March!
March is the third month of the year, originally marking the start of the Roman calendar and named after ____, the god of war
Mars! The Greek god equivalent of Mars is Ares.
Pounds, ounces, tablespoons, and teaspoons are part of the category of weights and this
What are measures? Weights and measures are units that quantify volume, length, weight, etc.
"I'm gonna make him an offer __ ____ ______"
"he can't refuse" from The Godfather (1972)
This antebellum South Carolina city boasts cobblestone streets, horse-drawn carriages, and Fort Sumter.
What is Charleston? Nighttime ghost tours draw many tourists to the city.
This term refers to a menu with separately priced items.
What is à la carte? In the United States, you can order à la carte from most menus. Prix fixe, or all-inclusive meals, from appetizers to dessert, are often found in high-end restaurants
This is the most popular color of rose given on Valentine’s Day
What is red? Roses account for 83 percent of all flowers sold on Valentine’s Day, and 63 percent of those roses are red.
What percentage of the population is left-handed?
Roughly ten percent! Only one percent of the population is ambidextrous.
First Phone Call: Alexander Graham Bell made the first telephone call on March 10, 18__.
1876! The first discernible speech is transmitted over a telephone system when inventor Alexander Graham Bell summons his assistant in another room by saying, “Mr. Watson, come here; I want you.” Bell had received a comprehensive telephone patent just three days before.
We were taught about this graphical representation of food and the number of servings of each group we should have in a day.
What is the food pyramid? MyPlate has since replaced the food pyramid.
"Go ahead, ____ __ ___"
"make my day" from Sudden Impact (1938)
This former maximum security prison sits in the middle of San Francisco Bay on a gigantic rock.
What is Alcatraz? Tours are conducted daily, with ferry service from San Francisco. Alcatraz was first a military prison during the Civil War and operated as a federal prison from 1934 to 1963. Al Capone was its most famous prisoner. Whitey Bulger also served time there
This term means to beat an ingredient, such as cream, to incorporate air into it.
What is whip? You can whip cream with a mixer, or you can use a whisk to accomplish the same result with elbow grease and more time.
This major bodily organ gets its own month in February.
What is the heart? The American Heart Association has designated February as American Heart Month, a time to raise awareness about heart disease, including prevention and treatment.
Percentage of US Adults that say they use the internet
96%!
Julius Caesar was stabbed 23 times to death on the 15th of March, how many of Caesar’s stab wounds were thought to be fatal?
1 out of 23 — And Caesar wasn’t the only one who got stabbed that day. He impaled his first attacker, Casca, with a writing utensil. And Cassius accidentally stabbed Brutus in the hand.
Use your glass measuring cup for measuring this type of ingredient.
What is liquid? Dry ingredients are measured in metal or plastic flat-top measuring cups.
"Elementary, my ____ _____"
"dear Watson" from Sherlock Holmes (1939)
This string of islands off the coast of North Carolina houses the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, with its distinctive, diagonal black-and-white stripes.
What are the Outer Banks? Orville and Wilbur Wright’s historic flight took off from the Outer Banks, and the majestic Wright Brothers Memorial is perched atop Kill Devil Hill.
Food Network celebrity Alton Brown calls this type of cooking in a gas oven “upside-down grilling.”
What is broiling? You won’t get a charcoal flavor, but you’ll get the equivalent of a gas-grilled meal.
Fat Tuesday is the culmination of this event.
What is Mardi Gras? Fat Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday in the Christian faith.
What percentage of the worlds money is in cash, not digital?
8 percent
One of the world’s great artists was born on March 30, 1853. According to legend, he sold only one painting before he died in 1890. That’s not true, though: He sold at least a few paintings and drawings, and often traded his works for food or art supplies. Who was he?
Van Gogh — It is true, however, that he died broke and one-eared.
Add this to a roux to make a béchamel sauce.
What is milk? Both are basic French sauces and made with flour and a fat, usually butter. They have been incorporated into American sauces and are the base of gravies, Alfredo, and cheese sauces.
"Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, ___ ______ ____ ____"
"she walks into mine!" from Casablanca (1942)
If spelunking is high on your bucket list, there’s no better place to take a cave tour than the Mammoth Cave in this state.
What is Kentucky? Mammoth Cave is the longest known cave system in the world, with more than 400 miles of mapped passageways.
This is the term for chopping an ingredient into cubes larger than minced cubes.
What is dice? The cubes vary in size from 1/8 to 1/4 inch.
Chosen because it includes the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, February is when this annual observance is celebrated.
What is Black History Month? We started observing Black History Month in 1976. It is the outgrowth of Black History Week, established in 1926.
What percentage of known butterfly species are found in Peru
20 percent
Where did the first St. Patrick’s Day parade in history take place? Ireland, New York, Florida or Boston?
Florida — The parade was held on March 17, 1601, in a Spanish colony on land that is now St. Augustine, Florida. The colony’s Irish vicar, Ricardo Artur, came up with the idea.
We learned this important concept regarding preparing food so all of it would be ready at the same time; it also applies to timing work, projects, and other tasks.
What is time management? Though multitasking became a desirable skill during the rise of the personal computer, researchers have found that, from a time-management point of view, it is better to work on one task at a time.
"After all, tomorrow is ______ ___!"
"another day!" from Gone With the Wind (1939)
This city is best place in the Northeast to see Gilded Age mansions.
Where is Newport, Rhode Island? The most famous mansion is the Vanderbilt Mansion. You can tour the mansions, but some are open only during the summer.
According to Good Housekeeping, to do this is “to cook food in a small amount of fat in a skillet over relatively high heat, stirring often or occasionally.”
What is sauté? When sautéing a protein, you turn it once or twice. However, when sautéing vegetables, the technique is similar to stir-frying.
If you are born on this numerical day in February, technically your birthday will happen only every four years.
What is February 29? Leap years occur every four years, and February gains an extra day.
What percent of the worlds water is freshwater?
3% the rest is saltwater!
Though the idiom has existed for hundreds of years, what story popularized the British phrase “mad as a March hare”?
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland — The phrase originally comes from the notion that rabbits would act erratically, and sometimes violently, at the peak of their mating season…in March!
We were taught that when no fire extinguisher was available, we should put out grease fires with this common ingredient.
What is baking soda? Today, the best way to put out a grease fire is to use a fire blanket because it doesn’t create a mess.
"A martini. Shaken, ___ _______"
"not stirred." from Goldfinger (1964)
This national park near Jackson, Wyoming, is named for the highest mountain peak within its borders.
What is Grand Teton National Park? The highest peak of the Teton Range in Wyoming is Grand Teton. Experienced hikers in peak physical condition can navigate the steep inclines of the 7,000-foot climb to the top and back.
A tied bunch of fresh herbs used while cooking is called this.
What is bouquet garni? They are often used in soups and stews. By tying the stems together, you don’t have to waste time pulling them out individually before serving.
The people who ride the Mardi Gras floats are required by law to wear these.
What are masks? They are required to remain anonymous, a tradition that started hundreds of years ago. They can wear full face masks or masks that shield only the eyes.
The birthday paradox states that in a random group of just 23 people, there is a _____ chance that at least two individuals share the same birthday
50 Percent! With 23 people, the probability is 50.7%. With 57 people, it rises to 99%.