Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Made soap today. Whew! This one was a challenge.  After I filled the molds, I waited for the rest of the batter to set up. Half an hour later I was still waiting for it to set up.  I tried piping the cupcakes.  It deflated on me so I scraped it all off of the cupcakes - scooped it back into the piping bag and tried again.  What a mess.  But after I unmold everything, I think it will look fine except for one anemic cupcake.  I did this batch in Berry Pickin' because I am out of it.

I think I'm done making soap for a few days.  I'm out of goat's milk and today's session really tired me out.  LOL!  Of course, tomorrow I will unmold it - it will be gorgeous - and I'll want to make soap again.


Word of the day:
Wednesday of the Fifth week of Easter
Saint(s) of the day : St Bede the Venerable, Priest and Doctor of the Church (673-735), St Gregory VII, Pope (c. 1013-1085)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 15:1-8.

I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower.
He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.
You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you.
Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me.
I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.
Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned.
If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.
By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

I'm a little over half done making our little soap hearts for the GOTR gift bags. Anna made the labels, and Melisa is putting them on the little packets. I will drop these off to her in a little bit. We are supplying about 600 this year. Whew!!!!

A few days ago I made some soap with a scent we are calling Primitive Pear. The scent is very hard to describe. It reminds me of something I can't quite name. I really like it. It has pear notes in it, but there is something else in the background.  When I swirled the mica, it immediately turned greyish purple.  Now it has a green cast to it, kind of like ripened pears. There are also some green dots appearing that I'm not thrilled about.  I made a loaf and several cupcakes.

Melisa and Anna have told me that they don't really like the heart-shape on the cupcakes.  I'm not sure why - I like them, but I am out voted 2-1 so I guess I will switch to round cupcakes.  What do you think?

Word of the day:
Wednesday of the Second week of Easter
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 3:16-21.

God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.
Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil.
For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed.
But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Yesterday I received a fragrance oil order that I have been wanting to try. It's a dupe for Lush's "Honey, I Washed the Kids." This fo is named, "Toffee Sugar Crunch." but I don't smell honey or sugar or toffee in it at all. I mean, usually my sniffer can pick up even subtle notes. The scent is pretty, but not foodie. So I'm wondering if I wasted the bubble wrap technique on this scent. Anyway, here is the result.  The soaping went wonderfully.  The loaf gelled, which surprised me.

I had some pink dollops left from the Fairy Tale batch so I topped a few cupcakes.  I am much more confident with my piping technique now.

Here is the loaf this morning.  The picture doesn't do it justice.  The honeycomb looks really nice.  I'll cut it tonight with my new cutter.  I had said that it was coming yesterday, but I forgot that I had received a delayed shipping notice on it.  It should be here today when I get home from the Cathedral.

Word of the day:
Tuesday of Holy Week
Saint(s) of the day : St. Elphege, Archbishop and Martyr (954-1012)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 13:21-33.36-38.

Reclining at table with his disciples, Jesus was deeply troubled and testified, «Amen, amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.»
The disciples looked at one another, at a loss as to whom he meant.
One of his disciples, the one whom Jesus loved, was reclining at Jesus' side.
So Simon Peter nodded to him to find out whom he meant.
He leaned back against Jesus' chest and said to him, "Master, who is it?"
Jesus answered, "It is the one to whom I hand the morsel after I have dipped it." So he dipped the morsel and (took it and) handed it to Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot.
After he took the morsel, Satan entered him. So Jesus said to him, "What you are going to do, do quickly."
(Now) none of those reclining at table realized why he said this to him.
Some thought that since Judas kept the money bag, Jesus had told him, "Buy what we need for the feast," or to give something to the poor.
So he took the morsel and left at once. And it was night.
When Judas had left them, Jesus said, "Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him.
(If God is glorified in him,) God will also glorify him in himself, and he will glorify him at once.
My children, I will be with you only a little while longer. You will look for me, and as I told the Jews, 'Where I go you cannot come,' so now I say it to you.
Simon Peter said to him, "Master, where are you going?" Jesus answered (him), "Where I am going, you cannot follow me now, though you will follow later."
Peter said to him, "Master, why can't I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you."
Jesus answered, "Will you lay down your life for me? Amen, amen, I say to you, the cock will not crow before you deny me three times."

 

Thursday, April 7, 2011

I am so late getting on here today. I started the day with a 2 mile run, followed by a staff meeting. Picked up a few things after the meeting and came home and made dinner. After dinner I decided to make a video of me cutting up the lemongrass (posted below). Well, Harold came in and decided he needed to be part of the process so I added him to the video. It took me most of the afternoon to do the video, edit it, and upload it. Those of you who have seen it, just scroll on by. LOL!  Harold has been frantically checking for comments.  It's so funny.  He thinks he needs to borrow my ipod so he won't miss a posting. 



Later, I managed to pull a muscle in my back while reaching for something while I was putting up a new soap shelf. The one I have downstairs is nice, but the chicken wire is cutting into my softer cold process slices and loaves. No quilting tonight because my back hurts.

I did manage to make a loaf of Monkey Bars because I think that's going to be a favorite of mine. I sprinkled orange and yellow on top to represent bananas and peaches.  I also made 4 Maple Leaf bars for samples.  I can feel heat coming off of this loaf.  I like these green silicone molds for small batches, but I think my favorite is my 60 oz. wooden mold.  I don't mind lining it because it came with a wooden form to mold my freezer paper on. 

I used up the last of the lye. I am hoping my new supply comes tomorrow. I got a shipping notice on it today.


As stated in the video, Deb from Springvale Soap took pity on me (ahahahaha) and placed an order so I now have an official soap sale off of Etsy.   Thanks, Deb.  I hope you enjoy the soap.  Don't forget that the Honey, Oats and Milk has a cure date of May 2.

Oh, I forgot to tell you the reason I am so late getting on here.  At the moment we are again a "one computer" household.  Our PC is having boot up issues.  Of course when we take it in, they have no problem booting it up.  "It could be one of a thousand things."  Not good news.  

Word of the day:
Thursday of the Fourth week of Lent
Saint(s) of the day : Bl. Sr Josaphata Hordashevska (1869-1919)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 5:31-47.

Jesus said to the Jews: «If I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is not true.
But there is another who testifies on my behalf, and I know that the testimony he gives on my behalf is true.
You sent emissaries to John, and he testified to the truth.
I do not accept testimony from a human being, but I say this so that you may be saved.
He was a burning and shining lamp, and for a while you were content to rejoice in his light.
But I have testimony greater than John's. The works that the Father gave me to accomplish, these works that I perform testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me.
Moreover, the Father who sent me has testified on my behalf. But you have never heard his voice nor seen his form,
and you do not have his word remaining in you, because you do not believe in the one whom he has sent.
You search the scriptures, because you think you have eternal life through them; even they testify on my behalf.
But you do not want to come to me to have life.
I do not accept human praise;
moreover, I know that you do not have the love of God in you.
I came in the name of my Father, but you do not accept me; yet if another comes in his own name, you will accept him.
How can you believe, when you accept praise from one another and do not seek the praise that comes from the only God?
Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father: the one who will accuse you is Moses, in whom you have placed your hope.
For if you had believed Moses, you would have believed me, because he wrote about me.
But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?"

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

I made a small batch of Lemongrass today. I am out of bars but I hate to make a batch of those because I have to make such a big batch. I just did a small loaf today because I am down to my last few ounces of sodium hydroxide. I have some coming but really wanted to do some soap.  There's no "fanciness" in this bar as far as swirls.  I did do a textured top with glitter.  I put in some lemon balm that Clay and I collected from across the road.  It's been dried and stored for several years.  Clay doesn't remember picking it with me.

I got a facebook message from Diane Davis.  Her goats are giving milk again.  I really want to try some fresh goat's milk in the soap.  I have heard that the homogenized stuff from the store reacts differently than the fresh.  I am hoping to work out a soap or product trade with her.

We got a large soap order last night.  That's good because my coconut oil is almost gone.  We use 8 different oils in our soap formulation and I've often been tempted to scale down the number because of the cost, but I love the way this lathers and moisturizes and I really don't want to change the recipe.

I'm a little discouraged about my Etsy shop.  I haven't sold anything but stockings (which is good, I'm not complaining), but I'd love to sell some of my other things.  I think I put out a quality product, but at this rate no one's going to find that out.  :(  Oh well,  it's not that expensive to list, it's more of an ego thing. 


Wednesday of the Fourth week of Lent
Saint(s) of the day : Bl. Notker, Benedictine monk (c. 840-912)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 5:17-30.

Jesus answered the Jews: «My Father is at work until now, so I am at work.»
For this reason the Jews tried all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the sabbath but he also called God his own father, making himself equal to God.
Jesus answered and said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, a son cannot do anything on his own, but only what he sees his father doing; for what he does, his son will do also.
For the Father loves his Son and shows him everything that he himself does, and he will show him greater works than these, so that you may be amazed.
For just as the Father raises the dead and gives life, so also does the Son give life to whomever he wishes.
Nor does the Father judge anyone, but he has given all judgment to his Son,
so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.
Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes in the one who sent me has eternal life and will not come to condemnation, but has passed from death to life.
Amen, amen, I say to you, the hour is coming and is now here when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.
For just as the Father has life in himself, so also he gave to his Son the possession of life in himself.
And he gave him power to exercise judgment, because he is the Son of Man.
Do not be amazed at this, because the hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voice
and will come out, those who have done good deeds to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked deeds to the resurrection of condemnation.
I cannot do anything on my own; I judge as I hear, and my judgment is just, because I do not seek my own will but the will of the one who sent me.