Lip balms went out in the mail today! Will be sending LipBalm 2.0 out to all who are going to receive 1.0, as I’ve just purchased some other ingredients which I think will help it out. I quite like it, but I like a utilitarian balm and I think I need to make it a bit more…. luxurious.
On the cheese front: my feta cheese tastes delicious, but I didn’t drain it enough so it’s a bit soft. I’ve got a gallon of sheeps milk defrosted to make another batch this morning. I tried my first cheddar finally (as it takes 3-6 months to age). In our house we say “Oh I’m just going to taste this to make sure it’s not poison” when something is scrummy and we want to dip in. Well. Sure brought a whole new meaning to that with the cheddar, as the unpasteurized milk cheese which had sat in my laundry room for months very well might have BEEN poison! But it was not. It was delicious. Very sharp, highly satisfying. I’ve got two more massive bricks of it aging in wax right now but I don’t think I’ll make any more until I can make myself a cheese cave. (My laundry room is unheated, so it’s fine for aging cheeses in the cool months, but it’ll be useless in the summer).
And I made soap! And I think it worked! It was touch and go for a while, as it took hours to get it to start to trace. Endless stirring. The soap contains: olive oil, sweet almond oil, apricot kernel oil, jojoba oil, kukui nut oil, palm oil, coconut oil, hemp oil, calendula oil, grapefruit seed extract and shea butter. I scented it with orange essential oil, patchouli, sandalwood, and amber essence. I just cut it into bars this morning and so we’ll see how it works after it cures for 1-3 months. It smells SO GOOD.
The pictures below are as follows: some of my oils, my stove set up, melting the solids with the oils, my wax paper lined wooden soap mold and lye action, the soap wrapped in towels setting and the cut bars.
So soap making was a good experience. Easier than I thought it would be. I’m really glad I had a girlfriend over to hold Meeps while I mixed the lye and water. (Which IS really smelly and I am glad I did it in my laundry room with the window way open). I had dragged my heels about making soap, as I was a bit intimidated, but I’m glad I jumped in!
Had a really nice time at a friends baby shower this past weekend and a great time getting to know one of my internet mommy friends Gillian and her family. Saw lots of old friends and marveled at the size of their children. Speaking of big kids, look at this picture of Bob – he looks HUGE! Where did my baby go?
When he’s not pounding his sister he is really, really sweet with her.
Planted almost 100 strawberries. 2 cherry trees. 18 raspberry canes. Hoping that we get over to the neighbours to pick up a load of composted manure so I can get in some peas and spinach shortly. There’s an open house at a local organic farm this weekend and they sell transplants so I’ll be paying top dollar to rectify the fact that I fried almost all of our transplants in the oven…
We got a new bunch of laying hens as ours went into the freezer last fall. They are very happy little hennies and Bob is really enjoying gathering eggs again. Maggie doesn’t know what to think and I am realizing just how much I missed their little chicken noises.
do you have a stand mixer? it will make life infinitely easier with the stirring. you can use the same one as in the kitchen, just rinse it good – will leave it nice and clean!
I want soap!!!!!!!!! PUhhhhhhlleeeeeze…I’ll bribe you if you tell me what you want…lol
I love reading your blog! You are so inspiring. =] My family is getting into tasting different kinds of cheese but we aren’t at the point of making it ourselves..yet. It’s nice to hear that your soap adventure went smoothly!! I’ve been thinking about trying it out so maybe this summer I’ll give it ago. =P Also, I’m jelous about how much you planted!! I can’t fit that on my porch (obviously) but its nice to read that someones doing what I hope to accomplish some day.
Soap looks great! My god, that’s a lifetime’s amount!
I can attest to the feta being DE-LICIOUS. Yummmm. And fresh eggs for breakfast, so wonderful!
I find that reprocessing my home made soap makes it lather better, and last longer. it is a bit more work, and a bit more firming time after the reprocess, but much worth the effort
I didn’t realize you left SG until recently. Your blog is very cute and is a breath of fresh air from the city life.
I do feel obligated to ask, though…were you saying any of the dialogue scene from Fight Club while making soap?
Wow, that’s a lot of soap! Cheesemaking sounds really fun; I just made yogurt for the first time the other day and it was amazing! I think I’m going to try ricotta next, and maybe work myself up to some hard cheese over the next little while. I’m moving in the fall so I’ll probably wait until after that to do anything that needs to be aged.
i’m impressed! i have been avoiding soap making and cheese making too. do you have a cheese press?
Meaghan — Feta is really easy and you can make ricotta from the left over whey!
Rebecca — I do have a cheese press and a pressure gauge. Mine was purchased, but you can make them really easily!
Ashley you rock sister! This update is so uplifting -like your household is twitterpated (Disney’s Bambi) by SPRING goodness – full of energy and love!
I am allergic to everything on earth and am always on the look out for good SOAP. Sign me up I have my visa card ready.
I just bought some patchouli to plant in my herb garden – I use it’s oil to massage my yoga students during savasana. I rub it’s leaves with my thumb and finger to have a sniff everytime I walk by it. I Iove the smell!
XX
Ship
Oh and Jamie you dont have to bribe me, I’ll be letting you know when it cures!!