Hi, folks, can't imagine what you are going thru, with the impending hurricane and all the upheaval that goes with 'preparation' for it's arrival, or just the internal and physical displacement that is evacuation. World weather patterns sure are a mess now. Yesterday the news told us it was a category 5, today they say downgraded to cat.3. To me, it's still a hurricane. We hope and pray that it will weaken, and not cause the devastation the last one did. Jo, yes the sand I'm talking about is beach sand, it's called 'Sydney sand.' Don't know if this makes sense, but I use it because it's 'accurate'And is strong. It is the standard sand used by tilers for cement beds, or screeds, and for grouting. Some call it plasterer's sand. As I said, never had a problem with it until I used the 'washed' version. The washed version may be from a source with such high salt content, that it HAS to be washed, but still ends up with salt residue that affects the work. Believe it or not, this sand is more sharp, than smooth. I haven't encountered any problems with oxide in it, ( mineral colourants), but I do have to control accurately, the amount of plasticiser in the mix, or it will cause what looks like a cold joint in the finished piece. As for testing the amount of salts in the material, I was told to use a salt meter they use in hydroponic food and flower production. The method is similar to Tango's sand and water in a jar, only you test the water with the meter, and it will tell you if you have excessive salts in the material. Tango, I don't know what they mean by French Cement, I'm having a hard time just getting the price out of them. I think they have a new product, and are testing the water as far as information and pricing go. Looks like they will send me a couple of 40kg bags to trial soon, though.Can't wait to try it. As for pics, I borrowed a digital and got some shots of the exhibition, and some other stuff , and it's getting put onto disc, and then I will try to post it here . May be of interest to someone out there. Slate

What recipe do you use? I use 1 quart milk with 1/2 cup powdered milk added. Heat to 180 degrees F, cool to 105 degrees F. Add 1/2 cup Dannon Plain or homemade yogurt. Incubate for 4 to 5 hours. I've read where the powdered milk adds to the creaminess. Also, you can use your homemade yogurt as a starter but it weakens after several generations, so use store-bought yogurt every now & then. By the way, homemade yogurt makes the best biscuits! 2 cups flour 1 stick butter 4 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. sugar 1/2 tsp. baking soda 3/4 cup plain yogurt With a mixer or by hand, blend flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, & baking soda. Cut cold butter into chunks, then cut into flour until flour looks mealy & many small chunks of butter remain. Stir in yogurt, mix until all flour is incorporated. Add a little water if necessary to incorporate remaining flour. Turn out onto a floured countertop. Knead & flip the dough a few times on the floured countertop so the dough isn't sticky. Pat into a square about 8" by 8", & 3/4 inch to 1 inch thick. (The dough is soft & pillowy.) Cut into 3x4 or 3x3 rows & columns with a floured knife, depending on your desired biscuit size. Arrange biscuits close together on a baking pan, bake at 450 degrees for about 10 minutes. Substitute 1/2 cup whole wheat or rye flour for some of the regular flour for a nice accompaniment to stews & soups. These are quick to make & very good.

I shop at Wegman's. Not only is the location the most convenient to me, but when you comparison shop, one store is cheaper on this but more expensive on that, so in the end it works out about the same. Since I know the layout, it's quick for me to shop there. The employees are friendly and helpful. i recently checked out a new Aldi. I made note of prices of items I usually buy. They were 49 cents cheaper on slivered almonds. The pineapples were a $1 cheaper, but also much smaller. The other prices weren't significantly lower. Much of the produce came pre-packed in quantities too large for my needs. The olive oils were all blended from olives from multiple countries. The store is not in a location I drive by or need to be near for any other reason. I don't buy cookies and chips, which was the largest aisle. All those factors mean I won't be shopping there. I'm sure it's a great place but it doesn't meet my needs.

Digdirt, wednesday morning and sleevendog, you bring up very good points and all are something to take into consideration. All the comments and advice are greatly appreciated and exactly why I'm researching, asking questions and considering every option at this stage. I'm taking about a year to research and plan as much as I can and looking at every angle. I do all the what ifs, what I would like, what do I need , how would I use them, what might be possible, no matter how outrageous they may seem at this point. I have made the mistake in the past, not to consider every option and then once we have completed a major renovation, turned around and said. well, why didn't we include this in the renovation, And the answer is because we didn't look at everything we should have and kept our focus too narrow. I love getting all your points of view and finding things I may not have thought of. Thank you. Wednesday morning, great idea about using the canning jars for more options.