B is for Sophie Blanchard - Pioneer Women in Aviation: A-Z Challenge

1778-1819

“Up, up and away.” 

Europeans were fascinated with ballooning in the 18th and 19th centuries, including prominent leaders and royalty. Napoleon Bonaparte and Louis XVIII promoted it and novels like Jules Verne’s Five Weeks in a Balloon romanticized the sport. 

Viewed as a male venture, ballooning was rarely a female pursuit, except as a passenger, although only a few women had participated.

In 1804, Sophie Blanchard made her first ascent in a hot air balloon with her French husband, Jean-Pierre Blanchard, a well known ballooning pioneer in France. She was not the first woman to go up in a balloon. Three other women had gone up in tethered balloons, and two more in untethered balloons. 

However, life circumstances intervened and changed Sophie’s course a few short years later. Sophie was about to become the first woman to pilot her own balloon and the first woman to adopt ballooning as a career.   

Sophie (Marie Madeleine-Sophie Armant) was between 16 and 19 years old when she married Jean-Pierre Blanchard, 35 years older. They never had children. As a young woman, Sophie had a nervous temperament and startled easily. Loud noises and riding in a carriage could be challenging events. It might explain why Sophie did not go up in a balloon until the age of 26. A more practical explanation is the couple desperately needed money. They faced bankruptcy. They hoped that by placing Sophie in the balloon’s basket, more fans would pay to see the exhibition. It worked, and as it turned out, Sophie loved the experience. She called it an "incomparable sensation." 

Five years later, in 1809, an accident tragically took Jean-Pierre’s life. He fell from his balloon after suffering a heart attack and died from his injuries. Still in financial debt after his death, Sophie continued the balloon exhibition on her own, becoming the first woman to operate a balloon solo. Just as Jean-Pierre had done, she parachuted dogs from the balloon as part of the show and lit fireworks in special night flights. Sophie used a hydrogen-filled gas balloon (a Charlière).

Word spread of the female balloonist. Large crowds gathered and soon she was ballooning all over Europe. Napoleon Bonaparte discovered her and assigned her the role, “Aeronaut of the Official Festivals,” as designated organizer of ballooning displays at all major events. In 1814, Louis XVIII further made her “Official Aeronaut of the Restoration,” during restoration of the French monarchy.

Taking greater risks in her eagerness to please, Sophie began to suffer physically in her travels. She lost consciousness more than once when ascending to high altitudes (upward to 12,000 feet), faced a threatening hailstorm, suffered freezing temperatures, spent long hours in the air (up to 14-1/2 hours), and nearly drowned in 1817 when she accidentally landed in a marsh. 

Sophie’s final flight was in 1819. At an exhibition in Paris, Sophie planned to drop small baskets of fireworks with parachutes from the balloon to light up the night sky. Sophie had lit fireworks at exhibitions before. While the danger of fireworks near a gas fired balloon seems obvious, the Paris show must have been in excess. Others warned her not to. Sophie didn’t listen. Dressed in a white dress and white hat with ostrich plumes, carrying a white flag, she must have appeared undaunted, although it appears she did heed the warning. Her parting words were: “Let’s go, this will be for the last time.” Sparks ignited the gas, which was soon exhausted, and the balloon crashed on the roof of a home. Sophie died on impact. 

 


Sophie made 67 ascents in a hot air balloon, and managed to clear the debts her husband had left behind. At a time when debtor’s prison was all too real in France, Sophie’s courage and self-sufficiency are admirable. This nervous young woman who startled easily made her own way. An epitaph at her grave site reads: “victime de son art et de son intrépidité” (“victim of her art and intrepidity”).








Others aviators: 
Pancho Barnes (1901-1975) USA
Ann G. Baumgartner (1918-2008) USA
Janet Waterford Bragg (1907-1993) USA

Helene Boucher (1908-1934) France
Maryse Bastié (1898-1952) France

Mary Bailey (1890-1960) UK

Amelie Beese (1886-1925) Germany
Elly Beinhorn (1907-2007) Germany

Jean Batten (1909-1982) New Zealand

Mary Bell (1903-1979) Australia

Susana Ferrari Billinghurst (1914-1999) Argentina

Sources: http://forgottennewsmakers.com/2010/09/15/sophie-blanchard-1778-%E2%80%931819-first-women-to-fly-solo-in-a-hot-air-balloon/; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophie_Blanchard

U is for Ugniberry: Yummy Fruits A-Z

Ugni shrubs are 3-15 feet tall.
Berries are 1 cm in diameter.

Ugni (also known as Chilean guava or strawberry myrtle) is an
evergreen shrub native to Chile, Argentina, Central America, and southern Mexico. The ugniberry is quite edible and tastes like a spicy strawberry. It is often used as a replacement for strawberry flavoring in processed foods. 

There are ten species of this shrub. In New Zealand it is called "New Zealand Cranberry," and in Australia, "Tazziberry," however neither are native to the region. The shrub is smaller than the taller South American version. 

Juan Ignacio Molina
1740-1829

Historically, ugni shrubs were first described in 1782 by a Chilean Jesuit priest, Juan Ignacio Molina, who was also a botanist and naturalist, among other, and later a professor of natural sciences in Italy. His writings were the first to describe the natural history of Chile. Molina's contribution to science also explains the complete name of this plant - Ugni molinae.

Ugnifruit was then introduced to England in 1844 and became a favorite fruit of Queen Victoria. It was also enjoyed as an ornamental plant, prized for its flowers and evergreen foilage. The ugni flower is quite beautiful with its drooping pale pink petals. 

Ugni Matador Liqueur

Today the fruit is used on a rather small scale in New Zealand, Australia....and Chile, where traditional Matador liqueur is made. The fruit is also used to make jams, cakes, and other desserts, and eaten fresh or added to salads.

The popularity of this berry is growing. Some claim it has five times the taste of a blueberry, so home gardeners are beginning to plant this shrub more, as it does well in most soils. The only catch is probably the climate. Ugni shrubs thrive best in a subtropical, temperate climate, although they can handle light frost and withstand some dry conditions. I would love to see a variety that could be grown in the Pacific Northwest, east of Washington's Cascade range where I live.  

Do you grow this shrub? Do you eat the berries?

Cake with ugniberries

Nutritionally, ugniberries are high in dietary fiber, vitamin C, and vitamin K. Native people used this berry to treat diarrhea, dysentery, and urinary tract pain. Antioxidant levels are comparable to blueberries, but information is sketchy, as studies appear to be ongoing. 

Ugni Recipe

"Ugniberry Oatmeal Muffins"

1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
1 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup ugniberries

Preheat oven 375 degrees F.

Directions:

--In medium bowl, mix together oats and buttermilk. Let stand 5 minutes. Add oil, brown sugar, egg and mix.

--In second bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir flour mixture into batter and fold in berries. Grease muffin tins with vegetable oil. 

--Fill tins 3/4 full and sprinkle tops with extra rolled oats. Bake 20-25 minutes, until centers are cooked. Remove from oven, cool ten minutes on rack, and remove from tins. Yield: 8 muffins. 

 

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ugni; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Ignacio_Molina

http://www.daleysfruit.com.au/newsletter/october2001.htm; http://www.edible.co.nz/fruits.php?fruitid=18

P is for Peach: Yummy Fruits A-Z

Peaches most likely originated in China. Chinese manuscripts mention peaches as far back at the 10th century. Peaches played a huge role in Chinese culture and were regarded highly, as giving a person vitality and warding off evil. Peach wood bows and arrows and wands, and pits, therefore were thought to have special powers. 

Legends and similar cultural significance existed in Japan, Korea, and Vietnam as well, and elsewhere around the world. Famous artists in Europe, for instance, depicted peaches' positive influence on one's life. A peach was viewed as a symbol of good health.  

Spanish explorers introduced peaches to the Americas in the 16th century. Later, President Thomas Jefferson planted peach trees at his home, Monticello, but commercial production in the U.S. did not begin until the 19th century - in the states of Maryland, Delaware, Georgia and Virginia. Today the three largest peach-producing states are California, South Carolina, and Georgia.  

Historically, Georgia has a long relationship with peaches. It is known as the "peach state," and having lived there for a year and a half early in my marriage, I am kind of proud of the fact I gave birth to a "Georgia peach." Our daughter was born in Georgia! The song below is cute. Give it a listen if you have time and want to know what it means to be a "Georgia peach."

There are two main varieties of peaches: clingstone (the flesh sticks to stone) and freestone (the flesh separates from stone).

The peach stone (pit/seed) is toxic and peach allergies do exist, but for most of us, peaches are a delicious way to get vitamins A and C. Other health benefits include: high potassium; low glycemic load (no sudden blood sugar spikes); cholesterol-lowering high fiber; cancer and heart disease prevention.     

This evening I was catching up on some newspaper reading and was surprised to read on the front page an article about cancer and peaches! A food scientist (Giuliana Noratto) at Washington State University in the town were I live has been researching the effect of chemicals in peaches on breast cancer growth. (Moscow-Pullman Daily News, April 11, 2014)

To test, she fed peaches to mice with implanted breast cancer. The tumor growth was slowed, but what was more surprising is that the cancer cells died off. She recommends women with breast cancer add peaches to their diet. "This is equivalent to a 132-pound human eating three peaches a day," she said. The article goes on to say that Noratto is a firm believer the right nutrition can go a long way in treating ailments. I couldn't agree more!

Peach Recipe

"Peach Coffee Cake"

4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup milk
3 large peaches, peeled and sliced

Cake:
--Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease heavy 9-inch baking pan (2 quart size).
--Cream butter and sugar until light (blended well). Beat in egg.
Sift dry ingredients together (a wire whisk is good for this). Beat half of dry mixture into creamed mixture, then beat in half of milk. Repeat with rest, beating well.
--Pour batter in prepare pan. Arrange peach slices on top. Bake 25 minutes.

Topping:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger (or nutmeg)
4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped

Cut ingredients together with pastry blender, fork, or wire whisk, until mixture is crumbly. Remove prepared cake from oven and immediately crumble topping over peaches. Bake for 8 minutes, or until cake is done. (Cake will pull away from edges when firm).
Yield: 8 servings. Best served warm. 

Peach Jokes

Did you hear the joke about a peach? 
It's pit-iful! 

Peach Books

--Peach 
by Elizabeth Adler (1989)  


--The Peach Keeper 
by Sarah Addison Allen (2012)

--Lucky Peach, Issue 9 

by David Chang, Chris Ying, and

Peter Meehan (2013) (nonfiction)

--The Peaches Monroe Trilogy 
by Mimi Strong (2014)

--Peaches (2006)
by Jodi Lynn Anderson 

--James and the Giant Peach
by Roald Dahl and Quentin Blake 
(2007) (ages 7 up)

Peach Movies

--James and the Giant Peach (1996)

--Peaches (2004) (drama)

--Eat the Peach (1986) (comedy)


Peach Songs

"Georgia Peaches" by Lauren Alaina (2011)

--"I Can't Grow Peaches on a Cherry Tree" 

by Nancy Sinatra

--"Peaches" - Presidents of the USA

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peach
http://www.pearsonfarm.com/peaches/peach-nutrition-facts.html

Sharon M. Himsl

Writer/Author. Blogging since 2011. 
Published with Evernight Teen: 
~~The Shells of Mersing

L is for Lime: Yummy Fruits A-Z

Limes are rather famous, and deservedly so. This smaller of the citrus fruit family saved untold numbers of British sailors from getting scurvy in the nineteenth century. Scurvy is a disfiguring disease that in advanced stages can cause one's teeth to fall out, oozing skin sores, jaundice, fever, neuropathy, and even death. 

Scurvy is caused by a deficiency in vitamin C, of which the lime happens to be high in, as is its competitor, the lemon. In fact, a lemon is four times higher in vitamin C, but limes were more available in the 19th century (from the West Indies), and became the main fruit of the British navy sailing the high seas. The sailors even acquired the nickname, "limey." 

Lime trees grow to about 16 feet high and can be found in tropical and subtropical climates. The origin of limes is not known. Some speculate they may have come from the Indonesian archipelago or nearby Asia. Christoper Columbus is credited with taking the first lime seed to the West Indies where it was planted in 1493. Today limes are grown all over the world. Brazil is the top producer, followed by Mexico, the U.S. (mainly Florida), and the West Indies. 

Lime Recipe

"Perky Lime Sauce"

1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon grated fresh lime (rind)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Combine sugar, cornstarch, water and a dash of salt in small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and turns clear. Remove from burner. Add butter, lime rind and juice. Mix well. Cool before serving. Yield: 1 cup 

(Best served over diced cantaloupe and scoops of vanilla ice cream, but you can experiment. Try over bananas and gingerbread).  

Lime Joke

Lime Books

 
--A Lime, a Mime, a Pool of Slime (More about Nouns) (2008)
by Brian P. Cleary and Brian Gable


 
  --Lime Tree Can't Bear Orange (2009) by Amanda Smyth


--A Parachute in the Lime Tree (2012)  by Annemarie Neary

Lime Songs

--"Corona and Lime" by Shwayze (2009)
--"The Lime Tree" by Trevor Hall (2009)

--"Lime in the Coconut" by Kermit the Frog (2008) (video link)

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lime_(fruit); http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scurvy
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/341295/lime

Sharon M. Himsl

Writer/Author. Blogging since 2011. 
Published with Evernight Teen: 
~~The Shells of Mersing

G is for Grapefruit: Yummy Fruits A-Z

Grapefruit could be called the king of citrus. Its diameter ranges from 4 to 6 inches. Grapefruit was first discovered in Barbados in the 18th century. Some botanist think it may be a cross between the orange and pomelo, which was brought to Barbados from Indonesia in the 17th century. 

In the 19th century grapefruit was planted in Florida, which is where most grapefruit is produced today in the U.S., as well as in California, Texas, and Arizona. Israel, South Africa and Brazil also grow grapefruit commercially. Grapefruit comes in pink and white varieties, and there IS a difference. 

Pink grapefruit contains lycopene, a carotenoid phytonutrient, while white grapefruit does not. Since consumption of lycopene has been linked to anti-tumor activity and the body's ability to fight oxygen free radicals, pink grapefruit should be your first choice.....although both pink and white grapefruit are high in vitamin C. Other benefits include: kidney stone prevention, colon cancer protection specifically, DNA repair (in human prostrate cancer cells)......and lowering of cholesterol. 

In recent studies in Israel, it was found that both red and white grapefruit lowered cholesterol (the bad LDL kind) in humans. Further, red grapefruit was shown to be twice as effective, and also lowered triglycerides. I find this especially interesting, given the fact that so many people are prescribed statins today to lower cholesterol. Anyone taking a statin should NOT eat grapefruit, as grapefruit is known to increase the statin's level in the body, which in turn can damage muscle. (There are other drugs that should not be taken with grapefruit, too). 

Personally, I'm glad I can eat grapefruit again. I had a bad experience with a statin once, and that's another story. But I will say this....being able to eat grapefruit again definitely increased my love for this wonderful fruit. I drizzle honey on top to sweeten and eat half of one several times a week. It has become my favorite "yummy fruit!"

Grapefruit Recipe

"Grapefruit-Orange Kale Salad"

6-8 cups fresh kale (stemmed & sliced thin)
1/4 cup fresh mint (chopped)
1-1/2 cups cooked couscous (chilled) 
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup sliced pitted dates
1 grapefruit, peeled & sliced (1/4 inch thick rounds, quartered)
2 navel oranges, peeled & sliced (1/4 inch thick rounds, halved)
2 avocados, sliced (1/4 inch thick)
1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds

"Lime Dressing"
(Combine all, shake in jar, or whisk)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoon grated (fresh) ginger
1 teaspoon salt

To prepare: Mix kale and mint with 4 tablespoons lime dressing in large bowl. Add couscous, feta, and dates. Stir gently. Arrange on plates, with grapefruit, orange, and avocado slices on top. Sprinkle with almonds. Yield 4-6 servings. 

Grapefruit Jokes

 

"I'm following the leader, the leader, the leader!"

Grapefruit Book

Grapefruit: A Book of Instructions and Drawings by Yoko Ono (1970)

Grapefruit Songs

--"Grapefruit Juicy Fruit"" by Jimmy Buffett (2011)

--"Grapefruit Pie" by Jesse Rhodes (2012)

"Grapefruit Moon" (lyrics by Tom Waits) (2008) (video link)

Source: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=25