jt, kitchencrafts has a variety of more upscale moulds, but I can't testify to any from experience (I make juice pops for my nieces & nephews in summer with cheap ones from the dollar store, which are definitely imperfect; if I had my own kids & did it more often I would upgrade, for sure!). I don't know anything about dipping chocolate, but I had an idea that you might be able to get around it: how about rolling the finished ice-cream pops in mini-chocolate chips instead? you could kind of press them in. I have made ice-cream sandwiches with cookie outsides and slightly softened ice cream pressed between and rolled the edges in mini-chips this way, and while some fell off and it never looked as beautiful as the picture in _Canadian Living_ where I got the recipe (surprise, surprise), it worked well enough and tasted great! Mini-M&M's are another possibility, and might add a nice little crunch effect. The advantage of mini-choc chips over melt-able chocolates designed to be a coating is that you will get a better chocolate taste, I expect. Most of those chocolate casings are pretty mediocre chocolate, I expect because of everything they have to get The Science Guy to do to it to make it stick to the ice cream. Just a thought! I'm glad I looked at this thread. I just bought some hot-chile-flavoured chocolate bark for one of my "briderini" (as they called themselves since I couldn't quite see myself as having "maids" of any kind). Z

Thank you, luvs and Lynn! Let me clarify that some of these baskets are not my own original pattern! The fancy twill baskets are made from patterns in Lyn Siler's books. There are only two Basketry competitions at the Fair: original design, and commercial source (from someone else's kit or pattern). Hence, I weave those twills to wow the judges. lol! Unfortunately, I lost my much earlier response post (computer still dead -- repairs would be $600+!)... but I would like to answer Jeanne's question: yes, the coiled daylily basket is made from my own garden leaves. :) I love to be able to use homegrown natural materials! I now have my own willow patch. lol! And, jaybird, to date I've primarily sold my baskets to donate to my niece's charity, and donate them to charities. I weave lots of gifts too. lol! I think that I am very different from most basket weavers because I do like to work in many different styles and materials, and I do prefer to create my own patterns and designs. I like my baskets to be unique. Thank you all again for the very kind comments!

Wood spoons like that will get very dry over time, especially in a damp long wash cycle. Wood is very porous when it looses its natural, original, 'when purchased', sanded surface. Some are even rough right out of the box. Usually cheaper lighter wood is used. I don't put my good ones in the dishwasher....the hardwood gifted ones. They would actually hold up better being such dense wood. I hand wash, then dry immediately, let further dry on the counter, then oil them. Not fussy. Takes no time really. You could take your woodens, i have a dozen or so, and seasonally, just 4-6 times a year, give them a quick sanding with a fine sandpaper. I have a half folded sheet in my kitchen "junk' drawer. Especially if you have a couple favorite ones like i do. Then oil them with a paper towel. It seals it, seasons it, like furniture, and they will perform better, not just cooking, but will help in releasing food by hand washing or in the dishwasher. Similar to a wooden cutting boards. They will last for years if oiled. You might like a bamboo set. Very dense and don't need much care. A couple dollars for a set. I use a bit of cast iron and use wood 90% of the time being much easier on cookware. And less scraping noise. Any cooking oil is fine for a well used one. Some oils go rancid over time if put away in a drawer. A neutral mineral oil is good for less used tools. If it feels rough to the touch it is dried out and has microscopic 'teeth'. Sticky food sticks.

From what you're describing, I suspect the hard water is to blame. Phosphates used to work really well, but wreaked havoc on the environment. We already have enough problems with run off into the Pacific; don't need to add even more fertilizer. These days, dishwashing detergents rely on enzymes to break down food residue, and rely on small amounts of surfactants (i.e. soap) to rinse things off. That can work even better than the old type of detergent. But it generally isn't as effective the harder the water is. You probably notice that when showing too. You need more soap to wash, and then when you rinse the soap doesn't really want to come off. I live in a part of the Bay Area that is fortunate enough to get Hetch Hetchy water. So, our water is exceptionally soft. That would explain the different experiences. If you don't want to move a few miles North, your best bet is getting a water softener. Alternatively, keep experimenting with different detergents. Maybe you'll find one that works better in your situation. And definitely make sure to use rinse aid. With hard water you have to. It's the same problem as with showering. The water can't wash off everything. And in the case of a dishwasher, this is water that still has some food particles. So, you'll see residue when things dry