Handmade Soap From The Shoe

A couple of years ago, I decided to pursue a long-time interest of mine and learn to make soap! It was with much fear and trepidation that I approached the process, being scared to death of the damage I could cause with lye, both to myself and my home. But, carefully following instructions in a good book, my daughter Rachel and I made our very first batch of soap. It was plain old soap...nothing added...a soap I now call my Lily White Soap. Well I have learned a lot since that very first batch and now I love mixing my fats, oils, herbs and other ingredients to make wonderful, good-smelling soap that also does a good job of cleaning your skin! What it does not do is dry your skin and leave it feeling uncomfortable. We thought we would walk you through the soap-making process a bit so that you can appreciate with us the joys of soap-making!

My first step is to render tallow from suet which I order from my home-town butcher. Suet is the cleanest fat, as it is the fat which surrounds the kidneys. I cook my suet with water and salt, then strain it into big containers to cool.  I usually spend a day doing about 40 lbs so that I have a good supply. After the fat cools, I wash it and cut it into blocks before freezing. This is the no-fun part!!!

The next  step is to carefully weigh out all of my different fats and oils into a big kettle and begin to melt them altogether. In the meantime, I mix my lye solution and prepare any herbs or essential oils or other ingredients I wish to add to the soap.  When both the lye and the fat reach the desired temperature, I mix them together and begin to blend with the stick blender.

It takes about ten minutes or so until it is brought to trace and I am able to add the rest of the ingredients that make each kind of soap special. I have always liked to make up recipes, so this is a different aspect to that  interest.  After the soap is mixed, I pour it quickly into my mold.

Then the soap is wrapped to keep it nice and warm.

The next day, I take the soap out of it's mold and let it sit for a couple of days before I slice it into bars.

This is a batch of one of my very favorite soaps...Cucumber Spearmint with a touch of cornmeal for 

ex-foliation. The bars are then set up to dry for a couple of weeks before I wrap and label them for use and for sale.

This is the finished product of handmade soap from The Shoe. I have a lot of fun making and selling my soap as well as talking to my happy customers who have noticed such a difference in their skin, as we have, since using this wonderful natural soap. I will keep you posted  on new soap that we try!!

For the Love of Squirrels

On this wintry Valentine's Day, we could not resist showing you these fun antics of our squirrels! Enjoy!!! 

My favorite "Love" verse is

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son,

that whoever believes in Him

should not perish 

but have everlasting life.

Have a blessed Valentine's Day!!

Diana and Luke

Meet the Photographer

Before we go much further in this blog, I want to introduce you to our photographer.

Luke is our nineteen year-old son and seventh child.  We named Luke in honor of the biblical Dr. Luke who was the faithful companion of Paul. In II Timothy as Paul is in prison nearing the end of his earthly life, he mentions his lonely state and those who have either deserted him or left. Then he makes the poignant  statement: "Only Luke is with me."  I have always loved that faithfulness and wanted my son to share that wonderful quality.  As I sit here typing in this lonely computer room with Luke by my side, I can truly say with the apostle Paul, "Only Luke is with me."

Luke is a very talented young man! He is a wonderful musician who sings, plays a wicked trumpet and composes beautiful music. He also draws quite well. Check out his self-portrait below.

Luke is also a very artistic photographer. We will be showcasing Luke's photography on this blog. He is in the process of exploring just how he can combine all of his many talents into a career! Today we want to share some of the fun photos he has taken and hopefully you will enjoy them and get to know us a bit better!

You can listen to one of Luke's pieces while you enjoy the rest of the pictures.

Meet Max our dog. This is what happens when his favorite couch is moved and replaced by two chairs in his guard post in front of the living room window.

Such a handsome dog!!

This is a little friend of our family. Such a sweet boy!

This photo was taken last summer when my mother came to visit. It includes all of our daughters except the youngest.  From left to right: Susanna, me, Leah, Elisabeth, Hannah, Rachel and my Mom, Teresa.

This is my youngest child, Sophie.

Little Charlotte peers at the Pamlico Sound from the upper deck of our vacation home.

We were visiting Okracoke Island and spotted this mama and babies under a pick-up truck in the middle of a hotel parking lot!

An early morning walk on the beach.

Luke caught this shot at a motorcycle show  in Indy.

And that's the end of the show, folks!!!

Company's Coming!!

This was a company weekend for us here at The Shoe.  It was also the week of the Monster Storm that swept over one third of our nation.  We were left with a thick blanket of frozen sleet. My brother left behind 21 inches of snow to come slip and slide on our ice covered driveway and yard! We were glad to have them...after a rather quiet week of being in, it was fun to have family visit.

Company means two things around our house: Lots of food and lots of family! Since my brother and his two teenagers usually arrive late at night, it is fun to have something baked for them.  This time I made one of our favorites...cinnamon rolls. I thought I would share the recipe in case they sound good to you as well!

Our Favorite Cinnamon Rolls

In a mixing bowl mix the following ingredients. Then let rest, covered, for 15 minutes.
1/3 cup sugar
3 T. yeast
1 1/4 c. warm water
1/2 cup melted butter

Add:
3 beaten eggs
1 1/2 t. salt
5 c. flour
1 t. nutmeg
2 t. vanilla

Mix everything in the mixer for 5 minutes. I let the dough rest in the bowl, covered, for about 15 minutes.
Roll the dough out on a well-floured board until it is approximately 10x15 inches. Next I spread soft butter over the dough followed by a covering of brown sugar and a light sprinkling of white sugar. Then, with a heavy hand I sprinkle cinnamon over the whole surface. Carefully roll up from the long end so that you have a 15 in. roll. I slice this into 24 slices and place on a large buttered cookie sheet. Again, let them rest for 15 minutes or so. Then when they look a bit light, bake in a preheated 350 oven for 12-15 minutes. Be careful not to over bake the rolls. When they are warm,  I frost them with a powdered  sugar glaze. I usually add a bit of cream cheese to the icing when I mix it for extra richness.

If you are an early riser like I am, you can serve them warm for a special breakfast!

I don't believe anything smells as good to a hungry person as the delightful aroma of freshly baked bread. The Bible says that we Christians are the aroma of Christ to a hungry world. Our lives are to make others hungry for the Bread of Life...the only bread that truly satisfies!

Charlotte and Genevive enjoying freshly baked goodies!

Chalkboards...one of my favorite things!

What can be done with a can of chalkboard paint?   A whole lot!  Actually, we may get a bit carried away when we find something we like. So I thought I would show you a few of the creative ways that my daughter Leah and I have used chalkboards in our homes.  Leah is married to Levi who is a very gifted carpenter, so she has a definite advantage in the woodworking end of things.  She and Levi have done many wonderful things with their older home, making it quite beautiful.  They have three sweet children named Genevive, Charlotte and Judah.

The above chalkboard was made from an old picture frame.  First I painted the gold frame a color I liked. Then I traced the spot on the wall that would be enclosed by the frame. Next I got out my wonderful can of chalkboard paint and painted three coats on the wall. When it was dry, or at least almost dry, as I am a very impatient person, I hung the frame over my black rectangle. Now I have a spot next to the back door for the kids to sign in and out when they come and go.

  I thought about this one in my kitchen for a long time since I was painting my cabinet! I stand at my sink so often that I thought it would be nice to have a place to write my favorite verses or memory work. I
am so pleased with this one!

This chalkboard is  also painted on the wall in my kitchen. It is where I write notes to myself.  Usually it shows off  the artwork of various children who visit my home and can't resist leaving their mark!! We have a lot of fun with this board.

This is my desk chalkboard.  I bought an old kitchen cupboard top years ago at an antique shop.  It made a perfect top to my desk...great for a bookshelf. I painted the back of it with my chalkboard paint to give it a bit of interest as I spend a lot of time looking at it!

These are Leah's chalkboards.  The large board was painted first with magnetic paint.  This is  a fun addition as you can also use it for a magnet board!  Levi framed it in and made a nice chalk tray as well. The medium sized  board was made out of an antique piece of slate...Leah bought it and Levi framed it.  The littlest board was made from a furniture door that Leah found at a flea market. She painted it, added a knob and drawer pull for a chalk holder and it hangs in her  living room.

Charlotte demonstrates one of the many uses for a  chalkboard...  

To have fun!

I hope you have fun with these ideas and perhaps paint a chalkboard of your own.

Diana