Random Facts Friday: January 13, 2011

Hello everyone,
It's Friday! Ready to give your brain a little break? See if any of these random facts I learned about recently will help you out.

1. Pantone colors,  a system used in the graphic design industry, announced the new color for 2012 is Tangerine Tango. Last year it was Honeysuckle. Now Pantone is used in the fashion and cosmetic industry as well. See: http://www.pantone.com/pages/pantone/index.aspx

2. For the first time in more than 60 years, America was a net exporter of gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel in 2011. Measured in dollars, they were our # 1 export. We are not fuel independent, but it does have a nice ring to it. Prices at the pump will remain high: the more sent overseas, the less we have here at home.

3. The flu viruses selected for the vaccine are based on which strains are spreading and how well the current vaccine is protecting against any newly identified strains. There are 136 national influenza centers in 106 countries that study these trends and send samples to the World Health Organization throughout the year. Each year the shot has 3 strains. This year's strains are: A/California/7/2009(H1N1)-like virus; A/Perth/16/2009(H3N2)-like virus; and B/Brisbane/60/2008-like virus.

4. Of the 167,000 enlisted women in the military, 31% are Black, twice the percentage of their civilian female population and more than any other group including Hispanic and White.

5. This weekend is the perfect time to remember your heritage and be thankful of those who came before you. One easy way is to pull out an old recipe that has been handed down through the generations. Last summer I received my grandmother's recipe box. I plan to keep a few and give the rest to the generation coming after me. Here is a recipe I found in the box:

"My Mother's Lemon Pie"
1 c. sugar              4 T. cornstarch                1/8 t. salt               1/4 c. lemon juice
1 T. butter             2 egg yolks                     1 c. boiling water

Blend sugar, cornstarch, salt. Add boiling water and stir until smooth. Add lemon juice and butter and cook for a few minutes until thick. Beat egg yolks and add gradually. Stir until smooth and cook about 5 minutes.
This is all the recipe says. I assume you would pour the cooled mixture into a baked pastry shell.

The oldest recipe I found was a newspaper clipping marked, "April 1st, 1908" in someone's handwriting.
It was for Cream Cakes: one cup soft sugar, one cup sour cream, one egg, one teaspoon soda, one cup raisins, salt, nutmeg, one and one-half cup flour. Bake in patty pans.