Christmas Goodness

Merry Christmas to all!

 

I

Wish

You

The

Most

Awesome

Christmas

Ever

 

 

Sample Soap

Well, we are experimenting with how we will label the soap!

 

This was my first time working with the template for labels.  I could not get the font I wanted, nor change the sizes of font for different sections, but it was a fun first adventure. 

 

I think they look cute.  I want the soap to be prettier.  There is much more experimenting in our future!

 

I have been baking and cooking. 

 

The best beef stew happened last night in our new dutch oven!  Oh, my goodness, I cannot wait for leftovers!

 

Lazy day here in the South!

 

Quote for the day:

 

"How beautiful it is to do nothing, and then rest afterward."

 

Spanish Proverb

 

 

I Love Dough!

When I grew up there was a Bakery in Los Angeles called Helms Bakery.  They had this wonderful truck that would drive around the neighborhoods.  You ran out and into the truck you went, then the wonderful Bakery Man would pull out these drawers filled with delicious goodies.  Yes, doughnuts, cream puffs, every wonderful morsel of sugary doughy delight imaginable!!

That must have set me for life because I have yet to meet a dough ball that I have not liked in my lifetime!

This weekend was so much fun!  My hubby and I made the no-knead dough bread in the dutch oven and it is delicious!

Yes, it is crunchy goodness.

 

Just like in the video, we made the dough and let it rise overnight.  The first loaf was delicious, but we baked it at 550, for the full 45 minutes, and it was a little burnt.

 

 

The second loaf was perfect and golden!

 

Golden brown yummy deliciousness!!

 

We made pancakes and sausage in our new cookware. . .

 

Chicken apple sausage!

 

Yes, just call us the dough couple!

 

It is so much fun to find delight in what is basic day to day routines.  There have been times in my life, when just the thought of toasting some bread for breakfast seemed like so much work.  I look back at these periods in my life and wonder what was happening or why I allowed that type of behavior to be part of my day.  You can analyze yourself silly, but the truth is the past does not matter anymore, we just have right now and if possible we should enjoy it.

 

 

I worked on painting the $30 dollar hutch!  It is turning out better than I imagined!!

Before

 

After an eggshell "coalmine" is the color!

 

Next the base. . .Before I get to work!

 

We actually got some positive responses from our inquiries for Farmers Market possibilities.  I am super excited.  The next step is to figure out the reality of having enough product to actually make this happen, and that of course, depends on the dreaded word, "money"!  Yuck, yes, we will have to try to find the money for supplies and the cost of a booth set-up.

 

So yet again. . .

 

BABY STEPS, 3 STEPS FORWARD, 1 STEP BACK,

JUST KEEP MOVING SLOWLY AND SURELY. . .

 

 

Quote for the day:

 

"Little by little, a little becomes A LOT."

 

Tanzanian Proverb 

 

P.S.  I have no idea why certain words are blue and have double underlines.  I will keep trying to figure it out, but there is no special significance! Just the technologically challenged here!!

 

 

 

HAPPY - HAPPY - HAPPY

Goodness Gracious Great Balls of Fire!

My dear friend, Miss R has become a crazy, crazy baker!  She has talked non-stop about this delicious bread she makes, which is a no-knead delight baked in a dutch oven.  She describes a scrum diddly delicious loaf which is crunchy, crusty goodness. . . .

Here is a video of this incredible bread:

 

 

I have dreamed of baking a good crunchy loaf of bread.  For years!

I have promised to try this recipe, as soon as we can save up for a dutch oven!

What oh what shows up at my front porch yesterday?!?!

The whole kit and kaboodle of Lodge Cast Iron Cookware!!

Holy Moly!

I am humbled by this generous gift!  I cannot wait to make this bread.  I cannot wait to use this cast iron cookware.  It is awesome.  It can last for a 100 years!  It does not leach toxins into your food!

Plus a bag of King Arthur Organic Unbleached All-Purpose Flour!

Do you think she wants me to bake this bread?

 

I am officially off my diet because this weekend I am making bread, pancakes, bacon, paninis, cornbread, oh the list is too long!  I forgot the stew!  Or what about a brisket? 

 

Thank you dear friend!

 She actually drove across the country to baby-sit me for a summer after one of my engagements broke up! She was in Vermont in Art School, I was in California crying my eyes out over the wrong person.  We would hang out by the pool all day, and work at Alices Restaurant at night! Oh my goodness the memories of our lives!!  We each had a honda car, lived in a house with an olympic size swimming pool, and after work we would drive to Venice to a weird club that was only lit by candles, and when we were done with that, we would go to her friends apartment, who was a baker, and it was filled with muffins, cakes, cookies, and scones all at 3 in the morning!!  I am sure we must have messed up her orders which were to be delivered at first light.  We would sample everything!

 

Oh, my goodness, I am so grateful.

For the gift, but truly

for my friend!

 

Quote for the day:

 

"Oh, the comfort, the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person; having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but to pour them all out, chaff and grain together, knowing that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and then, with the breath of kindness, blow the rest away."

 

George Eliot

Frost on The Ground!

Cold, cold and more cold here in South Carolina!

I looked at the strawberry patch this morning and realized we were BAD gardeners!
We both kept commenting on protecting our strawberries before the frost and we failed. That seems to be how gardening has worked for us.  Three steps forward, one step back.  Living and learning in the dirt!

I have been looking at all the wonderful seed catalogues that are arriving and dreaming big time!  I have visions of purple green beans, purple potatoes, purple tomatoes, and purple bell peppers!!  Do you see a theme going here?  I love purple!  My favorite color!

The truth of our next season gardening is it will not be a priority, and that makes me sad.  We will
cover the basics and add some more berries, but the new businesses are the priority in 2014.

I have been contacting different Farmers Markets around our area.  Trying to gather information to see who might have an opening, what the requirements are, and what are the cost?

It was quite disturbing yesterday reading different rules on each website.  We do not live in any of the counties that have awesome Farmers Markets. You must be from each said county to participate in their Farmers Market.  I realize that is important if you are selling food produced in each county.  Buying Local is something I support, but we are selling homemade items.

 

Soap and Pillows.

  What an odd combo.

 

  Well, we are an odd combo, so it makes sense!!

Our county has one small Farmers Market downtown.  It would not support what we need to accomplish in order to make this small business a reality.

This is where the tope or speedbump in the road comes along and throws you for a loop.  This is where you do not give up.  This is where creative thinking comes in!  This is where IF there is a will there is a way!!

So I am putting on my thinking cap today.  I am going to find a way to approach this from another angle and make it work!

Last night we unwrapped our second batch of soap!

Eucalyptus scent!

Unwrapping each layer of towel!

Like Christmas!!

 

Another successful loaf!  Yahoo!!

 

We experimented with bubble wrap on the top to create a pattern!

 

We need to put more pressure on bubble wrap to create a more consistent surface,

but I like it for a first try!

 

15 more bars to cure and then to be handed out as test samples to our family and friends!!

The scent was not strong enough for me.  We need to experiment with our formula.

Still wonderful and it lathers up really well!!

 

 

I am going to switch my focus right now and go order a prime rib for our Christmas dinner!

It always helps me to get out of the house for a moment when I need to refocus.

 

What are you eating for Christmas dinner?

What are your classic Holiday dishes?

So many wonderful traditions in this world!!

 

Let us honor each other's beliefs and traditions with love!

 

 

Quote for the day:

 

"Every result you get in your life is the combination of the challenge you receive from the reality around you and your capacity to respond to that challenge."

 

Fred Kofman

 

 

 

 

 

 

Confuscius Say. . .

You are ambitious

While cleaning the Sewing Studio, I found this fortune.  It got me thinking, "Am I?"

I struggle with the reality of supporting ourselves with a home-based business daily.  Ok, minute my minute.  I talk about baby steps constantly, probably to keep myself buoyed up, but the reality is the baby steps are working.  Not in a huge way, but in a keep plugging along way.

This morning I woke up thinking what are the odds of making enough money to live comfortably?  What is the reality at this age?  I am 54, my husband is 70.  I should be thinking of retiring in the next 10 years.  He should be retired.   Oh, wait we were retired!  Plan A fell through. . .

Ok, Plan B is in the works.  Who knows we might end up on Plan Z!!

I guess it just boils down to what is comfortable for each and every individual.  Some people have a set list of choices that make sense.  Nurse, Doctor, Lawyer, Mechanic, Pilot, Chef, Writer, Artist, Carpenter, Musician, Teacher, Engineer. . . .

Some people learn a bunch of different trades and are jacks of all trades.  There are so many variables, health, age, education, motivation, skills, and ambition.

That made me think, "What other old fart made it late in life?" 

The Colonel!!

The Colonel of Kentucky Fried Chicken fame.  Whether or not you are a fan of the product, the story is fantastic.

I did a wikapedia search this morning and found out the Colonel had a long and varied career path.  I think it was more of a meandering path of making ends meet.  Oh, man oh man, can I relate!!

He was born in 1890.  He did not franchise his chicken until 1952!  He was 62 years young!!

I worked at a Kentucky Fried Chicken when I was 16.  I actually met the Colonel.  He was doing one of those fancy photo shoots.  I did not really think about that until this morning, but his consistent striving is what inspires me today.

What difference does it make if our journey in this life is not the "norm"? I guess in our checkbooks or retirement package or obituary, maybe.  There are millions of people right now who are struggling.  With all sorts of things, beside finances.  Health, love, hope, finding laughter, being peaceful. There have been millions of people throughout history who have struggled with these same issues, going back to the beginning of time.

So at whatever age you may be, I hope you are ambitious.  I hope that however you define it is a good thing.  Full of wonder and goodness and hope and laughter. Whether producing the best honey in the world, or crocheting the prettiest blanket, being the best welder, baking the best cake, the list is endless to what you can do and create.  At any age, everyday, every moment!

It all seems to come full circle to the journey.  We need to make our own personal journey a total joy, because it is the only one we get.  Reinventing yourself at any age can be challenging, but what fun.

I had a cousin, she was a writer, a successful journalist.  At 50 years old, she wanted to become a lawyer.  Everybody discouraged her.  Her mom, her husband, her colleagues and her friends.  At 60 something, she told me, she never should have listened to any of them.  She would have been practicing law for years, by the time of our conversation.  She said what difference did it make if she only did it for 5 years, or 10 years, she would have done it and done it well.  The point she made was don't let other peoples ideals or fears get in your way.  Don't let them take away what may be what you were meant to do.  Whether you succeed or fail, you will have tried and nobody can take that experience from you.

So today I go forth thinking of the future with only the best of intentions.

And yes, I am ambitious!

 

Quote for the day:

 

"Oh, it is delightful to have ambitions.  I'm so glad I have such a lot.  And there never seems to be any end to them- -that's the best of it.  Just as soon as you attain to one ambition you see another on glittering higher up still.  It does make life so interesting."

 

L.M. Montgomery

Anne of Green Gables

An Amazing Week

My hubby had the last week or more off from work!

Wowzer!!

 

We accomplished so much!

We had so much fun!

 

Let me share our adventure. . .

 

Do you remember the Sewing Studio Project?

Well, in keeping with our motto: Baby Steps, Just Baby Steps. . .

This is the hallway entrance drywalled back in September

 

Painting Madness!  In November. . .

 

Yahoo!  Ready for Hutch. . .

$30 Dollar Hutch fits Perfectly!!

Yes, this whole thing was 30 bucks!

It just needs some sanding and black paint now. .

 

This will house Sewing Supplies and Books

 

Now where o' where is the cutting table?

 

Getting the last leg on!

 

Fantastic Cutting Table!!!

This Beauty is 8' x 4'

It is 40" high, perfect for my ole back, no bending necessary!!

Eventually is will have batting and canvas on the top surface.

It will have a surface below for storage. .

Someday it may be painted or not?

 

So there is one more wall to paint in the room. .

You can see it behind table

That will be done today!  Yahoo!

 

On The Soapmaking Front. . . .

 

We made our second batch of Soap on Saturday.  It was the same recipe as our first batch, but with an eucalyptus scent.  The whole process went a lot smoother, as we had an idea of what we were doing.

I will show you pictures when we unwrap it tonight, but it will look the same as the first batch.  We have not experimented with colorants yet.  I want to keep all the ingredients natural, so we are doing our research right now.  We also want to buy locally if possible.  Primarily to cut down on shipping cost, but if possible to support other small local businesses.  The opportunity to grow our own natural dyes and exfoliates is starting to look like a reality.  So much to learn!

We have decided on our name, Sassy Soapery!  We think we have our Logo figured out.  It will be old fashioned and organic.  Now we are working on packaging, labels, and displays!

 

 

10 Years. . .

We celebrated our 10 Anniversary this week!

Wow, my hubby always says it feels like three lifetimes!

We met in a diner, I was the waitress, he was the customer.

I whooed him with cookies for a whole summer!

Thank goodness for flour, sugar & butter!!

I AM SO GRATEFUL!

What a gift this has been,

What an adventure!

And it isn't over yet!!

 

We managed to have a great deal of fun and accomplish alot of things towards our new businesses.  It will all come together, slowly and surely.

In the past, I might have given up if I could not have everything perfect, right at the start.  If I could not get a chunk of money and spend it on everything on my list. . . .

 

BUT

 

It has taken us months, to save a little bit of money for supplies here and there, to have the time to make whatever it is we are working on, to keep the dreams alive.  We will accomplish this, we will figure out how to make a few different home-based businesses work to support us.

It will happen because I believe that God's Delay is Not God's Denial. .

 

YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE

 

YOU CANNOT GIVE UP

 

IT WILL WORK

 

I am learning that Baby Steps really do work, you just have to keep at it like an ant hill.

Or Bees. . .

They just keep buzzing around,

Collecting their pollen,

Preparing for winter,

Slowly and Steadily. . .

 

 

Quote for the day:

 

"Strength does not come from physical capacity.  It comes from an indomitable will."

 

Mohandas K. Gandhi

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Introducing Sassy Soapery!

Yes, we have just opened up our first loaf of soap!!

It is a Lemongrass scent, all natural product!

Our homemade soap mold by my hubby!

This is our first batch of many more to come.  It is 5 pounds of soap, which will be 15 bars, each an inch thick!!

 

 

Our stainless steel equipment! 

 

Supplies

 

This recipe called for Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Palm Oil, Lye, and Distilled Water.

Lemongrass Essential Oil

 

Mixing the lye and distilled water!

Wearing protection is very important!

 

Coconut Oil being weighed

 

Mixing dissolved oils and the lye to create "trace".

 

Poured into our mold. . .

 

Now you wrap it up to keep it warm and let set for 24 - 36 hours!

 

Unwrapped. . . Yahoo!!

 

First bar of our new business venture!!

 

We are thrilled and so jazzed with our first results.  We are planning on making a new type of soap each week.  After each batch has cured we will be giving out to our friends and family!

They are our testers!!

 

We will be at a Farmers Market in the Spring with our new Sassy Soapery line and Pillows by Kiara Kisses!

 

I am so proud of us!

Baby steps, just baby steps. . .

We might be a little slow like a turtle, but we are making great progress!! 

 

 

Quote for the day:

"Patience and tenacity of purpose are assets of infinitely greater value than cleverness.  There is great strength in patiently waiting.  The sun, having set, comes up.  The tide ebbs, but always flows in again."

 

Fred van Amburgh