Must See Documentary- Pink Ribbons, Inc.

Have you ever wondered why all of a sudden there are pink ribbons absolutely everywhere and on absolutely ever product. And have you ever wondered if so many companies and so many people are donating money to find a cure for a horrible disease, why one hasn't been found? And have you ever wondered where the pink ribbon came from to begin with? And have you ever wondered how a product loaded with carcinogens can market itself with a pink ribbon?! Pink Ribbons, Inc. is the must see documentary of the year exposing the lies and marketing scam behind that pink ribbon. The movie just opened in Canadian theaters this month and I am looking for it coming to American theaters. I will keep you posted. Meanwhile, here is the trailer. Blessings, Kat

New Year's Soapmaking

Over the past year I have been reading a lot about soapmaking. I have discovered quite a bit and while I like my first soaps that I made in December 2010 I can do better. First I discovered SoapCalc. They have an awesome lye calculator in which you plug in your oils, how much you want it superfatted or not and it will tell you the amount of lye and water to use. It will also tell you the properties of your soap. Different oils have different properties that they bring to the soap...things like hardness, conditioning, etc. While all soap cleans some oils produce a soap that cleans better. So I have been changing and tweaking some of my recipes. Here is what I made yesterday:

Laundry Soap #1
16 oz. coconut oil
16 oz. vegetable shortening
12.16 oz. water
5.191 oz. lye

This has a 0% superfat since I am using it for laundry and dishes and need it to attract oil rather than give it. This produced a very hard bar with very high cleansing properties.

Laundry Soap #2
16. oz. coconut oil
17 oz. lard
10 oz. tallow
16.34 oz. water
6.758 oz. lye

This made a hard soap with high cleansing properties also. Properties aren't as high as the previous soap, but they are high enough. It also is 0% superfatted.

Bath Soap
10 oz. coconut oil
20 oz. lard
7 oz. olive oil
8 oz. tallow
17.1 oz. water
6.408 oz. lye

This soap was calculated to give a 5% superfat. It is a moderately hard bar with good cleansing properties as well as conditioning properties. It gives a good bubbly lather also.

Goat milk Soap
8 oz. coconut oil
1 oz. cocoa butter
18 oz.lard
10 oz. olive oil
5 oz. shortening
5 oz. tallow
15.96 oz. goat milk
5.896 oz. lye

This was also 5% superfatted. It gives more of a creamy lather than bubbly. It is a moderately hard bar with good cleansing properties and high conditioning properties. I really like this one for use on the face, but it will work well as a bath soap also.

Again I used the hot process so that my soap cures while it cooks. This means that my bars are ready to use when they are dry. The laundry soaps dry quickly, but the goat milk soap takes awhile. I have found that you need to cut your soaps while they are still slightly warm to the touch and they cut much easier than waiting until they are cool. You get better bars and fewer bars that fall apart. Save all those chips and soak them in hot water then when they gel you have a liquid soap. I highly recommend using soap calc. I really think I have much better soap because of using the lye calculator and it is fun to play around with different oils and what properties they will bring to your soap. Blessings, Kat

What to Do with My Winter "Break"

I have been really getting excited about my winter break from milking. It will cut down morning chores considerably. So I have been thinking about what I will do with my time and here is the list of things that I am excited to have more time to do:

Sewing
Maybe I will actually be able to sew some new clothes for myself this year. It is always a goal, but never really gets achieved. I will also be able (hopefully) to get the children's spring and summer clothes done well before spring and summer get here!

Writing
I have a huge list of article ideas that I simply keep adding to. I just have not been able to find the energy to sit down and write them out. Now, maybe I can find that energy and have a little extra time to spend.

Painting
Wouldn't it be wonderful if I could actually finish those paintings that have been sitting in various stages of completion! Or imagine how wonderful it would be to start new ones.

Anyway, those are the plans. Blessings, Kat

Homemade Soap Update

Well, it has been a little over 2 months since our family first started making and using our own homemade soap. As you recall our first soap was a goat milk soap made with olive oil, lard and peanut oil. The bars dried beautifully and I have to say that I love this soap and will never return to store bought soap. The bars last a long time even with frequent use. We have been using the small bars that we molded in the muffin tins and each bar has lasted about a month in the shower. The lather is gorgeous and it rinses off well. We have soft water and I always felt like I never got store bought soap off my skin. I don't think I did because I had irritation issues from store bought soap, especially in my nether regions. I know too much information, but you know I am trying to give a full and accurate report. I am happy to report that I have absolutely no irritation issues with my homemade soap and I feel like it washes off completely. Now the best part ever....My soap leaves my skin so moisturized and soft. It is amazing that even if I forget to put lotion (homemade also) on after a shower my legs don't get that scaly look of dry winter skin. My elbows don't get dry and scaly either. I probably will make one more batch of bath soap and then we will have enough to last us throughout the year. I might put oatmeal in that one (getting brave here). The thing is that I already probably have enough at the rate we are going to last through the year and my cost for making all that soap was pennies compared to store bought soap. I estimate that I spent about the same amount making a year's supply as I did buying a month's supply before. So definitely a savings. Then you have to consider that I gifted about a dozen bars of it for Christmas, so I figure an even bigger savings there. I even used some of it on one of our dogs who has serious skin allergies and it seems to have eased her itching. I think that is why I am considering adding the oatmeal to the next batch mainly for her. So for those of you considering making your own I would highly suggest jumping in there and doing so. I really can't think of any drawbacks to soap making other than it could become addictive and it does require a little time and effort. But just think I spent about 3 hours making a year's supply of soap. Really not that much time investment if you ask me. Blessings and happy soapmaking. Kat

Here is the link to the soap recipe post from December: My first soap
For the laundry soap I just used 48 oz. of waste fat no rhyme or reason just what I had and water instead of milk, but essentially the same hot process recipe. Blessings

How To Render Fat from Meat Trimmings

I started making soap not too long ago (December), so I started saving my waste fat to make more soap. I recently pulled out all those trimmings from the freezer so that I could render them. Rendering is the process of separating the fat oils from the meat and gristle. So I thought I would share the process if anyone is interested in rendering their own fat for candles, soap, lotions, etc. etc.

Step 1: Cut or chop the trimmings into little bits. A food processor helps with this or you can even use your blender. If using the blender only work with very small portions as it really overworks the motor. The smaller the pieces the easier the fat separates out in cooking.

Step 2: Put your chopped up trimmings in a pot that is big enough so that the trimmings only take up half the pot.

Step 3: Place about 2-3 inches of water in the pot.

Step 4: Bring the trimmings to a low rolling boil and keep them there for about 30-45 minutes. Keep the boil low enough so that the fat is cooked out but nothing tries to scorch or stick to the pan.

Step 5: Line a strainer with cheesecloth and pour the boiled trimmings though into a mold. I used a couple loaf pans for a mold. Let the fat cool, then place in the refrigerator overnight. The fat will rise to the top and harden somewhat. Now if you have any leftover liquid it will settle on the bottom. You can either choose to skim off the fat at this point or do what I did with the second loaf pan. I put it in the freezer, then when frozen i removed the whole loaf and simple cut the non fat (mine was gelatin) off of the fat layer. The fat layer will be solid white.

Step 6: Store your fat in the freezer for future use or use immediately.

Now the brown meaty bits that you have left after rendering is called suet. I feed it to the chickens. Dogs, cats, pigs love it too. I suppose you could make a suet type cake with peanut butter or such to hold it together and put it out for the wild birds. I just put mine in a large container in the fridge and each day add a good couple spoonfuls to the chicken bucket. They love it and it is a great source of protein and calories. The gelatin that I cut off the fat after molding was fed to the dogs. I used about half of the fat to make some laundry soap. Because the fat was tallow (beef fat) and lard (pig fat) mostly with just a smattering of other waste fat the soap turned out pretty crumbly. Of course, I might have done something wrong in the processing. However, even though it crumbled into little bits it definitely is soapy, and little crumbly bits are great for laundry since I don't have to grate the bars now. Anyway, I washed my first load of laundry yesterday with my new soap and it turned out just fine. So, don't waste those fat trimmings. They are a valuable resource for the home. Blessings, Kat

Soapmaking Thoughts

Ok, I wound up making 3 batches of hot process goat milk soap. My thought on using goat milk with the hot process method is that you cannot scent it. Maybe concentrated essential oils would work, but I used a lot of natural stuff and nothing really changed the scent. It isn't terribly unpleasant, but it isn't great either. However, the soap works great. I certainly can't complain in that area. I scented one batch with herb de provence and you can slightly smell the herbs, but not really well. The next batch was scented with lime zest and lemon balm....nothing not even a hint of citrus. The last batch I scented with cinnamon and got a beautiful chocolate colored bar but absolutely no hint of cinnamon despite the copious amount used. So, maybe the long cooking process depletes the ability to overwhelm the goat milk scent. I don't know. I will try cold process goat milk soap next time (gotta get more lye) and see if that works out any better. I am still very happy with my soap results. I had my hands in soap and soapy water all day yesterday and they never once felt dry or chapped. Plus, I can use the hot process right away and don't have to cure it (the extra cooking does the curing). The bars are drying nice and hard so they should last a good while also. Happy soapmaking!

Updates due to Absentmindedness

Brain fog is unfortunately one of the idiosyncracies of having chronic fatigue, so I apologize for all the forgetfulness of not answering questions or following through in posting links. I try every now and then to go through comments and such to see if I missed anything . This is one of those sorry I missed it type posts in which I play catch up.

1)Kim over at Marmee's Pantry has a great facewash recipe. Hop on over there and give it a try. It has worked wonders on my preteen daughters skin and I love it too. She also has some other really great stuff on her blog.

2)Kelly asked on my Homemade deodorant post whether I had figured it out or not. Yes, I have and I happily report that I am no longer stinky and no longer wet under the arms. So here is the recipe and it is super easy. In a small jar fill about half way with baking soda, then add either olive oil or coconut oil in small amounts. Mush around until you have a pretty decent paste. Be careful and add the oil a little at a time because you don't want too much oil. Making the baking soda into a paste helps it stay put and you don't have baking soda flying all over the bathroom floor or your clothes. Just a little dime sized bit of this spread under your arms will keep you dry and stink free all day. If you are working hard in the summer sun and sweating a lot then you can wipe with alcohol and reapply for a clean fresh feeling to finish out the day. I just use the opportunity to shower and then reapply, but sometimes you just can't do that and don't want to feel yucky.

3)Kendra asked on my Chamomile Tea Shampoo recipe about soap flakes. You can just shave some ivory soap or sometimes you can find soap flakes at the health food store or even in the grocery store.

4)Kelly asked on my Let's Talk Cloth post about family instructions for using the family cloth. It is pretty simple, I have a coffee can (plastic) with a lid that heavily soiled cloths go it. It has hydrogen peroxide, baking soda and water in it. Regular use goes in a small wastebasket. The family knows to put the appropriate cloth in the appropriate place so that anything heavily soiled can soak and then washed or thrown out. She also asked about our drain line that goes out to the back pasture. I don't think it is very deep, but that part of the pasture is lower than the house. It isn't like a septic drain line, just a pipe that empties the washing machine water. Because the ground slopes away from the house it doesn't get clogged and is absorbed into the ground quickly. She also mentioned a composting toilet. I have been interested in those also for our studio which has no plumbing. However, I have seen many mixed reviews...some love it and some couldn't wait to get rid of it. I guess it would depend on the person. I am not real sure I want to spend that kind of money to find out that I hate the thing, so have kinda put the idea on hold.

Well, folks that is about all the catching up I can do right now as the day is getting late and I have tons to do. Blessings, Kat

Morning after soap results

Well, the soap has had a chance to set up overnight. I cut it this morning and placed it on a rack to dry some more. Apparently it will continue to harden a bit. I think I might have waited too long before putting in the mold because some of the bars just didn't mold well and then fell apart. I wound up with 10 really nice bars, some decent size chunks from broken bars (still big enough to use, just not for gifts). I also wound up with lots of shavings and little tiny bits from cleaning up the edges of the bars and the bars that broke apart. No problem, you know we don't waste anything around here. I took the little bits and pieces and places them in old juice bottles, then filled the bottles with hot water....voila liquid hand soap. While doing this I got tons of soap on my hands and wound up washing it off numerous times. You would think that my hands would be a bit dry....nope they are silky smooth. This is a great moisturizing soap recipe. I absolutely love it, especially for winter when my skin gets so dry. I don't like the herb de provence though. I just don't like the smell, which is funny because I love to open my jar of this herb mix and smell it. However, it lost something when added to the soap. It doesn't smell terribly bad, just not something I will use again. Anyway, I am going to make another batch of soap today. I might use the same oils or combine them differently, I don't know I really like the way this moisturizes. I am definitely going to use lime zest though for my scent (I have a few limes that I need to use up). Hmmmmm....my lemon balm is still growing well maybe I could chop some of that up and use it too. Then I would have lemon/lime fragrance. My goal this time will be to have the soap mold better and not seem like it was molded in sections, maybe I will use my muffin tins and then I won't have to cut it. That's an idea. Well, I will let you know how batch number two comes and try to remember to take photos of the process. Blessings from the farm, Kat

My First Soap

Well, I finally did it! I made my very first ever batch of soap. I have been wanting to make soap for quite some time, but have been afraid to try. I really don't know why. I certainly spent enough time in chemistry labs during college to understand and feel comfortable with the safe handling of caustic chemicals, but for some reason all the warnings from soapmakers had me scared off. Maybe I just realize I am not invincible. Anyway, I used the hot process method because I need this soap for Christmas gifts and didn't want to take the chance that it wouldn't cure in time. Yeah, I know I should have started earlier. So anyway here is the recipe and the method that I used.

Hot Process Goat milk soap
16 oz. lard
10 oz. vegetable oil
22 oz. olive oil
6 oz. lye
14 oz. very cold goat milk

I measured the hard fat (lard)by weight and the soft fats by volume. Turn the crockpot on high and melt the hard fats first. Once it is melted then add the soft fats. About 45 minutes later add lye to the milk. I put my milk in the freezer for a bit and it had ice crystals in it. The lye will cause the milk to heat up so the milk needs to be really really cold. Add the lye very slowly while stirring to prevent the milk from curdling. Stir this mixture about 10 minutes then add while stirring to the hot oils. Then you stir and stir and stir some more, about 35 minutes or so. The soap will go through several stages, but when it reaches the point that it looks like really stiff mashed potatoes turn off the crockpot and remove the crock. Add herbs or scents (I used herb de provence, not sure I like it)at this point and stir some more until the soap gets a sheen and feels a bit slippery. It won't feel real slippery but you will be able to tell the difference. At this point it is ready to mold. I used a 9x13 pan lined with wax paper and just squished it in with my hand to get it smooth. Hot process soap is cured during the cooking process, otherwise I wouldn't have touched it. Now for the warnings...Wear gloves (lye burns reallly bad), wear long sleeves (lye burns realllly bad), wear glasses/goggles (lye burns reallllly bad), add lye to milk not the other way around (lye explosions burn reallllly bad). Well that is about it. I am making another batch tomorrow and will add lime zest to scent it. After that batch then I might try the cold process method. Oh one more thing, don't be surprised when your milk turns orange/tan in color. The lye does that to milk. I think tomorrow I will try to have my milk just on this side of frozen and see if it will turn less. It does mellow a little, but it isn't the most attractive soap I have ever seen. Oh well, the family won't care. It did lather really well as I washed up the utensils that were covered in soap and my hands do feel really dry, so outside the color I am please with the result. Happy soaping, Kat

20 Uses for Tea Tree Oil

I use tea tree oil all the time in my home. It is great for just about everything. The smell is a little strong, but diluted you get used to it quickly. So I thought you all would be interested in finding out just how versatile tea tree oil is. Here are 20 different uses for home and health:
1. Use a dab to treat acne.

2. An anti-fungal for treating Athlete’s Foot, eczema, various yeast infections, etc.

3. An antiseptic to be used on cuts and burns.

4. An anti-viral: it may lessen the symptoms of colds and flu. Try using a few drops in the bath.

5. Add to a vaporizer to loosen chest congestion.

6. Add a small amount to shampoo to destroy head lice.

7. A small amount added to your bath can help with persistent body odor.

8. Treating sinus infection.

9. For dandruff and dry scalp.

10. In the form of aromatherapy, tea tree oil is used to treat colds, persistent coughs, acne, toothaches, and sunburn.

11. To create an all-purpose cleaner, combine 2 teaspoons of tea tree oil in 2 cups of water in a spray bottle.

12. Another version would be 14 ounces of water with 1 ounce of Murphy’s oil soap and 10 drops of tea tree oil.

13. Mix the above solution with kosher salt to scrub bathtub and bathroom tiles.

14. Add a few drops to dishwasher dispenser, then fill with a green dishwashing soap.

15. A few drops added to each load of laundry leave your clothes smelling cleaner.

16. Control mold with a tea tree oil/water spray.

17. Remove mustiness with that same tea tree oil/water spray.

18. To keep germs at bay, spray it on high chairs, car seats, and other high traffic spots.

19. 15 drops in a quart of water can be an effective insect repellent.

20. Be sure to take some with you when hiking and camping to put directly on insect bites or blisters.

Homemade Toothpaste

You will need:
5 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
10 drops peppermint essential oil
5 tsp. vegetable glycerin

Directions: Mix all ingredients together. you may need to adjust the amount of glycerin to get just the right consistency. Store in a small jar. I usually use an old yeast jar that I washed out. Great way to resuse what you have. I just dip my toothbrush into the paste and brush away. Minty fresh and chemical free. Also a lot cheaper than commercial toothpaste.

Note if you have sensitive teeth and gums then add about 25 drops tincture of myrhh and 10 drops of essential clove oil to this recipe. The myrhh helps with inflamation and the clove oil is a natural anesthetic.

Homemade Deodorant Experiment

I don't like commercial deodorant. Face it, it's dangerous. Most contain aluminum and all sorts of chemicals. We like a chemical free environment. In my hunt for a chemical free deodorant I started with the health food stores. I haven't found one that works yet. I still stink and it grosses me out. So I am working on coming up with a chemical free deodorant that I can make that actually works. Wish me luck and pray that I don't lose all of my friends in the process. I may have to go into seclusion for this project. I will let you all know when I come up with one and may even have some for sale in the upcoming Homestead Store here at Whisper Wind, so keep an eye out. I will keep you all update as to how well this works and whether my family has moved out of the house or not.

Vinegar Rinse and No Poo!

Most of us have been taught that we need to wash our hair everyday. For some of us this is a bit true and for some of us creates terribly damaged hair. Mine is the kind of hair that is terribly damaged by shampooing everyday. God gave us oil glands at the base of every strand of hair to keep our hair healthy and shiny. When we shampoo everyday we strip these God given oils right out of our hair leaving it dry, dull and lifeless. No wonder we have bad hair days! So what are we to do. Instead of shampooing everyday, I have started rinsing my hair with a vinegar rinse. My hair is softer and shinier than ever and the vinegar gets rid of any yuckies your hair might have collected during the day without stripping all of the oil away. So here is my vinegar rinse recipe that I use on the days that I don't shampoo. I shampoo once a week and the rest of the week I just rinse and massage. My hair has never been healthier.
Dry Hair Rinse
9 parts water
1 part vinegar
5 drops peppermint essential oil
I use tablespoons to measure into a small jar that way I know I am getting the parts right. I usually use 2 tbls. vinegar and 18 tbls. water. I keep the jar in the shower so it is handy. You can use whatever essential oil you prefer, I like peppermint because it is tingly and invigorating.

Oily Hair Rinse
12 parts water
1 part vinegar
5 drops essential oil
Again it is easier for me to use tablespoons to get my parts correct and you may use whatever essential oil you prefer.

If you are having a real oil problem with your hair then you may want to skip the vinegar for a bit as it can make greasy looking hair look greasier.

Homemade Conditioners

Egg Yolk Conditioner
Needed:
1 tsp. olive oil
1 egg yolk
1 c. water
Beat egg yolk until frothy, add oil and beat again, add water and mix well. Massage into scalp and rinse well. This will keep in the refrigerator up to 1 week.

Deep Conditioner Treatment
1/8 c. olive oil
1 vitamin E capsule
Heat olive oil until just warm, puncture vitamin E capsule and mix liquid with olive oil. Apply to hair, really working into the ends. Wrap hair with saran wrap and towel. Leave in for 20 minutes, then only wash (no condition) hair as usual.

Chamomile Tea Shampoo

You need:
Chamomile tea bag
1 tbl. soap flakes
1 tsp. borax
3 tbls. white vinegar
1 pint hot water
Boil tea in water, then cut off heat, mix in the soap flakes and borax. When slightly cool mix in vinegar. Place in a jar and refrigerate up to one week.
Remember that homemade shampoo does not lather as much as store bought shampoo, but the cleaning is wonderful.