Adventures With The Sage

Archive for the ‘Thoughts from The Sage’ Category

Why Jars Break

Wednesday, March 17th, 2010

If you have ever been the Master Food Preserver Program with your local university extension office, then today’s paper might be familiar to you. If you aren’t familiar with home canning, this paper will still be useful to you as it explains why jars break, just like the jar in Monday’s post.

Jar Breakage PDF

With this sheet, you can now be your own crime scene investigator!

Don’t forget to submit your blog or video posts to win the MMS Perfumer’s Kit. Remember, this kit is worth $280! Submissions are due by April 1st for posts during March.

Did you know that you can become a fan of Majestic Mountain Sage on Facebook? Receive the latest updates, blog post notifications and more!

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Lotion Comparision Test

Monday, March 1st, 2010

Last week, I made two batches of lotion for a finished product comparison between Hydrovance and Sodium Lactate. The recipe is the exact same except for the Sodium Lactate and Hydrovance. These samples will be going out with orders. If you get a sample of these two lotions, try them! You will be be able to feel the difference first hand!

Recipe:

Recipe in grams
108 grams Sodium Lactate or Hydrovance
108 grams Stearic Acid
180 grams Emulsifying Wax
540 grams Coconut Oil Fractions
2700 Water
18 grams Germaben II
18 grams Polynesian Red Fragrance Oil

Recipe in Percentage:
2.9% Sodium Lactate or Hydrovance
2.9% Stearic Acid
5% Emulsifying Wax
14.7% Coconut Oil Fractions
73.5% Water
0.5% Germaben II
0.5% Polynesian Red Fragrance Oil

Don’t forget to submit your blog or video posts to win the MMS Perfumer’s Kit. Remember, this kit is worth $280! Submissions are due by March 1st for posts during February.

Did you know that you can become a fan of Majestic Mountain Sage on Facebook? Receive the latest updates, blog post notifications and more!

Two comparison bottles.

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Upcoming Blog Projects

Friday, February 19th, 2010

Wow! I can’t believe that it is almost the end of February already. Time has flown by and I’ve had a few questions of what is upcoming for blog posts. I’m excited to announce that starting next week, we will have a short series on Cream Soaps as well as a recipes to make a Chocolate Soap and a Soap On A Rope.

I expect to soon release several series on Swirled Soaps, Beer Soaps, Using Dyes for Other Projects, and Seeded Soaps.

I hope you will enjoy these upcoming posts as much as I will!

Don’t forget to submit your blog or video posts to win the MMS Perfumer’s Kit. Remember, this kit is worth $280! Submissions are due by March 1st for posts during February.

Did you know that you can become a fan of Majestic Mountain Sage on Facebook? Receive the latest updates, blog post notifications and more!

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Using Tea Bags

Wednesday, February 17th, 2010

Whenever I want to take a long soothing bath, I can’t help myself and you will always find me adding this or that to the bath water. Bath Fizzies, Bath Oils, Tub Teas, Bubble Bath and more have been added to my bath water at one time or another. However, after a nice relaxing bath, the last thing I want to do is clean out a bath tub. It just seems to be counter-productive. The Heat Sealable Tea Bags are fantastic for allowing me to take a bath without the hassle of cleaning the bath tub after a bath. These bags also allow us to make a soak of Finely Ground Oatmeal and Chamomile Buds for soothing itchy and irritated skin.

What can I put in a Heat Sealable Tea Bag for a bath?
Herbs and Flowers: Peppermint Leaves, Rosebuds, Lavender Buds, Chamomile Bud, Calendula Petals, Lemon Balm, Vanilla, and more.
Grains: Oatmeal and Wheat Germ.

The Heat Sealable Tea Bags are also very useful when making a tea for soap making. You can make your own teas to be used as the liquid in batches of soap to make them even more unique.

What can I put in a Heat Sealable Tea Bag for soap teas?
Herbs and Flowers: Peppermint Leaves, Rosebuds, Lavender Buds, Chamomile Bud, Calendula Petals, Lemon Balm, Vanilla, Hops, Black Tea, Green Tea, Rooibos and many more.

Using the Heat Sealable Tea Bags is so easy, you will want to use them all the time. All you need is a household clothes iron, the Heat Sealable Tea Bags, and the botanicals you want to use. I’m going show you how I make a Chamomile and Oatmeal Bath Soak in a Large Heat Sealable Tea Bag.

Collect needed items:

Ingredients
Oatmeal (Finely Ground)
Chamomile Tea Blend

Equipment
Large Heat Sealable Tea Bags
Household Clothes Iron
Ironing Board
Food Processor (If needed)
Measuring Spoons (I used a 1 teaspoon measure)

Set the iron to the medium temperature setting. Using the food processor, grind the oatmeal to make a fine oat flour. Measure 4 teaspoons of the finely ground oatmeal and 1 teaspoon of the Chamomile Tea Blend into the Large Heat Sealable Tea Bag. Gently pinch the bag closed and lay it on the ironing board. Lightly press the iron over the edge of the bag and hold for 3 seconds. The combination of the heat and pressure will seal the bag.

Ta-da! We now have a sealed tea bag ready to be used in soothing bath.

Kathy, your soap set left today!

Don’t forget to submit your blog or video posts to win the MMS Perfumer’s Kit. Remember, this kit is worth $280! Submissions are due by March 1st for posts during February.

Did you know that you can become a fan of Majestic Mountain Sage on Facebook? Receive the latest updates, blog post notifications and more!

Chamomile Tea Blend in the tea bag.

Oatmeal in the tea bag.

Pressing the tea bag.

Several sealed tea bags with various blends.

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Posted in Product Assistance, Thoughts from The Sage | 6 Comments »

Almond Meal

Monday, February 15th, 2010

Last week, we made fresh Almond Milk for our Cold Process Soap: Half and Half Method with Almond Milk blog post and I promised that I would take a picture of the Almond Meal that was left over after straining the milk. If I had not slipped all of the skins off of the almonds, there would have been flecks of almond skins throughout the meal. If you were to eat this Almond Meal, it would have the texture of almonds, but it lacks the flavor of almonds. This Almond Meal would make a perfect face mask. You could make something like the Face Mask with Okara and substitute the Almond Meal for the okara instead. Ahh! Time to be perfectly pampered!

I know I promised to show you the comparison pictures of the milk soaps, but I’m having a difficulties with the camera flash and the color correction of the photos. This is skewing the color comparison too much to actually show the color differences. I will definitely post these pictures tomorrow!

Almond Meal.

I also have some very exciting news for those who want to test all of the milk soaps I made last week. If you would like to receive all 5 soaps and test them on your own, you can order them for $18 including shipping! Each bar weighs between 4.5 oz and 5 oz and has measurements of 2 1/2″ X 2 1/2″ X 1″. They have not been scented at all, so you will only have the soaps as made on their respective posts. I will be sending the set of 5 soaps with no exceptions, but it is a great bargain.

How do I order the 5 Milks Soap Set?
1) Go to the Gift Certificate Form on our website.
2) Fill out all required fields for shipping and billing information as well as the credit card field for payment.
3) Give a Gift Certificate Value of $18.00. Type it into the “Other Amount” box as 18.00 (no dollar sign) to prevent problems.
4) In the “Gift Message” box, type the following message “Please send me the 5 Milks Soap Set!”
5) Submit your order request!

What do I get for $18?
1) 1 Cows Milk Soap
2) 1 Goats Milk Soap
3) 1 Buttermilk Soap
4) 1 Soy Milk Soap
5) 1 Almond Milk Soap
6) Shipping is INCLUDED in this total!

Can I place this through the MMS Catalog Online Ordering?
No. At this time, our MMS Catalog Online Ordering will add a shipping calculation to all orders processed through the system. Our Gift Certificate System will not add any additional shipping charges to your order.

Don’t forget to submit your blog or video posts to win the MMS Perfumer’s Kit. Remember, this kit is worth $280! Submissions are due by March 1st for posts during February.

Did you know that you can become a fan of Majestic Mountain Sage on Facebook? Receive the latest updates, blog post notifications and more!

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Surprises for Technical Support

Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010

The beautiful pears.

It is always great to receive thank you letters from customers who have dealt with our Technical Support Staff and received the help they needed. Today we received an amazing package from Kim E. and I’ll admit, we were pleasantly surprised to find some yummy pears from Harry & David in the box. I just had to share what Kim told us in his note, because it was very nice.

Thanks for all of your help and advice! These pears are my absolute favorite.

Thank you Kim! I’m glad that we have been able to give you the help and advice that you needed!

I was able to capture a picture of the pears before they disappeared and they look beautiful! Don’t you agree?

I’m always excited to hear comments about experiences with our staff and I try to share them with our blog readers! The best responses are that we eliminated your hurdles. We don’t need pears to help. The notes, calls, and e-mails are wonderful to receive. Thanks to all!

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Adding Extracts to the Daily Shampoo

Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010

We just added extracts to the After Swim Conditioner and now we should make a matching Shampoo so your hair gets the best treatment possible. This complete set will be great for any hair needing a little bit extra love and attention.

Some users think that additives to our bases are a big NO NO. So, today we will work on a base and 2% in additives. The bases can handle up to 3% in additives. Fragrance and color do not count in this 3% rule.

Collect needed items:

Ingredients
Daily Shampoo Base
Comfrey Leaves Extract
Horsetail Grass Extract
Fragrance or Essential of your choice (I’m using Green Tea & Cucumber Fragrance Oil)

Equipment
Scale
Transfer Pipettes
Small glass beaker for fragrance and extracts
Containers for the finished product

Recipe in ounces: (Makes 16 ounces)
15.6 ounces Daily Shampoo Base
0.16 ounces Comfrey Leaves Extract
0.16 ounces Horsetail Grass Extract
0.08 ounces Green Tea & Cucumber Fragrance Oil

Recipe in ounces: (Makes 1 gallon)
128 ounces Daily Shampoo Base
1.32 ounces Comfrey Leaves Extract
1.32 ounces Horsetail Grass Extract
0.66 ounces Green Tea & Cucumber Fragrance Oil

Recipe in Percentages:
97.5% Daily Shampoo Base
1% Comfrey Leaves Extract
1% Horsetail Grass Extract
0.5% Fragrance Oil or Essential Oil

Instructions for making 16 ounces:
Weigh the extracts and fragrance into the small glass beaker. Once these have been weighed, set aside and weigh the shampoo into the bottle for final use. Add the extracts and fragrance to the bottle and cap the bottle. Shake vigorously until everything is completely mixed.

Instructions for making 1 gallon:
Weigh the extracts and fragrance into the small glass beaker. Pour into the gallon jug of Daily Shampoo Base and cap the jug. Shake vigorously until everything is completely mixed. You may have to bribe someone with baked goodies! Check the Food and Recipes Category for bribery ideas. Pump into final bottles!

Don’t forget to label your bottles!

Enjoy!

Don’t forget to submit your blog or video posts to win the MMS Perfumer’s Kit. Remember, this kit is worth $280! Submissions are due by March 1st for posts during February.

Collect needed items.

Weighed Extracts and Fragrance.

Pouring extracts and fragrance into the gallon jug.

Finished bottles ready for labels.

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Adding Extracts to the After Swim Hair Conditioner

Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010

Sometimes we put lots of stress on our hair just with our daily activities. Our After Swim Hair Conditioner is perfect for competitive swimmers or those just swim for the exercise. Even runners in city smog should take special care of their hair. Today I’m going to add some of our extracts to After Swim Hair Conditioner to help add strength and shine to hair as well as aiding moisture retention and keeping hair from looking like stable straw.

Collect needed items:

Ingredients
After Swim Hair Conditioner
Comfrey Leaves Extract
Horsetail Grass Extract
Fragrance or Essential of your choice (I’m using Green Tea & Cucumber Fragrance Oil)

Equipment
Scale
Transfer Pipettes
Small glass beaker for fragrance and extracts
Containers for the finished product

Recipe in ounces: (Makes 16 ounces)
15.6 ounces After Swim Hair Conditioner
0.16 ounces Comfrey Leaves Extract
0.16 ounces Horsetail Grass Extract
0.08 ounces Green Tea & Cucumber Fragrance Oil

Recipe in ounces: (Makes 1 gallon)
128 ounces After Swim Hair Conditioner
1.32 ounces Comfrey Leaves Extract
1.32 ounces Horsetail Grass Extract
0.66 ounces Green Tea & Cucumber Fragrance Oil

Recipe in Percentages:
97.5% After Swim Hair Conditioner
1% Comfrey Leaves Extract
1% Horsetail Grass Extract
0.5% Fragrance Oil or Essential Oil

Instructions for making 16 ounces:
Weigh the extracts and fragrance into the small glass beaker. Once these have been weighed, set aside and weigh the conditioner into the bottle for final use. Add the extracts and fragrance to the bottle and cap the bottle. Shake vigorously until everything is completely mixed.

Instructions for making 1 gallon:
Weigh the extracts and fragrance into the small glass beaker. Pour into the gallon jug of After Swim Hair Conditioner and cap the jug. Shake vigorously until everything is completely mixed. You may have to bribe someone with baked goodies if your arms get too tired. Check the Food and Recipes Category for bribery ideas. Pump into final bottles!

Don’t forget to label your bottles!

Enjoy!

Don’t forget to submit your blog or video posts to win the MMS Perfumer’s Kit. Remember, this kit is worth $280! Submissions are due by March 1st for posts during February.

Collect needed items.

Weighed Extracts and Fragrance.

Pouring extracts and fragrance into the gallon jug.

Finished bottles ready for labels.

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Brownies, MMS Style

Monday, February 1st, 2010

I love to bake and I usually end up bringing the extra goodies to work because my family can’t eat all of my baked goods. Of all my favorite and well used ingredients, baking chocolate tops the list because it can make brownies. I’m a complete and total brownie junkie. My favorite recipe is Rosie’s Award Winning Brownies from Rosie’s Bakery All-Butter, Fresh Cream, Sugar-Packed, No-Holds-Barred Baking Book by Judy Rosenberg. If you can find this book, I highly recommend it. This is my version of these brownies:

Collect needed items:

Ingredients
Baking Chocolate
Butter, room temperature
Sugar
Eggs, room temperature
Vanilla Extract
Salt
All-Purpose Flour
Walnuts (if desired)

Equipment
Mixing bowl
Microwave safe bowl (for melting butter)
Rubber Scraper
Measuring Cups
Measuring Spoons
9 X 13 Glass Baking Pan
Cooking Spray

Recipe:
8 ounces Baking Chocolate
2 sticks of Butter, 4 ounces each
2-1/2 cups Sugar plus 2 tablespoon
6 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract, I generally add 1 Tablespoon
1 teaspoon Salt
1-1/2 cup Flour
1 cup Walnuts plus 4 tablespoons (if desired) I don’t add nuts often.

Preheat the oven to 325 ° F. Lightly grease the baking pan and set aside.

Gently melt the baking chocolate in the microwave using short bursts of time, unless you just made your baking chocolate. Set aside and melt your butter. Stir the butter into the melted chocolate and allow to cool to room temperature.

Once the baking chocolate and butter mixture has cooled to room temperature, add the sugar and stir until the sugar has been completely incorporated. Add the beaten eggs and gently stir until the eggs have been mixed into the batter. Stir the vanilla extract and salt into the mixture.

Now, add the flour and gently fold the flour into the batter. We don’t want to mix the batter too much, otherwise we will have a very tough brownie because the gluten in the flour has been developed. If desired, you can fold the nuts into the batter, leaving the 4 tablespoons to sprinkle on the top before baking.

Evenly spread the batter in the pan. Bake for approximately 35 minutes. There should be a light crust on the top of the brownies and a toothpick, inserted in the center, should come out clean. Allow the brownies to cool before serving. If you are like me and impatient, feel free to eat the brownies after they have cooled sufficiently to slice, about 2 hours. If you can wait, these brownies really taste great if they have had 24 hours to “age”. This allows the flavors to mellow.

Sit down with a glass of milk or a cup of hot chocolate and enjoy!

Melted baking chocolate.

Preparing to melt the butter.

Adding the butter to the baking chocolate.

Mixing the butter and baking chocolate.

(more…)

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Making Baking Chocolate

Monday, February 1st, 2010

Around our house, we always use baking chocolate in various baking projects and someone kept having to run to the grocery store until we realized that we could make our own baking chocolate at home. Now, instead of needing to go to the grocery store for baking chocolate, we simply make our own. Now you can too! This is another fantastic reason to pull our scales out and use them for reasons other than bath and body creations. You can also use this baking chocolate in cold process soap and have yummy smelling soap!

Collect needed supplies:
Cocoa Butter
Hershey’s Cocoa: Special Dark
Hershey’s Cocoa: Natural Unsweetened
SACO Premium Cocoa: A Special Blend of natural & Dutched Cocoa
Mixing bowl
Microwave safe container (I’m using a Pyrex liquid 2 cup measure)
Spoons
Rubber Scraper
Scale

Recipe in percentages:
40% Cocoa Butter
60% Cocoa Powder

We have 3 cocoas we will blend. Since we will make brownies next, I’m going to blend these like this:

40% Hershey’s Cocoa: Natural Unsweetened
40% SACO Premium Cocoa: A Special Blend of natural & Dutched Cocoa
20% Hershey’s Cocoa: Special Dark

This will give use a unique blend of flavors to round out our brownies. If you happen to have black cocoa (think Oreos) then limit this cocoa to 10-15% of your blend. Black cocoa is very single sided in flavor. Go ahead and use what ever cocoas you have available and that you like the flavor of.

We need 8 ounces for brownies. 40% of 8 ounces is 3.2 ounces, this is the cocoa butter. 60% of 8 ounces is 4.8 ounces, this is the cocoa. We now need to figure the amounts of cocoa by variety.

4.8 X 40% = 1.92 ounces
4.8 X 20% = 0.96 ounces

1.92 ounces Hershey’s Cocoa: Natural Unsweetened
1.92 ounces SACO Premium Cocoa: A Special Blend of natural & Dutched Cocoa
0.96 ounces Hershey’s Cocoa: Special Dark

Weigh all of the Cocoa Powders into the mixing bowl, stir together and then set aside. Weigh the Cocoa Butter into the microwave safe container. Heat in the microwave using short time bursts until the Cocoa Butter is melted. Now that the Cocoa Butter is melted, gently pour it over the mixed Cocoa Powder and stir to combine all the ingredients thoroughly. Check and make sure there are no more lumps of powder that need to be broken up.

Cool, stirring periodically. When this mixture is cool to the touch on the upper lip, the baking chocolate is ready to use in baking.

Otherwise, pour into storage containers and label for use on another day.

Enjoy!