Is Your Home Naturally Clean?

Mine is. Or more accurately, it soon will be even more so.

Remember a month or so back when I wrote about my submission to the Home Cleaning Swap? Well, I received my return box yesterday filled with things to make my home more naturally clean.
Photo one contains:
- The Carpet "Re-freshener" you've already read about
- Four Theives Room Spray
- Aveda Madagascar Room Spray
- A Laundry Stain Stick
- Toilet Bowl Cleaner
- Dishwasher Detergent

Photo 2 contains:
- Lavender Dryer Sachets with 'refill' of Lavender Essential Oil
- Glass Cleaner
- Scouring Powder
- Laundry Soap

Not pictured: Vinegar/Citrus Solid Surface Cleaner. This item didn't make the box, though I do have the formula and have been enjoying citrus cleaning power for several months.

I have already tried the Dishwasher Detergent and Dryer Sachets, and of course the carpet re-freshener :). My house is smelling divine without all of the nasty fumes from typical cleansers. Next up, tackling the toilet bowl.

If you'd like any of the ingredients or a starter recipe for your own cleaning products, please let me know in the comments section. I can blog a few recipes for you.

Oatmeal Cream Cookies

I must be on a sandwich cookie stint lately. I had a craving for oatmeal cookies that had to be fulfilled. What could possibly make them better? Why filling of course.


My usual oatmeal cookie is a thick, soft cookie. This version is a thin, crispy cookie that softens over time to make those pretender oatmeal sandwich cookies available at the mega marts a distant, not so pleasant memory (you know the ones I am writing about...).

This recipe comes to you from the blog How To Eat A Cupcake. Casssie, the author, has recently opened a bakery in Virginia that I will be certain to visit the next time I'm in the area.

Cookie Ingredients:
Oatmeal Cream Pies (from “The Amish Cook’s Baking Book”)
Makes about 24 pies

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
2 teaspoons baking soda
3 tablespoons boiling water

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Lightly grease a baking sheet and set aside (or use parchment).
Cream the butter, sugar, and eggs in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, sift together the salt, flour, and baking powder.
Add to the creamed mixture.
Add the cinnamon and oats. Mix well.
In a small dish, add the baking soda to the boiling water, and then stir the mixture into the rest of the batter. Mix well.
Drop by the tablespoon (I did 2 tablespoons at first, then reduced to 1 tablespoon once I saw thesize) onto the baking sheets about 2 inches apart and bake until the cookies are firm and just starting to turn golden around the edges, 10 to 15 minutes (I found 10 minutes to be far too long. 8.5 - 9 minutes were perfect. )
Cool the cookies on a wire rack or a plate.

Filling Ingredients:
I used the same filling as made for the Whoopie Pies a few days ago.
1 stick butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
5 tablespoons marshmallow fluff.
Mix well with hand mixer and spread on cooled cookies.

I caved... Bought a Smartphone.

You'd think that someone who spent the majority of her career in technology would be a geek for electronics. Nope. I think I was the last of my circle to even get an iPod.

DH desperately needed a new cell phone. His hard-working Motorola Razor was due for a decent retirement. My own little phone was still functional, but occasionally have a stuck button or two. We compared phones and plans for months. Yes months. This decision was as big as a new car purchase :).

We settled yesterday on Sprint service, each getting a different smart phone. He chose the HTC Epic 4g, while I kept gravitating to the Samsung Epic 4g. They're both sexy phones that have enough to keep us entertained.


I justify my splurge on the fact that I really needed to change my credit card service provider. I needed something that I could run charges through quickly and efficiently at a craft show rather than running all charges at home after the show. Using the old method, by the time I ran a charge that was denied, it was too late therefore costing me time and money - two things I hate to waste or lose. The few times I used the optional phone in charge feature I found it long and cumbersome. When you're busy at a craft fair the last thing you want to do is lose a sale because it takes too long to check out!

The first app I downloaded was Square from Squareup.com. It was a breeze to set up and my card reader 'dongle' should arrive in 7-10 days. In the meantime I can easily key in credit card info and know if it's approved or denied immediately. The fees are better than my current merchant account too!

I ran my first test charge through the key in interface in less than a minute. The funds showed up in my online account immediately. I'm sold!

Where the wild things are. (In my barn of course)

My workshop is downstairs with a few windows that allow in sights and sounds from the outdoors. I hear leaves rustling and smiled thinking the hens were 'working' around the foundation. I look up from pouring candles and see..... an Oppossum! It was high noon!

I scurried upstairs before the dogs discovered it and watched the creature stumble around trying to act casual. This got the attention of the chickens and roos of course. The oppossum managed to find his way into the chicken coop in my barn. Convenient. Locked him up and called AC to come and get him. They took him to a rehabber to check him out because they couldn't tell by looking at him if he was sick or groggy from coming our of hibernation.

Here he is waiting for his limo ride.

Whoopie for Whoopie Pies!

Our weather took a turn for the colder after a nice early week-long melt. Well, being indoors makes me think about baking. It's efficient to help warm the house using the oven, right?

Today I couldn't resist the allure of a Whoopie Pie any longer. I dug out my favorite recipe that's been through at least 6 moves with me. It's from the Sunset Cookies Book. The original recipe is called "Chocolate Cream Cushions".
Cookie Ingredients:
2 Cups Flour
1 1/4 teaspoons Baking Soda
1/4 teaspoon Salt
5 Tablespoons Cocoa
6 Tablespoons Butter (softened)
1 Cup Sugar
1 Egg
1 Teaspoon Vanilla

Step 1: Sift Flour, Baking Soda, Salt and Cocoa into a medium sized bowl. Set aside.
Step 2: Cream Butter and Sugar. Add Egg and Vanilla. Blend well
Step 3: Add 1/3 of milk blend til incorporated
Step 4: Add 1/3 of flour mixture. Blend til incorporated
repeat steps 3 & 4 until all of the milk and flour mixture are gone. Give the bowl a good scrape with a rubber spatula to make sure it's all mixed in.

The batter should be thick and a bit fluffy.

Drop by spoonfuls onto parchment lined cookie sheets. the recipe states by teaspoonfuls, but I use a #20 disher about 2/3 full. (A disher is like an ice cream scoop).

Bake in 400* preheated oven for 10 minutes. Do Not Overbake! The tops will spring back when lightly pressed.

Cool cookies well then make a sandwich using the Buttercream Icing (recipe next) to stick the halves together.

Buttercream Frosting: 10 Tablespoons Soft butter (the original recipe calls for 12, but I didn't want to break open another stick)
1 Teaspoon Vanilla (Yum for the extract we made for the Holidays!)
1 Cup Confectioners Sugar
6 Tablespoons Fluff (yep the kind you remember from the fluffernutter sandwiches ash a kid).

Beat this until it's all fluffy and delicious. Spread a generous amount onto one of the cookies. top with another cookie. Enjoy!

Something That Made Me Smile

It's the little things in life that mean the most to me. Up until a couple of days ago my yard was covered with a beautiful blanket of white snow. Deep snow. Heavy snow. Then the February heatwave came through and melted all of that pristine snow making way for mud. Both snow and mud mean the chickens and ducks prefer to stay in the barn tossing hay and straw all over in their quest for something to do.

As the winds came through, all of that was blown away. When I returned home from delivering soap to a few special customers I let the dogs out for some relief. This is what met us.
It began to feel like Spring. During the warmer months most of my flock is allowed to free-range and tend the yard. They keep an eagle eye on the back door knowing that when it opens there's bound to be a treat thrown their way. They know when dinner time for humans is and knock at the door for kitchen scraps if we don't serve them quickly enough. I can't help but smile.

Here is the ever-vigilant Mojo Jojo. He's an Americauna cockerel that was supposed to be a pullet. His head comes to about mid-thigh to me, so I would imagine he's the size of a small hen turkey. We have a deal that he can stay as long as he respects the humans. So far it's working out.
In the very foreground (bottom of the photo) is Zhu Zhu, the roo rescued from Animal Control last July. In the far back (behind Mojo) is Roady Roo, a little cockerel raised by me beloved Road Runner hen. Yes we have too many roos. Not pictured is Uno, the head roo, a Silkie Bantam and daddy to Roady Roo.

When the treats were gone, they still hung out hopeful for more.


Though the weather man forecast snow and freezing rain for Sunday I suspect Spring is right around the corner.

Up and Etsy time!

Seeing as how the craft fair season is far in the future, I decided to check off business resolution #1 for 2011: Open my Etsy Shop. Yes, I have a web site that does very well. The thing is, you can never have too much exposure. The competition among Etsians is fierce, the the rewards are priceless.
Rewards come at a price though. It takes a lot of work and dedication to set up a shop and manage products. For instance, my main web site provides one catalog photo. Take a few photos. Pick the best and post it. Simple. Etsy provides up to 5 views of each listing. Soap isn't always the easiest thing to make appear artful, but I think I have found "my look". I chose 4 "views" of the same stack of soap. Choosing the best four bars from a batch is harder than you think. "Dressing" those bars to photo well is an art form unto itself

Choosing the bars: I looked at all angles of each bar to find one that cut smoothly and looks creamy. Those with minor imperfections can often be buffed out with a little 91% alcohol and a piece of organza cloth. I looked for bars with "frosting", or decorative tops. My regular customers demand frosting, so I give them frosting. Who am I to argue?

Perspectives: Each listing has a "front" perspective of a bar face beside a stack of 3 soap tops.
I liked the glass marbles because they add a bit of shimmer and reflected light onto the subject soap.
Pose 2, closeup of the frosting.
You can imagine how important it is to choose bars with little to no ash. I discovered the 91% alcohol spritz trick on the Dish Forum. I use it with great success on each and every batch to ensure a shiny top.

Pose 3: Front angle:
Placing 4 bars at a slight angle like good little soldiers made me smile. Each face profile peeking out from behind the next shows a hint of the creaminess hidden within.

Pose 4: The top angle:
I liked the birds eye view of the same bars.

Now repeat that for each and every soap bar listed on the site and you have yourself several days of photo taking and editing. At least I did. Time well spent, don't you think?

My Etsy Store is here: Sweet Teagan's At Etsy
Stop in for a visit. Show me some love when you get there by making my shop a favorite.