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Sunday, July 30, 2023

Cheesecake Day 🍰 July 30th

🍰  National Cheesecake Day  🍰
Tumblr: Image
National Cheesecake Day on July 30th 
Offers a slice of one of America’s favorite desserts.
#Cheesecake from Holidays-Fetes
Cheesecake is a sweet dessert consisting of one or more layers. The main, and thickest, layer consists of a mixture of a soft, fresh cheese (typically cottage cheese, cream cheese or ricotta), eggs, and sugar. If there is a bottom layer, it most often consists of a crust or base made from crushed cookies (or digestive biscuits), graham crackers, pastry, or sometimes sponge cake. Cheesecake may be baked or unbaked (and is usually refrigerated).
 #Cheesecake from Holidays-Fetes
Cheesecake is usually sweetened with sugar and may be flavored in different ways. Vanilla, spices, lemon, chocolate, pumpkin, or other flavors may be added to the main cheese layer. Additional flavors and visual appeal may be added by topping the finished dessert with fruit, whipped cream, nuts, cookies, fruit sauce, chocolate syrup, or other ingredients.
#Cheesecake from Holidays-Fetes
Culinary classification
Modern cheesecake is not usually classified as an actual "cake", despite the name (compare with Boston cream "pie"). Some people classify it as a torte due to the usage of many eggs, which are the sole source of leavening, as a key factor. Others find compelling evidence that it is a custard pie, based on the overall structure, with the separate crust, the soft filling, and the absence of flour. Other sources identify it as a flan, or tart.
 #Cheesecake from Holidays-Fetes
History 
An ancient form of cheesecake may have been a popular dish in ancient Greece even prior to Romans' adoption of it with the conquest of Greece. The earliest attested mention of a cheesecake is by the Greek physician Aegimus (5th century BCE), who wrote a book on the art of making cheesecakes (πλακουντοποιικόν σύγγραμμαplakountopoiikon sungramma). The earliest extant cheesecake recipes are found in Cato the Elder's De Agri Cultura, which includes recipes for three cakes for religious uses: libum, savillum and placenta. Of the three, placenta cake is the most like modern cheesecakes: having a crust that is separately prepared and baked. 
 
A more modern version called a sambocade, made with elderflower and rose water, is found in Forme of Cury, an English cookbook from 1390. On this basis, chef Heston Blumenthal has argued that cheesecake is an English invention. 
#Cheesecake from Holidays-Fetes
#Cheesecake from Holidays-Fetes
  Light and Creamy Cheesecake Recipe
👇     📽     👇

#Cheesecake from Holidays-Fetes
Le cheesecake, ou cheese-cake, gâteau au fromage au Canada francophone, est une variété nord-américaine de gâteau au fromage. C'est un dessert sucré composé d'un mélange de fromage à la crème, d'œufs, de sucre et de parfums de vanille et/ou de citron, sur une croûte de miettes de biscuits ou une génoise. Ses origines peuvent être tracées jusqu'en Grèce antique : dans Les Deipnosophistes, Athénée de Naucratis cite le poète Callimachus comme ayant un livre d'un certain « Aegimius » contenant des recettes de gâteau de fromage.

Deux recettes de cheesecake aux États-Unis trouvent leurs origines dans les quartiers des immigrants allemands et anglais, surtout à Philadelphie, à New York, chez les Juifs et les Italiens à New York. La version italienne est à base de ricotta. Ce que les Américains appellent aujourd'hui le New York cheesecake est fait avec un fromage industriel, fromage à pâte fraîche salé qui a dû remplacer le Quark allemand (utilisé dans le Käsekuchen). Ce cheesecake a été généralisé par des delicatessens juifs new-yorkais et peut se consommer avec un coulis de fruits rouges. Ce mets se présente sous la forme d’une tarte. Ou directement dans le plat.

#Cheesecake from Holidays-Fetes

Friday, July 28, 2023

Tricks to Survive 🔥 Hot Summer Nights 😴

Tricks to Survive
Hot Summer Nights
Without A.C.

By Sophia Breene - July 4, 2016
🌞
When summer comes to mind, we almost always focus on picnics, days lounging on the beach, and tasty iced drinks. But hot weather has a gnarly side too. We’re talking about the real dog days of summer, when intense heat and humidity make it impossible to sit comfortably, let alone sleep through the night.
🧊
The obvious solution for cool, calm, and REM-ful sleeping is an air conditioner: These modern gizmos can keep a bedroom at the optimum sleep temperature (roughly between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit), plus provide some nice white noise to boot. But even small window units use up tons of energy and jack up monthly electric bills. So what’s an environmentally-responsible, budget-conscious sleeper to do?
💨
Living through a hot summer without ACseems impossible but, hey, our grandparents did it all the time! Turns out, they learned a few things in the process. Read on for some tried and true DIY strategies for staying cool on hot nights. 

Cool as a Cucumber 
🔥 How to Beat the Heat 🔥
🛌🏻
Choose Cotton.
Save the ooh-la-la satin, silk, or polyester sheets for cooler nights. Light-colored bed linens made of lightweight cotton (Egyptian or otherwise) are breathable and excellent for promoting ventilation and airflow in the bedroom.

2. Feel the Freezer Burn.
Stick sheets in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes before bed. We recommend placing them in a plastic bag first (unless eau de frozen pizza is your fave aromatherapy scent). Granted, this won’t keep you cool all night, but it will provide a brief respite from heat and humidity.
❄️
Get Cold Comfort.
Here’s a four-seasons tip for keeping utilities charges down: Buy a hot water bottle
In winter, fill it with boiling water for toasty toes without cranking the thermostat. 
During summer, stick it in the freezer to create a bed-friendly ice pack.
💨
Be Creative.
If you thought fans are just for blowing hot air around, think again! Point box fans out the windows so they push hot air out, and adjust ceiling fan settings so the blades run counter-clockwise, pulling hot air up and out instead of just twirling it around the room.

Sleep Like an Egyptian.
If there seem to be a lot of Egyptian references in this list, it’s because those Nile-dwellers knew how to do it right. The so-called “Egyptian method” involves dampening a sheet or towel in cool water and using it as a blanket. We recommend laying the damp sheets on top of a dry towel to avoid soaking the mattress.
6. Get Loose.
Less is definitely more when it comes to summertime jammies. Pick a loose, soft cotton shirt and shorts or underwear. Going full nudie during a heat wave is (unsurprisingly) controversial. Some people believe it helps keep them cool, while others claim going au natural means sweat stays on the body instead of being wicked away by fabric. We’re going to chalk this one up to personal preference.
🧊
Go Old-School
Remember when refrigerators were iceboxes that contained actual blocks of ice? Us neither. This stay-cool trick is straight out of the icebox era, though. Make a DIY air conditioner by positioning a shallow pan or bowl (a roasting pan works nicely) full of ice in front of a fan. The breeze will pick up cold water from the ice’s surface as it melts, creating a cooling mist.
💨 💦
Create a Cross-Breeze.
In this case, hanging out in the cross-hairs is a good idea. Position a fan across from a window, so the wind from outside and the fan combine in a cooling cross-breeze. Feeling fancy? Go buck-wild and set up multiple fans throughout the room to make the airflow even more boisterous.
🧊
Pamper Your Pulses.  
Need to cool down, stat? To chill out super-fast, apply ice packs or cold compresses to pulse points at the wrists, neck, elbows, groin, ankles, and behind the knees.
❄️
Get Tech-y.
We can’t vouch for its effectiveness, but the chillow - a high - tech pad that stays cool through water circulation - seems like a genius idea.
🛌 🏻
Be a Lone Wolf.
Sorry lovebugs, but sleeping alone is way better than spooning for staying cool. Cuddling with a partner increases body heat, making the bed a sticky, sweaty pit of despair instead of a cool, calm oasis.

🥛
Fill up the Tank.
Get a leg up on hydration by drinking a glass of water before bed. Tossing and turning and sweating at night can result in dehydration, so get some H20 in the tank beforehand. (Pro tip: Just eight ounces will do the trick, unless you’re really into those 3 a.m. bathroom runs.)
🚿
Cool Off.
A cold shower takes on a whole new meaning come summertime. Rinsing off under a stream of tepid H20 brings down the core body temperature and rinses off sweat (ick) so you can hit the hay feeling cool and clean.
💨
Get Low.
Hot air rises, so set up your bed, hammock, or cot as close to the ground as possible to beat the heat. In a one-story home, that means hauling the mattress down from a sleeping loft or high bed and putting it on the floor. If you live in a multi-floor house or apartment, sleep on the ground floor or in the basement instead of an upper story.
💡
Turn Off the Lights.
This tip is pretty self-explanatory. Light bulbs (even environmentally-friendly CFLs) give off heat. Fortunately, summer means it stays light until eight or nine at night. Take advantage of natural light as much as possible, and keep rooms cool after dark by using lights minimally or not at all (romantic candle-lit dinner, anyone?).
🪟
Hang Out.
Cool down a whole room by hanging a wet sheet in front of an open window. The breeze blowing in will quickly bring down the room’s temperature.
🛌🏻
Release Your Inner Tarzan.
Feeling ambitious (or just really, really hot)? Rig up a hammock or set up a simple cot. Both types of beds are suspended on all sides, which increases airflow.
👨🏻‍🍳
Stay Away From the Stove.
Summer is not the time to whip up a piping hot casserole or roast chicken. Instead, chow down on cool, room-temperature dishes (salads are clutch) to avoid generating any more heat in the house. If hot food is in order, fire up the grill instead of turning on the oven. And swap big meals for smaller, lighter dinners that are easier to metabolize. The body produces more heat after you chow down on a huge steak than a platter of fruits, veggies, and legumes.
👣
Encourage Cold .
Those ten little piggies are pretty sensitive to temperature because there are lots of pulse points in the feet and ankles. Cool down the whole body by dunking (clean!) feet in cold water before hitting the hay. Better yet, keep a bucket of water near the bed and dip feet whenever you’re feeling hot throughout the night.
🔌
Unplug at Night.
As in, literally disconnect electronics. Gadgets and other small appliances give off heat, even when turned off. Reduce total heat in the house (and save energy!) by keeping plugs out of sockets when the appliances are not in use.
🏕️
Camp at Home.
Got access to a safe outdoor space like a roof, courtyard, or backyard? Practice those camping skills (and stay cooler) by pitching a tent and sleeping al fresco.
🛌🏻
Hog the Bed.
Sleeping alone (see No. 11 above) has its perks, including plenty of space to stretch out. Snoozing in spread eagle position (i.e. with arms and legs not touching each other) is best for reducing body heat and letting air circulate around the body. Hit the hay in this sleep position to keep limbs from getting crazy sweaty.
😴
Go Rustic.
When temperatures soar, trade in that extra-comfy mattress for a minimalist straw or bamboo mat. These all-natural sleeping surfaces are less comfortable, but they don’t retain heat like a puffy, cloth-covered mattress.
🛌🏻
Get Creative With Grains.
Rice and buckwheat aren’t just for eating! These cupboard staples can also keep you cool on hot nights. Stock up on buckwheat pillows, which don’t absorb heat like cotton and down. And for a cold compress on really hot nights, fill a sock with rice, tie it off, and stick it in the freezer for an hour or so. The compress will stay chilly for up to 30 minutes, definitely enough time to nod off. 
#sleep from Nature
 Tips for a Better Night’s Sleep
🛌🏻
Go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day, including weekends. It’s important for your body to have a regular sleeping schedule.
🎼
Set a relaxing bedtime routine, such as listening to calming music, reading a book or taking a warm bath.
❄️
Make sure your bedroom is cool. Your body temperature naturally decreases to initiate sleep. A bedroom temperature between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit helps promote sleep.
🤫
Make sure your bedroom is quiet. Turn off noisy distractions such as a TV. Silence unwanted noise with earplugs or use “white noise,” such as from a fan, sound machine or an app.
🌚
Make sure your bedroom is dark. Use blackout shade to block out unwanted light and dim the lights on your digital clock.
🛌🏻
Sleep on a mattress and pillows that are comfortable and supportive.
🥣
Finish eating meals 2-3 hours before bedtime.
🏊
Exercise regularly. A low-impact fitness program, like walking, swimming or yoga, is helpful for managing pain and stiffness and improving sleep.
Try to limit how many caffeinated products you consume in the afternoon.
🍹
Alcohol and nicotine in your body can disrupt sleep and can cause nighttime waking. For optimal sleep, skip them close to bedtime or altogether.
🥺 ⛄❄️💦💧💨⛄🌞  🐧❄️☃️ ❄️🌊💦💧💨⛄🌞 🥺
❄️🍨 🥛 ☕ 🍹🧃🧋   🧊🚿 🍧 🍦 🛌🏻 👣🔌 
⛺ 🏕️ 😴 💡 🪟 👨🏻‍🍳  🤸‍♂️💦 🫧⛲ 🧎
 
 

Dance Day💃National 🕺July 28th

International 🩰Dance Day
Official National Dance Day Routine
💃National Dance Day is July 28th! 🕺
This year’s National Dance Day routine was created by Emmy-Award-winning choreographer Mandy Moore to Kylie Minogue’s song, Dancing. The video features Dancing with the Stars troupe members Britt Stewart, Morgan Larson and Hayley Erbert along with Season 13 So You Think You Can Dance winner, Kida Burns and Season 11 contestant Nick Garcia, as well as The Rollettes founder Chelsie Hill. 

Watch the video, create your own version of the routine, share it, and challenge someone else: #DanceMadeMeDoIt   #NationalDanceDay
 
International Dance Day: 
Get your Groove on!
Sun, 04/29/2012   Jessica Baudin
1982 was a great year for the world! Not only was it the year I was born it was also the year the world celebrated the first ever International Dance Day. Wikipedia describes International Dance Day as follows:

"International Dance Day was introduced in 1982 by the International Dance Committee of the International Theatre Institute (ITI), a UNESCO partner NGO, and is celebrated on April 29 every year. The date was suggested by the International Dance Committee of ITI to commemorate the birthday of Jean-Georges Noverre (1727-1810), the creator of modern ballet.

Every year, an outstanding choreographer or dancer is invited to deliver a message which is circulated throughout the world. The personality is selected by the founding entity of the International Dance Day - the International Dance Committee of ITI, which collaborates with World Dance Alliance, a Cooperating Member of ITI

The goal of the “International Dance Day Message” is to celebrate Dance, to revel in the universality of this art form, to cross all political, cultural and ethnic barriers and bring people together through the common language of Dance[3]. Together with the World Dance Alliance, ITI and its Dance Committee celebrate International Dance Day at UNESCO in Paris and all over the world".

I love that the purpose of International Dance Day is to bring people together through dance. Dance, for me, has first and foremost always been about community. There is something incredibly organic about moving your body to music with other people. Dance has the power to connect, motivate, and inspire. Dance has the power to heal both body and soul. Dance has the power to break barriers and bring people together!

To celebrate International Dance Day I have compiled some simple ways you can get your groove on today!
Dance for Brain and Body Integration:

Research has shown dance has the ability to help us focus, improve cognitive functioning and integrate brain and body. Anne Green Gilbert from the Creative Dance Centre in Seattle coined the term BrainDance:

"...eight developmental movement patterns that healthy human beings naturally move through in the first year of life... Repeating these patterns over time may help us fill in any missing gaps in our neurological system due to birth trauma, illness, environment, head injury or not enough tummy time as a baby."

We've integrated Anne's Brain Dance into our Baby Brain Play and Toddler Brain Play activities. The rhyme that seems to be everyone's favourite? Washing Machine!

Dance for Physical Health
Dance is a great way to be physically active. It integrates cardiovascular endurance, flexibility and strength. It can be done anywhere you have some open space and music. Remember, it is recommended that we all move for at least 60 minutes daily. Daily Dance Parties can help us reach that 60 minutes mark through 5-10 minutes intervals throughout the day. Just turn on your favorite tunes and just dance for a few minutes.  Bria and Malia do it daily and so can you!

Freeze Dance games are a simple way to get moving and very popular for children of all ages. Simply turn up the tunes and get your kids moving. At intervals pause the music and have your kids freeze in a shape or pose. You can vary this game hundreds of ways by adding dance concepts, props, and movement skills. Don't want to use your remote to pause? Check out this Musical Mondays post for Freeze Dance song suggestions.

 
Dance for Musicality
Kids don't just learn music by sitting and playing an instrument or singing along. Kids develop their sense of rhythm through activating their vestibular system, meaning they need to move to the music! Use shakers (or other small percussion instruments) to enourage children to move to the music. Here are some different ways to use shakers for dance and musical play.

 At 2 month infants can discriminate rhythmic patterns (Demany, McKenzie, and Vurpillot, 1997). How does your baby's brain differentiate rhythmic patterns if she can't yet waltz, cha cha, march, or salsa on her own? Through passive movement, i.e. YOU! So pick up your baby today and dance!

Dance is also a great way to expose your child to a wide variety of musical styles and genres. Check out our Musical Mondays posts for suggestions of songs we love to dance to!
Dance for Creativity and Expression
Dance is a powerful tool for promoting creativity and self-expression. Giving your kids a space to express themselves creatively will develop their communication skills, increase self-esteem, and help them become more self-aware.

My girls love to make up dances. It can keep them busy for hours as they create their masterpieces. My role is to be a supportive audience when they are ready. Just allowing them a place they can create leaves us with memories like this:

Take some time from your day and just DANCE! I promise after 5 minutes of dancing you'll feel happier and revitalized.

If you're local to Edmonton also check out the great Dance Day promotion we have going on over at J'Adore Dance. For today only 5 Class Drop in Passes are on sale for $37! Make the commitment to dance today for you brain, body and soul!
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Nina Kaptsova
Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy
http://shutupanddancealready.tumblr.com/archive

Ballet Terms 🩰
Adagio - in a classical ballet class, the adagio portion of the lesson concentrates on technique by using slow movements i.e. exercises at the barre consisting of plies, developpes, attitude, arabesque, rond de jambe
🩰
Allegro - applied to all bright, fast or quick movements i.e. canbriole and jete. The most important thing to achieve is lightness, smoothness, and make it seem effortless
🩰
Tendu - extension of the leg most commonly from 1st or 5th position; going from front, side, back, side (en dehors); while extending the leg your floot goes from flat to demi pointe and to just the toes; when extending to the front and side lead with your toes then pull back to position with your heel leading vice versa to the back
18 dance forms of India indigenous to each state
On International Dance Day, find out which Indian state boasts of which dance form.
https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/gk-current-affairs/story/dance-forms-of-india-320648-2016-04-29

Wednesday, July 26, 2023

Laughter 😄 Benefits

😄  Benefits of Laughter  😁
How Laughter
could Affect Your Health
Over the last ten years, many researches have studied the positive effects of laughter on the body. The research revealed many potentially interesting facts to us on how laughing can reward one’s health.
The blood vessels of those who watched comedies behaved normally and were expanding and contracting easily. 
In contrast, people who watched dramas were more likely to feel tense and thus the blood vessels restricted the blood flow.

Other studies were conducted regarding the effects on blood sugar levels when people with diabetes were shown either comedies or tedious lectures. After watching the comedies, the blood sugar levels of the group of people with diabetes had been lower but the blood sugar levels of the group of people with diabetes who attended tedious lectures tended to be slightly higher.
Decreased immune system response goes hand in hand with increased stress. Humor and laughter have seemed to raise the level of infection-fighting antibodies in the body and thereby boosting the levels of immune cells. That is a solid reason why laughter has been used extensively in therapeutic situations.

The other study concluded that people with a painful spine condition were able to feel two hours of pain-free relaxation or sleep just after watching a comedy for just 10-minutes. 


Therefore, laughter as well as humor can serve as a relief for pain.
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So, whenever you are feeling run-down, why not you attempt laughing more? 
Your laughter will undoubtedly put spring back in your step and make you feel much better.
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