While much of the world is settling in for shorter days and cooler temperatures, the folks Down Under are just beginning to warm up. Seasons in Australia begin on the first of the month, with spring beginning Sept. 1, summer beginning Dec. 1, autumn beginning March 1 and winter showing up on June 1.
As the ground starts to thaw, one of the continent’s most prolific flowers starts to shine, the Wattle. Following a tradition that begin during WWI, Austalians wear sprigs of wattle to show patriotic support. On September 1, 1988 the Governor General of Australia, Sir Ninian Stephen, officially proclaimed “Acacia pycnantha”, the Golden Wattle as Australia’s national flower.

On the night of Aug 31, 1980, a group of workers from the Lenin Shipyards in Gdanska joined together to form Solidarity. Led by Lech Walesa, it was the first non-communist trade union in a communist country. Solidarity contributed to many reforms in the country, and Lech Walesa was even elected President of Poland.

St. Rose was a complex women, beautiful and kind to others but harsh to herself. She inflicted terrible punishments on herself, despising her good looks and denying herself any comfort. She died at the age of 31, and was buried at the Dominican convent where she had lived. Later, several miracles were attributed to her and she was canonized a saint. She was proclaimed the patron saint of Peru and where they celebrate the anniversary of her death - August 30, 1617 - as a national holiday. Celebrate in your home with a taste of the flagship dish of Peru, ceviche. This is a classic dish featuring raw fish and the taste of limes.

Ingredients
2 lbs. white fish (sea bass, flounder, grouper, sole or even shrimp) cubed
1 red onion, sliced finely
1 ají limo (limo chili pepper), chopped very fine
Juice of 15 limes
Salt
Directions
Combine all ingredients except red onion and mix well.
Place red onion on top and let it marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2-3 hours before serving.
Before serving, mix well and serve with lettuce, corn, avocado or other cold salad vegetables on the side.
It is important to use a juicer that squeezes the juice out of the limes, not one that will tear the membrane of the lime sections since this will make the lime juice bitter.

This is not a holiday, but a day to always remember. Hurricane Katrina made landfall south of New Orleans at 6:10 a.m. Aug. 29, 2005, as a strong Category 3 hurricane that flooded 80 percent of the city and killed more than 1,600 people in Louisiana and Mississippi. It was the worst natural disaster in the history of the United States. Let’s hope our country never has to face a disaster of this proportion again.

This is the first day of the ancient Egyptian calendar, or the first of Thoth. Thoth is the Ibis-headed god of knowledge who the Egyptians say is the true author of every work of every branch of knowledge, human and divine. Mythology also accredits him with the creation of the 365 day calendar.

Consuelo Valazquez was an accomplished Mexican musician, songwriter and politician. Her song “Besame Mucho” (“Kiss Me Much”) has become the most famous Spanish-language ballad in the world. It has been covered in many languages and by many artists, including Frank Sinatra, and The Beatles. It was written before her sixteenth birthday and according to Velázquez, she was inspired by an aria from a Spanish opera by Enrique Granados. In addition to being a prolific songwriter, Valazquez was member of Mexican Parliament from 1979 to 1982. She died in Mexico City in 2005. Celebrate her life and music by playing Bebo & Cigala - Amar Y Vivir
while you whip up a batch of authentic mole Mexican sauce and serve over cooked chicken. You can even cheat and use a rotisserie chicken from the grocers!
4 ½ cups chicken broth
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onions
3 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 ½ tablespoons chili powder
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
Heat oil in a large saucepan over low heat. Add onion, garlic, oregano, cumin and cinnamon. Cover and cook until onion is almost tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Mix in chili powder and flour, stir for 3 minutes. Gradually whisk in chicken broth. Increase heat to medium high. Boil until reduced, about 35 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
Whisk in chocolate; season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Folklore in European countries is very important and Belgium is no exception. On the fourth weekend of August, the “Ducasse” or Wedding of the Giants, take place in Ath’s historical center. On Saturday, after Goliath’s wedding, the giant fights against the shepherd boy David. On Sunday, there is a procession with several giants, floats and picturesque groups going through the streets of the city.

Women’s Equality Day, begun in 1971, marks the signing of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution giving women the right to vote. It was the culmination of a 72-year-long civil rights movement that originated at the world’s first women’s rights convention held in Seneca Falls, New York, in 1848. Several generations of women’s suffrage supporters wrote, lectured, marched, and lobbied to achieve what many Americans considered a radical change to the Constitution. Few early supporters lived to see victory in 1920.

Love her or hate her, Rachael Ray has become a pure media mogul. Her books, television and appearances earn her $6 million a year, and you could fill several shelves with her cookbooks. As much as her demenor annoys me, I find her recipes clean and simple, and extremely tasty. Her encouragement to use only the freshest ingredients has transformed by cooking – I will never make another recipe calling for canned creamed soup of any kind.

Struggling for independence for almost the entire 20th century, Ukraine finally established home rule with the dissolution of the USSR in 1991. This holiday is celebrated worldwide by the scattered population of the Ukraine, who fled their homeland to find more peaceful lives. My grandparents were from Poland and I grew up in a farming town with many immigrants from both countries. There were even two Catholic churches, St. Casmir’s for the Polish and St. Nicholas for the Ukrainians.
Celebrate with your family by serving these traditional potato pancakes.
1 lg onion, grated
6 potatos, peeled and grated
2 tbs. flour
2 eggs
2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. black pepper
1 pt. sour cream
1/2 pt cream

In a large bowl use a mixer to puree the ingredients except the sour cream and cream. You may do this in a food processor as well or a
blender. Heat oil in a skillet and when hot drop large spoonfuls of the mixture. Cook until browned on one side. Turn and repeat. When done remove, drain, and place in a warm oven. Mix the sour cream and cream together. Serve the pancakes warm with a large dollop of the cream mixture! This a staple in Ukrainian homes and these pancakes will
store well in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. In many homes preserves or jam is also served on these delicious pancakes.