Drying Out the Salt

With all the rain we've had, it's super-humid, both indoors and out. Our salt shaker got plumb clogged. I emptied it, washed it, dried it, and filled it with fresh salt. Except you could tell the salt in the bigger container was suffering the effects of humidity, and clumping a little.

I remembered a couple of remedies I've heard in times past. 1. Put a few grains of uncooked rice in the salt shaker. 2. Put pieces of soda cracker in the salt shaker. So I put a bit of saltine cracker in ours, to hopefully absorb the moisture and the salt will flow freely.

It might be a difference that this current salt I have is an "off" brand from a discount grocery store. I think I'll go back to Morton brand, which has as its motto, "When it rains, it pours."

(Internet Photo)

Plant Life

Last Tuesday at work, someone brought more plant starts for people to take home if they wanted. He said he wasn't going to take any back home, so if any were left later, take them. So when I got off of work, there were still seven pepper plants sitting out on the table in the dining room. So, I took them home. You have to understand that (1) I DO NOT HAVE A GREEN THUMB, and (2) I have NEVER done well with pepper plants.

With the threat of heavy rains moving in Friday and Saturday, I got busy Thursday evening and put the tomatoes I had started out in a pot (right,) and put a couple of the pepper plants in some bigger containers I had (left).

Tomatoes (front) and peppers (back). One pepper plant even has a bloom! Now I know that those tomato starts are pretty tiny and pathetic, compared to the lush, nice ones you will find in the stores. But for me, "Miss No-Green-Thumb," to start them from seed and get anything at all is quite a feat!

Then I put some starts of "assorted flowers" and sweet peas in an old basin. (Later I also put the other five pepper plants out with these, as they were, so they could catch the upcoming rain, too.)

Sure enough. This is the rain yesterday (Saturday), of which this round we received 2.84". That jug is catching rainwater off the roof so that I can use it later to water plants.

Whipped Cream in a Jar

I saw this method on Facebook, and just had to give it a try.

Pint mason jar, small carton (1 cup) whipping cream, dab of vanilla, 2 Tbsp. powdered sugar.

Put lid on, shake vigorously. Some claim 45 seconds, some say 5-6 minutes. I shook this a few minutes. Ta-daaa .... it works!

I put mine over a simple pie of a prepared graham cracker crust and instant chocolate pudding.

This would be good if you don't feel like using a mixer, or if you're in a place where there is no mixer, or for something fun for kids (of any age - ha ha) to do. Creamy goodness, very simply!