Weekend Recap Part 1: Planning for July 4th

What a weekend!

I have a weekend recap for you all, plus 3 tips for staying hydrated during next weekend's Independence Day festivities.

Saturday started with a car wash!  If my car could talk, it would say, "Finally!  Thank you for cleaning me up!".  I got the outside of the car nice and shiny, and vacuumed the inside as well.

Then, Andrew and I headed to The Grove for their Heritage Festival.  Many people know of this place because they had a field trip here in elementary school!  It even has a beautiful space called The Redfield Estate in which you can hold events such as weddings and dinner parties!  I can do a whole post on just the wedding planning at this place!  Let me know if this is something you are interested in by leaving a comment below!

While at The Grove, there were volunteers dressed up in mid-18th century clothing and doing reenacting of what it was like to live at this home in its prime.  Below is a man acting as a school teacher.  He asked all of the young boys and girls to behave and even taught them how to bow and courtesy! School was so different back then! (Note the chalk board and iron stove!)

 This is the school house from the outside.  An exact replica, built in 1982 that could have up to 33 children from grades 1 through 8 learning at the same time!

The day started to get very warm, so Andrew and I decided to cool off with a snack of fresh juicy watermelon under the shade of a tree.  Delish!  Note the multiple napkins...I still had loads of watermelon juice all over my face!

While at The Grove, we learned to march Civil War-style, dipped candles, saw how to make linen from flax, and simply walked the grounds enjoying the sun.  Whether or not you have kids, if you enjoy history and learning, this place is for you!  I really wish I would have made a candle, but there were too many kids at the time and I've made my own taper candle before...

To keep this post form getting too long, I will stop here.  Be on the look out for part 2 coming soon!

 

25 Days of Blogging - Day 14: Yule

Hi Friends!

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, today is the last day of festivals as I have had a hard time finding enough for the full 25 days.  But don't fret!  I have some great recipes, yoga practices, and more for you over the next 11 days!!

On to today's post: 

Yule is a pagan festival that originated in Germany during the Middle Ages.  The term "Yuletide" is said to have originated in 1475!  In modern times, those who still celebrate Yule do so in many different ways according to their beliefs and practices.  This festival originally lasted 12 days during the end of December, but in some practices, has been shortened to 1-3 days. 

As for food traditions, pagan celebrations often follow seasonal items.  So, for this season, foods like fruit cakes, dried fruit, nuts, apples, spices, beans, and oranges are common choices.  That being said, one of the most common (and popular)  items at a Yule celebration must include Wassail.  Basically, wassail is either a spiced and warmed wine or juice.  This recipe makes a spiced and warmed juice:

Wassail Recipe
Ingredients:
8 cups apple juice or cider
2 cups cranberry juice
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp allspice
2 cinnamon sticks
1 orange
whole cloves


Directions
Turn the crockpot on high and pour in the apple and cranberry juices. Stir in the sugar and allspace, then add cinnamon sticks. Note:  You can also warm this over a low flame for a quicker cooking method.  Stud the orange with the cloves... about 25 or 30 cloves should do the trick.. and toss it in. Cover the pot and cook on high for 1 hour. Change the setting to low and allow to simmer for 3 more hours, then serve.

25 Days of Blogging- Day 2: Ramadan

 

 Hi friends!  Welcome to Day 2 of 25 Days of Blogging!

Disclaimer: I am by no means an expert with these holidays.  I find culture and festivals wonderfully fascinating, so I wanted to share some of my basic research with you!  These posts are just the basics of the holidays and a lot will be missed.  If you have more information on any of the holidays/festivals presented in the next few weeks, feel free to leave a comment or email me directly.  Thank you!

Ramadan is a holy month of fasting, introspection, and prayer.  Each day, during Ramadan, followers do not eat or drink from sunrise to sunset and break their fast by sharing special meals with family and friends.  At the end of Ramadan, a three day festival known as Id al-Fitr is heald and is known as one of Islam's major holidays.

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Typical foods to break the fast include water, dates, and milk.  There are several essential foods to prepare and consume during Ramadan, one of those being Amar el Deen. To make this drink, sheets of dried apricot are soaked in water for several hours.  Once soaked, the mixture is drained and then blended with enough fresh water to make it smooth.

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Do you celebrate Ramadan?  Have you tried Amar el Deen before?  Let me know in the comments! (I read and reply to every one of them!)