Thursday, October 6, 2022

Good Morning Thursday Soap Making & Catch Up

   Hi Everyone,  I am loving the sunshine and cooler weather. I needed to take most of this week off, as I was getting too tired, with the drive in and it is easier to stand to pack the glass so that has been getting to both of our backs. I had worked on outdoor projects all last weekend too.  

  So these coming weeks, my home needs a thorough cleaning before winter hits-so am taking one room a day to clean.  Then also working outdoors too.

       So much to do here and there it seems.

  Couldn't ask for nicer weather although we could use some rain-but none in sight so far.

  The small Wal mart garden center nearest me no longer has any garden soil, so Tuesday when I drove in to "work", afterwards I drove into the city we used to shop in. They have a Lowes there so I bought 6 bags of the 2 cubic feet size for the project I am working on now. The Lowe's store and similar type stores nearest to us at the lake is quite a drive and in very busy traffic-so I don't care to do that.         This worked out well this time. Wow the city of Lebanon has grown sooo much, no longer an easy going town-instead bumper to bumper traffic now to get any where in that city. It was just starting to get that way when we moved away. I do miss the many different stores like the Aldi, but I like living near a more rural small town.

  This morning, I decided to get out my melt and pour soap making supplies and make the pineapple sage soap recipe I shared awhile ago. I doubled the recipe to make 16 ounces which gave me several small guest size soaps. I also added in dried lavender from last year to infuse in the warm soap base with the fresh pineapple sage leaves. It turns out a lovely green, so am happy with the results.  Decided to make a second batch of guest soaps just now.

Some photos

   This is the pineapple sage plant  now in full bloom.



This double boiler works out well for melting melt and pour soaps. I use a high quality non detergent all natural base from Wholesale Supplies Plus.  Once the soap is just melted I turn the temperature down very low add the lid-this keeps the soap warm but not too hot-and time for around 45 minutes. I check it off and on and stir, til I get the infused color I want from the pineapple sage leaves.



Pour into molds using a small strainer-Here you can see the pretty green color. 


This is the first batch poured into guest size soaps


I took a few photos of what I am working on outdoors  

    A look up the driveway-after this photo I spent two days trimming those bushes back, so no longer taking up driveway space-that was quite the job.


This is on top looking down. I am using long scalloped edge bricks along the driveway from the bushes to the top  We wanted to prevent people from parking on this spot, and to get rid of the trimming of the weeds and grass too.



This is quite the project-as this ground is hard as a rock, and it has allot of small rocks in it. This is horrible soil. Takes me around an hour to "chisel" out the soil to place one edging piece. I killed off the weeds and grass in this area, so that needs to come out and then I will work in the garden soil, and plant a ground cover and daffodil bulbs-for now.


Breakfast this morning. Larry likes omelets, so I heated up the left over fajita mixture and the sprouted brown rice and chorizo and placed on top -so an open faced omelet. It was good


  For our main meal at 2 pm I am making us Belgium waffles-they are treat since they are full of carbs. I have real maple syrup, and I am going to heat up a no sugar added apple pie filling for a topping.

  Came back to share photos of our Belgium waffles-delicious! We also added cherry preserves

Gluten free 



Larry's wheat


  That's it from me for a bit-



 

20 comments:

  1. You sound very busy Kathy. But I know what you mean about fall. It's like spring. There are so many chores you want to do before winter sets in. I've only made a couple of check offs on my list. I hope you are doing better than me. Happy end of the week Kathy. Hugs-Erika

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    1. Hi Erika, I have a long list of things to do too before winter. slow going but hope to get more done this week-happy weekend coming up-hugs

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  2. It has been quite warm here too, but yet it's okay weather for working outdoors which I have been doing a lot of. You have accomplished much since your last post, which is quite inspiring.
    Wow, on the wonderful pineapple sage soap. I especially like the looks of the dried lavender mixed in with the sage leaves.
    Your sage plants are beautiful now which makes me miss mine so much. I love those red blooms. I had two of the pineapple sage plants but they failed to survive the really cold weather we had in February this year.
    WAVE Connect was installed today. It's wonderful to be able to connect almost instantly to the worldwide internet. I will hardly know what to do with all the time this will save. Ha!
    I love the view looking down the driveway toward your house and lake. And, wow on your Belgium Waffles; quite the treat for having worked so hard on the driveway project.
    Take care; hugs!

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    1. Hi, I liked seeing the dried lavender flowers in the soap too. the soap turned out really nice. Yes this plant won't handle a freeze-sorry you lost your plants.
      so glad you got hooked up to the rural fiber service-it saves so much money too.
      the Belgium waffles were a really nice treat hugs

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  3. I feel very spoiled with this lovely weather we are having-hugs

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  4. The homemade soaps are really cool! I should really learn to make my own too. These days I am avoiding all the cosmetic stuff and trying to use baking soda to wash and clean. The waffles look so tempting!

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    1. Hello Angie, I didn't want to learn the methods using lye as I didn't have a place to make it other than my kitchen and I am "an accident waiting to happen" kind of person haha so Larry said no way you are making soap that way. so I searched into melt and pours and for bases that were nicer with nothing extra added and that was the natural ones from wholesale supply plus--I buy a 25 pound box for the best price-keep it wrapped up well and it lasts me a few years now. I did trying selling soaps on etsy for awhile but the shipping was getting too expensive. so I make soap for myself and share with friends now.
      I love baking soda for cleaning-is a great scrubber for tubs etc. vinegar works well on stainless.
      we don't eat much in carbs anymore but when we do I make what we really enjoy-these were good

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  5. Lovely soapmaking! -Christine cmlk79.blogspot.com

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    1. thank you so much Christine-it's always fun to try a new recipe too

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  6. Your driveway looks really steep. Good work on the trimming of those thick shrubs!The scalloped edging is great to work with. It lines my tiny garden. Traffic. I have noticed rush hours up on Main Street feel more crowded than ever before.

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    1. good morning, yes this driveway is very steep as is the steps into the house-we thought one day we would look into a elevator of some sort instead of the steps-for Larry especially. Our friends keep telling us we chose a Non friendly senior home-I guess we did but the views are worth it in the end.
      these scalloped edge blocks would be perfect for your garden-they are pretty once set in Happy weekend

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  7. You are so busy, Kathy. I love all the food and how you make soap. I too am cleaning for winter. The older I get the less I can do in a day. LOL Have a great weekend.

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    1. same here very frustrating for sure-I had always worked long days, my body is slowing down now since I hit the mid 70's haha happy weekend

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  8. you have been more than busy and productive. I still have plenty to do outside but lets see if it gets done.
    the food looks yummy I love waffles but I do much with carbs so I haven't had one in some time.
    Cathy

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    1. We have soooo much to do too, my body is getting too tired on me this week though. we love these homemade waffles but I only make them a couple times a year do to the high carbs. we never go out to eat anymore so I bake us up treats like this during the year--happy weekend

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  9. Hi Kathy! I started to leave you a comment yesterday then the day just fell apart.. Hubby's been having chest tightness and mild pain coming and going for a little while and yesterday morning he decided to call the VA about it.. Well that led to a trip to the emergency room.. You know how that can eat away at your day even if nothing much comes of it.. It all led to a consultation with a cardiologist next week.. It would have been a month or better through the VA but going through the local hospital its next week.. Doesn't seem anything too serious or imminent right now so hopefully whatever is going on he's nipping it in the bud.. Just kinda freaks me out. I love the idea of you making soap.. Something i would LOVE to try... Hugs! deb

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    1. It's always very scary for a cardiac patient-so glad you didn't wait a month. I knew Trump had set it up so that veterans could use any doctor of their choice and send the bill to va-glad that is still available
      I learned how to infuse herb's properties and colors from Jan Berry for melt and pour soaps It's fun too hugs prayers and healing thoughts sent your way

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  10. Goodness! You should be very pleased with yourself.
    You have been busy and done so much :)

    Those waffles do look good.

    Enjoy your weekend.

    All the best Jan

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  11. But! If you take one room a day... don´t you get the dirt from the others back in?
    We have no carpets, so I always have to get rid of the dirt of all rooms before sweeping.
    Luckily we have but three rooms (plus bath, loo and kitchen).

    I´m off to ALDI in a minute. To get Ingo something for his... car!!! (Such a seat-thingy).

    The pineapple sage soap recipe sounds great!!! Ingo still has done nothing with his soap-supplies...
    And we have too much soap anyways, LOL.
    Two from Sami sit right here - they look like cake! -, too precious to use and I think I have two more in the bathroom! Weird!

    Pineapple... now I crave Hawaiian Toast! Maybe ... yes, I´ll get the ingredients from ALDI! Thank you :-)

    I´ll tell Ingo to read your post!

    Or maybe (haha, time! I need time) I can do itt myself!
    Or a weekend project!


    Eeek, quite steep, your driveway. I hate that esp in winter (glad I have no car no more).

    Clever way to keep people at bay! :-)
    Wow, you really are an outdoor person! I hate work like that!
    The omelette looks great!
    Waffles! I do hearty ones. Oh, I need a holiday, I guess!


    I am sorry I am late again.
    So much going on!
    I could "deliver" three posts a day...

    I am glad I could catch on yours. Seesh. I am sorry it took so long!
    To a great start into the week!

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