Patchouli Citrus Hand Soap

Posted on February 8, 2014 by Dave @ HappyAcres

As a gardener, I spend a lot of time working outside. And since I don’t like to wear gloves, my hands can get really dirty. So I wind up washing them quite often, which is hard on my skin and tends to leave me with chapped and cracked hands and fingers. If this sounds familiar, I’m guessing I’m not the only one with this problem. Fortunately I have a solution: homemade hand soap that is tailor made for hard-working hands!

bars of Patchouli Citrus Hand Soap

bars of Patchouli Citrus Hand Soap

This is our latest creation in hand soaps. The base recipe has lanolin for its emollient properties, and castor oil for its moisturizing qualities and its contribution to a fluffy, long-lasting lather. It features patchouli and a blend of citrus essential oils for a fresh, clean scent.

Patchouli Citrus Hand Soap in action

Patchouli Citrus Hand Soap in action

For this soap, super fine pumice and orange peel powder provide scrubbing action for dirty hands. Here we are using the pumice at a rate of 1 teaspoon per pound of oils. You can increase this for more scrubbing power, or use a bit less. The pumice and orange peel powder are available from soap supply stores and online merchants such as Bramble Berry, Wholesale Supplies Plus and Majestic Mountain Sage.

fine pumice and orange peel powder

fine pumice and orange peel powder

We poured this batch into a round silicone mold that makes 5 oz bars. The one pound (oil weight) recipe filled 5 of the rounds.

silicone soap molds (click on any photo to enlarge)

silicone soap molds


patchoulicitrusbars

Patchouli Citrus Hand Soap Print This Recipe Print This Recipe
(A Happy Acres original)

Olive Oil – 166.5 grams (37%)

Coconut Oil – 135 grams (30%)

Palm Oil – 112.5 grams (25%)

Lanolin liquid wax – 13.5 grams (3%)

Castor Oil – 22.5 grams (5%)

Distilled Water – 171 grams

Lye – 62.5 grams  (7% superfat)

The following ingredients are added at light trace:

1 tsp of powdered pumice

1/2 tsp orange peel powder

1 .5 tsp patchouli essential oil

1 tsp grapefruit essential oil

1 tsp lime essential oil

This recipe is for a 1 lb/450g batch (oil weight) of soap. We ran this recipe through a soap/lye calculator, and you should always run your recipes too before making them. This one at SoapCalc is our favorite.

NOTE: This soap is superfatted/discounted at 7%

Please refer to the cold process instructions here if you are new to making soap. Always take the proper safety precautions (we wear rubber gloves and goggles when mixing and making the soap). And for more recipes and information, check out my wife’s Soap Recipe page.

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Light Rye Sandwich Loaf

Posted on February 5, 2014 by Dave @ HappyAcres

I love rye bread in all its forms, from lighter sandwich loaves to the dark, dense pumpernickel types. Not everyone is a fan though. Often times what people don’t like about rye bread is the caraway seed, or the artificial sour flavoring that is often added by commercial bakeries. Home bakers have the advantage of making bread to suit their own and their family’s tastes. Don’t like the flavor of caraway? Leave it out! Or use a smaller amount instead.

Light Rye Sandwich Loaf

Light Rye Sandwich Loaf

Rye flour has a reputation of being difficult to work with, especially in breads with a high proportion of it. Rye has less gluten than wheat, and the gluten is more delicate. The chemical makeup of rye also makes the dough sticky and hard to work with, plus the finished bread can be gummy. Still, the flavor of a well-made loaf of rye bread is worth a little extra effort if you’re a rye fan like me.

slice of Light Rye Sandwich Loaf

slice of Light Rye Sandwich Loaf

This recipe uses the bread machine for kneading and the first rise, which avoids the stickiness problem by letting the machine do the work. This bread has 31% rye flour, along with 17% whole wheat flour to add a little extra character. The molasses adds color and a little sweetness, while the powdered milk and butter soften the crumb and help the bread stay fresh longer.

Meatless Reuben Sandwich

Meatless Reuben Sandwich

Be sure and let the dough rise high enough before baking to avoid the bread splitting when it expands in the oven. And let the finished bread cool thoroughly before slicing. It slices even better the next day.

bread made in 9" x 5" loaf pan

bread made in 9″ x 5″ loaf pan

NOTE: The recipe calls for using an 8-1/2″ x 4-1/2″ loaf pan, which produces a loaf that is about as tall as it is wide. Use a 9″ x 5″ loaf pan to get a loaf that is wider than it is tall, and when proofing allow the dough to rise to the top of the pan before baking.

lightryebread
Light Rye Sandwich LoafPrint This Recipe Print This Recipe
Adapted from a recipe at King Arthur Flour

1-1/2 cups (6.25 oz) unbleached flour
1/2 cup (2 oz) whole wheat flour
1 cup (3.75 oz) rye flour (whole grain, light or pumpernickel)
1-1/4 tsp instant yeast
1-1/4 tsp salt
1-1/2 tbsp (.75 oz) unsalted butter
2 tbsp (1.5 oz) molasses
2 tbsp (.5 oz) powdered milk
1 tsp caraway seeds
7.5 oz lukewarm water

1. Put all ingredients in bread machine. Use dough cycle. Add small amount of unbleached flour if dough seems too wet (it should form into a ball while kneading).
2. Place dough in greased 8-1/2″ x 4-1/2″ loaf pan. Press down with fingers to flatten dough and fill the corners of the pan. Cover and let rise for 75-90 minutes, until dough has risen 1″ over the rim of the pan.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F
4. Bake loaf for 35-40 minutes, until instant read thermometer inserted into center of loaf reads 190°F.
5. Remove bread from oven, let cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove bread from loaf pan and let cool thoroughly before slicing.

Servings: 12

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 127 calories, 16 calories from fat, 1.9g total fat, 4mg cholesterol, 251.9mg sodium, 155.4mg potassium, 24.2g carbohydrates, 2.3g fiber, 2.7g sugar, 3.7g protein, 29.8mg calcium, <1g saturated fat.

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From Freezer To Fork: More Summer Squash Ideas

Posted on February 3, 2014 by Dave @ HappyAcres

Squash is a prolific producer in most gardens, and our garden at Happy Acres is no exception. It’s so productive that my wife is fond of saying that we could feed the world if everyone planted some squash. I have to say I can’t argue with that one bit. I usually have plenty of extra squash to share with friends and neighbors, and with a couple of local food pantries.

summer squashes from 2013

summer squashes from 2013

Prolific squash plants often leave backyard gardeners wondering what to do with all that bounty of squash. When it’s coming on faster than we can eat it or give it away, we freeze a lot of our summer squash for later use. I slice up both yellow squash and zucchini and then blanch it before freezing. I also grate up summer squash and freeze without blanching. Today I want to share some ideas of how we use the frozen squash.

blanched zucchini ready for the freezer

blanched zucchini ready for the freezer

A couple of years ago I shared an idea for how I saute frozen squash. That’s one way to use it, and though the frozen squash loses some of it’s texture it still has good flavor. It can be seasoned up the same way you would season fresh summer squash. That in the below photo was prepared simply with a little olive oil and green garlic plus some salt and pepper.

cooked frozen yellow squash

cooked frozen yellow squash

Another way we use frozen squash is to add it to soups. There’s no need to thaw the squash first either. It’s a staple for our vegetable soups, and I even include it in a soup mix I freeze along with snap beans, carrots, cabbage, celery, onions and other seasonal vegetables we might have ready in the garden. Any of the summer squashes work well, and what a great way to enjoy the summer garden on a cold winter’s day. Add a little homemade bread or a crusty multigrain roll to a bowl of vegetable soup, and you’ve got a meal!

vegetable soup from frozen veggies

vegetable soup from frozen veggies

Frozen squash can also be added to homemade stocks and broth. Added along with aromatic vegetables like onions, celery and carrots, it will add a subtle flavor to the stock. I also like to add frozen squash to chicken soups. Add it at the beginning of cooking and the squash will cook down and mostly disappear in the soup. Add it near the end of cooking time if you want the squash to stay intact.

yellow squash added early to chicken soup

yellow squash added early to chicken soup

One of my new favorite things to do with frozen zucchini is make smoothies. My Chocolate Zucchini Smoothie is a popular post on Pinterest, and a popular choice here at HA when weather is warmer. The frozen zucchini adds body to the smoothie, and is a great way to use up lots of the prolific zucchini.

Chocolate Zucchini Smoothie

Chocolate Zucchini Smoothie

Another of my favorite uses for zucchini is to make zucchini bread. I’ve used a lot of different recipes over the years, but my current favorite is Spelt Chocolate Zucchini Bread. This recipe makes a great-tasting and moist whole-grain quick bread, or use a muffin pan and make individual muffins.

Spelt Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Spelt Chocolate Zucchini Bread

I make the muffins most often, because they freeze well and make a wonderful individual snack or dessert. The frozen grated zucchini works well for this recipe, and I thaw the grated zucchini completely and add it to the batter without draining.

Spelt Chocolate Zucchini Muffin

Spelt Chocolate Zucchini Muffin

Frozen squash can also be added to rice pilafs and other grain dishes. The frozen grated squash can be thawed and added to casseroles, meatloaf, frittatas, and sauces for pasta. You can drain the liquid if you like, but for many dishes you can add it in liquid and all. After all, the liquid is just water that has come out of the squash after freezing. If you had used fresh squash, all that liquid would go in the dish. King Arthur even has a recipe for Chocolate Zucchini Cake that would be a good use for the frozen grated zucchini.

That’s a look at some of the things we like to do with frozen squash. What about you all, do you freeze squash, and if so what do you do with it? I’m always looking for new ideas, so please share your thoughts and kitchen creations!

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2013 Top 5 Reader Favorites

Posted on January 29, 2014 by Dave @ HappyAcres

It’s always fun to see what folks are reading here on my blog. When I first started it, I had no idea if anyone would even be reading it. I generally write about things that interest me, and I never know what will prove to be popular with others. It’s great to look at the site stats periodically and see what’s most interesting to you, the readers.

The most visited post from 2013 was a recipe that my wife and I make all the time: Whole Grain Spelt Pita Bread. I don’t know how many folks have actually tried making the pitas, but I sure hope they do. It’s become our favorite flatbread, and is a great wholegrain addition to many of our meals. I’ve also posted recipes for Whole Wheat Pita Bread, and for Whole Wheat Sourdough Pita Bread. We use our pitas for wraps, pocket bread, pizza crust and make pita crisps with them. There are always a few of them in the freezer, waiting to be used.

Whole Grain Spelt Pita Bread

Whole Grain Spelt Pita Bread

Coming in at #2 on the most visited posts list was a shocker to me, my how-to on making  Coffee Infused Oil. I had intended to do a followup post on making Coffee Lip Balm, but never got around to it. I make coffee lip balm a lot, I just haven’t posted a recipe for it, but I will someday – promise! Of course, there are lots of lip balm recipes available on the web, and you can substitute the coffee infused oil in most any good lip balm recipe. Another infused oil I use a lot is Calendula, and you can read about how to make it with my Homemade: Calendula Infused Oil. It’s also great in lip balms, as well as hand lotions and other skin treatments.

coffee infused olive oil

coffee infused olive oil

#3 for 2013 was not a surprise to me at all: Vitamix Freezer Tomato Sauce. This is also quite popular on Pinterest. Last year I experimented with using whole tomatoes in the Vitamix, skins and all, to make freezer tomato sauce. That went so well, I also used the juice to make Homemade Tomato Ketchup, as well as tomato paste. Using the Vitamix allows me to use all kinds of tomatoes, from the meaty paste types to slicers and even the smaller cherry, grape and plum types. For years we held off on getting one because of the cost, but now that we have it I can’t imagine how we ever did without one!

Vitamix Freezer Tomato Sauce

Vitamix Freezer Tomato Sauce

Coming in at #4 for 2013 was another recipe that makes good use of our Vitamix: the Chocolate Zucchini Smoothie. I developed this recipe as a dairy-free smoothie that also helped use up some of the usual glut of garden zucchini. The amazing thing is that to taste it, you’d never know it was made with a big portion of frozen zucchini.

Chocolate Zucchini Smoothie

Chocolate Zucchini Smoothie

The #5 most visited post from 2013 is a recipe for Peppermint Honey Oatmeal Soap. We’ve been making this soap for several years now, and since we started keeping bees we have used our own honey. This is a great bath and body bar with oatmeal for gentle exfoliating action and honey for increased suds. As usual, I’ve tweaked the recipe a bit since I first published it, so I’ll have to get the latest version out there too. I still plan on sharing more of our soap recipes, but it seems I never have enough time in the day to do all the things I want to do.

Peppermint Honey Oatmeal Soap

Peppermint Honey Oatmeal Soap

A few 2013 posts that just missed the top 5 include Spelt Chocolate Zucchini Bread, and my Saturday Spotlights on Giant Winter spinach and the Pennsylvania Dutch Crookneck squash. I’ve enjoyed doing the Saturday Spotlights, and I will be doing more of them in 2014. I know others are always looking to find out more about specific varieties, and it is fun for me to share my observations in the hopes it might help another gardener in the future.

Giant Winter spinach in cold frame

Giant Winter spinach in cold frame (earlier this year)

Other popular posts last year include several that were 2012 articles: Growing Eggplant in Containers, Dehydrating Garlic and Easy Refrigerator Pickled Garlic. How Hardy Is Lettuce? is a perennial favorite, and I can usually tell when a sudden cold spell is predicted by the number of folks who are searching for answers as to whether their lettuce will survive the cold. My tutorials on Growing Pak Choi and on Making Cold Frames also seem to be popular.

Hansel eggplant growing in container

Hansel eggplant growing in container

I hope you have enjoyed this recap of some of what you all have been reading this past year. Thanks for all your comments, emails and blog visits, and I’m looking forward to sharing more of our adventures and experiences in the coming year.

Posted in Baking, Food, Gardening, Soap | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Frozen, Thawed and Re-Frozen

Posted on January 27, 2014 by Dave @ HappyAcres

It is safe to say that many folks in the U.S. will long remember the winter of 2013-14. Whether those will be fond memories, or not, I guess depends on the individual! My wife and I managed to get away for a couple of weeks to Hawaii, where we enjoyed tropical weather. Getting there was interesting, since getting anywhere was difficult in early January.

single digit temps in January

single digit temps in January

We escaped snow and near record temperatures and made it to the airport okay. The plane made it to the Evansville airport just fine, and the airport itself was operational with no delays, as was the Atlanta airport where we were headed. But we were stuck for several hours while they tried in vain to start up the de-icer truck. Isn’t that a wonderful irony, getting stuck on a plane because a truck won’t start? The truck’s diesel engine was not cooperating in the 0°F weather, which our area is unaccustomed to. We finally made it to Atlanta, but getting on to Hawaii took an extra day since we had missed our connection. We joined thousands who were stranded with weather issues, and were thankful when we got to the Big Island of Hawaii only a day late. Many others spent several days trying to make it to their destinations.

lunch on our lanai in Hilo

lunch on our lanai in Hilo

Once there, we enjoyed stays in Hilo, Waimea and Kona. As usual, we made several visits to the local farmer’s markets. The one in Hilo is large and well-known by locals and travelers alike. There were two Saturday markets in Waimea that we visited, along with a thrift store. My wife loves to shop at thrift stores. She loves them so much that she even volunteers at one here at home! She found me a lovely ‘vintage’ Aloha shirt at the one in Waimea, which for $5 was a bargain I couldn’t refuse. I wound up wearing it for much of the trip.

vintage guy in vintage shirt

vintage me in vintage shirt

We enjoyed eating fresh fruits and veggies every day while we were gone. From papayas, pineapples and apple bananas to juicy-sweet jicama, tatsoi and snow peas, the farmer’s markets kept us supplied while we were there. I also had to buy some local honey to support the beekeepers – after much sampling of course! And I couldn’t pass up the local macadamia nuts, or the great Kona coffee. A little passionfruit butter was nice on toast, and some hot pepper/passionfruit jam wound up coming home with us too. We also enjoyed picking up ready-to-eat things like spring rolls and some freshly made green papaya salad at the farmer’s markets.

goodies from Hilo farmer

goodies from Hilo farmer’s market

I found some great potato salad at a Hilo natural food store, made with local purple sweet potatoes. Potato salad made with sweet potatoes? It was great! That had me scurrying to find the purple sweet potatoes themselves. The Okinawa varieties with white skin and dry purple flesh are a Hawaiian favorite, and we found them in the local grocery stores. I baked some one night for dinner, and they had a great flavor and texture. I need to try growing these this year, if I can find a source for slips.

baked Okinawa sweet potato

baked Okinawa sweet potato

Back home, we arrived to more snow and cold temperatures. We had turned off the water to our house before leaving, and drained the pipes as best we could. However, one problem pipe must have frozen up anyway, because when we turned the water back on it burst. Nothing like having hot water spewing all over the place for a welcome home party! Fortunately a plumber was able to get us fixed up in no time, and now the problem pipe is running inside the house instead of up the outside wall. Our home is full of examples where DIYers who lived here before us should really have consulted an expert first – like a plumber in this case.

new water supply under kitchen sink

new water supply under kitchen sink

The cold weather has left us without any fresh veggies at the moment. But we have plenty of homegrown goodness in the freezer, cellar and pantry. I used some frozen asparagus and dried peppers and tomatoes to make a frittata. With a little homemade paprika dusted on top, it made for a tasty and colorful meal.

veggies for fritatta

veggies for frittata

fritatta topped with homemade paprika

frittata topped with homemade paprika

I believe it will be a while before we do have fresh harvests here. There are lots of creative things to do with fruits and vegetables from storage, and I will try and feature a few of our ideas in the days to come.

Posted in Food, Gardening, Travel | 11 Comments