ODDS, ENDS & INSPIRATION

z Chickens can see and dream in full colour. They also can taste saltiness, but not sweetness.

z Albino lobsters are the only variety that doesn’t turn red when cooked. But don’t count on testing this anytime soon, as the odds of catching one in the wild are estimated at one in 100 million!

z In 1834, American physician John Cooke Bennet added tomatoes to ketchup, which previously consisted of fish or mushrooms. As tomatoes contain a healthy dose of vitamins and antioxidants, Bennet then branded his sauce as a cure for diarrhea, indigestion, jaundice and rheumatism.

z Japanese high schools often enforce strict conformance when it comes to hair. Half of Tokyo’s schools require students whose locks aren’t naturally black to prove it with baby pictures, while in 2017, a Japanese student sued her school after being forced to darken her hair with dye.

z Contrary to what you’d likely expect of oranges, this juicy citrus fruit wasn’t named for its bright hue. Instead, the word “orange” came to us from a transliteration of the Sanskrit “naranga”, which was in turn derived from the Tamil “naru”, meaning “fragrant”, which describes its blossoms.

z Singularity chess is played on a board that’s distorted in the centre, allowing for some pieces to make U-turns and attack the same square in a variety of ways, while bishops can change square colours.

z The first vending machine was invented by Greek mathematician Hero of Alexandria and dispensed holy water after a coin was inserted. Hero also came up with the first steam engine and the first windpowered machine – a whopping 2000 years before the Industrial Revolution. z “If you seal your jam jars with wax, here’s a good tip: Place a small piece of string into the wax before it hardens. Then, you’ll be able to pull on the string to remove the wax when you are ready to enjoy your homemade goodies!” – U.L. z Get your charcoal grill to light quickly by sacrificing a handful of Doritos in a paper bag. Light the bag and get ready to barbecue! z “I had a pair of tights that had a run, so I was getting ready to toss them, but I cut off the leg and tied a travel size bar of soap in the middle, right about where the knee would be. I knotted it on either side so the soap would stay in place. I use it as a self-foaming back scrubber, and it really works well.” – P.B.

z “If you have an item that must be cooked in the oven, see if there’s any other foods you can prep cook with it. Better to have the oven on a couple days of the week instead of every day, and you can reheat a quick dinner another night.” – B.J.

z Use melted ice cream in place of cream in recipes for sweets. I use it as my own secret weapon when making frosting for cupcakes.

z “My husband just loves homemade meatballs, because they are juicier than bagged and frozen ones, which can turn out very dry. To hold the moisture, I use lightly ground oatmeal in place of breadcrumbs. I just toss a cup of oatmeal in the blender and give it a whirl. It doesn’t need to be fine. The oatmeal really retains moisture and makes them so good!” – J.J.