Summer SE#2: Mentos in the soda

3 pieces of equipment: 1 2-L bottle of soda (diet is easier to clean up-as is lemon-lime vs. a cola or colored soda which might stain onlookers), 1 pkg. Mentos mints (the chewy mint from Holland but available at many U.S. grocery stores-don't eat the mints even though they are yummy-buy a second package for a treat after the experiment), and, finally, a piece of plain paper.

Roll paper into a cylinder shape with a diameter just big enough for the Mentos to fit and to fall into the opening of the soda bottle. Unwrap Mentos and fill paper cylinder with all the candies-lining them up just like they were aligned in the packaging. Hold them in by covering the bottom of the cylinder and keeping the cylinder shape.

Have someone fast and agile take the cylinder of Mentos to the just barely opened bottle of soda that has been placed on a stable platform such as cement, asphalt or a piece of wood (as shown in the picture) [do this experiment outside with a lot of room]. Have them remove their finger from the bottom of the cylinder and let all the Mentos fall into the soda bottle. Jump back quickly. (See bottom picture of a geyser of soda.)

Thank you to Secret Science:25 Science Experiments Your Teacher Doesn't Know About by Steve Spangler for the Mentos Geyser Experiment. Read more about the experiment and why it works so well with Mentos by checking out the book from your local library (or by studying up on nucleation.) Thank you also to Mentos which is a trademark candy. Support science! Buy Mentos!

(Disclaimer: we purchased everything for this experiment and have not received any supplies or support or compensation of any kind from any outside source for this experiment.)

Blooming Yard

Rosemary with delicate light purple flowers, purple iris in the sun and blue iris weighted down by so many blossoms.

(Oh, and there's an old/new post below for our start in adventures in science experiments over the summer.)

Summer SE #1: Gummy bears in the water

The beginning players include gummy bears, a glass of water (enough to cover the gummy bears by at least one inch) and a scale. Weigh some gummy bears. We found that five gummy bears were 1/2 ounce. Then place gummy bears in glass of water and let them soak for 24 hours.

(This post is loaded with pictures!)




The bears will expand exceedingly! It's hard to tell from these pictures but the bears tripled in weight. They went from .5 ounces to 1.5 ounces and it looks like they almost quadrupled in size. They were slimy and bouncy from all the water absorption from the osmosis process. (The smaller red and green bears are examples of bears not placed in water and not expanded like their water-bloated companions.



The water concentration was higher outside the gummy bears so the water moved into the gummy bears and expanded them. This particular experiment might be good to try with other items to see what is impervious to water.



As part of the experiment I asked everyone to come up with a gummy bear art pose. Mica shows us a giant yellow gummy bear. Hedgehog chose a scene of a gummy bear battle. The vanquished gummy bears floated down the "paper river" for the consumption of the local giant human (Hedgehog). Daisy is displaying "Gummy Bear on Nose" in reference to the oft depicted "Bumblebee on Nose". Jean chose a simple design of gummy bears reading.




Thank you to Salvatore Tocci and his book, More Winning Science Fair Projects-Grades 5-7, for the idea.


(Yes, this post is antedated. I meant to get it up last week-we're going for several science experiments this summer-we'll see how many actually get done and posted.)

Apple Pie from a picture book

An Apple Pie for Dinner by Susan VanHecke complete with recipe at the end.



Baked apple pie from the book.


And, happily, it was an apple pie that set up correctly.

It was a pretty good apple pie but not the best we've ever made. I still think Romes with Granny Smiths make a great apple pie but its almost impossible to find Rome apples anymore.

Find more books and info on Susan VanHecke at: http://susanvanhecke.com/ (She also wrote some books on the history of Rock and Roll.)

Read more about projects by Carol Baicker-McKee at: http://www.doodlesandnoodles.blogspot.com/ (She has some wonderful projects for valentines and other holidays with advice about art supplies.)

$15 Bountiful Baskets v. $10 Food Co-op = Tie!

Well, I finally got around to trying Bountiful Baskets-a western state food co-op where one literally needs to sign up within in the first few minutes to get the prime pick-up locations! They charge $15 for their weekly allotment (you just sign up on the weeks you are interested.) There's an additional $1.50 charge for running your payment through the system. (Bottom line: $16.50 total)

We received 12 Roma tomatoes, 6 ears of corn, 4 artichokes, 3 cucumbers, 3 mangoes, 2 yellow onions, 2 green peppers, 1 3-lb. bag pink lady apples, 1 pkg. blackberries, 1 head of romaine lettuce, 1 pineapple and 1 cantaloupe. The cucumbers and green peppers had to be eaten within the first five days but the rest stayed fresh for at least a couple of weeks and longer (except the blackberries which lasted about 30 minutes. We can never test the freshness of berries because they never last long in our household!)

The people were friendly and helpful. Food Good.


And then there's the long time competitor that we've patronized for years now-the community food co-op where a share is only $10 [no payment charge (ding!) point in their favor!]

We received 1 bunch of 6 bananas, 5 pink lady apples, 4 regular tomatoes, 4 green peppers, 2 cucumbers, 1 bunch of broccoli, 1 bag of coleslaw, and 1 personal sized watermelon. The green peppers, tomatoes, bananas, and coleslaw needed to be used within the first five days. The rest lasted a bit longer.

The people here are also friendly and helpful. Food Good.


Results: A Tie. There was a total of 8 varieties and 19 items from the local co-op for $10.
The newcomer? There was a total of 12 varieties and 37 items from the BB co-op for $16.50.


Checks and balances: about 1/3 of the Bountiful baskets was the 12 Roma tomatoes. Hmmmm....were the tomatoes hogging the item count? But their food lasted longer that the food we usually get from the other co-op. The other co-op seems more and more to be getting food that needs to be used within a week. I have to admit that it was nice to have food that lasted longer from Bountiful baskets but the price is a bit more than the community food co-op.


Verdict: I think we'll actually continue to get food from both and see how it continues to measure up. I am looking to see if the local food co-op will bring back the farmer's market share...that was always tasty and worthwhile because of the two main selling points: a) local and b) organic.

Author 80: Ed Young with a cat

Simple. Beautiful. No words. By Ed Young. Look for Asian influences. http://edyoungart.com/