1. My kids' fingernails grow sooooo fast! Has anyone else noticed this in their kids? I mean, I have to trim Sarah's and Kimball's fingernails every week. It's crazy. I KNOW my nails don't grow that fast.
2. We have recently discovered that Allison is allergic to cats. This is weird for me and Matt, as neither of us have any pet allergies. But last Friday, after handling some cats and reacting for the second known time, she even experienced throat pain and complained of having a hard time swallowing!!! Wowsers. Hope it isn't an anaphylactic reaction in the works next time she's exposed. Good thing we don't have a cat. Another thing we discovered . . . Allison gets hyper if you give her benadryl and can't go to sleep for HOURS if given any in the evening before bed. LAME.
3. This observation of mine doesn't fit the witty title of my post, but here goes. I have noticed, especially the last several times, that when I cook pasta, I have this NASTY, clear, goopey, slimey and GROSS substance that accumulates on the side of the pan and on any wooden spoon/etc that I leave in the pan while the noodles are cooking. Has anyone else noticed this stuff?? What is it?? I'm not kidding, it has made me NOT be able to EAT pasta for a while (of course I still serve it to my kids though!!). It almost looks like some sort of gel consistency. I wondered, is it some kind of preservative? Is my pasta just old? What is the deal? But it happens/accumulates on newly purchased packages of spaghetti, angel hair, and little tubey pasta too. I have "googled" this problem and found the following complaint here: http://gflower.livejournal.com/18777.html so I know I'm not alone in this!
7 comments:
Yes, I too notice the fast growing fingernails of children. Mine don't get that chance because I bite them.
Good thing you guys don't have cats you have to get rid of!
I notice the goopy stuff if I don't have enough water boiling with my pasta. I also rinse it when it's done and that seems to help some. I always thought it was the starch that was the white goopy stuff, but I don't know for sure...
You crack me up!! All good observations and too true. Boyd is super allergic to cats too. He starts oozing the minute he walks in the room with one. It's good you know now before you got a cat!
Yeah, we've got the same fingernail thing here too. I feel if it goes much longer than 2 weeks they start looking like those nails in Guiness Book of World Records.
I've had the cloudy slimy stuff in the past. I've heard it was starch too. I haven't had it that bad, but like above comment said, mine is always way worse if i don't have lots of water in it.
Sariah's nails are the same. Just crazy, and she scratches herself so easy if they are at all grown out! Ugh!
It is starch. You can also get the same thing with potatoes. Here is an actual website to back me up on this (it also explains that more water helps the problem):
Pasta releases a starchy substance (the foamy bubbles that form at the edge of the pan) while it's being boiled. If there is not enough water to dilute the starch, the pasta will be coated with that starchy substance. If you cook pasta with very little water, the water thickens. This thick water (which includes the starch) causes a heat transfer causing the pasta not to cook evenly. The taste of the pasta will also be affected by the amount of water.
http://whatscookingamerica.net/Pasta_Rice_Main/pasta.htm
Fingernails - what ever are you talking about?? Just live with an anal husband and you will never, ever have to trim your kids nails. Mike is freakish about nails and trims the girls nails every two days - so I have not a clue how fast they grow because they never have a chance to grow.
Slimy stuff on the pasta - double your amount of water and do not cook it as long. Al Dente (sp?) pasta will not get that slim. When you overcook it, the starch will start to come out. I am right there with you, it initiates my gag reflex whenever it happens to my pasta. I have to thrown it out and start over.
So, what have you just learned from my comment? That my husband is freakish and I am neurotic - see what good qualities we are busy passing onto the girls : )
hey! GREAT COMMENTS Ya'll. Seriously. I am thankful. I will work on my pasta cooking skills and report back. I do have a tendency to put less water in the pot, so that it boils faster. (who isn't in a hurry to get meals on??) Sounds like that's my biggest mistake right there.
That's funny, Melissa, about Mike's nail obsession.
Hey, Sam. Just read the link that you posted in your comment. WOW. I actually learned alot! Thanks. And all you readers out there should check out the link she mentioned too.
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