 Growing up, a classic dinner-table manor has been, “don’t play with your food.” But recently, that has become a new trend. Food art amazes viewers from small children to elderly citizens. According to smithsonianmagazine, food art was first demonstrated by chefs when they wanted to make food dishes look presentable. It then evolved to making everyday images in food. There are many types of food art from carving intricate designs into avocados to making Marilyn Monroe’s face with spaghetti and meatballs.
A favorite of everyone’s is avocado art. People make designs you would see on an old Italian cathedral. Other famous pictures make roses out of avocado slices. Many people wonder how this is done because after a while, the avocados turn brown. Many say, avocado art is the most iconic type of food art. It is certainly very creative. Some people do food art for fun and some others like to compete. According to vegetablefruitcraving, many competitions are more around craving than anything else. This includes pumpkins, watermelons, squash. A famous food art competition is the Ohio State Fair Fruit Carving Competition. In Asheville, we have our own food art competition known as Grove Park Inn Gingerbread Competition. If you can’t end up showing off your work by competing than you instagram is a great place to show off your creativity. According to, instagram The hashtag, “food art” 6,100,000 posts featured and many users are always coming up with new creative ways to make food look more than just presentable. One of my favorites is making pacman characters out eggs. Whether your just bored in your kitchen or your ready for some competition, food art is way to go. I personally think food art is a killer way to pass time and I think everyone should try scrolling your feed to try it too. :) Story by Liv Suydam Avocado picture site: picture site 1 
https://www.roughguides.com/gallery/weird-food/ https://www.huffpost.com/entry/strange-looking-healthy-foods-superfoods-weird_n_3423388 https://www.bookmundi.com/t/20-weirdest-foods-around-the-world  Almost everyone enjoys donuts. The U.S. bought half a million dollars worth of donuts in 2014 alone. What is this treats history, and what is the secret to making it?
No one is sure when donuts were invented but it may have been by Dutch settlers in the 1800s. The first donut recipe was found in 1800 calling them dow nuts. Dow nuts are their second name because they were originally called Olykoeks, oily cakes. Donut phrase was first used in 1800 and donut and was written in a news article of 1809. Donuts didn't always have a hole in them in 1847 Hanson Gregory poked a hole in them. Donuts were not brought up in history again until they became popular in world war one. In 1920 Adam Levit invented the automatic donut machine, which made 87 donuts per hour. Donuts where pronounced the food hit of the century at the Chicago world fair in 1934. If you would like to learn how to make this treat, read below! How to make baked donuts Ingredients
How to make fried donuts Ingredients
How to make donut glaze Ingredients
Donuts are one of America's favorite treats. There are many ways to make them and they have an interesting history. I know what I will be doing on the first Friday of June, national donut day! Story by Anabel Kehoe Sources: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-history-of-the-doughnut-150405177/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeiNNZ8tfT8&t=292s&pbjreload=10 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Y3gtcf_yH0 https://www.cnbc.com/2015/06/03/dollars-to-doughnuts-us-eats-half-a-billion-worth.html  Let's be honest 2018 was a pretty good year, but I’m pretty sure 2019 will top it off.
There is going to be a lot of history, fun and so much more.
Story by Sydney Edwards  August 26 is National Dog Day! National dog day was founded in 2004, by Pet & Family Lifestyle Expert and Animal Advocate, Colleen Paige. Colleen Paige is the founder of many other National pet days such as: National Puppy Day, National Mutt Day, National Cat day, etc. August 26 was picked to be National Dog day because Colleen’s family had adopted her first dog Sheltie on August 26, when she was 10 years old. All dogs, mixed and pure breeds are celebrated on this day. One main reason for National dog day is to help the public recognize how many dogs that need a home.
Don’t get me wrong, National Dog day is to celebrate the amazing animals we have been blessed with, but it is another way to help Dogs get adopted and given the attention they need. Many dogs have put their lives on the line every day to protect and keep their families, humans, owners, etc. safe. We celebrate NDD, to recognize the importance of dogs and to honor how they impact our lives and theirs on a daily basis. Another reason we celebrate is to pull more attention towards the amount of abused and abandoned dogs, says Why We Celebrate NDD! The National Dog Foundation’s motto for NDD is “ Saving 10,000 Dogs- One at a time.” says:NDD! George W. Bush owns a dog as well, and sent a letter to the foundation to show his support towards National Dog day. You can celebrate National Dog day by adopting a dog, giving a family dog, neighbor’s dog, or any dog T.L.C. Having a safety check around your home, to make sure it is a safe environment for your 4 legged family members. By donating blankets, food, toys, water, bowls, etc. to a local animal shelter you have helped many dogs lives and or families who need help caring for their dog(s). Having a party to celebrate National Dog day and honoring the amazing animals that have made life even more amazing. Taking a photoshoot with your dog(s) is another good way to show your dog how much you love and care for them. Assisting an elderly, handicap, or injured family with their dog(s) is an amazing way to celebrate National Dog day. To find more ways to celebrate National Dog day check out this site: How To Celebrate NDD! The definition of National Dog day is “The sultry part of the summer, supposed to occur during the period that Sirius, the Dog Star, rises at the same as the sun: now often reckoned from July 3 to August 11.” or “A period marked by lethargy, inactivity, or indolence.” cited from :Dog Day Definition If you would like to learn more about National Dog Day visit: National Dog Day! Story by Amelia O'Halloran  Parents need to have paid leave so that they can spend time and connect with their children and get paid. But if you live in America, you most likely won't be able to take time off to take care of your child.
NPR and New York Times talk about how out of 193 countries, only a small handful do not have a national paid parental leave law: New Guinea, Suriname, a few South Pacific island nations and the United States. In other words, America is the only developed country In the world that doesn't have paid leave. This means a lot of men & women have to go back to work much sooner than they expected after the birth of a baby than they would prefer since they can't afford much unpaid time off. If you live in Europe this is probably not as much of a problem if not a problem at all. E.U. employers must offer at least 4 months (16 weeks) of parental leave during the first 8 years of a child's life. Unfair For Men The ACLU filed charges with the EEOC against J.P. Morgan Chase for discrimination because it wouldn’t consider Derek Rotondo, to be his newborn child’s primary caregiver. According to the complaint, the bank told him he could get only two weeks of leave, not the 16 weeks it usually provides to mothers. To qualify, he would have had to show that the mother had returned to work or was medically incapable to care for the baby. But his wife was in good health and couldn’t return to work because she was a teacher on summer break. The bank declined to comment on the complaint. Story by Sophia Planicka SOURCE FOR PICTURE: CNN  Growing up at a time where social media and advertising is influenced heavily it is easy to compare yourself to the pictures portrayed as the “perfect body”. Often ads use models that are skinny, tall, and beautiful to make you want the product even more. When girls compare themselves to advertisements and magazines they will most likely start a “diet” diets that are too harsh can lead to anorexia. According to Dictionary.com anorexia is the loss of appetite and inability to eat. HUFFPOST states that 1.3 million adolescent girls have anorexia, and that If negative body image alone caused eating disorders then every woman on the planet would develop them. Anorexia is one of the bigger causes of suicide as well. So this means that these standards can actually cause depression and disorders.
The models According to PBS 83 percent of advertisements that featured women portrayed them as sexual objects. This is a major problem as well. Treating women like objects is not uncommon in today’s society. Models are as young as young as 10 YEARS OLD in some fashion magazines and are posing likes grown models wearing loads of makeup. This leads me to the next subjects; artificial beauty in ways like plastic surgery and makeup. 89.2 percent of models get some type of plastic surgery either on their face or body to make themselves look better. Inclusivity and using models that are different ethnicities and different body shapes. Some brands are trying to make a change and start incorporating inclusivity into their brand. By using plus-sized models with all skin tones and body shapes. Brands like Arie, Nyx, Old Navy are making a change by influencing other brands to use different sized models to end up influencing young girls to be happy with their bodies. Doing things like this is also proving wrong that you cannot be beautiful without being skinny. In conclusion, beauty standards can do many things for young girls and women. Story by VZ Menzies  The Grammys are coming up in about a week which is a much anticipated (by artists and fans of the artists) musical event similar to the Academy Awards or the Tonys except for music. The awards that the artists get are in the shape of a gramophone which is just an old fashioned radio used for playing music invented by Thomas Edison. You might be wondering how to vote for one or get one. To be eligible to vote for multiple categories you must have 6 credentials such as producing an album, kind of like a resume. To be nominated you have to have your piece of music whether it be a song or album released in the appropriate time period (in the case of this years it would be October 1,2017-September 30,2018) and for the music to already be popular by some margin and then the eligible judges pick the nominees then reveal them at the Grammys along with some performances from the artists. Last year Bruno Mars cleaned up with all the major categories with 7 awards including Best Song and Best Album.
The History The first Grammys were in 1959 when there were 26 major categories. Over the 59 years that the awards have been around they have added categories and taken them away at one point having more than 100. Though the Grammys were created and held in 1959-current they were not taken seriously enough to be broadcast on the ABC network until the late 1960s. The first show was hosted by Mort Sahl. The winners for this show include big names such as Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald. Most of the Grammy shows have been in big cities such as Los Angeles and New York City. A not very well known name who is George Solti has won the most Grammys in history with an astounding 31. My opinions on this year's major category nominees Album of the Year I think Post Malones ‘Beerpongs and Bentleys’ should win because this is the album he really blew up on with every song being memorable but with his debut album ‘Stoney’ the only song people really remembered was ‘Congatulations’. But I think ‘Black Panther’ will win with its diverse score with many songs from Pulitzer Prize winner Kendrick Lamar. Song of the Year I think that God’s Plan by Drake from his album Scorpion should win. This song is clearly something Drake was experimenting with but it worked out with him also putting out a music video where he gave money to people quickly amassing to over 1 billion views on Youtube. Although I think either All the Stars by Kendrick Lamar and SZA or This is America by Childish Gambino will win with just plain vocals. Best Music Video In my opinion, Childish Gambino’s This is America will easily win and is my favorite to win this category. With heavy references to segregation, slavery, racism, and Confederacy this will be an easy win from Childish Gambino who has come out of the dark and had quite a few songs on the global top 50. Record of the Year I hope that Cardi.B’s I Like It should win record of the year with references to an Egyptian party combined with Cardi low key flexing on everyone listening, but the only thing that brings the song down is the mumble rapping from Bad Bunny and J Balvin. I think the winner will be All the Stars by Kendrick Lamar and SZA will win just because both of them being great artists while I Like It only has one. Story by Colton Kelischek  Whether you enjoy it with buttered toast at breakfast or drink it as a passed down remedy, tea has become a drink that took the world by storm. With its humble beginnings starting in 2700 BCE, it has since been used as a trading tool, a medicinal beverage, and for overall enjoyment.
According to National Geographic, tea is the most consumed beverage in the world, excluding water with 6 billion cups consumed around the world every day. The legacy of tea started around 2750 BCE in China. Emperor Shen Nung was boiling drinking water when the leaves of a wild tea tree flew into his water. The leaves gave the water an amazing flavor and the Emperor urged his people to start cultivating the plant. The first Europeans to drink tea were Dutch in 1610. It then spread to the British in 1650, where it quickly took over wine and coffee as the drink of choice. Due to the loss of taxes with the decrease of liquor sales, Britain started taxing tea in the 13 colonies. Due to the several taxes the colonies faced, the Sons of Liberty organized the Boston Tea Party, in which they threw 342 boxes of tea into the Boston Harbor. Tea assisted the colonists with the revolution against the British. With the several types of tea, comes the several types of health benefits. According to The Tea Spot, tea can help with restoring bone density, prevent osteoporosis, and prevent fractures. Researchers have found that compared to non-drinkers, those who regularly drank tea had stronger bones, regardless of age, weight, exercise, smoking, and other risk factors. Tea also benefits your brain health. The compound Catechins, found in tea, helps prevent the buildup of a protein that reduces cognitive function. Like coffee, tea also contains caffeine but in addition to the caffeine, it also contains theanine, a compound the contradicts the harsh side effects of caffeine. In additon, tea prevents cancer. A study at the Mayo Clinic showed that components in green tea may help kill cancer cells in common forms of leukemia by cutting off the communication signals of the cells. Another way tea helps fight cancer is the prevention of cell mutation. The polyphenols in tea have antioxidative actions that prevent the mutation of healthy DNA. In Japan, there is a special ritual dedicated to the serving and the enjoyment of tea, known as the Japanese Tea Ceremony. Here at Asheville Middle, Ms. Robert, a seventh teacher, had the opportunity to host this ceremony in her class. I was able to interview her about this unique experience. What is the history of the Japanese Tea Ceremony? 1. There is a very long history of the Japanese Tea Ceremony. Here's my favorite website for all the details. It dates back over a 1000 years so there's much history How do you think your students benefitted from it? 2. Yes! And they enjoyed the matcha (ceremonial tea) we just had in class Why did you decide to host this event in your classroom? 3. There were two reasons for the ceremony; (1) for students to see the focus and mindfulness necessary to complete 194 steps in serving a cup of tea and (2) to help students gain "cultural capital." When students are exposed to different cultures and the traditions and behaviors, students gain a greater understanding, appreciation, and comfort of other people. It's how peace between nations can be achieved. It's also a lot of fun! The students showed great self-control and respect to Emiko Suzuki by being silent during the ceremony and with their thoughtful questions. She had fun too! Are there any additional comments you would like to make? 4. We were very fortunate to have this opportunity; Emiko San traveled to Japan this week! She is a master in Ikebana (flower arrangements) and the Tea Ceremony. Many people will never have this opportunity. Need more motivation to drink tea? Try this southern sweet tea recipe courtesy of Allrecipes. You will need a pinch of baking soda, 2 cups of boiling water, 6 tea bags, ¾ cups of sugar, and 6 cups of water. Sprinkle a pinch of baking soda into a 64-ounce, heat-proof, glass pitcher. Pour in boiling water, and add tea bags. Cover, and allow to steep for 15 minutes. Remove tea bags, and discard; stir in sugar until dissolved. Pour in cool water, then refrigerate until cold. That’s it! A perfect drink on a hot summer day. If you’re feeling something hot, chai lattes are just what you need. You will need 2 tea bags, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground allspice, 1 cup of water, 1 cup of milk, ¼ cup packed brown sugar, and 2 tablespoons refrigerated French vanilla nondairy creamer. Place the tea bags, cinnamon, ginger and allspice in the coffee filter of a drip coffeemaker. Add water; brew according to manufacturer's directions. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the milk, brown sugar and creamer. Cook and stir over medium heat until heated through and sugar is dissolved. Pour milk mixture into mugs; stir in tea. Dollop with whipped topping and sprinkle with nutmeg if desired. Recipe from Taste Of Home. Story by Erin Chen Green tea. Picture credit: https://images.agoramedia.com/everydayhealth/gcms/Green-Tea-Health-Benefits-of-Green-Tea-You-Never-Knew-08-722x406.jpg?width=684  On November 24, 1991, a world-shaking phenomenon occurred. Word spread quickly that the world famous rock singer, Freddie Mercury, had died after a 4-year struggle with AIDs. The world mourned this loss and came together to heal through Freddie’s legendary and memorable music. After Mercury’s death, many remember him as a legendary man who changed the music scene forever. Even the band’s guitarist, Brian May, says “I will never grow tired of hearing (Bohemian Rhapsody,)” Queen’s most memorable musical masterpiece.
Recent movie producers decided to make a movie that takes viewers through Queen’s journey to fame, told from Freddie Mercury’s perspective. On November 2, 2018, a movie named for Queen’s chart-topping song “Bohemian Rhapsody” was released. The film won 2 Golden Globes on January 6, 2019. Bohemian Rhapsody is a mostly accurate representation of this underdog band growing in fame throughout the ’70s and ’80s. Freddie Mercury’s path to success was long and full of roadblocks, just like many other famous rock musicians. It had some interesting differences as well, which may be the reason why a biopic has Queen’s music flying up the charts to the highest ranking since the 1980s! As I mentioned earlier, the movie tells a “mostly” accurate version of Queen’s journey to success. Queen’s journey was incredibly theatrical, but some details had to be changed for the screen. The movie starts with Freddie Mercury’s morning routine before Live Aid, a 1985 charity concert, still known today as the world’s most viewed concert, with an estimated 1.9 billion viewers. The benefit raised a total of 127 million pounds, and superstars took no profit. The actual concert performance is not seen until the end of the movie, but this movie used Mercury’s entrance on to the stage as a surreal attention grabber for viewers. The first mistake that the movie made is how Freddie joined the band. After the Live Aid entrance, the movie cuts to Freddie leaving home to watch a band called “Smile” play at a local pub in London. This band did exist and included 2 future Queen members, guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor. The movie shows Freddie Mercury, at the time still called Freddie Bulsara, enjoying the music and talking to the band after their performance. As Freddie walks up to the band, he receives the news that the lead singer had just quit minutes before his arrival. He auditions then and there and joins the band, which he later renamed Queen. The real story may have been cut for time, or for lack of interesting details. The real story is a lot more boring. Freddie had made friends with the lead singer of Smile, Tim Staffell, and drummer Roger Taylor. They were a very close group; they even shared a small flat in London. During this time, Freddie had been hopping from band to band in hopes of making it big. His ideas were always too outrageous for his current band, so he left to find new opportunities. Tim Staffell quit Smile for another band, with the same high hopes as Freddie. After a few years in limbo, Smile was still looking for a new band member and Freddie finally decided to audition. No surprise, he became the new frontman for Smile, and later renamed the band Queen! Queen’s rise to fame continues as the movie progresses, as any good movie continues, conflict arises. Freddie Mercury has found a way to live life to its most dangerous, full potential, while other band members choose to settle down and start a family. In the movie, Freddie signs a deal to create 2 solo albums for a total of 4 million pounds. The band has a huge falling out over this, claiming that they are a family and need to stick together. Freddie lashes out at them and leaves, claiming that they would be nothing without him, and he needs a break. This creates a huge conflict to keep viewers hooked throughout the movie, but in actuality, the band never broke up. Roger Taylor was also the first to pursue a solo career and the band had no problem with it. Other members of Queen took their shot at a solo album too, so when Freddie branched off it came as no surprise. There were rumors of Queen breaking up, but these came about due to the band’s quarrels about songs and recording. No break up ever happened, Queen never even discussed it. This added fictitious detail does bring you further into the story. The last major difference that I felt was necessary to mention was the time of Freddie discovery that he had the incurable disease, AIDS. In the movie, Freddie starts noticing changes in his health, after a huge falling out with his past manager, Paul Prenter. He fires Prenter for hiding the invitation for Queen to perform in Live Aid and decides to take his life in a better direction. Freddie goes to the doctor and gets the news that he is HIV positive, just a few weeks before Live Aid. This provides the opportunity for the movie to end with the iconic Live Aid performance and explain how Freddie died. In actuality, the press has quotes from Jim Hutton, Freddie’s partner for the last 6 years of his life, confirming that Freddie didn’t take any HIV tests until the year 1987 when he tested positive. Live Aid took place in July 1985, making the movie’s ending impossible. These differences between the movie and actuality are very big, but overall, the movie did a fairly thorough job of fitting Queen’s inspiring journey to fame into a 2 ½ hour movie. This inspiring tribute movie, Bohemian Rhapsody, took information from real life and kept most facts far from fantasy. Story by Lily Crum Sources: https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-34651067 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1727824/ http://ultimateclassicrock.com/queen-bohemian-rhapsody-movie-fact-vs-fiction/ https://variety.com/2018/film/news/bohemian-rhapsody-critics-reviews-roundup-rami-malek-1202990633/ https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/live-aid-concert Bohemian Rhapsody: The Definitive Biography of Freddie Mercury by Lesley-Ann Jones |
