Soap Disasters #5: Tattoo'd Soaps

Okay so this is still a mystery to me. I read somewhere online that folks used bread pans and cake pans to cast their soap into! As long as you spread a thin layer of Vaseline inside of it the soap shouldn't give you any problems. Sounding too good to be true, I decided to test it for myself.

So with that in mind I cast some left over soap into a skull cupcake pan I bought for Hallows Eve. After allowing the soap to cure for about 2 days, I popped them out and immediately noticed something wrong.

The saponification process stripped the finish of off my cake pan! Most curious. So, now that my chic skull pan is no longer usable AND this batch of soap has been tattoo'd with silver finish; I hang my head in curious defeat. It was too good to be true! Somebody is going to get a vicious email describing my emotional trauma for this on the internet.

So either the cake pan was really, really cheap and was going to do this with cake products anyways; or there is a chemical reaction that affects modern day cake pans I was unaware of. Needless to say I was most displeased by these results. Back to the drawing board. Gotta love disasters!

Soap Disasters #4: Rancid Crayons

Well one sunny Sunday afternoon a short time back, I decided to whip up a batch of decadent soaps. I was really excited for this, as I just purchased some fine smelling body oils from Dark Candles, and wanted to try them out. (Way cool site by the way, authentic scents!)

So after getting all setup and on my way to mixing the fats with the lye, I realize I'm totally out of liquid colorants. I got nothing. Blast. Also since it's Sunday everything for a 80 mile radius is closed. No joke. So after a minute of brainstorming I rush into my brothers room to dig up his crayons. He's on a Church Mission, he won't be needing them. I figured 'They're made of wax right? It should melt and leave behind all the nice colors of the crayons....' Now these crayons are not the Crayola kind, they're a much simpler knock off found in a dollar store. Also they're over 10 years old....been a while since we've had the urge to color.

Well, I made the soaps, they turned out several shades lighter than the crayons were, one was light purple and the other light red, almost pink. Which is okay given the circumstances I figured. After curing, the soaps where ready to be used! I took one with me to the sink to test, lathered generously, and the most foul scent hit my nose. It took me a minute to figure out what it was, but suddenly it made sense. The soap smelled just like rancid oils from fingers. I don't know if you know what I'm talking about, but it's a very distinct smell of rancid oil wrapped in leathery burnt bacon. No good can come of this. So I chucked the bars of soap and wrote this down as another disaster.

Since that time I've stayed away from crayons. Instead I buy fresh colorants made for soaps and candles at the local hobby shop.

With each disaster of soap making I've learned valuable things. Hopefully these posts will help you avoid these pitfalls!

Soap Disasters #3: Hamburger Helper Soaps

To this day this is still one of my favorite disasters. Upon discovering the Cold Process Method of making your own soap, I decided to go all out and first render tallow, making the bars from scratch and old school style. So after reading and re-reading many online tutorials and listening to the older generation stories of melting down fat, I gave it a whirl.

Now the fat I obtained was from the local grocery store's meat department. A good friend of mine happens to work there and he saved the cut up bits of Beef Fat they weren't using. After collecting about 5 pounds of it. I got all my materials together and spent the next 8 hours slowly melting the fat, rinsing it, melting it again. Following each step meticulously, I finally finished the separating the fats from the chunks of Crackles. Through this whole ordeal the whole house smelt like Hamburger Helper™, or plain browned hamburger hot off the stove. It smelt good at the time.

Allowing it to cool and harden in the fridge overnight, the fats separated from the water and glycerin inside. Simply peeling the round chunk of fat, I ended up with 3 pounds of pure white, clean beef tallow. So later in the day I assembled my soap making materials, intent on making a bar of straight beef tallow.

So I melted the fats, mixed the lye/water together, and then hand blended the two at the appropriate temperature. After two hours of stirring (this is why you invest in a hand blender!) it finally took to trace. At this point the whole house smelt like Hamburger Helper™ again, not from the previous nights rendering; but from re-melting the tallow. Too eager to see how my first batch turned out I ignored this small detail and finished with the soaps.

The next day I pop the batch of soap (only about a pound worth) out of it's mold and cut it up into bars. The scent was gone that I added (was a manly fragrance oil called Egyptian Musk,) and the coloring took an unexpected twist and went from a dark green to a light sea foam green. Allowing the bars to cure, I would eagerly wait the day I could actually use my first batch of soap, four weeks seems like a very long time while waiting. Oddly enough during this time it never occurred to me to begin work on a new batch of soap. LOL.

Finally it was here! I soaped up and scrubbed and scrubbed my hands. You'll never guess the scent that permeated the bars. . . . . .Hamburger Helper™! My dog loved me for the next few days after wards. Dramatic Sigh. My theory is that the rendered tallow was melted too long and actually "cooked" leaving nice bits of crackling fats. Also I've wondered the quality of fats I used, rumor has it the local grocery stores these days don't use top notch quality fed animals. I've since discovered that if you re-melt your fats with a cut up potato inside of it and bring it to a simmer for about an hour, the potato will absorb all the remaining scent leaving you with fresh, white, scent-free fat! Also I would highly recommend using tallow with lard and/or other vegetable fats to create a softer soap that lathers well.

So this elaborate disaster had many facets: Odd scent, Odd Color, and Performs Badly being just Beef Tallow. No wonder the older generations raise their eyebrows when they hear I'm making lye soap.

Soap Disasters #2: Fragrances and Essential Oils

I wish to elaborate on the many disasters that have occurred with scenting a bar of soap. First and foremost you really do have to obtain pure scented oils made just for cosmetic use. This is mostly because if you use an oil made for candles, potpourri, and sachets while bathing, the sensitive parts can erupt with rashes, hives, as well as your eyes burning without end, and you could end up feeling less than stellar the rest of the day. . .not so fun for you, most fun for your roommates that kept you up all night!

With that said, there are many kinds of Fragrance oils (synthetically made) and Essential oils (distilled from plant leaves, stems, roots, & bark). One epic failure was to one of my first hand milled batches of soap (Hand Milling Tutorial coming soon) I added a popular cologne spray at the final steps before scooping into molds. Instantly the cologne vaporized due to it's low volatile rate as well as being partly made out of alcohol (pure alcohol can turn to vapor without any heat anyways leaving behind the pure oil; however, if it's hot enough the oil goes with the alcohol). Needless to say the bar ended up looking good, however scentless.

You really have to learn the ropes with these oils, their pretty darn sensitive and moody. One misplaced judgment or misunderstood characteristic and you have a scentless bar! For example with essential oils, not only are they pricier than all the other options, but each can either speed up the saponification process or slow it down, as well as being ultra sensitive to hot soap. So you really need to do your homework before getting started or that bottle of Cinnamon/Clove Blend Essential Oil that cost about the same as a new DVD, has been vaporized and left your batch of soap hardened in the mixing bowl. Fantastic!

Now time and time again it's taken me to learn this next fact. Fragrance oils sold in hobby shops and craft stores that are specifically labeled: Soap Making Oil are NOT user friendly with the Cold Process of making soap. These soap oils are geared towards Melt & Pour soaping and can be used for hand milled soaps. So far they have never stuck to any batch of CP Soap I've ever made. You'd think after the 10th batch of failed soap I'd finally figure this one out.

Alas, I'm not that quick. So basically the point here is to do your homework before hand! Get everything set up and prepare for what could happen if you add the oils at the wrong time! Make sure you have the proper amounts of Essential Oils, and if using Fragrance oils make sure they are made especially for CP Soap, measured correctly. As I mentioned before, a scentless batch of soap is not lost! You can re-mill it and start fresh. Most soaps can be saved and not wasted. More about that in the Hand Milling Tutorial.

Soap Disasters #1: Soap Molds

In the history of making Naked Soap there have been some serious and funny soap disasters along the way. I've decided to post some of my favorites in the next few blogs. So let's begin with Soap Mold Disasters.

So, you've got the perfect recipe for soap figured out. You've got all your supplies ready and everything set up. Now what to pour the soap into. As far as molds go, there are hundreds of options, some very expensive and high quality, some very cheap and low quality, and some budget friendly lying around the house. Most of the time my soap goes into silicone cake molds. They're flexible and you can then cut the soap loaf into any desired shape.

However, a few months ago I was tempted by another option for soap molds: PVC Pipe. The online tutorials make it look so easy and simple. Just seal one end off with a Ziploc bag and some rubber bands, and pour the soap into it! Allow to cure, it slides out and voila! Round soaps that can be cut to any thickness. It looks so darn trendy and simple that I couldn't resist. Well, after many, many tries I've yet to master this stupid pipe.

The biggest flaw for me is the hot soap would melt the plastic Ziploc bag and suddenly my sweet pomegranate smelling soap is all over the counter top and kitchen floor. My neighbors got to listen to a whole string of cuss words that day. That's what I get for cheaper Ziploc bags. So to upgrade and improve I re-sealed the pipe with heavy duty thick plastic Ziploc, sealed it with rubber bands (many more this time), and then placed the pipe inside a box to catch any leakage. This time I ended up with the zip lock bag catching all the soap, but the rubber bands failed in their duty to seal and all the soap ended up in the bag. Soap in a bag. Fantastic.

Well, after loosing several batches of soap this way I finally got one to work: I wrapped thick saran wrap around the bottom of the pipe, sealed it with high quality Ziploc bags and LARGE heavy duty rubber bands wrapped around several times. This baby wasn't even letting air out. I pour the soap, and (dramatic fanfare music) it works! I let the pipe cure for several days, and remove all the wrap. That soap looked amazing.....inside the pipe. Alas by the time I got it out of the pipe I had piles of gooey mash that was once soap scraped out all over the counter top. The soap was like cement to the insides of that pipe! I ended up smashing the pipe with a large hammer and peeling pieces off of the soap. Blasted. Turns out soap does not do well with a non-flexible, non-lined mold. Since this time I've junked all my pipes. I don't know how people have figured it out in the past, but that's way too much effort on my part to make some trendy soap.

Sage & Butternut Soup with Cranberry Spinach Salad

As snow flies sideways outside my window, I'm reminiscent of some of my favorite 'cozy up' dishes. Plus with Thanksgiving 'round the corner I can't help but start thinking about my favorite dishes. This one is a great way to use up extra pieces of squash lying around.

Sage and Butternut Squash Soup

2 lbs Cubed Squash

3 Small Onions, Diced (or Shallots)

1-2 TBSP Fresh Sage Leaves, chopped 

1 Pint Sliced Carrots

5 Cups Chicken Broth – low sodium

4 Small Garlic Bulbs, peeled & diced

Allspice – to taste

Sea Salt – to taste

Pepper – to taste

2 tbs Butter

Melt butter in bottom of soup pot, stir in Sage. Simmer for 1-2 min, add Onions, saute for 2 more minutes. Add Carrots, saute 4-5 minutes. Add Garlic and Salt. Saute for 2 additional minutes, add Chicken Broth and Squash, simmer until Squash Cubes are soft, about 45 minutes (I had to add one cup of water to keep it from boiling down too much.) Puree with stick blender, until finely blended. Add nutmeg and pepper, salt if needed. Serve hot in bowls with dollop of sour cream and freshly baked rolls. (Perfect for sore throats and achy bodies)

Variations:

-Add cooked, diced Bacon Bits or Prosciutto to Garnish

-Serve with dollop of Cream Cheese, or Mascarpone Cheese instead of Sour Cream

-Substitute 1 cup of Chicken Broth with Apple Cider to sweeten it up

-Mix Butternut and Spaghetti Squash to mix flavors, (whatever is available)

-After sauteing your vegetables, everything can be thrown into a large crock pot and left to slow cook all day. After wards just stick blend and serve!

                                                              Cranberry Spinach Salad

Bag of Baby Spinach Leaves (about 8 oz)
1/2 Cup Dried Cranberries
1 Cup Crumbled Gorgonzola Cheese (Blue Cheese also works)
1 Cup Salted Sunflower Seeds

Mix together in a large salad bowl, toss and serve with dressing of choice

Dressing:
3 Tablespoons Lemon-Flavored Olive Oil (or 3 TBSP of regular Olive Oil and 1/2 tsp grated lemon peel)
1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
Salt and Pepper

Mix well in small bowl with fork until blended, toss with salad.

Variations:
-Throw in Walnuts/Pecans for a hearty crunch
-I've also use Poppyseed Dressing I found at the store (very tasty!)

These two together with some freshly baked bread will make a fine meal to share while the snow falls and the wind howls! Have a great Thanksgiving!

I Am a Real Person Again

After a month long digital fast I finally have Internet again! You really don't realize how much you use the Internet for everything until it is gone. I actually had to change utilities into my name by CALLING the companies. . .who does that?! I also had to go to the Post Office and fill out a change of address form. I didn't know they still had those in print. If I wanted music, I had to plug my Ipod into my stereo and listen to the same playlists over and over again. Pandora wasn't there for me. I no longer could pay my bills by clicking on their sites and "pay." I had to actually fill out the bill, send a money order in the mail and hope they get it in time. If I wanted fresh and new Soap Making ideas, I had to open a book printed on the subject, instead of reading up on all the blogs. I felt like I had stepped back into the eighties. . .which brings up another disturbing point, I saw, walking around campus the other day, a bunch of freshman girls all dressed up like vintage eighties, neon colors and everything.

Why. Would. You. Do. That. To. Us.

Makes me sick inside. Once was enough. I still have nightmares. . . .

Hooray for Internet!

Huckleberries!

Every summer most families have their traditions. Reunions, Camping, BBQ's in the backyard, Swimming at Bear Lake, etc. One family tradition that has become almost religious to our family is the great gathering of huckleberries. These tiny, but tasty morsels of goodness are so sweet and juicy; it makes you wonder how you tolerated any other kind of berry beforehand. They are only ripe for picking starting the 2nd week of August and they last about two weeks. During these two weeks, everything else on our family agendas (including school shopping and canning) was put on hold until the freezer was full of quart sized freezer bags of these wonderful things. 

 

The amazing thing about these berries is they are only sweet if they grow in the wild. Many people that I know of have tried to raise them in their gardens and flowerbeds with little to no luck. You can only get the real deal in the wild forests of the Rocky Mountains. Crazy huh?! So if you know what to look for, get your old clothes out (these berries are low to the ground and usually you end up sitting on a few, picking them in their patches) and get ready to have your fingers stained red/purple. Not to worry, stained fingers are the marks of a dedicated berry picker! These berries go great on ice cream, by themselves, or in lavish deserts such as cheesecakes, jams, and my favorite Huckleberry Syrup on homemade pancakes! Here are a couple recipes to help you get started with these delicious things:

Huckleberry – Raspberry Jam 

4 cups huckleberries
1 cup raspberry juice **
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 box fruit pectin
4 1/2 cups sugar

Mash huckleberries in pot.  Add raspberry juice, lemon juice and pectin and bring to a rollling boil over moderately high heat.  Stir constantly.  Add sugar all at once and continue to stir until mixture boils again.  Boil hard for one minute.  Remove from head and skim off foam.  Ladle into hot sterilized jars.  Process in hot water bath according to the directions on the pectin box.

Makes 7-8 half pints

**To make raspberry juice, crush 6-7 cups of raspberries.  Add one cup of water and cook in sauce pan over low to moderate heat until the fruit is soft.  Cool to room temperature and strain juice.

This recipe from WildHuckleberry.com

Grandma Sibbett's Huckleberry Syrup

-Cheri Crane

1 Pint of Huckleberries

1 1/2  Cups Water or Juice

3-6 TBSP Cornstarch

1 Cup Sugar

1 or 2 TBSP Lemon Juice (depends on how tart the berries are)

Dash of Salt

 

Drain any extra juice from berries. Use this as part of the liquid measurement. Pour the sugar into a good-sized saucepan (keeps you from getting splattering later on.) Add liquid and stir. Place over medium heat and stir often until sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to medium high setting to bring to a boil. When it starts boiling, add huckleberries and stir. If it starts to bubble up, turn down the heat to medium setting. Add lemon juice and dash of salt, continue stirring. When it returns to a boil, add cornstarch. (I usually mix it up ahead of time in a small bowl. I'll start with 3 TBSP Cornstarch and add enough water to make a paste. Stir this well, then add to the huckleberry mixture.) If it thickens up to desired consistency, stir well, remove from heat and pour into a gravy pot or pyrex measuring bowl. Serve with hot pancakes or waffles.

You can also turn this into a nice pie filling, simply cook as above, but thicken it up with cornstarch until desired thickness (you're looking for the syrup to look like pudding) Pour huckleberry mix into a pre-cooked pie crust and allow to cool and set up in fridge. Should look like Jell-O.

 

You know when a drastic thing comes around and slaps you right in the face? It usually comes without warning or announcement. It can be a job change, living space change, moving to another city, a change of relationship with your significant other, many of these life changes come and you are left standing there, stunned.

This is one of those times.

Because of financial and personal reasons I've decided to take a break from Soap Making until further notice. Right now I'm balancing way too many things that are taking my attention and time, and I have to let go of something. I apologize for the inconvenience this brings to my faithful and loyal customers and their friends. In a nut shell, I feel totally burnt out, and I just need to re-adjust and re-structure my approach to doing all the things that I love to do.

One of those things that I love to do is Education. Whether at the knees of a wise elderly person or in a classroom filled with hungry minds I love learning and challenging the ol' brain. This fall I've the opportunity to attend college full time again! I'm so excited for this I can't stand it! It's been 4 years since I've been full time in school and it's time to buckle down and finally finish that degree!

This is a major change. I'm changing my living space, my daily schedule, where I work, everything! I'm okay with it. I know how important a degree is behind your back and I feel the timing is now perfect. So, in the coming times ahead, I'm going to be focusing a lot more on that, than soap making. I anticipate that in the near future I will find ways to get soap made and sold just like before; its just going to take some time and I thank you all for your patients and understanding!

Until then feel free to browse around my website to learn all about soap making! If you are curious about making your own soap, I've typed up a 12 page "how-to" with lots of details, weblinks, and shops that I get my own supplies from. This doc also has tips that I've learned over the years that will save you time and $, and things to avoid and watch out for. I can email this to you, just leave me a note on the contact page of my website and I will email it to you!

I want to thank everybody for their support, kind words, helpful suggestions and ideas that they've shared with me over the past few years along this journey! I've learned so much and I can't wait to see what's over the next horizon!

Recharge the Batteries

So this summer has already been quiet the adventure! We've had one thing after another (funerals, weddings, family moving & shuffling, reunions, etc) To help break up all the stress this last weekend I've been able to kick back and totally lavish away the hours, doing next to nothing! Most energizing! So to commemorate such occasions, I've put together a collection of pictures I've taken with my cell's camera (Samsung Omnia II). (Which I completely love btw ;-)


Ah, Good Ol' Bear Lake. This relaxing and scenic lake is quiet the place to set up and just let go of everything . . . some fun facts about "The Caribbean of the Rockies" :

Bear Lake's deepest point measured is 200 ft below the surface,

The unique colors of the lake (ranging from deep navy blue to light turquoise green) come from lime deposits deep in the lake,

This is one of the few lakes of the entire world that is home to the Cisco Fish. You can catch all you want during the Cisco Run, (middle-end of January) these sardine sized fish are great for deep frying or as bait.




This is above Bennington, a really small town in Bear Lake Valley. I went for a walk around the dirt roads and found that more often than not when life gets to be too much, a quiet place in Nature can alleviate most troubles.






With escapes like these, you really have a chance to just breath deep. Breath is so important to everything, but more than often we take too many short breaths and rush through the day. Nature, it seems, has a way of silencing the noise, quieting the mind, and through deep, methodical breaths, recharge and rejuvenate the entire system. What do you do to re-energize?

Caribbean Chicken with Coconut Rice

It has rained for so many days here! It's totally sucking the life out of summer. Lame. I feel that to break it up it's time to visit the Caribbean. Since I'm saving up money for school this fall it's cheaper for me to visit the Islands in my kitchen! These two recipes do just that.



For the Marinade:

1 tsp Allspice
1/4 Cup Red Onion, Chopped
1/2 Cup Green Onion, Chopped
2 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Orange Juice
1 TBSP Lime Zest (or 1 Lime Juiced)
2 TBSP Soy Sauce
2 TBSP Chopped Thyme
2 TBSP Jalapeno, Seeded and Diced (1 Large Jalapeno)
2 TBSP Freshly Grated Ginger
1 Clove Garlic, Chopped
Salt & Pepper to Taste

Mix together in a Food Processor or Blender until pureed.

For the Chicken:

4 Chicken Breasts, Boneless and Skinless

Place chicken breasts into a large zip lock bag or plastic container and allow to marinade for up to 8 hours. Pre heat oven to 350 degrees. Heat grill to high, after marinating remove chicken and place on hot grill. Grill each side of chicken 3-4 minutes then place in a cake pan and finish in the oven uncovered, about 15 minutes. (Cut one chicken breast open to see if it's cooked thoroughly, cook longer if needed) Squeeze lime wedge over each piece of chicken and serve hot.

Coconut Rice

2 Cups Rice (Cal-Rose Rice or Jasmine Rice)
1 Cup Water
1/2 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1 Cup Canned Unsweetened Coconut Milk
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Clove
1/2 tsp Nutmeg
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract OR 1 Vanilla Bean, split

Rinse and drain rice in cold water. Mix together Coconut Milk, Whipping Cream, Salt, Cinnamon, Clove, Nutmeg, and Vanilla in a small saucepan. Begin to heat milk/cream sauce on med-low. While that's warming add water to rice in separate stove top pan and bring to boil on high heat. Allow to boil for 1 minute and turn down to low. When milk/cream sauce is warm, pour into rice and throw lid on top. Turn heat up to med-high again and bring to boil. When boiling turn down to low and allow rice to finish cooking. (About 5 minutes) Fluff with fork and serve.


Serve with a nice fruit salad (full of your favourite fruits like pineapple and mango) and tropical juice. Dress up for the occasion and crank up the Tropical Island Music! (Bust out the sunlamps if needed . . . )

A Thought

“I am asking that we stop seeking out the storms and enjoy more fully
the sunlight. I am suggesting that as we go through life, we ‘accentuate
the positive.’ I am asking that we look a little deeper for the
good….Look for the sunlight through the clouds.” G. B. Hinkley

Musical Meditation

As we launch into the Summer Months I've been listening to certain songs, over and over again. It's maddening how that works.....it's like my ears need a peptide release from these songs at least once a day or more. . . .crazy! Anyway to start with I've been listening to all kinds of Classical Pieces from days of yore; and muscle testing if any of them are written in a Musical Key that resonates with a certain Chakra (for instance the Key of F reasonantes with the Heart Chakra). However it's been very interesting to see that some classical songs that are NOT written in the usual Musical Key for a certain Chakra actually Muscle Test for another Chakra. Now I'm pondering why. These are the thoughts that I entertain throughout the day ;-). This first piece is called Adagio in G Minor by Albinoni.



For me this song resonates with the Third Eye Chakra - or your intuition and psychic gifts. Just hit play and sit back with your eyes closed. Clear your mind and allow yourself to just be wrapped up in the song.

While that's playing here are some other songs that resonate with certain Chakra's:

-No. 8 3rd Movement By Ludwig van Beethoven (Root Chakra)
-Swan Lake (Excerpt) by Pyotr LL'yich Tchaikofski (Root Chakra)

-Overture in D Major: Air BMV 1068 by H.D. Karras/P. Maack (Spleen or Sacral Chakra)

-Adagio in E Minor by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Solar Plexus Chakra)
-Piano Sonata No. 14 in C Sharp minor ('Moonlight') by Ludwig van Beethoven (Solar Plexus)

-Concierto de Arajuez/2. Adagio Opening (Heart Chakra)
-Piano Sonata No 11 in A Major Turkish March by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Heart Chakra)
-The Swan of Tuonela by Jean Sibelius (Heart Chakra)

-Organ Concerto in G Major: Largo (Wotqu. No 34) by Capella Istropolitan (Throat Chakra)
-Four Seasons, Spring by Vivaldi (Throat Chakra)

-Symphony No 29 in A Major, K. 201 - III: Minueto by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Third Eye Chakra)

What is really interesting to me is that none of my Classical play lists that I currently have Muscle Test that any of them resonate with the Crown Chakra. However, one of my songs does:



This is by Lisa Gerrard and Pieter Brourke. If you get a chance I would highly recommend Lisa Gerrard's Greatest Hits Album. It's composed by a lady who was not afraid to express her music in her own subtle ways; many of which you've heard of on various epic movies (Gladiator, Man on Fire, Ali etc)

So take a minute and ponder upon the music that you are listening to everyday; it just might be resonating with a certain energy centre of your body and you didn't even know it!

Spring Cleaning

These last few weeks have been crazy! People are fighting all kinds of virus's and germs every time I turn around! So to help with this I'm going to post some secrets of mine to keep healthy & well: (These are great also for preventative measures to keep the immune system running smooth and the body up to speed!)

1) First thing you must do is throw on some Essential Oils to fight the bacteria/virus's onto your feet and let your body distribute them as needed. (This works out pretty nice since the biggest pores of the body are on your feet, so our feet will absorb almost anything we expose them too. . . .) There is an oil blend called Deliverance that is REALLY good for nasty bugs, it's made by Butterfly Express, and is equivalent to Young Living oil blend Thieves; throw it on your feet and wrap them up in a blanket or some warm socks. Also really helpful is to rub Breezey onto your upper back and Aspire on your chest. This creates a triangle effect with your feet, chest and back to attack the bugs from all sides. Do this twice a day, once in the morning and once at night until symptoms improve dramatically.

2) Next step is to drink a Hot Toddy twice a day. Now every family has this recipe in one form or another. You drink it when you feel a cold or flu coming on, while you're fighting it, and after wards, to help your body restore to normal functions. This is my version of the classic Hot Toddy:

Hippie's Hot Toddy

8 Oz Glass of Warm Water (Warm to the touch but not scalding)
2 Tsp Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar - With the Mother Enzyme
Squirt of Locally Harvested Organic Honey
1-2 Drops Lemon Oil
Sprinkle of Cayenne Pepper (A little goes a long ways here)

Stir together with either a spoon or cinnamon stick. Sip slowly over 10 minutes first thing in the morning and before you go to bed.

This is also recommended to drink once every 3-4 days to help give your Immune system a boost.

3) Another secret of mine: EAT GARLIC! Really! Garlic has many anti-bacterial and anti-oxidant properties can readily attack the bugs in your system and eradicate them! Of course don't overdue or your co-workers will frown at you every time you talk in their direction.




4) Something else that's really helpful is to take an Echinacea Tincture; this handy herbal medicine is a tincture made with Echinacea Root (Echinacea purpurea.)It's main function is to boost your immune system and help your body fight foreign invaders. If you cannot find this Tincture and don't have time to make your own you can get IF Tincture (Infection Fighter) from Butterfly Express. It has Echinacea root, oregon grape, poke root, red clover blossom, cayenne, yarrow, usnea. Recommended dosage for all Tinctures is one drop per oz of water. So 4 oz of water with 4 drops in it twice a day will be plenty. (Handy Fact: you can rub IF onto skin if there are any staff or skin infections)

5) Next on my agenda are two words: VITAMIN C
If I have to explain why your body should need plenty of Vitamin C whilst fighting a cold/flu; just stop reading now and call it a day. Seriously. LOL





6) Take your body weight, divide by two. This is how many oz of water you need each day to stay hydrated. This was a big wake up call to me. I need 130 oz of water a day! That's just over a GALLON of water a day! Holy crap in a pita batman! Something to factor in as well is the foods we eat (vegetables, fruits etc) all have a measure of water in them, so we are constantly taking in water. Or at least we should be. (As a soap maker the simple fact of drinking plenty of water every day can keep your skin so healthy and vibrant! I've seen it over and over again)

7) Keep that lymph system moving! The lymph system is your body's way of collecting used trash and garbage from all the cells and running it into the liver, then the kidneys and out the body. It has no organ to pump it along (like the heart and circulatory system) so it depends totally on our movement! If you don't feel up to walking or running then simply bouncing in place or on a mini trampoline will force the garbage trucks to move right along and dump away! Doing this every day in one form or another (even horse back riding is excellent for this) will dramatically improve your bodies ability to fight infections.

Take control of your system again! These simple and natural ways can help kick the most violent and evil of invasions. Of course your diet, water intake, and exercise levels will affect how long the bug will be welcomed in your body. If you have a poor diet, drink more Soda than water, and rarely exercise, your body will become a magnet to nasty critters. Keep hydrated, eat healthy, and work out as often as possible! I know we've all had this stuffed down our throats since we were little kids, but it's because it actually works and will save us a lot of grief and money in the long run. So do something simple today to give your immune system a boost and when the bugs come crawling your way you are ready, armed, and set to destroy them before they even have a chance to get comfortable!

Soap

Howdy everyone! I just noticed that I have 4 postings and only one of them deal with my favourite thing in the world; SOAP! We must correct this right away. So I've decided that until I can get pics up of my newest creations I'm going to post soaps that I've made in the past. . .

This first one is my most popular bar, All Natural and Naked, it's found without scent or coloring.





This is Chamomile with Oatmeal, toasted ground oatmeal with Roman Chamomile Essential Oil. A great Gardener's Soap!













These bars are from one of my best 'looking' batches; however the scent never did come through, Chocolate Mint.





Ah, Cookie Dough. You can never go wrong with this.




Curing Rack - L-R: Cookie Dough, Honey Almond, and Lavender Bars 2nd Shelf: Lavender & Brown Sugar (if you look closely on the right top shelf you can see SKULL bars....a failed batch but totally awesome looking)






Close up of Skull Bars













I hope to have more recent photo's posted soon. Until then enjoy!

Angels & Demons

Alrighty then here we go! This piece of music is from Angels and Demons starring Tom Hanks. The OST (official soundtrack) is composed by Hans Zimmer with Joshua Bell on the violin. Rather then being simply a rehash of DaVinci Code it actually takes some themes from the first movie and builds its own story. Sweeping angelic motifs with haunting darkness ever present in the background turns into an enjoyable and heart racing journey.

The movie starts out with the disappearance of newly created Anti-Matter in the CERN laboratories in Sweden. It's discovered to be hidden somewhere in the Vatican City, with a threatening warning against the Catholic Church. An old enemy has awaken to destroy the Vatican City, the Illuminate. In desperation they call upon Symbolist Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) to figure out the clues that they have left for the Church to decipher, or upon each passing hour a Cardinal dies. Heart pounding and awe inspiring I felt this movie had more history, art, and science in it than the first movie. Over all a very thought provoking movie with a well composed soundtrack.

The Razor's Edge

I've been told the best way to absorb information and new material is to read and research it first, and then teach it to another. This is my way of doing that lol. For my Foot Zoning Class we are studying a book written by Bob Proctor called "You Were Born Rich". It's written by a very helpful life coach that has dedicated his time and energy to helping you learn how to help yourself! One Chapter specifically stuck out to me, (the whole book is very engaging and thought provoking; don't get me wrong!) titled "The Razor's Edge."

Bob explains that in life we grew up with the idea that this our lot in life, and we are powerless to change it. Some people are born wealthy and with rich ideas, and others are not. This is so wrong!

"...You are every bit as good, or as powerful, as anyone you see, know, or even hear about...you have the potential to become even more successful than they are...you can do even greater things than they are now doing."

The idea is that through the law of vibration and attraction you can reach a higher potential than you ever dreamed possible. This of course is not going to manifest without a little work on your part! You have to align your vibration (thinking patterns and habits) with the thing you wish to manifest (pay raise, new business, new house, better friends, happier family, etc). The easiest way to do this is to follow what Bob calls the Razor's Edge.

In every horse race, car race, or Olympic event, the tiny milliseconds at the end of the race could determine if you are worthy of a gold winning or simply a runner up. What are you doing to push to that extra .02 seconds?

Consider the actors in a hot blockbuster release, they and their 'stand-ins' look alike, act a like, and even dress a like to convince the audience that it is the same person. However the salary of the major actors and the salary of the stand-ins is a major difference. The actors are being paid MUCH more than the stand-ins. Why is that?

Or consider the story of a run down auto mechanic shop which has run itself into near bankruptcy, changes their luck within two weeks time because they spent time after repairing under the hood, vacuuming and detailing the inside and out of each car that comes their way. Now they are so busy they can't keep up. Why the sudden success?

Two things can make or break the difference between failure and success (the razor's edge).


First - Most of us in society learn only what we need to pass a test, quiz, or subject matter and then we move on.

"...it follows that it is only the small minority of people in any given field who will go on to become the acknowledged experts in their chosen vocation. Therefore they are the people who can demand and who will receive the lion's share of income in their field. (Just reflect on the vast difference in the incomes of the actors [and the stand-ins]...)"

-Only those that spent the time and effort to become the expert in that specific field are going to get rewarded handsomely and with success.

Secondly - What can you do to push for that extra little umph that will make or break your efforts? Even a little thing as remembering a customer's/client's name, showing excitement toward them for coming back, or greeting them in an uplifting manner WILL make or break a sale. If the customer/client can see that you've spent the extra time in something for them, they will be more likely to come back and your manager is more likely to keep you on their team, and reward you with a promotion.

To keep your Razor's Edge moving forward toward success he suggests that you spend a little bit of time every day researching & reading about your chosen profession/business. Only a half hour a day or even an hour a day reading up on your business/skills will after a year's time yield far greater results than if you only occasionally researched it. Only the experts are going to get the much greater results remember.

If you find yourself driving to and fro a lot, listening to audio-books related to your field of study is a great way to incorporate this into everyday life. Another way is to listen to audio-books while working out, either at home or at the gym. (This is a great way to time your workouts with each chapter, and keep your mind focused on the study material instead of how many minutes you have left on the treadmill! ;-)

"Remember it is virtually impossible to keep exposing your mind to great ideas without having those ideas expressed in your physical world. Moreover, it is probably only one idea you need to make the difference in your life."

Simply said, if you put in enough effort to gain the extra .02 milliseconds above your work peers and work hard going the extra mile for your customers/clients and manager; people will notice and you will very quickly become a power house of skills and effort that will in the end yield only success. I highly recommend reading this book, I've enjoyed each chapter and applying it's skills to my personal and professional life. At the end of each chapter Bob has an exercise to put you right to work so you can start making changes in your life, and see results immediately! He's more of a 'Lets get up and get this going already!' type of personality rather than the boring lecture-driven professor we've all come to abhor. A great read and a great way to start positive changes in your life!