So I promised you a post about my wonderful invasive weeds...em...herbs! I've been wanting to create a wonderful baby soap made with green herbs found locally. I have a recipe and it looks ever so luscious. It would aid in diaper rash burns and a host of other maladies. Yep, It would have. But.....
But I have been horrible at doing infused oils. Namely, I gather them, I dry them, I get expensive oil, I pack them in sterile mason jars and cover them with oil. But something always goes awry. That something would be ME. Yours truly.
Either I put them it too cool a clime, or too hot a clime, or I forget to shake them, or put them in the sun, or take them out of the sun, or take them out of the oil or WHATEVER.
This last time was no exception. Every morning for DAYS I went out to gather herbs in the fresh morning dew. I gently rinsed them, snipped and cut away any bad parts or roots. Picked pine needles out of their tender entwines. Gently laid them on fresh tissue paper for them to evaporate most of their moisture. Gently turned them every day until they diminished in mass and water content.
Went out and purchased some extra virgin olive oil. Placed them lovingly in the crock pot. Which has two temps: low and high.
Covered them in the olive oil, set my timer to about 10 minutes, placed the crock pot on LOW, and walked away for 10 minutes, after which the timer notified me to turn crockpot off.
Here is a picture of them, freshly gathered:
So last night was the end of a long day of multitasking at it's finest. I had been carefully adding herbs to my crockpot for a couple of days. Setting the timer for 10 minutes, dutifully turning it off to steep, on and off, several times a day for about 3 days. Turning it, basting the precious herbs in the expensive olive oil. It was turning into a fine, BEAUTFUL emulsion.
Last night, however, I said to myself: "OK, Let me saute this chicken for ข้าวผัดไก่, affectionately and phonetically pronounced Cow Pot Guy. I would not forget to shut the timer off. Nope, not me". It was all under control.
At about 9:00 PM I heard a popping in the kitchen. The dogs' ears perked up; we all glanced that way but "Nah.....what could it be"? we surmised.
About 15 minutes later I heard a pop sufficiently loud enough to get me off the couch and bounding into the adjoining kitchen. "Cranky old hot water heater," I thought. But then the lid on the crock pot was cheerfully emitting a steady green-smelling vaporous steam into the kitchen, and I heard the weeds/useful medicinal herbs not simmering, or poaching, but BOILING, and I mean boiling loudly. A raging, full ROLLING boil, as they say.
So sad at my own ineptness, I turned the crock pot off and lifted the lid. A nice herbal spa treatment greeted my curious visage, and only about 10 seconds later, Joe asked me, "WHAT'S that smell????" To which I replied, "Another experiment, FAILED....." simpering soflty...
I just wanted to update you as promised. I will toss this oily mess into the garbage and start over. I will not be foiled. Even if I have to stand there every 10 minutes, not diverting my gaze, and wait. I will prevail!
Ha! So THERE!
In other news, I read this most interesting article today on Etsy. I try to read as much as I can but thought this was of particular interest, and something for all of us who produce handmade goods to think about it.
Why not take a read:
http://www.etsy.com/storque/handmade-life/noted-can-local-manufacturing-make-a-difference-12575/?ref=fp_blog_title
So then, dear one, I so love that you take time out of your busy schedule to read my posts!
You have no idea how much that means to me!
Toodles!
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