Homemade Raw Goat's Milk Soap

I am a soapmaker. It is not a career for me, just a very satisfying hobby. I get special orders from friends once in a while, but usually just make soaps for my family to enjoy. I first started making soap about the time that Hurricane Katrina came through New Orleans... my hubby was working with the clean-up efforts, I was home with 4 small children and needed an activity to keep me sane. :) Soapmaking found me, and I've been enjoying it ever since!

Recently, I became aware of a local goat dairy from which I could get raw milk- was I excited! I have made soap with canned goat's milk, but it's just not the same; even the technique to making the soap with raw milk is different. If you have ever made soap before, here's a recipe that you will thoroughly relish:

Fats:
20 oz coconut oil
20 oz olive oil

Liquid:
12 oz goat's milk, frozen and broken apart.

Lye:
6.08oz sodium hydroxide (NaOH)






The reason you need to freeze the goat's milk is that the NaOH will burn it otherwise. If you have ever burned milk, you know that it isn't pleasant- and the soap will be ruined! What's great about this technique is that the lye solution doesn't even get above 100 degrees, so as soon as the oil is heated to the correct temp. it's time to mix! No waiting needed.

Step 1: Mix your NaOH into the frozen goat's milk. **Please use precautions when handling lye, as it is caustic and can cause serious burns. Use eye protection and long gloves to protect any exposed skin.** Once the milk is thawed, leave the lye solution in a protected area.

Step 2: Heat your oils to about 100 degrees. This will not take long at all :)

Step 3: Mix the lye solution into the heated fats in a stream no larger than a #2 pencil. Stir with a metal spoon until incorporated.

Step 4: Using an immersion blender, mix the soap until a light trace (thin pudding consistency). Add any additives at this point, then mix until incorporated. I used about 0.3 oz ground lavender buds and 0.7 oz lavender essential oil.

Step 5: Pour your soap into a prepared mold. I used a commercial-grade 9x13 baking pan, lined with plastic. Cover your soap with plastic and wrap your mold in a blanket.

Step 6: Remove your soap when it hardens. This can take anywhere from a couple hours to a day. Cut into bars (From my pan, I cut 10 2 1/2" x 4" bars and several "samples") and let them cure for 2-6 weeks. **Always test the pH before using soap!**





The finished product is a cleansing, hydrating bar that makes a gazoodle bubbles! I can't wait to try this out in the shower and breathe the calming lavender scent... I have tried a couple sample slivers, and it is definitely one of my favorite soaps thus far!

This post was shared on Monday Mania at the Healthy Home Economist.

Homemade Fermented Salsa

It's springtime in Florida! This past week, I went to a local U-Pick farm and got some great fruits and veggies, and I had a great idea to put some of them into a fermented treat for future use...

My kids helped pick two large buckets of strawberries, which I will be using in our homemade kombucha :) I also got a great deal on organic tomatoes. I got a basket (26) of "canning" tomatoes for $5! Then, I smelled the freshly-cut cilantro that was strategically placed by the cash register... and I got a great idea for those tomatoes. My oldest daughter helped me find the sweet Florida onions, and we were off to a running start.

We were told by the farmer that the sweet onions did not cause tears, but my daughter wasn't taking any chances!

I used a total of 24 tomatoes for our homemade salsa. They are easily peeled after sitting in a potful of boiling water for about 10 seconds!

Yummy... salsa! In my homemade salsa, I added:

24 tomatoes, peeled and chopped (I used a small food processor)

4 c diced onions
4-8 jalapeno peppers, diced (use gloves when handling peppers!)
4 c fresh cilantro, chopped
2 1/2 T sea salt
8 garlic cloves, diced

I stirred everything together and put into clean quart canning jars. I also stirred in 2 T whey for each jar. Instead of canning with a water bath and killing beneficial enzymes, I am fermenting my salsa to add beneficial bacteria while preserving it for months in the fridge.

I filled 6 quart jars with this delicious salsa. The salsa will start to ferment on my kitchen counter for 2 days, and then I will move them to the fridge for storage. The flavors will develop over a period of time, but it can be eaten right away! I have no doubt we will finish all of this salsa before 6 months is up :)

I love springtime and look forward to visiting our local U-Pick farm again in the near future! In addition to his early spring crops, he has zucchini, squash, watermelon, and okra planted this year... YUM! Check out your local U-Pick farms at http://www.pickyourown.org/ .

Homemade King Cake

Mardi Gras season is a wonderful time in Louisiana. It is a time for family and friends to get together, eat good food, and catch an exciting parade. Having lived in Louisiana for seven years, our family has gotten to experience all of this first-hand... it's a shame more places don't celebrate this time of year with the joy and happiness that the people of Louisiana express.

No, Mardi Gras is not just about Bourbon Street! In fact, most of the people you meet on Bourbon are tourists- I believe the tourists have given this celebration a bad reputation.

"Mardi Gras", in French, translates to "Fat Tuesday". It is the last chance for feasting before the holy Lent season- a time of praying and fasting that leads up to Holy Week and Easter. This tradition of feasting can trace its roots back to medieval France.

The French traditionally celebrate on the Feast of the Epiphany (January 6th) with a "gateau des rois", or king cake. At the feast, the cake would be cut into the number of guests plus one. The extra piece would be called "God's portion". This would be saved for any beggars that might come to the door during the feast. The rest would be split among the guests by the youngest member of the family calling names from under the table- this is to ensure that there is no cheating, because hidden inside the cake is a bean. The person who gets the bean becomes the king of the party.

When the French settled in Louisiana, they brought along their tradition of Mardi Gras and king cakes. If you go there any time between The Feast of the Epiphany and Ash Wednesday, you are sure to find king cakes in every store! Today, instead of hiding beans in the cake, you are likely to find a plastic baby, meant to represent the infant Jesus. I am told that the circular shape of the cake is to represent the route which the wise men took when visiting Jesus. When they were told by angels not to return to Herod, they went another way home...

So, now that we are far from Louisiana, I make my own king cakes! They are a small reminder of the wonderful times we had with our great friends there. Mardi Gras is a time to celebrate life, family, friends and faith. Laisez les bons temps rouler!

Here's what you'll need to make your own delicious king cake:
1 c warm milk
1/8 c butter
2 1/2 t yeast
1/4 c sugar
1 egg
3/4 t salt
1/4 t nutmeg
2 3/4 c flour
filling of choice
glaze and toppings

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl until incorporated, then turn onto a floured surface. Kneed until dough is elastic, add more flour if dough is too sticky. Place in clean bowl and cover with a wet towel. Let rise for about an hour. Turn onto floured surface and roll out to a large rectangle (about 10" x 16"):



Next, you need to prepare your filling! The traditional cinnamon filling is easy- just mix 1 cup brown sugar with 2 T cinnamon. I was feeling creative today and mixed 12 oz cream cheese with about 1 pt strawberries (you could also use blueberries). You could use lemon custard as a filling, or even use homemade preserves! The possibilities are endless!





When your filling is made, lightly brush your dough with butter, then spread the filling in a 5" strip right down the center of the rectangle. Then, taking the long end farthest from you, roll the dough in jelly-roll fashion until it's a long tube. Move the dough to a greased cookie sheet. make an oval and pinch the end together. With scissors, cut slits in the dough every few inches:

Pre-heat the oven to 375. Let the dough rest while the oven heats up.

Bake for about 30 minutes.

When the cake is done, let it cool slightly then glaze with a mixture of 1 c powdered sugar and a couple T water. Make the glaze pourable, but not too runny. If you want to insert a plastic baby (found at crafting stores) or bean into one of the slits, feel free! Just warn everyone to look for it so they don't choke. The one who finds the prize should be crowned king or queen of the party :)

Add sprinkles or colored sugar to the top to make it more festive! Enjoy this sweet treat with your family and friends.

 

Homemade Play Dough

When the weather isn't ideal for playing outside, play dough is a good alternative :) I do not buy play dough anymore- not after getting a recipe from a homeschooling friend of mine in Louisiana! This play dough is soft, long-lasting and edible (although I wouldn't recommend it!).

The play dough in the picture is over a month old and shows no signs of age, no drying and is as pliable as the day I made it. My daughter likes to add colors to her play dough- this batch started out a cream color and very quickly became a dark green/black!

To make this wonderful sculpting medium, you will need:

1 c flour

1/2 c table salt
2 t cream of tartar
1 c water
1 T cooking oil

Combine all ingredients in a skillet and heat on medium-high heat.

Stir constantly until mixture pulls away from pan and can be formed into a ball.

Turn out onto counter top or cutting board and let it cool a bit, then kneed it until it reaches desired consistency- this won't take more than a minute or two.

You can add essential oils, food coloring, sparkles, etc. anything that might tickle your fancy!

Make sure to store your play dough in an air-tight bag or container to prolong its life.

Enjoy a breather and a cup of tea while the kids use their imaginations :)

A Few of My Favorite Things...

One of my goals as a mother and wife is to serve my family good, nutritious food. Not the processed boxed food that is filled with chemicals and carcinogenic preservatives that is passed off as food in most stores, but the real, wholesome foods that God intended us to eat! That goal is not so easy to achieve in this highly-processed world we live in today.

I have been able to get my grocery shopping down to just a few stores, as I do not want to waste my food money on gas for the car! Other than picking up our raw milk at a local co-op, I do most of my shopping within a few miles of our home!

What I buy and where:

I try to buy local whenever I can. This is usually possible for meat and fresh vegetables- for these items, I have a local butcher and various fruit and veggie stands that are in close proximity to our home! Buying local produce and meats not only guarantees the freshness of those products but also gives you an opportunity to really get to know the farmers who sell them.

Salt- It may be a surprise to you, unless you regularly shop at Target, but I find my Real Salt in the spice section there! It is also priced very affordable, compared to the local health food stores. I still purchase coarse sea salt by mail order from http://www.bulkfoods.com/ . Bulk foods also has a large variety of raw nuts and organic items.

Lunch meats/bacon- Target also carries Applegate brand bacon and hot dogs. I buy these, as they are uncured and have no preservatives (nitrates and nitrites, which have been linked to cancer in lab rats). The meat is also hormone-free and pastured. Hormel also carries a nitrate/nitrite free line of lunch meats and bacon, but the quality of the meat is questionable, and I only buy this on occasion.

Sugar- I only buy organic, unprocessed sugar. Walmart is the cheapest source for unprocessed, organic sugar that I have found. I get Florida Crystals, which is nothing more than evaporated cane juice. It has a richer taste than processed white sugar and more nutrition to boot!

Stock Ingredients- I make my own stocks (chicken, turkey, beef and fish). The bones used to make stocks can be found at local butchers, but I have also found them at local ethnic grocery stores. Fish parts can be found cheaply at local seafood shops or at your neighbor's house, if he happens to be an avid fisherman!

Grains- Grains for bread and cereal can be bought through Bread Becker's co-ops. Just check for your local co-op on their website! I have also bought grains in bulk at our local health food store. Health food stores, such as Whole Foods, have a bulk buyer that can help you get a discount for buying large quantities! I just get a big bag and split it with friends :)

Although you won't be able to get everything locally, it is a good place to start. With gas prices and shipping costs skyrocketing, I for one am trying to find more affordable ways to feed my family nutritious meals that don't cost an arm and a leg! Let me know where you like to shop for your next meal...

Homemade French Roast Chicken

When I think of French cooking, I naturally think of lots of butter and juicy flavor. This recipe is no exception! I learned how to make this from Julia Child's cookbook ( I checked out Vol. 1 twice), and have since made it hundreds of times. It is one meal that my kids thoroughly enjoy and can be paired with anything from baked potatoes to cream cheese and spinach!





First, you will need a good quality chicken. I usually get mine from a local butcher, but you can also buy them direct from local farms.

In addition to a chicken, you will need:
1 large onion, roughly chopped
3 large carrot, roughly chopped
about 1/2 stick unsalted butter (1/4 cup)
sea salt

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.
Pat the chicken dry, then coat it generously with about half the butter. Salt the inside of the chicken with sea salt. Place the chicken in a heavy-duty pan (I used a large cast iron skillet) on its back. Lightly salt the outside with sea salt.

Brown the chicken on each side for 5-7 minutes each (on back, then on sides). Baste the chicken in-between with the remaining butter and a basting brush. I find that a large spoon, placed in the bottom side of the chicken is a good way to turn it without tearing the skin.

When the chicken has browned on all sides, keep it on its side. Add the chopped veggies and reduce the oven temp to 350 degrees. By this time, there should be enough butter and drippings in the pan to use for basting. Baste the chicken again before closing oven.

After adding the veggies, baste the chicken every 15 minutes for the remainder of the cooking time. Flip the chicken to its other side half-way through. Roll the bird onto its back about five minutes at the end.

One good way of checking to see if your chicken is fully cooked is to cut the skin between the breast and the leg. If the juices are golden, it is cooked. If the juices are pink, put your bird back into the oven for 10 minutes intervals until the pink is gone.

My bird was a little over 5 lbs, and I let it cook (total time) for 1hr 30minutes. You can adjust this according to the weight.

The veggies in the basting juices are delicious, and add flavor to the chicken, also! Use them as a garnish for the meat. You can also throw some baking potatoes into the oven when your bird has about an hour left to cook. I use a cast iron skillet with a lid to bake my potatoes, after having coated them with coconut oil and salt.

Another great side would be cream cheese and spinach! Just cook a bag of frozen spinach according to package directions, then drain most of water. Add 4-6 oz cream cheese (cubed) to spinach, then season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. This is my favorite way to eat spinach!

Make sure you save your chicken carcass for making stock! Here's a video to show you how :)
I don't usually brown the bones before throwing them in the stock pot, and I incorporate the drippings from the iron skillet in my stock- Yummy!

Homemade Artisan Sourdough Bread

I love sourdough bread. The slighly sour taste mixed with hot melted butter is heaven to my taste buds. Since starting a sourdough starter over a year ago, I have been trying to perfect this artisan loaf. I have to say, it has the best texture and crust of any I have tried! Real artisan sourdough is often cooked in a brick oven in a terracotta dish, but I believe this version is perfect for the everyday chef.

This is my sourdough starter. It is in its second year of living in my refrigerator, and it has worked hard for me. I have made sourdough bagels, sourdough pancakes, and sourdough bread, all from this one magical, bubbly mess! You will need at least 1/2 c of starter for this recipe.

These are the only two vessels needed for making this sourdough. The glass bowl is for mixing, and the round casserole dish (with a lid) is needed for baking.

The first mixture is the most important part of this recipe. If you don't get the texture right, your bread could fall flat! For this mixture, you will need:

1/2 c sourdough starter (I sometimes throw in a bit more)

3 c flour- this time, I used 1 1/2 c unbleached and 1 1/2 c spelt. The more whole grain flour, the denser your bread will be. I find that the 50-50 ratio makes a great loaf.

1 t sea salt

1 1/2 c water

Mix everything in a glass bowl. If the mixture is runny, add more flour. The dough should be firm but wet, as in the picture above.

Since the dough will need to sit out for a long period of time, start the dough with respect to the meal with which you will eat it. For a lunch loaf, start the dough around 5pm the night before. For a dinner loaf, start it around 10pm the night before.

Next comes the waiting... as with many traditionally-made foods, sourdough requires a long fermentation. I let it sit on my counter, covered with a wet towel, for 12 to 15 hours. The timing all depends on the temperature of your home. Since it's been fairly warm in my home lately, I let my dough ferment for 13 hours. The picture shows how much it has risen overnight.

When your dough is ready, you need to "flip" it. I call it this because it is kind of like flipping pancakes :) Get your hands really floury, and sprinkle the top with a few pinches of flour, then flip it from the side to the center of the bowl. I usually turn the bowl 2 or 3 times while I'm flipping to make sure I get it all unstuck from the bowl.

 

When you have flipped your dough, turn it out on a lightly floured surface while you clean and grease the bowl. This picture shows my dough after having been flipped and back in the glass bowl. I coated my bowl generously with virgin coconut oil.

Re-cover the dough with a wet cloth and let it sit for the second rise. This rise could range anywhere from 2 to 4 hours. Today, mine took 2.5 hrs.

Here's my dough, ready for baking! If you let the dough go too long, you might see large bubbles coming to the surface and popping. If this happens, don't fret- just get that loaf in the oven pronto!

To bake your sourdough, preheat the oven and the lidded baking dish to 450 degrees F. I have tried baking at a lower temp, but the crust just isn't the same! When oven and baking dish are heated, carefully remove the lid and pour in your dough. You may need to use your hands or a stiff spatula to help the dough along. Cut some 1" slits in the top of the dough with some kitchen scissors and replace the lid.

Bake 30 minutes with the lid ON.

After 30 minutes, remove the lid and bake for an additional 15 minutes with the lid OFF.

 

Here's what you will pull out of the oven! A crusty loaf fit for a French boulangerie. It is fantastic with a large dollop of butter or dipped in your favorite seasoned olive oil! Artisan quality, and oh so delicious!

Here's a cross section of the bread to show you the fluffy goodness you'll find under that crispy crust! My kids ate the other half... If you are not satisfied with the rise of this loaf, you can always use 100% unbleached flour for an amazingly fluffy bread.

This post was shared on Monday Mania at the Healthy Home Economist