Saturday, October 06, 2007

STONES 101


Because Hannah gobbles her food so quickly, I have been putting three stones into her dish to slow her eating. It works.

After Hannah had a bout of gastroenteritis this week which necessitated a 24 hour stay in the emergency clinic for IV fluids, I nuked her bone in the microwave to eliminate possible bacteria that could aggravate her compromised digestive system.


This morning I got the brilliant idea that I should nuke the three stones that I put into her food dish. I carefully arranged them on paper, placed them on a flat dish, and fired up the microwave for 1 minute. I went upstairs and promptly forgot about the stones. Later I opened the microwave to prepare something for lunch, and the largest stone had exploded. The plate had shattered, and the microwave looked like a sandbox.


Hummmm, that must have been sandstone? Did those stones contribute to her intestinal upset this week? Was I stupid while looking out for Hannah's best interest?


A quick search online (campfire cooking stones) revealed:
"However, because some stones store water in tiny cracks and fissures, it's best not to take them from streams or other damp areas. Heating such a rock can cause the water it contains to vaporize and expand, often exploding the stone dangerously. For that reason, only bone-dry rocks should be used. I also recommend that sandstone, flint, obsidian, quartz, and any other hard, fireformed silicate types be avoided, as they tend to shatter when heated and then placed in water. "

2 comments:

Honeygo Beasley said...

Interesting...

I wish Chloe would "gobble" a little more (like a turkey!). She's a picky eater. Picks at her food. But sometimes she really CHOWS DOWN.

Chloe likes to pick up rocks outside, so putting them in her food would NOT work. I'd be afraid she'd break a tooth!

Where did you get this idea from, btw?

Anonymous said...

Thought stone idea was great for Bailey & Korbel until I read the rest of your adventure! FF