Candles Love Soy!

I found this great recipe for cupcakes that includes one of my favorite flavors - chai!

Chai Spice Mix

2 teaspoons fennel, whole
2 teaspoons cloves, whole
1 tablespoon cardamom, ground
2 teaspoons cinnamon, ground
2 teaspoons ginger, ground

1. With a small food processor, grind up the whole fennel and cloves.
2. Transfer to a small bowl and add remaining spices. Mix to combine.

Chocolate Chai Spice Cupcakes
24 regular cupcakes / 350 degree oven

200 gram bar of Valrhona 61% cacao
3 sticks butter
2-1/4 cups sugar
8 eggs
1-1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3 teaspoons chai spice mix
pinch of salt

1. Chop chocolate and transfer into the bowl of a standing mixer.
2. Add butter to the chocolate and place the bowl over a pan of
simmering water. Stir until chocolate melts and butter is combined.
3. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Let mixture cool for 10 minutes.
4. Beat in an electric mixer for 3 minutes.
5. Add one egg at a time, mixing for 30 seconds between each
6. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, chai spice mix, and a
pinch of salt into the mixture and mix until blended.
7. Scoop into cupcake cups and bake at 350 F for 25 minutes or until a
toothpick comes out clean.

Chai Spice Buttercream Frosting

1 cup (2 sticks) butter
4-5 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons chai spice mix
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger

1. Beat butter until creamy, scrape bowl.
2. Add 4 cups of sifted powdered sugar, milk, spice mix, and ginger.
Beat until combined.
3. Add more powdered sugar as needed to get piping consistency.

Note: Everyone’s personal preferences differ. With frosting, the
flavor is up to you. If you are unsure of how much of a chai flavor
you want, start light on the spices and add a teaspoon at a time until
you get to a flavor you like. Same goes for the sugar. It’s a matter
of taste and what consistency you want to work with. Experiment until
you get at what works for you.

Assemble
1. Frost the cooled cupcakes.

frosted chocolate chai spice cupcakes

Irish moss is more than just a normal moss or even a moss at all. It is actually a red algae, a form of seaweed containing polysaccharides, vitamins, minerals, and iodine. It grows along the Atlantic coast line in North America and can also be found in selected areas in Europe along the same coastal line.The plant is soft and cartilaginous, varying in color from a greenish-yellow. Sometimes red to a deep purple color as well. Irish Moss contains anywhere from 20 to 100 times its weight of water. It is usually used in eatable products such as, ice cream, milk products and some processed meat, such as lunch meats. But, a significant asset to using this product is that it has anti-inflammatory properties! This is the perfect ingredient for a facial mask or lotion.

Here is an easy recipe you can use at home:

1 tablespoon powdered Irish Moss
1 cup water (distilled)
1/4 cup aloe vera gel (100% natural)
2 tablespoon almond essential oil

Soak the Irish moss in the distilled water for about 20 minutes to soften it. Pour this mixture into a small saucepan and boil for another 20 additional minutes. Strain off solids and what is left is a clear jelly. This is called seaweed jelly. Measure 1/4 cup of the seaweed jelly, then mix it with the aloe vera gel. Let the mixture cool to room temperature completely before continuing.

Pour the seaweed mixture into a blender or food processor and blend on low speed; slowly add the almond essential oil into a very thin stream until it is well blended with the aloe vera gel mixture. The product should turn white while this process is continued. Store your finished product in a clean container with a tight fitting lid. Use it the same as you would any other lotion. Only this product has added benefits and will soften your skin better than any over-the-counter lotion.

Did you know Icebergs in the Antarctic area sometimes have stripes, formed by
layers of snow that react to different conditions? I am just amazed and awed by these pictures.

Blue stripes are often created when a crevice in the ice sheet
fills up with meltwater and freezes so quickly that no bubbles form.

When an iceberg falls into the sea, a layer of salty seawater can freeze to the underside. If this is rich in algae, it can form a green stripe.

Brown, black and yellow lines are caused by sediment, picked upwhen the ice sheet grinds downhill towards the sea.

Last but the most magnificent, imho, is a picture of an iceberg from the top alllll the way down!

I just got finished crafting some super new soaps that I know you’re going to enjoy!

Melon & jasmine soy soap with green mineral clay. This smell is heavenly! When I was a manicurist, creative nail design had these fantastic body creams and one was scented melon and jasmine - I’ve waited years for this fragrance! I promise you won’t be disappointed in this scent - and the soaps not half bad either LOL!

Also, there are two 85% soft oil soaps coming along - one is scented with lavender e/o and the other is unscented. Boy oh boy, I can’t wait for these to finish curing! Soft oil soaps(like olive oil!) are super moisturizing and chock full of antioxidants and good stuff for your skin!

I’ll keep you posted as to when these are available…

In a recent 2 year study conducted by NASA, scientists found common indoor plants to be useful in absorbing potentially harmful gases and cleaning the air.

Flowering plants such as gerber daisies and chrysanthemums were rated superior in removing benzene from the atmosphere, while Philodendrons and Spider Plants were the most effective in formaldehyde removal.

But don’t put plants in your bedroom just yet, a they may contain mold and if you’re allergic, it could cause a reaction. Why a warning for the bedroom? It’s the one room where most of us keep the door closed.

We recently went to order our usual supply of soy wax and found out it’s jumped up about 30%!!  Yikes!

Everybody loves plastic. It seems like such an everyday necessity. I bet you can’t even go through one whole day without touching something plastic. A staple in our society, plastic is created by morphing certain polymers with toxic chemicals such as DiEthynolPhosphate (that’s probably not spelled right, the acronym is DEP) and other Dioxins (dioxins are the most TOXIC chemical on the planet).

There’s been a recent discovery that a lot of our discarded plastic has made it into the ocean, and circulates in the pacific ocean with the currents. Nicknamed “garbage island” [video 10 is especially informative], it’s a floating slop of photo-degrading plastics roughly the size of texas. One might not think much about that, saying “oh it’s contained in a group, and it will just disintegrate, right?” WRONG! Plastic never completely goes away.

When plastics degrade, especially in sea water, they absorb any toxic chemicals and pesticides that reside in the water. This means that the little tiny pieces of plastic are actually more toxic than ever. Now these tiny particles are entering our food chain. Eaten by small marine organisms such as jellyfish, or just plain small fish. The tiny “fish” are eaten by larger fish, which are eaten by larger fish, and then the large fish are being eaten by us!

Dioxins are responsible for cancer and birth defects. I see this as an epidemic with far-reaching effects, and a serious blow to the health of our planet and of our species (humans!).

What can we do? Recycle more and use less. Don’t buy water in 12oz bottles. If you’re going on a trip, or even at the office, buy a gallon, and pour it into re-usable aluminum “bottles”. Recycle your mayonnaise jars, catsup, mustard, bbq sauce jars, etc. Buy in bulk if you can to reduce the amount of plastic you consume.

At Caterpillars, we consistently recycle, and buy products that are made from recycled plastic and papers. You can recycle the green packing peanuts that your candles come packed in! Put them in a bag and send them to the plastic recycler. They are made from plastic that’s already been recycled so let’s keep the cycle going. (how many times can we say ‘recycle’ in an article? lol)

You can also recycle and re-use our jars! Roly poly jars make great sauce containers. Apothecary jars with those trendy silver lids are good for storing things like cous-cous or rice. Soy wax is washable with hot soapy water. If there’s a significant amount of wax hanging around in the bottom of your jar, scrape it out with a butter knife so it doesn’t go down the drain. Also, if you did a power burn (burning longer than the recommended time), and your jar has black soot, you can “buff” it off by using toothpaste (works great!). If you don’t need any jars in your home, then simply put them in the recycle bin!

There is an awakening happening amongst us, though we still have far to go. I hope you’ll share these tips and info with your friends and family as I just did.

Warm Candle Wishes!

Jen

I found this cool site today - GreenDimes.com

For only $20 they will be an avenger against junk mail - just for you. How great is that? Save trees and free your mailbox of those annoying flyers and magazines. Cool! Plus they plant a tree for every magazine subscription you decline.

This is the cool-est invention we’ve come across in a while. The candle lantern! It’s great for camping, blackouts, or just to have on your mantle! Made of ultra-light aluminum, the Mini Lantern features a patented candle holder and catch basin to trap any spilled wax. The tea-light candle they provide will only burn for up to four hours. If you get one of these fantastic gadgets, I recommend you trade out their crummy paraffin candles for our long lasting, clean burning soy tealights.

Any way you cut the cake, this lantern gets the frosting!!