We'll be at the Downtown Des Moines Farmer's Market this Saturday - the weather promises to be gorgeous, and we look forward to a fantastic morning of Java Joe's latte's and people watching. :) If you'd like us to bring anything in particular, PLEASE do call or email us and let us know! We bring a wide variety of items, but it's very random....it's whatever we throw in the van late Friday afternoon.

In other news - we have NINE soleil perfumes left, and TWO Verbena Sunshine Soaps - so if you want one...grab 'em, as they're going fast!! :)

There are FOUR spots available for the Saturday, November 8th Soapmaking 101 class, and we are thinking of closing the Shea Butter Moisturizers class...we could perhaps take one or two more, but that's it, it's very close to full. So if you're interested in those, please sign up ASAP! We still have room in Natural Dyeing and Natural Home Cleansers.

Fall is here!

A customer forwarded us some of her favorite delicious fall recipes, and they sounded so great I'm posting them here for your enjoyment:

Roasted Corn Chowder
Cornmeal Pumpkin Muffins


And my friend Jill forwarded me this GREAT recipe for mini cornbread puddings. Oh, man, do these sound wonderful, or what? I make my own sour cream (it's very, VERY easy to do) using Jersey cream from our neighbors at Picket Fence Creamery, and use amazing organic cornmeal from Paul's Grains. They both make a HUGE difference in any recipe I use them in. Local and organic just *tastes* good, you know?

Mini Cornbread Puddings

We called these cornbread puddings -- not muffins -- because they're far moister and more tender than what you might expect, thanks to sour cream in the batter.

Makes 24

Butter, room temperature, for pan

1/2 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 large egg

1 1/2 cups sour cream

1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn kernels, thawed and patted dry

Preheat oven to 425 degrees, with rack in upper third. Butter 24 mini muffin cups; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.

Make a well in center of flour mixture. In well, whisk together egg, sour cream, and corn. Mix with flour mixture just until incorporated (do not overmix).

Dividing evenly, spoon batter into prepared muffin pan. Bake until tops have browned and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, 10 to 15 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes in pan; turn out onto a cooling rack. Serve, or cool completely and store at room temperature in an airtight container, up to 2 days.

WOW. we had an AMAZING 10th birthday party here on the farm on Sunday. I mean....WOW.

I'll have pics, and blog more fully about it soon - meanwhile we have approximately nine million orders to pack and send. (give or take a few).

Check out this amazing tutorial on how to make your own natural fruit soda at home.

OH! And, we have about FIVE BARS of the Luxury Soap of the MOnth left. If you want them, grab them NOW. :)