Mother's Day Soap Sale today!

Did you know Mother's Day is fast approaching 

on Sunday, May 8th? That's less than 2 weeks away! 

At my soap shop, we have lovely sets ready for your gift giving! We are offering a natural cedar wood soap dish PLUS three new soaps made especially for Mother's Day at a special price.  We are also selling the soap dishes separately.  They are gorgeous and handmade by a local artisan especially for us!

Plus.... the rest of the shop is now 20% OFF! 

Quantities are limited!  

The sale starts at 9:00 am PST at

www.shadowhillshandmade.com

SOAP SALE TODAY!!

Good morning friends, I just wanted to alert you that I'm having a soap sale at 9:00 am PST TODAY!  You can take a look at what I'm offering at www.shadowhillshandmade.com. 

Quantities will be stocked at the sale time!

This is my last BIG sale for awhile, so feel free to STOCK UP!!

 

Handmade Lotion Bars

A friend gave me a lotion bar for Christmas... and I loved it! It looks like a bar of soap (no wonder I like it!) but you rub it on your skin as lotion.  Brilliant!

I decided to try a recipe I found on Pinterest.  These couldn't have been easier! All you do is mix equal parts beeswax, coconut oil, and cocoa or shea butter.  I used cocoa butter because I don't love the smell of raw shea butter.   You just melt everything together on low heat, and pour into the moulds of your choice.  I used these silicon muffin moulds and the bars easily popped right out.  You can also add essential oil if you like.  I added some tangerine and they smell lovely. With such great ingredients, these will surely combat dry winter skin.

What a sweet Valentine's day gift these would be!  

Bridal Showers and Cold Brewed Coffee

I was honored to throw a bridal shower last Saturday for Emma's best friend, and my 2nd daughter, Kaitlyn.
Emma and Kait have been besties since 2nd grade!   Now Kait is getting married, and it was such fun to shower her!

I knew an August shower would call for being indoors and sure enough, it was 105 degrees on that day!  Rich and I moved all the furniture out of our family room and set up 5 rectangle tables, plus another one in the living room to accomodate the 48 guests.

I served brunch and kept it very simple.   I made an egg dish, which I fondly call "egg puff."  I'll put the recipe below-- it's one of those "tried and true" ones.  It's so easy to throw together, too. 

I served two salads - one was an arugula salad containing cantaloupe, prosciutto, peas, thin red onion slices, and diced fresh mozzarella.  It was dressed with a sweet balsamic dressing.
The other salad was made with watermelon & tomato.  I know - weird combo - but it was delicious.  On a big white serving plate, watermelon & tomato chunks (all from my garden!) were layered and topped with crumbled feta cheese (TJ's in water is my favorite).  A lovely herb vinaigrette was poured over all --made with fresh garden herbs (tarragon, basil, mint, parsley, and chives), lemon juice, & olive oil.  

Lastly, there was a fruit platter, the bride's favorite Krispy Kreme donuts, and homemade zucchini bread (that's what you make when you have a ton of zucchini!).

Bummer, I was too busy to snap photos of the food... oh well.  I was grateful Emma walked around and took photos for me of the set up.

I used herbs from my garden and some white flowers from TJ's for the table.  I am obsessed with the colored mason jars... I used the purple ones here.   I made lavender scented candles for favors to go with the earthy theme.  Tablecloths were simply painters drop cloths! I love how they look like linen.

 

 

I tried something I haven't done before -- a cold brew coffee bar.  I made up a bunch of cold brew coffee (recipe below) and served it with vanilla & caramel syrups (Torani) and a plain organic sugar syrup (homemade).  I put out ice, whole milk, half & half, and almond milk.  I also offered a cold chai tea concentrate (from TJ's) for tea drinkers, and hot coffee for those who would drink it on such a hot day! Guests could fix their own personal favorite.  

Here is the set up before everything went in (again, I was too busy to take a photo of it).    I made signs for the ingredients and used this packet of letters for signs all around.  I like to utilize this hutch in my dining room as a beverage station.  The shelves are a great place for the cups.  The hot coffee is on a small adjacent table as it was kind of tight to fit everything!

 

 I love this photo of us with our girls!  When they were growing up, Kathy and I got them together often and we made a fun foursome.  Now we have added baby Darsy!
I'm not sure why she is naked... but isn't she so yummy? 

I sure adore my baby girl!

Egg Puff

serves 10-12

Ingredients

·         10 eggs

·         1/2 cup flour

·         1 tsp baking powder

·         1/2 tsp salt

·         1 pint (16oz.) small curd cottage cheese

·         3/4 lb jack cheese, shredded

·         1/4 cup butter, melted

·         1-2 cans (4 oz cans) diced green chilies, drained

Directions

1.      Beat eggs until light and lemon colored. Add flour, baking powder, salt, cottage cheese, jack cheese and melted butter, blending smoothly. Stir in the chilies. 

2.      Pour mixture into a well-buttered 9×13 baking dish. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes, or center appears firm. 

3.      Allow to cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Cold Brew Coffee

In a large jar, mix 1 cup medium ground coffee (I used an organic French roast from Costco) with 4 1/2 cups cold filtered water.  Refrigerate 12 hours, then strain with a cheese cloth.  

Chai Tea

  
So, Rich and I have suddenly become addicted to Chai Tea.   

Now, I don't mean a cloyingly sweet Chai Tea latte, or even a Tazo Chai tea bag, but a true cup of traditional Chai Tea.  Our love for it just came out of nowhere, but we are really enjoying this new ritual.  It's sweet and spicy and very comforting in cold weather.

But, since I'm a decaf girl, and since for some reason decaf Chai tea does not exist on this planet (at a reasonable price anyways), and since I'm sort of a do-it-yourself-er at heart, of course I set out to make my own Chai Tea Blend.

I began researching.  There are different approaches.  Many use a variety of whole spices, crushed and added to whole tea leaves.  I was about to order all my spices and do it, when thankfully, I stumbled upon this blog, which contained a trusted family recipe that seemed easier.  The approach was different.  You take all the spices in ground form and add them together, making a Chai Masala spice blend.   When you want a cup of Chai, you simply add some of the masala to whole leaf black tea, and steep it traditionally over the stove with water, milk, and honey.   I liked this idea because 1) I already had all the spices on hand in ground form, and 2) It seemed like you would get a more consistent taste doing it this way.  It seemed to me if you mixed the whole crushed spices with the tea in a big jar, the spices might settle and you might not get the true blend of taste you're looking for when you take out a portion.  

So I tried it.  Using my trusty digital kitchen scale, I made 1/4 of the Masala recipe to begin with, because I wasn't sure if I'd like it.  It made a good amount, almost 1 cup of spice.  In a small saucepan, I put a 1/4 tsp. of the Masala Chai blend, 1 1/2 tsp. organic loose leaf English Breakfast tea, 1 Tbsp. raw honey, 1/2 cup whole milk, and 1/2 cup water.  I heated it over med-high and stirred as it came to a gentle boil.  I then lowered the heat and simmered it 5 minutes.   We purchased plain empty tea bags so I just put the tea in there and didn't have to strain it (but you can also use a tea ball or just throw the loose tea in, and strain it out).   

When I tasted the Chai, I got really excited.  It was AMAZING!!  It's really flavorful, warm and spicy.  In fact, it was a little too spicy so I added a little more of everything except the pepper to tame it a little. The ease of making a traditional cup of Chai is now a snap!   Below is my modified recipe (after I reduced the pepper by about 20%). Feel free to taste it and then tweak it as I did to your own personal liking.

Chai Masala blend

125 g. black pepper, finely ground, (3/4 cup + 1 Tbsp)

125 g. ground ginger (3/4 cup + 1 Tbsp)

50 g. ground cinnamon (1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp)

50 g. ground cardamom (1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp)

5 g. ground cloves (2 tsp)

5 g. ground nutmeg (2 tsp)

Mix all spices together and store in an airtight jar.

Chai Tea Recipe

1/8-1/4 tsp. Chai Masala blend

1 1/2 tsp. loose leaf black tea (or any black tea bag)

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup whole milk (do NOT use skim, you need the fat to bring out the Masala taste)

1 Tbsp. raw honey (or more if you like)

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Place over medium heat. Allow to heat until small bubbles appear around the perimeter of the milk.  Stir the Chai, scraping the bottom to avoid scalding the milk.  When the milk comes to a boil, turn off the heat and stir well.   Allow to steep for 5 minutes.  Strain carefully into a cup, and serve.

SOAP SALE TODAY!!

UPDATE:  The sale is now over.
All bars are sold!
I hope to be back in the spring...
thanks everyone for your interest!
Stay clean :-)


Welcome to the soap sale!

If you would like more details about my soap, click here.
 

 I am offering 5 different types of soap: 

All-vegetable oil  

Goat milk

Goat milk oatmeal 

Shea butter

NEW!  Cocoa butter

ALL-VEGETABLE OIL SOAPS - $3.50 each plus tax

Made with coconut, organic palm, and olive oils.  
A great basic body or facial bar.

Quantity: SOLD OUT



Quantity: SOLD OUT

 

Quantity: SOLD OUT

SHEA BUTTER SOAPS - $4.00 each plus tax

Same oils as the all-vegetable oil soap, with the addition of unrefined shea butter for extra richness (this is considered a "super fatted" soap). Shea butter moisturizes without clogging pores and contains skin benefiting vitamins A and E. You can really feel the difference when you use a shea butter soap. 

Quantity:  SOLD OUT

 

Quantity: SOLD OUT



Quantity: SOLD OUT

GOAT MILK SOAPS - $3.50 each plus tax

Same oils as the all-vegetable oil soap, but the addition of goat’s milk provides rich emollients and vitamins to moisturize and nourish the skin. It contains capric-capryllic triglycerides, which are effective in moisturizing skin, and goat milk soap's gentle natural ingredients are beneficial to people with skin sensitivities or eczema.  I am offering one special soap formulated especially for hand washing.  I call it "scrubbie" as it contains coffee grounds for deep cleaning and odor removal (think: garlic).

Quantity: SOLD OUT

Quantity: SOLD OUT

Quantity: SOLD OUT

GOAT MILK OATMEAL SOAPS - $3.50 each plus tax

All the moisture of goat milk soap, oatmeal soap also provides numerous additional benefits. It is great for both oily and dry skin types. Dry skin benefits by having its pH balanced by the oatmeal, while oily skin benefits by the absorbent nature of oats. Plus, there is a healthy fat in oatmeal that keeps skin moist. And the polysaccharides in oatmeal protect the skin after it is washed. Oatmeal soap also contains poly phenols, which benefits acne prone skin and exfoliates the surface cells; it is particularly effective for cystic acne. Oatmeal soaps lather great and provide light exfoliation.

 

Quantity: SOLD OUT
 

Quantity: SOLD OUT

 

Quantity: SOLD OUT

NEW!  COCOA BUTTER SOAP - $4.00 plus tax

I am pleased to introduce this super emollient new soap!

Cocoa butter is known as the ultimate moisturizer.

It contains natural antioxidants and absorbs easily into the skin.

This soap contains 3% more butter than my shea butter soap, making it my richest soap.

I chose to leave it unscented so that the natural chocolate aroma could shine through.  

 

Quantity: SOLD OUT

Can’t decide?   

Try a sample pack! 

 

  Quantity:  SOLD OUT

I will surprise you with 4 different soaps in half bar sizes. 
Each pack will contain one of each type of soap

(goat milk, goat milk oatmeal, vegetable oil, and either cocoa butter or shea butter)

$8 plus tax

SALE DETAILS

ORDERING:  Email me at harasick@ca.rr.com with your order.  I will answer back with confirmation and a total.  Please pay attention to quantities available as you order... I'll be updating as I can to keep what is available current.

DELIVERY/SHIPPING: If you are close by, we can make arrangements to get you your goods. If not, I am happy to ship to anywhere in the U.S. 

I can ship up to 4 bars of soap for $5.25 using the USPS small flat rate priority box; larger orders will most likely fit in the medium flat rate box for $11.35. 

PAYMENT: I accept  PayPal (use harasick@ca.rr.com), cash, or personal checks (cash & checks accepted only in person).

Soap Sale Coming Up!

I'm back!  It's been awhile, but I'm finally having a soap sale!

 I will begin taking orders first come, first served next Wednesday, December 3rd at 9:00 am (California time). 

Here are some details about the my soap and the sale. 
 

First, let me tell you a little about my soaps and why you’ll love them. :-)   My soaps are 100% all natural – never any harsh chemicals or ingredients to harm your skin. They contain natural glycerine which is formed in the saponification (soap making) process. Glycerine actually attracts moisture to your skin. Most commercial soaps lack glycerine because they are extracted out for use in other products. Detergents are added in and that is why your skin can feel dry and itchy.  Consequently, homemade soap is softer, so you must let it drain and air dry well between uses.

Do you know what is in the soap you use? I do, because I control everything that goes into the soap I make! I choose only quality, natural ingredients such as coconut, organic palm, and olive oils, 100% pure essential oils, goat’s milk, natural colorants and exfolliants. Yes, I use lye, as it is essential in soap making, but rest assured it evaporates in the saponification process. You can read more about the properties of each specific type of soap below. 

All the soap is made in small batches, by the cold process method, and is cut by hand in my own kitchen. I really enjoy making soap for my own family and it’s a joy to share it with you, too! These bars are large, around 4 1/2 -5 oz each! 

This time I will be offering 5 different types of soap: 

All-vegetable oil  

Goat milk

Goat milk oatmeal 

Shea butter

NEW!  Cocoa butter

ALL-VEGETABLE OIL SOAPS - $3.50 each plus tax

Made with coconut, organic palm, and olive oils.  
A great basic body or facial bar.

 

SHEA BUTTER SOAPS - $4.00 each plus tax

Same oils as the all-vegetable oil soap, with the addition of unrefined shea butter for extra richness (this is considered a "super fatted" soap). Shea butter moisturizes without clogging pores and contains skin benefiting vitamins A and E. You can really feel the difference when you use a shea butter soap. 

 

GOAT MILK SOAPS - $3.50 each plus tax

Same oils as the all-vegetable oil soap, but the addition of goat’s milk provides rich emollients and vitamins to moisturize and nourish the skin. It contains capric-capryllic triglycerides, which are effective in moisturizing skin, and goat milk soap's gentle natural ingredients are beneficial to people with skin sensitivities or eczema.  I am offering one special soap formulated especially for hand washing.  I call it "scrubbie" as it contains coffee grounds for deep cleaning and odor removal (think: garlic).

GOAT MILK OATMEAL SOAPS - $3.50 each plus tax

All the moisture of goat milk soap, oatmeal soap also provides numerous additional benefits. It is great for both oily and dry skin types. Dry skin benefits by having its pH balanced by the oatmeal, while oily skin benefits by the absorbent nature of oats. Plus, there is a healthy fat in oatmeal that keeps skin moist. And the polysaccharides in oatmeal protect the skin after it is washed. Oatmeal soap also contains poly phenols, which benefits acne prone skin and exfoliates the surface cells; it is particularly effective for cystic acne. Oatmeal soaps lather great and provide light exfoliation.

 

 

NEW!  COCOA BUTTER SOAP - $4.00 plus tax

I am pleased to introduce this super emollient new soap!

Cocoa butter is known as the ultimate moisturizer.

It contains natural antioxidants and absorbs easily into the skin.

This soap contains 3% more butter than my shea butter soap, making it my richest soap.

I chose to leave it unscented so that the natural chocolate aroma could shine through.  

 

Can’t decide?   

Try a sample pack! 

 

  

I will surprise you with 4 different soaps in half bar sizes. 
Each pack will contain one of each type of soap

(goat milk, goat milk oatmeal, vegetable oil, and either cocoa butter or shea butter)

$8 plus tax

SALE DETAILS

DELIVERY/SHIPPING: If you are close by, we can make arrangements to get you your goods. If not, I am happy to ship to anywhere in the U.S. 

I can ship up to 4 bars of soap for $5.25 using the USPS small flat rate priority box; larger orders will most likely fit in the medium flat rate box for $11.35. 

PAYMENT: I accept PayPal (use harasick@ca.rr.com), cash, or personal checks (cash & checks accepted only in person).

A Sweet Baby Shower

 

My adorable niece is expecting her 1st in April- a sweet little boy!  Emma, Stephanie and I had the joy and privilege of showering her and her soon-to-arrive baby last Saturday at our home.   It was special to have BOTH grandmas and TWO great-grandmas present!  We were blessed with a beautiful day weather-wise, and a lovely group of about 25 guests.

We served lunch.  The mom-to-be loves to eat healthy, so I had fun planning the menu with lots of fresh ingredients.  I do usually put a lot of thought to the balance of my menu, and try to do something that may be a little different.  And I always want the food to be colorful and pretty.  Nowadays, it's always good to be sure to have at least one vegetarian, vegan, gluten- free and dairy-free option (and check for nut allergies).  

Here's what we served on this lovely spring day:

Kale, Brussels Sprouts, and Quinoa salad.   Super food that's super colorful!  Chopped kale, shaved Brussels sprouts, quinoa, shaved fennel, grated carrot, chopped purple cabbage, pecans, dried cranberries, and a lightly sweet vinaigrette.   What is great about this salad is you can toss it a bit ahead of time.  It was even good leftover the next day.

Sisley Salad.  I LOVE this salad from Sisley restaurant.   I used my own garden fresh greens (I had red and green romaine lettuces -- you can add radicchio if you don't have red greens), chopped tomato, toasted pine nuts, sliced hearts of palm, fresh shaved parmesan cheese and a creamy basil vinaigrette.

Wild Rice & Chicken Salad.   A super yummy salad recipe from Stephanie's mom.   Wild rice, chopped chicken, green onion, toasted slivered almonds, chopped celery, and chopped snap peas, with a curry vinaigrette.
 
Roasted Beet, Orange & Avocado Salad.    Beets are roasted then cut into wedges, and tossed with a dressing made of fresh orange juice, zest, and shallots.   I lined the platter with arugula and put the beets in the middle, flanked by bright orange and avocado slices.   Gorgeous bursts of color!

Mixed Berry Salad.   Super easy to throw together, I sliced strawberries and spread them on a white tray, then layered on blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries.   Berries are just so beautiful, they don't need much attention!

Potato-herb Waffles with Pesto Cream.   I got this recipe from a bed and breakfast inn we stayed at.   These savory whole grain waffles contain mashed potatoes, cheese, and herbs.   I actually made them and froze them in advance, and just warmed them right before we served lunch.  So easy.  The pesto cream is simply plain greek yogurt mixed with purchased pesto sauce.

Kale salad & Beet Salad

 

Desserts: 
 I usually use this sideboard in my dining room for desserts.  It's not very big so we put the dessert plates in the drawers.  We had flour-less chocolate cupcakes with ganache frosting (GF), vanilla cake balls dipped in blue & white chocolate, dipped pretzel rods, lemon bars topped with raspberries, lavender shortbread cookies, and even a healthy choice -- coconut almond fudge (GF, DF).

 

{I had a sweet helper come a few weeks ahead of time
and teach me the art of cake balls. 

She also taught me that they can successfully be made
in advance and frozen- a big help!
Thank you, Bri!}

 

Easy {healthy} dessert - Coconut almond fudge!  Coming to a WDW soon!

I added a little chocolate to the bottom of my mold before pouring the fudge in.
My niece loved these.

Beverages:   

Water bottles were wrapped in white fabric and a safety pin (to resemble diapers).
In decanters, we had fresh lavender lemonade and iced tea,
and I made a big urn of coffee.
I couldn't resist using these pretty blue Ball jars! 

 

  

I also made soy candles in the blue jars for favors.  They turned out cute!

I leaned heavily on the girls for decorating since it's definitely not my forte!  They made everything super cute!  They stretched a clothes line over the food table and hung cute baby boy clothes (and that also cleverly doubled as their gifts to the mom-to-be).  We set up a ladder with baby pictures of the mom-and-dad-to-be, and a few baby items like shoes, books, etc.  I made a baby diaper "cake" as a centerpiece.  Simple and easy.  We got some balloons and cut flowers from the garden to make it a bit more festive.  Our colors were turqoise blue, gold and silver.

 

The table wasn't quite set up yet -- but you get the idea.

We are really in full swing shower season now.  There are so many weddings, and the babies are starting to come, too!  It's really fun.  Here are some things I like to do to make showers easy.

1.  Tableware 

It's nice to use "real" dishes and silverware and saves money in the long run to invest in pieces you will use.   Buying nice paper goods can be pricey.   If you choose things that are neutral (white or glass) you can use them for pretty much any type of event.

I have an extra set of silverware, plus some real silver that my mother in law left me.  I just mix and match it.   I particularly like the old silver and would love to buy more of that.  I also have LOTS of metal serving tongs.  When people go through a line of food they need to be able to serve themselves one-handed!

For years I have been collecting vintage small glass luncheon trays -- you know, the kind from the 60's that come with a cute little glass punch cup.  They can be found at thrift shops quite easily for very little money.  I have a couple different patterns of those as well.  They are great for dessert or for a tea.  You can even use the cup to put a little dessert in (tiramisu, trifle, etc.). 

Recently, I purchased 48 ceramic white square dinner plates at the Dollar Store.  They are quite nice - you would never know they were only $1!   You can see them in the photos above.  They even go in the dishwasher! 

For cups I often use Mason jars.  I have a good sized collection of clear and blue.  I also have some inexpensive IKEA goblets and small glass juice cups.  I have about 20 white coffee cups that I saved from my first set of dishes 27 years ago (Mikasa) that I use for coffee.  If it's a larger group, sometimes I buy white disposable coffee cups.  I have a big coffee urn as well, and some large beverage decanters.

I usually buy paper napkins to highlight whatever color theme I'm using.  I collect cute ones when I see them.  IKEA has great napkins!

I also have a collection of large white bowls and platters.  I also have several clear pedestal servers that are great for desserts.  I love pewter serving pieces.  I recently found a big square one at a thrift store for $5 and I jumped on it!  White or pewter go well with any theme.  I'm always on the lookout for something new (I LOVE Homegoods!).

I also use white tablecloths for everything, it keeps things simple.


2. Preparations

To avoid party stress, I try to do EVERYTHING I can in advance.  The favors, decor, signs for food, party game, water bottles, etc. were all done a couple weeks ahead of time.  I also baked and froze all the desserts, and even the waffles.  It really is so much easier this way.  My schedule for getting ready for Saturday was:

Saturday before: Yard work/clean patio furniture & cushions

Wednesday:  Deep clean the house 

Thursday:  Shop for food (at a couple different stores), make lemonade and iced tea

Friday:  Prep all food that I can (pick and wash greens, chop veggies, toast nuts, roast beets, frost cupcakes, cook grains for salads, grind coffee, make salad dressings, etc)

Friday night:  Girls come over and help set up decor, thaw and set up desserts, set up table with platters and serving pieces, set up beverage table

Saturday morning:  Wash and plate berries, finish cutting oranges/avocados for beet salad, toss salads together, warm frozen waffles, stir together the pesto cream (Rich cleaned the patio table tops and got balloons and ice for me  - bless him!) 

With so much done in advance, it only took a couple hours to get ready that morning.  It's SO much more enjoyable this way because it's stress free.  You can enjoy and focus on your guests!