Archived Posts from Tips

thermometerI bought a bag of cherries from the store the other day. I thought it would be a good snack for the kids during a little picnic. I went to the drawer for a combination tool that minces garlic and pits cherries. I can state firmly that this tool is horrible. The pitting portion of the tool is in between the handles making it very awkward to use. It also only managed to hit the pit about 25% of the time.

So, I proceeded to rummage through our kitchen drawers for a chopstick. I had seen tv shows where the chef had used a chopstick to remove the pits. I had tried this method in the past and it too left a lot to be desired. However, during my search I found a tool that worked very well. (Read the rest of this entry »)

Cooking, Tips

spoonI’m sure all gardeners at one time or another have bought those cute little plastic plant markers. Unfortunately, they are quite expensive. My favorite plant marker currently is good old fashion Popsicle sticks, which can be bought in large quantities at any art or craft store.

But if you are the type of person that likes the look and durability of plastic then we have a cost saving suggestion for you. Someone on the Instructables web site suggests using plastic spoons. He wants you to melt the handle off which creates a nice pointed tip, but that just seems like way too much work not to mention smelly. Just simply cut or snip off the handles and you have cheap plastic plant markers.

Gardening, Tips

Yesterday while working at my brother-in-law’s house, a question arose about the covering for a junction box. Several of us were under the impression that you cannot cover a junction box with drywall, while others believed that this was perfectly legal and within code.

Curiosity got the better of me and I thought that I would probably be able to access the NEC online through my library. I may be able to do this, but I quickly found out that everything on NEC’s web site is available free of charge. There are stipulations such as the inability to print the documents, but it was refreshing to find this resource available for free in any form.

The answer to the previous question is, no you cannot cover a junction box with drywall. The code states that all wiring shall remain accessible without removing part of the building.

National Electric Code 2008

Family, Tips