Some Exciting News and a Product Update

Some fun and exciting news. .. 

Today, we will be be delivering some product samples to a local honey company! We are sure hoping that the products do well for them, and that this becomes a lasting partnership. That makes this That makes this a good time to answer some questions that we get a lot, just for your information!

These are stick lip balms. This version is a Chocolate Hazelnut Honey variety. The ones in a stick are a little harder than those in a tub, but generally the same ingredients, We have a host of different kinds that we can make, but usually make them to order. What you see here has honey, beeswax, cocoa butter, hazelnut oil, dutch cocoa, glycerin and vitamin E.  Good stuff. Some of our best sellers are actually tub or glass vial roll-ons. We do a lava lights one in many flavors, and some with chocolate cherry, chocolate mint, mocha, etc. If you are looking for a flavor you love, or specific essential or extract oils, let me know, I may just have a great recipe.

This basket happens to contain two types of soap and some lotion bars.

The soaps, because this is for a group that specializes in honey are two types of our oatmeal, goat's milk and honey recipe. The oatmeal serves to calm and cool sensitive skin. The goat's milk is tremendously nourishing, and goat's milk, as it is close in composition to human breast milk, is better utilized by our skin to nourish and repair it.  The honey is great for those with sensitive skin or acne or rashes. Surprising, but true! There are a variety of oils used, including cocoa butter, and several others. Specific recipes can vary a bit by the requests in a given batch. Don't hesitate to put in a request for a whole small batch just for you! This basket has a plain (unscented with essential oils) version as well as a holiday spice variety, which has clove, cinnamon, orange and nutmeg essential oils mixed in at trace to help get you ready for the holiday season. I even threw in one peppermint soap. True peppermint essential oils are outstanding for opening up the sinuses when you have allergies, and the good stuff won't set off those of us with sensitivities to chemicals. Some folks like the spearmint or eucalyptus for this, but the peppermint is the most popular these days.

What can I say about lotion bars? GOOD STUFF! Typically, lotions take some wonderful oils and do a few things. The first, the frequently use alcohol so that it evaporates and make you feel as though it is soaking in, though it is actually drying your skin. Second, they almost always thin the oils with water, then thicken them with corn starch derivative to keep them thick as well as oodles of preservatives. Since it is the chemicals and preservative that my family cannot handle, and I take issue with genetically modified corn, we take a different approach. We begin with local beeswax, filter it an extra time, and then add pure cocoa butter, and a variety of pure oils and butters, essential oils for aromatherapy and vitamin E for a natural boost to the skin and to help with shelf life. Again, oils can vary greatly. While coconut oil is a fantastic base, some folks who have sought us out because they know we are glad to individually formulate cannot have that, or cannot have another oil. So these recipes vary some, and we try to keep a couple different recipes in stock.

I know, that is a LOT of information!. But feel free to ask ANY questions you may have. That is why you would work with a small local company that specializes in serving the individual needs of the customer in a natural way that supports the health of the customer and sustainable agriculture!

Build Your Own Gift Basket

Love the fun of gift baskets, but looking for more variety than you typically find? Or want something more personalized than what you may find elsewhere?  Or perhaps you have found neat things that can be personalized, but aren't variable enough for the price range you want for certain gifts?

Feel free to build your own gift baskets, even with custom items and baskets...

Feeling overwhelmed?

How about a build your own tutorial?

Start with the budget...
Truthfully, the budget is up to you! Whether there is  mug, basket, tote bag or gift bag changes how much you put in a package as well as the overall cost. If you would like, you can email me with a few parameters like what a person likes and the approximate budget, and I can get you some sample ideas.

Ideas to use as the basket:

Mugs, Plates and Glasses

Metal  and Wicker Baskets

Gift Bags

Tote Bags

Feed Bag Market Bags (also available in a plain tan)

Ideas to Put in the Basket:

These can be customized:
Glass mugs, tall glasses, tumblers and plates

Soaps and Lotions Bars, Scrubs and Lip Balms

 Hairbands, and Feathered and Ribbon Barrette and Clips

 Custom Jewelry Pieces

Earrings, Bracelets and other Jewelry

Jewelry Sets

Up-cycled Ceramic Tiles

AND MORE!
Got favorite pieces or things you want to put together? Got an idea for a coming project, but want to have it packaged for you to put together later? We are glad to accommodate. Just call or email and we can set something up special just for you, and of course we do volume discounts.

Oatmeal, Goat's Milk and Honey Soap

Taking a moment to talk about soap ingredients for different circumstances.  I have a lot of conversations with folks about how to select the right soap for them while at the market, or when they email me through the site and on Facebook.  After these discussions, I realize it is helpful to have this information where folks can find it by filtering through the labels on the blog to help them select when purchasing, so I am trying to highlight options. If you have questions about other soaps, or ingredients, feel free to let me know what I should add!

The first thing to remember with this is that everyone is different. When we began making soaps, it was because of our daughter's allergy and health issues. She cannot have anything with synthetics or preservatives. She is also allergic to every tree except juniper, all grasses and much more. I use her as a practical example (poor thing!)  Anyhow, many of hte oils are not an issue for her, but preservatives and other ingredients are. When it comes to scents, the peppermint helps her breathe better, but she cannot have trees that she is allergic to, as these are essential oils, directly derived from the plant.

When folks knew that I was tailoring the recipes to her, many came to ask me for special requests, like the Castile soaps I recently highlighted.  Many changes are easy. As with any health issue, when we don't know what someone is allergic to, we typically go to the simplest recipe possible and add in one new ingredient at a time to isolate any new ingredients so if there is a reaction, we know what the culprit is. On the other hand, many folks come to me knowing exactly what they cannot have, giving us a lot of latitude to work with in designing fun products that bring great results and luxury without causing harm or inflaming the issues a given customer has.

Oatmeal soaps are also special ingredient soaps, and are used in different ways. There are oatmeal soaps designed for exfoliating, and also oatmeal soaps designed for sensitive skin.  In this post, I will focus on the latter. Oatmeal often has a cooling effect on skin which is inflamed, or that reacts to lots of things.  Folks with eczema, psoriasis, allergies, etc, often do well with oatmeal formulations.

We almost always have an oatmeal, goat's milk and honey soap available without any added scent.  Today I made one with orange, apples, cinnamon, clove and nutmeg essential oils as a holiday treat.  Honey is very soothing and smoothing, and is a great ingredient choice for those with dry skin, or who have breakouts. The oatmeal is soothing and draws impurities out of the skin.  The goat's milk has a lot of nutrition for your skin, which is your largest organ, after all.  Being goat's milk, it is closer in composition to human milk, and thereby better absorbed and used by your own body.

So there you have it. Oatmeal, Goat's Milk and Honey soaps are not for everyone, but are a great option for those with inflamed skin, young children, and those with other skin issues. Still, it is not for everyone.  If you are wondering whether it is the right choice for you, feel free to call or email or message, whatever you prefer, and let me know what you are looking for so we can help you find the right choice for you.

Castille Soap?

Castille Soap? What is that? 

Well, if you have seen some of the formulations I have lately, I can completely understand the confusion!  Traditionally, soap makers have used materials from their area, much like homesteaders fed their families the things they grew and raised, or traded nearby farmers for. In the Castille region of Spain, that would mean that the most prolific  oil available for soap making was olive oil.

I used to work with a researcher who was from Spain, he was adamant that the best olive oil in the world was that from Spain.  I don't know if that is correct, but I have always thought one should believe in the product he created, and being from Spain and working in America, I imagine that is about as close as it comes. But I digress, the Spanish oil in abundance, and therefore most efficient and economical to use was olive oil. This also meant that it was more likely to be pure and fresh.

Why does it matter that the oil be pure and fresh?  Let's back up a bit...

Many of you know that I began making soap because my daughter had lots of allergies. She has many environmental allergies, and also cannot use anything on her skin with synthetic ingredients or preservatives. That pretty much knocks out what is commercially available. Still, she is fine with the good coconut oils, almond oil, etc, as long as the only item I used to preserve is Vitamin E, and any essential oils are just that- essential oils, not fragrance oils.

When folks learned that I could make soap, and knew how to work within recipes to adjust to the needs of the individual, I started getting LOTS of requests. I can understand why. I mean, as much as it would be great to always make your own, that requires a lot of supplies on hand, and if you can work with a truly trusted source for the items you don't make or grow, as farmers always have, trading the farmer next door or across town for the items they grow/ raise, but you don't- you both benefit.

While the allergies in our house are mostly limited the additives (at least as far as soap is concerned), we still had a large range of all natural ingredients available to us. This is great for us, but I have learned that there are a large number of folks who cannot have any tree nut based oil, or even coconut oil.  Coconut oil is very healthy, and a wonderful, variable base, so it is heavily used in soaps and lotions and lotion bars, lip balms, etc.  

For folks with those immune responses much greater than basic skin sensitivities, we formulate to avoid the ingredients which cause issues, and often recommend Castille soap. Lately, I have seen a lot of different formulations in use by soap makers- castille soap with many other things to make them more luxurious. Because we work so frequently with customers with health concerns, we choose to stick with a very traditional interpretation of Castille soap- with olive as the only oil. I sometimes make some with goat's milk as well, but the batch currently in stock is a very strict olive oil castille, with lavender and peppermint essential oils.  Others will be available soon, and the available varieties do change over time by request and season.

In cases such as these, purity is critical. Other added ingredients could trigger an immune response.  The equivalent I use to explain in our house, is like when we went out to dinner for Wyatt's birthday, and we asked about msg, which my daughter cannot have. The server promised they would never touch the stuff in this place. But by the time we got home, we were loading up on medications to control my daughter's reaction, and she and I were up almost all night.  Pure ingredients, without additives, are important, and fresh means that the wonderful nutrient properties of the ingredients remain true. There are some cases where shelf lives are long, but the oil should be used quickly in batches after the container is opened, and the oil thereby exposed to the environment.

There are a lot of different soap formulations. I recently highlighted emu oil, which has been a loved formulation by at least one of our clients with an intense form of eczema.  I thought it might be useful for those deciding on soaps to try and to select as gifts for friends and family, to understand more about ht e formulations in general as they are looking at choices. All of the ingredient lists are available, though sometimes become cumbersome on the site. Never hesitate to ask, an also feel welcome to share your concerns and needs so that we may help you find the right option for you.

What are your favorites?

New Arrivals at the Market Today...

Three new (or newly restocked) soaps have made their debut at the market today out in Marana:

Coffee with Sweet Orange, Cinnamon and Nutmeg Exfoliating Soap

This exfoliating soap uses coffee grounds for sloughing off dead skin cells, while olive oil, sunflower seed oil, coconut oil and avocado oil cleanse, nourish and soften the skin. Sweet orange, nutmeg and cinnamon essential oils bring aromatherapy and a great wake me up!

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Lavender-Mint Castille Soap

This soap is for the purist among us, who love their olive only castille soaps.  We get a lot of special requests from people who cannot have any nut based oils, even coconut, so we always try to have a true castille variety available for them. Lavender and Peppermint are great essential oils year round, and make a great combination as we head into fall and winter.

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Orange- Vanilla Dreamsicle Goat's Milk Soap

This refreshing soap helps us hold on to the last beauty of summer, but embraces the luxury of goat's milk soap with avocado oil, sunflower seed oil, coconut oil, oilive oil, grapeseed oil and goat's milk. Sweet orange and vanilla essential oils bring a beautiful finish that might just have you thinking of ice cream popsicles.

Got any special requests? We are in a big restocking phase right now, so we would gladly put yours on the list!

Vegetarian and Vegan Soap?

I get a lot of questions about soap on the blog, at farmers markets, and elsewhere. Some folks are content by the notion that all products are natural, and wherever possible, locally sourced. Along with that, there are a lot of questions about whether our products are all natural, vegetarian or vegan, and what that really means.

All Natural
All Natural is one of those terms that leads to misleading information more often than not. I cannot tell you the number of times folks have asked me at the farmers market, "Is this all natural?" At that point, I want to launch into educating people, but also try to be mindful not to go too crazy.  As far as a legal definition from the feds...

 The FDA stated:

“Although the use of the term ‘natural’ on the food label is of considerable interest to consumers and industry, FDA’s intent was not to establish a definition for ‘natural’ in this rulemaking....   The agency will maintain its current policy … not to restrict the use of the term “natural” except for added color, synthetic substances, and flavors as provided in [21 C.F.R.] § 101.22. Additionally, the agency will maintain its policy … regarding the use of “natural,” as meaning that nothing artificial or synthetic (including all color additives regardless of source) has been included in, or has been added to, a food that would not normally be expected to be in the food."

In the case of Patriot's Dream products, the bath products, including soap, lotion, lotion bars, etc, began because our eldest child was allergic to synthetics and preservatives. So even in the cases where you might expect such, they will be omitted on our products, because we expect more from ourselves and the performance of the products we provide. Curious as to what is in something or why we chose to put it there? Just ask! We are glad to make it public!

Vegetarian
Vegetarian is of special import to a number of our clients.  Sometimes folks are opposed to all animals products, sometimes only some products, sometimes to animals fed in certain ways. It is widely accepted that vegetarian will not include products which include animal fats or similar items, but that eggs and milk from animals are considered acceptable. In the case of soaps, goat milk is considered vegetarian, but not vegan. Some folks will like the goat milk, but only if the animals are fed organically or corn free or with other specific diets. Curious? We are open to these discussions, and it is important to honest with our clients! Just ask!

Interested in the origin of certain products? Shea butter comes from a tree in Africa, Cocoa butter comes from a plant. Olive oil comes from a number of sources, but we only use extra virgin, because this is the type which has been scientifically linked to the real health benefits.

While some folks love Emu Oil for their skin conditions, it is rendered from the fat of Emu at processing, so it is definitely not vegetarian or vegan. The same applies to lard and other animal fats often used in soap making, and for some these are excellent options, but not for all. You may find something listed on the site which was originally made as a special request for a customer, and the leftover is still available, so if in doubt, please ask and let us know what your concerns and restrictions are so that we may serve you better! As we often say, we love special requests, so we are glad to accommodate individual needs.

Also read on to the caveats of some less commonly known products rendered from animals in the next section.

Vegan
As I mentioned before, vegan means no milk, eggs, etc of any type from animals. While milk is fine in vegetarian soap, it is not permissible in vegan soap. There are some oils which, while they seem vegetarian or vegan, may involve processes in the rendering or acquisition of the oil which would not be considered vegan.

What names should you watch for? Tallow, suet, and lard are pretty straightforward. But there is more to it, things like oleic, palmitic, stearic, palmitoleic, linoleic and myristic acid can be sourced from animal fats or vegetable fats. If you have concerns, ask. I typically only use straightforward oils in our soaps, as this allows me one quick glance to know EXACTLY what is in a bar or bottle when helping a client at the farmers market.  

I don't believe I should ever need to hide anything from a client.  That is not why I do this. As a rule, I need to be able to look at any product, or my child should, and know whether she can use it safely.  She has me to interpret the label. My clients, or those they gift products to, may only have the label.

Wondering about other label items? Post as a comment, message or email me, and i will tackle that in a coming post! I am so glad you all give me the opportunity to have the privilege of serving you! Have a great night!

More on the law and all natural here:
http://www.natlawreview.com/article/does-fda-have-definition-natural-or-not

A Big Weekend at Our House...

Well, to begin our weekend, the kids were assigned to clean the tack shed! Funny note, they were required to get along to get it done, no mama intervention! Why yes, it did take all day, but they did a pretty good job,

and when I couldn't find the big black funnel today to fill my feeder, Wyatt could lay his hands on it immediately. The show box was even cleaned out!

If that didn't dub me the mean mama, Bailey came inside this afternoon, and asked if she could leave a brand new bantam Cochin baby with the mamas who really wanted to raise it. But after the four foot snake being found dead in the buck pen Saturday morning, with no explanation and us knowing that we have so many snakes this year, I had her bring the baby in. It settled in right away, cuddling up with the other little Cochins in the brooder in the living room.

What a sweet little face! It definitely looks as though we have a couple roosters in the bantam Cochin group.  Oh boy...

I still haven't gotten much done on the big sewing project, or caught you up on our neat adventure at Arbico, but I did get a nice big batch of soap made tonight- Orange-Vanilla Dreamscicle Goat's Milk.  It smells wonderful!

Wyatt and Shadow were cuddled up all sweet when I went in to turn off the light Wyatt had forgotten. Just as I went to snap the picture, Shadow picked up her head.

Well, it is definitely sleepytime for this mama. Have a wonderful week!

More about our Giveaway Prizes!

The other day we introduced you to the first two of our giveaway prizes- our handmade all natural soap and special Patriot's Dream tote, as well as our all natural lotion bar and Patriot's Dream tote, shown off by two of our little friends, fluffy and baby.

Also in this giveaway, are a feathered hair clip,

and handmade crystal earrings!

Who couldn't use a little pick me up on a Monday?

We will be announcing winners on Labor Day Monday, so you have this week to enter, and some entries can be put in daily!  Have fun, and please share with friends to give them a smile, too!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Patriot's Dream Farm Contest!

Fall giveaway coming here!

These two little cuties would like to share our new giveaway with you!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

It has been a rough week around here- big storms that brought more wind than rain, a challenging hatch, and more. So since we believe that you make your own happiness, we are throwing a giveaway!!! Four awesome prizes, we will highlight this week, including a handmade bar of soap and a tote bag, a lotion bar and tote bag, a pair of earrings and a feathered hair clip!

To get things started, these are the tote bags, and the winner will select their own variety of soap or lotion bar! I will share photos of the other prizes in the morning!

One Case For and Against Special Ingredients...

You know those designer super-foods and mega-supplements? You know the ones I mean, which are all over the news today, from special fancy melons in France or cute little fruits from the mountains of Machu Pichu or seeds or even little blueberries or pomegranate extract? They were just normal foods, now they are over the top good for you or maybe they were never considered that great before, but now someone has good results with them in one research study, so everyone wants to try them?Next week, there will be a whole new love affair with a whole new list. Or maybe not. Some are gone in a flash, others find traction with a core group of people who find a benefit.

Nothing will take the place of a good, balanced diet and exercise in keeping you healthy, but for some, they find solace for certain conditions or help with weight loss or whatever else by including these in their lifestyle regimen. Great nutrients, regardless of where they are found, are great nutrients, and it is always good when you get the best quality nutrients in one food, more bang for your buck! After five years of working in university research, I know that no study is tried and true for everyone, and no exercise or supplement is, either.

Case in point, when I was early on in my days in research, the nurse on our study was using a joint supplement. One of the head researchers who had written the study, focusing on early knee osteoarthritis, felt very strongly that this was like a placebo effect- like a sugar pill given to some in research, causing a psychological improvement in symptoms. Last I heard, she is exercising more while taking it, he still thinks it is all in her head.

In the research we were doing, some folks had great benefit, others had additional health factors that led to more concerns, or needed more modifications than others.  Every person is different.  We can find a lot of common underlying ground, but no two people are exactly the same, or react the same to treatment.

I have also seen many instances where certain brands worked better than others.

But I digress.

One of these such super elements is Emu Oil. Some folks have dome to swear by it, for everything from psoriasis to eczema to arthritis and cancer, among a whole host of other things. The research on Emu Oil, however is still early, and while some folks report amazing effects, others  have not found any benefit at all.  Are the benefits a placebo? I don't know!  Funny thing is, they likely won't know, as the same sizes (number of folks in the study who actually complete the whole study and in the way they are supposed to) are often not that large. Part of that is because human subjects (people who volunteer for research) have lives outside of the research, and aren't always that compliant, so it's very difficult to make all of the conditions the same!

Nevertheless, Emu Oil is very popular in soaps and lotions, especially the all natural specialty ones. We have never been about merely have pretty, sweet smelling products, because the line was designed in response to my daughter's health issues, and expanded by individual requests for more types that either included or omitted specific oils or essential oils for the needs of different folks. So, as the preliminary research does tout great results for folks with arthritis and skin issues, and I have been reading more and more, we decided to try it.

This fledgling attempt with Emu Oil is available in a Emu Oil and Glycerin, lavender essential oil scented soap at present. I am interested in the feedback of our customers before expanding this too far, though I may try this with goat's milk formulas for the holidays, since I now have a local source for proper Emu Oil. The present recipe seems rather soft to me, with almost an oil film on it, that glistens, leading the kids to call it "the sparkly soap"

I would be remiss if I failed to mention that this is Emu Oil, rendered from Emu, and is not vegetarian. This means that any of the products we include in it in are not vegetarian or vegan. While this might seem obvious, there are a lot of names out there that make products  sound like something other than what they are, and folks might just not expect to have actual Emu Oil in soap.  Really, it doesn't sound like the norm now, does it?  I will take a moment later to blog about vegetarian and vegan soap options and ingredients, but if you have any questions at all about a soap or product you are interested in, just shoot me an email or message, I am glad to help you find what you need. =).  Additionally, if you would like to volunteer to be a product tester for new products, let me know! You would receive free products in exchange for your honest review to help shape the best natural products. Have a great day, and keep your questions and requests coming!

Sunday Funday?

Well after a long night, where Vegas slept beneath the brooder, and the baby chick was annoyed with a moth and hollering the whole night, it took a bit to get me rolling to have anyone ready for church! Bailey wasn't sure if she had allergies or was getting sick again, so she stayed home and Wyatt and I went to church.  As we pulled in, a boy from the 4-H club dashed across the parking lot to say hi and welcome Wyatt.  How sweet!

We ran a couple of errands, and found some cute little terracotta frogs for the front yard at a yard sale. Wyatt completed a math test on the way home, and we made lunch and he sat down to work on schoolwork he should have finished last week as I headed off to tear apart the shower and Bailey set up a Chemistry experiment.Life is never dull around here!

It looks like the shower is going to take longer than I hoped, will work on another stage of that tomorrow. After dinner, some folks stopped by the farm to look at something Charlie has available for sale, and little baby chick, who is presently on the way to either the name Munchkin or Cookie Monster, got her first round as baby chick ambassador.

Isn't she cute? I think she hatched a little early, based  upon the dates I have listed, and so far no one has hatched to be her friend, so she is spending a lot of time being held and cuddled!  She doesn't seem to mind at all. =)

I did transplant a few tomato starts. It was time to give up on those yellow pear tomatoes. As much as I enjoyed them, I will have to remember that they need to be earlier plants for next year!

During the evening news, I got the recent batch of Goat's Milk Lavender Soap into the packaging.  This was after reprinting all of the labels, because I forgot to put the cocoa butter on the ingredient list!  Oops...

 These photos are form an Emu Oil project I am working on. What is Emu Oil? What role does it play in soap? I will get to all of that tomorrow, I promise! It is enough for a post all in and of its own.

I will also cover the ins and outs of vegetarian soap, too!  But if the post gets too long, I might separate them!

For now, cute little paw prints and soaps and baby chicks will have to hold us all over until tomorrow, because I am TIRED!  Love to all!

Experiment for this morning- Liquid Prickly Pear Soap

As the summer monsoon goes, we still have not registered anything in the rain gauge.  Wyatt thinks the location of the rain gauge is an issue, since the ocotillo located a couple feet from it has grown measurably in the last couple of years.  We might put out a second rain gauge for comparison today.

This morning before I head in to teach yoga, I decided to try an experiment that has been in development for the last month or so: liquid prickly pear soap.  The recipe I had originally found to start from in development contained polysorbate 20.  While polysorbate 20 is considered perfectly safe, I have my own theories as to what is considered safe, and it is derived from a known carcinogen, so I choose not to use it.  I am not pointing fingers at anyone, just making my own choices in how I approach this.

In researching alternatives, it seemed a good stable oil might be an alternative, though could be an issue with fresh prickly pear joice for shelf life, so I added some vitamin E and thought it could stay here for six months to a year to see what the shelf life is and what I really think of this new product.  This is how product development often goes- trying it on me first, so this won't be something you will see at the market anytime soon!  But if it works out, it will be fun!

Since it was to be a small batch, I tried the blender first, big mistake!  So out came the stick blender, with these results once I added all the ingredients, and it is presently resting on the counter for me to watch the stability of the mixture as the days goes before I decide whether to bottle it and try it myself.

SO these are the first photos from the product development stage.  Why prickly pear?  It is a local nutritious fruit that is good for your skin, and the cool factor of the prickly pear is fun for a lot of folks who like the desert southwest. Prickly pear acts a lot like honey or glycerin in how it interacts with your skin in soaps, so mild but cleansing and good for those with dry skin or the like.

Well, thirty minutes post photo, and the mixture is still mixed.  We shall see!  If you have any requests or experience to share, comment away!  I will keep you posted on the experiment over time.  Have a great day!

Fundraiser Basket

I often get requests for donations for baskets for charity groups to auction off for fundraisers.  I have supplied blue ribbon cakes and delicacies for food auctions, jewelry for black tie events, and other things.  I get a lot of requests, so I put a cap for each annual quarter on donations, but recently I had two very special requests in just about a week.  I got both of the baskets out this week, though they are for separate occasions and groups, and the events are a little apart.  I hope to share their information through the Facebook and google plus pages, too, as they are certainly worthy of everyone's support!

This basket left Thursday for a 60's themed dinner dance at Dove Mountain, where they are auctioning off these baskets during the evening, with all of the proceeds going to the Marana Community Food Bank.  The economy has been very tough for many folks who never would have otherwise been at risk, and with the belts already tightening, the sequester is right around the corner.  

The food bank is able to purchase six times more food with every dollar than we can, so your dollars go farther than your cans, even though we really love our canned food drives.  No matter how you do it, please do remember your local food banks.

Anyhow, I hope the basket, with its bath salts and soaps, lotion bar, etched glass and lip balms will bring in something good to help the food bank.I know you are seeing a lot of ways to support altruism and community activism on the blog these days, with more to come this week.  So please share your favorites.  How do you like to help out the world around you?

Overnight Baby Chicks and Farmers' Market Preparation!

Getting ready for a new farmers market tomorrow. We will be at Dove Mountain!  This will be just off Tangerine, and while it is a gated community, all are welcome to join in on the Farmers Market fun!

I am so excited to meet new folks, and am finishing up some lotion bars to take along (cannot seem to keep them in stock right now).  This batch has Shea butter AND Cocoa butter.  I work with a variety of recipes, as so many of our regular customers have sensitivities like our Bailey, who was the reason I began making soaps and lotion bars and lip balms and more.  And it never hurt that Wyatt loved the all natural product line!

Ingredient costs are going up markedly, though.  I am sorry to say that the lotion bars price will be going up a tad.  For those of you with outstanding orders (including all of you who called today), I will honor the current price through the end of the year.  For all markets beginning tomorrow, however, and moving forward, the cost for lotion bars will be $5.00 each or 3 for #13.00.  Soaps will remain $4.00 each, the bulk price will change, however, to 3 for $11.00.  We sure appreciate your continued support of our local business and know you will continue to expect the same quality products and quality ingredients we expect from ourselves.

Funny, someone knows I am up because there is another new voice in the incubator!  This one is another from a Brahma egg, looks like a rather dark buff, or maybe there is something in the lineage of our heritage birds that is adding to the color!  Sorry for the poor image quality, still learning to take pics through the incubator window!

Friday Night

Aunt Kathy posted photos of chocolate chip cookies earlier this week.  I had me really wanting to make some.  Then I had a run in with an insurance person who wasn't doing her job, so I decided to bake away my frustrations!  In the end, white chocolate pecan.  YUM!

Then, I managed to get a batch of soap into the curing process.  These natural cucumber soaps will be ready to leave their molds soon.Now I need to decide what kind to make next!  I do have a request for more CocoMange Goat Milk Soap, what else?

Curious what shapes these are?  Celtic knot and rectangles with horses.  I also did some Victorian flowers and Victorian hearts.  Got  suggestion or a request?  Feel free to ask!  And I will be returning to the farmers' market in Marana this week!  See you there!

Off to Ireland!

I always say how I love the people at the farmers' markets.  It's true.  Whether it is the patrons or the other vendors, great folks and you learn new things.

On Tuesday, I was talking with the guy who sells honey.  We were discussing temperatures and the retaining of nutrients when putting honey into soap.  I but raw honey from him, and had used it in my recent batch of nourishing oatmeal milk and honey soap.  He wanted to buy some to send to friends.

Guess where those bars are going?  Ireland!  This gentleman has friends in Ireland, he wanted to send bars to, who know him as a beekeeper.  When else in this life will my little heritage soap find its way across the Atlantic on a journey to a magical place like Ireland!  Love it.  Had to share!

Saturday Afternoon Special

Tidying up and restocking around here!  I have some odds and ends bars, where the rest of the batch sold, or they didn't fit in the box, etc...so here goes a special for while it lasts-

GRAB BAGS!!!

Three bars of soap in a grab bag for $5.00.

Yes, that's half off of our Summer special of 3 bars for $10.00.

Take advantage, and someone will get the extra butterfly bar that didn't fit into the other bags.  Better yet, buy two and I will promise an extra one, as I just saw another lost bar. 

 All grab bags include one glycerin bar (good for lasting longer in the bathtub with children) and at least on goat milk bar, other than that I just made sure that there were three different bars per bag.  I cannot change around what is in them, but I can tell you what is in the individual bag.

There is even some of the brand new prickly pear recipe in these!  Get them while they last, and if you would like to reserve yours, email me directly.  If it is planned as a gift, let me know, so I can add a ribbon.  Have a wonderful rest of your weekend!

Prickly Pear, Part 2

I bet you guessed this one just by the name of the post!

Prickly Pear Soap!

This is a portion of a batch, setting up on the dining room table the other night!  I can't wait to try it!  We are running low on CocoMange and Lavender, so those batches are next on my list, maybe will make them tonight.  Which scents are you excited to try?  Or do you have a special request?

Prickly Pear Part One

Tonight, I harvested the first little bit- less than a full plant from next to the front porch.  This is the full stockpot I used.

So I peeled it with a fork and a sharp knife, then cooked it down to release the juice.  I ran it through the blender to release a little more, and then strained it.  Wish I had just the right sieve, so I could separate the seeds from the pulp, though!

This shot shows the juice accumulating in the bottom of the glass measuring cup.  This was half way through the batch.  I am getting pretty tired now, so it looks like making the first round of Prickly Pear Goat Milk Soap will have to hold until morning!

  

Now, to stay fully awake long enough to strain the last of this batch!  Have a great night!