Informative
The Dark History of Valentine's Day You Never Saw Coming 0
Raise your hand if this sounds like you: The second you flip your calendar from January to February, you can't help but get all worked up. Sure, the fact that you pulled off January in one piece (or stuck to most of your New Year's resolutions) is enough of a cause to get all pumped up, but the real reason you're buzzing with excitement is because February is the month of love and all things chocolate and strawberries.
But, have you ever wondered why February 14th was designated as the “Day of Love”? Is there an uber-romantic story that made this day so special that millions of people feel obliged to flock to florists and candy shops to show a sign of their affection? Well, to our surprise (and possibly, yours), there is a story behind Valentine’s Day's roots, but it isn't exactly fairy-tale-like.
In fact, the history of Valentine's Day is mostly dark -if not gory. The day has seen its fair share of drama, sadness, and even death. If you want to know more about the origins of Valentine’s Day, this short “trip” down history lane will make you appreciate the way we celebrate the “Day of Love” now.
What Is Valentine's Day?
Celebrated on February 14th, Valentine's Day is the “official” day to celebrate love, but not just one type of love. We're talking about all kinds of affection here, whether that's the romantic or platonic or the type that says: “I care about you, and I'd do anything to make you happy.” With that in mind, Valentine’s Day isn't just a day to shower your significant other with over-the-top statements (and possibly gifts), but a time to show everyone who's special to you that you care and would do anything for them.
The (False) Roman Origins
We don't know if you've heard the story, but according to modern historians, Valentine's Day has its roots in an ancient Roman celebration, known as Lupercalia(1). The festival took place in the city of Rome and lasted about two days, from 13th to 15th of February. Part of the festivities included a ritual during which Roman priests whipped young women with thongs of blood-drenched skin stripped off of two freshly killed animals. As crazy as it sounds, this sort of “spanking” made women fertile.
But, here comes the interesting part. While many claim the Roman tradition was the reason Valentine's Day came to be, the truth is that there's no evidence of any link between the two celebrations. In fact, it wasn't until the 14th century that Valentine’s Day was shaped into the romantic festivity we know today – which brings us to the next point.
The Chaucer Flair
If it wasn't the Romans who started the whole Valentine's Day thing, then who was it? Well, according to Jack B. Oruch(2), the English poet, Geoffrey Chaucer(3), was the first person to ever associate St. Valentine with romance in one of his poems. Specifically, he wrote:
"For this was on St. Valentine's Day, when every bird cometh there to choose his mate."
Geoffrey Chaucer
The poet links St. Valentine to a specific day on which lovebirds get to express their affection for their mates or loved ones (that's Valentine’s Day, btw). So, this is how Valentine's Day came to be. Now, the real question is: Who was this St. Valentine Chaucer was referring to, and how did February 14th came into the picture?
So, Who Was Saint Valentine?
Since there are a lot of theories(4) surrounding Saint Valentine and his life andwork, it's a bit tricky to identify the actual man behind the holiday. However, the one version that hits home with most people depicts the Saint as a priest who lived during the 3rd century AD.
Valentine was at the top of his game while Claudius II ruled Rome. Lore has it that the Emperor was nothing short of bellicose and vindictive, which is why he forbade couples from getting married. He thought that using this way would encourage men to join the army as single men, making better soldiers (again, his thoughts!).
Being the caring person that he was, Valentine went against the Emperor's orders and kept marrying couples in secret, while spreading the word of God. Of course, when Claudius II found out about the priest's illegal activities, he threw him in jail and sentenced him to death. Valentine’s life came to an abrupt end on February 14th, which is where “Valentine's Day” got its name from. One variation of the story also says that while in prison, the Saint fell in love with the jailer's daughter to whom he sent a love letter signed under “Your Valentine.”
Making Things Official
Even though Saint Valentine was killed for supporting his Christian beliefs, it took a while for the Catholic Church to recognize his efforts and contribution to the religion's cause. In fact, it wasn't until 496 A.D. that Pope Gelasius(5) declared February 14th as the First Feast Day of Saint Valentine. The real question in this case, though, is whether the Pope did this to actually honor the martyr, or just to put an end to the paganistic ways of Lupercalia.
Valentine's Day in the 20th Century
Torture, imprisonment, and bloody rituals aside, Valentine's Day's connection to deadly incidents was far from over at the dawn of the 20th century. On February 14, 1929, two rival gangs turned Chicago into a war zone as 7 men affiliated to George Moran's gang were gunned down as they were standing lined up outside a garage.
Reports say that about 70 rounds of ammunition were fired. This small detail shows the brutality of the crime, proving it wasn't your ordinary hit-and-run. And even though there was no concrete evidence, Moran knew Capone was behind the brutal massacre. Of course, due to the lack of evidence, no one was brought to trial. The incident is known today as the “Valentine's Day Massacre”(6).
Final Thoughts
As you see, the history of Valentine's Day isn't as lovey-dovey as we would have thought. On the contrary, the celebration is linked to many blood soaked incidents, which have left their mark in history (sometimes, in the worst of ways). But, despite all these, Valentine’s Day was engraved in everyone's mind as the one day in the year it's all right to go overboard - all in the name of love. So, whether you're planning a romantic dinner at home or want to spend the whole day outside with your boo (or beau), we're just here to say “Happy Valentine's Day.”
References:
- https://www.britannica.com/topic/Lupercalia
- https://www.jstor.org/stable/2847741?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents
- http://obituaries.ljworld.com/obituaries/ljworld/obituary.aspx?n=jack-b-oruch&pid=169665717
- https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=159
- https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/st-valentine-beheaded
- https://www.history.com/topics/crime/saint-valentines-day-massacre
5 Easy Ways to Use Organic Freeze Dried Fruit (and Non-Organic) in Your Meals 0
Dried fruit’s water content is removed through dehydrators, specialized dryers, or naturally. The use of freeze dried fruit has been with us for centuries and seeing it happen today is not a new thing, but something we choose to do differently.If you are already used to cereals, adding a new recipe to your morning routine with organic freeze dried fruit may give you the energy to last you through day. Instead of gambling on processed cereals, grab different freeze dried fruits and fix your breakfast or lunch to enjoy all essential nutrients.
Make Quick Breakfast with Freeze Dried Fruits
Tossing your choice of freeze dried fruit on pancakes adds flavor and texture, leaving you with a fruity taste to tantalize your taste buds. You have a wide selection of menus to pick from, like freeze dried strawberries.
Or you can use organic freeze dried blueberries and enjoy their antioxidant properties. If you choose muffins for breakfast instead, with blueberries, add a little water to let the fruits soak up the moisture. Keep the blueberries or any freeze dried fruit from the pan when baking.
Cereal in the morning sounds like everybody’s favorite. Make it more interesting by getting some freeze dried bananas, which soften the moment you add milk. Try the bananas with oatmeal to get a natural sweet, fruity taste.
Brighten Your Desserts
Freeze dried fruits are delicious and healthy snacks. It does not matter if you are looking for dessert decorations, adding flavor to your cake, or you want to treat your family to something new and healthy using organic freeze dried fruit - there are plenty of options.
You can choose different freeze dried fruits to brighten desserts without much effort. Freeze dried fruits retain shape and color and maintain that spectacular look in your favorite snack. If you are an oatmeal cookie fan, you can forget about the raisins, and pick any of the following freeze dried fruits, like organic blueberries, apples, and organic freeze dried strawberries. All these freeze dried fruits will give you more flavor and brighten the base with colors that resemble fresh fruits.
If you’re looking for a better way of brightening your baking tray, try using freeze dried fruit slices to give the desired effect. If the tray is bigger, you only have to add a variety of freeze dried fruits to add more texture. Your snack presentation won’t fail if you decide to garnish the snack using whole fruits such as strawberries, blackberries, and countless other fruity options.
Make Smoothies
The use of freeze dried fruit is an excellent way of making healthy smoothies packed with extra nutrients and flavor. Smoothies work well with freeze dried apples and bananas. Keep it simple and go light on the sweeteners. The most direct way of making a fruit smoothie is to use whole fresh frozen fruits or crush them to make blending an easy task. Make your smoothie healthy by increasing the antioxidants levels by using organic freeze dried blueberries, or make a cocktail of freeze dried bananas, freeze dried apples, and freeze dried blueberries and boost your nutrition and flavor.
Infuse in Your Water
Nutrient infused water has a refreshing kick. Infusing is convenient. Select your fruit flavor, add it in water, and without much effort, you have flavored water. Infusing drinks is not limited to water; try soda, soda water, and freeze dried raspberries or any other favorite freeze dried fruit. For an extra dose of healthy, try our organic freeze dried fruit.
Baking
Anything that can be baked, from muffins to cookies, can include freeze dried fruits as ingredients, because these fruits do not have moisture that may change the consistency of the mix. Using fresh fruits will make soggy products. When baking with freeze dried fruits, you can choose to use large slices or finer pieces. If you are a muffin or cake lover, go for the coarsely chopped freeze dried fruits. For others, like candy bars, grind the fruits into smaller pieces. For a recipe that includes both sugar and freeze dried fruit, it is best to get the right combination of both before mixing it with other baking ingredients.
All the techniques you will use on one particular freeze dried fruit when baking applies to any other any other organic freeze dried fruit.
More about Freeze Dried Fruits
To get the best freeze dried fruit experience, whether it's breakfast or snack, make sure you use your favorite fruit. The truth about using freeze dried fruit is a good option, because you are consuming the whole fruit: no additives, no preservatives, or no sweeteners. The most impressive thing about the freeze dried meals is that you don't have to wait for designated meal times; all you have to do is to enjoy.
When looking to stock freeze dried produce, note that you are adding more than flavor to your delicacies or drink. The freeze drying process creates long term food storage options. That makes it easy to buy in bulk and store in case of an emergency food supply. You no longer have to worry when guest or friends visit you. Whipping up something without having to go through the rigorous exercise of cooking means your snacks will be ready in time, because no time is wasted on preparation and cleanup.
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References
- http://www.mercerfoods.com/2016/11/08/ways-to-use-organic-freeze-dried-fruit/
- https://blog.nuts.com/6-creative-ways-to-use-freeze-dried-fruit/
- http://bakingbites.com/2017/02/how-to-use-freeze-dried-fruit-in-baking/
- https://www.talentedladiesclub.com/articles/three-tasty-ways-use-freeze-dried-fruit-everyday-snacks/
Would We Starve Without Bees? 0
“To the bee, a flower is the foundation of life, and to the flower, the bee is a messenger of love.” Kahlil Gibran.1 Would we starve without bees? Do you ever think about where the food we eat comes from?Bees are hardworking creatures with a laborious work ethic. They play a vital role in sustaining the world’s ecosystem.1 They pollinate around 84% of crops that are grown for human consumption. These crops rely on pollination to increase the yields and quality. These include fruits and vegetables, as well as nuts, coffee, sunflowers, and tea.2
Their contribution to the ecosystem is invaluable. Animals feed on fruits and berries from the plants pollinated by bees. More so, humans feed on the same plants, and the animals as well. Therefore, bees deserve the title, “guardians of the world’s food chain and biodiversity of our species.”3
A symbiotic relationship
Bees need the flowers for food while the flowers depend on the bees for reproduction.4 Nectar and pollen from flowering plants are the only sources of food for the bees. Nectar gives energy while pollen is rich in protein.2
During this process of searching for food, the bees get covered in pollen from the male part of the flower, the stamen, and the deposit on the female part, the stigma, of the next flower that they visit.1
They carry balls of pollen on their back legs which collect on the pollen baskets that they go back with to the hive to feed their young ones after fertilizing the flowers.2
Born to do it
Bees do their work dutifully, and they are excellent at it. They were created for it. They have stiff hairs and pockets on their legs that allow them to collect more pollen. This also helps to efficiently transport it from one part to another or one plant to another. 2
Bees tend to visit the flowers on the same plant rather than move from one plant to another. Bees focus their energies on one species of a plant at a time.1 This ensures that higher quality pollination takes place rather than distributing different pollen to other plants.5
Bumble bees are more successful, because they have bigger and have more vigorous vibrations. This helps to disperse the pollen to the flowers it visits.3
Importance of pollination
Pollination is the transfer of pollen from the male part of the flower to the female part of the flower, from which then a seed is formed.2 Once the pollen is deposited on the stigma, it moves down to the ovary and fertilizes and forms a seed. The seed will then grow into a vegetable or a fruit.4 Think about the apple tree that blossoms into many apples - all because of fertilization.
Provides a source of food
It might surprise you that a third of our food is dependent on pollination.2 Bees play a significant role in the food we eat directly through pollination. Although some plants rely on wind for cross-pollination, while others rely on animals, other insects, or birds, most rely on bees for pollination.1
Without pollination, seeds won’t form and thus we won’t have the food supply. Pollination isn’t just important for the food we eat, but also is key for crops, such as field beans and clover, which livestock depends on for food, which we depend on for meat.
More so, pollination maintains the genetic diversity of flowering plants. Flowers that are visited often produce larger and more uniform fruit compared to the less visited ones.4 Without the bees, we wouldn’t have our freeze dried broccoli, blueberries, or apples and a majority of other products.
And that’s not all.
Bees provide us honey and wax. Honey is formed using nectar. They regurgitate it and pass it back and forth in their mouths to one another, then deposit it, and seal in a honeycomb. Bees store honey in their hives as their winter food stores.3
Honey contributes to 400 million pounds in the UK.3 Also, it was valued at $317.1 million in 2013 in the US.2
Beautify the world
Through pollination, the floral landscapes are made beautiful and provide attractive homes to other insects and birds.5 Plants attract bees by their bright colors: open or flat flowers that have lots of pollen and nectar.
Honey bee shortage threatens crop pollination
In the past, farmers relied on wild bees for pollination. However, their population is on the decline at an alarming rate, because of extreme weather conditions, use of pesticides, disease, and loss of habitat climate change.4 Now farmers have to buy commercially bred bumble bees and put them on their land hoping that they would pollinate their crops. It is expensive and can spread disease.5 As Albert Einstein said, “If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe, then man would only have four years to live.”2
There is a great urgency to restore our ecosystem and create landscapes that support diverse flora and fauna as man’s survival is linked to bees. Looking at how important bees are for our survival, what would we do without them?
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References
- https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jun/17/why-are-bees-important
- https://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/why-bees-are-important-to-our-planet/
- http://www.bbc.co.uk/guides/zg4dwmn
- https://bees.techno-science.ca/english/bees/pollination/default.php
- https://www.kew.org/blogs/in-the-gardens/the-importance-of-bees-as-pollinators
Would we starve without bees? 0
Do you ever think about where the food we eat comes from?
Bees are hardworking creatures with a laborious work ethic. They play a vital role in sustaining the world’s ecosystem. They pollinate around 84% of crops that are grown for human consumption. These crops rely on pollination to increase the yields and quality. These include fruits and vegetables, as well as nuts, coffee, sunflowers, and tea.
