Homemade Natural Soap!

Yes! It's true! I made soap....not just any soap, but soap I almost want to eat. (seriously!) If you'd like to try some, let me know. The bar above is for my friend Heather. :) It still has another week to cure before we can use it, but I think it will be just great.
If you'd like to try to make your own soap. There are a lot of great sites and books out there that are helpful. Little House in the Suburbs has some great links. At some points I will probably do an entry on diagnosing soap problem and the whole process. But for right now, here's the recipe that I used.

Gilmore's First Soap!

21.5  oz.=50% Extra Virgin Olive Oil
10.75  oz. = 25% Extra Virgin Organic Coconut Oil
6.45 oz. = 15% Organic Mango Butter
4.3 oz. = 10% OrganicGrapeseed Oil – 43 oz oils

6 oz lye

16 oz Distilled water

This recipe made about 15 bars, not quite 20 like I thought it would. Here are just a few quick tips. 

1) Your oils and lye solution need to be mixed when they are both between 95 and 98 degrees. For me, the oils cooled more quickly than the lye solution. This is great because the oils temperature can be altered more easily by placing it over heat or by placing the pot in some cold water.

2) Proper measurement is key. Measure by WEIGHT, not volume. So don't measure 16 liquid oz of water, but actually weigh 16 oz out on the scale. You can also convert your ounces to grams to make sure you don't mess this part up.

Happy soapmaking!

The Sickness and Soap

Evan has been sick for just over a week. We went back to the doctor today and they said he probably got a viral infection first, and then a bacterial infection on top of that. I say...test the boy for the flu! They say that if he doesn't start feeling better in a couple days, they will. Heavens!
Elliot seems to be feeling much better. Back to his old playful self with no fever. Praise the Lord. I have also been thinking, that in spite of all of this, I am so thankful for the health insurance and benefits we have at IWU. I can't imagine having the stress of trying to figure out whether we could pay to go to the doctor or not on top of just worrying about my family getting better. But so many people do worry about that, or don't even have medical care readily available to them. These are times that I am so glad to be living in America AND so glad that our healthcare system hasn't changed...yet.
On another note, I JUST MADE SOAP...I think. It's out there sitting in it's containers wrapped in a blanket. I'll be able to tell by tomorrow evening whether or not it worked. I REALLY hope it did. So hopefully, by tomorrow evening, I'll be able to offer you my lovely homemade bars of soap. If not, we will be using a very moisturizing creamy liquid soap in our showers for awhile. Because this stuff is not cheap to make. I figured the batch cost about $40, so regardless of whether or not it firms up - we'll be using it. However, if it does firm up, I think I can get at least 20 bars from it, which is definitely cheaper than buying 20 bars of handmade, natural soap from somewhere else.
So look for me tomorrow with an update on family health, soap, and possibly the how-tos so you can make a batch yourself.

Elliot

Thank you for your joy, my Elliot, and for the delight that you are to my heart each day! You are great in the sight of the Lord, and it is such a blessing to teach you to depend on the Lord as you continue to grow into His warrior, poet, and prince.

One Can of Libby's

One can of Libby's 100% Pure Pumpkin....infinite possibilities. Now, I do have a real, organic pumpkin from Victory Acres. However, I'm currently using it for decoration.

I'm used to buying Libby's each year around Thanksgiving just to make pumpkin pie. But I have a confession to make -- I don't really like pumpkin pie. Ridiculous, I know!

I had some girls over from Carmin this week for dinner, and I made them a fall dinner. We had competing soups (Ev made chicken vegetable....I must say it was delicious! And I made butternut squash soup....you can find the recipe here! Sorry I can't give you the recipe for the chicken vegetable. My amazing husband cooks without recipes. The girls had to vote on which one was better.) and apple cider and crescent rolls.

"BUT!" you say, "this post is about pumpkin!"

Yes, yes! I also made pumpkin cookies! They were delicious!!! But after I made them I had a lot of pumpkin still left - Just from the one can!

So here's what I've made with my one can of Libby's! Do you have any other ways that you use it?

Pumpkin Cookies

Pumpkin Scones 

(Sorry, no picture...we ate them too fast)

Ingredients:

2 c. whole wheat flour

3 T. sugar

2 t. baking powder

3/4 t. salt

1/2 t. baking soda

5 T. butter (softened, not melted)

4 oz. sour cream

1/2 cup Libby's pumpkin

1 egg yolk

1 egg white

Nutmeg

Cinnamon

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2) Combine dry ingredients

3) Cut in butter with a mixer, just until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs

4) In a separate small bowl, mix sour cream, pumpkin and egg yolk

5) Add the wet mixture to the dry, stirring just until the dough clings together

6) Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead 10-12 times

7) Pat to 1/2 thickness and cut into circles or other fun shapes (we did flowers)

8) Place scones on an ungreased cookie sheet

9) Top with slightly beaten egg white and sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg

10) Bake for 12-15 minutes

**These are delicious with the Autumn Tea Butter and your favorite cup of tea!**

Pumpkin-Peanut Butter Spread

Mix 1/2 cup peanut butter with 1/2 cup Libby's pumpkin and spread on crackers, an apple or celery. Add a dash of powdered sugar and nutmeg for extra fall flair! :)

That's about all of the pumpkin. I have a little bit more that I'm going to try to make pumpkin pancakes with tomorrow morning, but remember I want to hear your pumpkin recipes too. There's a whole lot of fall left!...I hope.

Consider the Radiance of My Redeemer and His Redeemed

originally posted on Flickr, Oct. 19, 2009 by cookieluver33

Selections from Isaiah 60

¹ "Arise, shine, for your light has come, 

       and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.

 ² See, darkness covers the earth

       and thick darkness is over the peoples,

       but the LORD rises upon you

       and his glory appears over you.

 ³ Nations will come to your light,

       and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

 ⁴ "Lift up your eyes and look about you:

       All assemble and come to you;

       your sons come from afar,

       and your daughters are carried on the arm.

 ⁵ Then you will look and be radiant, 

       your heart will throb and swell with joy; 

¹⁸ No longer will violence be heard in your land,
       nor ruin or destruction within your borders,
       but you will call your walls Salvation
       and your gates Praise.
 ¹⁹ The sun will no more be your light by day,
       nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you,
       for the LORD will be your everlasting light,
       and your God will be your glory.
 ²⁰ Your sun will never set again,
       and your moon will wane no more;
       the LORD will be your everlasting light,
       and your days of sorrow will end.
 ²¹ Then will all your people be righteous
       and they will possess the land forever.
       They are the shoot I have planted,
       the work of my hands,
       for the display of my splendor.

My Son

 

Elliot....showing off that he can take both his shoes and socks off outside and not get in trouble! We were gardening with Aunt Sarah and Daddy. I just love this boy! He is the joy of my heart!

What's the deal?!

I tried but I couldn't find a good picture. I've been trying to tell myself to drink more fluids....specifically water. I was getting to the end of the day a few weeks ago and realizing that I had consumed about 12 oz of fluid. And that fluid was typically a pumpkin spice latte or sticky bun chai, not water. Gross, I know!

So, I've been taking my big water bottle with me to work and trying to drink it, plus I have numerous meetings with students at McConn so I've been trying to drink good fluids there too. 

I am now sitting at my desk with a Nalgene bottle of water, a 24 oz. cherry vanilla ice tea, and a 32 oz cherry coke from Meijer. WHAT?! I must tell you though, the Nalgene bottle is 3/4 gone, I've taken about 4 sips from the tea, and I'm just starting on the coke. Here's my problem, I struggle doing things correctly...any body else have that problem? I could elaborate, but that's pretty much the main point. AND...my office is like the spoke on a wheel (the center is the spoke right?). I spend a good deal of time here, but then I go to McConn and get something and come back and then I go to my car and get something and come back and then I go to Meijer and get something and come back. Hmmmm....

Anyone need a drink?