My sister used to work at a University dormitory cafeteria many years ago. It was standard practice for them to freeze the eggs that they had at the end of one term, and use them at the start of the next. She would seperate them, but since they weren't able to know what they would be used in they would cover the whites with water, and then thaw them out and measure the amount of whites they would need in a recipe. (The egg board can give you the volume of weights by ounces or cups to equal a number of egg whites.) The water was used to prevent the whites from drying out. They did the same thing with the yolks, but since you can count the yolks as they are being poured out of the container you don't have to measure them.

Dawn, I have never heard anything specific about the growing conditions affecting the blueberry flavor, but I would have to guess yes based on this year's experiences. It is just a guess though. I fertilized once and watered a few times right during the middle of the Duke production, so I would lean towards that maybe causing the poor taste except that the Bluecrop that was overloaded got the same treatment as all others yet was the only bad tasting Bluecrop. About the pH of the water, would you believe I have never had my water tested. I have asked the rural water people, but the information they gave me did not include pH level. What I did to test my growing situation before planting many was that I bought 7 plants of 3 varieties the first year and replanted them in larger pots (1.3 cubic feet, but only 10 inches deep) for the growing season. The soil mix was half peat moss and half native soil. I watered them every day until the water stood on the surface. When late July and August arrived, they started putting out new shoots and leaves. I had decided that if the new growth showed no signs of pH issues even after being in a pot and getting so much tap water, then I would not have an issue in the ground for at least a few years. Everything looked good so I put them in the ground that fall and planted more the next spring. All the ones after that got 100% peat moss, but the first ones were half/half. Only 3 out of 40 total plants have been unhealthy for any reason so far. A couple of other things I should mention, though, are that my soil pH in a couple of home tests I did was a little under 6.5, and that some rabbiteyes that I put in pots 1.5 years ago are showing pH related issues this summer. Those rabbiteyes are in a half/half mix of potting soil and peat moss, and the pots are too small. I don't really have to fight the birds for the blackberries here much so this might not be applicable to your place, but thus far I have not ever noticed birds or any other animal or insect touching a blueberry with the exception of the over-ripe ones that ants started to get to a little bit. I don't do anything to protect them except let the dog roam at night to keep the deer away. One winter they ate some of the tops off of a few plants, but no problem since even though I have seen them during the night in the area multiple times this year and last. If you buy a couple of healthy two-yr old plants, they will be about 12 to 18 inches tall with a few good branches. If you pinch off any fruiting flowers the first year and the second year you have them, you might get 5 lbs per plant starting the third year. You will have to take really good care of them, though, and use a pot that is a couple feet across but not necessarily very deep. (If you can keep a loaded tomato plant healthy through harvest in a pot, you can easily do it with a blueberry plant.)

What you have celey, is almost certainly a colocasia, not an alocasia! Both are considered EE, taro is a common name for colocasia that are used for food crops! I'm not at all sure what pest you would have gotten on it indoors, while mites are common on EE, they laugh off insecticide, I think it makes their coat shiny...jk...what did the lil buggers look like? That thing sticking out if the corner of the pot is a runner, a dead giveaway that is a colocasia! There's also a dead dryied up runner there too! Lending credit to marquest's suggestion that it's soil maggots, their advice to get fresh soil in, is sound. Getting too dry could have caused these symptoms also. They look awful big to be soil maggots, but I bet that's what the are! They shouldnt hurt much, but they can chew at the bulb and kill a good one, especially if it's stressed! It's very likely that they are working on it roots, making it impossible for the plant to get enough water up to the leaf, so they burn in the sun, it's also possible that it's just too dry, colocasia can go from moist to dry in no time! Those big leaves need lots of water! These plants thrive on flooding, no daily sips! In an apt. it's easier said than done, but when you repot it, you should hose off ALL the soil...replace it with good potting mix! Water in well and take it easy on the sun and water until its recovered from repotting, keep it evenly moist, but not wet, after a week or 2 you can water daily, and return it to it's spot. It may look like it dies altogether after the repot, fear not, the bulb will make a come back! And that runner will make a new plant too! I see your in z10, overwatering a colocasia there is practically impossible! I grow several if mine fully submerged, they don't mind as long as it's warm out! Alocasia like it drier, again if it's hot, they will take ALOT of water! It will probably be fine even if you can't repot it...but I think you should replace it! They are forgiving plants, thanks to that bulb! I grow most of my EE, 60 varieties, in sun, as long as they aren't too dry, most prefer sun! They love fertilizer too! Time release would probably be best for you. Unlike marquest, I think they make excellent houseplants, alocasia are way better for it than colocasia, and they can attract and foster spider mites, it's true, but the mites are easily treated, just mist with water daily, occasionally wipe the leaves down with your hands or a cloth! Ive never had an issue with anything else on them! I grow in zone6, all my EE come in for the winter, some as houseplants, others I just let go dormant and then pack away the bulb, in zone 10, you can grow them year round! If you'd like to learn more, swing by the aroids section, I may be the most hooked, but there's several EE junkies there...I don't think there's a cooler plant out there! Well maybe voodoo lilies top them...

Congrats! DH just completed a Masters of Science in MIS last month (graduation's in a couple weeks--wahoo!). Our excitement about his regained freedom might be short-lived however. We just found out that his company and the school will now be offering an MBA program (with profs coming to the office two days a week to teach the classes and tuition reimbursement as well, just like the program he just completed). Tough decision--get our lives back after three years of heck (and tackle the home projects that have been languishing the entire time), or take advantage of free education from a top-ranked school? Hmmmmm?