Soap and Satisfaction

Gathering the things to make soap, as the cat keeps watch, and the geraniums bloom.

Prepping the water and lye, and waiting for it cool down to 95°-100°F, offering generous time and space to prepare the fats 'n' oils to the match those temps.

Blending the lye water into the fat 'n' oils, and - in this batch - adding castor oil, kaolin clay, and essential oils until they trace.

Pouring the soap batter into the molds, and covering them with boxes covered with layers of towels and blankets to temper the cool down. In the next day or two these will be removed from their molds. The block will be peeled out of its silicon mold and sliced, and the goddesses when they pop out of these old plastic molds easily, probably a day or two after the block is sliced. Then they all go onto shelves in a closet where they'll cure several weeks, and then into boxes where they'll continue curing for months, which is my preference. A long-cured soap will last a long time when in use. Know what I mean? Anyhoo...

There's something remarkably satisfying about making soap. To me, the alchemy of it is a delightful blend of art 'n' science... dare I say magic. This is my second batch this winter, this week, actually, as we finally have enough snow to leverage as the lye coolant. It's a tiny conscious choice to make a wee impact on my carbon footprint. Silly, perhaps, when compared to divesting, boycotting, and other such action, yet - from my view - every little choice 'n' action matters and counts.  

I have at least one more quart of rendered lard, made from fat from Howling Flats Farm, and with it I'll like make another batch of soap in the next day 'r two while we have the snow. 

We have a drawer worth of soap in the bathroom, some of those bars have cured for years. We have a wine box filled with bars from last winter, and now these batches. We have soap on hand for the long haul, and plenty to share in trades and as gifts.

And I am grateful.

Peace. 🕊

Headway

This morning, despite externally driven (and, dare I say, unnecessary) rework, I managed to finally label my last batch of my ugly soap, as I lovingly call it. This batch is a wisdom batch, made with oils infused with fresh white sage (and calendula flowers, violet and comfrey leaf) and embellished with an essential oil of clary sage (among other things). Not only is this batch labeled, but it's packed away in the back of my soap drawer, where it will likely cure for close to a year before I get to using it. The drawer is filled ... with my own soaps, and those that I purchase from other soapy artisans.

The rest of my day will be filled with other assorted catch-up activities ... laundry, cleaning, reorganizing, garden and greenhouse tasks, and putting in the rest of the fruit trees from "this batch" (with the spouse) before the next delivery arrives. So, it's a full day ahead of me ... a day of making headway.

Peace.

Infused Violet Oil

Among other things, today I strained my first batch of viola leaf oil. A couple weeks ago I leveraged a dry day and harvested a bunch of violet leaves. I chopped them, placed them in glass jars and covered them with coconut oil. The first few days they stayed in my dehydrator, heating to about 110 degrees Fahrenheit for a couple hours on, a few hours off. Then, in the remaining time I heated them for a couple hours each day. I like this infused oil for my soap making. Violet leaf is so silky and skin softening and it makes a beautiful, soft-green bar of soap. I have another batch in process and will be making more too … with olive oil.

That's what I made today. Peace.

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Unexpected Delights

Seems my Ugly Soap is getting prettier. Today I un-molded and sliced my latest batch of violet patchouli soap and was rather surprised at how nicely it looked and behaved. 

Then I made some time to go outside to delight in the sparkling sunshine, to listen to the snow melt, and to be embraced by the warming thaw that released from its snowy grip a season-worn gift of humble might. It flitted on the breeze and landed at my feet.

That's what I made today.  Peace.

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Ugly Soap

Two days ago I made a batch of soap. It rested, covered and undisturbed overnight, then uncovered for another day and a half. Today, I un-molded it and cut it into fourteen ugly bars.

That's what I call my soap: Ugly soap. It may not be pretty, but it sure is nice. This batch is made with lard I rendered myself, coconut, olive and castor oils, glycerin, vanilla oleoresin and essential oil of lavendula angustifolia. I can't thank my friend, a Wicked Step Mom, enough for demystifying the process and helping me find that place of confidence to do it myself. Before I started making my own I used to buy handcrafted soaps, though it was sometimes challenging to find them without synthetics added, but even then they are far superior to the commercial detergent soaps.

I have six bars left from last year and they will last plenty long enough to allow this batch, and the others that will follow, ample time to cure well.

That's what I made today. Peace.

Today I labeled my January soaps and got them all put away in my soap drawer. In another month these bars will be ready to start using, but I still have plenty from the prior batch.

Other than that it was a day of errands and banking. Now ... I rest.

Peace.

Soap

Well, actually yesterday I made soap. Two batches. 

Today  I cut them. Both batches are made with water infused with calendula and rose petals.On batch is a blend of infused calendula oil with coconut and castor oil, lard and is scented with essential oil of patchouli. The second batch is made with the same water and solid fat base, and infused violet leaf oil, and scented with essential oils of tangerine and lavender. I have a strong sense that I will be making much more violet leaf oil this coming growing season.

I'm still learning and the lessons delight!

Treasures

I made treasures today. The re-melting of the crumbly soap with a touch of added water worked out nicely ... I impatiently cut them today and I'm pleased with the outcome and the lessons learned.

I bottled 13 bottles of cranberry wine.

I made two loaves of cinnamon, cardamom, raisin bread. Yummilicious!

I finished three new ACEO pieces and listed them in my Etsy shop ...

Compassion

Mercy

Forgiveness

So many treasures! And speaking of treasures, I also snagged a Treasury for my Etsy PeaceNiKs Team. Check it out and leave us some love!

Ashe. Ashe.

Time in Garden & Kitchen

I made my way to the garden and picked the last nappa cabbage today. Tomorrow I suppose I'll make a big-ass batch of kimchi and a nice steam with garlic and ginger to have with supper. It's beautiful, isn't it?

I made two small loves of whole wheat bread. It was a nice way to heat up the little hut as the sun leaned to the west. 

And here's a bit of my imperfect, yet beautiful TLC (tangerine-lavender calendula) soap. 

I made time to do a little research and learned that crumbly soap most often indicates a too-high a lye ratio, and that feels right to me. I also learned that I can re-melt the crumbs in a crock-pot to remold, so I'll try that experiment tomorrow. The actual experience of cutting the soap taught me that a knife is not a fitting tool, despite any logic to the contrary. Even the slight wedge shape of the knife actually facilitated the crumbling. I found that my dough scraper (or whatever it's called) to be far more effective for a clean cut. I also learned, or rather was reminded of the value of friendship. I'm in debt to my dear friend Kim for turning me on this beautiful alchemy. I'm already looking forward to my next batch!

Ashe. Ashe.

The Most of this Rainy Day!

It has been an eventful week - by my standards anyway.

Monday started in sharing time with my friend Kim. She makes great cold process soap and I was blessed to witness her in action, and this experience melted away every anxiety I ever had about trying it! Plus, I called in the spirit of my spouse's paternal grandmother who I never met, but who is remembered for her homemade soaps.

Tuesday was spent with a delightful herbal student. Wednesday morning was shared with Laura Rose of The Purple Rose Healing Center for some preparation for Thursday's Discovering Nature's Spirit radio show on Reiki. Friday's mail delivered my Ambassador of Lovely package with just distracted me with great delight! And if you haven't viewed The Beckoning of Lovely yet, I hope you will now. And somewhere in the past week the boy took a stab at putting one of his whimsy pieces up for auction on eBay and there's still a day left to bid (hint, hint)! 

But it was Monday's verve that captured me all week.  In honor grandmother Elisabeth, I rendered my own tallow.

The boy made me a lovely pine form.

I made my first-ever batch of soap.

And while it's not perfect, it is lovely and I am delighted!

So now - I'm off to make the most of this misty, rainy Saturday!