Did Vikings Wear Horned Helmets?

Easy answer: no, they did not. Vikings were not massive singing men with flowing locks and blood

dripping down their mustaches. 

Viking translates from the old Norse language to something similar to our pirates. Did all pirates wear parrots on their shoulders, no! That would be too much bird poop running down shoulders. Talk about gross. Vikings were, however, a force to reckon with. They attacked monasteries without any hesitation. I guess those monks wished they had a holy hand grenade. Monasteries were easy targets and held oodles of gold and other valuable items. Plus, the Vikings were pagan so who needs to fear the wrath of a Christian god, not someone who doesn't believe! The poor monks did not even stand a chance.

In the Viking world, there was a group called the berserkers. Berserkers were the really scary dudes, the ones that were down for anything. Just imagine your crazy uncle, but if that were his job. Often the best body guards, or this first out into battle, berserkers did not feel the need to tame their inner crazy but rather danced in it. Berserker essentially means "bearskin," which was pretty much all they wore. Either they would wear stylish animal fur or go out bare chested. Some historians think that the werewolf was thought up because of this posse. 

This is just a tiny, itsy-bitty look into Viking history. To learn more go to:

-http://www.britannica.com/topic/berserker

-http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/vikings/who_were_the_vikings/

Why Does Bread Rise?

Bread is nothing but a a pile of flour and water without its parent, yeast. Yeast is a living, single-celled organism classified as a fungi and reproduces asexually. Yum. In order for the yeast to grow it needs to be placed in the prefect moisture and temperature and also needs the properly food supply. Its growth, or reproduction, occurs by budding, where swelling forms on the surface of each yeast particle. Unlike other creatures, reproduction for yeast is short, taking around only 20 minutes.

There are multiple types of yeast but mainly two for common cook, compressed and dry. Dry yeast has 90% of its moisture removed and is able to live 6 months outside of the refrigerator. Compressed yeast has only 30% of its moisture removed and needs to be refrigerated. Both yeast come dormant and become active when mixed with a stimulate such as hot water or milk.

To make bread rise, the yeast eats sugar and passes gas. Well, more like releases carbon dioxide making the dough lift up. Rising also occurs when the bread is in the oven. The heat causes the yeast to go crazy and release more carbon dioxide quickly.

Yeast doesn't only make the bread rise, it also strengthens and adds flavor. Flour and water alone produce gluten which causes the dough to become more elastic and smooth, but yeast greatly increases the amount produced if mixed in the combination. Also, yeast causes fermentation which adds flavor to bread and other components like amino acids and acetic acid.

Just a word of advice, sometimes yeast dies before you can use it in cooking. To test if it is alive, put some yeast in water. The yeast should begin budding and you shouldn't have to waste any flour.

Want to know more?
http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/fungi/yeast-info.htm
http://www.wisegeek.org/why-does-yeast-make-bread-rise.htm
http://www.finecooking.com/articles/yeast-role-bread-baking.aspx?pg=2

Who Thought "Hey, I Am Going to Ride That African Thing" About Ostriches?

Ostriches are mythical creatures. Despite their need to swallow peddles to grind down their food because of their lack of teeth, they can reach up to 70 mile per hour making them the fastest two legged animal on the planet. Ostriches are only two-toed, a fact which gives them their speed. Good job guys, don't let the stones hold you down. Unfortunately, the population of the ostriches' have gone down in the last 200 hundred. Farming and herding are declining, but it is not just the ostriches who are suffering.

Ostrich racing has been in the United States for quite some time. In 1892, ostrich racing was brought to Jacksonville, Florida where it was greatly welcomed. Before this time, ostrich racing had been typical in only Africa. A rider, weighing 150, could pay 50 cents to get on the animal and go. Disney had nothing on them. Sometimes the creature would reach up to 45 miles per hour in their pen, and if that is not exciting enough, it was not uncommon for an ostrich to attack it's fallen rider. If an ostrich's attack was similar to that of a chicken, maybe it would be a fun idea, but the animals leg attacks have been known to beat off lions. Ouch.

After reviewing these facts one might question "Why?" Heck if I know.










What to know more?
-http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/20/ostrich-racing-florida_n_3306819.html
-ostrichracing.com