Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Sorry I've been so lax about updating. Lately my soap batches have been turning out looking a bit like hot processed soaps. There's nothing wrong with that, except I prefer a creamier look. Once the soap is used, it does look creamy, but I couldn't figure out why it had a different finish. I finally figured it out. Last spring I switched over to fresh goat milk instead of powdered. It was great. However, my supplier's goats began to dry up early so I bought a supply to keep in the freezer. It worked for a while, but lately I have noticed that the thawed goat milk was separating. I didn't associate this with the look of the finished soap until the other night when I forgot to take the goat milk out of the freezer to thaw. I used the powdered instead. The top picture is the the batch I made with the powdered milk. The bottom is the batch I made with the frozen milk.

Made with powdered goat milk

Made with thawed fresh goat milk

If you click on each picture, you can see the difference in the surface of the soap. In addition, I can feel no difference in the soothing qualities of the soap. The powdered is much more expensive, but less "iffy" in the soaping process. I can also use a more concentrated solution of goat milk by upping the powder, thus increasing the creaminess of the soap. After 8 years, I am still learning the art of soapmaking. :)

In other news,our newest little Sugar Bush baby is growing. Little Ben is now a whopping 3 pounds 12 oz. He is such a little cutie.

He definitely looks like his Daddy's side of the family in this picture. I think he looks like he's trying to give someone a kiss. :) The shaved spot on the side of his head was from when they needed to put an IV there earlier. The veins in the head are much closer to the surface. It looks scary, but it's not uncommon. Now he's only on a feeding tube. I am constantly amazed at the strides that have been made in the area of neonatology!!

Word of the Day:
Wednesday of the Third week of Lent
Saint(s) of the day : St Maud (or Matilde), Queen (c. 875-968)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 5:17-19.

Jesus said to his disciples: «Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.

Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place.

Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven.