Bay Rum Aftershave

Grand ideas sometimes come out of nowhere. Or maybe it just seems like it, when actually they’ve been hovering just over our shoulder, nagging for attention. This week I stopped in my tracks to listen and good things happened.

In the past week I’ve made a batch of soap, a dozen or more herb filled microwave heating pads, worked on some mixed media projects, and started two batches of Bay Rum Aftershave. Each project is worth a post of its own, but today’s is about the aftershave. My husband likes the refreshing feel and scent, and especially that he doesn’t feel perfumed. I love the way it, and he, smells.

I first learned about Bay Rum probably thirty years ago when I took a class given by Rosemary Gladstar, but didn’t get around to making it until last year. Turns out it’s simple to make and requires only ingredients most of us have in our kitchens already. The hardest part is being patient while it steeps long enough for the fragrance to develop.

After poking around the internet for recipes, I found most of them to be the same. The one I chose was repeated most often; I like a stronger bay scent, so I added more bay leaves and let it steep for much longer.

Here’s the basic formula:

Bay Rum Aftershave

½ cup Vodka

2 Tbs. Jamaican Rum

2 dried bay leaves

¼ tsp. whole allspice

1 cinnamon stick

Zest of one small orange

Put all ingredients in a jar, close the lid and place it in a dark place for at least two weeks. Strain through cheesecloth and pour into a clean bottle. Give it to a man you love.

 

A Bit of This, A Little of That

The external drive attached to my laptop is full of pictures that haven’t even been looked at since they were downloaded from my camera. It’s been a daunting task to sort through and begin editing them for use. And that use is right here on this blog. Blogging is more fun when I have a stash of photographs ready to post, and it’s easier to write if I have a picture to work from; it’s a good starting point.

And now, after sitting in this chair for two hours, I have to get up and move before my muscles start screaming at me. First, laundry (because it’s always better to do boring chores first), and then I’ll prep two bags of fruit from the freezer for jam-making.

Like I Need One More Hobby...

Now I've added soap-making my list.

Lavender Soap made with flowers from my front yard.

Cranberry Conserve

Cranberry Sauce is one of my favorite things about Thanksgiving. I learned - a long time ago - how to make fresh sauce, and haven't looked at a the canned stuff since. So easy, so delicious.

The cranberry conserve recipe that follows is not just a "serve with turkey" condiment. In fact, the dinner plate is the last place I'd personally put this bit of winter joy. I've layered it with chocolate ganache in a tart, served it with cheese, and sometimes eaten a big scoop straight out of the jar.

The recipe comes from The Complete Book of Year-Round Small-Batch Preserving by Ellie Topp and Margaret Howard, one of the first canning books I bought.

Cranberry Port Conserve

4 cups cranberries
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup port
1/2 cup finely chopped peeled orange
1/3 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Combine cranberries, sugar, and port. Bring to a full boil until berries pop. Add orange and raisins. Return to a boil, reduce heat to gentle boil until mixture forms a light gel. (It doesn't take long, so keep an eye on it.) Remove from heat and add nuts.

If you're making a batch to be used within a reasonable time - Thanksgiving week - go ahead and refrigerate it. I wouldn't bother canning it if you've got a houseful of cranberry lovers. If you do want to can it, follow safe canning procedures and process for five minutes.

Happy Thanksgiving!

A Preview...

Tomorrow I'll post the recipe. It's worth the wait.

May You Find Peace

A Quiet Celebration

We’re just back from a weekend away, celebrating our wedding anniversary. We wanted to spend some quiet time away from the busy-ness of work, and we found exactly what we were looking for way up north in the forests of Humboldt County. I can’t believe we’d never ventured that far north on the coast; let me tell you, it’s the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen.

The beaches are perfect for walking, the forests dark and dense, and the wildlife is astounding. And there are blackberries everywhere. We’ll go back, hopefully soon, and explore a little more.

Agate Beach Stairs

Roosevelt Elk (yes, I really was that close)

Trinidad Harbor

More pictures later....