My Soap Is Dope

My DIY diversions continue. The latest at-home project? Soap-making! Here's how I did it:



INGREDIENTS

37 oz. olive oil (use the cheap stuff)
2 oz. cocoa butter
24 oz. coconut oil
18 oz. palm oil
28 oz. cold water
12 oz. lye crystals (also known as sodium hydroxide)

I ordered all of this from Texas Natural Supply, and I used a kitchen scale to weigh it.

Start by mixing the lye crystals with the water in a Pyrex measuring cup, but remember, sodium hydroxide (lye) is caustic, so wear a dust mask (I'm not exactly sure if that even protects your lungs from the fumes) and ventilate your kitchen. I donned a bandana and blew a fan in my direction and survived. Don't let it get on your skin (OUCH!), and don't be alarmed when the mixture heats up and starts steaming. Let it cool to 110 degrees; meanwhile, warm the coconut oil, palm oil, olive oil, and cocoa butter to 110 degrees in a big ole' pot. When both the lye mixture and the oils are at the same temperature, pour the lye into oil pot. Stir with a wooden spoon until you see the trace (this takes A WHILE, and by A WHILE I mean, 45 minutes, so get comfortable or pour yourself a glass of wine). This video helped me figure out how to recognize the trace, which is basically when you lift some of the mixture out of the pot on your spoon and dribble it back into the pot, it makes a very thin residue on top. Apparently, you can buy a stick blender to make this process happen a lot faster, but I haven't done that yet.When you see the trace, add 10 ml of peppermint essential oil (or whatever essential oil you want). Then, pour into the mold. I used a 13" x 9" clear glass baking pan lined with wax paper. Cover with tin foil and let it set overnight. Afterward, cut into bars and individually wrap each one (I used wax paper and printed out homemade labels). Scrub a dub dub.

Now On Newsstands: The T+L 500

The T+L 500, my last big editing project at T+L, is out now—pick up the January issue of Travel + Leisure!

Four-Year-Old Newsmakers

Poor Taylor Pugh. At four years old, he has found himself at the center of school system controversy - all because he has shaggy hair. You see, it occasionally hangs down to his collar and covers his eyes, which, in the eyes of the administration, is outrageously inappropriate. (I think it's irresistibly cute.) So, since early November little Taylor has been receiving his pre-K instruction in the library, away from the other kids. This will continue until he gets a haircut - or until the powers that be get their %@#$ing priorities straight. Way to encourage individuality and self-confidence, teach.
But Taylor's not the only four-year-old making news. In Chattanooga, Tennessee, four-year-old Hayden Wright cracked a beer then walked over to the neighbors' house and stole five Christmas presents, including a little girls' dress which he was wearing when he was found (he was also holding a half-empty 12-oz beer). [resisting urge to mention countless beer-drinking Christmastime shenanigans here...] Sadly, the stint is a result of some serious family issues. Take it from Taylor's 21-year-old mom, April: "He runs away trying to find his father," she said. "He wants to get in trouble so he can go to jail because that's where his daddy is." Sorry, I just don't know what to say after that...

Whirlwind Weekend

Wow, I forgot how short weekends become when you work on Saturday and Sunday! Still, Dan and I managed, in our typical fashion, to try four new eating and drinking establishments, tuor seven houses, and take a trip to Irving:

Friday:
Finally made another, long overdue trip to Vino 100, one of the first bars I went to here in Dallas. (Remember my post?) The fireplace was going, the wine was half-off...doesn't get much better, if you can stay awake that is. After an unsuccessful quest to find Thai food within walking distance, we ended up at Gui, which touts itself as a "Korean Japanese Bistro and Bar," that we found to be overpriced and slightly scene-y. Luckily we didn't overorder and had room to duck into one more sushi establishment, Yutaka. 100 times better.

Saturday:
We got up bright and early to tour seven houses up for sale (we're hoping to move out of our apartment and into a house in early April). They ranged from seriously outdated, seriously SCARY (as in insecure foundations and evidence of squatters) to absolutely charming. We've got our eye on one in particular just off Henderson Ave. We celebrated with an extra-large pizza at Rocco's, a BYOB pizza joint just up the street from our apartment. I had to put in a few hours at Molto, so Dan got the afternoon to himself. When I came home he was wearing a Santa hat and our living room window was decorated with Christmas lights, so the least I can say is that we was productive! That night we drove out to visit our friends Kate and Josh in Irving, just outside Dallas, who were hosting a game night. An evening of Apples to Apples, Battle of the Sexes, and Taboo ensued.

Sunday:
Another day at Molto - this time at the Preston Royal location. On my way to work I passed under the marathon runners on a Katy Trail pedestrian overpass (yesterday was the White Rock Marathon). After work we walked around Henderson Ave. and ducked in for a drink at Vickery Park just as the sun was setting. Did I mention it was 61 degrees here yesterday?!

Back to Work

I'm now gainfully employed, part-time, at Molto Formaggio, a cheese shop here in Dallas! There are two locations - one in Highland Park Village, and one in the Preston Royal shopping center. If you know me you know that cheese has been my favorite food since I worked at Murray's in New York. It's great to be back in the game! So, if you're in Dallas, come on by...

Dallas's Bishop Arts District

Today's Dallas adventure takes me to the Bishop Arts District, in Dallas's Oak Cliff neighborhood. I have returned with the promise to always bring out-of-towners (especially New Yorkers) here. It's one of the city's best pockets for eating, shopping, and walking around, all whilst supporting local small businesses.

My finds:

Zola's Everyday Vintage
Where I scored this sweet 70's handbag for 30 bucks!Bishop Street Market
The perfect spot for indulgent gifts, including an entire line of Thymes products, which, in case you don't know, includes those amazing-smelling Frasier fir candles, diffusers, and soaps.
Fete-ish
A bright assortment of giftable goodies, plus local art. I loved these wall plaques by Dallas artist T.G. O'Reilly.Make
Carries wares from crafty locals, like these snarky pillows, as well as hosts classes on everything from sewing to soap-making.

The Dallas Flea

Saturday was the debut of the Dallas Flea, a well-edited marketplace of locally made goods, dreamed up and executed by Dallas's own Brittany Edwards, the editor of Daily Candy's not-long-for-this-world Dallas edition. (Last week Daily Candy announced the closure of several of its editions, including ours) Don't worry, I spoke to Brittany on Saturday, and she's got plenty up her own sleeve.

A few of my favorite find at the Flea:

Leah Duncan's drawings, printed on
8 x 10 paper, tea towels,
pendants, and pins.













Petit Four: pillows made from coffee and grain sacks festooned with colorful appliqué and trimmings.








Pamela Michelle's
hand-painted wood jewelry.
Cooper by Courtney Warren: oh-so-dainty party dresses.

I'm DIY'ing

A combination of joblessness and cold weather that's keeping me inside has sparked the DIY bulb in my brain. Earlier this week, I made made pickles! Now, I cannot vouch for their success until eight weeks from now when I pop the top, but here's how I did it (tweaked from Allrecipes.com). You can buy all the ingredients at Whole Foods (or, if you're in Dallas, Central Market). I bought the jars at Sur La Table.

Ingredients

• 4 pounds pickling cucumbers (also called kirbys)
  
• 2 cups white vinegar
• 6 cups water
• 1/3 cup pickling salt
• 8 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
• 12 sprigs fresh dill weed
  

Directions

1. Cut off the flower end of each cucumber (it's the little brown spot on the end).
2. Soak cucumbers in a big bowl of ice water for at least 2 hours.
3. Sterilize 4 (1 quart) canning jars and lids in boiling water for at least 10 minutes.
4. Bring vinegar, water, and pickling salt to a boil.
5. Place 2 half-cloves of garlic and a few sprigs of dill in the bottom of each jar, then fill with cucumbers. Add 2 more garlic halves and 1 sprig of dill, then fill jars with hot brine and put the lids on.
   
6. Place each sealed jar in a pot of boiling water for 15 minutes.
7. Remove and set on the counter for at least 8 weeks before eating. Refrigerate after opening.

Day Trip From Dallas: Fun on the Farm

A few weeks back while we were tooling around a farmer's market in Austin, we picked up a flyer for the Homestead Craft Fair, held annually in the itty bitty town of Elm Mott, Texas, near Waco. So, after a hellacious post-Thanksgiving travel day, we decided to sink into a simpler way of life. The event takes place at Brazos de Dios, a 510-acre "homesteading community." It's essentially a living history museum; except that the people you see spinning wool and milking goats actually live the colonial life within their own homes as well. It's part of their belief system, which I found to be best explained here. For us, it was a fantastic few hours of good clean fun—we watched rope making and soap making, sat in on a mozzarella-making demo, sampled hot apple cider, and listened to some staggeringly good fiddle-playing. The village is open year-round and offers classes to the public—from beekeeping and basketry to weaving and woodworking. Guess which one I'm signed up for?