a litte extra time and lots of soap

This is "family soap." Soap ends that are cut from the ends of our soap logs.
Can't wrap them to sell. We use it ourselves, give it to friends. We box it up and donate boxes to shelters and the local food pantry.

But...they still seems to multiply like they were coming from a magic pot.

So the other day I made these favors to give to friends when I entertained. A soap dish in the bottom of the bag....a stack of soap in pretty earthy colors all tied up with a string and a label on the bottom telling what kind of soap was in the stack

March 1 and Basil

Could it be that this sage survived the winter we had? Found it when I ventured out into the yard this morning. Can spring be far behind?

I celebrated by taking a full size* bar of basil soap into the shower as a special treat....because is smells like spring to me.

*we usually only use small ends of cut logs....our 'family soap' that we can't sell.

Too Hot to Blog?

I feel like we're living in the deep south. It's been hot for as long as I can remember. (well for the past month at least, with no relief)

I have air conditioning only in my workshop....so I've been working a lot.

Too hot to work in the garden, but here's what's happening there:
Remember this....from May
Now it looks like this....

That's a Giant Belgium...almost ripe:

And San Marzano plum tomatoes....for sauce:
I'm off to mix up lye for soap....where it's cool!

I'm up to my elbows

in saltwater soap.... Lucky Mag featured it this month on the Lucky Breaks page...and we've been a bit overwhelmed.

So.. not much time for blogging or cooking. But I'm so enamored with all these greens I'm getting from the CSA that I decided I needed to branch out.



Hence for Pentti on Father's Day: Wild Salmon, Mustard Greens and Potatoes with Mustard-Dill Glaze.

He's leaving for Canada tomorrow morning to see his Mom. What will I do with the house all to myself?? (besides make soap, of course.) I've got 240 pounds of Mango butter soap to make this week....and more saltwater soap, too.

Snow Day!

Church is cancelled. We're snowed in again! I haven't been out of the house since Thurs. AM
Today's a day to read by the fire...or make soap. NOT soup...I'm done with soup for awhile.

I'm thinking about a new SOAP instead. Something springy.....lime and spearmint maybe.





So, it became a pancake morning. Blueberry pancakes to be exact...made with barley flour and buttermilk. My own recipe...I've used for years. I'll share if anyone is interested.

On the table in my mother's pancake server, one of my favorite heirlooms....and served with real maple syrup that Pentti's dad made in Canada. Is maple syrup like honey from the pyramids? Because my father-in-law has been gone for more than 10 years...but his syrup lives on!


And on top of it all...I got a book in the mail yesterday that I ordered from half.com.

Octavia Butler's Fledgling. I loved Kindred. (Her book about time travel and slavery.)
This one is about Vampires.......a favorite topic of mine.