My Very First Attempt at Soap Making

Tuesday, August 27, 2013, the day I received my first soap making supplies.
Oh what excitement!  After reading a lot about soap making and watching how to videos on youtube.    I thought that it would be too difficult for me to decide which fragrance, colors and base to use for my first project and so I ordered for a kit.   After opening the package, I got into work right away, I forgot to take pictures of the supplies.

 

The company included a free half an ounce of fragrance and I can't ignore it or wait for another batch of order to use it.  So I separated a few of the base for the free fragrance and grabbed some baking molds for it.  My impatience to just go ahead and avail of  everything in the package got the best of me.

 

 

The white mold came with the kit and the blue silicone ones are from my kitchen.

 

 

As you can see in the above picture, instead of spreading the gold dust, I ended up creating a few globs of it.

 

Some of the bars broke off into two or three layers.  Definitely need to practice some more.

 

 The white top layer was sprinkled with the gold dust and the layers in between was supposed to be a pretty swirl of pink, blue and purple then a clear bottom layer.

Definitely a keeper hobby.  No needles flying all over the house whenever the machine is in trouble.  I just need to find a good supplier that ships faster than this company I am using now.  The supplies were good but this was my first and I don't have any other company to do any comparison yet.

It was great fun making it and waiting for the final result was satisfying even for a first time soap maker like me.

First Halloween Soaps

 



 

Thursday, September 12, 2013.  This was my second shipment of soap making supply.  Halloween is just around the corner and so I ordered for a Jack-O-Lantern kit from another supplier a few days after ordering my first kit.  This was my first attempt at using designed soap molds.   

 

 

The Jack-O-Lantern soaps were a little stubborn  to unmold and so I put them in the freezer for a few minutes, some soap bloggers suggested this method of unmolding the soaps.  The freezing makes it easier for the soap to pop out of the mold but they turned out to feel wet instead.  I will check it out tomorrow to see if they will dry out.

 

As usual I used kitchen mold for the leftover soaps.  I used happy face silicone molds and the blue flower designed silicone mold and tried to make swirls and a double pour technique according to the soap tutorial I've been watching.

 

My son Vyn said the Jack-O-Lantern looked scarier in the above picture when the black soap was spilled all over the faces.  I like the cleaned up looked better though.

 

The happy faces were just a mixture of both the leftover orange and black to make them looked like spooky happy faces.  Was I successful in making them spooky?

 

 

 

Ghosts and Bats

Thursday, October 3, 2013, my third batch of melt and pour or sometimes referred to as soap casting soap making technique.  I ordered for yet another soap mold "ghost" from yet another soap making supplier.  I also came across a "bat" mold while grocery shopping and was tempted.

 

 

 

The designs turned out great.  But if you look closer, the soaps have white crystals all over them.  Further reading on soap making revealed that moisture and glycerine content is the culprit.  My first two batches did not do this.  I wonder if it was because I ordered from another supplier and got a less than stellar quality of the products or the moisture in our house changed.  More reading still needed.

 

 

As you can see the designs came out exactly as expected.  I also am able to prevent a mess from happening with the black color for the Jack-o-lanterns.  I was not excited with my black happy faces and so I remelted the black happy faces from my second batch and made them into black bats which I thought was more appropriate.  

 

 

 

 

I froze the mold before unmolding again because I am such an impatient soul and they all came out easily but was wet again.  The hubby who is a chemist suggested not to freeze them the next time.  I will try not to freeze the soaps on my next batch and see if we would get a dry and easy to unmold soap.

 

 

 

Crystallization also happened with this soap batch and according to soap blogs it was because of not wrapping them right away.  The moisture in the air is not good for the glycerin content of this soap making technique.

 

 

 

Glycerine absorbs water in the air thus is very moisturizing to the skin but it caused the soaps to sweat and crystallized when expose to moisture.  Still obviously learning from other soap crafters and bloggers.  Also  comparing product quality from different suppliers.  Will see if I improve for my next batch.

 

 

Look at how sweaty and wet they were, this was taken right after I unmold them and after being in the freezer for a good half hour.  Just learned from a soap book that if I should freeze the soap, it should only be done for at least 5 minutes.

 

 

 

Government Partial Shut Down

So this is the second week of the partial government shut down.  Here is a link of what is going on from foxnews.

Like all kinds of relationship, if compromising is gone, the relationship deteriorates.  What happens when only one side is being heard?  When  only the egos and pride and what they want is given and the other side just give in all the time. 

The government is supposed to be there to make the community run smoothly.  But when the government is in havoc, the people suffer.  Did the people who promised to make the country a better place to be, who promised to improve our lifestyles really did what they promised.  Or are they just there muscling for what they believe in without thought for the rest of us,  but their very own agendas only.

I am starting to really dislike the word "entitle".  Why is it that working and enjoying the fruit of your own labor so difficult.  Why is it that people think that because they are born to this country or this family that they are entitled to part or all of somebody else's hard work.  If people just work for what they want and not feel entitled to somebody else's work, will we be in such a mess?

Debt is something we all struggle with.  What with credit cards readily available and companies sending application forms every day.  The discipline to spend only what we earn is difficult to do since there are thousands available with just a flick of the card.  Yet what do you suppose will happen to a family where the mom and dad just kept on bickering at each other.  They both carry 10 credit cards to the max and paying only minimums.  Of course there are the normal mortgages or house rents, the car loans, student loans to name a few.  These people are up to the tip of their foreheads in debt and yet they plan to go on a luxury vacation to their budget.  Of course that means adding another credit card to pay for the vacation.  As a family member or friend to people like this, do we just allow them to do it or at least say something.  If you are a government, do you just allow these people to take in more debt for the people to pay or try to stop this nonsense?

How about the people who are really affected by this shut down.  Who are thinking of their welfares and their common good.  Especially if they still have to go to work without compensation until a compromise is going to be settled.  What will happen if a compromise between the mom and dad of the government is not allowed because the other side will not even listen?

That is my two cents for our current government situation.  Thank you for reading.

Basil Drink

The kids don't like the basil leaves in this but the adults liked this.

2 cup Greek Yogurt
4 cup milk ( 2 cup whole milk/ 2 cup almond milk)
1 cup lemon/mango/pineapple juice
1/4 cup sugar
20 basil leaves

Pesto

Pesto is a staple with the hubby.  He adds them into his pasta, bread and anything he thinks that needed some flavor.

2 cups fresh basil leaves stripped from their stems
2 tablespoons freshly chopped pine nuts/walnuts or cashew
1 teaspoon salt
1 to 2 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 to 1 cup Extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup freshly grated imported Sardo, Romano or Parmesan cheese

Put all ingredients in a blender or food processor except olive oil and blend.  Gradually add olive oil and blend until you have a thick sauce.  Toss on hot pasta, put a tablespoon or so on soup, put under skin of chicken breast and bake or spread on French bread and broil lightly.  For winter use,  freeze Pesto in small jars or air tight containers.

Fusilli with Spinach and Asiago

I used gluten free pasta and added fig infused balsamic vinegar to this dish.  From foodnetwork

Ingredients

 

  1 pound fusilli pasta

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 (9-ounce) bag fresh spinach, roughly chopped
• 8 ounces (1/2 pint) cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup (about 3 1/2-ounces) grated Asiago
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.
Meanwhile, warm olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the spinach and tomatoes and cook until the spinach wilts, about 2 more minutes. Add the cooked pasta and toss. Add the cheeses, salt, pepper, and the pasta cooking liquid and stir to combine.
Transfer the pasta to a serving plate and serve.

Turkey and Spinach Quinoa Casserole

The hubby missed quinoa and so I searched for something I could do and this was what I picked from ifoodreal.  He said he won't mind having this everyday. 

Ingredients

• 2 cups dry quinoa
• 2 lbs extra lean ground turkey
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 medium garlic cloves, crushed
• 4-5 large handfuls spinach, chopped
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
• 3 cups light cheddar or mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1/4 tsp thyme, dry
• 2 tsp basil, dry
• Salt & ground black pepper to taste
• Cooking spray
• Green onions and diced tomatoes for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Cook quinoa as per package instructions and undercook by 4 minutes. Add to a large mixing bowl.
2. Preheat oven to 375 F degrees and spray 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
3. Preheat skillet on medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Add turkey and sautee for 5 minutes breaking into pieces with the spatula. Drain the excess liquid and add to the bowl with quinoa.
4. Return skillet to the heat and spray with cooking spray again. Add garlic and onions, and fry until golden brown. Add spinach and sauté until it's wilted. Transfer to a bowl with quinoa and turkey.
5. Into the same bowl, add tomato sauce, bread crumbs, 2 cups of cheese, thyme, basil, salt and ground pepper to taste. Mix enough to combine.
6. Transfer the mixture in a baking dish, sprinkle with remaining 1 cup of cheese and bake for 25 minutes. Serve immediately, no need to let the casserole cool down.
7. Optional: sprinkle with diced tomatoes, green onions, a dollop of Greek yogurt or salsa.
Storing Instructions: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Freeze divided into individual portions, in an air tight container for up to 1 month.

2013 CRIM Run

 

As you guys have already known, my hubby has been running the CRIM for a couple of years now.  As we were waiting for the race to start.  We stood right next to somebody with this gadget.  A camera is hooked on it and he controlled it all over the place.  Pretty sleek.

 

We stood a few feet from the start line.

Medals waiting for their new homes.

 

The hubby got one of the medals and was happy with his time.  He got better and faster as he aged with this race.



A Little Buggy - Finished

Finally!  I got this Little Buggy project finished.  It ended up being 44X 55 inches and the biggest so far for me.  I think this is the biggest I could go until I really get the hang of this and can figure out every little thing that goes on with the machine.  I originally planned to be done with it before school starts.  But I got into some machine trouble when I started quilting and it was stubbornly not correcting itself for a while.  I tried different tension settings but it was when I changed the bobbin thread that everything went smoothly again.

 

Picture below is the back and it is now all tightly quilted again.  Almost used up all my chicken fabric as well.

 

Now I am ready for another project.  Let's see what's next in my quilting journey....

 

July to August 2013 Camping

This was the longest camping trip we ever had so far.  The hubby decided to run the Grand Island trail marathon this year and so we decided to be there a few days before and stay a few days after for camping trip at Indian Lake State Park.

Bandit on our way to the kennel

We left Wednesday and was able to enjoy the sun until late afternoon the next day, Thursday.  For the first time we had a camp ranger going through every camp site to warn us of severe weather condition coming that night.  Of course it was the day when our camper's awning decided to get damaged. 

Kids and I went for a walk around campground while the dad was setting up our camp.

Played in the beach whenever the sun is out

Christmas in July craft hosted by the campground

Click on the Grand Island trail marathon post for Friday and Saturday.  Sunday we went to Kitch-iti-Kipi and the Baraga Shrine.

Monday was another beautiful day.  We  hiked 8 Munising waterfalls in the Algers county area.  First was Alger's Falls which is kind of tricky to get to because it is right on a busy road and can easily be missed.  Wagner Falls, Horseshoe Falls is a privately owned falls so we have to pay to access it.  Tannery an Memorial Falls both are kind of connected so we hiked from Tannery to Memorial and the trail got a little treacherous but was fun.  We heard a dad called out to his daughters who were running down on our way up.  He said " stop running, if you fall- you die".   That line stuck with us the whole time we went up and encountered the foot size trail on a ravine.  My thoughts while silently walking through it was " if it really is dangerous, they won't allow the public to hike it".  A hearth pumping don't look down the ravine walk.  I always tell the kids to walk ahead of me and to put one steady foot ahead of the other.  We had lunch after and went to Munising Falls then we drove to the Miner's Castle and saw the Bridalveil Falls and then drove again to Miner's Falls.

Tuesday, was a no driving,  not too physical day.  We stayed in the campground and enjoyed the beach.  Met a Filipino family driving by on their way home to Indiana from Vancouver.

Wednesday, was a Marquette, Michigan day.  We visited the U.P. Children's Museum, the Pebble beach and Presque isle, The Northern Michigan University, Lakenenland, The Lower Harbor Park.  On our way back to Indian Lake, we stopped by Au Train and Scott's waterfalls. 

August 1, we visited Garlyn Zoo, The Manistique Water Tower and Log Cabin.  Watching animals up close made bed time a challenged on this day.  So I told the kids to ignore each other already.  Lyn: But mama you said to always be friends with your brother or sister.

  August 2, Manistique Lighthouse, Treasure City and more swimming at Indian Lake..

August 3, we drove to Escanaba and was glad that an art fair was going on the same day.  The kids were able to buy some kid's craft, we watched some belly dancing and other shows. Bought some chocolate at Sayklly's.

August 4 was another day spent in our campground and swimming and playing in Indian Lake where we witnessed a baptism in the water.  A first time for the kids to witnessed.

August 5 a Monday was a beautiful day to packed up and drive home.  We stopped at the Mystery Spot and Sea Shell City.

 

Bandit enjoying time being back home again.