Tuesday Spotlight: Pine Tar Soap

This week, the spotlight is on Pine Tar soap. This hard-working, super-exfoliating, richly moisturizing bar is excellent for hands that aren't afraid to get dirty, those who love the feel of a textured soap, and those with skin issues such as eczema, psoriasis, and dermatitis. Pine tar has been used in soap for centuries because it is naturally high in vitamin E, which benefits the skin. It is also antifungal and antibacterial, reducing body odor. Those with skin issues may find relief from symptoms such as dry, flaking, itching skin.

We make our Pine Tar soap the old-fashioned way, using our fresh, raw goat's milk, natural pine tar, neatsfoot oil, oatmeal, and poppy seeds for gentle exfoliation. The soap has a woodsy scent with a lovely blend of pine, wintergreen, and patchouli essential oils. However, the neatsfoot oil steals the spotlight from the essential oil blend. The neatsfoot oil is ultra-moisturizing, leaving one's skin feeling soft, supple, and well-moisturized after use. Although it is not the most beautiful bar we make, it is a hard-working bar that leaves the skin feeling pampered. Pine Tar is the bar that sits at our handwashing station in the soap studio.

This week, save 25% on Pine Tar soap exclusively on the website. No promo code is needed to save; the savings will be applied at checkout—all orders of $50 or more after the discount ship for free. On this bitterly cold February day, stay safe, be smart, enjoy the savings, and keep washing your hands.

For The Love Of All That's Irish

Although it is merely mid-February, I am hopeful spring is on the way. Yes, I am looking out at the farm blanketed in a fluffy, glistening layer of fresh snow, BUT there is hope that this weather is on its way out. Today, we release our St. Patrick's Day-inspired soaps: Irish Heather and Irish Tweed. If we are releasing St. Patrick's Day soaps, that means March is near. If March is near, that means we are one step closer to spring. And that, dear reader, is how my little brain works. Do you follow my logic?

Many of you are fans of our Irish Heather and Irish Tweed soap. I considered creating something new, but I fear many of you would be unhappy with my decision, so I went with what I know you love. Irish Heather truly is a delightful scent. If you love florals, especially lilacs, you will adore it. It is a beautiful oil that I look forward to using each year. The colors are bright, happy, and mindful of spring.

For a more masculine vibe, we offer Irish Tweed. Irish Tweed has notes of Dublin ivy, violet, and verbena, with woody middle notes and warm sandalwood and amber dry down. It is very masculine, very upscale, and very fragrant. The colors remind me of an upscale Irish boutique in Dublin.

As with all our products, the Irish-inspired soaps begin with our fresh, raw goat's milk. We add skin-loving oils and Tussah silk fibers to elevate your bathing and skin-soothing experience. Like a rainbow, these beautiful soaps are fleeting. I gently encourage you to order while supplies are plentiful. The Irish Heather and Irish Tweed are two of our most popular seasonal scents.

In honor of President's Day, we are offering a sitewide savings of 20%. This discount includes Irish Heather and Irish Tweed. However, it excludes merch, subscriptions, and the weekly special. Use promo code PresDay25 at checkout to save 20% on your order.

On this snowy, blowy, bitterly cold day, stay safe, be smart, know that spring is coming, and keep washing your hands.

The Bibbed Wonder's Valentine's Day Truffles

My bib overall-wearing buddy is multifaceted. He is not only one of the most capable men I have met, but he is intelligent to the point of intimidation; he can talk literature with me in-depth, as well as high-level math (which is like speaking a foreign language to me), he is an endless source of useless facts and interesting anecdotes. He's funny and charismatic, and he can cook. If I'm being transparent, he is a better cook than I am. There are dishes I delegate to him because he makes them so much better: mashed potatoes, gravy, creamed hamburger (aka sh** on a shingle), poached eggs, and BBQ. However, his culinary prowess does not end there. He can also make truffles. That's right, he is excellent at confections.

He made me divine chocolate truffles on our first Valentine's Day together. He made a big production of making truffles with a "secret" recipe...which was total nonsense. I am unsure where the truffle recipe originated, but it is a photocopy of an extensive recipe from an old cookbook. His secret recipe ended up in my Tinkerbell folder of recipes. When I pulled it out and asked him if the recipe in hand was his recipe, he said, "Hey! Where did you get that? That's my secret recipe!" Sigh, he's so much sometimes.

Today, dear reader, I will share The Bibbed Wonder's "secret" recipe for chocolate truffles. If you have some extra time, these truffles wow their intended audience. It's a delicious and thoughtful way to show your love this Valentine's Day.

Ingredients:

12 ounces Semisweet or Bittersweet Chocolate

1 Cup Heavy Cream

3 Tbls. Grand Marnier or Other Liqueur

Chocolate Covering

1 lb. Semisweet or Bittersweet Chocolate

2 ounces of Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

Directions:

1. To make the truffle mixture, Heat the chocolate and heavy cream in a saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is melted.

2. Remove from the heat and pour into a bowl. Stir in the Grand Marnier.

3. Place the mixture in the refrigerator for a minimum of two hours until it is firm.

4. Cover a baking sheet with wax paper. Using two spoons, scoop the mixture into small mounds, about 1/2 to 1 teaspoonful. Refrigerate overnight.

5. When cold, loosen the mounds from the paper and use your fingers to round them. Refrigerate until ready to coat.

6. Make the chocolate covering: In a saucepan, melt the chocolate in a very low oven.

7. When the chocolate is melted, stir it well from time to time as it cooks to body temperature.

8. Spread the cocoa powder evenly on a chilled jelly roll pan or a chilled plate.

9. Remove the truffles from the refrigerator and drop two at a time into the chocolate coating. Using two forks, turn the truffles, coating them well with chocolate. Lift a truffle with one fork, tapping it with the other to eliminate excess chocolate. Then, drop the coated truffle onto the pan containing the cocoa powder. Using a spoon, quickly roll and coat the truffle with the powder, then push it to the side.

10. When the truffles are firm enough to handle, transfer them to a bowl and refrigerate or freeze until ready to serve.

11. To serve, mound the truffles in a serving dish. They are delicious at room temperature or cold from the refrigerator.

I hope you enjoy The Bibbed Wonder's recipe for truffles. On this sunny but cold Valentine's Day, stay safe, be smart, eat delicious food, celebrate those you love, and keep washing your hands.