Saponification Sunday...Coffee Hound

My parents never had much money. Without college educations and coming from some pretty socioeconomically disadvantaged (Poor) homes, they did well to keep food on the table and  other luxuries for their six kids. We often went without fresh fruit, a can of syrupy sweet peaches would suffice, and clothes were passed from one cousin to another, from one sibling to another. I'm not whining, I'm just setting the scene.

But my folks always had two things...coffee and cigarettes.

I don't begrudge them the fags. They had stressful lives and even though both were raised by serious alcoholics, as opposed  to the alcoholic who takes it on merely as a hobby, my folks never turned to the bottle the way both their fathers had.

I hold them in high regard for that.

They did however lean heavily on the packs of cigs and the pots of swig. They adored their coffee. Black and as reheated as possible. No coffee was ever wasted. No quest or relative or even the odd Parish priest ever  came into our home without an offer of coffee. No financial meeting between my parents was ever held ("if we pay the electric bill, we can't afford to put gas in the wagon, so lets send the check and forget to sign it and by the time they send it back to us we should have your next pay check,) without coffee.

No family event was celebrated, ("you're six now? Hey you're old enough for  kid coffee !"  **
No Christmas gifts were wrapped, no argument was ever started or finished...without coffee. And so without further going ons I dedicate this bar of soap...Java-Wood to Don and Dusty OShaughnessy the original coffee hounds.

Made with Coconut, Olive, Sweet Almond, Castor oils and Coffee butter it is one super lathering rich feeling bar. I used strong black coffee for the liquid in my lye water plus a pinch of clove powder for the deep color. I also throw in a few coffee grounds as my folks old stove top percolator always added some grounds for texture in their own cups. The top is colored with a little titanium dioxide and the whole thing is scented with Cedar Wood and Cinnamon essential Oils.

Now I gotta go make another pot of coffee before bed. It's the only way I can sleep. Thanks a lot mom and dad.




** Kid Coffee Recipe    4 oz old reheated coffee. Stir in approximately 1/2 cup of sugar and some milk, (usually powdered which explains why I was so attracted to my dairy farmer husband), enough to turn the old coffee a rich concrete grey color. Then yell at said kid to "SHUT THE HELL UP AND GO TO SLEEP!"  20 minutes after administration and wonder why they cannot.