Cold Day ~ Pouring Travel Soap

We are to have a very cold day today (yesterday's sunrise).  However, we are to warm up after that, so it's not staying long.

One more winter job off the to-do list - making travel soap.  

I am slowly working items out of my closet (total chaos).

The soap base was in solid blocks, so I grated it first.

I decided, after trying both sizes, that the rectangle soap makes a smaller soap, and better for travel.  the oval is perfect for a spare bathroom or gift giving.

I decided to get those made, and soap stored for any traveling this year.  Very easy to make and are great for adding to gifts such as a crocheted washcloth and face scrubbie pad.

Not all of the soap is in that photo, but the bars came out to about $.57/each minus adding essential oil.  I did not (obviously) add any coloring.  I am also sharing some with the kids, but perfect for travel trips/camping and gifting.

In hindsight, I should have made a few regular sized bars, but that job is done.  I have had the soap base for at least 2-3 years now.  The last few years have been rough, so I guess 2022-2023 is a "get'r done" year for us.

A reader asked about melting down slivers of leftover soap.  I do not know about store bought soap (non handmade).  I mentioned you could put your soap slivers into a soap saver bag made with 100% cotton.  

Once you add the essential oil and pour to a mold and then use, I don't think you can melt them down again (with the oil in them).

Photo of a soap saver bag:  HERE

I could not find a photo in my computer photos, so I went looking for a blogpost.  I do not have any here at the homestead.  What I have left is still at the museum gift shop.  There are several patterns online for them as well.

Finishing up homemade garlic powder ~ Growing Rhubarb Question

 

Using parchment paper on my dehydrator trays makes this grinding part easier.  I push the dried garlic to the center of the paper, and lift the sides to slide it into the coffee grinder.

The jar I use fits my canning funnel, making that part easy too.  You could use a smaller funnel for smaller jars.  We use garlic a lot, so hence large jar.

I dump out the older garlic powder into a cup with spout, put the new garlic powder in first, then the older on top.  All set for another year (maybe, ha ha!).

It's not exactly a quick job.  I wash all the trays after I dehydrate, so tastes and smells do not permeate into the next dehydrated food.  I wash the coffee grinder and clean out anything that blew off the trays inside the dehydrator.

Question about rhubarb:

Our rhubarb died last year, and we were going to move it anyway.....but...

I believe someone on here bought root starts online one year.  I can only find seeds (organic, non-gmo), and our local produce stand that sold them, closed their doors.

Where can I find them online?  If not, I need to order seeds or check our garden stores here.

Making Garlic Powder Day

 I finally got around to dehydrating garlic.  I typically do this when I can open my windows, but saved this job for this winter.

You put your cloves into the rubber tube, roll gently pressing to remove garlic skins.  My tools are from Pampered Chef, but I am sure Amazon sells something similar.  I got mine free, and love them!  It is so much faster than hand peeling/slicing.

Put the cloves in the slicer compartments, and press and turn to slice garlic.  Not real easy to clean, but works great.

I first started doing this all by hand - hand peeling, hand slicing then grinding.  I sliced my cloves onto parchment paper this time.  It just makes it easier to get it all into my coffee grinder to grind up.

I am dehydrating the garlic on 125°F in my Excalibur for 8 - 12 hours.  I store garlic powder in an air tight jar in my pantry.  Unlike onion powder, it will not collect moisture (best way to store  my onion powder is in an airtight jar in the freezer).  I use garlic powder in a lot of recipes.

Now, if you want minced garlic (which I need when I can Cowboy Candy), I chop it up in my smaller food processor.  They have other tools for mincing, but that's what I have on hand.

I'm finishing up the last few hours of drying this morning, and will put them into a coffee grinder to grind down into a powder. One more job off the winter project list.

New Tea ~ Down Memory Lane

 

Giving this new tea a try.  It is similar to the Traditional Medicinal teas, and it is good.  I have also ordered something new to try.

The carpet is all out upstairs.  It is almost completely out of the stairway as well.  It may be an all year long project, but at least the carpet is gone.

I got my stand for my starter seeds moved.  I'm starting seeds two weeks earlier than last year.  I do need to check the grow lights today.

There were a total of 9 deer out early evening last night.  I heard my husband talking and looking out the window saying, "you all better stay over there."  Ha ha!  They were all out eating the winter wheat.  The temperatures have dropped to the single digits, so it is back to cold here.

Down memory lane:   

I was looking for a specific photo and remembered I made flan for a fiesta/salsa party/tasting night.  That was the first and last time I made flan, but it was good!  You can read about the year I canned several different salsas and our fun food fest  HERE.

Our first goats!  Golly what a memory!  Reflections of 2011 can be read HERE.  We haven't had goats now for many years.  I do miss the milk, soap and cheeses.

Happy Homemaker Monday

Good Morning this Monday Morning!  Yes, I still have laryngitis, but it's a bit better.  I am now told to try Oregano tea, and I do have oregano dehydrated from the garden.  I'll be trying it later today.

I missed our family get together (my side of the family), due to still not having my voice back, but not talking has helped speed up recovery.

Today I am joining Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.

The weather . . .

We are going in the direction of cold.  It will get down to the single digits this week.

As I look outside my window . . .

It is still pitch dark.

Right now I am . . .

Drinking coffee and waking up.

Thinking and pondering . . .

The other day, as I was upstairs trying to find my embellished paper clips, I was digging thru many totes of finished items prepared for a future craft show.  There is a lot up there.  A lot. 

I haven't had a good show in many years, and it got me thinking.  Am I ready to retire from doing craft shows?  Everyone is selling and no one is buying?  Times are tough, so wait it out?  I was up there going thru stuff, and felt an overwhelming feeling of being burned out for trying. I love crocheting and knitting, but I just felt like it wasn't the same anymore.  Maybe it's because I am burned out making the blanket?  Maybe it's because Mom is not here to give me ideas?  I don't know.  

The blanket could be the reason.  I am not one to sit that long.  Not even in winter, but it has given me the reason to rest to get my voice back.

Also, the museum gift shop (where I sell 3 different items), emailed and wants me to come pick up my stuff.  They are closed permanently right now.  The building suffered tremendous damage from water lines breaking during that last cold spell we had (frozen water lines damaged many businesses).  So...there goes my business resource, and it was a pretty good one too.

On my bedside table . . .

-a mess of crochet hooks, needles, throat drops and bottles of water 

On my TV today. . .

What catches our interest.

Listening to . . .

Mostly 80's.

On the lunch plate . . .

Have no idea yet.

On the dinner plate . . .

Oh golly, I have not decided.

On the menu this week . . .

-need to work on this today

On  my reading pile . . .

On my to-do list . . .

-finish up last week's to-do list first
-wash bedding
-make homemade baking mix

-

Plans for this week . . .

Set up stand, grow lights and start garden seeds.  I went out to the barn and collected my seed trays.  I wanted to buy a few new ones, but the ones in our stores are being sold without the clear tops.  I ended up ordering some online.

What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating . . .

I crocheted myself some pink heart earrings.  We are fast approaching Valentine's Day.

I spent quite a bit of time crocheting this blanket, and hope to get it finished soon.

My simple pleasure . . .

A walk outside in the sunshine.

Looking around the house . . .

I wrote out a short "honey" to-do list.  On the weekends, he can do small jobs, that will in the end clean up chaos created from all these repairs/remodels (but so worth being done).

From the camera. . .

Prayer list . . .

Our friend Hope and her family as they grieve.  She last updated he was saving many lives (organ donation).  She and her husband were married 24 years.  So sad for their family.

Me.  I would love to have my voice back completely, and be back to "normal" once again.

Bible Verse, Devotional . . .

Putting it in Perspective ~ Crocheting a Blanket ~ Mini Heart Update ~ Question

I don't usually keep track of hours spent crocheting a blanket, but I did over the weekend.  I wanted to humor myself I guess, or find out the torture I'm enduring for this blanket.

I timed myself at making one color row in this blanket, which consists of 4 rows single crochet, 2 rows of double, and this pattern requires counting, skipping chains etc.  I takes 1 hour and 37 minutes to make each color section.

I measured the width, which is also something I haven't done on a blanket (never took any orders before).

It measures 53 1/2 inches  wide, and I am using worsted weight yarn with an "H" crochet hook.  It's not thick yarn, so it takes longer to make a blanket.

I counted the sections of color so far, and have 18 sections  - 29.1 hours of labor so far.  I have about 6-7 maybe 8 sections of rotating color to go.

It was a bit of a challenge, but I got the post up on my S.C.R.A.P. blogspot, in regards to crocheting the mini hearts to glue on jumbo paper clips.

Also, as I was creating a new mini heart for the post, I realized they would make cute earrings.

The embellished paper clip instructions are finally posted  HERE.

Thanks for the challenge.  I first made the heart embellished paper clips in 2015.  It was a chore to not only find the ones I made to sell (which I never did, we'll talk about that another day), find the hook I used and how I made them.  Whew!  Anyway, enjoy making them!

Question:

If you were to find a crocheted random act of kindness item, left purposely somewhere in your path, would you prefer something useful, or would you enjoy a worry worm/pocket hug etc.?

I'm asking, because I feel people would be more surprised if it was useful, like a cup coaster, or the embellished paperclips I make, or a keychain?  Just looking for more ideas using up scrap yarn this summer. 

Items are placed in a bag or other protective clear packaging, with a note or rhyme etc.  Something in the realm of cheering someone up, and putting a smile on their face.  An unexpected surprise.  If you google images for "random acts of kindness" you can basically see all of what people make right now.

What I have on my list for ideas so far:

-embellished paper clips
-bookmarks
-cup coasters or mug rugs

-fridge magnet (?)

-Christmas ornaments during the holidays

Cheddar and Chili Egg Casserole ~ Recipes Going Back in Slot

I used some of my homemade skillet bread to make some French toast.  My husband got special bread that is low carb, but I also made sausage patties and this.....

One of our favorite egg casseroles - it's Rachael Ray's Cheddar and Chili Egg Casserole.  I keep cans of organic chili peppers in the pantry for this and other recipes.  We love how the cottage cheese and cheese fluff this up to a light dish.

Does anyone else do this?  Pull a recipe and just put it on top inside the recipe box in a hurry (while baking/cooking)?  

Breaking this bad habit today.  I will be spending some time putting all those recipes back in their proper slot in the box.