Newsletter - January, February, March 2007

Something New!

Quarterly Newsletter
January, February, March 2007

Recipes, hints, ideas, new books, whatever...

Clay Pot Cooked Shrimp & Ham Jambalaya

1 cup long grain rice
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
5 chopped canned plumb
1/2 teaspoon salt
Tomatoes, plus enough of their juice to make 1 cup
1/2 cup dry sherry
12 to 14 medium shrimp
1 cup chopped onions
6 oz cubed, baked Black Forest ham
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1 bay leaf for garnish

In a soaked 3-quart clay pot, combine rice, tomatoes, onions, green pepper, bay leaf, oregano, thyme, salt and sherry. Add 1 1/2 cups water and 1 cup reserved tomato juice and stir to blend. Cover the pot and place into cold oven. Set oven temperature to 450 and bake 40 minutes (rice will be al dente).

Meanwhile peel the shrimp, leaving tail and shell up to first joint. Stir ham and shrimp into the rice mixture. Cover pot and bake additional 8 to 10 minutes, just until shrimp are pink and firm. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Garnish with parsley. Serve immediately. Serves 4. For added zip serve with hot sauce.

—from "The Best of Clay Pot Cooking"
1995, Collins Publishers San Francisco

January 2007

Hello!

The winter months after the holidays are my time to make improvements indoors. This year I plan to replace the linoleum floors in my kitchen, bath and family room which are connected rooms in my farm home, built in 1848. My head fills with plans for new paint, perhaps experimenting with new colors to replace my existing hunter, rose and cream. I do the painting myself, and over the years I have developed a few systems to make the job a bit easier. Most important, I have learned that money is well spent on good paint and tools, because often just one coat of good paint will suffice.

Remove as much furniture from the room as possible. Begin with painting the ceiling. If there is a ceiling fixture, drape it with a cloth to protect from paint spatters. Start in one corner. Roll an area to cover about 1 square yard, working the roller in all directions for even coverage. Move along the length of the room against a wall, covering about 1 square yard at a time, slightly overlapping each new area until you reach the end of the room. Proceed back along the new paint until you reach the opposite wall. Continue in this fashion until the entire ceiling has been painted. I like to allow some of the ceiling paint to cover about an inch or so of the wall as I work.

Next, begin with the wall that has fewest windows or doors. Paint from the ceiling down to the floor in a column about 3 feet wide, one square yard at a time, in the same manner as the ceiling, working your way around the room. When cutting in is required at the ceiling and around door/window frames a good sash brush (the paint brush with a slant cut to the bristles) is imperative. A steady hand and patience can produce an even line of paint along any edge with this handy tool. Hold the lightly loaded sash brush with the bristles perpendicular to the surface and pull slowly along the cut-in line. A little practice can make one an expert, omitting the need for any taping of edges and saving a great deal of time. In addition, this technique works well when painting all woodwork, including windows! A little hint is to scrape the paint off the edge of the brush that will be nearest to the edge cutting in to, leaving paint on the side of the brush near the already painted area only.
Winter in Wisconsin can be long and dreary. A new coat of paint and a new floor will make my whole house feel new and fresh!

Each year while my children were in grade school they were required to dream up a science fair project. One year Rudy, our youngest, decided to document the process of filling a bird feeder, and titled his project "How to fill a Bird Feeder". He began with planting a few rows of sunflowers in our garden. Rudy spent the summer weeding and caring for his sunflowers, watching them grow to a height of over 9 feet. In the fall when the heads were dry Rudy harvested the seeds and filled his bird feeder. During the entire process I took photographs of Rudy working in the garden, each photo documenting the growth of the flowers in relation to Rudy's height. Unfortunately the science teacher who judged the contest did not appreciate the humor in Rudy's title for his project, so Rudy did not win an award, but he did have a wonderful experience learning the process of planting and harvesting a crop, along with learning to be patient while waiting for something to grow.

See photos of Rudy with his sunflowers below.

Rudy with Friday (cat) in the garden

Rudy on a ladder with the tallest flower

Rudy shelling the seeds from the flower heads

Recently I was filmed during several days of my soap-making process for public access television in Juneau, WI where I live. Over the course of four days Bob Sweeney and his crew set up bright lights and camera to capture several aspects of my work. As I measured out the fats and oils Bob interviewed me, asking questions about what I do and why I do it. He filmed the entire process from start to finish, including the mixing, molding, cutting, trimming, curing, and my mail-order day. Over twenty hours of film was edited to a one hour show which has been aired twice on Juneau's Public Access Station, the second time by special request. Copies of the hour long show are available by request from me at my cost of $15 each plus $5 shipping and handling. (The $15 goes to the City of Juneau for their library/public access television fund).

Call 920.386.2565, write me at W6378 Highway 26, Juneau, WI 53039, or email to request yours.

I am a firm believer in doing community service. While visiting several communities in Australia some years ago I learned that community service is required of all Australian citizens from grade school age through adulthood. Each person devotes a few hours every month to a service project, ranging from trash clean-up to reading to children, raking leaves, fund-raising, etc. Personally I serve time on a few boards of directors and as a member of two community service organizations.

Recently I spent a few weeks composing the third annual raffle calendar for our local Chamber of Commerce. We collect photographs from throughout the community based on a particular theme. This year our theme was "Organizations". Each month photos of different clubs are featured, including the local book club, the volunteer fire department, Boy/Girl Scouts, and so on. We print just 1000 calendars. They sell for $20 each and every day a name is drawn from those who purchased a calendar for a cash prize of at least $20, up to $500. If all 1000 calendars are sold we will raise over $10,000 for the school district scholarship foundation and a new band shelter in our park. My contribution to the project is my time designing and printing the calendars using equipment I have for my soap business, in addition to purchasing a calendar for myself, of course, as well selling as many as I can!

My husband, Jim, and our children also belong to community service organizations and put in a few hours each month working on various projects. Community Service is a good feeling that everyone should experience. If you do not already belong to such an organization, consider joining soon!

Add a few drops of Organic Lavender Oil to your laundry in the final rinse to make your sheets and linens smell nice. The Lavender oil scent will aid in giving you a peaceful nightÅfs sleep as well as repel insects from the linen closet.

Back issues of Something New! from January 1996 to the present are available for purchase at $1 each, postage paid, or 1 full year for $3. Simply write in which issues you desire on your order form (found at center of catalogue) and enclose payment. Mail to The Soap Lady at the address below.

The Soap Lady
W6378 Highway 26
Juneau, Wisconsin 53039



		Something New! Quarterly Newsletter January, February, March 2007 Recipes, hints, ideas, new books, whatever... Clay Pot Cooked Shrimp & Ham Jambalaya 1 cup long grain rice 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme 5 chopped canned plumb 1/2 teaspoon salt Tomatoes, plus enough of their juice to make 1 cup 1/2 cup dry sherry 12 to 14 medium shrimp 1 cup chopped onions 6 oz cubed, baked Black Forest ham 1/4 cup chopped green pepper 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano Chopped fresh flat leaf parsley 1 bay leaf for garnish In a soaked 3-quart clay pot, combine rice, tomatoes, onions, green pepper, bay leaf, oregano, thyme, salt and sherry. Add 1 1/2 cups water and 1 cup reserved tomato juice and stir to blend. Cover the pot and place into cold oven. Set oven temperature to 450 and bake 40 minutes (rice will be al dente). Meanwhile peel the shrimp, leaving tail and shell up to first joint. Stir ham and shrimp into the rice mixture. Cover pot and bake additional 8 to 10 minutes, just until shrimp are pink and firm. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Garnish with parsley. Serve immediately. Serves 4. For added zip serve with hot sauce. —from "The Best of Clay Pot Cooking" 1995, Collins Publishers San Francisco January 2007 Hello! The winter months after the holidays are my time to make improvements indoors. This year I plan to replace the linoleum floors in my kitchen, bath and family room which are connected rooms in my farm home, built in 1848. My head fills with plans for new paint, perhaps experimenting with new colors to replace my existing hunter, rose and cream. I do the painting myself, and over the years I have developed a few systems to make the job a bit easier. Most important, I have learned that money is well spent on good paint and tools, because often just one coat of good paint will suffice. Remove as much furniture from the room as possible. Begin with painting the ceiling. If there is a ceiling fixture, drape it with a cloth to protect from paint spatters. Start in one corner. Roll an area to cover about 1 square yard, working the roller in all directions for even coverage. Move along the length of the room against a wall, covering about 1 square yard at a time, slightly overlapping each new area until you reach the end of the room. Proceed back along the new paint until you reach the opposite wall. Continue in this fashion until the entire ceiling has been painted. I like to allow some of the ceiling paint to cover about an inch or so of the wall as I work. Next, begin with the wall that has fewest windows or doors. Paint from the ceiling down to the floor in a column about 3 feet wide, one square yard at a time, in the same manner as the ceiling, working your way around the room. When cutting in is required at the ceiling and around door/window frames a good sash brush (the paint brush with a slant cut to the bristles) is imperative. A steady hand and patience can produce an even line of paint along any edge with this handy tool. Hold the lightly loaded sash brush with the bristles perpendicular to the surface and pull slowly along the cut-in line. A little practice can make one an expert, omitting the need for any taping of edges and saving a great deal of time. In addition, this technique works well when painting all woodwork, including windows! A little hint is to scrape the paint off the edge of the brush that will be nearest to the edge cutting in to, leaving paint on the side of the brush near the already painted area only. Winter in Wisconsin can be long and dreary. A new coat of paint and a new floor will make my whole house feel new and fresh! Each year while my children were in grade school they were required to dream up a science fair project. One year Rudy, our youngest, decided to document the process of filling a bird feeder, and titled his project "How to fill a Bird Feeder". He began with planting a few rows of sunflowers in our garden. Rudy spent the summer weeding and caring for his sunflowers, watching them grow to a height of over 9 feet. In the fall when the heads were dry Rudy harvested the seeds and filled his bird feeder. During the entire process I took photographs of Rudy working in the garden, each photo documenting the growth of the flowers in relation to Rudy's height. Unfortunately the science teacher who judged the contest did not appreciate the humor in Rudy's title for his project, so Rudy did not win an award, but he did have a wonderful experience learning the process of planting and harvesting a crop, along with learning to be patient while waiting for something to grow. See photos of Rudy with his sunflowers below. Rudy with Friday (cat) in the garden Rudy on a ladder with the tallest flower Rudy shelling the seeds from the flower heads Recently I was filmed during several days of my soap-making process for public access television in Juneau, WI where I live. Over the course of four days Bob Sweeney and his crew set up bright lights and camera to capture several aspects of my work. As I measured out the fats and oils Bob interviewed me, asking questions about what I do and why I do it. He filmed the entire process from start to finish, including the mixing, molding, cutting, trimming, curing, and my mail-order day. Over twenty hours of film was edited to a one hour show which has been aired twice on Juneau's Public Access Station, the second time by special request. Copies of the hour long show are available by request from me at my cost of $15 each plus $5 shipping and handling. (The $15 goes to the City of Juneau for their library/public access television fund). Call 920.386.2565, write me at W6378 Highway 26, Juneau, WI 53039, or email to request yours. I am a firm believer in doing community service. While visiting several communities in Australia some years ago I learned that community service is required of all Australian citizens from grade school age through adulthood. Each person devotes a few hours every month to a service project, ranging from trash clean-up to reading to children, raking leaves, fund-raising, etc. Personally I serve time on a few boards of directors and as a member of two community service organizations. Recently I spent a few weeks composing the third annual raffle calendar for our local Chamber of Commerce. We collect photographs from throughout the community based on a particular theme. This year our theme was "Organizations". Each month photos of different clubs are featured, including the local book club, the volunteer fire department, Boy/Girl Scouts, and so on. We print just 1000 calendars. They sell for $20 each and every day a name is drawn from those who purchased a calendar for a cash prize of at least $20, up to $500. If all 1000 calendars are sold we will raise over $10,000 for the school district scholarship foundation and a new band shelter in our park. My contribution to the project is my time designing and printing the calendars using equipment I have for my soap business, in addition to purchasing a calendar for myself, of course, as well selling as many as I can! My husband, Jim, and our children also belong to community service organizations and put in a few hours each month working on various projects. Community Service is a good feeling that everyone should experience. If you do not already belong to such an organization, consider joining soon! Add a few drops of Organic Lavender Oil to your laundry in the final rinse to make your sheets and linens smell nice. The Lavender oil scent will aid in giving you a peaceful nightÅfs sleep as well as repel insects from the linen closet. Back issues of Something New! from January 1996 to the present are available for purchase at $1 each, postage paid, or 1 full year for $3. Simply write in which issues you desire on your order form (found at center of catalogue) and enclose payment. Mail to The Soap Lady at the address below. The Soap Lady W6378 Highway 26 Juneau, Wisconsin 53039 Sign up to receive my quarterly Newsletter —