Cro Bar... Unveiled

 

Yes Cro, its time to expose you for what your are.

One fine bar of soap.  Arrogant , I know, but I am only repeating what others have said. Amazing testimonials like these:

"Nothing gets off the smell of dead trout like Cro"  and

"If your kitchen stinks after supper, was up with a little Cro" and my favorite

"Showering with Cro can be a bit rough, but the end result is well worth the pain"

So there you have it. Folks like Cro-bar soap and although I have given you the recipe before I do not believe I've given clear directions. Being in the giving Christmas spirit, I will therefore do just that. Please note these directions assume you have basic soap making skills. If you do not please take time to learn. I highly recommend one of the beginners Cold Process Soap Making Tutorials on The Soap Queens Blog 

Cro-Bar waiting to be cut into equally spaced bars. Please note the pattern
on top of the soap for your whisk.

So Here goes my Cro Bar Instructions. They are improved from my last post about Cro Bar as like so many other soapers I love to tweak my recipes. Which is just another way of saying, I forgot to write it all down the last time I made it.

Ingredients for a 2 pound (32 oz batch of soap)

8 oz of Guiness Stout left standing alone in a bowl at room temperature for at least 2 days. It's how the Irish "decant"
2oz filtered tap water
4.5 oz lye crystals

13 oz of Coconut Oil melted
13 oz Olive Oil (Pomace)
3 oz Castor Oil
3 oz Sweet Almond Oil

1tsp used coffee grounds
1/4 tsp clove powder
1/2 tsp cocoa powder
1 tsp Titanium Dioxide disolved in very hot water

1oz Cedarwood Essential Oil
1 oz Amyris Essential Oil

Prepare your 2 pound mold. I use a heavey wooden mold handmade by my husband.

2 pans or bowls or containers or whatever you use to divide your soap into two portions. One will hold approx. 3/4  of your soap mix and the other will hold the remaining 1/4.

Now, add the  Guinness and water then slowly add the lye and set aside until cool. It will get hot fast and will bubble some but since it has sat out it should not boil over if you use a tall pitcher to mix in..

Mix your oils together. Melt if needed but let oils cool to room temp.
Combine oils and lye solution just to emulsion point and pour 3/4 of it into one container and 1/4 into another

In the smaller amount of soap add your titanium dioxide mixture and stir in with a spoon. Don't stick blend yet.

In the larger soap mixture, mix with stick blender to thin trace. Then add your coffee grounds, EO's and cocoa powder and stir in well with spoon. NOW add your clove powder. Adding it last works best because Clove powder will really thicken things up fast so be ready to pour right away

Hit the whole mixture with your stick blender and the second it starts getting thick pour it into your mold. Bang the mixture to get rid of air bubbles.

Return to your smaller soap mixture and using your cleaned off stick blender, mix it well and pour it over the darker soap already in your mold. Now you can use a small whisk plunging it back and forth through both layers of soap in short rows up the length of your mold to get the fun wave designs I have in mine. Or don't, it still comes out real pretty like. See the pattern of the whisk in the picture of my soap in the soap cutter.

This recipe heats up well and I usually don't cover it with a towel as it will gel all the way through on its own. Besides I don't care much if I get a full gel or a partial gel. I'm all non-picky like that as far as this recipe goes.

12 hours later it is usually ready to unmold and cut.

You might wonder why I only scent the bottom half of the soap. Well, the EO's and powders I use to get the soap its rich brown all have a tendency to make the soap thick really fast and they are enough to scent through the whole bar even if the top white portion is not scented. I also do not use another spatula to pour the top layer over the bottom layer again because that bottom layer gets so thick that the top layer has never yet fallen through to the bottom layer. Not yet at least

So there you have it. The soap will smell earthy and rich from the beer and slightly sweet from the Amyris Essential Oil. The coffee grounds are exfoliative and wonderful for rough hands and/or feet. They also will remove the smell of onions, garlic, stinky fish and so make a great gift for the hunters or cooks in your family.

Let me know in your comments if any questions. And thanks again to blog follower Cro Magnon for inspiring me to name and make this soap.

Farm Sale Status

With our current farmhouse in the background, Skylar contemplates her future
Will she be one of the chosen ones to travel north with us...or not?

 

 

Well....we're much closer to a final offer or so we've been told by the guy who does indeed plan to buy the farm.

So what's the holdup ? you shout. Or was that me? Well it seems we are not the only fish in this guys ocean. We are, I believe fish number 3 or 4. And when he gets to us, all will be well. In the meantime, we have met with those our buyer plans to hire to run the farm, and we've made our own plans for the conversion.

For now, the plan goes like this. The new owner will buy the farm. Then he will sign contracts with those who will run the farm. We will then start training those folks while we still are living here. Then after Christmas, the new managers will start spending more time overnight here while we start staying overnight at the poor farm. We will also purchase a shipping container (8 x 40? 10 x 80?) to store all the stuff we will begin moving to the new farm. Many other items will be sold or given away.

And where will we sleep?

Don't worry we have that all figured out. Either a mobile home, or a big Yurt, or an RV or Keith's newest idea...we'll buy an old (but sturdy farm) pay to have it moved. Pay for a foundation and build a small living area for ourselves. The animal will live at the other end of the barn.

Hows that for high end accommodations.?

While living there part time we will start building our new earth covered home. We've been getting quotes for materials and labor and plan to do 80% of the work ourselves. First we will have to begin tearing down the unlivable beast of a house sitting at The Poor Farm. Windows will be recycled for the new barn and some of the floors can be recycled into new (old) floors in the new house. Most of it though will go in the bin.

A very LARGE bin.

In the meantime costs begin to add up, as they have a tendency to do with any project.
Property   $44,000  (7 acres and one crumbling abode house)
Survey      $1000
Electrical work  (new pole and wiring) $2000 (estimated)
House Plan Book  $25  (earth home specific)
Gas (back and forth 40 mile RT  $15 a trip

Each day we are closer to our new life. You know, the one with the composting toilet.

Midlife Farmwife Gets Grateful

I'll be too busy tomorrow shoveling food into my trap to even think about blogging for you people so instead this evening...as the turkey is swimming in a brine of sea salt, brown sugar and Rosemary and the Italian sausage is simmering (For stuffing of course) I will entertain you with an essay. It is titled

Why I am grateful this Thanksgiving.

1. I am thankful that my son and his wife (one of two grammar Nazi's in the family) is out of state this year. That way it is less likely she will read my blog and correct my poorly written title.

2. Because I did not gain any more weight this year than last year. And because I stopped weighing myself in 2009, it might even be true.

3. For the reason of the farm isn't sold yet so I still don't have to start packing.

4. Due to the red splotches on my arms are slow growing meaning probably not cancer, most likely just ringworm. Yes, you heard me right. I am grateful for ringworm.

5. I am grateful this Turkey day because I am not a turkey, relatively speaking.

6. Therefore for the reason being I have still not finished my novel and thus do not have an editor or an agent or a publisher or a contract.

7. Number 6 continued...thus I am not yet famous and don't have to travel all over the world talking about my novel in quaint little book stores while drinking espresso in a French Villa. What a pain that would be, N'est pa?

8. Mainly because we still sell enough stuff out of our farm store to pay the mortgage which is really good since my sisters and my children do love me but not enough to really have me live with them.

9 Heretofore as I am still healthy enough to walk around on my own, a good thing since rolling me from room to room would be very time consuming.

AND THE NUMBER TEN REASON I AM GRATEFUL THIS THANKSGIVING...

10. Because tomorrow I get to spend the day with my children and their mates, (minus the one and his lovely wife, who is visiting his father in SD which is OK I suppose since I think he was here the last 5 Turkey days at least) my grandchildren, my sisters and their families, my brother and his wife, and my dear husband when they all invade my house refusing to leave the kitchen even though there is more than enough room in the rest of the stinkin' house.

Thank you God for all of THAT!!!

When Pigs Skate

I know I'm asking for big trouble here. Some PETA nut will be stalking me and when she/he/it sees this video I'll be reported for putting my piggies in grave danger but it's a risk I'm willing to take.

Each day when Keith feed these weanlings their raw milk they go quite nuts. Running at break neck speed to be first at the trough. They love the stuff.

Last night the big mud puddle in front of the barn froze...so when the pigs came out for breakfast there was a good deal of slipping and sliding . Quite hilarious. Thus, I told Keith not to feed the pigs in the evening until I had a chance to video tape it

. I knew you...my audience...would love it.

But, it seems those pigs are once again, smarter than I look. Seeing the camera and not wanting to embarrass themselves in a viral way, they restrained themselves, keeping their (mental) balance better than other ice princesses we have known.

No, I cannot figure out how to slow the video down. Just one more reason my blog remains small potatoes. Any advice would be appreciated. It may not be followed, but it will be appreciated.

Saponification Sunday: Fugly Soap

 

 

Fugly...as in Freakin' Ugly , soap is on the menu today. And there is no good excuse. No tornadoes this week to distract me. No lack of basic soaping skills (that could be debated), more so just rushing through the process again.

This soap which is fondly called Billy Bob soap is a favorite of one of my customers. Made with 4-5 colors that are to be gently spooned into the mold after scenting the soap with a great combo of Essential Oils, it is a good soap inside and out. Most of the time.

This time however...well, the inside is still good.

 

 

The outside failed me or more accurately; I failed it. I did not wait until the lye water was cool which then caused the soap to get thicker too fast. This meant that instead of gently spooning the five different colors into the mold, I ended up THROWING the soap spoonful by spoonful into the mold.

And due the concrete like consistency, I had to slam the mold hard on the counter to get the soap to settle well. The thick soap combined with the hard slams left a few air bubbles in the finished product. Not to mention the evolution of some gentle waves into some big ugly globs.

 

 

But the good news was this. The EO's I used, a combination of lavender, lemongrass, pink grape fruit,and  amyris left the fugly soap with the same wonderful scent my Billy Bob soap always ends up with.

You would think after over three years of making soap on a weekly if not more often, basis, I would learn that rushing never results in a well crafted product.

You would think.

So what can one do with Fugly Soap? Here are my top ten

 

     1. Cut into tiny pieces, throw into crockpot and rebatch. Final result will range from a masterpiece

     soap that looks like expensive granite to just another bunch of fugly soap. If so go to step 2.

     2. Grate it all up. And for every one cup of grated soap, add one cup each of baking soda,

     washing soda and borax. Mix well. You've just made laundry soap

     3. Chop into small pieces and fill a plastic bottle half full with the soap chunks and fill the rest

     of the container with hot water. You have just made dish soap.

     4. Cut the bars into chunky pieces measuring 4 inches long and 1 inch thick. You have just made

     laundry stain remover sticks

     5. Grate up the soap and for every cup of grated soap add one cup Epsom Salts and one cup

     medium grind sea salt , along with a few more drops of essential oil for scent. Mix well. You

     have just made a fabulous foot scrub.

      If those suggestions are too high end for you try one of these solutions

     6. Gift the bars as is to all your blind friends.

     7. Gift the bars to those in your family who always want all your stuff for free. This might stop

     future requests.

     8. Cut the bars into perfect 3 inch squares. Top with Cool Whip and serve as "Individual

     Cheesecakes" to those family members who gave you Bear Claw Slippers for Christmas last year.

     9. Hide the bars in the back of your underwear drawer. Your things will smell great and when

     you finally clean out your dresser five years from now you'll find them, compare them to the

     gorgeous soap you'll be making in the future and feel really good about yourself.

     10. Give them to your husband to use. As long as they don't smell like dead wish, he'll use them

     and tell you how wonderful they are. You know how he is.

Bunch of Hayseeds

 

 

Oldest GK, now 12. HOW did that happen?!?

 

 Yeah, we admit it. We're a bunch of nerds who still think the annual hay rack ride is worth the time. We started the tradition when we moved here over 18 years ago. And although there were years when all the kids were not home, instead just goofing off on a ship near Japan or continuing their education in another state, we are now all again, close by.



Allana age 9 demonstrates correct hay rack ride attire; a wild fur hat
so as not to disturb any of the Leopards that roam our wood lands.

The two that live the farthest away are just 30 miles up north, the one nearest us, a mere 4 miles and of course the middle child, lives in the middle just 15 miles from the farm.

As they have grown, as their families have grown, the hay rack...has shrunk!

With spouses and kids and a nephew of our daughter-in-laws who has made it the last three years, we number 14 if all show up. But this year both of the daughter-in-laws had to work and so in their place, a boyfriend and his daughter.

We bring drinks and snacks and take the same route every year because it is a tradition which is just a 3 syllable word for "same old thing." We head north out of the drive with Keith at the tractor wheel and Fannie the Great Pyrenees bringing up the rear.

 

She follows us the entire route.

We head west a short distance on the road, wrap around the back of the neighbors machine shed counting the number of OUR peacocks hiding out in THEIR rafters. We swing south along the railroad tracks and then east over the tractor patch that runs between two fields.

The art of snacking while riding (and juggling multiple nephew drinks)
is a skill best taught to the youngest generation
by the middle generation.

 

 

Out there, we can barely see any other farms and we are surrounded on all four sides by fields.

You'll note everyones attention is to the right but for the life of me
can't remember why. Perhaps I just fell off the wagon?
 

 On this last ride the sky was bright blue the weather was cool but very tolerable and I was beyond happy. But I try not to gush about these feelings of extreme contentment and familiar joy or I'll be laughed at by the masses.

I don't travel with sentimental types.

We stop at the neighbors woods. Walk around the south side of their large pond and run into her in her gardens where she revels about how much the GK's have grown and can still hardly believe that the 14 year olds she used to hire to help with their landscaping, are all grown men.

With a promise of being allowed to act goofy in the next picture,
they follow my request for normality

 

 



But it doesn't last long.

Our oldest son even proposed to his wife 12 years ago out on the neighbors pond after borrowing her canoe for the romantic invite to a lifetime together.

The walk around the pond takes about 30 minutes and we stop for a few annual pictures. One year I'll get my act together enough to print off some of the thousands of pics on my computer and do some comparisons of those past hay rack ride photos. Yes, I will.

We end up back at the hay rack, snuggle back in with pillows and blankets, holding tight to the smaller kids to avoid any tumbles off the straw bales. Keith will usually ask one of the boys, please excuse me, men... to drive the rest of the way home so he can enjoy a few minutes of leisure travel with the rest of us. We finish off the cookies, cake, etc and swallow down the cider, hot chocolate which remains. Some of it actually still housed in thermos but much has been spilled on the floorboards.

We are pulled back up the drive and disembark. Blankets filled with straw are shook out and the food trays, garbage taken inside. A bonfire is started and after letting our bellies rest a full 10 minutes we make S'mores. I am ridiculed by my children who have forgotten...again...that their job is to adore me, when I choose to totally CHARCOAL BLACK my marsh mellow before squeezing it between 2 graham crackers and a hunk of real chocolate.

The wussies in my family prefer to toast their marsh mellows a vague tint of tan, which is acquired by standing at least 10 feet from the fire and just waving the cushy white tweet in the direction of the fire. Hardly worth lighting the wood at all if you ask me, but no one ever does.

 

The GK's and Fannie making their way around the neighbors pond.
And another fall, comes to an end

Happy Cows

Cows on pasture...our pasture...in November

It's crazy what is happening out there in the food world. Fights over labeling, growing, feeding, preparing. Government agencies neck deep into peoples personal lives. The organic and sustainable want-to-bees cashing in where they see cash to be made. Farmers struggling to hold out to their land, their future, their children's future. False advertising, false labeling, false farms.

Yes, False farms.

A scary trend of the future. As folks have decided they are tired of spending hard earned money on food that is indeed making them sicker and instead adjusting their budgets in order to buy food with healthy origins...the doors for cheaters has swung wide open.

There have always been a few of them around, those who don't raise their own animals but pretend they have and rake in the benefits of such. We used to see it in 4-H but at the smallest and most innocent level. A child wanted to show a beef steer and would have grandpa raise it on their farm.

Not so bad if indeed the child was actively involved in raising it. But it worsened over time with the kids never laying eyes on "their calf" until it was unloaded at the fair grounds. Then injuries happened as kids who knew nothing about those animals they supposedly raised, got stepped on, drug around at the end of the lead chain or worse.

Now its seen on a bigger scale. The farmer who has decided they want a piece of the sustainable pie, the organic opal, the farm fresh free for all. So sad that a farmer will brag about his pasture raised cows when its a known fact his animals are raised in a feed lot a couple counties over. Or the pig lady who claims organic status at the farmers market but buys her grain from a conventional farmer we know.

10 years ago I was all up in arms about these practices often contemplating whether or not they should be reported to the agencies that regulate such. But sadly the agencies themselves have slid downhill in their ethics, looking the other way when massive dollars are at stake. Like with the huge organically certified poultry farms whose birds meet the "access to outdoors" by sniffing the earth's smell as it wafts through the employee doorway.

THAT is only a slight exaggeration.

So with our government being majorly corrupt in so many areas and our people as a whole looking only for what is best for THEM, not their livestock or their customers, what are a couple of middle aged totally jaded farmers to do?

The same thing as always. Feed the cows, milk the cows, call the cows by name and let the cows into new pasture and repeat. Our animals know we are real and that is all that matters.

PS In the midst of this blog post, Keith brought me a bag left in the farm store. A gift from ??? No signature. Inside some adorable green socks with happy dancing cows. Note how the post it note has the same title as my blog post.

You people are creeping me out!
Thank you for that.