Sunday, January 31, 2010

What's New? Dryer Sachets!


To compliment our all natural, 100% veggie laundry powder, we have created dryer sachet pillows! Our NEW Dryer Sachet Pillows provide a gentle, delicate herbal fragrance as they tumble right along with your clean laundry. Unlike chemically treated dryer sheets, our natural sachets do not impart a strong perfume onto your load. Rather, you will enjoy a subtle fragrance. No additional oils are added, to prevent harm to your clothing.

Each dryers sachet is filled with approximately a one cup blend of dried herbs and rice. Rice adds some weight to the sachet, allowing it to tumble around better in the dryer.

Dryer Sachet Facts:

You will receive 2 muslin sachets in a bundle and one slightly larger organza bag.

Each sachet can be used about a dozen times each.Reusable, long lasting & Eco-friendly.

These sachets work great as drawer/closet/camping/room sachet once they've completed their laundry life.

Each muslin sachet is approximately 3” x 4”.

On occasion, the muslin bags could open, or break open due to tumbling. This is what the extra organza bag is for. Simply place the muslin bag inside the organza bag to prevent herbs/spices from sneaking out.

These sachets will not help eliminate static cling, like the commercial laundry sheets do. If you have a static problem in your laundry, adding vinegar to your wash may help.

Offered in the following fragrance:

Lavender ~ Lovely Lavender buds

Spice ~ Cinnamon Sticks, Cloves & Cardamon

Find them here: Dryer Sachets

You can find more information about commercial dryers sheets here: Mother Nature News
Here is some eye opening information I found.
If you were to do a basic search for dryer sheets here is some of the shocking information you can find:

• Benzyl acetate: Linked to pancreatic cancer

• Benzyl alcohol: Upper respiratory tract irritant

• Ethanol: On the Environmental Protection Agency's hazardous waste list and can cause central nervous system disorders

• A-Terpineol: Can cause respiratory problems, including fatal edema, and central nervous system damage

• Ethyl acetate: A narcotic on the EPA's hazardous waste list

• Camphor: Causes central nervous system disorders

• Chloroform: Neurotoxic, anesthetic and carcinogenic

• Linalool: A narcotic that causes central nervous system disorders

And after talking with my Vegan friend Pam recently, she as alerted me to the fact that Tallow (as in beef fat) is often used in dryer sheets as well! Really? Beef fat? What do they need that for? Apparently it gives each dryer sheet that waxy sheen and softens your clothes. So tumble you clothes around with beef fat to make them smooth and soft? I don't think so. That's not for me.
We have been using these dryer sachets for about 2 months now. Those old dryer sheets that I had left over? It may be an old wives tale, but we heard that mice don't like the smell of them. Mice like to burrow into sailboat sails that are stored for the winter and make a cozy little home. We simply put our dryer sheets inside the sail bag and are hoping for a mouse free spring when it's time to shake out the sails!

Friday, January 29, 2010

Tir na nOg Farm


Here are some of the multi-colored radishes offered by Tir na nOg Farm at the Farmers Market this past summer. Holly also creates these darling tiny dolls.

My friends Holly & Sue have a 45 acre farm in Pownal, just the next town over from me, named Tir na nOg Farm. I am soo proud to know these fantastic farming women! The farm offers some most interesting vegetables as well as many heirloom varieties. They have a variety of animals that are raised for meat. I am happy to report that these animals live very happily on the farm enjoying the mushroom, acorns, grass and berries of the land and often get serenaded with authentic bag pipping! Their farm is a work in progress and they plug along working as hard as they can.

Holly sent out an email the other day to her friends of the farm letting us all know what is available from her farm during these coooold winter days and nights.

If you live local, this is for you:

Tir na nOg Farm News

Dear Farm Friends,

Happy New Year! Here at Tir na nOg, we're doing farm chores with ice cleats on our boots, ogling seed catalogues, and enjoying the wood stove. We hope you are all enjoying your own versions of meaningful work, beautiful dreams, and blessed warmth!

FARM NEWS:

1) WINTER MARKET: Come see us in Falmouth, every Wednesday from 10 AM to 2 PM at Allen,Sterling & Lothrop (on Route One). There, you can purchase our fresh eggs and handicrafts, sign up for 2010 meat shares, and enjoy the other vendors' wonderful wares: local veggies, alpaca yarn, goat cheese, soap and plenty of other home-grown and hand-made goods. Check it out!

2) AT THE FARM: We have fresh eggs and some free-range pork and grass-fed beef available

BEEF: lean ground beef, some chuck roasts and stew meat, a few top round steaks & organ meats.

PORK: pork chops, a few fresh shoulders (good for roasting), organ meats, and two smoked hams.

How to get it: call ahead or e-mail so we'll be here when you drop by. You can choose whatever you like. We'll weigh and pack it for you on the spot. This is a great way to sample some tasty local meat!

3) 2010 MEAT SHARES:

It's not too early to reserve your meat shares. Although we plan to raise ten pigs for 2010, we've already had several new inquiries, so shares may go quickly! Here is reservation information for the upcoming season.

BEEF: we are trying to gauge interest in a beef co-op or buying club. While our own animals may not be ready for slaughter in 2010, we can arrange to buy two or three animals' worth of beef from Aroostook Highlands/Orchard Hill Farm. (This is the farm from which we bought our breeding stock. Their beef is grass-fed and certified organic.) Please contact us if you might be interested in buying a quarter, half, or whole. If we have enough interest, we'll pursue this!

CHICKEN: we plan to raise at least one 25-bird batch of free-range broiler chickens, ready in midsummer. They'll be raised on a natural antibiotic-free diet. (Their grain is a natural poultry feed from Poulin Grains. We supplement it with organic veggie scraps and other organic forages.) Broilers (tender full-grown birds, excellent for roasting) may be reserved for a fee of $5 per bird. Balance will be due upon pick-up.

PORK: our free-range heritage-breed pigs enjoy a diverse all-natural diet that includes vegetables, grains, foraged nuts and gourmet restaurant scraps. They are typically butchered at the end of October. Our butcher uses a no-nitrate smoking process. Reservation fees are the same as last year: $200 to reserve a whole pig, $100 to reserve a half pig, and $50 to reserve a pork sampler box. Balance will be due upon pick-up.

Sustainably yours,

Holly Morrison ~ Tir na nOg Farm

44 Leighton Road
Pownal, ME 04069

Mainecelt@ maine.rr.com

(207) 688-4483Farm

Blog: http://mainecowgaels.blogspot.com/

P.S. Get in on all the GOOD DIRT: our farm/ecology BOOK CLUB will next meet on Feb. 14th, 4-8PM. Join us on the farm for a delicious potluck and discussion of the book ~ Listening to the Land (edited by Derrick Jensen). Gulf of Maine Books in Brunswick and abebooks.com are good sources for copies.

Thanks Holly for all the information!



My Day Job


When I am not stirring the soap kettle, I am stirring up something sweeter, deep dark chocolate. I work for Simply Divine Brownies baking the most delicious, dense, fudgy brownies you will ever have. With over 25 flavors and decorated brownies, brownie truffles and brownie ice cream sandwiches (in the summer) I am pretty busy cracking eggs, melting chocolate, measuring sugar and sprinkling on the toppings! Here is a blog post they just posted about me, their baker. They were kind enough to mention my soap business, Thank you Simply Divine Brownies!

The Blog Post : Simply Divine Brownies

Purchase online:
Simply Divine Brownies

Place an order by phone:
207-865-3961

Or stop in and shop at the factory store:
174 Lower Main St.
Freeport, ME 04032


Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Mince an' Tatties


Just what could I be talking about?

We had a potluck lunch at the Wednesday farmers Market recently and my fellow vendor and friend Angela is Scottish. Her offering for the potluck was a traditional Scottish dish known as Mince an' Tatties.

Delicious! Mince an' Tatties - or Tatties an' Mince as some may prefer to call it - is a very popular dish in Scotland. Made from ground beef, cooked with finely diced onion and carrot, and seasoned with salt and pepper (and Angela added leeks). Mince is traditional served on top of, or next to, buttery mashed potatoes (tatties). It is loose, like a gravy and served up with a ladle. Very very good.

We also had a West African stew. This is what is so great about Pot Luck! You just don't know what you are going to get! Our Pot Luck turned out to have a bit of an international slant to it. The West African stew recipe has been promised to be brought to me next week. Chicken, kale, sweet potato, peanuts (!) and a variety of spices included paprika make for a fantastic combination!

Interested in a recipe of Mince an' Tatties from a Scottish Lass? Check out Kitten In The Kitchen

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Out In The Snow Again



After the Winter Farmers Market (Saturdays 9-12;30 @ Ft. Andross, Maine St. Brunwsick) Captain and I took the snow shoes to Winslow Park & Campground for some tromping around. What a beautiful day it was! A bit brisk, we had to bundle up, but the sun was shinning and the water was sparkling.

I ran into an acquaintance, Scott Howard very well known locally as the owner of Olivia's Garden/Maine-ly Hydroponics. He was there enjoying the day with his family and young black lab. He has a hydroponic farm a few towns over in New Gloucester and grows the most delicious tomatoes, basil, sprouts and lettuce year round. You can read a bit about him here : Olivia's Garden in The Growing Edge Magazine.

Winslow Park & Campground is just that. Both park and campground. In the summer you can pitch a tent or bring your camper (no hook ups) and camp by the waters edge. There is a small beach and a dock with boat launch. It is a popular place for locals to launch their boat (us included), kayak or canoe. There is also plenty of picnic tables and a playground for those warmer days. Dogs are allowed, on leash. During the height of the summer, the park offers live music and concerts on Thursday nights. Annually there is a Lobster Man Triathlon at the park. But summer is not the only time to enjoy this park. Captain and I regularly head over there in the fall for walks along the water, and now snow shoeing during the winter. Cross country skier were spotted as well. Wooden stairs lead down to the beach and rocky shore where you can collect shells and rocks and put your toes in the water or more, if you dare!

Monday, January 25, 2010

Soap For Leg Cramps?


This may just be be an old wives tale, but it's been around for quite a while. Simply slipping a bar of soap under the bed covers and between the sheets is suppose to be helpful in curing Leg Cramps or Restless Leg Syndrome.

Anne Landers wrote about it in one of her columns and often it was re-printed. Each time, scores of readers would write in and exclaim how it helped them. This bit of old wisdom could be worth a try for those what can't seem to find relief from their ailment.

After all these years, it has neither been proven or de-bunked you can read more about it here: SUITE 101 or here SNOPES or here MARKS DAILY APPLE

Curing Soap


If you happen to be looking for a certain soap at the market and I just happen to not have it, you may have heard me say, "it's on the shelf curing". I also wrote that statement in the post below about the Mechanics Scrub.

Homemade soap needs to slowly "cure" over time. But what is curing anyway?

Casco Bay Soap Co. soaps naturally air cure for four to six weeks. This is the ageing or drying process soap must got through. During the first two weeks of curing, the saponification process is completed (turning all those great slippery oils into something that can now clean your skin). Once the soap is cut into bars, it is stacked on the shelves, Stonehenge style. This will allow air to circulate around the bars. We turn over the bars of soap every few days. Curing is when most of the water used in the recipe evaporates. The curing process helps create a milder, hard, long lasting bar or soap with a rich lather.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Mechanics Scrub


I make a specialty soap that I call Mechanics Scrub. Since it is a specialty and not for everyone, I don't sell quite as much of it as say, Lavender or Sea Shore Scrub. Because of the demand of Lavender and Sea Shore Scrub, I inadvertently let this soap run out of stock. The Holiday rush was big, and you guys HAD TO HAVE your Lavender soap! So I made more Lavender and put Mechanics Scrub on the bottom of the list of soaps to be made.

I had a customer come by a few weeks ago. He took some time to smell and view many of the soaps. He was very soft spoken when finally he asked if I had a soap that was good at taking off grease. At first I didn't know if he meant cooking grease and almost reached for the Kitchen Scrub. But after taking a quick look at his hands, I realized he meant GREASE. Like car grease, dirty, thick in the grooves of your fingerprints and under your nails grease. I asked him what he did for a living and he told me he was a WRENCH. (This I found out later after asking my husband, a wrench is a mechanic). I told him all abut my Mechanics Scrub soap bar, how it was loaded with fine ground pumice for scrubbing dirty hands AND that it was made with great moisturizing oils to help prevent dryness when washing alot. But sadly I didn't have any at the market with me. And even worse, I knew that I was out of stock. BUT I did know that I had one smallish size bar back at the studio that I just didn't think was the proper size for sale. I promised him I would bring it the next week. And I did. Handing him the bar of soap and refusing to take payment (like I said above, it was smallish and not a proper size for sale), I told him to check back with me next week.

He came back. He loves it! His hands look soo much better! He wants more! It's on the shelf curing....

Friday, January 22, 2010

Fresh Soaps At The Vegetable Corner


Fresh soaps were just delivered to The Vegetable Corner in Harpswell Maine! While I was there I some some fantastic looking items. Stop by to pick up your morning coffee, Maine Made soda (I saw Pumpkin Pie soda!), a quart of the soup of the day, cheeses, fresh baked breads and fantastic cookies, fresh Maine scallops or talk with Ray for the perfect cut of meat for your dinner.

The Vegetable Corner

513 Harpswell Neck Road

Harpswell, ME 04079

Hours: Mon. – Sat. 7:00 – 6:00

207-729-2719

Your local source for fresh fruit, vegetables, deli items and meat cut to order. We specialize in catering and cakes for any occasion. Come in for fresh bread, pastries, or for hot soup and sandwiches.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Enjoying The Snow

Here I am, in the red jacket, with my friend Haila.


I took a break from soap making and website building today to go for a nice long snow shoe walk with some friends. We opted for nearby Wolfe Neck State Park, a beautiful park that has trials that run along the ocean side. You can walk down on the rocks and have a picnic if you are so inclined. We just received about 18" of fresh powder snow and wanted to take advantage of the "calm after the storm" beaut' of a day we were having. If you are in Freeport, be sure to check out Wolfe Neck.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Haiti

The Unicef Website: Unicef

Google Map


Did you know that Casco Bay Soap Co. has it's own google map? super cool locator for finding your favorite Casco Bay Soaps!

Casco Bay Soap Co. Google Map





Haiti


We can't turn on the TV, read a newspaper or listen to the radio without seeing and hearing about the major devastation in Haiti. What what what can we do?

Help if you can:




Monday, January 18, 2010

Lily of the Valley


I have had some new customers recently that had received my soap at a Holiday gift. They are seeking me out and already requesting more more more. I am making soap as quickly as I can and I am happy to tell you that Lilly of the Valley is on the shelves curing.

I had a good amount of Lily of the Valley growing at the edge of the woods at my childhood home. So fragrant, sweet and beautiful, these delicate little flowers let off a wonderful aroma. My Lily of the Valley soap is very true to the real scent. I made this soap as a special request and after bringing some to market and selling out quickly, made more for the Holidays. Again, special request have brought it back.

Here is some information about Lily of the Valley:

Lily-of-the-valley (Convallaria majalis ), also called May lily.

Its name signifies a "return to happiness" and is quite popular for use in bridal bouquets.

Lily-of-the-valley is traditionally associated with May 1st and commonly sold in the streets of France on this day.

Lily-of-the-valley is also the national flower of Finland.

The flower is also known as 'Our Lady's tears .' According to legend, the tears shed by Mary at the cross turned into lilies of the valley.

Lily-of-the-valley has spear-shaped leaves and white nodding, bell-shaped flowers that appear in spring. These blooms produce an intoxicating, sweet fragrance, making it a popular garden plant.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Herbie

Some local news:

YARMOUTH — Residents and tree lovers are expected to flock to the usually quiet corner of East Main Street and Yankee Drive on Jan. 18 to say goodbye to Herbie.

That's the day Herbie, the largest American elm tree in New England, is scheduled to be cut down after a long battle with Dutch elm disease. The process is expected to take two days.

The tree is more than 230 years old and 110 feet tall.

Thrity Days Hath September...


I found this old fashion handy dandy way to remember what days of the month have 30 and 31 days. Such an easy way to remember! It is from an old book called The Boy Mechanic, 700 Things for Boys to Do that a fellow blogger had found at a yard sale over the summer. Her blog: Just Something I Made, is one of a few blogs that I check out every couple of days for stories, inspiration and fun.

Friday, January 15, 2010

Sneak Peak....


Some new products are under way...what could I be making....? Stay tuned and see!

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

MMMmm...Hot Chocolate


My favorite Hot Chocolate recipe......re-posting for you to enjoy on these coooold days that many are experiencing throughout the country.

Plain and simple, I love hot chocolate. For those of you that know me personally, you know that I love to cook & bake. Food to me is creative, a visual treat and a comfort. During the holidays, I made a big batch of hot chocolate mix, kept some for my own personal use and gave some away little glass jars to friends. I wanted to share with you the recipe that I use, it is from Epicurious.com It may have few extra steps, but it is well worth it.

Ingredients:

4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 vanilla bean, split crosswise (see tips, below)
1 1/2 pounds high-quality semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
8 ounces milk chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch process

Directions:

Place sugar in large bowl. Split half vanilla bean lengthwise, scrape seeds into sugar, and add pod. Work seeds in with your fingers. Cover snugly with plastic wrap and let stand overnight at room temperature.
In food processor fitted with metal blade, process semisweet chocolate and milk chocolate until finely ground, using 4-second pulses. (Process in two batches if necessary.)
Remove pod from sugar. Add ground chocolate and cocoa powder to sugar and whisk to blend.
Store mix airtight at room temperature for up to six months.

To serve:For each serving, heat 8 ounces milk in small saucepan over medium heat until scalded (or microwave 2 1/2 minutes at full power). Whisk in 1/4 to 1/3 cup mix. Serve with unsweetened softly whipped cream or marshmallows.

Tips: •Save the other half of the vanilla bean for another use, such as a second batch of vanilla sugar, which keeps indefinitely and can be used in baking, coffee, or simply to sprinkle on fruit or waffles.

Even better top with your own homemade marshmallows. I will post that recipe down the road. I have made them a few times and boy, are they good. Melt in your mouth, pillow soft, and boy do they toast up nice over a campfire....

Rich and steaming, a mug of hot chocolate will help soothe away the winter cold. We are expecting a winter storm in the form of 8-12" of beautiful snow in the next day or so, a mug of hot chocolate is just what I will be mixing up. Keep warm!

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Selling At Farmers Markets


If you have a farm, food business, specialty product and are looking for information regarding selling at one of the Farmers Markets that I am part of during the summer months ~ Falmouth, Cumberland, Freeport & Grey ~ you can contact our Market Manager, Leslie @ market.gal09@gmail.com

Leslie will provide you with some basic information regarding fees, market locations and times, necessary documents required to participate in the market and more. New members are voted in by the current membership at our March 16 meeting. Inquire as soon as possible, to avoid missing the deadline.

Saturday, January 9, 2010

More Soaps Are Almost Ready


More soaps back in stock...Smokey Patchouli, Rosemary, Mermaids Garden, Lemon Grass...and you can be sure there is more to come. I have been making a batch of soap each day to catch back up after the huge Holiday rush. I also have mixed up a large (very large) batch of Laundry Soap and have been working on some new packaging for you.

Wooden Scoops


I just ordered these adorable little wooden scoops to accompany the NEW Laundry Detergent Packaging that I am working on for you. Cute or what?

Friday, January 8, 2010

Fight Club


(The soap from Fight Club)

Okay, this blog post may seem a bit strange....lately (well, mostly around the Holidays) there have been more men purchasing soap. And more men mean a different slant on soap and soap making. Many of these men ask me either if I have seen Fight Club, been inspired by fight club or if my soap is made like it is in Fight Club.

Have you seen or heard of the movie Fight Club? It came out back in 1999 (so000 last century!) starring Brad Pitt, Edward Norton and Helena Bonham Carter.

The movie synopsis is this:

"A lonely, isolated thirty-something young professional seeks an escape from his mundane existence with the help of a devious soap salesman. They find their release from the prison of reality through underground fight clubs, where men can be what the world now denies them. Their boxing matches and harmless pranks soon lead to an out-of-control spiral towards oblivion".

Okay, so here is where the soap comes in. Seems that in the movie (which I had to watch due to all the comments from the men) the main character makes soap. But special, expensive soap. He makes soap from the fat sucked out of people during liposuction. He then sells that soap (made from the peoples fat) back to the people at very high prices. They are in fact now bathing in their own fat. Nice (not really). Weird. Gross. Who thinks of this stuff? But at least now I can nod my head, smile and have a conversation with the men that make jokes about my soap.

Oh and by the way, YES, my soap does work great on blood stains, just like the movie poster above says.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

New Soap ~ Walk In The Woods

My Christmas In Maine soap was so very popular I have decided to sell it year round. I have had several request from customers, asking if I have any bars left over from Christmas that they could buy. I will be making more, and I am now calling it Walk In The Woods.

This soap fragrance is a wonderful blend of sugar and blue spruce. It is clean, crisp and refreshing without resorting to the traditional 'pine' scent. The blue spruce adds a fresh outdoors element. There is a bit of sweet in the fragrance as well, maybe some berries that you may find growing in the woods. It is a brilliant blend!

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

I Think. I Need This.


Just look at this beautiful hair clip! A gorgeous pink butterfly. I think I might need one!

Have you shopped on Etsy.com before? I visit the Etsy front page everyday for some inspiration and to see what is new and fun. Etsy is a place to buy and sell all things homemade. There are some super talented people selling everything from hand painted items, photography and clothing to edibles, glass, reclaimed wood items, jewelry, and more and more and more.

Here is the link to KAANG's shop on Etsy. She sells these wonderful butterfly hair clips and other wonderful little gems for your hair and more. The description of this hair clip:
"Super cute feather butterfly attached to a metal alligator hair clip.About 3 inches from wing to wing. A great gift for someone special or to keep for yourself"!

Stop by and check out her shop, or go to the Etsy front page and see all the brilliant items made by creative people.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Outdoor Fun


This Black Eyed Junco was waiting patiently for his turn at the feeder were I am sure to offer all the birds (and squirrels) plenty of seeds throughout the winter months.

Just a quick little picture and post for you from when I went snow shoeing this past Sunday. We had about 3 1/2 days of snow and wind here in Maine (but it only amounted to about 6", unless you count the drifts, then you have some areas that are 18" or so) and when it warmed up enough to stop snowing and enjoy being outside, I tried out my new snow shoes. And I LOVED them! I tromped around in the snow for close to an hour and brought my camera with me. I enjoyed myself soo much, Captain and I headed right down to LL Bean to purchase him a pair of snow shoes as well. More fun outdoor pictures will be sure to come!

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Soap, Soap And More Soap


I have been busily stirring up batches of your favorite soaps, working hard to build the depleted inventory back up.

Kitchen Scrub, Peppermint Oatmeal, Blueberry Cream & Sea Shore Scrub all are on the shelves curing. And, of course, there is more to come.

I have been re-organizing the web-site (changes are not visible yet) to reflect soaps that I will be carrying all the time, calling them my Classics. There is a section for "Limited Editions" and a "What's New" tab also. You will be able to click on that tab to quickly find well, what's new! I will also have some new products to introduce, but you will have to be patient and wait for that announcement.

It's not all soap making. I have been working on business goals for 2010, working on some promotional materials, packaging and the business plan is on the schedule too.

Thanks to all of you that brave the wind, cold,ice and snow to stop by our Winter Farmers Markets. Whether it is the Wednesday Market @ Allen, Sterling & Lothrop (10-2), or the Saturday Market @ Ft. Andross (9-12:30), a trip to the market is a great way to beat Cabin Fever and it's a feel good moment for all of us when you support local businesses.

Tomatoes At Market, In January!


Yes! Real tomatoes, grown right here in Maine!
These super sweet cherry tomatoes are grown by Olivia's Garden.
Hydroponic tomatoes, basil, pea shoots, watercress and lettuce are grown in greenhouses in New Gloucester and can be found for sale with Kay @ Spring Brook Farm, she is at the Wednesday Market @ Allen, Sterling & Lothrop in Falmouth from 10-2 with me.
Come early, they sell out FAST!

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Herb Scissors


I received these super cool Herb Scissors as a Christmas gift....I just love them! Fresh herbs are a recent must have addition to my kitchen. I usually reach for dried herb and spices, but while whipping up some of my recent recipes I have spoiled myself and bought the fresh Parsley, Sage, Rosemary or Thyme (hmmm, that has a nice sound to it!) A bit more work sure, but they really are worth it. These scissors just make the job even easier!

They can be found on Amazon, or in any fine kitchen store.

Here's the info. on them:

"Snip the herbs you need quickly, neatly and right where you want with our Herb Scissors. The unusual blade design features a set of five, sharp 3-in. stainless steel blades that allow you to cut, chop, or mince herbs directly into a pan or over a plate for garnishing. The large plastic handles have a soft silicone lining for the most comfortable grip. 7.5-in. long overall. Dishwasher safe".

My pair even came with a little blade cover, to keep the tips all safe and sound in the drawer. The little blade cover also has the ability to clean between those 5 blades, so you can get out all the yummy fresh herbs.

Love them!

Friday, January 1, 2010

Spelt Right


(The mill that Spelt Right is located in, some of the delicious bagels they make, hard at work)

I discovered a new local business today! I LOVE LOVE LOVE other local business! I love to see what they are doing, how they got there start, where they are going, where do they create etc. I am very excited to share it with all of you...

Spelt Right (Website here: Spelt Right )

They make bagels, pizza dough and breads and mainly sell them wholesale to grocery stores in our area. My friend Rommy works at their bakery part time, and that is how I recently learned of them. I also learned that they make/bake their products in an old historic mill in Yarmouth (just the next town over) call the Sparhawk Mill. Spelt Right has over 1500 square feet overlooking the beautiful Royal River. And, how cool is this, the Royal River generates the power for the building from the powerful hydro turbines located under the mill! Built at the turn of the century, the Sparhawk Mill is now home to a number of successful Maine businesses. Too cool!

Here is some info. directly from their site, their mission:

"Our Story & Mission ~

Spelt Right® is a small Maine company that specializes in baked goods made with organic spelt flour and other organic and all natural ingredients. The founders, Beth George, a Portland attorney who specialized for 10 years in representing children, and Tim Kane, a vice president of a local college, started Spelt Right as a result of the profound impact diet change made on their son’s life.

Our story is about taking our personal and professional life
experiences in a new direction to create a company that cares deeply about its products and the message it hopes to convey. It is also a story about empowerment.

We hope, through our company, to convey the message that parents can make a huge positive difference in their children’s lives if they examine, as a first step, how their kids are nourished".