Another Rainy Day

Another good night.  I cheated and took a Tylenol PM.

 It is another cool and drizzly day here.  So much so that our worker didn't show.  I think he was going to do some bush-hogging....too wet for that.  The other was going to replace the carburetor on the old truck that he is taking off our hands so that will be delayed.

I have done a bit of housekeeping and have a chicken thawing for chicken pot pie  for lunch....may use pie crust this time instead of  my usual biscuit topping.

I still haven't planted my warm weather garden....mainly because we haven't had much warm weather and then the 3-inch rain made the garden too wet.

Max took several (77) pictures of the farm recently.  I always love seeing them since I don't tour the farm much these days.
The camera was malfunctioning part of the time due, no doubt, to my dropping it.  I have told him to turn it off and on a few times to get the lens fully extended.  Its life may be limited. He developing a good eye for shots I think.  I will show a few.

Farm Pictures by Max

If you click on the picture, you can see an enlarged version (I hope)

I added that last ugly thing just for fun!

New Soap

We are having a cooler period of weather but just got very little rain yesterday evening.  We will see what today brings. 

Yesterday morning, was a typical one:  Went out early; cleaned nests (no eggs); processed  milk; no puppy time this morning.  then decided to make butter with some half and half and the morning cream.  It didn't make much and took much longer to make, but I did get  about a cup or more finally.

My Iowa sis has become addicted  to my home-made goat's milk soap and she told me she had one bar left so I should get busy.  I couldn't find liquid goat's milk last time  I replenished my supply but found powdered milk and that is what I used.  I changed recipes and this time used Krazo's recipe but used the technique  for  powdered milk.  You blend the powdered milk directly into the warmed and  cooled oils and then add the lye water to that.  It worked beautifully.   This way you don't have to worry about the lye scorching the milk (I know Carolyn doesn't do that ice thing, but I always do and still have had some problems  with it).  The only negative is I like that tan color and this doesn't have it.  It seems to be a creamy light yellow.



I also increased the recipe by 25% so I would have more soap to  share.

I used the last of the lye so I called the local Ace Hardware and they ordered me more.  I will  pick up all of it Friday.

I ordered some interesting supplies from Bramble Berry.  I will be making chapstick next.  I also bought some new nourishing oils:  Apricot Kernel and Avacado.  Both are recommended for 'aging' skin and I qualify!  They sent some sample fragrance oils which I have never used since they are chemical based and I want to keep everything natural, but I am getting antsy to try the fragrances.  I may make a very small  batch just to use them.

I was tired after all that so lunch was very simple but I made myself  do a chicken pot pie for the evening meal.  I had cooked and boned the chicken earlier. 

For breakfast this morning I used the leftover biscuits by splitting and buttering (thank you Jewel) them and toasting them in the countertop oven.  We enjoy them that way very much.   Also had scrambled eggs and bacon.

DH has gone outside to do morning chores so I better follow.