Pulled out the soap molds today

[barefootfarmer]

It started with an overstuffed freezer. I found some goat milk that I had frozen last year for making soap. I decided to make a batch in my 5lb log mold. It was so much fun that I measured out enough cow's milk to make 4 more batches in the log mold and a batch in my 36 bar mold. 

I messed up the top of the first batch so I pressed some dried calendula petals into the top to hide it. I'd forgotten how much fun it is when you finally get to unmold the soap and see how it turned out. Something to look  forward to tomorrow. 

Anyone else making soap right now? what kind? I'm sticking with cold process milk soaps for now. No color, but I do love to add in things like poppy seeds, coffee grounds etc. 

[Skandi]

My village has decided to make a soap making company as a community project, so very soon I'm going to be learning the joys of handmade soaps, since I put myself down as a founding member.

[bowdonkey]

I make all of ours now in the winter. Always blender soaps, small batches about 1 1/2#. Always the same scents, Sandalwood,  Orange mint and Lavender.  It's what the family finally settled on.

[barefootfarmer]

Whoa Skandi, that is really neat! I've never heard of such a thing. I'd love to hear how it goes once you get started. What a great opportunity. I wish I'd had someone around to teach me when I first started soaping.

bowdonkey, We've settled on a few favorites, too. Lavender, lemon grass, clary sage. And peppermint from time to time. But I also like to experiment with some other scents for my farm customers. Espresso is always in demand. Never made blender soaps. I'm going to look that one up because now I'm curious.

[Maura]

I make my first batch in September or October. The second batch will be around Thanksgiving. Each bar will be wrapped in tissue with an address label that has the ingredients. Each adult on my Christmas list gets two bars. Looks like I have enough left over that I don’t need to make any more (for us) until next autumn.

I like to experiment with essential oils. I love palma rosa. I think everybody likes lavender. I’ve used rose, geranium (which smells like a rose), ti tree, frankincense, ylang ylang, lemongrass, ...

[barefootfarmer]

Maura, yesterday I made a 5lb log of lemon grass with poppy seed. I use a silicon liner- makes it so easy to slide out. It's sitting on my table right now- I'll cut it today. I just love the way it smells! Never heard of palma rosa- I'll look that one up. I didn't get good feedback on the geranium that I used a few years ago. People kept telling me it smelled like their grandma. I thought it was a nice scent. But I guess not that nice since come to think of it I still have a box full of it on the back shelf.

I froze enough pre-measured milk on Monday to make a 5lb block every day this week. I need to run my coffee grounds through my dehydrator so I can get a batch of espresso going. Since I didn't get them dried out in time it looks like my soap today is going to be honey oatmeal.

[Maura]

Barefoot Farmer you are having way too much fun.

Your geranium might smell better with another oil. Maybe something earthy, like patchouli.

I made silicon molds for some pretty bars. One is bees, the other is grapes. I mixed the silicon and used milky way plastic molds for the mold. Sooo much easier.

[barefootfarmer]

Now that was clever, Maura,! I'm actually making two batches today and neither ended up being the honey oatmeal. I'm experimenting with a peppermint tea/milk loaf and then I dug out my wooden mold that makes 36 bars. I'm filling that one with the ground coffee bean mixture as soon as my milks gets a bit more slushy. I go in waves until I burn out. Or run out of materials...