Synova

...as if there was any doubt. A local shop had some pretty rocks with fluorite crystals (note on them says "Fluorite NM" but I don't know where in NM they were collected). The others might have been more spectacular but I wanted this one (which was my Christmas present from my husband) because it had three different minerals that form isometric crystal structures.  That means that they form (or can form) perfect geometric cubes.  The white crystals are calcite (CaCO3), which has a hexagonal crystal structure, and I think if you zoom in on the bottom half of the rock there are some sorta hex shaped white nuggets.  But no one cares about the calcite.  So... the fluorite crystals (CaF2) are the clear purple/blue cubes.  There are also galena crystals (PbS), but they are hard to see in this picture.  Galena is super showy.  The crystals look like perfect little metallic cubes with mirror-shiny faces.  Most of the galena crystals in...

Self, when making krumkake do not touch the base of the krumkake iron with your bare fingers. What I was making: Recipe: 3 eggs, beaten 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup butter 1 tsp vanilla, or almond, or lemon, or cardamom 1/2 cup flour Do the usual stuff with the butter and sugar, flour and eggs, and flavoring. Cook a teaspoon at a time on a krumkake iron over low-ish heat until they are golden.  Roll onto a tapered dowel while hot.  Slide off the dowel.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar if you must.