June ....almost not!
I hope you'll forgive me for the lateness of this month's newsletter. The month has been flying quickly, and I've allowed myself to be distracted by numerous personal projects. In other words, I've been playing hooky at every opportunity. Because of how early spring arrived this year, my June herb and veggie gardens are a good 3 weeks ahead of where they'd normally be. I've been cutting, drying, preserving, and experimenting to my heart's content! I've also been foraging items like mulberries, wild black raspberries, elder flowers, and green walnuts. I'll give you a sneak peek at one of my projects, and if your interest is piqued you can check out the rest of the project at the new personal blog I started just this week. The blog is strictly personal, and not work related, so there will be very little about soapmaking, although the subject will pop up from time to time. I've had a lot of people bugging me to blog for quite some time. On my life, I have no idea why anyone would be interested in what I do with my free time, but apparently there are a few nut jobs out there who are!

Cilantro Infused Vodka
This flavored vodka is intended to be a Bloody Mary ingredient. I created the Bloody Rogelio recipe especially for my brother in law who will be home on leave from the military at Christmas.

Fill a jar 3/4 of the way full of fresh chopped cilantro, top off with vodka, and let it sit for 3 or 4 days, then strain. I’ve tried making infused vodkas with cheap vodka, and strongly urge against doing so or your finished product won’t taste as nice. You don’t need to use top of the line like Grey Goose or Ketel One …. a middle of the road will do … This could easily become a cordial with the addition of simple syrup. A simple syrup is made by combining equal parts of sugar and water, bringing up to a boil, and then removing from the heat. Once the syrup has cooled, add it to the cilantro infusion to taste. Liqueurs should be allowed to age for a minimum of 2 months. Initially they are rather harsh tasting, but mellow and improve with age.

We will be closed from July 3rd until July 18th. We will resume normal operations on Monday July 19th.  Orders received by 12 pm (noon), Eastern time on Friday, July 2nd, will be shipped before we close for vacation. All orders placed during the closure will be processed upon our return.