Paddle

I think I am in love!

My friend has just started an Etsy shop selling hand crafted, wooden cooking utensils. He has been in carpentry for about 20 years now and specializes in gorgeous custom cabinets. Now he has started this side business of making utensils. I am trying to talk him into starting up a dutch oven cooking blog. He and his wife are dutch oven pros and I think they really should share some of that info in blogdom. I have only used my dutch oven a few times because, honestly, it intimidates me. I would love some tutorials for dutch oven basics and them maybe some of the fabulously awesome things you can cook with them.
He mainly makes dutch oven tools right now (which are simply marvelous I might add).

Now I need to let you in on a little secret part of my life. I made fudge. Big deal you say? I made fudge from my grandmother's recipe which is over 100 years old. This is old school fudge like you get from specialty candy houses that is made on marble slabs and cooked slowly and carefully to the right temperature which is reached when it smells right, sounds right and does the right thing when dropped into cold water. Thermometers are for novices. Then you cool this pot of chocolaty goodness and poor it onto a large marble slab. You cool it there and then start stirring it and forcing the sugar crystal to for in a very delicate pattern.
The resulting fudge is pure indulgence. I think it should be a sin it is so good but am really glad it isn't or I would be is so much trouble.
I have been making this fudge for 20 years now since I was in my early teens. I have used many different tools in that time. Each tool offering different qualities but none really doing the job like I had hopped. I have made a kind of quest of finding the perfect fudge making tool and have finally found it. I asked my friend if he could come up with a fudge paddle (not telling him how much was riding on this attempt). I gave him a few details about how the fudge is made, what tools I had used in the past, some of the disappointing features of them all and some of their finer points. He asked a few questions and went to work. That afternoon he dropped off this beauty.

Russell Custom Utensils

I have to admit I was skeptical at first. It is HUGE. It measures 5 1/4 inches wide and almost 24 inches tall. I think the largest utensil I had used in fudge making was just over 12 inches tall. This also has an angled blade. I had only ever used straight bladed tools. Well I got a chance yesterday afternoon to give it a try. I usually only make this fudge at Christmas (for obvious consumption reasons). I have to say again....

I am in Love!

If asked right now what one kitchen tool I would save in a house fire, it would be this one! It is everything I have ever looked for in a potential fudge paddle. The angled blade makes it much easier to scrap and fold the fudge. The long handle made it easier for me to reach the whole batch of fudge without having to over extend my reach. Love that. Also, the handle is very long and curved on the end making easy to swivel back and forth so I can stir and scrape the fudge from the right or left. That was an unexpected bonus. Thanks you!! Love that feature.

My oldest son watched me as I made the fudge (he usually does). He commented on how much quicker the fudge turning went and that the new paddle seemed so much easier for me to use. I thought that was cool that he noticed the difference.

Here are some shots of the paddle at work.

This makes making fudge so easy I just might have to start selling it in my etsy shop. What do you think?

Sorry this recipe is very old and has been in the family for a couple of generations and I am not at liberty to divulge the recipe yet.

Sorry!

Soap, Soap, Soap!

I have been really busy making batch after batch of soap these past few weeks.

I am listing here each kind that I make, a brief description, and whether they are in stock or not. There will also be links to the shop so you can buy them there if you so desire. I will constantly edit this post to keep the list current to available soaps.

All Byrd Bath Soaps are made completely from scratch in small batches to ensure the highest quality and attention to detail.

All Bars average a generous 4.5 oz.

Our products contain no detergents, fillers, or lather boosters, no formaldehyde, and no parabens - just naturally-good, skin-loving ingredients.


My soaps may be purchased through my Etsy Shop, My Byrd Nest
I have tried to keep my prices as low as possible. Hand made soaps are not cheap. Due to the quality ingredients and the personal time involved in all the steps along they way, making soap is expenseive. However, I didn't want to make a product I couldn't afford to buy myself. So my prices are slightly below market value. You as my cyber friends get to take advantage of that fact and take part in the savings. The costs for the raw materials does keep going up. I will try my best to keep my prices down.

Here is my current price list:

Single Bars = $3.50 each
10 Bars = $32.50 (that's $3.25 each)
20 Bars = $60.00 (that's $3.00 each)
30 Bars = $82.50 (that's $2.75 each)

When you order a bulk bar listing, you just tell me which of the soaps listed below you would like while quantities last. You can even conact me and get a bulk of one kind if you like. I can also make special listing in the shop for you if you want more than 1 and less than 10.

Soap List:

Almond Scrub


This soap has a deliciously strong almond scent. It also contains corn meal which is a great exfoliante for hands and feet.

Ingredients: food grade saponified oils of coconut, olive, canola, and soy, naturally occurring glycerin, corn meal, and almond fragrance oil.



Apple

This smells so wonderful. It reminds one of being in an apple orchard on a crisp fall day picking apples and enjoying the good life. I have searched high and low for just a scent and here it is. I think you will enjoy it too.

Ingredients: food grade saponified oils of coconut, olive, canola, and soy, naturally occurring glycerin, greed oxide for colorant, and apple fragrance oil.


Bella (a Twilight soap)


Yes this soap is in honor of Miss Bella Swan of the Twilight books. Bella is described as very floral smell, like lavender . . . or freesia. And Edward has noted "It's mouthwatering." This is a fragrance blend created by one of my favorite soap supply companies and I love it. Bella fragrance has notes of rose, iris, violet, and soft musk. Sexy, but also fresh and innocent. If you haven't tried the Twilight series yet, it is a great escape, a very good read.

Ingredients: food grade saponified oils of coconut, olive, canola, and soy, naturally occurring glycerin, ultramarine colorant, and Bella fragrance oil.

Black Cherry

This is a fun, light, candy scent. If you are into that sort of thing, you will love this soap.

Ingredients: food grade saponified oils of coconut, olive, canola, and soy, naturally occurring glycerin, pink and black pigments, and Black Cherry fragrance oil.


Cantaloupe

Fresh, delicious cantaloupe. This scent is dead on. I love it!

Ingredients: food grade saponified oils of coconut, olive, canola, and soy, naturally occurring glycerin, paprika for color, and Cantaloupe fragrance oil.



Coconut Lime

I love this soap, creamy and tart at the same time. It smells so yummy and refreshing. This is a great good morning soap and a great soap for after a long day at work. I think you will find you love it too.

Ingredients: food grade saponified oils of coconut, olive, canola, and soy, naturally occurring glycerin, greed oxide for colorant, and coconut and lime fragrance oils.

Coffee/Kitchen Soap

If I could eat a soap it would be this one. It smells so good I want to just take a nibble. It smells like coffee caramel goodness. This soap has grounds in it which are abrasive so this is a hand, and not really a body soap. The coffee grounds also have an Oder eliminating ability. This makes it a great kitchen soap to get rid of cooking smells from your hands from onions, garlic and much more.

Ingredients: food grade saponified oils of coconut, olive, canola, and soy, naturally occurring glycerin, freshly ground coffee beans, and Cappuccino Brule fragrance oil.

Country Heather

This soap's scent is a lovely green floral, not to heavy like some Heathers can be. I love it and think you will too!

Ingredients: food grade saponified oils of coconut, olive, canola, and soy, naturally occurring glycerin, oxide and ultramarine colorants, and Country Heather fragrance oil.


Cucumber

This is NOT a Melon blend Cucumber scent. It smells like fresh sliced cucumbers with just a hint of sweetness. NO MELON.

Ingredients: food grade saponified oils of coconut, olive, canola, and soy, naturally occurring glycerin, paprika for color, and Cucumber fragrance oil.

Desert Sage

This soap is very nostalgic for me. It reminds me of my childhood and playing in the sagebrush in the Utah Desert. It is a blend of sage and cedar. I should call it Green Jacket Soap but only my siblings would get the reference. :o)

Ingredients: food grade saponified oils of coconut, olive, canola, and soy, naturally occurring glycerin, ultramarine and herbs for color, Cedar essential oil and Desert Sage fragrance oil.

Edward

Yes I couldn't leave dear Edward out. Edward is described in the book as smelling like honey, lilacs and sunshine. The Edward inspired fragrance I chose is fresh, clean, and sexy. They added a bit of vanilla, heliotrope, dry wood, and grapefruit. This is a young and sporty type scent, very masculine. It is a definitely a guy scent BUT one that you wouldn't mind enjoying in the shower ladies.

Ingredients: food grade saponified oils of coconut, olive, canola, and soy, naturally occurring glycerin, body glitter, and Edward fragrance oil.

English Ivy

This soap has a lovely "green" plant smell. Very nice and very refreshing.

Ingredients: food grade saponified oils of coconut, olive, canola, and soy, naturally occurring glycerin, green oxide for color, and English Ivy fragrance oil.


Facial Blend


This IS my favorite soap. It is the bar I reach for the most. It has been called "Energy" here before. We are listing as a facial bar though because it is very good for your skin. It contains green French clay, lavender, peppermint, tea tree, and patchouli essential oils. These are all anti bacterial and great for your skin. There is also French clay in this soap which is great for oily skin making it a great facial bar.

Ingredients: food grade saponified oils of coconut, olive, canola, and soy, naturally occurring glycerin, green oxide for color, green French clay, lavender, tea tree, peppermint, and patchouli essential oils.

Fudge Berry Brownie

This smells good enough to bite. My kids think it smells like a tootsie pop. This is my own blend of chocolate and berry fragrance oils. Pretty much everyone loves this scent.

Ingredients: food grade saponified oils of coconut, olive, canola, and soy, naturally occurring glycerin, cocoa powder for color, and Chocolate and Blackberry fragrance oil.

Gardener's Soap

This has a bug repelling yet gardener delighting blend of essential oils, including lemon grass, citronella, tea tree, lavender and several more. It also contains corn meal for a mild scrubbing effect.

Ingredients: food grade saponified oils of coconut, olive, canola, and soy, naturally occurring glycerin, cornmeal, a special blend of essential oils.


Georgia Peach

This is a very different peach scent. It doesn't smell like candy or soda pop. It has a real green plant kind of smell. I will not be replacing our Peach Nectar scent but just might make it to the permanent line-up

Ingredients: food grade saponified oils of coconut, olive, canola, and soy, naturally occurring glycerin, pink and yellow pigment for color, and Georgia Peach fragrance oil.

Harvest Festival

Whether it is fall or not this is wonderful homey soap scent. Every time you sniff this soap you will smell something different; apple, citrus, spice and pumpkin notes meld into this fabulous fall blend!

Ingredients: food grade saponified oils of coconut, olive, canola, and soy, naturally occurring glycerin, grated white soap, red and yellow pigment for color, and All Hallows Eve fragrance oil.

Honeysuckle

Honeysuckle is another one of my favorite floral fragrances. This one is dead on in my book (or close enough). We have honeysuckle vines in our backyard and my little girl took one whiff of this soap and said "hey that smells like those pretty honeysuckle flowers in the back yard." That was good enough for me.
Why purple?? Long story..... just say I grabbed the wrong bottle of scent so the color is perfect for Huckleberry soap but the scent is perfect for Honeysuckle. Either way it smells divine.

Ingredients: food grade saponified oils of coconut, olive, canola, and soy, naturally occurring glycerin, grated white soap, pink and black pigment for color, and Honeysuckle fragrance oil.

Huckleberry



At long last, I have found a berry scent that not only smells great BUT also works in cold process soap. Berry scents are just really hard to make soap with but this one works and it smells wonderful. If you are berry fan you will love this soap.

Ingredients: food grade saponified oils of coconut, olive, canola, and soy, naturally occurring glycerin, pink and black pigment for color, and Huckleberry fragrance oil.

Jacob Black



Jake the Snake and Zeek the Freak

Ok unless you grew up anywhere near my dad you won't know these two old cowpokes. When I was a little girl my dad would come home from work, lay down on the living room floor and put an arm out for me and my little brother to rest our heads on. Then he would tell us the most marvelous stories about these two crusty old cowboys. There were so many things he could have done with his time but he chose to spend it telling stories to two little kids. We loved those stories and still do.Why did I name this soap after them?? Because, to me it smells like the Southern desert, tumble weeds, willows at the waterhole, and soft yet rugged scent cowboy cologne.

Ingredients: food grade saponified oils of coconut, olive, canola, and soy, naturally occurring glycerin, dill weed for color, and Pinion Pine and Sage Brush fragrance oil.

Lavender

This is simply pure lavender goodness. It is so calming and soothing to the soul. It is the perfect end to any day. And a peaceful way to start your morning.

Ingredients: food grade saponified oils of coconut, olive, canola, and soy, naturally occurring glycerin, lavender buds, ultramarine blue for color, and Lavender essential oil.

Lavender Mint

This soap is made with a refreshing blend of Lavender, Spearmint, and Peppermint Essential Oils.

Ingredients: food grade saponified oils of coconut, olive, canola, and soy, naturally occurring glycerin, lavender buds, ultramarine blue for color, and Lavender, Peppermint, and Spearmint essential oils.

Lemon Zest


Licorice/Anise/Fisherman Soap


Why three names? Because people call this soap by those three names. It is just pure soap with poppy seeds and Anise Essential Oil. Why Fisherman's soap? Because this scent masks human scent and is attractive to fish so fishermen swear by it. As for me it smells like the best, most mouth watering black licorice ever. If licorice is your thing, you will LOVE this soap!

Ingredients: food grade saponified oils of coconut, olive, canola, and soy, naturally occurring glycerin, poppy seeds, and Anise essential oil.

Lilac

This soap is very nostalgic for me. It reminds me of my childhood and playing in the lilac bushes in my mother's front yard. The bushes were so large you could play under them with your dolls. This scent is dead on in my opinion. I think you will like it if you are a lilac fan. I have search high and low to find one that was a good match.

Ingredients: food grade saponified oils of coconut, olive, canola, and soy, naturally occurring glycerin, lavender pigment for color, and Lilac fragrance oil.


Lily of the Valley

This scent is almost dead on for Lily of the Valley which happens to be my favorite flower. It is a delicate flower with powerful scent which is amazing. If you are a fan of this flower you will love this soap!

Ingredients: food grade saponified oils of coconut, olive, canola, and soy, naturally occurring glycerin, white pigment for color, and Lily of the Valley fragrance oil.

Mint Lemonade

Sweet, tart and refreshing. Isn't that was you expect from a good lemonade? This soap scent delivers just that. I can't get enough of this one. I know I would love it and I do and I know you will too. Spoil yourself silly with a bar just for you.

Ingredients: food grade saponified oils of coconut, olive, canola, and soy, naturally occurring glycerin, dill weed, yellow oxide for color, and Jordan's Mint Lemonade fragrance oil.

Mint Magic

This has be one of our all time favorite soaps. I think it is the first scent we started blending ourselves. It is a lovely mix of peppermint, spearmint and a dash of wintergreen. It smells lovely and bright. A real pick-me-up.

Ingredients: food grade saponified oils of coconut, olive, canola, and soy, naturally occurring glycerin, lavender buds, green oxide for color, Peppermint, Spearmint, and Wintergreen essential oils.

Morning Bliss

This is a special batch of soap made with a special bunch of girls at my church. They picked the scent name and the add-ins. The scent is a lovely blend of lemon, cintronella, lavender and cedar. It has such a bright citrus scent with the earthiness of the cedar and the mellowness of the lavender. I think they gave the soap a wonderful smell.

Ingredients: food grade saponified oils of coconut, olive, canola, and soy, naturally occuring glycerine, calendula blossoms, yellow oxide for color, Lavender, Lemon, Citronella, and Cedar essenial oils.

Oak Leaves & Acorns

This bar has a wonderful fall smell. There is a warm amber musk scent with high fruit notes and the scent of warm earth. It smells like a fall festival and crunching leaves.

Ingredients: food grade saponified oils of coconut, olive, canola, and soy, naturally occurring glycerin, paprika, yellow and red for color, and Oak Leaves and Acorns fragrance oil.

Pan Dulce

This soap was inspired by my favorite Mexican pan dulce, Pan de los Muertos or Bread of the dead. This bread has a heavely blend of orange rind and anise seeds and is sometimes topped with a vanilla glaze. The soap version has a wonderfully swirling blend of Anise and orange essential oils and a hint of vanilla fragrance oil. It is a real treat and smells good enough to bite.

Ingredients: food grade saponified oils of coconut, olive, canola, and soy, naturally occurring glycerine, yellow and red oxide for color, Anise and Orange essential oils, and vanilla fragrance oil.

Pineapple

Smells like a wonderful pineapple treat. Very mellow scent.

Ingredients: food grade saponified oils of coconut, olive, canola, and soy, naturally occurring glycerin, yellow oxide for color, and Pineapple fragrance oil.


Plumeria

This is secented with a fragrance oil. It smells so wonderfully sweet and flowery. It is not a heavy perfumish flower. Very soothing.

Ingredients: food grade saponified oils of coconut, olive, canola, and soy, naturally occurring glycerin, lavender pigment for color, and Plumeria fragrance oil.

Red Clover Tea

This is a wonderfully bright fruity scent.

Ingredients: food grade saponified oils of coconut, olive, canola, and soy, naturally occurring glycerin, dill weed, pink pigment for color, and Red Clover Tea fragrance oil.

Rosemary Mint

This is a unique batch of soap. In making the batch it decided it didn't want to fallow the normal path of soapmaking SO.... I rebatched it (melted it back down and re-poured it.) As a result it marbled it'self and has very interesting swirls of color. The scent is very light and a wonderful earthy mint which is a blend of Peppermint, Spearmint, and Rosemary essential oils

Ingredients: food grade saponified oils of coconut, olive, canola, and soy, naturally occurring glycerin, grated mint magic soap, Rosemary, Spearmint and Peppermint essential oils.

Spiced Forest

This is a lovely blend of Pine needle, Fir Needle, Orange and Clove Essential oils. It smells just like Christmas to me, like real pine trees and pomader balls. I think you will love it. It is very soothing and refreshing and nostalgic.

Ingredients: food grade saponified oils of coconut, olive, canola, and soy, naturally occurring glycerin, green oxide for colorant, grated orange mint soap, Fir needle, Pine needle, Orange, and Clove essential ols.

Spearmint & Eucalyptus


This is a fragrance oil NOT and essential oil blend. It has a bright clean smell. Rather masculine. Great for guys.

I have to share a story with you about this scent. My mother is now 80 years old. She grew up in Berkley California during WWII. As a little girl she had a huge Eucalyptus bush in her front yard near the sidewalk. When I made this soap and let her smell it. She said it smelled just like the bush in her front yard. Then she told me delightful stories about her life there in that lovely house in 1940's Berkley. Isn't it interesting what memories scents can bring. I hope some of these soap scents can bring back happy memories for you too. For me it is the Lily of the Valley soap. That was my grandmother's favorite flower and we grew them in our yard and I would pick them with my mother to put on my Grandmonther's grave each spring.

Ingredients: food grade saponified oils of coconut, olive, canola, and soy, naturally occurring glycerin, dill weed, pink pigment for color, and Red Clover Tea fragrance oil.

Strawberry

This is a very soft creamy strawberry candy scented soap. I love it. Reminds me of the candy counter when I was little. This scent is very soft, not bold at all.

Ingredients: food grade saponified oils of coconut, olive, canola, and soy, naturally occuring glycerin, pink pigment for color, and Strawberry fragrance oil.

Sweetgrass

This smells like new mown hay. It is so lovely and fresh. A very nostalgic scent.

Ingredients: food grade saponified oils of coconut, olive, canola, and soy, naturally occurrng glycerin, dill weed, and Sweetgrass fragrance oil.

Tea Tree Special
(yes this is the same bar as the Facial bar just under it's other name).

This IS my favorite soap. It is the bar I reach for the most. It has been called "Energy" here before. We are listing as a facial bar though because it is very good for your skin. It contains green French clay, lavender, peppermint, tea tree, and pachouli essential oils. These are all anti bacterial and great for your skin.

Ingredients: food grade saponified oils of coconut, olive, canola, and soy, naturally occurrng glycerin, green oxyide for color, green French clay, lavender, tea tree, peppermint, and patchouli essential oils.



Tihitian Vanilla

This rich, dark and fragrant soap is Natural Soap Goodness. It is made with fresh goat's milk, oats and a sprinkle of cinnamon. The Fragrance oil used is Tahitian vanilla and it is a lovely rich heavy vanilla scent. There is also a small ammount of Cinnamon Essential oil added.

Ingredients: food grade saponified oils of coconut, olive, canola, and soy, naturally occurrng glycerin, goat milk, oatmeal, Tihitian vanilla fragrance oil, and cinnamon essential oil.

Tropical Fun



The scent is actually called Sex on the Beach but I thought it smelled like Hawaiian Punch, very fruity.

Ingredients: food grade saponified oils of coconut, olive, canola, and soy, naturally occurrng glycerin, paprika for color, Sex on the Beach fragrance oil.

Vanilla Creme

This soap has a warm, delicious, and simple Vanilla fragrance. It has no colorants added and is just the natural color of soap.

Ingredients: food grade saponified oils of coconut, olive, canola, and soy, naturally occurring glycerin, Vanilla Cream fragrance oil.

Volturi

White Tea & Ginger

This beautiful white soap is scented with white tea and ginger fragrance oil. This is my sister's favorite scent so I scanned the net looking for it to make soap and am so happy I did. It smelles divine, a very etherial floral scent. It also reminds me of her everytime I smell it and that is always a happy thing.

Ingredients: food grade saponified oils of coconut, olive, canola, and soy, naturally occurring glycerin, White Tea & Ginger fragrance oil.

Dad Cooks

My dear hubby has been trying very hard to lend a hand here and there lately. He is being really very sweet about it all. He can actually cook fairly well but doesn't always take the time to follow directions. So..... he asked me to come up with some quickie meals that he can fix without having to think too much so they can happen rather quickly, and rather painlessly for all involved. So.... Here is one of the meals I gave him to do and he loves it. It is fast, easy, and best of all tasty. It is as simple as hamburger helper but with ten times the flavor.

Dad's Quickie Pasta Dish
(sorry the about the pictures in advance, he wouldn't hold still and I was sick)

Ingredients:
Ground meat (optional)
Veggies (if you have them and what you like)
Pasta (about 1 pound of what ever noodle you have)
Pasta Sauce (what ever kind you like about 1 large can or jar)
Water
Cheese (also optional and what ever kind you like and have on hand)


1. Cook your meat (beef or pork) in a skillet with some oil, salt, pepper and what ever veggies you like to add. Cook until meat is browned and veggies are "done" to your liking.

Veggies we like to chop and add:
Onions
Peppers
Carrots
Celery
Mushrooms
Garlic

2. Add a large can of your favorite spaghetti sauce. Stir in. DH likes Hunts Original and so do we. It works. Sometimes we add 2 because we feel like it. It is that easy and that low tech.

3. Add a can (or jar) full of water and stir in well. Sometimes we add an extra half can of water if it looks a little dry.

4. Pour in your favorite noodles. We have tried several noodles in this and we like Radiatore and Rigatoni. They grab sauce and yummy bit and hold onto them.

5. Adjust your water and sauce levels to taste here. You want it to be pretty soupy but not as thin as soup.

6. Now put the lid on and cook till the noodles are done. That should take anywhere from 15-20 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent scorching.

7. When the noodles are done, sprinkle the top with grated cheese (slices also work), put the lid back on, and take it to the table. While it sits, waiting for you to get everyone there and ready, it will melt the cheese.

And there you have it, an instant family favorite with salad and fruit. I also love it because it means I get a night off when I am running to community meetings, sewing my fingers together for a customer, or just plain sick in bed (do mom's really ever get sick days?)