Oh, dear. I'm the one who told everyone ages ago (when succulents first started getting popular) to simply use Dry Stall rather than trying to track down pumice. Tack and feed stores were an inexpensive source, but it took some explaining to get people to understand why they sell pumice (it absorbs excess moisture in horse stalls) and why it's good for succulents (it absorbs excess moisture in soil so roots don't rot, and it also helps to aerate the soil). For some unknown reason, Dry Stall has vanished and Stall Dry now is everywhere. It's basically kitty litter. Don't use it as a soil amendment for potted plants, succulents or otherwise. Instead go to Google (or Amazon) and search for "horticultural pumice." It's become widely available due to demand. Learn more on the "Succulent Soil and Amendments" page of my website.

Hi All, I used to use powder until an appliance repairman had to come to my house to fix a maytag neptune. That's another sad story. Believe me they are never lonely now. Anyhow, the repairman told me that it's better to use liquid because it mixes with the water faster and works on your clothes longer. I have hard water so I can't say that I noticed any difference in cleaning ability. To prevent the build up problem, I just put the soap right in the washer while I'm loading. I must say that I love the more concentrated detergents. They are really much easier on the back and shoulder which is important to me. When I was in high school I had a Chemistry teacher that had retired from Proctor and Gambel in the 1960s. He told our class that at that time customers equated cleanliness with suds, lots of suds. Unfortunately, phosphates were used to make the suds. I'm looking forward to the day I only have to use a tablespoon of soap to do the clothes. Does anyone know if there is an additive that you can add to the wash water that really softens the wash water?

It's pretty much what I assumed you would be doing when I posted on the other thread. This is a very easy thing to do and we do something similar several times a week. You are just going to pan fry some meat and deglaze the pan. You can vary it - for example use veal or pork instead of chicken or turkey, or any red meat, like lamb or beef or venison, in which case you can use a bigger wine and leave out the lemon. You can deglaze the pan with Marsala, which is a type of sweet wine (in which case I might not use the capers), with a decent balsamic vinegar, or with lemon juice and chicken stock if you don't have wine, or with tomatoes from the garden or tomato sauce. If red meat, use red wine and no lemon, or use cider and sliced apples for the fall, or plums w the wine. Any of these can will be quite good. If you don't have capers, you can use some olives, but please don't use those things that come in cans or jars in grocery stores! Now as for wine, that dish is a common dish, made with minor variations in much of the Mediterranean. So you can, but need not, use an Italian white. You will have lemon juice in here, and the wine will not add too much, but you want an acidic wine. Something that has gone thru malolactic fermentation and that has been in oak barrels will not really be appropriate. Select a sauvignon blanc which will have decent acidity, and use that. Alternatively a pinot grigio, an arneis, a pinot blanc, a chenin blanc, or something similar. I use any of those that I happen to have at hand. But heat beyond just getting things warm once you add the wine. You want to evaporate a bit of the liquid to concentrate the flavors. They didn't give you good enough directions. When you remove the chicken, turn the heat up high and add the wine and whatever other liquid you have, while scraping up the browned bits on the bottom. THis is called deglazing the pan. When the liquid is reduced by about half, then remove from heat and add the butter. The purpose of the butter is to be an emulsifier. Stir it into the liquid and watch it thicken. In addition, do NOT make this in an aluminum pan. The acid will leach out some of the color and your food will be gray. Use an enamel or stainless steel pan for this. I don't know where you live, but almost any decent inexpensive dry white will be OK. Go to any wine store and tell them that you need a crisp, dry white. An unoaked chardonnay may work too but I would argue against a chardonnay since you don't know wine enough to know which is which. The suggestions they gave you above will work. The wine can be almost from anywhere - Argentina, Australia, France, the US, Italy, etc. And finally, don't stress too much about it. The wine is the least important item here. The key is NOT to overcook the chicken breasts - nothing is worse than dry chicken IMO. If you don't get any wine, just add a little more lemon juice and use water and then stir in a spoonful of some Dijon mustard at the end instead of butter. You cut a couple of calories out and have another nice dish. Bring to a boil in the pan and pour over the chicken.

I used to live in a hard water area up till 6-7 years ago, I used powders than also without a problem. Sure there was much less suds but suds arnt an indicator of the detergent working. I did however add a tiny bit more detergent at that time. Its true though hard water makes it harder for detergent to work...STPP will solve peoples hard water issues. I don't know aa, I live in a soft water area, powders are almost obsolete here. Really irritates me. I've heard a lot of people across the country complaining powders are hard to find.I have a feeling the day will come when powders will be a thing of the past, maybe every 10 years P&G will produce a Anniversary Edition of one of the Tide offerings in a small box with a ridiculously high price tag. I can't understand why jugs of liquid detergent that are a large amount of water is preferable to ship. Thats another thing some day the liquids will probable come in a tiny 4 ounce bottle with directions to add 32 ounces if water to it. Lol. Ya powders are hard to find.