How fast did Winter finish !One of the signs Spring's almost here is when the native frogs start to appear in the tunnel.We're busy putting up a new tunnel this month for basil & seeds & seedlings in for an October start.
Rob made his sweet chilli & tabasco sauces, most have gone now so more to make soon.
This season we have some early heirloom tomatoes to go in. The seedlings are already well advanced. Rouge de Marmande & Evergreen, so really looking forward to those.
The last month of Winter we had a bumper crop of lisbon lemons but we never run out of uses for them. Latest is almond, lemon & mandarin cake & many lemon roasted chickens. Next, preserved lemons & lemon butter.
With an abundant choice of herbs you are always looking for different ideas to try. I know you can't eat soap but after years of frustration with the choice, expense & unappealing supermarket soaps full of unpronounceable chemicals, I decided to have a go at making some.
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| Olive Oil Soaps.. Lavender & Oatmeal, Rosemary & Wheat Germ ...mmm..Chilli soap, I don't think so ! |
It helped being inspired by some beautiful handmade soap here & in Hobart.
After googling, reading & following recipe instructions carefully, I came up with the first attempt. Olive Oil, Rosemary & Wheat Germ handmade soap.The first basic batch was ok but could be improved in colour & texture.
After some recipe tweaking, the second & third batches were 100% better. Family are the guinea pigs at the moment. The lather is good & the wheat germ exfoliates well. Everyone knows how good olive oil is & the infused rosemary is a scent that men will happily use. They don't smell like flowers, more like a lamb roast. I kept it simple, adding castor oil & jojoba for emollients.
I also made a Olive Oil, Lavender & Oatmeal batch for my daughter, she was pleased with her soft skin. I have used rosemary infused rinse for conditioning my hair in the past & like the soap it comes up squeaky clean with a subtle scent. The rustic look of the bars of soap I like and they are a natural attractive colour. I am pleased with the result & will never go back to using supermarket soap again..
After some recipe tweaking, the second & third batches were 100% better. Family are the guinea pigs at the moment. The lather is good & the wheat germ exfoliates well. Everyone knows how good olive oil is & the infused rosemary is a scent that men will happily use. They don't smell like flowers, more like a lamb roast. I kept it simple, adding castor oil & jojoba for emollients.
I also made a Olive Oil, Lavender & Oatmeal batch for my daughter, she was pleased with her soft skin. I have used rosemary infused rinse for conditioning my hair in the past & like the soap it comes up squeaky clean with a subtle scent. The rustic look of the bars of soap I like and they are a natural attractive colour. I am pleased with the result & will never go back to using supermarket soap again..
