Tag: natural

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Sick time off

Well, the whole family managed to get sick so that kept me away from uploading pictures.  Since we are starting to feel better, I snuck off to the computer to play catch up!  While we were fighting off the sick germs, got some cinnamon soap cooked up that looks pretty neat; my son said it looked like pie wedges when it was cut.  Now starts the long wait until it can be used!  Also finished up the kid’s hats & scarves for their Christmas presents so we’ve been busy in our little ways….

Cut Cinnamon bars

The lavender soap went all wonky while we were sick so I was pretty bummed.  Looks like the “essential oil” I was sold wasn’t really lavender.  Will have to try again but it hurt to have to toss all that soap.  It started out ok but about five days in, the smell changed and color morphed into this yellowish color and then they kept going downhill from there.  Oh well, live and learn and cook some more!  Here are some of the promised pictures from last week.

Everything that came off the racks
Everything that came off the racks
Lavender before morph
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Busy Cooking Weekend

We were very busy this weekend but I did manage to spend quite a bit of time over the soap pots.  Happy me!  What did I mix up?  I finally got a Sweet Pea soap made that my littlest one has been wanting, a whipped lavender soap with dried flower buds in it, and a regular cold process oven baked Lavender.  The Castile soaps are feeling great so far; they are so worth the effort.  I also got a little creative and mixed up a concoction from odds and ends so we are anxiously waiting to see what happens with that one.  The smells from the Sweet Pea and Lavender are awesome.  I pulled the other soaps from the racks and got pictures taken of everything so I will share later this week.  Just have to get them uploaded from the camera…

I will be at Donna Lamy’s Westgate Neighborhood Market Day on November 15th so stop by and say hi if you’re in the area!

-Dorothy

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What’s on the curing racks now

With my little trick or treaters enjoying the rewards of their long walk last night, I can enjoy a moment and start planning the next batch.  I’ve anxiously been watching the racks here and waiting for some of the new bars to be ready.  No, I’m not talking about the medieval torture racks!  The racks here are the curing racks where new soaps hang out for about thirty days after being created.  This is their chance to settle down, drop some water weight, and torture ME as I wait for them to be ready.  Technically, they’re completely ready and safe to use since the chemical reaction neutralizes any potential nasties but traditional cold process techniques allow the soaps to cure for that thirty days before they are “done.”  Although I will admit to being guilty of grabbing some off the rack early because I’m too impatient and just have to try it out!

Due to come off this week are a second round of my Castille soap which is made from 100% olive oil and hubby’s Cedar and Spice soap.  I know my boys have been very patient in waiting on that one and I am quite curious to see how quickly this batch disappears!  Knowing their past history of that line, I should probably get started on another one of those before very long.  The coffee soap is also about ready to come off and it is looking great.  It has the color of a very dark roasted coffee and I’m curious to see the bubble factor from this milled batch.  I pulled the Texas Suds over the weekend and stashed those away so by next week, I should have all my racks empty and ready for another round.  Hooray!

Cedar & Spice on the Rack

I’m probably going to make another unscented batch again and definitely another Chocolate Brownie.   Now to pick a third…..

-Dorothy, Texas Pioneer Creations