Art in 18th century

As you remember, The Declaration of Independence took place in 1776. The U.S. began creating their own history and national identity, a part of which, of course, expressed through art. So today we will be looking at some history paintings which means a lot of portaits. 

I will focus on only two artists as all the charateristics can be seen in the work of these two major ones of the period Both born in 1738, John Singleton Copley and Benjamin West. They extended the range of subject matter in American painting to include historical, mythological and landscape subjects as well as the traditional portrait. Copley's aspirations and attitude to the role of the painter in the colonies and 'young' America can be seen in his own remark:

 "was it not for preserving the resemblance of particular persons, painting would not be known in the place. The people regard it as no more than any other useful trade ... like that of a carpenter, tailor, or shoemaker, not as one of the most noble arts in the world".

  Take a look at some work from the two gentlemen

B. West Charles Wilson Peale (1769)

B. West Harvesting at Windsor (1795)

What else can you say about the style after seeing the pictures?

Dodaj do listy blokowanych banerów

Puzzle :)

Let's play a game.

Puzzle time!
of course connected with my Topic
No reading just a game :)  

One of the most popular vegetables in the USA...

 

 

Sweet corn

 also called sugar corn or pole corn

 

 

 

It is a variety of maize with a high sugar content. Unlike other varieties of corn, sweet corn is picked when immature (milk stage) and prepared and eaten as a vegetable, rather than a grain. The husk and silk are removed by hand, before boiling but not necessarily before roasting, in a process called husking or shucking.

In the United States, sweet corn is eaten as a steamed vegetable, or on the cob, usually served with butter and salt. It can be found in Tex-Mex cooking in chili, tacos, and salads. When corn is mixed with Lima beans it is called Succotash. It can be used fresh, canned and frozen. If left to dry on the plant, kernels may be taken off the cob and cooked in oil where, unlike popcorn, they expand to about double the original kernel size and are often called corn nuts.

 

Sweetcorn can be used in many ways in order to prepare different dishes, for example:

Sweet corn soup - The basic recipe is some type of soup base with corn added followed by whatever ingredients give it its distinct style. Typically ingredients are corn cut from the cob, water, butter, some flour, an egg, with salt and pepper for seasoning — this varies by region.

Cornbread - quick bread containing cornmeal. They are usually leavened by baking powder.

Creamed corn - is a type of creamed food made by pulping corn kernels and collecting the milky residue from the corn. It is an almost soupy version of sweetcorn, but unlike other preparations of sweetcorn, creamed corn is partially puréed, releasing the liquid contents of the kernels. Sugar and starch may be added and in home-made version, some variety of milk, perhaps even cream. In store-bought canned preparations adding milk is less common.

And many more... 

Corn flakes

 

Popcorn

 

Corn flour

Sweet corn is not only tasty but also healthy - cooking sweet corn increases levels of ferulic acid, which has anti-cancer properties.

 

Find out what are the origins of planting sweet corn.

Share your answer with us!

Star Wars Day - May the Fourth be with you

May the 4th marks the Star Wars Day, a celebration of everything Star Wars related. It was created by fans and went mostly unnoticed until 2011, when the first organized event took place in Toronto at the Toronto Underground Cinema, produced by Sean Ward and Alice Queen. It included activities like The Original Trilogy trivia game show, a costume contest with celebrity judges and presentation of numerous tribute films and mashups made by fans from around the world. The second edition took place a year later and was already a successful event making a name for itself.

Members of 501st Legion, a semi-professional group of Star Wars cosplayers.

 

Star Wars Day was becoming more and more popular, with famous politicians and celebrities participating in the events and sharing the love on social media. Since Disney's takeover in late 2012, the festivities also take place in Disneyland and Disneyworld, not to mention numerous other places. Organisers realised that it's something that fans want, which definitely helps with making money, as the VIP tickets cost a small fortune in some places. That doesn't mean they don't sell, because they go out of stock like crazy, even in a matter of seconds.

The last Star Wars day took place in 2016 and the next one will probably be the biggest one to date. The event expanded so much that you can see it happening everywhere in numerous places like movie theaters, sports stadiums and parks, which on this day are promoting Star Wars and offering interesting specials. Even the astronauts in the International Space Station took time off their busy schedules to celebrate and watch the original trilogy.

Star Wars Day also helped popularize another event, called Star Wars Celebration. The biggest one took place in Anaheim in 2015, during the craze of imminent release of The Force Awakens in the then near future. Most of the original cast held special talk shows and answered many questions, including Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher.

QUESTIONS:

1. What is the most popular Star Wars cosplay at themed events and Comic Cons?

2. Have you found any signs of Star Wars Day on the 4th of May in your home town?

USA - the kingdom of...

 

 

Fast food

 

When we think of the United States, one of the pictures that we can have in our heads can be this:

Such meals, which characteristic is to be prepared and served quickly are very popular in the USA.

Most of people put emphasis on the fact that fast-food is unhealthy and should not be eaten at all. Others claim that it shouldn't be eaten too often. There are also some people who love fast-food for its simplicity and great taste. However, this post won't be focused on health matter, but rather on objective characteristics of 2 largest American fast-food chains.

McDonald's

 

 

American hamburger and fast-food restaurant chain. It was founded in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald.

Nowadays, McDonald's is the largest fast-food restaurant chain in the world that serves approximately 68 million customers in 119 countries across approximately 36,615 outlets.

McDonald's main products are: hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chicken products, wraps, french fries, breakfast items, milkshakes, soft drinks, and desserts.

However, the restaurants are still expanding their menu in order to satisfy the clients. 

KFC - Kentucky Fried Chicken

It's a well-known American fast-food restaurant chain that specializes in fried chicken. It was founded by Colonel Harland Sanders in Kentucky during the Great Depression.He opened his first restaurant in 1952 in Utah.

     

Harland became a prominent figure of American cultural history; his image remains widely used in KFC advertising.

KFC's product offering is pressure fried on-the-bone chicken pieces seasoned with Sanders' 'Original Recipe' of 11 herbs and spices. There are also available chicken burgers in many varieties, french fries, wraps, sweetcorns, and much more...

However, KFC adopts its menu internationally to suit regional tastes, so the products may differ in some countries.

Which fast-food restaurant do you prefer?
Share with us your answer! 

 

Thanksgiving Dinner

In this post I'm going to show you how a real American Thanksgiving dinner looks like. It is the centerpiece of contemporary Thanksgiving in the United States as well as in Canada.

The dinner's main dish, and at the same time the most well-known is turkey. It plays such an important role in culture that sometimes Thanksgiving Day is colloquially called 'Turkey day'.

Most turkeys at simply stuffed with a bread-based mixture and are later roasted. There is a traditional herb called Sage, which is added to the stuffing together with chopped celery, carrots, and onions. The stuffing contains also chopped chestnuts or other tree nuts, crumbled sausage or bacon, cranberries, raisins or apples.

Nowadays, some people change the recipe and make deep-fried turkey, because of its shorter preparation time. There are also some alternatives to turkey which can be served as a main dish, for example goose or duck.

There are also many more foods which accompany the turkey, for example: 

-Cranberry sauce
-stuffing or dressing
-mashed potatoes
-corn (fresh, canned or frozen)
-green beans often served as green bean casserole
-fresh salad
-bread rolls or biscuits and cornbread

After the dinner desserts are served: 

-pumpkin pie 
-apple pie
-sweet potato pie
-pecan pie 

Obviously, there are many varieties of these foods, caused by different region cultures.

Find out how many turkeys are statistically eaten during Thanksgiving day in the USA.

Share your answer with us!

A drink which does not need an introduction

Coca-cola was invented by John Pemberton in the late 19th century firstly as a patent medicine. Some time later it was bought out by Asa Griggs Candler, and it was him who made Coca-cola the most well-known soft drink in the world. 

JOHN PEMBERTON

The formula of Coca-Cola drink is a trade secret.  However, some people claim that it was once uncovered in a newspaper in 1979.

The main ingredients of Coca-Cola drink are:

- carbonated water

- sugar (different kinds depending on a country)

-caffeine

-phosphoric acid

-caramel color (E150d)

-natural flavorings

 Since June 2012 Coca-Cola has been available in every country in the world except Cuba and North Korea. However, it is reported to be available in both countries as a grey import.

Early Coca-Cola bottling machine

Early  installation of Coca-Cola dispenser

Bottling plant of Coca-Cola in Canada

Early advertisment 

 



Do you know what is the origin of the name Coca-Cola?

Check it and share with us your answer!