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tailored tidbits

Caring for your Handcrafted Soap

7/11/2016

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​There is nothing quite like a handcrafted bar of good old-fashioned soap!


No chemical preservatives, detergent-free, and made with all sorts of goodies that your skin will love!



​Some of the ingredients you might find in a natural, handcrafted soap are:
  • Various skin-loving oils, such as olive, avocado, rice bran, coconut, jojoba, sunflower, grapeseed, meadowfoam, sweet almond, canola, and castor oils
  • Various milks such as buttermilk, goats milk, and coconut milk
  • Butters like cocoa, avocado, shea, mango, and coffee
  • Potentially beneficial liquids like organic teas, beer, wine, coffee, pure water, or cider
  • Natural ingredients that add a natural color or scent like essential oils, clays (such as bentonite or kaolin), pure salts (like Pink Himalayan, Black Hawaiian, or Dead Sea salts), dried citrus peel or various herbs, carrot or pumpkin purees, natural micas and oxides, or coffee grounds
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Tailored Touches' handcrafted artisan soaps do not contain any of the preservatives or detergents that are often loaded into store-bought "beauty bars." Did you notice that we called the store-bought variety a "beauty bar"? That's because it isn't even SOAP! Unless you see the word "soap" on the label, more times than not, it is a detergent-based cleansing bar that can strip your skin of natural oils and cause drying. Plus they are loaded with preservatives that can be harmful.

Does real "soap" need any special care?

A bar of handcrafted soap that is loaded with good-for-you ingredients can last as long as the store-bought variety with a little extra care. These bars of soap just need to dry thoroughly between uses. That's it! In many showers, the soap dish doesn't drain well. So when caring for your handcrafted beauty, place it on a draining soap dish or stand it on end, so that as much air can flow around it as possible. You can buy a wooden slatted soap dish that drains well, or use a shower caddy rack that has an open style. 
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With just a little extra effort, you can become one of millions who enjoy the cleansing of real soap... and none of those yucky preservatives!
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Honeycomb Natural Soap.......... Stormy Seas Natural Soap.......... Pumpkin Puree Natural Soap
** Please keep in mind that even natural soaps may cause some folks to have allergic reactions to the oils, butters, natural colorants, or essential oils. So discontinue use if you notice any adverse reactions.
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12 Veggies You Should Be Eating This Summer!

7/10/2016

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Now that summer is in full swing, there are so many great vegetables in season! These 12 vegetables are packed with vitamins and antioxidants, and perfect to add to your summer menu.


Leafy Greens

​Lettuce has its benefits, but there are plenty of other leafy greens that you should add to your meals! These greens will provide a pleasant change to boring dishes, and they each have important vitamins and nutrients.
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Watercress and spinach are sources for your daily value of vitamins A, C, and K. Watercress is an underrated vegetable, but its small leaves have the healthy vitamins and antioxidants our bodies need. Try adding some of this peppery green to your salad or with breakfast in your scrambled eggs. Yum!

You’re probably familiar with spinach, but did you know this is one of the most versatile vegetables?! Whether you prefer it raw in a salad or sautéed with some garlic, spinach will always be a health-boosting choice. If you want to be more adventurous, add some spinach to your smoothie! Grab your favorite summer fruits, and blend them with spinach for a refreshing drink. Try any combination... like peaches, banana, and spinach.

Beet greens and collard greens are another excellent and healthy addition to any menu. Both are rich with vitamin K, and collard greens provide a nutritious serving of folate (a vitamin) and beta-carotene, which helps strengthen vision. Try sautéing your beet greens with some garlic and olive oil for a lighter side dish to a heavier meal. Collard greens, a Southern staple, are best blanched in boiling water, and even make a great alternative to tortillas for wraps.

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Adding Some Color
Incorporate some of summer’s bright colors in your meals! Beets add a bright red or purple to your plate, and, like their leaves, contribute many nutrients, like fiber and nitrates. Grate raw beets over your salad, or bake them in foil like potatoes. I’d suggest combining them with watercress and feta cheese in this delicious salad!

Red bell peppers also add a vibrant pop of color, not to mention a huge helping of vitamin C. They’re delightfully crisp, and add a sweet flavor to any dish - I love wrapping them in a pita with some hummus, cucumber, and kalamata olives. Mmm.

The colorful stalks of swiss chard also brighten any meal. Lightly steam them, or sauté them and add them to a quiche.

Fun Sized Veggies
Good things come in small packages, and summer vegetables are no exception. Microgreens are the mini versions of your favorite veggies, like broccoli, cabbage, and radishes, but hold even more nutrients, like vitamins C and E. Mix them into a salad with pomegranate or strawberries, or even use them to top your tacos. 

Baby kale is another vegetable to add to your shopping list. Sure, we all know about kale as a “superfood,” but baby kale is more tender, and doesn’t have the strong flavor of regular kale, making it better to use in wraps and pasta salads.  ​

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The Classics
Of course, sometimes you just can’t beat old favorites. Broccoli with forever be a favorite vegetable on the dinner table. Mix some chopped broccoli florets in stir fry or frittatas... or serve it on its own. Roast it in the oven with some olive oil and salt for a simple and delicious source of vitamins C and K!

You probably have this veggie in your freezer right now: frozen peas! Not to be forgotten, peas are always a healthy (and economical) option. Steam them, or add them to soups and pasta. Their sweetness also pairs great with hearty grains like couscous!

Asparagus and its surprisingly sweet flavor will always be one of my top picks from the produce aisle. It’s tasty when roasted or blanched, but when you break out the grill this summer, try searing up some asparagus with a bit of olive oil and topped with some lemon juice. Serve with your favorite summer dish.

There are endless recipes for all of the tasty, nutritious veggies available this summer. Head to the grocery store or hit your local farmer’s market to fill your cart with these vitamin-rich vegetables; your body will thank you! Taking advantage of summer’s produce makes for a fresh and healthy season!

Don't Forget Your Veggie Wash!

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Don't forget to wash all of your veggies before eating to remove any dirt or pesticides!

​Our All Natural Vegetable Wash soap is formulated with extra coconut oil, orange essential oil, and orange peel for extra scrub. We made it with 60% coconut oil so that it will be extra cleansing on your vegetables, yet still all natural!



​Happy Munching! :)
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Getting Use Out of the "Daily Grind"

7/8/2016

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I’ve been a coffee drinker for as long as I can remember. While I spend more time and money in coffee shops than I care to admit, I know that brewing coffee at home is always the cheaper option. But...I never realized that I could get even more bang for my buck by saving my used coffee grounds!

With its strong scent, rich color, and coarse texture, coffee can be a helpful tool for more than just giving you a caffeine kick! Coffee grounds are great as a meat rub or even for concealing scratches on wooden furniture, but their best quality is their ability to mask odors and exfoliate! Are the aromas of last night’s seafood leftovers taking over your refrigerator? Try leaving a bowl of dried coffee grounds in your fridge to get rid of the scent.  

Better yet, make yourself feel and smell fresher with some coffee soap! Lathering on some of Tailored Touches’ smooth Turkish Mocha Natural Soap will perk you up just like your usual cup o' joe, and the natural ingredients will moisturize your skin.  


Maybe you’ve used coffee grounds to scrub pots and pans before, but did you know that coffee grounds make an excellent natural exfoliator for your skin? Our handcrafted Coffee House Sugar Scrub is a lusciously aromatic solution for your skin.
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Whether you take your coffee with heaps of sugar and a heavy pour of cream, or you prefer your java straight black, find a new use for those used coffee grounds! There’s no better comfort than a warm cup of coffee. Add some of that same comfort to your shower routine with one of our many natural coffee soaps and scrubs!  

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Turkish Mocha Soap has a touch of chocolate and coffee mixed together...heavenly!
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Coffeehouse Natural Soap made with strong brewed coffee!
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Coffee House Sugar Scrub is loaded with raw, natural sugar and coffee grounds for exfoliation!
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Red, White, and Blue Recipes and more!

7/2/2016

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Summer is the time of year when folks get together for graduations, family reunions, birthdays, cookouts...and to celebrate July 4th! With the July 4th holiday coming up, have you ever wondered what the colors of red, white, and blue signify or why they were chosen to be the colors of the newly formed United States of America in 1776? Until recently, I didn't realize that the colors were taken from the colors of the US's mother country's flag, the Union Jack flag of England. Because many of our founding Fathers had served under or been exposed to the colors of Great Britain, it was rather fitting that those same colors were chosen for our flag's colors. They were also used in the Great Seal that was developed to represent the newly formed country.

But just what do the Red, White, and Blue signify to us as Americans? Charles Thomson, Secretary of the Continental Congress, presented the Great Seal to Congress and explained that the red signified hardiness and valor; the white signified innocence and purity; and the blue signified perseverance and justice. The US flag has 13 red and white stripes to signify the original 13 colonies and 50 stars, one for each state of the Union.

In honor of our country's flag and her 3 defining colors, here are some very fitting Red, White, and Blue recipes to try at your July 4th celebration!

ENJOY!


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Red, White, & Blue Berry Truffle 

This is incredibly easy to whip up when unexpected company arrives!

Ingredients:
Angle food cake - all ready prepared
Strawberries, washed and sliced, set aside a few for garnish
Blueberries, washed, seta side a few for garnish
Can of whipped cream topping
Cute serving dishes that are clear

To assemble:
Cut up the Angle food cake into small cubes that are about 1" square. Arrange in the bottom of your serving dish. Sprinkle on the strawberries and blueberries so they drop in between the cake cubes. Top with whipped cream and garnish with a slice of strawberry and a couple of blueberries. Serve immediately.

Berry Cheese Pie

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Ingredients:
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2 - 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 t. vanilla
2 eggs
1 Keebler graham cracker crust
Sliced strawberries
Blueberries
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Beat the cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Add the vanilla. Mix in the eggs until well-blended.

Pour into the crust. Bake at 325 degrees for about 40 minutes until the center is set.

​Refrigerate until chilled. Arrange fruit on top.

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​Patriotic
Cupcakes

Ingredients:
1 - White cake mix
1 t. Coconut flavoring (optional)
1 - tub of Cream cheese frosting
Red and blue food coloring
Red sugar
Blue sugar
​Flake coconut
Directions:
​Mix the cake mix according to the directions on the box. Add the coconut flavoring if you'd like.
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~​Separate the batter into 3 small bowls. Color the first bowl blue and color the second red. Leave the third bowl white. 
~​Divide the red batter between 24 cupcake papers in muffin tins.
~Carefully top with the white batter, being careful not to break into the red layer.
~Lastly, top with the blue batter, again, do not break into the white layer.

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FIRST layer
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SECOND layer
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THIRD layer
~Bake cupcakes according to the box directions until done. Cool completely.
~Frost your cupcakes with the cream cheese frosting; sprinkle with coconut and red & blue sugars.

​Store loosely covered.


​Berry
Star
Cookies

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Ingredients:
1 c. butter, softened
1 c. sugar
1 egg
2 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 t. almond extract
​1 t. lemon zest
​​3 c. flour
1 1/2 t. baking powder
pinch of salt
​Topping:
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. powdered sugar
Sliced strawberries
Blueberries
Directions:
DOUGH
~Cream together the butter, sugar, and cream cheese until fluffy. Add egg and beat well. Stir in almond extract and lemon zest.
~Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt until soft dough forms.
~Separate into quarters, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill at least 1 hour.

PREP
~Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
~Take one quarter of dough. Roll between sheets of parchment paper or waxed paper to 1/4" thick. Using a STAR shaped cookie cutter, cut out cookies and carefully place on a parchment lined cookie sheet.
~Bake for about 9-11 minutes until edges look slightly dry and top is barely browned. Cookies will look slightly under-baked.
~Cool completely on racks.
~REPEAT above for remaining quarters of dough until all cookies are made.

TOPPING
~Beat 4 oz. cream cheese with 1/4 c. powdered sugar until smooth. Carefully frost each cookie. Decorate with sliced strawberries and blueberries.
~Serve immediately.

These are best topped with the fruit right before serving to avoid the cookies getting too soft. You may keep the plain cookies tightly covered at room temp and frost them right before serving.

YIELD: 2-3 dozen based on the size of your cookie cutter.

Happy 4th of July!

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    Melissa Simmons

    Welcome to Tailored Tidbits!

    If I'm not in the kitchen cooking up new items for my shop, I'm sewing fabric baskets, taking care of our honeybees, pitching in on the latest project at my son's, or planning a trip somewhere with my daughter. Here, I'll share a "day in the life" at Tailored Touches!


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