This time of year always feels like we have finally reached the backside of an uphill slog.
We now gain a whopping six minutes a day in sunlight (a whole hour every week and a half…, for the math-allergic). But much like dieting, the Crafter doesn’t pay attention to just the numbers on the scale, (it’s all about the fit of the pants). And so she grateful for the little things like picking up the kids from school without the use of headlights or a bright horizon as the school day begins…. Mind you, the Crafter’s hairy half has been up in Resolute Bay and watched the light gain 20 min a day. Which makes me come across as a bit of an amateur.
Maybe the windchill will even ease up from the -40s soon.
To keep our minds off the winter quarantine, we have been getting cozy in the workshop. And, in the spirit of Valentine’s Day, we are releasing our limited edition ‘Smooches’ soap.
Valentine Soap: ‘Smooches’
This is a seriously limited edition with only 32 bars having been produced. The fragrance oil goes by the rather cheeky name of ‘lick me all over’. Think of it as naughty-fruity.
‘U da Bomb’ : Valentine bath bomb.
Even fewer ‘UdaBomb’ heart shaped bath bombs were made. They are lovely though: full of kaolin clay, jojoba oil and Epsom salts. If you are wanting one of these guaranteed, let us know, we will put it aside. Otherwise, they will be at Sutherlands, downtown, on Thursday. Happy smooching!
Here is another custom wedding soap from last year that I have been meaning to share. The bride wanted ‘his’ and ‘hers’ scented wedding favours in her colours (blue, white and silver). The Crafter carved and poured the stamp: the bride and groom’s initials as used on the invitations. Dare I say that soap made for a very cool party favour!?
His and Hers
The Crafter wants you to know that the soap supply is steadily growing and the virtual store shelves will be restocked as they cure and come off the racks. She thanks you for you patience. Things are a little slow as she is working through a new daily routine that includes four mornings at the gym…. Long winter days in the workshop do not contribute to a girlish figure….
And since returning to a more sensible lifestyle she has been trying out some new recipes. Other than the mind-numbing task of daily dinner preparation, the second most reviled chore of the weekdays is the planning and assembly of healthy, flavourful lunch bags for the kids: something they like, something that is good for them, something that is filling, something they didn’t have yesterday….. AAaaaargh…! So, finding herself buying granola bars by the bulk-load (and reading the ingredient lists), the Crafter went on a granola bar recipe scavenger hunt. Many batches later, the kids are satisfied and mom is thrilled:
You can use whatever dried fruits, nuts, grains you have shoveled into the back of the pantry
If your kids like the chocolate varieties, just sprinkle some on the top as it comes out of the oven give it a minute and smear with a knife or spatula
No mom-guilt here (and they don’t need to know how much bran is in there)
If anyone wants to give it a shot, here is our final recipe (double batch):
4 C rolled oats (we love Rogers Porridge Oats with flax seed, oat and wheat brans)
3/4 C wheat germ (or bran, or coconut, or whatever)
1 tsp cinnamon (or nutmeg….)
2 C whole wheat flour
1.5 C raisins ( dried fruit….)
1.5 tsp salt
1 C oil (or do some applesauce combo with oil)
1 C honey
2 eggs (beaten)
4 tsp vanilla
*1 Cup applesauce or pumpkin puree
Combine the dry ingredients (mixer works well), add wet, mix well
Spread into a ~1/2 to 1 inch thick slab (it is sticky) on a lined cookie sheet
Bake @350 for ~20 min (until edges just brown if you like them to stay soft, longer if you want them to harden up)
Cut into bars while still warm (you can always try the chocolate trick mentioned above before cutting)
Take this recipe and run with it…. It takes very little effort and you can really customize it for your kids’ tastes!
*Update: If you are adding and messing about with ingredients and you prefer a softer bar, I highly suggest the addition of 1 Cup of applesauce or pumpkin as these bars can easily turn out dry. Watch carefully for the edges to brown. If you do overcook it, crumble and use like regular granola!!