![b58a2bd68ea11c149fc91a10eac154f8.jpg](https://animalp4radise.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/b58a2bd68ea11c149fc91a10eac154f8-492x381.jpg)
I can definitely recall at least a few occasions when I’ve bought ground beef from the grocery store only to get it home, pull it out to cook, and notice it looks a little gray. This has always been cause for concern as we’re used to seeing fresh ground beef appear more of a bright red color. However, ground beef that looks gray isn’t always cause for concern. Read ahead to learn more before you throw that next package of ground beef in the garbage.
![](https://ceeden.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/beef2-1.jpeg)
If you notice your package of ground beef looks gray in the middle, there’s likely no need to throw it out. Meat contains something called oxymyoglobin which when exposed to oxygen, produces that bright red color we’re used to seeing with ground beef. When a package of ground beef looks gray in color in the middle, it likely just means it hasn’t yet been exposed to oxygen.
![](https://ceeden.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/beef3-1.jpeg)
However, if the outside of your ground beef appears gray or brown, or the majority of the meat looks to be that color, it’s better to be safe than sorry and toss that package in the garbage. Something else worth noting is that if the meat smells funky or off in any way, it’s likely gone bad and needs to be thrown out.
![](https://ceeden.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/skillet-1.jpeg)
It’s always wise to be vigilant about the quality and freshness of any meat you purchase. Hopefully these simple tips will help you to determine when your ground beef is safe, and when it should definitely be tossed.
13 Celebrities Who Changed Their Real Names Before Becoming Famous
Sometimes we are given names that are either too hard to pronounce or too long to keep in their entirety. And if you are someone with a normal 9-5 job, that is completely fine. But, if you are someone in the entertainment industry who wants your name to be known by everyone, this may not be the best thing. That’s why many people choose to either shorten their full names or completely change them.
1. Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus legally changed her name back in 2008 from Destiny Hope Cyrus to Miley Cyrus. The name Miley is a rendition of her childhood nickname “Smiley” in honor of her paternal grandfather.
2. Victoria Beckham
![](https://rescueanimals.info/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/image-96.png)
Prior to becoming known as the fashion diva, Victoria Beckham, back in the early days of the iconic group we love, Victoria Adams was the name used for her records. However, when the Spice Girls became rising stars, she changed her name to Posh Spice. Years later, she become the famous Victoria Beckham we know today.
3. Vin Diesel
![](https://wl-nowiveseeneverything.cf.tsp.li/resize/728x/jpg/dbb/d14/0099f85df0b948a37f0b35a7da.jpg)
At the age of 17, Mark Sinclair was a rather big guy. He even used to work as a bouncer at a nightclub called The Tunnel. Around that time he took the name Vin Diesel and started to shave his head regularly.
4. Rachel Weisz
![](https://wl-nowiveseeneverything.cf.tsp.li/resize/728x/jpg/460/74c/6b14b45856acf7264774ac115c.jpg)
Early in her career, she changed her name to Rachel Vyce, but when people told her that it was too difficult to pronounce, she changed it to Kenya Campbell. She decided to keep it that way for a while, but she soon realized that it sounded unpleasant. The actress then decided to stay with Rachel Weisz and made a lot of iconic movies.
5. Natalie Portman
![](https://wl-nowiveseeneverything.cf.tsp.li/resize/728x/jpg/621/e00/243e165b83a6fa007f9cdf452c.jpg)
It was in 1994 when a very young Neta-Lee Hershlag auditioned for Leon and landed her first role in a major production. While filming, the actress changed her name to “Natalie” and took her mother’s maiden last name. Apparently, she wanted to maintain her privacy because some scenes in the movie were polemical.
6. Alicia Keys
![](https://wl-nowiveseeneverything.cf.tsp.li/resize/728x/jpg/6d6/ece/3ff3c35d448ed01d4fb4a00c90.jpg)
Her real name is Alicia Augello-Cook, but she changed it and decided to have her own different stage name with a special meaning behind it. She explained, “It’s like the piano keys, and it can also open a lot of doors,” and she ended up with the name Alicia Keys and broke multiple records in her career.
7. Jamie Foxx
![](https://wl-nowiveseeneverything.cf.tsp.li/resize/728x/jpg/5f1/404/9947555e1e8dec640577829149.jpg)
Eric Marlon Bishop, now known as Jamie Foxx, tried out a couple of different names when he first started doing open mic nights. When he’d sign up to the open mic lists, he used the names Tracy Brown and Stacy Green but eventually landed on Jamie Foxx.
8. Iggy Azalea
![](https://wl-nowiveseeneverything.cf.tsp.li/resize/728x/jpg/1f6/f18/4225305d98ba9049f4dbfc6937.jpg)
Her birth name is Amethyst Amelia Kelly, and she ended up with Iggy Azalea because she has a dog named “Iggy,” and it became her nickname. She came up with the surname Azalea, as she explained, “Because that is a street name that my mom and family live on, and it sounds very feminine, and I thought it would balance out Iggy being so masculine.”
9. Lana Del Rey
![](https://wl-nowiveseeneverything.cf.tsp.li/resize/728x/jpg/172/f29/6797135315babdbf4c355092b1.jpg)
The singer’s real name is Elizabeth Woolridge Grant, but she’s now known as Lana Del Rey. When she began singing, she went by the name, “Lizzy Grant,” and also performed as “Sparkle Rope Jump Queen” until she landed on Lana Del Rey.
10. Tom Hardy
![](https://wl-nowiveseeneverything.cf.tsp.li/resize/728x/jpg/6a1/b7f/2a97505af2bb511a6bd1806b76.jpg)
Before becoming Tom Hardy, his birth name was Edward Thomas Hardy, and he only used his first name before deciding to go by his middle name instead. Even though the Internet was aware of his true identity, it was not widely publicized.
11. Blake Lively
![](https://wl-nowiveseeneverything.cf.tsp.li/resize/728x/jpg/52f/6a5/86470f5f94a228f0038e5ca0e8.jpg)
After Blake became an actress she decided to take the surname of her mother, Elaine Lively as her stage name.
12. Aaron Paul
![](https://wl-nowiveseeneverything.cf.tsp.li/resize/728x/jpg/90b/07a/26386e552e9aecd3fda7cf5ce3.jpg)
His full name is Aaron Paul Sturtevant, but when he went to auditions, no one could pronounce his surname, “Sturtevant,” so he had to change it so that everyone could say it, and then he shortened it when he entered Hollywood.
13. Lorde
![](https://wl-nowiveseeneverything.cf.tsp.li/resize/728x/jpg/3d9/d25/9ec5fd5b29a210ea061496525e.jpg)
Lorde changed her original name at the age of 12 when she was signed to a development contract with the Universal Music Group after an agent of theirs saw footage of her singing at a middle school talent show. Her real name is Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O’Connor. The royalty hidden in the name Lord encouraged her in changing her original name, but she also added an “e” because she felt that Lord would be too masculine for a girl.
Preview photo credit Laurent VU/SIPA/Sipa Press Russia/East News, mileycyrus / Instagram
Leave a Reply