News You Need To Know
News You Need To Know
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For some great turkey |
Ever wonder what the biggest turkey weighed?
According to the turkey-trotting experts, England claims the distinction of where the biggest and heaviest turkey was raised. It weighed in at 86 pounds, about the size of a "good size" German Shephard. Turkey experts say the turkey originated in North and Central America and has been trotting the globe for a long time. Of course there were fewer when the Pilgrims celebrated Thanksgiving in 1621. But surprisingly, Thanksgiving was not celebrated again until 1863. That's when a woman by the name of Sara Josepha Hale convinced Abraham Lincoln to set aside the last Thursday in November as a day of thanksgiving and prayer. (The turkeys did NOT think this was a very good idea.) Wild turkeys can fly for short distances up to 55 miles per hour and they can run up to 25 mph. Only males (toms) gobble. Hens make a clicking noise. 90 percent of Americans eat turkey on Thanksgiving, 50 percent on Christmas. Ben Franklin thought the turkey was so American that it should be protected as our national symbol instead of the Bald Eagle. (Now the turkeys thought THIS was a very novel and noble idea.) Take Me Back To The Main Page Index.....
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Ever wonder what organ in the human body consumes the most energy? According to experts, the BRAIN consumes more energy than any other organ, burning up one fifth of the food we consume. Your brain is made up of 100 billion nerve cells or neurons, by which the brain's commands are sent in the form of electric pulses. These pulses travel at more than 250 m.p.h., which creates enough electricity to power a lightbulb. And GET THIS: it's estimated that the mental capacity of a 100-year old person with perfect memory could be represented by a computer with 10 to the power of 15 bits (one petabit). At the current rate of computer chip and technological development, that figure can be reached in about 35 years or more. However, that represents just MEMORY capacity, no the extremely complex processes of thoughts and emotions. But you may also want to consider this: for all the complexity of the brain, you still only have one thought at a time. Make it a positive thought. |
| Ever wonder how many calories are in your
garden-variety dill pickle?
According to Bubbies Pickles and other sources, an average-size dill pickle contains a mere 15 calories, and Americans consume more than nine pounds of pickles per person annually. More than 67 percent of all households eat pickles - - and the average household purchases pickles every 53 days. Pickles date back 4,500 years to Mesopotamia where it is believed cucumbers were first preserved. Historians say Cleopatra was a devoted pickle fan who believed pickles enhanced her health and beauty. Cucumbers for making pickles are grown in more than 30 states - - and the biggest producers are California, Colorado, Michigan, North Carolina and Texas. |
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Ever wonder how much cheese the average person consumes each week? According to cheese dot com, and other sources, Americans eat over one half pound of cheese per person each week. The first cheese factory to produce cheese from scratch was started in Rome, New York in 1851 by Jesse Williams. He had his own dairy herd and purchased more milk from other farmers to make his cheese. By combining the milk and making large cheese he could produce cheese with uniform taste and texture. Prior to this advent, companies would purchase small batches of home made cheese curd from local farmers to make into cheese, each batch of curds producing cheese with wide differences in taste and texture from one another. |
For
some great hot dogs |
Ever wonder how many of those little packets of mustard are consumed each year at New York's Yankee Stadium? According to the bean counters who keep track of these important statistics, more than 1,600 gallons and also 2 million individual packets of mustard are consumed each year at Yankee Stadium. Worldwide, over 700 million pounds of mustard are consumed each year. Mustard comes from the Mustard Plant, and 90 percent of it is grown in Canada. Mustard was originally made into balls with a mixture of honey or vinegar and some cinnamon. In 1780, a Mrs. Clemons of Durhan created the idea of making mustard flour or powder, and it was sold under the name of Durham Mustard. In 1904, George French introduced his French's mustard, and that was the same year that the hot dog was introduced to America at the St. Louis World's Fair. |
For
some smashing
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Ever Wonder About The Orgin Of The Word "Spuds?" According to
Sunspiced, Inc., the Irish referred to potatotes as "spuds" - - which is a name
that apparently came from a type of spade or shovel used for digging the potatoes. And in Britain, what does a British potato say when it thinks something is wonderful? "It's mashing!" And finally, why didn't the mother potato want her daughter to marry the famous newcaster? "Because he was a commontater!" |
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Ever
wonder if there's a difference in pesonalities According to an article by Suzy Greaves in "New Women" Magazine, there may indeed be a link between the way we serve our ketchup and our personality type. She categorizes them as follows: DUNKER - Methodical and trustworthy, but may have a bit of Monica "control freak" streak. SPLODGER - Ambitious types splodge huge dollops of sauce in the middle of their plates. They know what they want and how to get it. DON'T get in their way (gimme a break!!!). SWIRLER - Flamboyant types who squirt and swirl their sauce in thin lines. Watch out, they can be impatient and don't tolerate fools or time-wasters. DOTTERS - The dreamers of the sauce world, they live conservatively but dream of adventure. All mouth and no trousers. SMOTHERES - They're the life and sould of the party, living life on full throttle. But be careful, they're also high-maintenance, attention seekers. PAINTERS - Draw ketchup faces and words on their food and have an easy-going approach to life. Watch out, though - they can be so laid-back they're practically horizontal. GOURMET - Keep their ketchup in a cruet and may appear charming, but deep down can be snobbish social climbers (and we hate when that happens). |
For some
nutritious food
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Ever
wonder what food plant and extract has According to a number
of reliable sources, garlic (and onions) are among the oldest cultivated food plants - -
and According to the "Garlic Gal," Eleanor Roosevelt took three chocolate covered "garlic pills" each morning to improve her memory. More recently, researchers at Boston City Hospital found that a garlic extract killed 14 different strains of bacteria that was cultured from the noses and throats of children. Nutritionally, garlic contains sulfur, potassium, fluorine, phosphorous, selenium and Vitamins A and C. It also has been shown to have anti-tumor and anti-cancer effects. And finally, the city of Chicago was named for the Native American word for the garlic that grew wild around Lake Michigan - called "chicagaoua." |
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Ever
Wonder if the French Fry really originated People who study such genealogies will tell you that the word "French" in French fries has nothing to do with its country of orgin. But it has everything to do with the way the French Fry is prepared. Chefs will tell you that food that is cut into strips is said to be "Frenched." Of course French fries fall into that category, because they are made from strips of potatoes that have been fried. As for where French fries were REALLY invented, some experts claim it is probably Belgian. |
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Ever Wonder what the most popular fruit is in the entire world? According to people who conduct studies on things like this, the humble tomato is by far the world's most popular fruit (and you thought the tomato was a vegetable, didn't you?). The banana ranks second, followed by the apple and then oranges and watermelon. Tomatoes were first grown by the Incas and Aztecs in 700 A.D. They were introduced in the mid-1500s to Europe by Spanish Conquistadors. The Germans called the tomato the "apple of paradise" and the French dubbed it the "apple of love." Recent research suggests that maters may help prevent cancer. They also have zero cholesterol. The tomato is a distant cousin of the eggplant, red pepper, ground cherry and potato, and there are more than 10,000 varieties. Tomatoes are used in a litany of food products, including ketchup, salsa, pasta and pizza. Experts say that you shouldn't put maters in the frig 'cause doing say causes them to lose their flavor. |
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Ever Wonder what the most popular pizza topping is in Japan? According to Numero Uno Pizzeria, the most popular topping in the "Land Of The Rising Sun" is eel and squid. In the U.S., 62 percent of Americans prefer meat toppings, while 38 percent have a penchant for vegetarian, and Bolla Wines says women are twice as likely as their male counterparts to order vege toppings. Some of the more trendy gourmet toppings as of late include: chicken, oyster, chicken, crayfish, sprouts, eggplant and artichoke hearts. The more adventurous types have tried peanut butter and jelly, bacon and eggs and mashed potatoes. |
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Ever Wonder About Your Tastes, "Bud?" People who study this type of thing say humans have four basic tastes. The salt and sweet taste buds are located at the tip of your tongue. The bitter bud is at the base of your tongue and the sour buds are along the sides. Your body replaces your taste buds every week or so. And by the way, unless food is mixed with saliva, you cannot taste it. Not all of our taste buds are located on the tongue. About 10 percent are on the palette and cheeks. |
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How Many Beans To Make An Expresso? Coffee experts claim it takes 42 coffee beans to make an Expresso. The first Expresso machine was introduced by the French in 1822 - - but it's been said that the Italians ultimately perfected the process. In related news, the word "cappuccino" is said to have originated from the Capuchin Order of Friars - from the 16th century. The hoods of these friars were apparently called, you guessed it, Cappuccinos. (Cappuccino is a coffee topped with steamed milk.) |
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What About That "Ham" In Hamburger? In the 1800s, a German merchant (from Hamburg) was touring Asia and supposedly noticed that the nomadic Tartars softened their meat by keeping it under their saddles while riding the trails. The motion of the saddles both softened it and ground it into small bits. The Tartars scraped it together and then seasoned it for eating. The idea of pounded beef soon traveled to the merchant's home town - - back in Hamburg. There, cooks broiled the meat and referred to it as "Hamburg Meat." German immigrants later introduced the recipe to the United States. The term "hamburger" is believed to have appeared in 1834 on the menu from Delmonico's restaurant in New York. Still there is no surviving recipe for the meal. |
