Great Day To Make Soap

It is really hot outside.  The dogs are already back inside under the ceiling fan. Smart animals, they are. I did go out this morning after feeding critters and finished up the mowing in the orchard. It kind of looks like it might just rain some. Fine with me.

So I am making soap. And bread. More on that in a minute.

First batch is from the  base I made a few weeks ago. I remelted 3 lbs. with 36oz. of goat milk. Then when it was all melted really good, I added lots of Patchouli EO and Sweet Orange EO. And some grated orange rind. Put some orange rind on top in the mold. It smells SO GOOD! This is my very favorite soap ever.

Next I made a veggie base. Then added at trace about 2 1/2 T of finely ground coconut and about 2 1/2 oz. of rosewood EO. I put coconut on top in the mold.

I am now waiting on the lye to get near 100 degrees to melt the oil for some peppermint soap. I'll add about 2 oz. of peppermint EO and some crushed dried peppermint leaves from my herb garden. Then put some on top as well. So 3 batches of soap today. Not bad.

I was just thinking how comfortable I am now making soap. Maybe a little too comfortable. I usually wear gloves and do the lye on the back porch. Today I did it in the kitchen. With no gloves. I know I should be way more careful with the lye solution. But it's just way too hot outside for it to cool. So I am doing it the slow way and just letting it cool on it's own in the kitchen.  I have plenty of time. While it's cooling I get the oils in the pot and set on the stove and get my molds ready and all the oils lined up. And the blankets on the dining room table.

So now the bread. I have been making the best bread ever. I just love crunchy chewy sour dough type breads. And they are about $4-$6 at Wholefoods. So I found a recipe in a Mother Earth News magazine. I make it at least once a week now. But yesterday I added chopped crushed fresh rosemary leaves and crushed garlic cloves chopped up. It just came out of the oven and smells so good. The only bad part about this bread is I have to wait an hour to eat it after it comes out of the oven.

I have made the cranberry walnut bread too. So yummy! If anyone wants the recipe, I can post it. I am taking pictures of all this so when I learn how to get them in here again, I'll show all this good stuff.

I am waiting on my order from Brambleberry to come hopefully tomorrow. Then I will make some more soaps. This is fun! And makes my house smell really good and clean.