Snow is Coming...and a Recipe for a "Snow Garden"

Now you all thought that I was going to show you a picture of snow in our area...right? Nope...here's a picture of a snow garden, like we used to make in grade school.

What do you do when a snowstorm is predicted? People panic when they hear snow is coming and they run to the grocery store for MILK & BREAD and TOILET PAPER!!!! The aisles look as if savages raided them with ripped opened bags of bread on the floor. What's going on? We live in towns with grocery stores and we are not going to be trapped from one snow storm....and yet we did it too, last night. Our weather forecast sounded ominous...big snow, high winds, school closings, white outs etc. We hopped in the car and took off for the store. Women were coming out of the store with a huge bundle of toilet paper (it was on sale) and in the other hand a gallon of milk. We bought two...just in case...for two people. We have a house full of food, and yet panic sets in when we think that we may not get out for a day. I think it is just a natural instinct. We, deep inside, are thinking about survival. So, here are some things to do, to take you minds off the weather, while watching the snowplow go by...Make a cup of hot chocolate, wrap Christmas presents, watch a movie, bake some cookies, shovel out the driveway, make some soup, oh there's lots to do. Maybe you just want to veg out. For those of you, who have no snow coming, and you are jealous of us.. who live in the midwest...

Here is a recipe that you may be familiar with. We made these "snow gardens" when I was a kid.

Step 1: mix together:
4 tablespoons salt

4 tablespoons liquid bluing

4 tablespoons water
4 tablespoons ammonia

Pour the mixture over small pieces of porous rock, charcoal or pieces of broken clay flowerpots in a shallow glass or plastic bowl or plate. Crystals will begin to grow in six hours and continue for three days, depending on the humidity, temperature, and how much airflow is present. To concentrate crystal growth on the charcoal and avoid them forming on the edge of the plate, coat the plate with Vaseline.
Briquettes aren't very good at drawing the liquid up so be sure to keep the level of the liquid at least half way up the side of the briquette.
Most recipes suggest sprinkling two more tablespoons of salt over the charcoal and on the first or second day to get the crystal growth off to a faster start.
Add more of the salt-bluing-ammonia-water mix starting on the third day to keep the crystals growing. Be careful to avoid dripping any of the new solution on the growing crystals or they will be damaged. In time the crystals may grow over the sides of the bowl.

Have some fun today...Balisha (there goes the snowplow again!)