Just good clean living

Blackberry Scones

2012-01-08T14:04:00.000-08:00

Blackberry Scones.....Oh, so yummy! I have been making scones for my family for some time, and they...Love them! Usually, I just make regular scones...but today I decided to add Blackberries to change things up a bit.

Blackberry Scones

oven temp 400º

Makes 8 scones

Prep time 20 minutes

cook time 10 minutes

ready in 30 minutes

(Dry Phase)

1 3/4 C. all purpose Flour

3 tsp. Baking Powder

1 tsp. Cream of Tartar

1/4 C. Sugar

1/8 tsp. Salt

1/2 C. Butter

(Wet Phase)

1/2 C. Milk

1/4 C. Sour Cream

Fresh, Frozen or canned Blackberries

( I used Wilderness brand Blackberry pie filling because that is what we had in the Pantry)

(Egg wash)

1 egg

1 Tb. Milk

(Glazing)

1 tsp. Clear Vanilla

1/2 C. Powdered Sugar

1 TB. Milk

Sift first 5 dry ingredients into a bowl and cut in butter until well blended and set aside.

In a small bowl or measuring cup whisk together sour cream and Milk. Pour wet mixture all at once over dry mixture and gently mix.

I use my kitchen aide mixer.

Do not over mix!

I used about 1/4 C. Canned Blackberry Pie filling and gently folded into dough mixture.

Place dough mixture onto floured surface and pat into a wheel shape the size of a dinner plate. Cut into 8 even slices like a pizza. place onto baking sheet.

Whisk egg and milk and brush tops of scones. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before placing in the oven.

Place scones in preheated oven until tops are golden brown. The scones only take 10 minutes in my oven.

Remove from oven and place on a wire rack. Brush tops with powdered sugar Glaze.

Serve warm and enjoy!

Gardening in January

2012-01-03T23:10:00.000-08:00

The seed catalogs started arriving before Christmas...

Thirteen in all and still counting!

This was enough to send this particular garden girl into a tail spin of day dreams of Sunny days, Sweet spring days, and the Fresh grit of Earth between my hands, and under my fingernails.

I set out circling all the varieties that my heart desired, as if my garden were in acres and budget just wasn't one of the words in my vocabulary.

Reality quickly set in though and I gently, reluctantly drifted back down from the clouds.

I decided to pull out my seed bag and began organizing and taking inventory...Turns out, I was only in need of Peas....Darn!

I had plenty of everything I needed...Great news for the budget!

With the weather being unusually mild for North Idaho, and with much of our snow now melted, I decided to check in on some spinach and lettuce that I mindlessly tossed into the cold frames back in October.

I was excited to find they really had grown with out any help or extra care from me.

Even with freezing temps, they have grown. Proof enough for me that you can garden year round in North Idaho :-)

Here is a side by side comparison of the growth in 65 winter days. Most of those days, the frames were covered in snow.

Although the growth is slow, I suspect the jump start on Spring will greatly pay off and this garden girl will gladly be counting the days until harvest.

Happy Gardening!

Happy New Year

2012-01-01T21:30:00.000-08:00

We spent our New Years Eve in Potlatch, ID. with Troy's
brother Ray and our Sister-in-Law Doris, for the second year in a row....could this be tradition in the making? ;-)

I didn't get any pictures this time, so you will just have to take my word that we had a fantastic time and they definitely make the trip worth it. Ray is the King of Meat and his signature tri-tip steak is to die for!!!

Ray and Doris certainly go the extra mile to make dinner with family a special event. The boys get a kick out of their Uncle Ray, as he is quite the character!

I love watching Troy interact with his brother and I can't help but imagine that someday my boys will be interacting in much of the same way.

We had a great time making memories and left Potlatch a little later than anticipated. We ended up ringing in the New Year as a family in the car on our road trip home...

Welcome 2012... Happy New Year!

Holiday Season

2011-12-27T15:20:00.000-08:00

As the snow flakes settle down around us from the whirlwind holiday season... Here are a few highlights from our Christmas Season

A rusty re-purpose project

2011-12-23T22:25:00.000-08:00

With Christmas almost here...Mr. Cedar House Soaps and I had time to sneak in one more re-purpose project before the big day.

This old Rusty piece of junk was a recently salvaged and was on it's way to the scrap yard. Formerly a front of an old stove, I couldn't help noticing that it would make a fantastic picture frame. Can you see it too???

First we scrubbed it down with a wire brush,
washed it with soap and water and then oiled it.

Filled it with fun pictures of our family

used some old rusty wire for a hanger on the back

ready to be hung on the wall.

A super easy and fun project!

Thrifty Thursday Christmas

2011-12-08T06:00:00.000-08:00

These frosty little darlin's were a big hit at our recent show at the Two Women Country Christmas Show in Spokane this past weekend.

Made of thread rounds salvaged from local thrift stores, random Silver pieces, vintage bling, and old rusty tacks.

Better with Bling...a thrifty Thursday project

2011-12-01T06:42:00.001-08:00

Here is a super simple thrifty Thursday project

I found a box of vintage inspired Christmas Cards at my local thrift store, and wanted to make them just a little more special.

I love these little bottles of glitter glue by stickles....

Easy Peezie!

Everything is better with BLING!

:-)

Rescued Angel Project

2011-11-24T21:00:00.000-08:00

Here is a recent project finished for

The Two Women Country Christmas Show.

These long forgotten and abandoned angels were found in the bottom of the bins at a local thrift store.... begging to be rescued and taken home to be loved once again.

This white angel had certainly seen better days...

No longer able to stand on her own, and in certain need of TLC.

This gold and green angel was adorned in out dated fashions and needed

a little help freshening up her wardrobe.

ugly wings and old ribbons had to be removed!

No wonder the white angel could not stand on her own...Her cone needed to be replaced!

Sporting their new feathers, handmade wings and vintage bling.

I love how these rescued angels turned out!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T18:26:00.001-08:00

Hope you all made memories with your loved ones and had just as meaningful of a day as I did.

A day to simply be at home with my family and reflect all that I have to be thankful for.

With a full Heart and a full belly...

I am nothing short of BLESSED!

It's beginning to smell a lot like Christmas!

2011-11-14T21:00:00.000-08:00

With Christmas just around the corner. The shop is buzzing with the whirring, stirring and mixing of holiday soaps.

With fresh cut Peppermint Loofahs in the air....It's beinning to smell alot like Christmas around here...Yum!

Countdown is on...Only 40 days until Christmas!

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T07:00:00.000-07:00

Hello...Jack!

2011-10-26T10:53:00.000-07:00

Looks like it's that time of year once again...

Today my old friend Jack Frost has returned from his extended vacation.

Welcome Back JACK!

Thanks for reminding me to put on my wool socks and to add another log on the fire!

Chalking one up!

2011-10-25T21:50:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I have shared a project on my blog...

So here is one of my latest!

Chalk Paint

Have you heard about it yet? In the crafty world it's all the rage.I have heard a lot of buzz about it lately, and really wanted to give it a shot. Let's just say curiosity finally got the better of me!

Of course there are commercial Chalk Paint brands on the market...

But, I am cheap and so I decided to make my own using a concoction of Plaster of Paris and regular Latex paint from my local Ace Hardware store.

Item in question to be painted was this 70's style octagon table cabinet thingy... complete with plywood and plastic molded doors, found on a recent thrifting adventure.

A layer of primer was added...

I think that I could have skipped this step as the Plaster of Paris would have helped the paint adhere.

I'd rather be safe... than sorry!

I chose a bold Aqua... I love how easy the Chalk paint is to use and the coverage of one coat is super cool!

Big plans for this little cutie will be revealed at my next show...stay tuned :-)

Honeysuckle Restock

2011-10-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

Our sweet, delicate Honeysuckle soap has finished curing and is available for ordering on our website once again.

With Autumn in full swing and the onset of cold, brisk, chilly mornings...

I couldn't believe there was actually honeysuckle blossoms left on the vine for photos.

A sweet surprise for sure!

2011-10-03T22:53:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun this weekend at the magical

Mad Hatter Vintage Market put on by Junebug.

Check out our first ever blog video of some of our favorite highlights from the show.

Let us know what you think ;-)

Soap at last...

2011-09-26T05:30:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I've posted about soap!

Here is proof that indeed...

I am still a Soapmaker!

In fact, I have been busier than ever...Restocking the curing racks after the Summer rush. It's time to think about fall and....(((gassssp)))....the upcoming holidays. I am happy to announce three new scents that are curing as we speak!

First up is COUNTRY BUMPKIN, a gentle blend of nutmeg, brown sugar, hints of ginger and fresh pumpkin.

Second, a beautiful and gentle sweet mandarin and musk blend ...BLUSH

and third, Maple Walnut Breve' a warm sweet temptation of toasted walnuts, buttery vanilla, rich maple, and mocha...oooh la la!!!!

Falling in LOVE with Fall

2011-09-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

Now that it's officialy here...

It's not hard to see why I love Fall so much!

Mad Hatter Vintage Flea Market

2011-09-21T06:30:00.000-07:00

Look where Cedar House Soaps

will be heading next...

We are excited to be first timers at this magical event put on by the funtastic Mother & Daughter Duo of JUNEBUG

Hope we see you there!

MIA

2011-09-20T06:30:00.000-07:00

Yes, I have been missing in action yet again!

Did you miss me?

It seems as though all our hard work this spring has paid off and the Garden Harvest has been in full swing. Keeping me a wee bit distracted from my blog!

Garlic harvest was fantastic and weighed in at over 12 lbs.

Onions were actually bigger than golf balls this year.....yippee!

Enough dried calypso beans for winter soups

(these fun heirloom beans look just like mini Orca Whales....Love them!)

drying & saving seeds from the harvest and...

from these stunning Sunflowers :-)

overwhelming amounts of cucumbers have been picked

with loads of canning to do!

Of course we have been busy in the SOAP shop making many new soaps for Fall....Stay tuned for SOAP posts coming soon!

Zesty Zucchini Bread

2011-08-31T09:51:00.001-07:00

Tis' the season for us to be buried up to our eyeballs in Zucchini. If you grow zucchini, you know exactly what I am talking about.

We eat what we can fresh and the rest is shredded, measured and packed away in the freezer for winter meals.

Of course... we make lots of zucchini bread too!

Here is a favorite recipe of ours at the Cedar House. We have tried many Zucchini bread recipes in the past. This remains our favorite ;-).

2 Cups Finely Shredded Zucchini
2 Cups Sugar
2 Farm Fresh Eggs
1 tsp. Lemon Extract
1 tsp. Almond Extract
1 tsp. Ground Nutmeg
1 tsp. Ground Ginger
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 Cup Cooking Oil
Zest and freshly squeezed juice from 1 Lemon

Combine all ingredients in your favorite mixing bowl and set aside for 10 minutes to allow the zucchini to sweat out

In another mixing bowl combine the following...

3 Cups Flour
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Baking Powder

Mix dry ingredients thoroughly and then add to wet ingredients.

I stir by hand just until mixed...No need to overwork the batter!

Pour batter equally into two bread pans prepared with a non stick spray

Bake in preheated oven at 350º for 45 minutes ( My ancient oven cooks a little hotter so I set my timer for 40 minutes) until center is done.

Pull golden loaves from the oven and cool on wire racks for 10 minutes and then release from pans and thoroughly cool.

After loaves are cool place in sealed bread bags and place in refrigerator. We have found this holds in moisture and the bread will slice up beautifully.

If you decide to try it out...

We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Blog Award

2011-08-30T06:30:00.000-07:00

I have received my first ever blog award from the darling Cary Burnett

I have to admit that it feels good to receive one...

Miss Cary "THANK YOU" for your kind words and for making my heart smile today!!!

The definition of “liebster” is: n. sweetheart, beloved person, darling
adj. dear, darling; beloved, liked very much; affectionate, loving
adj. favorite, preferred above others; liked or loved above others

The Liebster Award was created to recognize blogs with a following of less than 200 followers.

The rules for accepting this award are as follows:

1. Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them.

2. Reveal your top 5 picks *(some sites I saw said 3) and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.

3. Post the award on your blog.

4. Bask in the love from the most supportive people on the Internet – other writers.

5. And best of all – have fun and spread the karma!

So without further ado my top picks are...

Heritage Harvest Marla is steeped in heritage. She has an amazing knack for sharing the past. We have a lot in common. Always an enjoyable read!!!

Happy Together Mindy is a talented photographer, artist, and all around overworked Super mom. She shares her passion and love of family. Proof is in the pictures!!

My take on life I met Kelly and her husband last year and fell in love with them both!!! I love Kelly's take on life! She is feisty, honest & fun. Don't believe me...Just check out her birthday post.

2011-08-24T15:43:00.000-07:00

As always... I have the best intentions of harvesting everything from the garden on time.

Intentions to be a...Green Thumb Gardener Extraordinaire!

Ha!

Those who know me, know that just isn't the case!
I do make mistakes quite frequently.

Hence is the case where I didn't harvest the green onions for...hmmm...forever!

They were much to HUGE to really do much with and I didn't really think the kids wanted to eat them every night for the next two weeks.

So, I pulled out my handy dandy food dehydrator and my sharpest kitchen knife and went to work in my very own version of a chop shop.

((O.k. note to self...when you let green onions grow to epic proportions and then decide to harvest them all at once... you will be crying like a baby))

I didn't want to freeze the onions and then have them turn to a slimy nasty mess when thawed. Dehydrating was my best option.

They turned out FABULOUS!

I now have a gallon of dried green onions in my pantry to add to soups and stews this winter when the garden has long been forgotten beneath a thick blanket snow.

although I dried a couple things from the garden last year, dehydrating is still fairly new to me. I did put my dehydrator outside so the house didn't smell like an onion factory!

SUMMER

2011-08-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

Beach Toys

Sand in your sandals

campfires

Burnt hotdogs

& Water

Garden L-O-V-E

2011-08-11T22:47:00.000-07:00

With Summer in full swing we have been harvesting garden goodies daily...

Here is a peek through our garden gate

It's a jungle in there!!!

Hungarian wax peppers are growing along quite nicely

The broccoli is oh so yummy... The main heads have already been eaten,
the side chutes are growing right along.

Anaheim Peppers

'
little tiny pumpkins..these guys got a late start! A gang of Quail came in and ate the first round of planted seeds. I sure hope they have enough time to grow!!!

We have been eating Sun sweetened raspberries and zucchini too.

I love Summer!

How are your gardens growing???

We are back from Junk Salvation

2011-08-08T13:44:00.000-07:00

Wow what a time we had right before the show... Our youngest son broke his wrist 2 weeks ago and Dr's decided two days before the show that he needed surgery on it asap. Needless to say it has been pretty crazy around the Cedar House these past few days.

We managed to pull our act together and get set up for the show by the skin of our teeth (where did that saying come from anyway???)

The Junk Salvation Girls were more than darling and it was a pleasure to be a part of their show.

Upon entering the show you were greeted by adorable dolled up vintage trailers...(honey if you happen to read this....I have added one of these to my Christmas wish list)

and the show was chalked full of the most amazing vendors and their wares.

Cute as a button, Jennifer from Unexpected necessities and her Mom Kathy always have a Super cute booth. Check out this "hot momma"leg....too funny!

My booth was located next to the Sweet Frostings & Blissful Baking booth owned by Judy Rozier

who is opening a new store on the corner of 1st. and Washington in downtown Spokane.

Tough decisions...what to choose...Salted Carmel or Lemon Huckleberry??? Troy and I chose one of each and shared. Although both were delicious, I am in L-O-V-E with the salted Carmel.

O.K. How can you go wrong with a cupcake? Any cupcake is a good cupcake in my book and it's a good thing I do not live closer to Spokane ;-)

if you get the chance... STOP in at their new store and do some cupcake lovin' of your own!

In a booth across from me was a cousin that I have only met once before...It was a pleasure meeting SWEET Tiffany and her BEAUTIFUL Aunt Gail again.

Tiffany's business is the Pink House mine the Cedar House ...must be a family thing ;-)do you suppose?

Junk Salvation Vintage Market

2011-07-21T06:30:00.000-07:00

Time to mark your calendars once again!!!

To all of our friends and customers you are invited to be our "special guest

Cedar house Soaps is proud to be a part of the Junk Salvation Vintage Market. The sassy and fun Funky Junk Sisters have graciously given us a coupon to share with you that will take $1 off admission.

Please print out coupon and redeem at the door...We are excited to see you there!

Lavender Mint

2011-07-19T10:04:00.001-07:00

On the curing racks now...Lavender Mint is the perfect herbal infusion made with Pure essential oils.

and will be available for ordering very soon!

A weekend in review

2011-07-19T06:41:00.000-07:00

This weekend we took Corbin to his first 3 on 3 basketball tournament in Rathdrum, he was nervous...he usually is before any game.

The boys played hard and won their first game. I am always amazed at how competitive it can get out there on the courts.

They dug in and played hard but lost the next 2 games.

Dad was proud!!!

It just happened to be Rathdrum days so there was a lot going on around the courts. After the games we walked through all the vendor booths. They had a great live BAND playing and lots of fun activities going on.

Ronald Mcdonald was even in Rathdrum sponsoring
the big wheel races.

We just had to watch!

who knew big wheel races were a big deal? It was just too darn cute!!

This little guy had the need for speed.. he pulled ahead of the pack and won the race.

and this little cutie took her time and proudly finished last!

Corbin took a ride on a camel!

and we had to bail the boys out of the Rathdrum jail!!

Just in time to stop a runaway train!

We had a great weekend and hope you did too!

The purpose of Repurpose...

2011-07-05T21:36:00.000-07:00

I found this rather large vintage hand mirror at an estate sale a few weeks back for pennies. I remember the look on the ladies face as I checked out and paid for my treasures...

Who would possible want a broken mirror???

Well, I would!!!

She just didn't see what I could see... Silly lady ;-)

The brown paper backing was stamped 1947....This oldie but goodie was in need of a makeover!

After soaking and scraping away paper and adhesive, it was high time for a new paint job.

Did I mention that I love chalkboard paint??

This was the end result...I enjoy the little bit of whimsy it adds to my garden.

Now I hope my garden catches my drift!

Celebrating America

2011-07-04T13:02:00.000-07:00

We hope you are having a Happy 4th. of July!

We are lucky enough to have spent this warm and sunny weekend celebrating America with our family.

Seemed like a perfect time to set our new flag pole and raise the flag high and mighty!

And the perfect weekend to be a kid...

Happy 4th. of JULY

Summer Begins

2011-06-26T19:59:00.000-07:00

It finally feels like Summer is here...

Bug off!

2011-06-22T20:48:00.000-07:00

Fresh off the curing racks and just in time for skeeter season!!!

We offer a 1.25 oz. Sampler size and regular full size 5 oz.

Citronella Skeeter Beater Bars.

Perfect for all your Summer camping, fishing, hunting and outdoor adventures!

New uses for soap

2011-06-14T15:04:00.000-07:00

As a soapmaker I know that SOAP is pretty cool! Looks like the folks at Real Simple know just how cool soap is too!

This article from Real Simple's May issue was brought in by a customer looking for citronella soap. It was her lucky day...I happened to have just made a fresh batch and she was the happy recipient of all the fresh shavings I had just trimmed from the bars.

Here are 8 New tips for using SOAP from Real Simple

1. Pretty Pincushion Stick needles and pins in a wrapped bar of soap. The soap's oils make the pointy ends glide through the fabric sew easy.

2. Deodorant Substitute In a pinch, swab under arms with a dry bar of (whichever one is handy) to fight that not so fresh feeling.

3. Car Freshener Tuck a cake of scented soap in your car-door compartment for a subtle aroma that is superior to any cardboard pine tree.

4. Insect Repellent Put a few unwrapped bars of Rosemary, lemongrass, or Citronella soap on a picnic table and unwanted flying guests will bug off.

5. Mirror Marker Keep your love notes clean; Scribble on a mirror with a bar of soap. It is cheaper than lipstick and wipes off more easily.

6. Stain Remover Pre treat grass and dirt stains with a few gentle swipes of a dry bar ( any kind will do).

7. Itch Reliever Can't stop scratching that mosquito bite? Rub it with a bar of oatmeal or aloe soap to quell the urge.

8. Hem guide When you're fresh out of tailor's chalk, use a bar of soap to mark a new hem on your fashion masterpiece.

Do you have any tips or tricks for using soap??? Share them here...I would love to hear about it!

:-)

Just coming down from my Farm Chick high

2011-06-07T15:27:00.000-07:00

It's a few days after the show and I think I am just now finally coming down from my Farm Chick high. I spend the first day after the show walking around in a dazed comatose state of mind similar to a hang over....

That's when you know it was a pretty good show!!!

I love being part of the show and can not help but be in awe of all the incredible, creative vendors that all come together under one big top.

As vendors we get a chance to see all the awesomeness before it fills up with a sea of shoppers...

a downside to this is that I am normally exhausted from the amount of energy it takes to get the trailer loaded and to the show, get a good parking spot for unloading, and then kickin' it in to overdrive to unload everything and get my booth set up.

I Strapped on my Super Mom cape and Raced back home to catch the last Soccer game of the season at 8:00 p.m., not getting home until late and turning around and driving right back into Spokane first thing in the morning.

Running on fumes and hoping that when customers stop in for a visit I can make some sort of a comprehendable conversation the rest of the weekend.

I rarely get a chance to get around and see every booth, register it and take it all in before the Show opens.

One thing is for sure...Farm Chicks is a creative sensory overload!!! Farm Chicks really "Bring it"

Two words......BOOTH ENVY

It happens every year....How could it not? there is some pretty spectacular displays...My chin still hurts from hitting the concrete floor ;-)

What I love most about the show is the lasting friendships I have made with other vendors....Some I only see once a year at this show and The shoppers who continue to support and show us the LOVE so we can do what we do...You are A~MAZE~ZING!

A sincere 'Thank You" to all who stopped in our booth this past weekend!!! We couldn't do it without you!

(swimming in a Sea of shoppers)

(I am Thankful to have Troy by my side through it all)

(it's a wrap...after tear down)

(Troy & I still smilin' even after the show)

(behind the scenes after the show...packing up and headed for home)

(Show is over and trailer is lighter)

Can not wait till next year!!!
;-)

Flower Power

2011-05-17T12:12:00.000-07:00

A favorite Petunia of mine....Raspberry Blast!!

I Love Flower Season ;-) I make it a point to add this little beauty to my hanging baskets and window boxes.

I love the bright crisp color combination...It just makes me happy!

What is your favorite flower of the Season?

First Garden Goodies

2011-05-16T21:04:00.000-07:00

With all the rain there hasn't been much to do in the garden this week.

To my surprise spinach was ready to harvest.

I am loving my new cold frames....We have been able to harvest sooner this Spring!

We are trying to keep track of how many pounds of produce we harvest out of the garden this year... So our first weigh-in totaled in at a whopping 3 quarters of a lb.

Chives and Spinach were on the menu tonight

Spinach was tossed into a simple dinner salad.

Chives were tossed into Garlic mashed potatoes along side Pretzel crusted oven baked chicken. Yummy!!!

New Additions

2011-05-16T14:42:00.000-07:00

Meet Gulp & Bubbles. The two newest team members at Cedar House Soaps.

They are settling well into their new fish bowl and are adding just a little more life and excitement to the Soap Shop.

Gulp is a little camera shy... We will have to work on that ;-)

Project Day

2011-05-08T22:08:00.000-07:00

Today was project day...

So many projects...So little time!!!

Farm Chicks is less than a month away!

We are busy SCRUBBING

SCRAPPING

BUILDING

CREATING

HAMMERING

and PAINTING our way to the big day!

May Day

2011-05-01T23:46:00.000-07:00

We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful May Day. We seized our opportunity to work in the garden as a family. We started out early in the coolness of morning and eventually had to slap on sunscreen as the sun finally decided to come out to play in the garden with us.

The Onions are in... I planted Copra and Ailsa Craig varieties.

Our Cabbage, Broccoli, Kohlrabi, Green Onions & Leeks starts have been hardened off and planted.

The Beets are in too!

Garlic looks amazing!

The Spinach is growing along quite nicely too!

I love the fresh chives that pop up early in the spring...one of the first goodies we enjoy from our garden.

My weeding partner was sleeping on the job...Some help he is!

The boys worked all day on putting in the new 18 x 24 garden bed, removing all the sod, amending and tilling...

We really needed more room for potatoes, corn and pumpkins...We have never had enough room to really grow a good amount of these garden goodies and now we can.

We finally decided on a spot to put in the Asparagus bed. Patience is a virtue here as waiting 2 years to harvest is torture!

LET THE GROWING BEGIN!

A Welcome Sign

2011-04-29T14:22:00.000-07:00

It sure doesn't feel like it with all the snow showers, freezing temperatures, and grey skies this week...But Spring is on it's way!

They May flowers are right on schedule :-)

I am so glad to see this welcoming sign of SPRING! How about you?

Fresh Soap Fridays

2011-04-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

Sweetgrass loofahs have been added to the curing rack this week.

I had a chance to play around with soap stamps this go-round and really like the little extra somthin'... somthin'...it adds ;)

To be honest Loofah scrub bars are not one my favorite products to make here at the Soap shop. They are a little more work, a little more difficult to make, and quite a bit more trouble to cut and smooth...Did I mention more clean up time too???

Why do I make them then???

Because...I love the end result!
The natural loofah sponge is more rustic in nature

Our favorite Cedar House Soap recipe has been poured through a natural loofah sponge and sliced into bars. The natural fibers of the sponge help scrub and exfolliate dirt and dead skin cells away! Natural Loofahs can be a little rough for the first couple of uses, yet break in nicely and work great on tired calloused feet!

Peppermint Calendula

2011-04-11T14:50:00.000-07:00

*All natural*
Peppermint & Calendula

Soothing Calendula petals have been combined with the brisk coolness of pure Peppermint Essential Oil in our favorite house blend.

This all natural bar was made to gently cleanse and sooth your skin while invigorating your senses. allowing you to remain....

Calm... Cool... and Collected!

Just added to the curing racks this week and will be available shortly!

Not what I had in mind...

2011-04-06T20:32:00.000-07:00

It is a lot easier to post and share pictures of successful Soapmaking! Leading you all to believe that every batch of soap turns out picture perfect.

I am here to tell you that it just isn't so!

Every now and then I make a batch of soap that is...well... UGLY !
Yesterdays soaping adventures just happened to be one of those days.

How in the heck is this soap supposed to look beautiful, when it looks like Top Ramen noodles and Marshmallow peeps have been thrown all over the top of it???

ugghhh... definitely not the vision I had in mind as I mixed and created!

See for yourself...

Ya..so not cool!

In my defense, the noodle color will turn a chocolate-brown in a few days and I did soap with that in mind.

Drizzled chocolate was the look I was hoping for as the soap set up quicker than I wanted.

I left the shop yesterday disappointed and discouraged...

It happens!

I came back to work today a little more hopeful and was pleasantly surprised to find that it wasn't as bad as I knew it could be!

So now I sit.. wait...and hope...

that this deliciously scented soap magically turns a rich chocolate Brown.

*Update Picture*
(Soap is starting to dicolor a shade of brown I was hoping for)

Spring Fever

2011-03-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

I can hardly wait to get out in the garden and play in the DIRT and just couldn't resist a stroll out in the garden at the first sign of exposed earth.

The snow seems to be melting at a rapid rate now and I am so loving it!!!

Looks like I am not the only one excited...my hard workin' girls love to be let out free range. They all wanted their picture taken...Can you tell?

Guard kitty was on duty to make sure no one entered the garden.

Feels so good to get my hands dirty again ;-)

Found a pea sprout...

a couple rogue onions, sprouted garlic...

and some strawberries who are just as antsy for Spring as I am :-)

Good to be back

2011-03-23T21:06:00.000-07:00

It feels good to be back in the Soap shop again after a winters break!

I was beginning to wonder if I would ever make it back after Sickfest 2011, we did not escape it this year... so we should be good for another few years, right?

I sure hope so!

As usual, with the melting snow comes the rain and inevitably the shop floods.It hampers opening for the season...

and this year was no exception!

I am happy to announce that we are finally Open for a new fun filled season of Soapmaking!

Here is a sneak peak of the soaps we have been working on...

GREEN TEA & CALENDULA

this one is all natural, mild and unscented for our friends with sensitive skin... and will be available after curing on April 20th.

SPELLBOUND is done in layers...

Layer 1

Layer 2

Layer 3

By tomorrow this one will look drastically different as the layers will discolor in tones of brown and is always a fun surprise to unmold...

and with the sun peeking out today and lifting my spirits, I was inspired to make something sunshiny and bright

I can't wait to cut them into bars tomorrow ;-)

Make It a Date!

2011-03-09T05:00:00.000-08:00

How SWEET it is...

O.k. ladies...you won't want to miss this show!!!

Make plans with your best girlfriends for a day of indulgent shopping and junking hoopla at The Farm Chicks Show.

With Special Guest Appearances:

Magazine signing with Ki Nassauer, Editor-in-Chief and Heather Bullard, Senior Editor of Flea Market Style Magazine:

Book signing with Jenny Doh, Author of the new book, Signature Styles:

I will be there...WILL YOU?

Buttermilk Pie ???

2011-02-27T18:09:00.000-08:00

Today I posted on my face book that I had a buttermilk pie in the oven. I ended up with a couple of responses with...What the heck is Buttermilk Pie?

Funny ;-)

Well, to be honest this was my first time making it...and before today, my first time eating it! I got the idea from a very old cook book that goes with my old Home Comfort Cook stove.

It sounded very old-fashioned and interesting. It's a snow day, so why not make it today.

I do not normally have buttermilk in the house and the last time I even remember drinking it, I was probably around 5 years old. My Grandpa Baker let me have a sip of his and I could have sworn he was crazy for drinking sour milk...I wasn't impressed...to say the least!

Turns out the pie has sort of a custard type texture, it is sweet and tastes nothing like Buttermilk.

Here is the recipe I used...

Buttermilk Pie Recipe
1 unbaked Pie crust in a 9" pie plate
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup Brown Sugar
3 Tbs. Flour
3 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Place unbaked pie crust in 9-inch pie plate.

Line pastry with a layer of foil. Bake 8 minutes. Remove foil. Bake 4 to 6 minutes more or until crust is lightly browned; cool. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

In saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Stir in sugars and flour. Remove from heat; set aside.

In mixing bowl beat eggs with electric mixer on medium speed for about 1 minute. Stir in buttermilk and vanilla. Gradually whisk buttermilk mixture into butter mixture until smooth. Pour into prebaked crust.

Place pie on oven rack; carefully tent whole pie with foil that was used to line the pie shell.

Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until center is set when gently shaken.

Cool on wire rack for 1 hour.

Cover; refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving. Makes 8 servings.

The consensus is in... My Family LOVES Buttermilk Pie!

Happy Baking Day!

:-)

A Country Pantry

2011-02-26T12:27:00.000-08:00

A before and after project.

Living in a small home definitely has it's challenges.
For years we have been lacking in storage space...
Food storage being at the top of that list!

After a night of brainstorming, Troy and I came up with the notion of moving the old cook stove out of the corner and adding a much needed Pantry.

The corner before with the stove moved over and an old salvaged door leaned in it's place as our inspiration

Troy gettin' with it and making it happen!

The end result...a finished pantry!

We used an old metal picture frame for added interest around the vintage glass door knob.

The pantry filled up fast...How did we ever live without this storage before?

I am so in LOVE with the overall outcome of the Pantry.

Mr. Cedar House Soaps you are amazing ;-)

A Winters Harvest

2011-02-24T22:00:00.000-08:00

Making Plans for Spring, a greenhouse and planting our garden...
A few trees needed to be harvested to let a little more sunshine in.

Winter can be a little gloomy on the grey days...
The sun could never rise high enough in the sky to break over the tree line.

Talk about cabin fever!

I am happy to say that letting the sunshine in has been uplifting and energizing!!! I am sooooooo looking forward to gardening 2011...

Stay tuned for more roots, shoots, buckets and boots!
;-)

Where is the Love?

2011-02-13T17:10:00.000-08:00

It's at the Cedar House!

Playing around and having some photo fun... It takes a little patience when you are trying to line up 2 people in the shot at different levels and you have a 13 year old photographer...This was a lot of fun, I think we may just have to try this again for different Holidays :-)

more photo fun with a little jar of hearts spilled over

Troy's heart +

My heart +

Levi's heart +

Corbin's heart =A house brimming over with LOVE!

Hope you all have a Happy Valentines Day!

It's not easy being green

2011-01-26T20:26:00.000-08:00

I know white is all the rage right now but I can't help but be smitten with GREEN.

and according to squidoo it turns out that the Color Green is great for our Psyche too!

Green can be...

•Soothing
•Relaxing mentally as well as physically
•Helps alleviate depression, nervousness and anxiety
•Offers a sense of renewal, self-control and harmony
•Bright Green is the color of the astrological sign Cancer (hey..that's my sign)

No wonder I am LOVING the color Green right now...can not think of a better way to beat the Winter Blues!

;-)

My Girl

2011-01-25T11:25:00.000-08:00

My goal in life is to be as good of a person as my dog already thinks I am. ~ Author Unknown

This is My Girl...She thinks I walk on water and I am not about to burst her bubble ;-)

She loves me unconditionally, sometimes a bit obsessively but always absolutely!

2011-01-23T21:34:00.000-08:00

I'm a POINT & SHOOT kind of girl....

yep that's me instant gratification girl!!!

Someday I will invest in a real big girl camera, you know the ones that take a real brain to use ;-) but for now I will continue to use the little digital that fits in my pocket and goes everywhere I am going.

I will be catching all those little moments, simple pleasures and memories that I just don't want to forget about, all on my little bitty camera.

What kind of camera do you use to capture the story of your life?

Pass it on

2011-01-20T22:46:00.000-08:00

You...

Yes you... You are beautiful!

Pass it on :-)

The New Year

2011-01-05T13:24:00.000-08:00

I didn't make any Grand Resolutions for this New Year.

Nope, definitely not my year to loose 300 lbs. or become more structured, more organized, be the picture of perfection, or even have it all together for that matter!

Unrealistic Resolutions becomes a lot of pressure and only lead me down the path to Disappointment.

That being said, I don't want to be a negative Nelly!!

I do want to make a very serious and conscious effort to look at my life and...

*TAKE MORE TIME for Loved Ones

*APPRECIATE the small things

*LOVE even harder

*LAUGH Louder

*CREATE More

and....

*FIND PEACE with what I can not change and

*STRENGTH for what I can!

I am looking forward to this New Year and all that it may bring our way!!!!

:-)

A Christmas Story

2010-12-29T16:41:00.000-08:00

Ok, I know it's a few days late for a Christmas update....I am just now getting recouped from all the hustle bustle and bizzie's.

December was a blur...the shop was ever so busy with holiday orders (there were days I was afraid to answer the phone).

I guess the secret is out, so pass it on... We make really great soap !

We spent the month making gift baskets, wrapping presents & packing orders. A special "Thank You" to Mr. Cedar House Soaps and my BFF's for keeping me somewhat sane through out the holiday rush!

Our family is truly grateful for our customers...You allow us to continue to do what we love to do!

On the home front, Corbin added indoor soccer to our list of December to-do's. What was he thinking??? Extra trips to Spokane every week during December...Oh Joy!

Actually, I love to watch him play! He is feisty, aggressive in a good way and a true athlete in the making. Our little team of misfit's have been getting schooled in the game of Soccer in the BIG CITY league but as the saying goes...

"You can learn a lot from your adversaries".

These boys will walk away with knowledge.

Christmas Eve was done in true North Idaho fashion with couch hookie-bobbin'. What exactly is couch hookie-bobbin, you might ask? It's when you get one crazy family, some fun friends and neighbors, an old sectional, a pair of ski's, 100ft of rope and an old rattly dodge pick up and mix it all together just for fun. (My Brother-in-law Jim & My little Brother Jack)

Christmas morning began brite and early at 5:00 a.m. YES...5:00 a.m.!

The boys were impressed that Santa made their presents into a tower under the tree

Oh That Santa...he's so creative ! :-)

After opening gifts from Santa we headed into town for Christmas morning breakfast at Grandpa's house. Now that Grandma is gone, the cooking has been passed down to Mothers, Sisters and Aunts. As sadness filled my heart that she is no longer with us, a joy soon filled it's place as the new babies in the family are a reminder of how Blessed life is, in itself!

(on the road again)

A quick trip home for a few hours to re coupe and then back out on the road to go over the hills and through the woods to Granny Taz's for dinner and then Home again.

Whiz-BANG and in a flash the Christmas crazies are over!

In true Christmas style I...Over-worked, over-stressed, over-ate, over-smiled, and over-joyed myself into a Christmas HANG-OVER

that I swear, I will not attempt to do until next year ;-)

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas too!

- Jennifer

:-)

The Gift of giving

2010-12-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

Giving is better than receiving because giving starts the receiving process. -Jim Rohn

Troy & I had the privilege of taking the boys shopping for a child in need this holiday season. We chose a 3 year old boy from the tree of sharing. My guys had so much fun shopping and finding just the right items they wanted to give.

Although, Levi and Corbin have outgrown playing with their own wooden trains they knew it was the perfect gift to give the young boy on our list.

A flood of cherished memories washed over me as I watched them pick and choose just the right ones...It really was not that long ago that little wooden trains meant the world to them. So many mornings I would wake to a menagerie of wooden clickety clack tracks constructed all through out the house and little boys in engineer hats with wooden choo-choo whistles.

We decided on warm footsie jammies, a new Christmas outfit, a toy train station with trains and a farm animal box car.

Giving is true having. -Charles Spurgeon

I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.-Maya Angelou

Two women Country Christmas

2010-12-09T06:21:00.000-08:00

Finally taking a moment to add a few photos from the last show of the Season we did this past weekend. We made it a family affair and had the best time ever!

I think my boys have been bitten by the bug...They LOVE when they can be a part of a show and they really are a big help

Look out Barn House Boys....Cedar House Brothers are going to give you a run for your money ;-)

The sparkle Skates were a hit and sold with in minutes of the show opening...I had so much fun making these.

I didn't get any pictures of the other booths...but, they were divine! The girls at Junebug won the booth display Ribbon and certificate to Chaps....Their Booth was really SWEET, CREATIVE & FUN!So many fun and happy shoppers stopped by our booth... Serena and Celeste even stopped by, both of them couldn't be anymore sweeter!!!

We met up with old friends that we have gained along the show trail and were happy to have added even more when the Show was all said and done.

Thank You Two Women Country for all your hard work on a successful show!

With the shows out of the way, we will focus on the shop and filling Christmas orders and juggling a Soccer schedule through December. Somewhere in there, I will get my shopping and Christmas baking done!

Tis' the Season to be Merry and very busy!

Funky Junk Sisters 12 days of Christmas

2010-12-06T22:32:00.000-08:00

Join in the fun and follow this link to Funky Junk Sisters 12 days of Christmas giveaways....So much fun and cool junky treasures are waiting for you to enter and win! 6 more days of...FUNKY FUN !

Little Santa's

2010-11-30T15:17:00.000-08:00

Happy first day of December everybody!

I noticed while unpacking decorations this year, my small but ever growing collection of vintage pipe cleaner Santa's. They may have a more technical name but for now I will continue to call them PCS's.

I just love these little guys!

I love that they are an inexpensive collectible...you can find them hanging out at garage sales, thrift stores, & flea markets, etc.

They are small and virtually take up no room at all in my little, itty bitty, tiny cracker jack box of a house...

Frankly they are cute and just make me smile!

My latest Santa was found hanging out down at our local Animal Rescue Thrift shop, and was in need of a very delicate and embarrassing operation. Looks like he had an unfortunate accident with something very sharp. (((Ouch)))

After the removal, there was very little recovery time. This Santa can now live happily ever after with the other Santa's.

Someday I imagine I will have enough to do a whole Santa themed tree...

Hope you are having as much fun as I am, pulling out your decorations and getting into the holiday spirit!

Angel Surprise

2010-11-28T15:55:00.000-08:00

This beautiful Angel has graced our family tree ever since Troy and I spent our first Christmas together. Every year she is placed upon the tree to watch over our family all through the holiday season.

This year she gave us a special surprise!

I have never seen it in Christmas's past, but this was the first time in all the years that I noticed a gentle tear falling from her eye. It's hard to see and the light has to be just right... or you would never even know it's there.

I would like to think of them as tears of JOY...Makes me love & cherish her even more! So, as our Angel gently weeps...Let the holiday magic begin!

;-)

Last show of the Season 'Country Christmas'

2010-11-28T08:20:00.000-08:00

Come and see Cedar House Soaps at our last show of the Season...Share in the JOY, SPIRIT, & MAGIC of holiday shopping at the Moran Prairie Grange 'Country Christmas', put on by our friends at Two Women Art & Antiques. The show is a two day event located at 6106 S. Palouse Hwy., Spokane, WA., Saturday Dec. 4th 10am-6...pm & Dec. 5th 10am-4pm. With so many holiday treasures to be found, we look forward to seeing you there!

Thankful

2010-11-25T08:00:00.000-08:00

Forever on Thanksgiving Day the heart will find the pathway home.

~Wilbur D. Nesbit

Cup of Cheer

2010-11-23T16:14:00.000-08:00

Found 4 of these fabulous Staffordshire teacup and saucer sets, at one of my many favorite thrifty stops...and I am in love!

They are absolutely perfect for holiday decorating and enjoying that special cup of Christmas cheer with a friend.

Have you started your holiday treasure hunting yet?

Hello Winter

2010-11-18T13:36:00.005-08:00

Hello... Winter!

Goodbye... Fall!

Today marks the arrival of the first snow here at the Cedar House. Winter has spread her icy blanket out across the yard to announce her chilly arrival.

I must admit...I am actually excited to see her this year!

Miss Kitty

2010-11-14T20:54:00.000-08:00

Meet Miss Kitty... I just finished this super easy sewing project from the Sock and Glove book by Miyako Kanamori.

Miss Kitty is a soon to be Christmas gift for my sweet niece. A quick easy project that took about an hour to make and didn't break the Bank.

I found plain white railroad brand socks at my local craft store on clearance for $1.75 and all other supplies I had on hand.

This adorable book is filled with many more cute animals and simple directions that would even be fun for the kiddos to try.

I may just have to make Sock dog for my Nephew ;-)

Seeing Stars

2010-11-14T13:54:00.000-08:00

A great day to be practicing my domestic goddess capabilities, I decided to give this recipe a whirl.

Our house is stocked with fine ground whole wheat flour (Yes, 50 lbs. of it) so I had to work with what we had on hand.

I also used homemade triple berry jam instead of the raspberry ...It didn't seem to matter, because they were divine!

Impossible to eat just one ;-) The guys made short work of them in a FLASH!

Road to Success

2010-11-04T18:37:00.002-07:00

I love quotes and sayings that catch my attention, even if only for a fleeting moment.

While taking my boys to soccer practice one day, this just happened to be sitting on the side of the road...How clever of this trucking company to post this so big, beautiful and boldly down the side of their trailers.

I Love it!

So here is your sign...plain as day!

"On the road to success, there are no shortcuts"

Halloween

2010-10-31T22:57:00.000-07:00

Shadows of a thousand years rise again unseen,
Voices whisper in the trees, "Tonight is Halloween!"-Dexter Kozen

This year we celebrated Halloween with "Luigi" The Chef

A "Grease Monkey" Mechanic

and a very over enthusiastic Pumpkin Dog!

Hope your Halloween was as SWEET as ours!

;-)

Spell Bound

2010-10-28T21:21:00.000-07:00

I didn't get a chance to decorate over the top this year but did manage to get a few decorations up for the Spooky Season.

The old burl table and statue have been covered in webs and a few hidden sparkly spiders. There were cute little cups of goblin teeth (candy corn) and chocolate eyeballs until Miss Daisy our Basset Hound could not resist the temptation to eat them all to herself, while everyone else was at Soccer practice.

Yes, she ate them all...wrappers included!

My dress form is decked out in her wicked wear...Boots, Broom, and Hat included ;-)

More webs cover the vanity, the Spell goodies, and help camouflage some of the real cobwebs that I manage to miss ;-)

Good Grief....Cookies

2010-10-28T20:58:00.001-07:00

I enjoyed a traditional evening with my boys making Halloween sugar cookies and watching The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown.

Did I mention that they are cookie monsters?

Meet Tilly Monster

2010-10-19T22:23:00.000-07:00

Meet the newest edition to the Maltba family household. Tilly was a gift from my parents for our 16Th. Anniversary. This was their first batch of Yorkie puppies and they graciously gifted one of their babies to us.

Tilly is a mischevious, fun loving, playful, little bundle of sheer naughtyness and she has really added a fun new element to our lives.

Princess Tia still isn't sure that she likes sharing any of her lovin's with another pocket puppy and her nose is still a little bent.

Daisy Dog doesn't seem to mind her ( she doesn't seem to mind much of anything for that matter) as long as she can sneak all puppies food when nobody is looking and she doesnt have to share her stinky bed, life is good!

Archie, our orange Kitty knows he is still the boss ;-)

Fun times ahead...Potty training is now in session...WISH US LUCK!

Planting.... PINK!

2010-10-17T19:53:00.000-07:00

Although a bit chilly now that the first frost has finally arrived and our yard is now getting even less sun exposure, we bundled up in flannels and spent the day working in the refreshing Fall air to do some much needed yard work.

Next years garlic is now in. We decided on a hard neck and soft neck variety as well as some new flower bulbs.

I picked up a pack of these darling Pink Ribbon Narcissus Bulbs over a month ago. With it being Breast Cancer Awareness month, it seemed like the perfect time for planting them in the new flower bed in front of the chicken coop.

I will be looking forward to their appearance next year!

fall amending & tilling

Family favorite recipe's

2010-10-15T16:15:00.001-07:00

I love old family recipe's and this is one of my favorites...;-)

How cute are these?

2010-10-15T14:30:00.000-07:00

Found these fun letters from a vintage board game. I usually come across the square scrabble letters but this is the first time I have found the little ROUND ones.

I will have to come up with a fun creative project just for these little cuties.

The little shabby tins and red, white and blue hand stitched Quilt were also among some of today's FUN FINDS.

Did you find anything fun and interesting this week?

Indian Summer

2010-10-03T20:38:00.000-07:00

Weekends always seem to fly by and this weekend did just that!

Saturday was spent at the Soccer fields until mid day enjoying the beautiful Indian Summer day.

After the games, I sweet talked my guys into taking me to the Mad Hatter show at 5 mile in Spokane. We took our sweet time getting there and made a few stops along the way.

So many garage sales, so little time...darn!

Sunday was a stay at home get your life put back in order kind of day ;-)

Coffee with Mr. Cedar House Soaps...check!
House spiffed and straightened up...check!
Laundry under control...check!
Something pulled out for dinner...check!

Then out to our much neglected overgrown garden... OH MY!

Troy and I harvested buckets of carrots, a truckload of green tomatoes, a few straggling zucchini and peppers, a couple of rogue potatoes, and two buckets of beans.

Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree. -Martin Luther

The boys took on the apple tree

and played in the dirt... Doesn't get much better than that!

On a whim

2010-09-28T16:33:00.000-07:00

I love it when I get the opportunity to PLAY, CREATE and ENJOY what I do. Soap is a medium that I work with everyday but sometimes I get the urge to just throw caution to the wind and just create.

On a whim is a limited edition that will be available on our website in a few short weeks.

Scented with the whimsical blend of Grapefruit and Jasmine...

You won't want to miss getting your grubby little hands on this one!

Two Women Art & Antique Show

2010-09-15T09:35:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we had the pleasure of setting up our Cedar House Soaps booth at the Two women art and Antique show in Spangle. This was our 3rd. year as returning fall vendors.

We really love doing this show...

A perfect early fall weekend with sunshine, good vibes and happy hearts!

Music by The Wylie family Band set the mood.

Fall was in the air.

This sweet little bed found a new home right away.

A view of our booth and the goodies we had on display.

It is always fun to see what treasures catch someones eye.

This darling old barn went home with a sweet young boy...

All in all a fantastic weekend!

Bitter Sweet

2010-09-07T22:27:00.001-07:00

I had a mixed up bundle of Bitter Sweet feelings as my boys went back to school today.

I relished in how sweet it was to get out of the house early and on time.

How sweet it was to have grown up girl time with a friend over breakfast at my favorite little cafe' without any mention of Lego's and farting!

How sweet it was to truly focus on my work and be productive.

and... How sweet it was to just be!

How bitter on the other hand as we marked the beginning of another school year set in motion.

How bitter the plain honest truth is...These crazy, beautiful boys are really growing up fast.

A bitter sweet day indeed!

The Color Purple

2010-08-25T23:26:00.000-07:00

With all the media hype about the recent egg recalls I am really thankful for the hardworking gals that lay eggs for my family.

It's nice to know where our eggs come from and what our gals have been eating.

Though Mr. Cedar House Soaps and I are not perfect, we are constantly striving towards healthier eating and an understanding of where our food comes from.

Tonight's meal consisted of yummy cucumbers, coleslaw and potatoes from our meager garden along with Local farm raised beef steak and fresh local milk.

I expected the Blue Potatoes (which are not really blue at all) to turn an ugly shade of grey when they were cooked and mashed.

To my surprise they stayed a beautiful shade of purple.

and were.... Oh so yummy!
What did you have for dinner?

Sweet Sundays

2010-08-23T15:14:00.000-07:00

This time of year family moments together can be few and far between. Mr. Cedar House Soaps is busy running an asphalt plant and as the saying goes...

"Make Asphalt while the sun shines"

or is that "Make hay while the sun shines"?

What ever the saying is, it just means that the Dad at our house works a lot.

Sunday was set a side for school supply shopping. We managed to knock everything off our list and run a few other errands as well. With the shopping out of the way we took our own leisurely time getting home and enjoyed this sweet Sunday as a family together.

While on our way home we passed a small state park that we have driven by 100's of times.Well, not this time!

We enjoyed the few rays of sunshine that peeked out from behind the clouds...

Made the hike around the lake. Managed to capture some great shots of my handsome boys.

Although beautiful, the park has been impacted by the Recession and the signs are there to prove it.

Recession or not, our family found that SIMPLICITY can be golden and we can make incredibly gigantic memories with the little things life has to offer.

Harvest Treasures

2010-08-15T22:09:00.000-07:00

Troy and I had a fun time this weekend at Harvest Treasures in Airway Heights. I always love getting a break from the shop and taking Cedar House Soaps out on the road.

Being surrounded by other artist that "get it" just seems to soothe my soul.

I love the excitement of setting up for a new show and getting the opportunity to meet many new faces. Don't get me wrong, along with the excitement comes the nervous nellies too! I never really know how the booth will all come together and I tend to stress ((a lot)) but in the end it just falls peacefully in to place.

Set up was Friday afternoon and true to it's name Airway Heights was... WINDY! We secured our tent the best we could and headed home for a good nights rest.

We returned Saturday and the weather couldn't have been any better. Sunny and warm with a breeze...Perfect:-)

The show had the perfect array of sweet vendors with amazing and creative booth displays.

Troys seized his photo op with one of the friendly goat's
and I spotted an engraved stone sign after my own heart!

Think I wore my helper out...

Because this wasn't the help I had in mind ;-)

All in all, we had a great time...Thank You Monte and Kelly for having us be a part of your first annual Harvest Treasure event!

Sourdough update Week #1

2010-08-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

Sourdough starter update:

After starting my sourdough starter last Sunday, I have made a batch of bread and some yummy sourdough pancakes.

So far so good ;-)

I have managed to not kill the active sourdough yet!

Next up....Sourdough oatmeal cookies.

Life put into perspective

2010-08-08T21:24:00.000-07:00

"There is no such thing in anyone's life as an unimportant day."
~ Alexander Woollcott

In an instant our lives can be changed.

My days journey included coming upon a fatal accident while on my way to a baby shower.

A day that included a life ended in an instant... and a celebration of a life about to begin.

Sometimes life just puts it all into a perspective and forces you to take a real long hard look at the life you call your own!

Sourdough Bread Starter

2010-08-01T20:48:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to start a batch of sourdough starter for sometime.

Today seemed just as good as any to start!

I looked through the pages of my cookbooks and decided to just go for it.

I love making bread but the commitment of keeping the starter alive and remembering to keep it fed once a week has kept me from just doing it. My boys really love the big round loaves of garlic sourdough bread. All the more reason for me to give it a whirl!

Does anyone out there have a successful sourdough starter going? I would love to hear from you!

Here is to hoping I can keep my starter going and that my family may enjoy the goodness of fresh sourdough bread at least once a week.

Wish me luck!

"JUNK in my TRUNK"

2010-07-30T17:05:00.000-07:00

While out junkin' this morning we came across a sale on "My Rd". I just had to take a picture. I love the simple quaint sense of humor!

We didn't find anything that we just had to have on "My Rd" so we mozied on.

Here's a look at the JUNK in my TRUNK..

I fell in love with the little red barn lunch box...It was a must have ;-)
The two super cute Red Apple tin canisters may just have to live in my kitchen for awhile...I am not sure I can part with them!

I also picked up a vintage goose down ticking pillow, a vintage pink spread, a queen spread and shams for my bed and the cute little metal garden furniture that came with terracotta pots(not pictured).

What JUNK do you have in your TRUNK???

Spreading Flowers

2010-07-28T13:49:00.000-07:00

Troy and I found this adorable vintage turquoise "Buck" spreader while out junkin this past weekend. It took a little encouraging on my part to get Troy to see past the fact that it was just a spreader ;-)

We brought it home scrubbed the cob webs off and filled it with flowers. I love how it turned out!

The flowers were purchased at a nursery ½off because it is later in the season yet they still have alot of living to do. With the heat this week the flowers have filled out even more than in the pictures and are spilling out over the edges and are looking fabulous... Super cute and lovin' it!

Dog days of Summer

2010-07-22T23:15:00.000-07:00

Meet Tia...This is her happy "I get to go boating with my family" face.

She loves when Mom caves and let's her come along for a boat ride. Don't let her smile fool you... she is 4 lbs. of demanding naughty-ness, but we love her none the less ;-)

Hope you all are enjoying your dog days of Summer too!

Harvesting Garlic

2010-07-12T16:41:00.000-07:00

Well, I am pretty excited to finally have my first real harvest of Garlic.

I still consider myself to be a newbie gardener, a fact that presents itself when I experience crop failures by no other fault than my own.I learned my lesson the previous year when I planted garlic early in the Spring and not in the previous Fall.

I actually planted the Garlic at the right time, amended the soil, and mulched with a thick layer of leaves to blanket the soil from the mildest winter we have had in years.

All must have been right and the Green Goddess, Mother Nature herself must have smiled upon my meager little garden as I harvested over 30 bulbs of garlic. Not bad since I only planted 2 bulbs.

The bulbs have been hung out to dry in a nice dark dry place and will await the Tomato harvest for Homemade canned Spaghetti Sauce, Salsa, and more ;-)

Fun Finds

2010-07-07T08:21:00.000-07:00

I just love these sweet enameled dinner plates that I spotted and snatched up at the flea market. I was thrilled to discover there were 8 plates in all.

They fit in perfectly with the other red, yellow, and green items in my little kitchen. Did I mention that I love them ;-)

I had the best 4th. of July weekend, celebrating simply at home with my family and getting the chance to go junkin'.

My Sister In Law and I had a great day of thrifting fun! We managed to fill the truck up and I know we had the guys shaking their heads at us as we rolled in the driveway and they seen how much Junk we managed to get stuffed in there. They should know better than to turn us loose like that ;-)

One of my favorite finds was this lovely dress form. I wish that I would have taken before pictures. She was so ugly and unrecognizable adorned in a nasty green night dress with a shredded garbage bag and stuffing duct taped all around her. She looked like the bride of Frankenstein for sure. Someone had used her for a Halloween decoration...can you Imagine? I knew there was a beauty underneath all that garbage and in my haste to prove to Troy that she was a diamond, I forgot to take before pics.

Blackberry Bliss

2010-06-30T15:36:00.000-07:00

Bringing back another great soap...

Blackberry bliss took a back seat in our soap line up when one of our suppliers quit carrying the fragrance. I really hate when that happens and my customers hate it even more.

It has taken some time to research and test other suppliers and we are proud to announce that we finally found a blackberry fragrance that is worthy enough to be mixed into our house blend!!!

Blackberry Bliss has been freshly poured, cut, hand trimmed and placed on the drying racks to cure.

Stay tuned into our blog as we keep you updated on it's return to our website.

Thursday thoughts

2010-06-24T08:00:00.000-07:00

" Live your moments for what they are, not for what they may become."

First garden goodies

2010-06-09T20:53:00.000-07:00

While being distracted and preoccupied with the all the hustle bustle and busy happenings lately, my garden has been quietly growing along...Creating the first gifts of the season.

I have to admit that dinners at our house this week were not something to really be proud of. It felt good to slow down, prepare dinner as a family and enjoy fresh, crispy goodies from the garden. A great way to end the school year and begin our Summer together.

A whirl wind of Farm Chick Fun!

2010-06-09T07:29:00.000-07:00

We are back from the Farm chicks show and as a vendor it literally takes a couple days to re cooperate from the magnitude of the show experience. I was able to take a few pics from the show but had the misfortune of breaking the LCD screen on my digital camera....uuggggghhh!

Planning starts months in advance... collecting,creating, painting, cleaning, and organizing and storing all the fun finds we will be bringing to the show. Not to mention making all of our soaps by hand and letting them cure 4-6 weeks before they are packaged and ready to go. Even with all the planning there was still a lot of work to be done the week before the show. Wouldn't you know it, there would be a mass amount of School activities, Band performances, Soccer practices & Games, getting the garden put in around the rain storms, running the shop, mailing orders out, and running a household... just to name a few the things trying to hamper my preparations for the show.

Friday-Things were looking pretty bleak, as I wasn't sure I would have any help for the show. As luck would have it, Mr. Cedar House Soaps got rained out from his Big boy job and he was able to be my sidekick for the entire weekend. Troy is a good sport and he was workin' it in his pink Farm chick badge.

We arrived a little late on set up day...

The good news... was the rain had stopped by then, we missed the mad rush of other vendors unloading their fabulous wares, and we got an awesome up front parking and unloading spot to park the trailer.

The bad news... we were so busy setting up that we didn't even know Celeste was serving cake to vendors.It took us right up to the 6 p.m. deadline to get our booth set up before we got kicked out by security.

Saturday- Nothing can prepare you for the awesomeness of the show. As vendors we get to see the show before it opens, it reminds me of a beautiful version of a Dr. Suess display of sorts. It feels as though the booths are filled precariously to the ceiling with a colorful, charming vintage menagerie...

For a junk junkie it's like dying and going to heaven! The vendors at Farm chicks are the best of the best.

INSPIRING to say the least!

I was feeling pretty lucky...My booth neighbors were among the sweetest and most talented.Lisa and Cori You are both so inspiring and fun!

We also attended the After party at Chaps for the first time...We met fun new friends from Clothes pin cards thanks for all the laughs girls we had so much fun!

The dinner at Chaps was off the hook!

Sunday- was not as crazy and a little more laid back... Still had plenty of shoppers and many of the vendors restocked with many more treasures. The day went by fast and the show was over before we new it. Tear down was our fastest yet, most of our goodies had been sold. Our load was considerably lighter going home!

Over all, hands down this was a fantastic show....Thank you Serena!

For more pictures from the show visit The Farm Chicks Blog with a list of links that include many more blogs with pictures and experiences from the show.

~Jennifer
Just good clean living

Farm Chicks

2010-06-05T06:23:00.000-07:00

Our booth at Farm chics. Show starts today 10-6 p.m. and Sunday 10-4 p.m. I hope you all can stop by and see all the amazing, creative booths. It's going to be a FUN show. Hope to see you there!

Kaniksu Lion's Roar Dinner & Auction

2010-05-24T12:42:00.000-07:00

This big basket filled to the brim with Cedar House Soap goodies will be up for auction to benefit the Priest Lake Lions Roar Dinner & Auction at Elkins Resort on June 26th. 4:30-9:00p.m.

Full Bloom

2010-05-24T12:29:00.000-07:00

I have the perfect view from my window as I make soap. The crab apple tree just outside the window is in a full abundant bloom. It is such a joy to watch the industrious bumble bee's diligently work among the beautiful blossoms. Today...I am enjoying the simple things life has to offer!

Sweet picture

2010-05-21T12:59:00.000-07:00

I had a great day junkin' today ;-0

I just can't help myself when it comes to garage sale season....

MUST FIND JUNK!

Today I found the sweetest picture of these girls in a tub.
Ohhhh....be still my soapmaking heart... I just had to have it!

On the Farm Chick count down

2010-05-17T15:07:00.000-07:00

Just a little over 2 weeks before the Farm chicks Show in Spokane... We are proud to be a part of this amazing show....Get your girl friends ready for a fun filled shopping experience at the Spokane County Fairgrounds and make a day of it. It is chocked full of Antiques, Shabby Chic's and lots and lots of fun finds. Rumor has it that there will be a man cave too.... to keep your honey bunny occupied while you shop till you drop. Mark your calenders with pink high-lighters on June 5th & 6th. You won't want to miss it ;-)for more info check out

May Days

2010-05-11T08:41:00.000-07:00

Wow... time sure flies when you are living life! I can not believe that April has come and gone and we are sailing our way... quickly through May.

We will try and keep a better update here on the blog as to whats happening around here.

Here is just a little of what we have been up to...

At Home:

New fencing panels had to be made for the chickens since the addition of our new 6-pack of chicks arrived. We now have happy hens indeed ;-)

The usual yard work, thatching and weekly mowing had to be done.

In The garden:

Garden has been turned,beds have been cleaned and amended.

The Garlic is up and standing tall. New Rhubarb plant is in.

The Peas, Onions, Radishes, Lettuce and Spinach have all come up and are doing very well. Potatoes and carrots are in, the Broccoli and Cabbage starts have been hardened off and all other starts are happily awaiting the weather to turn warmer so they may go in the garden.

Tomato starts have gone rogue! Winter blues and over eagerness encouraged me to plant my tomato starts way to early....I learned my lesson! They need to be in the garden A.S.A.P.

We finished a cold frame last night after work so the tomatoes will be getting kicked out of the house as soon as we get the chance to play in the garden this week.

The sun has peeked out, Flowers are blooming and inspires my soul to get out in the dirt and play...to bad the Dandy's are inspired too ;-( Tis' the season of weedin'

At the Shop:

I have been busy making many batches of soaps,

junkin' and thrifting, and getting ready for the Farm Chicks show that is (((GASP))) less than a month away.

I have also been working with a local printer on a new label design for our lip balms that will be smudge and smear proof. As always it takes more time than anticipated to work all the kinks and adjustments out.

The Family:

Boys are doing fantastic and have maintained good grades, Honor Roll and have kept us on the go with Soccer Practices, Games, and Band performances. I thought life would get easier as they got older...Boy was I wrong ;-)

Troy has been making some changes on the work front to benefit the Home front...

We will keep are fingers crossed and see just what this big old world has in store for us.