February Happenings
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.
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
This visual line separates the ocean from the sky
What is horizon? The water doesn’t really meet the sky on the horizon; it’s an optical illusion. The beach is a great place to see the horizon unobscured
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 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 a
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.
White lines that run across the street at an intersection are known as this
What is a crosswalk? The lines indicate pedestrian walkways for crossing the street.
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.
Fat Tuesday is the culmination of this event.
What is Mardi Gras? Fat Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday in the Christian faith
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
This letter is made up of two diagonal lines that cross in the center
What is X? The alphabet comprises many letters that are formed solely of straight lines. Other letters are made of curved lines or a combination of straight and curved.
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.
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 birthday of 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.
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.
These equidistant lines never cross; for example, railroad tracks
What are parallel lines? Above-ground electrical wires are another example of parallel lines.
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.
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.
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.
Some believe these imaginary straight lines connect sacred places, such as Stonehenge and the Giza Pyramids.
What are ley lines? Some believe ley lines are energetic and are associated with magnetic fields
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.
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.