The Derosia Team

SNOW DAY! It's the 1st official Snow Day of 2016!  All schools in Sevier County, and most of East Tennessee has been shut down. Many businesses are closed for the day and reports are coming in of Highway 66 being closed currently. Snowfall totals vary across the area from a dusting to a few inches. An additional 1-3 inches of snow and ice could accumulate before the end of the night. Enjoy these snow pictures from around Sevier County. Also, what is a snow day with out a little snow cream? SNOW CREAM! YIELD: ABOUT 2-4 SERVINGS SNOW ICE CREAM This 5-minute recipe for homemade snow ice cream is a sweet way to celebrate a snow day! PREP:   5 MINS   TOTAL:   5 MINS INGREDIENTS: 1 cup milk (any kind) 1/3 cup granulated sugar 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 pinch salt 8 cups clean snow or shaved ice (more or less depending on the density of the snow) optional (but strongly suggested) topping: sprinkles!!! DIRECTIONS: In a large bowl, whi

It's a brand new year! A time to make resolutions, a time for a fresh start, a time to reflect and move forward.  New Year's Celebrations...When Did It Begin?      The tradition of celebrating the start of each new year has been occurring for at least the past four millenniums. Our celebrations start on December 31 and carry into January 1, but that has not always been the norm. The earliest New Year's Celebrations have been recorded to about 4,000 years ago in ancient Babylon. The Babylonians celebrated the new year on the day of the first full moon following the vernal equinox. This day (occurring in late March) is significant, because the amount of sunlight and darkness were equal. The occasion was marked with a large religious festival called Akitu. This celebration lasted for 11 days, with each day partaking in a different ritual. A new king was also crowned during this celebration.       As more civilizations developed more sophisticated calendars, th