Tools

We have accumulated quite a collection of tools in the years Deus Ex Machina and I have owned our house.  Most of them are fantastic and are used regularly - like my canning supplies and other food preservation equipment.  

A few, though, we purchased for a specific reason, used them, and then put them aside and ... well, honestly, I, kind of, forget about them. 

Several years ago, I decided that I wanted to learn to make incense, and we found a sweet little kit through Rose Mountain Herbs.  I made a few cones, some of which I used myself, and some I gave as gifts at Christmas.  Then, I put the kit in a cabinet and forgot.  The other day I was chatting with my friend and mentioned I had purchased some incense sticks.   She said something about making my own, and I remembered that I could do that!  I can!  So, I went looking for the kit and found it, and she and I may get together in the near future to make incense ... like we made soap.  

When I was making incense, the most difficult part was using the Barbie-doll sized mortar and pestle that came with the kit, and so after making that incense, Deus Ex Machina purchased a real mortar and pestle for me.  

It's a gorgeous marble set.  We also bought one for him at the same time.  His is white and also very pretty.

I guess we used them a couple of times, and, then, they ended up in a cabinet.

When I talked with my friend about incense making, I remembered my mortar and pestle.

Later that same day, I was dealing with a salt crisis.  I love Maine Sea Salt, but it is a very coarse salt with huge grains.  It's lovely on something like salted caramel, when one wants those large coarse crystals.  Not so great when I'm just salting my dinner.

I have a grinder, but the Maine Sea Salt isn't big enough for the salt grinder to work.  Right?  The salt crystals are too big to salt my food, but too small to grind in the salt grinder.

Which is when I had my epiphany, because those crystals can be ground with my mortar and pestle.

And that's what I did.  I used the mortar and pestle to grind up the salt, which I, then, put into a salt shaker.

Having tools is good.  

Maine Sea Salt is more expensive than the grocery store brands, but I like the local aspect of the salt for a lot of reasons.  Buying local means I reduce my personal carbon footprint - which is important to me.  So, I didn't save any money by purchasing the Maine Sea Salt.

I did save money by using the tools we already have rather than trying to purchase a new salt grinder, which may or may not work.  

So, I will call this a win for $aving, because I avoided a new purchase by remembering that I already have the tools I need to get the job done.  Win!