On to another soap challenge

The October Challenge through Amy Warden’s Great Cakes Soapworks is using alternative liquids for the water in the soap.  In past soaps, I’ve used beer, coconut milk, chamomile tea  and water; all those are incredible.  So, to cut to the chase,  this is my entry.  Scented with an essential oils of Lavender, Rosemary, Patchouli, Orange, and Bourbon Geranium.

In case you don’t want to read all this, here are all three batches I made.

 

We have been working hard this year with our expanded garden and I have nurtured several wild plants.  So, I decided to use a tea made with my homegrown calendudula and rosemary, wild plantain, wild chamomile and chickweed.  After washing the wild plants, I brought my water to a boil and added my botanicals.  They simmered for about 5 minutes, then covered the pot and let them steep for about 30 minutes.  I cooled it and strained the liquid for my soap.  Because I used natural botanicals in my liquid, it seemed like a no brainer to continue that theme.  I added a bit of aloe to the liquid, bamboo silk, a bit of sugar (for lather) and then the lye, and let that cool.

Making my herbal tea

I wanted a soap that would be natural, but incredibly luxurious.  I used olive oil, castor oil, coconut oil, apricot kernel oil, and shea butter.  This has very high moisturizing qualities and should be an awesome soap.  The herbal infusion, aloe and silk will take it over the top.  For scent I used a blend of essential oils that included lavinden, patchouli, grapefruit, ylang ylang and rosemary.  I planned on three layers, with a light sprinkle of vanilla bean seeds between layers.  The bottom layer would have annatto powder added to give a deeper orange color, the middle layer would be the natural light yellow from the oils and herbs, and the top layer would have carrot powder for a little different orange color.  I would pour each layer with the mold tilted to give a bit of drama.

I poured the lye solution into my weighed and cooled oils, blended and started.  It did seem to thicken more than I thought it should, but I’m pretty good managing thick soap batter.  Finished my last layer and texturing the top, and began thinking why is this mold only 3/4 full.  This should be full to a little over the top.  What the heck…  Back and checked the recipe.  Hmmm… I didn’t pour any olive oil.  Curses!!!! D#*!*#!@ it!!!!!

So, scooped my lovely soap out and added the missing oil and blended the heck out of it.  This time I poured half the batter with the mold tilted and a dusting of vanilla seeds and the rest of the batter.  Well, it is still going to be an awesome soap, just not the planned one.  I still have enough herbal infusion to make another batch.  Out to the shop I go!

Batch one.  (I love annatto seed in soap!)

 

On to round two, I decided to use my fresh homegrown carrots in addition to my brewed herbal tea in this batch along with locally made birch syrup.    To make a long story short, I lightened part of the batter with titanium dioxide for to give a layered look and glitter on top (I LOVE glitter)  Amy graciously reminded me no t.d., and no glitter.  Well, bummer.  I was running out of time and not sure I wanted to put more time into this, but decided just one more.

Some of my carrots, and below, Calendula.  Below that, herbsBatch two

Round three.   For the liquid, my brewed herbal tea with a bit of aloe powder and my fresh homegrown carrots will also be part of this batch.  Cooked and pureed the carrots (If you need more info on the benefits of carrots besides vitamins and beta carotenes, please check WebMD; good plain English info)   and (once again) added local birch syrup.  Birch syrup is locally produced, has fructose which helps lather and is a sustainable product.   I added annatto seed powder (Annatto also contains very high concentrations of carotenoids, chemicals in the same class as alpha- and beta-carotene.  Mountain Rose Herbs website)   to part of the batter to give a little interest, a little exfoliation and color.  The oils used are olive oil, apricot kernel oil, castor oil, coconut oil, and shea butter.  I also added raw tussah silk to the lye water.

My herbal tea was brewed with the following herbs, all from our pesticide free garden and yard.  I believe these botanicals are soothing and beneficial.  I does sound lovely on a label, and may have skin benefits.   (Check out the Mayo Clinic, WebMd, Rosemary Gladstar; pick your source!)

• Plantain   “Medicinally, plantain leaf is approved by the German Commission E for respiratory catarrhs and mild inflammation of the oral and pharyngeal mucosa. It is traditionally used for upper respiratory support, and is topically used for minor cuts, bruises, and stings.  Plantain is very high in vitamins A and C and is also a rich source of calcium.”  (Mountain Rose Herbs website)  We have a local doctor who has prescribed plantain poultices for skin irritation.
• Calendula  “Nicholas Culpepper, a 17th century botanist, herbalist and astrologist, mentioned using calendula juice mixed with vinegar as a rinse for the skin and scalp and that a tea of the flowers comforts the heart.⁷ Astrologically associated with the sun and the fire element, calendula was believed to imbue magical powers of protection and clairvoyance, and even to assist in legal matters. Flowers strung above doorposts were said to keep evil out and to protect one while sleeping if put under the bed. It was said that picking the flowers under the noonday sun will strengthen and comfort the heart.¹¹
• Calendula was used in ancient times in India as well, and according to Ayurvedic healing principles is energetically cooling and has a bitter and pungent taste. It was employed as vulnerary, antispasmodic, alterative and used on minor wounds, as an eyewash, to soothe bee stings, and for digestive disturbances.¹²And, in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), calendula (called Jin Zhan Ju) is considered energetically neutral and drying and is used to support healthy skin. Calendula is employed to move stagnant blood therefore increasing circulation to the skin.Traditionally, in Native American cultures, it has been employed to assuage ailments including occasional upset stomach. Traditional use mirrors many of our contemporary applications of this medicinal plant. Modern studies confirm its efficacy.^4,15-18 According to herbalist Paul Bergner, calendula is an herb used for minor wounds that helps by bringing circulation to the area in distress. It can be used similarly to Arnica sp.,^5,19 yet it is a much more mild plant that can be used on open wounds.”  (Mountain Rose Herbs website)
• Rosemary   “Medicinally, rosemary is approved by the German Commission E to support healthy digestion. It is also approved externally for healthy circulation and alleviation of joint pain. The oil is frequently used for aromatherapy, and has been shown to enhance alertness.” (Mountain Rose Herbs website)
• Rosemary is used topically (applied to the skin) for preventing and treating baldness; and treating circulation problems, toothache, a skin condition called eczema, and joint or muscle pain such as myalgia, sciatica, and intercostal neuralgia. It is also used for wound healing, in bath therapy (balneotherapy), and as an insect repellent.

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-154-rosemary.aspx?activeingredientid=154&activeingredientname=rosemary

• Chickweed Used to help reduce inflammation of irritated and itchy skin, for insect bites, boils  The Boreal Herbal by Beverly Gray, page 65. Copyright 2011.
• Wild Chamomile To help alleviate inflammation of a wound or for achiy, sore muscles.  The fragrance is known help you fall asleep.  The Boreal Herbal by Beverly Gray, page 59. Copyright 2011.

This batch turned out beautifully.  My camera died when making the soap, so I can’t show you just how richly dark orange the batter was.  It lightened considerably during saponification.  I might try again and not let it gell.  This is a deliciously awesome soap and the one I envisioned.  (This pic is of batch two with the offending glitter, but you can see how beautiful the color started out.  I may rinse the glitter off this batch!)

Batch three

 

 

 

 

 

Our NRCS High Tunnel Program update

As part of our high tunnel program results report to the NRCS, I decided to create a post with LOTS of pictures from this gardening season.  We had a few setbacks early on this spring; health issues and a vehicle accident (no serious injury) caused a very late start on getting the high tunnels up and running.  We didn’t get things planted till very late May and into June.  But, we got ‘er done.  Because we had to move soil for the house high tunnel (hht), we ended up with very sandy, rocky soil to plant in.  That was a bit discouraging, but we followed the NRCS soil enhancement recommendations and hoped for the best.   We rented a rototiller to incorporate the lime and fertilizer into the beds.

Craig Smith, Alaska State Agronomist, knows his stuff.  Despite the late start in planting, the hht did pretty well.  We planted potatoes, tomatoes, sugar snap peas, cucumbers, summer squash, a variety of herbs, purple snap beans and we had red and golden raspberries already on the site.

Coming up is a photo tour of our house high tunnel garden for 2015.  Hope you enjoy it!

Early spring.  The frame was finished fall, 2014, but beds are not moved yet.

Beds are redone in the right place.  From the left, potatoes are up (Magic Molly, Peanut, and All Blue).  The next bed (with the red frames) has Sun Gold tomatoes and one Stupice tomato plant.  Past the tomatoes are a couple of cucumber plants, a bed of Calendula flowers, purple snap beans, four hills of summer squash, and raspberries.  Next row (3rd from left) are herbs and sugar snap peas.  The far right bed has potatoes; German Butterball, Party, Red, Peanut, and Yukon Gold.

Watering is a big issue with so much planted.  Curt set up a drip irrigation system that runs from the pumphouse.  We had two soaker hoses in each bed; will probably do three for each bed next year.  You can see Curt working on the pea trellis in this photo and also see the potatoes on the far right bed.  The green board you see running along the side of the hht is about 4-1/2 feet high.  We have monster potato plants!

Potatoes on the left side.  They’ve started sprawling from their weight and height, and they are blooming.  I think potato blossoms are beautiful.  (You cn see the side is rolled up about 2-1/2 feet for ventilation.  We had no problems with overheating or mildew this year.)   We also found that leaving some of the chickweed in the beds helped retain moisture.  (a living mulch?)  When I removed it, the dried out faster, so we started leaving it alone once the plants were big enough to not be choked out.  I also use some of the weeds in herbal infusions.

Riley in the hht, potatoes on the left, Calendula on the right.  Beans just behind the Calendula.

Sun Gold tomatoes.  Best flavor ever!

Some of our herbs.

Couldn’t resist this shot.  Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme (along with lavender, tarragon and basil) (You’re singing now aren’t you?)

Dill!

Leaf lettuce and basil.  These were scattered throughout the hht.

Purple beans and raspberries.

Moving along to harvest.  From the back, German Butterball, Party, Peanut, Red and Yukon Golds.

Other side. Some of the Peanuts and All Blue. (I do see a Magic Molly in there, too.)

How about these Red potatoes?

Some of the purple beans.

Using our loot!  Roasted chicken with homegrown herbs, potatoes, and snap bean in the glass dish.

Tomatoes in various stages of ripening.  The smaller are Sun Golds, and the larger are Stupice.  Both yummy!

New potatoes.  Peanuts and Magic Mollys

Homegrown salad with buttercrunch and Forellenschluss lettuce, baby carrtos, and SunGold tomatoes.

The perfect meal.  Freshly caught and herb-grilled Red Salmon from the Talkeetna River, with yellow and purple potatoes.

The hht with the end and side open for ventilation.  The horses mowing the grass.

Lovely taters!

I wanted to share some of the beautiful potatoes we grew this year.  (I read The Martian and we saw the movie yesterday.  I’ll never think of potatoes again without thinking of Mark Watney!)

For breakfast this morning.  From the left, Yukon Gold and German Butterball, Peanut (in the middle), top right is Cherry Red, and lower right is Party.

Here they are cut (with All Blue on the left and Magic Molly (purple, almost black).  Peanut at the top, Party have the pink streaks, German Butterball lower right, Yukon Gold lower left, All Blue left, and the purple-black in the center is Magic Molly.

Soon to be sauteed with sweet onions and eggs.  Deelicious!

Soap Challenge September 2015

Another soap challenge, this time using a technique by Clyde Yoshida of Vibrant Soaps in California.  He is quite an artist!  This challenge is hosted by Amy Warden of Greatcakes Soapworks.

I used a bastille recipe to give me time to work with the colors of red, yellow,green and orange against a background of white.  Scented with Them Apples and Home for the Holidays, both from Mad Oils.  Love the way this smells.  Very fresh green apples and a very light cinnamon.  Very Autumn!

My pour was a bit quicker than optimum; I think moving slower would have made it more interesting.  But still beautiful.

This is batch #2, scented with Sandalwood, Ylang Ylang, Bergamot, and Grapefruit.  Smells intoxicatingly AWESOME!   The pink top was going to go in the soap, but the batter thickened so quickly, the feathery swirls didn’t form.  Love it anyway.

Garden and High Tunnels (and rogue moose)

Our major project this year (and the end of last year) was building two 26 X 48 foot high tunnels.  It sounds easy; screw the frames together, set’um up and bolt the whole shebang together.  Hmmm.  Not quite that easy.  Our first big discovery was that Curt and I could not lift a single frame unit.   So, hired a couple guys and Curt and they worked madly last fall to get the frames up by the deadline.  This is the one in the back field, frame is complete!

 

Here’s the high tunnel by the house, shortly early in the season.

 

This spring we moved a lot of dirt and rocks while building new beds.  The beds in the high tunnel by the house T the old beds, just moved.  Unfortunately, in moving all that soil a lot of rocks were picked up and now in the beds.  So, we are always picking rocks; it never ends!

House high tunnel.  The pea trellis Curt is working on is 8 feet tall.  The potatoes to the right of the trellis are over 4 feet tall and still growing.  The board running along the side of the high tunnel is 4 feet high.  Sun Gold and Stupice Tomatoes are in the red cages on the left of pic.  My herbs are just past the post with the hoses at the front of the picture.

 

Some of our early harvest.  Tomatoes, potatoes,  dinner with fresh Talkeetan River Red Salmon, our herb and potatoes.

      

Sun Gold Tomatoes, Calendula flowers, and a salad.

        

The high tunnel in the the back is in the horse pasture.  The soil is very minimal; fine for grass but that’s about it.  We purchased garden soil from Susitna Organics in Wasilla.  Pricey, but high quality with added compost.  I wanted to be able to plant and have something not only grow, but thrive.  We’ve gone the route in the past of using “topsoil” that is mixed locally.  It looks great, but is sterile.  It has no soil structure, no  mycorrhizae, the pH is wrong and it needs fertilizer of some sort.  In short, time-consuming and needs a large infusion of money.  Our plants in the field tunnel are doing very well.  We are eating beautiful beets and beet greens, carrots and lettuce.  We have beautiful Toscano kale, De Cicco broccoli, Romanesco Broccoli and Calabrese broccoli, and Costata Romanesco squash coming.  All heirloom varieties.  If the weather continues to cooperate, we’ll be happy.

We also had a bed of Sugar Snap Peas outside the high tunnel.  Peas do so well outside here.  Sadly, a moose came one night and decimated those peas.  In the process, she also knocked down the pea trellis  which smashed into the raspberries.  Luckily, raspberries are hard to kill.  We do have peas in the high tunnel, so hoping they do well in there.   And lastly (for now), the horses enjoying the grass by the house high tunnel.

Embracing Opposites Soap Challenge July 2015

Sponsored by Greatcakes SoapworksThe idea is to show opposites using soap as the medium and utilizing a log mold and a center divider.

Ohhhhh… I thought and thought and thought some more.  A vision of colors.  Blue on one side and orange (not just any orange but neon orange), and then a  purple neon swirl in the orange and a yellow neon, glow in the dark swirl in the blue side.  (I’m not totally blind yet!)  I envisioned wispy, jubilant swirls of color in dazzling neon glory.  Hmmmm…. Maybe one neon color would have done the job.  I decided on a summery citrus/floral fragrance I’ve used many times, it’s cooperative, and I love it.   I used a predictable Bastille recipe, high in olive oiI,  but also did a significant water discount,and  it moved quicker than I had planned.  OOPS!

Oh my, this began to accelerate.  Not soap on a stick, but working on it.  I don’t scare easy, I’ll tell you, so I continued.   This will not be the wispy, carefree swirls I envisioned, rather  like some weird pop art thing.  Swirls!  Quick, where’s my hanger tool?!?!?  Oops, don’t have a tool for this size mold.  Plan B:  find a spoon!!! Or a knife!!!  Anything!!!   Knife, not ideal, but will work.

Well now, It’s in the mold, and we’ll see tomorrow.

“Here comes the Sun!”   IT IS NEON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IT IS BRIGHT!!!!  Definitely when the vision and reality are in different universes.

You may wonder if I’m colorblind. No…it only appears that I am. This is an awesome, luscious recipe, it smells beautiful, and it’s glow in the dark neon.  Win-win I’d say!

Here are a few more pics.

Slaving away making soap!

I am working on restocking some of my popular soaps.  Here are a couple recently made.  The Denali Granite, Lavender Rosemary Mint and Talkeetna Rain.  Pick a favorite?  Can’t do it!  I love them all!  All available second week of April.

Available Soaps Page updated February 17, 2015

I just updated the available soaps page.   I am out of lip balms at this time and will be making more in March. Website fixed!

Quilting a bag

Update to this post; I finished my bag!  And I love it!  Here are finished photos.

Here’s the bag turned to the reverse side.

 

 

 

And a look at the side panels.

 

I first tried free motion quilting many years ago, about 35 years I think.  I took a class at a local fabric store and remember recommendations to get a spring that replaced the press foot.  Unfortunately, I was never wildly successful with this setup.  I did do a couple very small projects that I can’t remember.  They were not very good, I’m sure!  I eventually became to frustrated with my less than stellar results and gave it up.

So, 35 years later and not one, but two awesome sewing machines that happily sew anything I ask, I am again tackling machine quilting.  I’ve taken several  online classes and finally, the planets and  karma seem to have aligned.  I am finding I enjoy the quilting process, quite a change from my experience years ago.  So, on to my current project.

I am working on a bag utilizing techniques in Leah Day’s Craftsy class Free Motion filler, Vol 2.  I love using my Janome 7700 for quilting because it has speed control.  It can sew a lot faster than I can and since I’m concentrating on perfecting my stitches, speed control really helps keep things manageable.

I don’t have a flat surface for sewing, a really useful feature when quilting.  I put some of my sewing books to good use to build up a larger, flat work surface.  Not perfect, but working pretty well for this small project.

Here’s another view of my jerry rigged flat work surface.

 

 

 

Here’s a shot of one side of the bag, pinned and ready to start stitching.

 

Here is one of the sides in progress.

Here’s a shot of the back of the bag in progress.

 

And the completed quilting, both sides are beautiful.

 

 

Day three of the bag project and I started on the second side.

 

Below is progress from today.  Hoping to finish the bag by the end of the coming weekend.

 

Free Motion Quilt Sampler project

Cold, gray, threatening to snow (or maybe rain the way this winter has been.)  What better way to spend the day (assuming you’re a sewing nerd) than to practice new techniques.  I recently have taken several Craftsy classes by Leah Day, a talented young woman who teaches classes online.  I was working on a free motion quilting sampler to practice techniques from Free Motion Fillers, Vol 1.  The quilting on this small project took about 4 hours, and I have another 2 or three hours of work to finish.

I used my Babylock Jane machine to piece and quilt this project.  Because this machine sews so fast, I duct taped a small screw driver to the foot pedal so I could not sew at full speed.  This worked great till my duct tape loosened and we were off again at breakneck speed.   I have to work on that, maybe a bigger piece of duct tape!

I’ll get right to the point and show you a pic of the quilted project.  It is not finished (need to bury the thread ends) but still looks great.

Here’s a look at the back.

And the back finished.

And a look at different sections of the top.

And a finished blue corner.