That’s Bananas

Have you heard any of these?  1. Why do bananas have to wear sunscreen? If not, they’ll peel. 2. Why don’t bananas snore? They don’t want to wake up the rest of the bunch. 3. How does a banana answer the phone? Yellow. 4. Where do bananas go to get educated? Sundae school. 5. Why was the monkey attracted to the banana? Because it had appeal. 6. What type of key opens a banana? A monkey. 7. Why was the banana sent to the hospital? Because it had yellow fever. 9. What is a sheep’s favourite fruit? Baaa-nana. 12. What to do if you see a blue banana? Try to cheer it up. 13. Why did the banana go out with a walnut? Because he couldn’t find a date. 14. What do you call two bananas? A pair of slippers. 15.What was Beethoven’s favourite fruit? Ba-na-na-naaa.  Ok, I’ll stop now..  :))))))))))))

I have a whole bunch of habits and favorites (wearing crazy socks, sausage gravy, baked beans – I could go on). One of my favorite breakfast meals is a fresh smoothie.  As an early bird, it’s perfect for me – open the fridge, find some ingredients, into the blender with yogurt, frozen berries, orange juice a little spinach and finally peanut butter!  Bingo, I’m set. Of course, I have my favorite ingredients (list), including a fresh banana.  The banana gives it a wonderful smooth flavor and it’s packed with vitamins and potassium I need to keep my KHT energy engine going. It got me to thinking about smoothie ingredients, and especially bananas.  I found some fun facts online and wanted to share. Thanks to facinatingfacts.com, chat.openai.com and foodnetwork.com for the info.  And be sure to click on the smoothie recipe below.

Starter recipe

A banana is the common name for a type of fruit and also the name for the herbaceous plants that grow it. These plants belong to the genus Musa. They are native to the tropical region of southeast Asia. Historians think the first people to grow bananas for food lived in Papua New Guinea.

There’s no wrong way to eat a banana — in a smoothie, underneath a mountain of ice cream, or even green (according to a 2019 poll, 5% of Americans prefer bananas in that unripened state). This grocery store staple is one that humans have been eating for at least 6,000 years, with no sign of slowing anytime soon; on average, people around the globe eat 130 bananas per year. Here are facts to highlight a few things you may not know about one of the planet’s most beloved fruits.

Bananas are one of the oldest cultivated fruits. Evidence suggests that they have been cultivated for over 7,000 years. Bananas are typically harvested green and ripen as they age. The ripening process can be accelerated by exposing bananas to ethene gas.

Ecuador is the world’s largest exporter of bananas.

The term “banana republic” originated from the economic and political dominance of banana-exporting countries in Central America. It was first coined by the American author O. Henry in the early 20th century.

Bananas made their U.S. debut in Philadelphia in 1876, sold to fairgoers attending the Centennial Exhibition (the first world’s fair held in America). For 10 cents, visitors could purchase a foil-wrapped banana and get a taste of a fruit many had never seen before. Today, bananas are one of the most popular fruits among American snackers, who consume an average of 13.2 pounds per person each year.

While banana trees can reach upwards of 40 feet tall, these lumbering plants technically aren’t trees — they’re instead considered giant herbs.

The way scientists classify berries doesn’t always jive with how fruit eaters categorize them. That’s certainly the case for bananas, which are botanically berries. To be considered a true berry, a fruit must develop from a flower that contains an ovary; bananas form from nearly foot-long flowers that meet this criteria.

Bananas are radioactive (you won’t need a Geiger counter to pick out a bunch of bananas at the supermarket). The potassium in bananas contains trace amounts of radioactive atoms, though because our bodies regularly flush the nutrient out, it’s unable to build up to dangerous levels in our system. Bananas aren’t the only radioactive food: spinach, potatoes, and oranges are, too.

Banana peels are not just waste; Some people use them as a natural fertilizer, polish shoes with the inside of the peel, or even use them to whiten teeth. Bananas can also purify water – researchers experimenting with ways to remove heavy metals from water have found that banana peels can get the job done. a 2011 study found that minced banana peels were able to quickly remove lead and copper from water. (you are all set next time you’re marooned on an island).

There are more than 1,000 species in the banana family, though it’s rare to see more than one kind at the grocery store. More than 55 million tons of Cavendish bananas are harvested each year, making them the most popularly grown and consumed species. Cavendish bananas get their name from William Spencer Cavendish, Britain’s sixth Duke of Devonshire, whose estate was home to numerous exotic plants. The duke’s eponymous banana stalks would eventually play a huge role in worldwide banana production — all modern Cavendish banana plants are descendants from those grown at the U.K. estate in the 1830s.

Contrary to popular belief, not all monkeys and apes love bananas. In the wild, they eat a variety of fruits, and bananas are just one of many options.

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DO YOU LIKE CONTESTS?
Me, too.
As you may know the Kowalski Heat Treating logo finds its way
into the visuals of my Friday posts.
I.  Love.  My.  Logo.
One week there could be three logos.
The next week there could be 15 logos.
And sometimes the logo is very small or just a partial logo showing.
But there are always logos in some of the pictures.
So, I challenge you, my beloved readers, to count them and send me a
quick email with the total number of logos in the Friday post.
On the following Tuesday I’ll pick a winner from the correct answers
and send that lucky person some great KHT swag.
So, start counting and good luck!  
Oh, and the logos at the very top header don’t count.
Got it? Good.  :-))))
Have fun!!

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