the chocolate.

Whisk in the rest of your milk, and let the mixture heat through. Taste it; if it’s not sweet enough, add sugar.

Pour into a warm mug, top add mini marshmallows or whipped cream

Bonus Tip: We like peppermint hot chocolate so I took a bag of peppermint candies, crushed them in the blender and stored the mixture in a jar to add to our hot chocolate.  The crushed peppermint keeps in a jar for years.

Bonus Bonus Tip: Invest in a fun hot chocolate mug. I know, nobody needs another miscellaneous mug, but it’s FUN.

Cheers!

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I’m off to do a little Christmas shopping today–Our Christmas elf brought Cole this cute Santa car yesterday. The radio plays Christmas music.

I love todays date: 12/13/13! Wishing you a LUCKY Friday!

Odd Loves Company!

♥~

 

Wait! Before you go please help yourself to a Saint Lucia Bun! It will go so well with your hot chocolate or coffee (if you insist)