Tag Archives: Europe

Squash (Beverage)

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Squash (Beverage)

Enjoy a cup of squash!

  • Squash is a beverage, and syrup, made primarily of fruit juices, sugar and liquids, and it normally excludes alcohol.
  • ‘Squash’, originally ‘lemon squash’, is also known as ‘cordial’ and ‘dilute juice’, although the substances may have slight differences.
  • Colouring and flavourings are commonly added to squash, as well as a number of preservatives.
  • Typically, squash is diluted in another liquid, normally water for child-friendliness, and sometimes carbonated liquid is used.
  • ‘Squash’, being a British drink, is common across much of the Commonwealth, although it is rarely seen in an American environment, and it is said to be expensive there.

Squash, Cordial, Yellow, Drink, Beverage, Ten Random Facts, Glass, Food, Sweet,

  • Squash syrup is generally diluted to a ratio of syrup to water, at either 1:4 or 1:5, depending on how condensed the syrup is, and it is also sometimes used in alcoholic cocktails to give flavour.
  • Squash can be made from many different fruits, although it is most commonly made from a combination of various berries or citrus fruit.
  • Squash can be purchased from supermarkets or made at home, and is able to be stored in both a cupboard or a refrigerator for long time periods, due to the high quantity of sugar and preservatives in the liquid.
  • Squash can contain a low sugar content, although in that case it is usually sweetened and flavoured by artificial processes, and as such will generally contain more chemicals.
  • Squash is most prominently consumed at parties, functions, road trips and preschools, in the United Kingdom.
Bibliography:
Consider squash and cordial, 2015, The Guardian, http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2010/sep/07/consider-squash-cordial
Squash (Drink), 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squash_(drink)

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Ground Morning Glory

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Ground Morning Glory

Wake up to the ‘ground morning glory’ early in the morning.

  • Ground morning glories are plants that are native to North Africa and Europe’s Italy and Spain.
  • A ground morning glory has the scientific name Convolvulus sabatius, and it is from the family Convolvulaceae, the family of morning glories.
  • ‘Ground morning glory’ plants are also called ‘Blue rock bindweeds’ and ‘Mauritian bindweeds, and they are also known by the scientific name ‘Convolvulus mauritanicus’.
  • Typically, ground morning glory plants grow to heights of around 15 to 20 centimetres (6 to 8 inches) and spread to a diameter of up to 100 cm (40 inches).
  • Ground morning glories are hardy perennial plants that have received the Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society.

Blue Rock Bindweed, Flowers, Purple, Ten Random Facts, Vegetation, Plant, Bee, Australia

  • The flowers of ground morning glory plants are blue or purple in colour, that are like a saucer in shape, and are approximately 2.5 cm (1 inch) in diameter.
  • The blooming season of ground morning glory flowers ranges from summer to autumn, and they sometimes flower in spring.
  • The best position for growing ground morning glory plants is full sun and they usually thrive in free-draining soils.
  • Ground morning glories are typically used for ornamental purposes in pots, hanging baskets or gardens, as a ground cover or trailing plant.
  • Ground morning glory plants have small green leaves, and the plants can be grown from seeds or cuttings.
Bibliography:
Convolvulus sabatius, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convolvulus_sabatius
Convolvulus sabatius, 2015, Perennials.com, http://www.perennials.com/plants/convolvulus-sabatius.html
Convolvulus sabatius, 2015, Renaissance Herbs, http://www.renaissanceherbs.com.au/romantic-cottage/convolvulus-sabatius

 

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Cadbury Heroes and Cadbury Favourites

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Cadbury Heroes and Cadbury Favourites

Which chocolate in the Cadbury Heroes or Favourites box is your favourite?

  • The confectionery, Cadbury ‘Heroes’ and Cadbury ‘Favourites’ are an assortment of chocolates that are usually packaged in a purple box or tin.
  • ‘Cadbury Heroes’ were originally known as ‘Cadbury Miniature Heroes’, and the chocolates are made by the Cadbury confectionery company.
  • ‘Cadbury Heroes’ is the British version of the confectionery product, while the Australian and New Zealand version is known as ‘Cadbury Favourites’.
  • Cadbury Heroes and Cadbury Favourites contain smaller versions of popular Cadbury chocolate bars, while boxes of these are available in small and large sizes.
  • The production of Cadbury Heroes is said to have been prompted by a similar confectionery assortment created by the Mars company, known as ‘Celebrations’.

Cadbury Favourites

  • Cadbury Favourites contain a different assortment of chocolates to the Cadbury Heroes chocolates; and the former has a wider selection.
  • Popular chocolates that have been featured in the assortments of Cadbury Heroes and/or Cadbury Favourites include Crunchies, Twirls, Dairy Milks, Dreams, Picnics, Time Outs, Boosts, Eclairs and Cherry Ripes.
  • Cadbury Favourites and Cadbury Heroes were released in 1998 and 1999 respectively, and quickly became a hit among chocolate fans.
  • Cadbury Heroes and Cadbury Favourites range from 7 to 12 varieties of chocolate per box, and they are available in packages that contain generally between 300 and 800 grams (10.5 and 28 ounces) of mini chocolate bars.
  • In 2008, the British Cadbury Heroes swapped their popular Crunchie chocolates, as well as Dreams, for other less popular chocolates, causing much outrage by the public.
Bibliography:
Cadbury Heroes, n.d, Cadbury, https://www.cadbury.co.uk/products/Heroes-2410?p=2410
Heroes (Confectionary), 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heroes_(confectionery)
Smillie S, Heroes to Zeroes, 2008, The Guardian, http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2008/dec/19/cadbury-heroes-picnic-dream-bournville

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Maunsell Forts

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Maunsell Forts

Imagine living out in the isolated sea on the Maunsell Forts.

  • Maunsell Forts are a group of buildings that were erected in the ocean for the defence of the United Kingdom, in Europe, near the mouths of the River Thames and the River Mersey.
  • Maunsell Forts were built for use in World War II, serving as forts for either the navy or the army, depending on the fort, with the army forts consisting of a set of seven connected towers.
  • Four navy forts and three army forts were built in the Thames estuary as part of the Maunsell Fort system, named ‘Rough Sands’, ‘Sunk Head’, ‘Tongue Sands’, ‘Knock John’, ‘Nore’, ‘Red Sands’ and ‘Shivering Sands’, numbered U1-U7 respectively, and are collectively known as the ‘Thames Sea Forts’.
  • Observing, searching for and halting German aircraft and other threats, during World War II, were the primary uses of the Maunsell Forts.
  • The main material used in the construction of Maunsell Forts was concrete and steel, with the navy forts sitting on a flat bed supported by two cylindrical columns, and the army fort towers sitting atop four cylindrical legs that sit like a square pyramid.
Maunsell Sea Forts
Image courtesy of Steve Cadman/FlickrMaunsell Forts, Brown, Water, Thames, England, United Kingdoms, Group, Five, Navy , Ten Random Facts, Flickr
  • Maunsell Forts were designed by engineer Guy Maunsell from Britain, hence their name, and were built in the early 1940s.
  • A number of Maunsell Forts or towers have been destroyed since World War II, due to watercraft collisions and weather conditions, while the forts in the Mersey estuary were removed due to the hindrance to ships travelling in the area.
  • By the 1950s the Maunsell Forts were no longer used for their original purpose and were mostly left abandoned, however, during the 1960s, a number of the forts were overtaken by pirates as a base to broadcast pirate radio.
  • Many of the remaining Maunsell Forts are in a state of deterioration and they can be quite hazardous to approach, so viewing is generally performed from a distance.
  • Restoring the Maunsell Forts has been considered, and a preservation project, known as Project Redsand began in 2003 to restore the Red Sand towers so that they could be used commercially for communications, recording of music, experiments, and history related activities.
Bibliography:
Maunsell Army Sea Forts, 2014, Atlas Obscura, http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/maunsell-army-sea-forts
Maunsell Forts, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maunsell_Forts
World War II: ‘Fort Madness: Britain’s Bizarre Sea Defense Against the Germans, 2010, Spiegel Online International, http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/world-war-ii-fort-madness-britain-s-bizarre-sea-defense-against-the-germans-a-728754.html

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Lamb’s Ear

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Lamb’s Ear

Lamb’s ears are a bit more on the vegetarian side.

  • Lamb’s ears are primarily perennial evergreen plants native to Turkey, Iran and Armenia in Europe.
  • The scientific name of a lamb’s ear plant is Stachys byzantina, from the family Lamiaceae, the family of mint, and the plant is also known as ‘lamb’s tongue’ and ‘woolly woundwort’.
  • The leaves of lamb’s ears have a soft velvety texture and are shaped like the ear of a lamb, hence the common name, and they are a silver grey-green colour, and when the leaves are young, they tend to be more green in colour.
  • Flowers of lamb’s ears bloom during spring and summer on long stems that sit above the plant, and the small flowers range from a pink to purple colour.
  • Lamb’s ears typically grow to be 30 to 45 centimetres (12 to 18 inches) tall, and the flower spikes add another 10 to 22 centimetres (4 to 8.7 inches) to the height of the plant.

Lamb's Ear, Plant, Vegetation, Green, Red, Ten Random Facts, Fuzzy, Group, Australia

  • Lamb’s ears are often used to decorate gardens and recreational areas, and they commonly attract children due to their soft furry texture.
  • The most successful conditions for growing lamb’s ears involve full sun and locations that do not pool water, although they do endure other situations relatively well.
  • Lamb’s ear plants benefit from being divided and it is a good way to obtain more plants, and they can also be grown from seed.
  • Excessive quantities of water and high humidity levels can cause lamb’s ears to become diseased or rot, and they do have the habit of spreading, especially in ideal growing conditions.
  • Lamb’s ear plants have been used as an alternative to toilet paper and medicinally to treat wounds and the like, due to their antiseptic and other medicinal properties, and the leaves are also edible and can be made into a tea.
Bibliography:
Lamb’s Ears, 2014, Plant Care Guides, http://www.garden.org/plantguide/?q=show&id=3370
Stachys Byzantina, 2015, Gardening Help, http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=p980
Stachys Byzantina, 2015, Perennials.com, http://www.perennials.com/plants/stachys-byzantina.html
Stachys Byzantina, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stachys_byzantina

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Ribwort Plantain

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Ribwort Plantain

Ribwort plantains have a barren look.

  • Ribwort plantain is a plant native to Asia, Europe and North Africa, and depending on the location and growing conditions, it will grow as a perennial, biennial or annual.
  • ‘Ribwort plantains’ are also known as ‘narrowleaf plantains’, ‘English plantains’, ‘buckhorn plaintains’, ‘lamb’s tongues’, ‘rib grass’ and ‘ribleaves’.
  • The scientific name of a ribwort plantain is Plantago lanceolata, and it is from the family Plantaginaceae, the family of plantains.
  • Ribwort plantain leaves grown in a rosette formation, and the underside of the long green leaves always feature five obvious veins.
  • Ribwort plantains typically grow to be approximately 50 centimetres (20 inches) in height, and they have tall flower spikes, with heads that are surrounded by numerous tiny white petals.

Ribwort Plantain, Vegetation, Weed, Australia, Clump, Grass,, Vegetation, Ten Random Facts

  • The bitter leaves of ribwort plantains are edible and can be eaten cooked or raw, while the seeds can be cooked whole or ground like flour.
  • Ribwort plantains are easily grown from seed in low quality soil, with a preference for full sunlight, and as a result, the plants are increasingly used in pastures for livestock fodder.
  • Ribwort plantain plants have been used medicinally for a variety of purposes, including the slowing or stopping of bleeding, and treating  inflammation, and they can be used to hasten skin healing.
  • Countries such as Australia, has seen ribwort plantains introduced, and this has resulted in them being an invasive weed in some areas.
  • Ribwort plantain plants are useful for textile purposes, as they can be made into dye; the fibres from the leaves can be used; and the seeds can be treated to stiffen fabric.
Bibliography:
Environmental Weed Profiles, 2011, Trees For Life, https://www.treesforlife.org.au/sites/default/files/Ribwort%20Plantain_Weed%20Profile.pdf
Plantago lanceolata – L., 2012, Plants For A Future, http://www.pfaf.org/user/plant.aspx?LatinName=Plantago+lanceolata
Plantago lanceolata, n.d, Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants, http://keys.trin.org.au:8080/key-server/data/0e0f0504-0103-430d-8004-060d07080d04/media/Html/taxon/Plantago_lanceolata.htm

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