On the Move

It seems especially true that change is one of those inescapable certainties of life. That's where we've found ourselves over these past several months. It has been quite awhile since I've had a chance to update my blog. Since February!  If I were to give a fast-forward version of life since then, it would go like this:  In December, the company my husband works for was sold and merged with another.  Working out of a new location increased commute time from one hour daily to four. Moving becomes an option...no, moving becomes a necessity! And so, preparations began in March for a move from our foothills setting down into the valley.  First on the list was the unenviable task of sorting and sifting through years of accumulated stuff. Honestly, how much can one basement (and house) hold?? Maintenance projects outside, sprucing up inside...the list has gone on and on.  In the end, it has been an all out effort to get ready to list our house for sale. That happened earlier this summer and we are under contract with an expected moving date of mid-September. The housing market is brisk with limited inventory.  Even so, we have a purchase offer on a home that will coincide with the sale of this one.  I can't wait for life to regain a sense of routine and normalcy. That will certainly include making soap!  Currently, many of my soap supplies are packed away, patiently waiting to be put to good use.

I will really miss soap making here on Blackberry Ridge, but I'm certain that new adventures await! In the meantime, I'm purposely enjoying this lovely Pacific Northwest summer, tucking memories away and anticipating all that the future holds. I've come to the conclusion that change isn't just about endings but about beginnings, too.  Here's to new beginnings and the certainty that, even in the midst of change, God is indeed good and life is good, too!

First Contact...Coconut Milk!

There's been a lot of 'buzz' lately in the soap making community about the benefit of using coconut milk in making cold process soap. Coconut milk comes from the 'fruit' of the coconut palm (Cocos nucifera) plant and is high in saturated fats that add wonderful moisturizing qualities to soap. In addition, coconut milk contributes to a nice bubbly lather!

With my curiosity piqued, I decided to give coconut milk a try. I purchased organic coconut milk from the refrigerated section of my local grocery store. I had planned to use coconut milk for 100% of my liquid, so with that in mind, I adjusted my lye discount down to between 4 and 5%. 

I froze coconut milk in ice cube trays the night before, then measured out the amount needed for my recipe.  I only discounted my water slightly, soaping at 36% (water to oil weight).  I also soaped at cooler than normal temperatures (below 100 degrees).

 My goal was to keep the lye/milk solution from overheating.  It worked nicely and ended up staying very light in color with minimal odor.  (It's not uncommon for milk soaps to have an ammonia-like odor due to the chemical reaction between the lye and milk. Soaping at lower temperatures can help minimize that.) I added a small amount of honey, colloidal oatmeal at trace, as well as  Oatmeal, Milk & Honey fragrance oil.  A picture is worth a thousand words. I'm in love with this light and lovely soap!

Coffee Crazy

I purchased a pound of coffee butter a few months ago and have been wanting to give it a try ever since. It smells WONDERFUL, and I finally put it to good use yesterday by adding it to a soap recipe. I decided to keep things simple and used distilled water for the entire liquid portion of the batch. I may try using brewed coffee another time, but for now I wanted to keep the variables to a minimum with a new recipe and new (to me) fragrance oil.

I added coffee grounds to the main part of the soap, as well as the topping, and also created a coffee ground 'line' between the topping and the base. I didn't add fragrance to the upper portion in order to keep a nice contrast between the top and bottom layers. Even without fragrance oil added, the coffee butter alone will keep the top layer from being white.  It's more likely to cure out to a creamy tan color which is just fine! This soap smells incredible, and I have a feeling this won't be the last batch of coffee bars coming out of my soap kitchen.  Warning! Coffee craze in progress!

Pretty in...Peach?

Valentine's Day is just around the corner and presents one of the first holiday soap-gifting opportunities of the year. In thinking about a Valentine's Day soap, images of pink, red, and chocolate brown typically come to mind. Perfect colors for a holiday best known for gifts of pink candy hearts and chocolate.

I decided to go for a light to medium shade of pink with dark brown swirls. In the end, the 'pink' ended up being more 'peach', and the brown (cocoa powder) ended up not being a problem. Whew! At least that worked out!  The "berry" fragrance oil, even with titanium dioxide added, did affect the pink.  So, I'll continue to be challenged by trying to achieve perfect colors! Isn't that what soapmakers do? Always learning, refining, perfecting? I love the challenge!

Berries and Chocolate...

A Little Soap, A Little Snow

It is winter white this morning on Blackberry Ridge!  While it is raining in the valley, we are experiencing snow in the foothills.  This is our second snow this month and to be expected, as December is well underway with winter officially arriving in just a few days.

It has been an incredibly busy fall!  My husband and I took a trip to Colorado in October to celebrate my in-laws' 60th wedding anniversary.  It was a wonderful time honoring them as they reached this amazing milestone!  Following, we were able to spend time in the Denver area with our oldest daughter and her husband.  Family time is the best time!   November brought participation in a musical drama at church and Thanksgiving spent with extended family visiting for the holiday weekend.

Interspersed with the normal routines of life were several soapmaking sessions with Christmas gift-giving in mind.  I used fragrances, some typical for the season and some not.  Sleigh Ride, Cranberry Fig, Applejack Peel, Cucumber Melon and Green Clover & Aloe have been dutifully curing these past few weeks. 

























Above and below are photos of Cranberry Fig made with Coconut, Palm, Olive and Castor oils as well Olive butter.  Burgundy oxide and just a hint of gold mica color the swirls with a sprinkle of cranberry seeds on top.

Merry Christmas!