Extreme cold weather? Here are things you can freeze...

Right now, Minnesota is blanketed is cold which the state hasn't seen since 1996. Relatively speaking, that's not too long for me (I was in high school at the time and earned a couple days off thanks to Governor Arne Carlson). Extreme cold (-20 to -30 F) does have some positives to it much like extreme heat does. Just think of all the cool stuff you can freeze.

News reporters have done it all. They throw a hot cup of water up into the air and the cameraman catches the image of the water turning to vapor or snowflakes as it quickly falls to the ground. But the fun doesn't stop there. Below are a few things you can freeze just to see what happens.

1.) Bananas
20 minutes out in the cold air tomorrow should* solidly freeze a banana so you can use it as a hammer to pound in a few nails until it either thaws or shatters. I'll get back to you tomorrow on what happens.

2.) Egg
Again, about 20 minutes outside should* be long enough to freeze a regular old Grade A Large egg solid. Quickly take it inside and peel off the shell and watch the amazement (or horror) in the eyes of your children as they see what an egg looks like beneath its shell.

3.) Blueberries
It will* only take a mere five minutes to freeze a few blueberries as solid as bee-bees. Do what you will with them after they are frozen.

4.) Soda
Ten minutes will* freeze a can of soda and twenty minutes in these Siberian temperatures will straight up explode the can leaving behind a cylinder of frozen high fructose corn syrup surrounded by a pile of aluminum shrapnel (or not).

5.) Balloon
Blow up a regular old latex balloon, tie it off and secure it to something to prevent it from blowing away. Put it outside and watch it implode in a few minutes. Honestly, this one works.

6.) Bubbles
Grab your child's bubble wand, dip it in some warm bubble solution and duck outside quickly to blow a bubble or five. Try to catch one and watch it nearly instantly freeze into a tiny, clear orb and have fun letting it shatter.

Don't, though, plan on doing all six of these kick-ass experiments in one shot because you'll die outside in six minutes (actually frostbite occurs in around five minutes with Monday's predicted windchills). We live here for some reason so have some fun with these hellish temperatures.

*Never trust what you read on the internet but trying to freeze crap in this weather can make it at least tolerable.