Hi everyone! As you know it’s my week of soap, and this third recipe is for lemon-sage cold process soap.
Many of you didn’t bargain for soap-making when you subscribed to my blog – you’re more interested in French stuff or family news. Well, you soap-makers know the process by now so this third recipe is the short version with less pictures.
If you’re new to soap-making, have a peek at my green tea soap post, which has all the important instructions about how to make soap, including safety tips. And if you missed it, you can also look at my lavender-sugar soap recipe.
For this soap – besides the basic ingredients listed at the bottom – you’ll need dried sage (this is from our garden), essential oil of lemon, and –
I added turmeric for color.
It turns the batch orange, but by the time the soap is cured
it is the loveliest shade of lemon-tinted green.
I’m sort of surprised at myself, but I think I like this fragrant soap even more the lavender!
Which is saying a lot.
That’s it for soap today. Don’t forget to look at the bottom of the post for the recipe and instructions, and at the tutorial, which gives step-by-step guidance.
Otherwise … oh my friends, I’ve been happy. I don’t know why. My heart is filled with peace and contentment.
I love the fall.
We’ve started the major construction on our house and the only thing here that’s going to stay is the iron window grates. The rest will be covered with exterior insulation and the vines will have to grow back. We’re getting away from the peachy-brown tones and will have white (house and iron shutters), black (the window grates), and blue tones for the wooden shutters. And more importantly, we’ll have more room.
I’ve been going places with my kids. The dinosaur exhibit at La Défense
Jardin d’Acclimatation (my daughter may be in junior high, but she’s still fresh-faced and fancy-free)
and we’ve gone to Paris.
Sometimes I forget how lovely it is to be there
to window-shop
and take the train
and see Mr. Eiffel’s grand creation from every angle.
My memoir has just two more rounds of edits before being re-released and I’m excited to share the abridged version. I know it’s going to be so much better with tighter wording and a more appropriate title for the subject matter. I have also plunged into the world of romance with the Viscount and Ms. Whitmore, and am happily ensconced in the edits and revisions there.
Finally, we had a mishap …
and our comrade-in-arms fell in the battle of Pillow Fight – he who had preceded us by centuries. But it was a chance to show a young man grace, and a beautiful reminder that
“we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” (from 2 Corinthians 4)
I hope today finds you not crushed, not in despair, not abandoned, not destroyed,
O Treasures.
- 2 thermometers, one long.
- 1 mason jar
- 1 bowl
- soap molds
- saran wrap and towel
- gloves
- white vinegar
- ¼ c lye
- ¾ c distilled water
- ⅔ c coconut oil
- ⅔ c olive oil
- ⅔ c another oil, like almond, canola or grapeseed
- ¼ t turmeric
- ¼ c dried sage
- 20 drops lemon oil
- Prepare all your equipment and protect yourself well.
- Heat all the oils in the microwave for 1 minute.
- Slowly pour the lye into the distilled water, a little at a time, until it's dissolved.
- Let sit for close to an hour until both the lye mix and oil mix are between 95 and 105°F.
- If you need to, heat the oils again for another 15 seconds or so.
- Pour lye slowly into oil.
- Stir by hand for 5 minutes.
- Add turmeric, sage and lemon drops, and use immersion blender until it looks like vanilla pudding.
- Put in molds, cover with saran wrap, and then a towel. Let sit for 24 hours.
- Remove from molds and let cure for a month - covered loosely with a towel, but with exposure on all sides to air.
OOOO, these soaps are FABULOUS.
is there nothing you can’t do? just askin’ xx