[Herbalist] Directions needed please

[kingstaste@mindspring.com]

> I've also heard of people using rice, but
> haven't tried it yet.
>
> Mary/Katerine


We have used the rice bag method for years.  Sew up white rice in any kind of
bag, I generally use muslin.  Make some kind of cover for the outside, this
makes it easy to keep clean, removing the cover to wash.  I have used
dishtowels, flannel, and the one remaining sock from a set that I loved before
the mate got a hole :(
We store them in the freezer so they're always cold for use as a cold pack,
and easy to pop into the microwave when a hot pack is needed.  Very portable,
you can even refresh the heat while traveling at any convenience store's micro
nuker.  The rice slowly looses mass, I have one bag that's over 5 years old,
and the rice is smaller inside the bag, but it still works just fine.  When
keeping inside the freezer, we've found that storing the bag inside a
container like a ziploc or rigid plastic keeps the bags from picking up food
odors.
I bought a 20 lb. bag of white rice and a bunch of dishcloths at the dollar
store and made Christmas presents for everyone on my list one year.  It was a
real hit.
Good luck,
Mistress Christianna