I am a Pillar of my Community

See what I did there in the title...... oh well because I have been making Pillar candles, it really isn't as funny when you have to explain it. I'm sorry.

Since filtering of the Bees wax has occurred, candles I have been making. Actually I have been making candles since before the wax was filtered I am that impatient, but so far so good..... I have been learning from my mistakes.

Making dipped taper candles is the easiest way to make a candle, but the most time consuming and the ugliest if you don't know what your doing.

I have been experimenting with different mediums for molds and how as to keep the wick centred. Two of the sizes I have been playing with seem to be working out well. I need a few more different sizes of wicks and molds to try out. This has been fun and because of this we have been burning candles everyday.

I have since run out of wax need to go make another purchase and start filtering again, I have given away all our 2" and 1.5". So I need to make some more, then I can take pictures for the Burning Wax! Tips post I wrote up earlier, so go check it out and if I haven't put up pics then check it out in about a week or two, after I get myself some more wax.

I have on order some more sizes of wicks, to try and make some better tapers, the smaller size I have is still too large, causing to hot of a flame and they are dripping which is a no-no.

Peace back to doing house stuff... lame

Burning Wax! Tips

This is a quick tips guide for burning candles; what I have learned and found about burning beeswax candles. I use most of these tricks while burning my candles and testing them.

The wick on your candle when new is going to be longer than 1/4".  Before you light the wick, cut it down to 1/4" (about 4 pennies stacked... oh we don't use pennies anymore okay well then 3 nickels stacked, or 5 dimes or 4 quarters equal 1/4"). When lighting the candle, light at the base of the wick to help soften the wax and/or melt it so that the wick has fuel to burn. A wick works as a siphon. When there is a hot pool of wax around a lit wick, the heat from the flame draws wax up the wick and it is used for fuel to create light and more heat. The wick is still burnt but much slower then the wax. If lighting the wick from the tip you will burn more of the wick before it has a chance to create a pool of wax to feed from.

When deciding to burn a candle, estimate the time the candle will be burnt for (how long is the candle going to be lit). That's when you can choose what size of candle you should light. A candle that has time to make a pool of wax right to the edge, or with in an 1/4 - 1/8" of the edge, is a candle that is burning properly. A candle that only has time to make a small pool of wax around the wick, is a candle that is going to tunnel.

Oh no my candle is tunneling, don't worry we can fix it.

If a candle wants to start tunneling there are some tricks that are easy to do.

First is hugging the candle, where you can wrap your hand around the outside of your candle and put gentle pressure on the outside, squeezing in. Be careful when doing this so as to not spill wax on yourself. The wax is very hot and will do some serious damage to your skin.

squeezing the sides in enough for the heat from the flame to start melting the tunnel.

Another method of hugging is just using your thumb or finger and pushing the edges in to the center, raising the pool of wax, to allow for 1/4" of the wick to stick out.

Press the sides in and down towards to wick evenly all the way around, while raising the pool of wax,
with out drowning the wick. Make sure to leave a 1/4" of wick above the pool of wax

Alternative method is adding more wax.  If you have wax drippings from a previously burned candle than you can add some pieces to the pool if it looks like it is starting to tunnel. Again, just add enough to bring the pool up so 1/4" of the wick is protruding.

Some people like the tunneling look of the glow of the flame behind a golden wall of beeswax. So if that's what you like than go for it. Just keep the shell of a candle and break it up to feed other candles so you don't waste any of the wax.

When you have decided that you have had enough, and want to extinguish the flame. It is recommended that you push the wick into the pool of wax to put out the flame, so to essentially wax the wick. After dunking the wick in the wax push back up to straighten out, and you will have a prewaxed wick to re-light.

Pass the honey, Honey. Pass the sugar, Sugar. Pass the tea, Bag?

"We're putting it on Wax,(it's the new style)"

Yep, that is a quote.

Well we decided to try something new, we like honey, we use a lot of honey, and it smells awesome. So what have we got planned? Bees wax candles, Why? Cause we need to make a mess somehow. but at least it is a mess that smells good.

raw, pre-cut, dirty, smells awesome

I purchased some raw bees wax from a local apiary, where I go to get the liquid gold. On this trip I asked if I could purchase 5lbs of wax also; show up and there it is, chipped off the old block with a chisel and marteau. Fill up a few jars of honey and we're off. So then after about a day of the block sitting on the computer desk and smelling terrific, I decide to start chipping it into smaller pieces to ease the melting process. This is a little bit of a task, so I make up a double boiler with an old mason jar, old pot, and a coiled up piece of copper wire. Filled the mason jar with water and placed my chisel and putty knife into the mason jar to heat up. I then push the chisel and putty knife into the wax till it starts breaking apart and repeat this process till I am left with pieces in the 2"-3" with a ton of little chips and flakes everywhere. They look like good sizes for quicker melting, so I start melting them down in the double boiler system.  While that is happening I start creating a makeshift filtering system, now that's the secret part can't let that one out. Filter is made, wax still melting. after about 30mins wax has fully melted. Pour wax through filtering media, onto baking pan... old baking pan, lined with parchment paper.

All chopped up.

She's always there happy to help, dangerous or safe

Getting wax off stuff is a pain in the ass,and anything used quickly becomes something old and something you don't care about. Kind of like how North Americans treat our elderly in old age homes.... ouch that's a sore spot. So was that wax that just dripped on my hand. Use caution and PPE.

All the crud left in the filter media

found this little fella, in the filter too. 

After filtering the wax and letting it harden it takes on a lighter colour since dirt and debris have been removed. Yes, if it is previously unfiltered it is going to have dirt, propolis, pollen, bees and bee parts, and who knows what else.

The whole process makes your house smell nice and sweet like honey.

Too be a Cat

up in the morning, fresh cup of coffee
lounging beside me, small ball of fluff
resisting the sleep, embracing the light
little kitty groans, coming from a box
birds singing chirping, ready for the day
day begins, when kitty says

That is Zoey in her little Red Bed, on top of Beanies apartment. My awesomely talented Mum made the stained glass behind Zoey.

Hot CoCoa(chocolate)

well this has been sitting in the draft box for about a month sorry.


I will admit it. I love chocolate any form, mainly Dark Chocolate.

When we went to Hillside Festival last summer. There was a food vendor that I was eyeing every time we showed up, left or walked past. It was pretty well at the entrance to the festival. They were making corn flour tortillas on a huge cast iron looking pan, with I'm pretty sure cocoa in the stuff being wrapped up maybe I'm wrong, but they also had Aztec or Mayan Hot Cocoa. Which by the end of three days of walking past I finally had enough. I says to myself "F-this noise, I'm getting some Hot Cocoa, and tacos or burritos what ever those things are" luckily it was like the last 15 mins of the festival and they were just trying to get rid of stuff, and selling it cheap, put in my order and got the hot Cocoa and just about died, it was awesome, warm as in spicy, and hot as in hot chocolate it was marvelous, finished it before my taco or tortilla things were ready, before the security officials were asking us to leave, before they had to do something about it.

Well now it's getting close to it actually being winter and hot chocolate season, I'm ready to start experimenting. first batch. Cocoa powder, powdered sugar, skim milk powder, pinch of salt, cornstarch(why I am not sure but it asks for it), then in my cup I added a pinch of chili powder, that sucked, nothing even close, that really was bad, but I finished it, it tasted more chocolate than chili so it was bearable.

Then added the mix to another cup added a little cinnamon, and Cayenne pepper, wooo I found it, not the same but close enough to tie me over to the next time I find Aztec hot chocolate from someone who knows how to make it.... WARNING watch out how much Cayenne you put in it. Did I ever tell you how intolerant I am to spicy, I love it, it does not like me... but either way hit the gas.
 So I drank it, it was phenom-nom-nom-nomenal, if i don't say so my self.

Will post Recipe in the future once I have perfected the Mayan on Aztec part of it. But for the time being.

Hot Cocoa

1 1/4cp - Cocoa Powder
2 cp      - Powdered Sugar
2 cp      - Skim Milk Powder
1 tbsp   - Corn Starch
1 tsp     -  Salt

sift through ........sifter? to break up any large chunks of powders.
Boil water add 3 to 4 heaping spoonfuls into mug, fill with boiled water half way mix vigorously til mixed add soy, almond, coconut, or more water... enjoy.

Peace

Cleaning the Cupboards

So, have you ever had a problem with crowded cupboards because of pots and their lids all over the place, and just didn't know what to do about it. Instead of making a huge racket every time you go to make supper for you and your family, And after a long day of work you just can't even bother dealing with the clutter. You reach in the freezer for you organic, low fat, low sodium, burritos and throw those in the nuker for your family. But stop no don't do that, I have got a solution for you. 

I too suffered from these nuisances and was sick and tired of dealing with this none sense, I did what any handy crafty lunatic would do....IT's TIME TO RISE ABOVE...... I went to the Dollar Store, now now now I know that sounds insane but come on they have almost everything. Went to Isle #9 and found these towel bars that hang over your cupboard doors..... no no no that doesn't work, but I could drill holes in the hangy deals to allow for myself to put screws through. so I did just that. with some #10 1/2" robby screws. I hung those suckers up on .... wait for it... on the inside of the cupboard doors, You picking up what I'm putting down?

Messy cupboard pots and lids every where

Handy, over the door towel racks, bad idea turned better.

put some holes in there to secure to door.

NICE! easy peasy, it helps.

Oh yeah, Thats nice

Peace WE out!