Saturday, May 18, 2013

Making Aloe Calendula Soap - Day 1

Aloe Vera
MEDICINAL ALOE 
Family Name: Liliaceae  
-Aloe Vera gel-
soothing plant extract: a soothing, moisturizing extract made from the leaves of a species of aloe. Use: drugs, cosmetics

Calendula 
Latin name: Calendula officinalis

plant with yellow flowers: a garden plant of the daisy family. Flowers: bright orange or yellow. Use: in cooking, for medical purposes.


 This week I am putting myself in 'class' with Catherine at
Soaping 101.
I love her teaching. I have been soaping for about 12 years but I have learned more from her in the last year more than I have in the last 12!
If you have not had the experience of watching her video's follow this link, learn, and enjoy!


Class time-1st day

Soaping 101's basic Castile recipe


2 oz Castor Oil
8  oz Coconut Oil
22 oz Olive Oil

4.41 oz Lye
10.56 oz water

This first day I am infusing Calendula petals into water,  


And will freeze the tea.

I am infusing Calendula Petals in part of the *Oil.





 
Camera stopped before I could finish the clip. sigh

I have an Aloe plant, 

but decided to use pure, ready to use, Aloe gel from the health food store that I had on hand.
Catherine suggests to use pure Aloe juice, so I am hoping this gel works ok.
I am also freezing this pure Aloe gel.

Well, that is as far as I can go today.

Coming soon:

Join me for
Part 2 of
making
Aloe Calendula Soap
from Catherine's Soaping 101 video's!

Hope you have great weekend.
ValerieAnn


*I usually infuse herbs in oils right in a crock pot, but I found this method, of Catherine's, is a much easier way for me personally, to use.
Also.....
Catherine did not say if the oil she used to infuse the Calendual in was some of the oils from the Bastile recipe, or another oil, and just subtracted it from the main oils she used. Plus she did not say how much oil to used to infuse the Calendula Petals into. So...... I just guessed and used about 5 oz of the Olive Oil that she has for this recipe already.


Thursday, May 9, 2013

Growing Basil

Awhile ago I blogged about Growing Basil, in my hydroponic system, for eating and soaping. Basil plants last about 5 months in this system before you have to start new plants.  They just get too leggy with very few leaves. 
I bought my system from: 
AeroGarden.com 
I have been using this water garden for about three years now. 

Eight weeks ago I started a whole new set of seeds. The Aero Garden I have has 7 pods to grow in. 
It does not take long for the seeds to sprout.
This is after 3 days of being planted.
After another couple of weeks the plants grew to this height.

I have since trimmed some basil off a number of times and the plant needs another pruning.

Spring is here in Arizona, so I will be planting some Basil in my raised bed.
I love the scent and taste of fresh Basil. There is nothing like it fresh
from the plant to your plate!


 

Happy Thursday!
ValerieAnn