My friends and I got together to make hair feather extensions.  Would you believe we spent hours sorting through the feathers and creating our "beauties".

Homemade Soap

I made two batches of homemade soap on 9/19/11. I used recipes from Delores Boone's book, Handcrafted Soap, The first batch Down Home & Broke Soap uses readily available ingredients:

32 oz lard or tallow, 24 oz canola, corn, sunflower, safflower or any combination of these four vegetable oils (I used canola), 21 oz distilled water, 7.2 oz lye.

I added quite a bit of fragrance oil....and the large block of soap was taking forever to harden. I had some individual bars that did air dry to a suitable hardness. After 1 week (I know I should have been patient and I have one mushy bar left to see if it will eventually harden) I rebatched the soap in the microwave. I put a couple bars at a time in the microwave for 5 minute  intervals, at 30% power, stirring when it volcanoed. When it looked all gel and rather transparent, I glopped into individual molds. It hardened within hours.

The second recipe, from the same book: Green Tea Soap, hardened upon cooling. This bar is a carmel brown color because of the green tea water used in the recipe. In this recipe, I substituted the 8 oz almond oil and 8 oz avocado oil with 16 oz of canola oil. :

Green Tea Soap: 8 oz almond oil, 8 oz avocado oil, 12 oz coconut oil, 24 oz olive oil, 16 oz cold green tea brewed with distilled water, 7.2 oz lye, Optional: 1 tsp green color, 2.5 oz green tea fragrance oil.

So, I am not sure what happened to the first batch.  Did the essential and fragrance oils (about 2 oz liquid) make it unstable?  Did it need to cook and be stirred longer?  Not sure.  I still am not happy with the fragrance (too weak) of these soaps.  I thought the hot process, which makes them useable within 6-8 hours, would solve the escaping fragrance problem.  I read somewhere that you could put the soap in a closed container with oils and it will absorb it.  That just doesn't seem like the solution to me.  I want the fragrance IN the soap.  Maybe I am not using the right oils.

The Power of a Stone

I found this old necklace. It is small but I like it. I read the Properties of Snowflake Obsidian Stone ala Melody. I wish wearing a stone would actually solve your issues. Wouldn't that be a simple fix?

Snowflake Obsidian: a black obsidian with inclusions of a white mineral (phenocryst), whose structure within the obsidian, when polished, resembles a snowflake.

It allows one to recognize the unnecessary patterns which remain in ones life and to re-design ones thought patterns to provide relief from undesired conditions.

It assists one in actualizing the serenity of the isolated state, when isolation is manifested, stimulating the surrender to the totality of the meditative state and further promoting a sensitivity to the most vital powers in the universe - love and beauty.

It is a "stone of purity", bringing both purity and balance to the body, mind, and spirit. It can be used in the treatment of disorders of the veins and the skeletal structure. It can also be used to smooth the skin (an elixir is recommended) and to clear the eyes.

Baby doves

Two baby doves rest on the deck ledge in Aurora. Mama is hovering nearby.

Lavender Jelly and other Recipes I am sending to the Garden Club

Lavender Jelly
Source: The Forgotten Art of Flower Cookery

2 1/4 cups bottled apple juice (the clearest you can find)
1 cup lavender flowers
3 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 (4 ounce) bottle liquid pectin

Place apple juice and lavender in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover and remove from the heat. Let stand for 15 minutes, then strain.

Return 2 cups of this juice to the heat, add the sugar, and stirring constantly, bring to a full boil. Stir in the liquid pectin and bring to a rolling boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Remove from the heat, skim off the foam, and pour into jelly glasses with a sprig of jelly in each glass and seal. Process for 5 minutes in a boiling water bath.

Makes about 5 medium glasses.
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Note: Back in 1940 “thrift” and “economy” were catchwords of the day and this recipe was a winner in Woman’s Day’s contest for low-cost frankfurter recipes. (Kielbasa has been substituted for the original recipe’s franks.) My grandmother used to serve us this dish and we called it Red Kraut. We ate it with mashed potatoes, so the potatoes can also be omitted from this recipe. Since the kraut is rinsed well before using, it is much sweeter than normal kraut.

Sausage with Tomatoes and Sauerkraut (4 servings)

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion chopped (1 cup)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 cans or pouches (16 oz each) sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
1 can (about 16 oz) tomatoes, undrained and tomatoes broken up
1 Tablespoon caraway seeds (optional)
8 small, red-skinned potatoes (1 ½ #) narrow strip of peel pared off around
the middle (optional)
1 pound fully cooked smoked kielbasa (smoked sausage or frankfurters
may be used.)
Chopped parsley for garnish.

Heat oil in 5-quart Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and cook about 5 minutes until translucent. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in rinsed sauerkraut, tomatoes and caraway seeds. Put potatoes in single layer on top. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes or until potatoes are almost tender. Stir potatoes into sauerkraut mixture; place sausage on top. Cover and simmer 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender and sausage is hot. To serve, cut sausage into 1-inch thick slices. Sprinkle with parsley. Makes 4 servings.

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No-Weep Meringue

Cook till thick and clear:
1 tbsp. cornstarch
2 tbsp. sugar
1/2 c. water
Pinch of salt
Cool slightly. Beat 3 egg whites to soft peaks. Continue beating while slowly pouring cooked mixture into egg whites. Beat until shiny. Add 6 T. sugar, little at a time, and continue beating egg whites until stiff. Cover filling in pie shell with meringue, sealing edges to crust and bake as follows:
Hot Filling: Bake 8-10 minutes at 400 degrees.
Cool Filling: Bake for 15-18 minutes at 350 degrees. (This is recommended for banana cream pies for best flavor.)
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Oatmeal Coconut Crispies


1 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ½ cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¾ cup chopped nuts
1 ½ cup quick cooking oats
1 ½ cup flaked coconut

Cream shortening and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Sift flour, salt, soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Fold into creamed mixture. Blend in oats, coconut and nuts. Drop by spoonful onto a greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.

World Book Day - Let's Play

It's World Book Day. Game rules : Grab the book nearest to you and turn to page 56, write down the 5th sentence. Don't choose your favorite book - choose the one nearest to you right now! Post the sentence here in comments and we can see what we collectively have learned...let's share.


Here is what I got...and it is very pertinent...ah the Universe and it's messages.
"Strangers in pastel portraits (purchased at garage sales) stared unnervingly out of dusty. ornate frames."

Home work space

Here is my beading work area. Across from this little desk is another storage area where I keep supplies, books, etc, The picture has a funny reflection thing going on because the orange beach picture is a mirror. There is also a closet full of more beads, feathers, fasteners - so much stufff!
It's a long story how I ended back on the farm where I grew up but this is my room when I was a little girl. One drawback about living in an old house is the electrical outlets. In the "old days" you needed one outlet for a light.......that is all that is in here. Now with TV's, alarms, lights, DVD players, computers, printers, glue guns, etc, etc, etc.......the outlet situation can be a little daunting.