latest most favorite soap of all time: Lemongrass with Basil and Dill

Oooh, this is so pretty.  And smells like someone's cooking something really interesting.  Lemongrass with ground calendula.  Dill with powdered wheat sprouts.  Basil with spiralina.  Not your typical scented soap.  But awfully fun for a serious cook.  Or person with a serious appetite.

No Mixer Necessary Cake from Scratch

Just because you don't happen to have an electric mixer handy, doesn't mean you can't make a cake from scratch.  This is a dense, moist cake that is great fruit-topped with a brown sugar crumb topping (and no frosting).  Or, frosted with chocolate icing or even a fruit flavored frosting. Easy, one-pan cake.

Mix 2 C. flour and 1 ½ C. sugar.  Cut ½ C. butter into small pieces; add to flour/sugar and mix with hands till crumbly.  Add1 t. baking powder, 2 eggs, 1 C. milk, and 2 t. vanilla.  Stir till well combined; pour into greased 13 x 9 baking pan. Cover with the 2 C. diced fresh figs, blueberries, or apples (or canned pineapple slices -- anything that's not too wet; nix the strawberries or raspberries). Sprinkle crumb topping over the fruit:  1/3 C. dark brown sugar, 1/3 C. sugar, 1/2 C. butter, cut into small pieces, and 1 3/4 C. flour; mix well with hands to combine and create crumbs. Bake at 350 for 35 to 40 minutes.

Pickles Anybody Can Make

Summer gardens mean some people have way too many cucumbers.  This is a great no-fail old fashioned bread and butter pickle that requires no canning.  But does require some odd herbs you may not have (this is when it's nice to live near a bulk store or near a spice store that sells small amounts).  Slice thinly (no thicker than 1/4 inch but half that is better) one large-ish cucumber (about 10") or enough small cucumbers to fill a 16oz jar.  To be fancy, you can alternate layers of cucumbers with layers of thinly sliced sweet onions (vidalia, walla walla, etc).  When your jar is full, you're ready to move onto the pickling liquid.  On stovetop, mix 3/4cup apple cider vinegar (regular white vinegar is okay) with 1/2cup sugar; stir till the sugar is dissolved.  Take off heat and add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds and 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds.  You can also add 1/2 teaspoon turmeric -- gives the liquid a gold tone.  Pour this very hot mixture over your cucumbers.  Cover with lid and cool somewhat; refrigerate.  Let sit in fridge 24 hours then enjoy!  These aren't really preserved so should be eaten within one month.  Easy to double recipe and it's fine to adjust the flavorings.

Tamanu oil comes from the dried nuts of a tree (Calophyllum inophyllum) in the South Pacific. The oil smells sort of like musty hay. But, if you can put aside that vision of rubbing musty hay on your skin, it creates a wonderful soothing effect.  It's used on sun burn, inflammation, insect bites and general rashes. Tamanu oil is also said to help regenerate skin cells, act as a anti-inflammatory, and have a hydrating effect on the skin.  In traditional medicine, the oil is used for its ability to help heal cuts and wounds while acting as a germicide to prevent infection. It's also known as tamanu, kamanu and Alexandrian laurel.

Very Quick, Very Good, Very Hot Fudge Sauce

Mix 1/3 cup cocoa and 1/4 cup sugar.  Add 1/4 cup skim milk and 2 tablespoons butter [note:  if you substitute whole milk or cream, you can cut down (or cut out) the butter].  Microwave 30 seconds.  Stir well.  Microwave another 1-1/2 minutes.  Taste.  Add sugar ( 1 teaspoon at a time) if not sweet enough for you and/or add cocoa (1-2 teaspoons at a time) if not chocolate-ly or bitter enough for you. If you like a denser, richer texture add a teaspoon or so more butter.  Once flavor is good, zap another 30 seconds, stir well.  If you want it very thick, cook out more of the liquid by microwaving one minute at a time (be careful for burning and also note it can easily volcano out of the bowl).  Once the sweetness, chocolate-ness, and thickness are good, add 1 teaspoon vanilla or brandy; stir well and enjoy!

Relatively Quick, Sort of Easy, Handmade English Toffee

Apropos to this sweet time of year, a do-able microwave recipe for decadent, butter-rich English Toffee.  Simply butter, corn syrup and sugar with liberal amounts of milk chocolate and almonds.  Plus a bit of real vanilla and a teaspoon of baking soda and that’s it.  You do need a microwave, at least a 2-quart microwave-safe bowl, and large baking sheet.  But you don’t need a thermometer or other rarely-used kitchen gadgets. 

Start by greasing the cookie sheet with butter; then put the sheet in the oven at about 350.  The sheet needs to be hot when you pour the liquid toffee onto it; the hot sheet will help the liquid toffee spread out as wide as possible – making a thinner, easier to eat hard candy.

Now, melt 1cup (2 sticks) real butter in your microwave-safe 2-3 qt bowl.  When melted, add 2 cups sugar and 1/4 cup corn syrup; mix well.  You're going to microwave this mixture till it's the color of a brown paper bag.  Since everyone's microwave is so different, you've got to cook in increments so you don't burn the candy.  Put back in the microwave and zap 3-5 minutes.  Open door and look at mix – it should be looking like molten lava:  all bubbly and rising up the side of the pan (it is VERY hot).  If it doesn't seem like molten lava yet, microwave another 1-3 minutes.  Stir every so often.  You will need a second spoon to get the lava off of your stirring spoon.  Again, it is VERY hot -- don't try to use your finger.  Keep cooking and looking at 1-3 minute intervals – you are looking at the color of the mix.  At first it is a light yellow.  When it starts turning beige, reduce your cooking intervals.  Keep cooking the butter/sugar until it is the color of a brown paper bag, or the color of a Kraft caramel candy.  When it’s getting darker then yellow and darker than beige, you're getting close. Take the cookie sheet out of the oven and sprinkle with 1/4 - 1/2 cup sliced almonds.  Place on a heat-proof surface.  Check on the lava color.  When it's finally dark enough, quickly add in 1 teaspoon pure vanilla and stir in.  Then quickly add 1 teaspoon baking soda.  The soda will make the mixture bubble up; you won't be able to stir it in completely but incorporate it as well as you can.  Remember:  it is VERY hot and will burn your skin if you touch it!  Quickly pour the molten lava onto the cookie sheet.  You want the finished product thinner rather than thicker so lean the sheet up to help it glide all over the pan.  It will start to harden immediately so you don't have much time.  It will be delicious no matter how thick so don't worry too much.  Finally, sprinkle 1-1/2 cups milk chocolate chips over the still very warm candy.  Let sit a minute or two then spread the now melted chocolate evenly over the top of the brittle.  You can sprinkle the wet chocolate chips with more almonds, if you like.  Put in a safe place to cool (not on the counter if you have pets who like chocolate).  Once completely cooled (at least a couple of hours), use a pick to crack the candy into bite size (or bigger) pieces.  This makes about two pounds of finished candy.  If you halve the recipe, keep in mind that the cooking will go faster so be very careful to watch for burning.

Galbanum

Galbanum is one of those fragrances where a teeny tiny bit really goes a long way.  And by itself it's really not especially great.  But add that teeny tiny bit to the right blend and you can get greater depth and character. Benzoin smells sweeter, oak moss has more of a forest depth.  Lavender doesn't seem so goody-two-shoes.  Sort of tweeks the scent to a slightly different dimension.