Solid Bubble Bath Bars

Recently I've had a lot of requests to share my favorite bubble bar recipe. Today has been a wonderful day, so I'm in a sharing mood :)

I welcome you to use this formula as-is and even post it to your own site, as long as you give credit to me and post a link back to this blog. Deal? OK, here you go.

Shannon's Favorite Bubble Bar Formula:
Dry Phase:
SCI 4% (I'm experimenting with higher percentages of this)
SLSa 18% (Working to replace with Disodium Lauryl Sulfosuccinate)
Cream of Tartar 26%
sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) 37%

Wet phase:
cocamidopropyl betaine 8%
coco silky cleanse (or DLS Mild or some other gentle liquid surfactant) 6%
fragrance 1%
color (I've used liquid lakes and mica. they both work fine) It only takes a teensy amt of color!

Step 1. pulverize the dry ingredients (like in a coffee grinder or food processor.) Be patient - the SCI may take a beating before it surrenders into powder. Make sure everything is well blended. I've recently discovered the Ninja Power Prep food processor and love it for this application!

Step 2. Using gloves, pour the wet ingredients over the dry. Work quickly to blend it all together well. Once the blend forms a dough and becomes less sticky, mold into your choice of shapes. Ice cube trays are about right for a single use bath size. You can make them into bars so the user has to break off a piece. It's up to you.

Step 3: Allow to dry for an hour or so before trying to unmold. They will not hold together well if unmolded too soon. Package them or use once they're nice and dry. I usually wait a couple of hours at least. I've stored them in the open in our main bathroom and they work just fine.

Notes: These will begin to puff up as you mold them. You can either leave them rustic, or smoosh them down into the mold to get them more dense. I like them dense so they take longer to dissolve under tub water. The texture of this blend should be similar to stale Circus Peanut candy (come on, you know what Circus Peanuts are )

This blend should produce lots of billowy foamy suds using a very small amount of bubble bar. My typical size for a 'single serving' is about 15 grams - roughly a tablespoon. That's how concentrated and powerful the synergy of the surfactant blend is.

I have softened well water and these bubble for a good long time. As the water cools let out some of the water, add more hot water to the tub and enjoy a recharge of SCI bubbles.

Have fun!-Shannon

Your Favorite Soap Swap

I just wrapped up hosting the "Second Annual Your Favorite Soap Swap" for the Dish Forum. The swap was limited to 20 participants, and allowed for Fragrance Oils, Essential Oils, CP/HP or M&P soap.

Participants were given several months to create and cure their favorites. Here's the Cast:


My own submission into this swap is the center soap in the last photo. It's my favorite at the moment: Avocado Oil. It contains Palm Oil, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Distilled Water, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Cream, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) Fruit, Essential Oils (Geranium Rose, Orange, Lemongrass and Dark Patchouli), Vitamin E-Tocopherol, Green Chrome Oxide Pigment, Titanium Dioxide, Tussah Noil Silk.

I love how silky the lather feels with the avocado oil, cream and silk. I cannot wait to try out all of my friends' favorites.

Recipients should be receiving their return boxes starting Monday 4/25. I can hardly wait to hear their reactions to the many new gift soaps!

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!