Goat Milk Soap, Farm Bounty

I'm doing a little advertising here for Annie (she doesn't know) at www.anniesgoathill.com and her blog is http://anniesgoathill.blogspot.com/. I've been wanting to try the goatmilk soap and lotion, and ran across her blog. SO, awhile back, I ordered some! I've already about used up one of the soaps even tho they do last longer than a regular bar of soap. I ordered some honeysuckle scented soap and lotion and some lavender scented. She also sent me a sample of plumeria.

Let me tell you, I love them! The soap lathers well and smells wonderful, and you feel squeaky-clean, not dried out. I have to hide it from my husband so he won't use it. The lotion is one of the best I've used. It slips on easily, feels smooth and satiny, and I've started wearing it under my make-up. It doesn't make me oily and feels better than my regular face lotion. When you're 52, you need all the moisterizer you can get. This is good stuff, people! Just wanted to give you the heads up. (sorry I took this picture on my un-made bed as I was running late out the door this morning!)

New topic - can you stand another post about my garden? Well, you're gunna haf to ennyway. I am having so much fun (and work) in my garden and I have been bringin home produce the last few days. Here's a pic of what I got yesterday:

I put up 5 quarts of green beans, there's onions of course, zucchini, squash, cucumbers, peppers, broccoli, I dug a few new potatoes to cook with some beans, and two big Walmart bags of plums! Guess who is making plum jelly tonight!!! I do this every year. I have a little plum tree but Dad has a huge one and I make it nearly every year. Gardening and putting up stuff is a project that my Dad and I do together. I've also got plans to make my Mamaw's Spicy Pickles. I'm saving up my cucumbers AND I grew some dill this year for that little project. I also have some garlic growing and I'll add the peppers to the mix for spice!

This isn't all the bounty. I've gots lots more beans, peppers, broccoli, onions, etc., in the garden. The okra is doing well, but I didn't buy enough plants. Same for the eggplant. I'll do more next year.

I don't know if I'm at the point that I'm saving any money yet on produce. I bought alot of started seedlings and small plants this year because I don't have a place to start them. Tony says that he's going to build me a greenhouse at some point. We had lots of rain awhile back, but it's beginning to taper off and we're having to water. And when you add in all the work, I don't know if it's been very cost effective this year. We'll have to see how we can cut corners in the future, but for now, we can enjoy our home grown veggies and know where they came from and how they've been taken care of.

My plans are to photograph the jelly and pickling process and share with you. They are both great recipes that I've had much success with!Look how purty these plums are! I had to pop several in my mouth as I was washing them last night. Yum. Love em! I gotta get my jars washed and I bought Sure-Jell and new lids yesterday. I still gotta get sugar. I've got my pickling salt, dill, peppers, garlic, celery for the pickles, but will need apple cider vinegar, too.

I absolutely LOVE doing all this. I feel so old-fashioned, but I'm afraid that the younger generation is going to lose all these old skills. I hope there's enough of them out there still to keep up the old ways and keep passing them down. My daughter is not interested, but perhaps in the years to come, she'll come around. She'll feel more domestic after she marries and settles down.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed!