Easy Peasy Artisan soaps....no scary steps!

French milled or Rebatched soap is a method by which you grate the soap up (or in this case, use soap flakes), add water and other ingredients, and remould it into shapes or bars.

It's an easier and less scary way of making your own soaps, and I can vouch for the money saving and skin enhancing properties of this particular one.

Using just Lux Laundry flakes, water, Cconut Oil and Milk Powder, I created these gorgeous rustic soaps, which smell divine, and leave your skin unbelievably soft and delicately scented.

You need:

700gms Lux laundry flakes or equivalent grated soap (NOT soap powder no matter what the guy in the supermarket tells you! Lux flakes here in Australia, are simply flakes of pure Lux soap.)

3 cups of water

4 tablespoons of Milk Powder

1/2 cup Coconut Oil

Few drops of scented or essential oil (Lemongrass or Lavender are particularly lovely)

Here's How:

Bring a large pot of water to a simmer, and sit a large mixing bowl over it.

To the mixing bowl, add the soap flakes, milk powder and water, and stir until it becomes a thick slush.

Add the Coconut Oil and fragrance oil and stir until combined.

This is how mine looked after rebatching, and spooning into silicone moulds....
  As you can see, it's not smooth and liquid. It's sort of a gluey gloop.

Let them set overnight, then unmould onto racks to air and harden. I've found that leaving them for about three weeks gives them more longevity upon use.

One of these soaps lasts us a week or more of showers, as opposed to the store bought ones, which are lucky to last three days.   Here's a batch that I scooped into cookie boxes lined with baking paper.

 

This batch, a half batch actually, still yielded a dozen lovely, neat, well formed bars of soap, at around 40c each.

 

  I call that a Win!

And they look and smell Very Special :)

Enjoy!

...Mimi...

Gorgeous Gifts...Panforte...

Are you stuck for a quick and easy gift for a special occasion? Birthday? Mothers Day? Fathers Day? International something-or-other Day?

This Panforte is yum, comes together in 5 minutes flat for baking, and makes a fab gift for just about any occasion.    I like to do mine in a round tin, so it slices into wedges like a regular cake. I've also found that using a spring form tin, makes it easier to remove in one piece without accidents.
Some recipes for Panforte specify certain quantities for this or that sort of dried fruit or nut, but I just use whatever I have on hand and it always turns out. We like it particularly chunky, and adore whole dried figs, crystallised ginger and walnuts, with some mixed dried fruit sprinkled between. Here's my recipe. It's evolved over a few years, and withstands all sorts of substitutions, so don't be afraid to be adventurous!     The Recipe in four sentences:

Mix 3 1/2 - 4 cups of mixed dried fruit and nuts in any combination, with 2/3 cup plain flour, and a teaspoon each of Nutmeg and Cinnamon. Bring 3/4 cup condensed milk, 1/2 cup raw sugar, a good drizzle of honey and 2 teaspoons vanilla essence to a simmer in a small pan, stirring constantly, and add to the dry ingredients. Fold until well combined and transfer to a lined cake tin, before baking in a low moderate oven (150C) for 25-35 minutes till firm to touch. Allow to cool before slicing into long thin wedges.
You can present this whole as a 'wheel' for gifting, either dusted with icing sugar, drizzled with melted chocolate or garnished with gold or silver leaf. It looks very special wrapped in tulle, cellophane or muslin, with softer fabric tied in a top knot in the middle and decorated with bells or flowers.
You can add flavoured essences such as Rum, Mint, or Almond, as well as cocoa, orange zest or candied orange pieces, crystallised ginger, choc bits or whatever you fancy to personalise this one too.
The gold and silver leaf, edible, is available at Cake Decorating Stores and in the baking aisle of your supermarket. The little silver or multicoloured cachous sprinkles are another cute idea for decorating the top of your Panforte.
Enjoy!

Getting ahead while you're getting ahead....

 

This year...it's flown! I bet it has for you as well.

 

In news here, son number 2 married.

 

I made a cream puff tower, seen above.

 

And paraded in a burgundy dress, seen below.

 

Both a raging success.

 

Another burgundy dress was sourced. This one $30 at a thrift store. A Christmas dress for The Diva.

 

I thrifted other things as is my way.

 

A chinoiserie jewel box, with sweet diorama completely intact...$3 if you please.

 

I made Neenish Tarts, an Aussie invention that is part jam tart, part cream tart and completely delicious. I took them to work. I was VERY popular.

 

More thrifted eye candy. Beautiful kimono. $7. I love op shops.

Here's a close up of those cream puffs. A tour de force, I tell you.

 

Of course, one does not survive on cream puffs alone.

 

Here's a vege frittata that I rustled up for lunches. Must have ones greens, right?

 

Meanwhile two granddaughters requested cakes in the form of pets.

 

Hence a puppy in pink...

 

..and a bandido kitty in black and white.

 

Pink gerberas were planted in memory of lost loved ones. It was one of those years.

 

 One pot dinners are all the rage at Chez Mimi. What's not to like about layering stuff in a dish, whacking it the oven and enjoying? This one was goooood.

 

 

A golfers 40th birthday cake. All good until a small child asked why there was a cauliflower on the cake. I never said I was a pro. Cake, golf or otherwise.

 This one is more my style. Raspberry cake. One bowl, one pan. Another time I was popular at work.

 

I'd love to stay longer, but time is short these days! I miss you all!

Insourcing...my favourite ways to get ahead...

 

Working full time is for the birds...

 

The Bower Birds that is. The ones that work hard to build a home so that their family is safe and well tended.

 

My friend Annabel at The Bluebirds are Nesting, drew her nom de plume from the same rationale. Birds are busy and happy, nesting and building a home.

 

I have found returning to full time work outside of the home, rewarding and challenging.

 

One of my biggest challenges has less to do with 'work' and more to do with letting things go at home. Now I don't mean letting things go in a let-the-house-fall-apart way. None of us could live that way. It's more a case of allowing the other members of the family do what I once did, and having the good grace to know that it won't be perfect (in my eyes), but that it is at least getting done.

 

Now THAT is a challenge! Letting someone else do the 'nesting'...Sacre` Bleu!!!

 

But I digress....

 

I still find time to add value to my family's home and our budget in so many ways. I couldn't have it any other way.

 

 

Meanwhile the citrus trees reward us with plump, juicy fruit, whether I'm home or not.

 

One dish bakes are the order of the day for dinners in the cooler months in the Southern Hemisphere. So easy to prepare, so easy to clean up.

 

Here's that recipe in four sentences:

 

Chicken Parmigiana Bake

 

Layer chicken breasts in a lasagne dish. Top generously with tinned tomato, fresh tomato slices, chopped onion, slivers of capsicum, herbs and cheese. Bake until golden brown. Serve with crusty bread. Yum.

 

Conversely, lunches at work at easy and fresh. I'm fortunate enough to have not one, but three major supermarkets in the building where I work, so even when I do not have time to pack a lunch, I'm spoilt for choices. This feast below, cost me a  whole $7!

I have to say that I am enjoying having a little more discretionary funding to spend on self these days. It means that when I spot darling Deco earrings, I can snap them up without thinking twice.

 

 

I love this Gucci inspired link necklace so much...

 

 

That when I spotted this vintage 60s chain link belt in my favourite green, I snapped it up knowing I could convert it to a similar necklace, thus breathing new life into it.

 

It also means that when a friend invites me to a sale of vintage couturier trims, I can 'rescue' as many as I want. How adorable is this idea of stitching random trims to the back of playing cards? I see a similar idea taking up residence in my gift cupboard for my crafty friends...

 

 

And you know there's always a cake decorating idea in the mix here. This one was the inspiration for my middle sons 40th birthday recently. He's a golf fanatic.

 

Here is the realisation. Bow tie, golf ball and all. I laughed though when his nephew on his wife-to-be's side, asked why there was a cauliflower on top of his cake. Lol. Well..Imperfection is the name of the game here....hahahahaha!

A mini-break to world famous Byron Bay was ticked off the bucket list.

 



 

It was lovely, but as a serial beach goer since childhood, it was only as nice as the dozens of other beaches I've visited in my lifetime. Australians are spoilt like that.

 

Daughters secondment to L'Occitane the French skin care range came to a grinding halt with her admission to her demanding University course. So we are back to making our own organic skin care. Above are the seven (yes, seven!) jars of luxurious face and body lotion I whipped up on Friday night. Cost...about $30.

 

Here's that recipe...not four sentences unfortunately.

 

Mimi's Luscious Face and Body lotion...enough for up to 12 x 125gm jars

Water phase:
900mls distilled water

Oil Phase:
100mls Pharmaceutical grade oil (peanut, almond, macadamia or use jojoba or olive)
60gms emulsifying wax (40gms for a lighter lotion consistency) Order at pharmacy.

Active Phase:
15mls Green Tea Extract (good for skin) – online various suppliers
10mls pure Aloe Vera gel (healing properties) – Supermarket or pharmacy
10 mls Vitamin E Oil (Antioxidant) - pharmacy
10mls Glycerine (moisturising and smoothing) -Supermarket
30mls Optiphen Plus (preservative) – online various suppliers

30-40 drops essential oil/s of choice. I use Lavender, Neroli and Jasmine. You can use any that you like. Or leave it unscented.

Step 1:
Place water in saucepan and heat till it just starts to show bubbles. Transfer to a large glass or china mixing bowl.

Step 2:
Place 'oil phase' ingredients into a glass jug and heat in the microwave. Your oils will be close to the correct temperature when the emulsifying wax is not quite entirely melted. Stir to finalise melting.

Step 3:
Pour the 'oil' phase into the ‘water' phase and stir. Continue stirring until the mixture cools and thickens slightly. This may take up to 20 minutes. (it took about 10 here). Once you can touch the sides of the bowl comfortably and it’s not too hot, add your Optiphen Plus or other preservative (apparently Friars Balsalm works but I don't like the smell) and Vitamin E oil, then the other 'active' ingredients.

Step 4:
Continue stirring until it cools to about hot tap water temperature. It will continue to thicken. Pour into a jug and then decant into your jars. Allow to cool completely before putting on the lids.

Apply to face, hands, feet or body as required. This is a gorgeous cream, and although it is thick going on, it is absorbed quickly, and makes your skin feel and look so soft. It’s delicately scented without being overpowering.

Extra tips:
Always stir continuously as your mixture cools, as this will prevent lumps forming. If lumps do appear, they can be smoothed with a hand held blender.

If using 'natural' preservative in your recipe, sterilise jars and lids first.

It's not as daunting as it sounds, you just need to have everything ready, and it's very rewarding. I line all the ingredients up in cups and medicine measures before I start, and then it only takes about 30 minutes to make 6-12 jars of face cream depending on the size of your jars.

 

 Thus inspired, I went on to create an organic deodorant for The Diva and myself. This is still an experiment, but so far, we're loving it. Bereft of any appropriate container, I simply poured this into a pretty teacup that fills as a heart shape, and use a tiny spatula to scoop what we need.

 

Here's that recipe for deodorant:

 

2 tablespoons pharmaceutical grade coconut oil
2 teaspoons grated Shea butter
5 heaped dessertspoons Arrowroot
8 drops each:
Green Tea Extract (anti-inflammatory)
Optiphen Plus (preservative)
Bergamot essential oil
Lime West Indies essential oil
Palmarosa essential oil

 

Note: You can use any essential oil/s you prefer.

 

Melt oils in a glass jug in the microwave, add extras, pour into a vessel of your choice. Allow to harden. Use a spatula to scoop, and apply with fingertips.

The real test of this deodorant will be during our humid Summer, but that's a way off yet. So far, so good though!

 

 

We have a wedding coming up! My middle son (yes, the one that just turned 40!) is marrying his long term partner. We are thrilled to bits! As is she...lol! Behold the shoes for the wedding. I looooove them.

 

And below is something I think would go with them for Melbourne Cup Day. My milliner friend will help me make this. Pretty spiffy, huh?

 

Now that I am very silver, red is my new friend.

 

Enough from me. How are things for you? I miss you all!