The National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows

Snowcake

The National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows name refers to the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome, where legend says snow fell in the summertime. Its a Catholic  shrine to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The shrine is not part of the Belleville diocese but is operated by the United States Province of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate.

It is one of the largest outdoor shrines in the United States. The Shrine provides plenty of devotional places including a church, an outdoor amphitheater, Stations of the  Cross, a Resurrection Garden, a depiction of the Lourdes Grotto, an Annunciation Garden and a site for Our Lady of Guadalupe.

There are plenty of accomadations for vistors from near or far. There's a restaurant, a hotel, an apartment complex for retired persons, a residence for the Oblates, a  visitors center, and gift shop.

During the Christmas holiday the Shrine hosts the "Way of Lights", an outdoor light display that features over 1.1 million white lights. I think we saw the skelton beginnings of the set up of the lights.

Cake artist - April Morrison

One hundred-forty down 110 to go.

Skyview Drive-In

It's intermission! Time for cake!

On the cake at the Skyview Drive in Movie Theater there is a collection of Corvettes. The Chevrolet Corvette is an American icon and was built here in St Louis at the  beginning of the production the car. Lenny Kravitz sings about the Corvette in his song, Oh I want a Chevrolet, I want a Corvette Yeah Yeah Yeah, (not really but that's  how I sing it). I do not think a Corvette is a good car to watch a drive in movie with because it has bucket seats.

To enjoy watching a movie in a car you need bench seats. I am not sure any automotive product comes with bench seats today. I wonder if the decrease use of bench  seats lead to the decline of drive in movies? The last time I seen a drive-in movie was a long time ago. The movie was Damien: Omen II. We did not go inside the drive  in but sat in a parking behind a supermarket and caught the movie for free. We made up our own dialogue. I guess that was an early form of movie pirating.

I noticed that the Skyview drive in movie was playing first run movies. I wouldn't mind seeing Dawn of the Planet of the Apes at a drive in movie, that seems to be the  kind of movie to watch at one. I know most of the drive in movies that I've seen at one time or another have turned into flea markets on Saturdays to make some extra  cash.

The best movie ever seen at a drive in movie was The Birds by Alfred Hitchcock. I seen it at the Whitestone drive in movie. I don't know if it's there anymore, I would
think it went the way of bench seats. (It did).

Guest blogger - Rich

Cake artist - Ray Harvey

One hundred-thirty-nine down 111 to go.

Emma Kunz House/Victorian Home Museum

Historic Homes cake

Emma Kunz House

The Emma Kunz House was built around 1830. It is the earliest dated Greek Revival house in the Belleville area and possibly in the state of Illinois. The house was originally located on Washington Street and in 1972 was set to be demolished. The owners of the house at that time donated the house to the St. Clair County Historical Society and the house was then relocated to its present location at 602 Fulton Street in Belleville, Illinois. The house is named after Emma Kunz who lived here for 77 years and was the last resident of the house.  

Cake artist - David Ottinger

One hundred-thirty-eight down 112 to go.

Victorian Home Museum

The Victorian Home Museum was built in 1866 by German immigrant, who later became a successful businessman in Belleville, Illinois, Morris Dobschutz. The home was built in the Greek Revival style, which dominated American architecture during this time period, consisting mainly of a floor plan with two rooms on each side of a central hallway. Each room of the museum features 19th century furnishings and set up in a way that would have been typical in Victorian era homes.

Cake artist - Paul Laflam

One hundred-thirty-eight down 112 to go.

Guest blogger - Diane

Eckert's Farm

Apple Cake

Eckert Farm is where you can pick-your-own seasonal fruit and vegetables, from May through October. The Eckert family has been growing apples for more than 100
years in Illinois.

It was suggested we go to Eckerts to pick apples and stop off at other cakes in the area. We got to Eckerts a little late in our schedule and shopped in the market
instead. There was plenty of free samples to entice us to buy the foods. I had to buy Colin a caramel apple to help his two, loose front teeth come out. But it didn't help.  We also bought apples.

We already planned on going to IHOP for the Pumpkin Pancakes for dinner. We were looking around for an apple recipe that we could bake to have for dessert. One  of my friends on Facebook always shares yummy looking recipes and there was one for Apple Cake. We served it with vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce and whipped  topping.

Cake artist - Mary Hessler

One hundred-thirty-seven down 113 to go.