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Wednesday, November 8, 2023

Weather ~ Picture of the Day ~ Sneezing ~ Sweet and Sour Meatballs ~ National Cappuccino Day

  


Good 37º high fog morning.
 
 
Yesterday we started with fog covering the mountains and at 44º. We topped at 57º.
 
 
Picture of the Day😁


 
 
Interesting about sneezing...........
 


sneeze (also known as sternutation) is a semi-autonomous, convulsive expulsion of air from the lungs through the nose and mouth, usually caused by foreign particles irritating the nasal mucosa. A sneeze expels air forcibly from the mouth and nose in an explosive, spasmodic involuntary action. This action allows for mucus to escape through the nasal cavity. Sneezing is possibly linked to sudden exposure to bright light, sudden change (drop) in temperature, breeze of cold air, a particularly full stomachexposure to allergens, or viral infection. Because sneezes can spread disease through infectious aerosol droplets, it is recommended to cover one's mouth and nose with the forearm, the inside of the elbow, a tissue or a handkerchief while sneezing. In addition to covering the mouth, looking down is also recommended in order to change the direction of the droplets spread and avoid high concentration in the human breathing heights.
 

The function of sneezing is to expel mucus containing foreign particles or irritants and cleanse the nasal cavity. During a sneeze, the soft palate and palatine uvula depress while the back of the tongue elevates to partially close the passage to the mouth, creating a venturi (similar to a carburetor) due to Bernoulli's principle so that air ejected from the lungs is accelerated through the mouth and thus creating a low pressure point at the back of the nose. This way air is forced in through the front of the nose and the expelled mucus and contaminants are launched out the mouth. Sneezing with the mouth closed does expel mucus through the nose but is not recommended because it creates a very high pressure in the head and is potentially harmful.

 

Sneezing cannot occur during sleep due to REM atonia – a bodily state where motor neurons are not stimulated and reflex signals are not relayed to the brain. Sufficient external stimulants, however, may cause a person to wake from sleep to sneeze, but any sneezing occurring afterwards would take place with a partially awake status at minimum.

 

Sneezing typically occurs when foreign particles or sufficient external stimulants pass through the nasal hairs to reach the nasal mucosa. This triggers the release of histamines, which irritate the nerve cells in the nose, resulting in signals being sent to the brain to initiate the sneeze through the trigeminal nerve network. The brain then relates this initial signal, activates the pharyngeal and tracheal muscles and creates a large opening of the nasal and oral cavities, resulting in a powerful release of air and bioparticles. The powerful nature of a sneeze is attributed to its involvement of numerous organs of the upper body – it is a reflexive response involving the face, throat, and chest muscles. Sneezing is also triggered by sinus nerve stimulation caused by nasal congestion and allergies.

 

History

In ancient Greece, sneezes were believed to be prophetic signs from the gods. In 401 BC, for instance, the Athenian general Xenophon gave a speech exhorting his fellow soldiers to fight against the Persians. A soldier underscored his conclusion with a sneeze. Thinking that this sneeze was a favorable sign from the gods, the soldiers were impressed. Another divine moment of sneezing for the Greeks occurs in the story of Odysseus. His waiting wife Penelope, hearing Odysseus may be alive, says that he and his son would take revenge on the suitors if he were to return. At that moment, their son sneezes loudly and Penelope laughs with joy, reassured that it is a sign from the gods (Odyssey 17: 541-550). It may be because this belief survived through the centuries, that in certain parts of Greece today, when someone is asserting something and the listener sneezes promptly at the end of the assertion, the former responds "bless you and I am speaking the truth", or "bless you and here is the truth" ("γεια σου κι αλήθεια λέω", ya sou ki alithia leo, or "γεια σου και να κι η αλήθεια", ya sou ke na ki i alithia). A similar practice is also followed in India. If either the person just having made a not most obvious statement in Flemish, or some listener sneezes, often one of the listeners will say "It is beniesd", literally "It's sneezed upon", as if a proof of truth – usually self-ironically recalling this old superstitious habit, without either suggesting doubt or intending an actual confirmation, but making any apology by the sneezer for the interruption superfluous as the remark is received by smiles.

 

In English-speaking countries, one common verbal response to another person's sneeze is "[May God] bless you". Another less common verbal response in the United States and Canada to another's sneeze is "Gesundheit", which is a German word that means, appropriately, "health".

 

In non-humans

Sneezing is not confined to humans or even mammals. Many animals including cats, dogs, chickens and iguanas sneeze. African wild dogs use sneezing as a form of communication, especially when considering a consensus in a pack on whether or not to hunt. Some breeds of dog are predisposed to reverse sneezing.

If you want to read more, go here:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sneeze



 
From Mr. Food
 

If the gang is used to you serving plain cocktail meatballs on game day, you better make extra this time, 'cause they're likely to eat a bunch more of these Sweet and Sour Meatballs...even before the game officially begins!
 

 

  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 (12-ounce) jar cocktail sauce
  • 3/4 cup grape jelly
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

 

  1. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, egg, water, bread crumbs, salt, onion powder, and pepper; mix well. Form into 1-inch meatballs and set aside.
     
  2. In a soup pot, mix together cocktail sauce, jelly, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil over high heat, then add meatballs. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 30 to 35 minutes, or until meatballs are cooked through.

 

***This recipe is best prepared the day before serving. Cover and refrigerate overnight then skim the fat off the top and heat to serve.
 
 
Historically this date...........
1889 – Montana is admitted as the 41st U.S. state.


 
1895 – While experimenting with electricityWilhelm Röntgen discovers the X-ray.


 
1960 – John F. Kennedy defeats Richard Nixon in one of the closest presidential elections of the twentieth century to become the 35th president of the United States.


 
1966 – U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson signs into law an antitrust exemption allowing the National Football League to merge with the upstart American Football League.



 
1973 – The right ear of John Paul Getty III is delivered to a newspaper together with a ransom note, convincing his father to pay 2.9 million USD.




 
 
And births this date include....
1927 – Patti Page, American singer (d.2013)
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1931 – Morley Safer, American journalist (d.2016)
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVGjXnSVgXZ-iibv63LLXFlQA7ROdP-VB2XGlVIr46HCGqL97ievU6WQWBoZ15a8OUL-iLohrvcNYBL6dX-2tenYIaA7RZ10w1ngdLB6QlaJY43ObcysWXHColqTaMHnWuxFnkIK7XSlY_/s1600/portrait_saferMA28885812-0012.jpghttps://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvWDFd255Qq9RIoc-AV-zHcPQ1Jr5P8jy90lgY0Jgn1Qizwn3NRuVu5mbJLUeGkxn9io1IOvrNGhv2sjmMp1Nf06Fnj_D6_NMvi-5mrNoAy1xNubaR49hMacTyCxDe4M1CcwwxkvEwtKoJ/s1600/morleyMA28885812-0013.jpg
 
 


1950 – Mary Hart, American television personality
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmJyyfeix4DlrJi0ME99FhWPycyTSEtTMa0lUKW5Gg5hDvkcyAXDLYYRTtAeqezgDy0So20gHSaQ-q1JU7LGVjDyzAmeFSgiFz_PiZV05iw4weJtwbfJkjirjxkZjpl66GmUhhveFNctmy/s1600/maryhartMA28885812-0014.jpg
 
 
 
All I know. Nuff said. Have a good Wednesday. Ciao.
xo Sue Mom Bobo

National Cappuccino Day on November 8th whips up a frothy, hot cup of cappuccino. It’s a perfect drink on a frosty morning, meeting with friends or just to enjoy a creamy cuppa.
Traditionally prepared with espresso, hot milk, and steamed milk foam, a cappuccino is an Italian coffee drink.
The word cappuccino comes from the Capuchin friars and is the diminutive form of cappuccio in Italian, meaning hood or something that covers the head. This popular coffee beverage got its name not from the hood on their habits but from the color of the hooded robes that the friars wore.  (The Capuchin friars is an Order of friars in the Catholic Church, among the chief offshoots of the Franciscans.)
  • In 1945 Achille Gaggia invented the modern espresso machine which further popularized the cappuccino.
  • The Mid 1990s – Cappuccino was made more widely available to North Americans as upscale coffee houses sprang up.
  • Late 1990′s to Early 2000′s – Cappuccinos became popular in the United States concurrent with the boom in the American coffee industry.
  • The start of the 21st Century – A modified short-cut version of the cappuccino started being served at fast-food chains.
  • While steaming the milk you must pay close attention to attain the correct ratio of foam, thus making the cappuccino one of the most difficult espresso-based beverages to make properly.
  • A skilled barista may create artistic shapes while he/she is pouring milk on top of the espresso coffee.
Visit your favorite coffee shop to enjoy a nice hot and delicious cup of cappuccino.

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