Sunday, April 16, 2017

Dream Home

If you are looking for a dream home, what do you look for?  I love older homes, especially Victorian homes.  The water pressure is probably poor unless the home has newer plumbing.  The electric outlets are minimum and it will need rewired.  The plug-ins are not 3 prong but are 2 prong.  Older homes have more character, but newer homes have more conveniences.  One of the reasons I like older homes is the older plants that are established and surround the homes.  You know what I am talking about, spirea bushes, lilac bushes, iris plants, climbing rose bushes, peony plants, weeping willow trees, fruit trees.....  What do you look for in a dream home?  Drive around and view old homes and mature plants.  My house is not Victorian, it was built in the late 70's   My wisteria started to bloom.  I have buds on rose bushes, leaves are greening up.  Spring is beautiful!!!  Some of my fond memories are with Grandma Johnson talking about the kind of plants she had growing around her home.  She grew Hen and Chicks.  I can't get them to grow.  Her favorite flower was an iris.  She had a border of lilac bushes and an apricot tree.  My Grandmother Shull introduced me to peonies and hollyhocks.  She had a large garden and many fruit trees.  I grew up picking cherries. 








Thanks for viewing!  Dawnie



Sunday, April 2, 2017

Whipped body butter and my recipe


A couple years ago I made whipped body butter.  I tested a recipe or two.  My first recipe melted at room temperature during the summer months.  The last one didn't.  I wondered how people would ship this body butter around the USA and it stay looking like it did when it was placed into a container.  I asked a couple of people and they stated it will stir right back up when it is cool.  To me that defeats the purpose of whipped butter.  I like it light and airy.  I don't make this butter to ship anywhere; however I will give it to friends and family.  Why do I like whipped body butter?  My skin is dry.  I like this to use just like a lotion.  Do you have dry heels?  Elbows?  Hands?  Lotion usually soaks in and leaves my skin is dry.  Lotion has oils and butters in it, but it also has a liquid, such as water.  With whipped butters, there is no added liquid.  My recipe is below.    



Whipped Body Butter by Dawn Jones
Heat sunflower oil and coconut oil in a microwave or in a double boiler.  Pour this heated liquid over the butters. It should help melt the butters, but cocoa butter is quite hard and you may need to continue slowly melting this mixture.  Once it has liquefied, place it into a bowl which is usable with a hand or electric mixer.  I have an electric mixer dedicated to soaping. Since the butters are organic and unrefined, I had to filter the mixture twice.  Organic and unrefined butters are not necessary for use in this whip.  You can use non-organic and refined butters.  There will be a different smell in the mixture since unrefined coconut oil smells of cocoa.  Cool the mixture in the refrigerator to where the oils and butters start to harden on the outside of the bowl.

This is what nut meats or skins were strained out in the butters.

Oils hardened around the outside edge of the bowl.
When this happens, scrape the edges and start mixing with your mixer.  If the mixture does not whip after mixing on high for a few minutes, place it back in the refrigerator to cool more.  Mix/whip this mixture until it looks like soft ice cream, but with more air pockets.  Add the tapioca flour, the mica, and the fragrance while continuing to mix/whip.  Mix/whip until this heavenly mixture is completely blended and place it into jars or containers.  Tap the bottom of the jar or container on a cloth at your table or counter area.  You want to remove excess air, but not break the jar/or container.  Add more mixture if you are able to fit more into the jar or container.   If you have looked at Etsy adds, you will notice the contents are piped into the container and an extra cup of mixture is placed on the top for photographic effects.  You should get at least 9 cups of whipped butter.  If there is not enough whip or fluff in your mixture, put it back in the refrigerator for a little while. Scrape the edges when you remove it from the frig, and whip on high speed for a little longer.

10 ounces organic unrefined shea butter 
10 ounces organic unrefined cocoa butter
6 ounces sunflower oil
6 ounces coconut oil
2 teaspoons tapioca flour
2 teaspoons colloidal oatmeal 
2 teaspoons mica (Stellar White and White Russian sparkle mix)
1 teaspoon of fragrance oil or essential oil.  You may want to start with a couple of drops and fragrance as you strong as you like your lotion.  (Reminder from an asthmatic:  People do not want to smell your lotion before you get into the room.)
Mica---optional  I have used Stellar White and White Russian sparkle mix, yellow, or pink.   
Whipped Butter.
Vintage rickrack, paper roses, strips of rose sparkle fabric, and a vintage button cover adorn these jars/containers.  The two jars on the left are new jars from Ball.  I think they call them friendship jars.