Procrastination and Frustration

Nearly two weeks have passed since my last post and very little has been accomplished. I've been burning tea light after tea light in my old christmas candles... thoroughly enjoying the vanilla smell but not getting rid of much wax. Thus, I am no closer to beginning my project of determining the best way to clean the candle jars for reuse or recycling. I did, however, begin testing a particular apple juice jar candle to make sure it would burn correctly. It burned great for the first 6 or so hours, then it went out due to the pool of wax drenching the flame.

In the morning I had the "brilliant" idea to attempt to pour off the excess wax to create a votive while ensuring that the apple juice candle would continue to burn as well. As you can see below, the results were not that pretty... the flame had blackened the wax. So, sadly I am back to square one. But I love this jar so much that I have to make one more attempt. Perhaps if I don't fill the jar so full originally it will burn better.

Thankfully for me, there was a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. I am currently making an order of candles for Midnight Sun. Below are the first two batches. The gray & red candles are Dragon's Blood scented - like new age resin, dragon's blood is a wonderful oriental blend of orange, rose, and carnation with a hint of patchouli and creamy vanilla. In the multi colored brown candles I am bringing back an old favorite, Tea Time - a spicy blend of citrus bergamot, peppercorn, cloves and more.

The full order of candles should arrive at Midnight Sun by Tuesday at the latest...

Mmmm, pesto pasta...

I may be setting a weekend blog post record (for me), but it's raining out and I've been relaxing inside all day cooking, cleaning and making candles, and I made a quick and easy pasta creation today that I wanted to share. I would have had a new recipe for you sooner, but the asian noodle salad I attempted to create last week did not turn out as desired. I over cooked the noodles and under cooked the tofu. But, today I redeemed myself.

Pesto Pasta with Green Beans and Cherry Tomatoes:

1 1/2 cups fresh green beans
1 cup cherry tomatoes
2/3 pkg Barilla Plus spaghetti - 14.5 oz pkg
1 - 8 oz jar basil pesto
lemon juice

Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the box.

Meanwhile, trim the ends off the green beans and cut them into 1/2 inch pieces. Place the green beans in a zip lock bag with a few drops of water and a few drops of lemon juice. "Zip" the bag shut and place standing up in the microwave. Microwave on high one minute 10 seconds. Remove from microwave immediately and "unzip" bag to allow steam to escape.
Place the green beans in a skillet pan with 2 Tbsp olive oil and 3 Tbsp pesto sauce. Heat over low heat stirring frequently for 2 minutes. Add halved cherry tomatoes and heat 1 additional minutes, stirring at least twice to make sure the tomato skins don't brown.

When the pasta is done cooking, toss with the remaining pesto sauce then add the sauteed vegetables and serve.

I'm excited to have three servings leftover for lunchtime snacks at work. I think it is going to be just as tasty cold as it was hot!

The P Word

Paraffin has gotten a bad rap as the world has made an effort to "go green". Perhaps the fact that I make the bulk of my candle income from paraffin wax pillar candles is what made me decide to start donating 5% of all purchases to the Environmental Defense Fund. But it doesn't matter if you think I did it out of green guilt, as a generous gesture, or a gimmic to increase sales... what matters is the truth about paraffin.

All over the internet you can find postings about the harmful effects of paraffin. The thing I wonder if people notice is that the authors of the information are usually the same person making and selling soy candles, which is why they follow the list of reasons not to buy paraffin with a monologue on the benefits of soy. I might respect their opinions more if I felt they were truly backed up with scientific facts. But, I tried clicking the link to the supposed EPA Report which details how paraffin candles ruin your indoor air quality, and the report was "not found". I guess we will have to wait a bit longer to back up our opinions on candle pollutants.

For now, let me list some of the main criticisms and my opinion as to their validity:

(1) Paraffin is a byproduct of crude oil, which we know to be harmul to the environment. In regards to the toxic chemicals supposedly released into the air as paraffin candles burn, I would like to point out one key ingredient not cited as a factor: the wick. Paraffin candles have traditionally been made with lead core wicks, the true culprits of unclean air. I used them when I first began making candles because I didn't know any better, but switched as soon as I saw the 100% cotton alternative. And I can tell you from observation that the flame from a lead core wicked candle does emit an ominous black cloud of smoke. While I still have never seen the EPA report detailing the carcinogens in paraffin candles, if it does exist, I am confident those candles had lead core wicks.

(2) Paraffin is petroleum based; it comes from a non-renewable resource. I cannot debate much on this point. Unlike soy wax, the ingredients needed to create paraffin definitely cannot be grown from seeds. However, soy wax is far too soft to be used in a pillar candle unless blended with paraffin. Furthermore, soy wax is more white than clear, which limits my ability to make dark colored candles. So for now, I choose to keep making my pillar candles with paraffin and to promote my new recycled jar candles with 100% soy wax. I highly doubt the world's candle obsession is the one that will use up valuable resources first, so let's focus on more important items like clean water and alternative energy.

(3) Buying petroleum based products supports the evil oil industry. Seriously?! It is hard for me to believe someone would think their choice to not purchase paraffin candles would be felt by the oil giants. They probably wouldn't even notice a change in revenue if you stopped driving completely and never bought a drop of fuel from them again... but at least that would make a significant environmental impact.

(4) Paraffin candles create soot, but soy candles don't. Do you honestly believe that there is anything anywhere that when burned would produce no soot? The only control you have is over the amount of soot, which can be limited by a properly trimmed wick and an undisturbed flame. Again I have no scientific evidence to back up my opinion, but was interested to read on a fellow candle maker's website that not all soot is black. In fact, soy candles produce white soot. Furthermore, the soot produced from any candle is no more harmful than the soot produced by heating cooking oil on your stovetop.

(5) Paraffin is not biodegradable. It may not break down when sent to a landfill, but there is hardly any wax left when one of my pillar candles finishes burning. And, I take those leftover nubs and melt them back down the next time I make a similar batch. I would be more than happy to take wax back from my customers for recycling... though it would have to be from a Homemade by Hoyt candle to ensure it was the right wax blend.

Resources:
http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles/soy-vs-paraffin-candles-the-great-debate-39919.html
http://www.ecomall.com/greenshopping/soycandles.htm
http://www.scented-soy-wax-candles.com/paraffin-candles.html

The Scent Lives On

It's Friday night and I'm at home, sipping a bottle of Westerly Vineyards 2002 Estate Grown Cab Franc Merlot blend. I decided to relax at home and sip some nectar from heaven... as I wandered to my DVD player to pop in another flick, I caught a whiff of ultra rich vanilla. It was coming from the christmas candles I burned until they smothered, and it made me want to write a bit.

Don't you hate it when your container candle burns "all the way" yet there's wax left along the sides? As a candle maker, let me say, I feel your pain but there's just no controlling the flame. I am not infallible, but generally do an excellent job of centering the wick. I always use the specified wick size for the width of the jar because there's no way I'm going to risk my product heating the jar until it shatters. And so, I suppose the unavoidable side effect is a bit of remaining wax. I recommend burning tea light candles inside this remaining "shell" of wax until the jar is as wax free as possible. I am currently experiencing the reality that there is plenty of leftover scent which can be released with the help of a tea light.Thinking about burning every last drop of wax in each jar candle also got me thinking about what to with the jars after that. I'm excited about the fact that I'm saving the earth a bit of carbon dioxide for each reused jar that I make a candle in... if I had bought a brand new one, another five to fifteen ounces of CO2 would have been released into the atmosphere, depending on how much recycled glass had been used to create that particular jar. Making a glass container from 100% raw materials uses about 40% more energy, so there is both a cost and environmental savings to recycling. (I've been reading up on my statistics the past few weeks.)

The reason I'm rambling about all this is because I think it is important to give my jars another life after the candle no longer burns. My first thought was that the soy wax isn't very porous, so it could possibly be scraped out with a butter knife or spoon. I have also found a few suggestions on the internet, one involving your microwave and the other using a vegetable steamer... I'm not sure I'm thrilled with any of the options at this point, but when my current jar candles finish burning I'm going to try them out and document the process. There are so many things these containers can be reused for. Obviously at my house I can make another candle, but they could store candy, buttons, jewelry, coins... or you could use some as flower vases. If you have enough jars around the house, then put them out with the recycling trash so they can find new life as an ingredient in concrete or fiberglass. There is no limit to the number of times glass can be recycled, so don't let the cycle stop with you... stay tuned for jar cleaning instructions.

One week, one order, one pledge, one recipe

It's hard to believe the first week of the year has already come and gone. I've already gotten my first wholesale order of the year - thank you Hemp Wise - which begins the ticker for dollars pledged to the Environmental Defense Fund. This order will mean a future donation of approximately $5... it sounds small, but I think the number will be much larger when I finally tally it up and make the first payment and I'm excited to be supporting a cause with my work. I didn't find time for any marketing this week, on account of having a cold and being busy enough just making, labeling and wrapping candles for Hemp Wise. So far I've made Red Currant, Rustic Woods and Oceanside... tonight I will make the final batch, pomegranate spice.

I also did a bit more cooking, through the week... glass jars are accumulating slowly. I thought I would share my newest potato salad concoction with you. It's loaded with vitamins and contains much less fat than traditional recipes thanks to the addition of greek yogurt.

1 bag baby gold potatoes

1 - 12 oz jar roasted red bell peppers - diced

1 shallot - diced

6 oz greek yogurt

2 Tbsp mayonaise

olive oil

Wash the potatoes then put them in a large pot, fill with water and put it on the stove. Bring water to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until potato skins begin to crack open (approx 40 min.). Drain and cool.

While potatoes are cooking, heat approximately 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a skillet on low heat. Add finely diced shallots and stir frequently. Cook 2 min or until lightly browned.

Once potatoes have cooled 5 - 10 minutes, pour in a casserole, use a fork to break into smaller chunks, then stir in yogurt, shallots, mayonaise and diced roasted red bell pepper. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Allow mixture to cool on the counter 20 - 30 minutes before placing in the refrigerator to prevent condensation from watering down your chilled potato salad. Enjoy!

Moisturizer, Mushrooms & Mustard

You know how people will allways tell you to choose your job wisely, because you spend more hours of your life at work than anywhere else? I believe that now I understand the full significance of that statement. I love my day job, don't get me wrong, but I've seen pieces of my lifestyle change recently, all in order to create more candles. Every time I go shopping for anything lately I find myself thinking, "Hmmmm.... Would this make a good candle when I'm done with it?" I picked out a new lipgloss / hand salve combo just because it came in a really cute tin. Apple juice and frappuccino are now my two favorite caloric beverages, because their jars are so cute. Also, I've begun cooking real meals for myself again, both because it tastes better & cost less than frozen entrees and pre-packaged salads, and because it creates more jars to recycle into candles later. And, since I generally combine my jar packaged foods with local produce and other ingredients, I can only assume I have reduced my carbon footprint to some degree.




Last week I had a yummy pesto pasta salad which was quick and easy to throw together and I thought I'd share the recipe with you. Sorry, I forgot to take a photo, but will do so next time!

Rachel's Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad

1 lb - approx 3 chicken breasts

1 - 8.5 oz jar sun dried tomato pesto sauce

1 - 12 oz package tri-color rotini or other pasta

1 bag mixed salad greens

olive oil

balsamic vinegar


Place the chicken breasts in a pot of water with 1 tsp salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat & simmer approx 20 minutes or until cooked through. Cut to see the middle of the chicken breast to check for doneness before draining and rinsing with cold water. Allow chicken to cool 10 - 15 minutes then shred.


At the same time, boil a pot of water for your pasta and cook according to the directions on the package. Mix entire jar of pesto sauce & shredded chicken with pasta when done. Cool on counter uncovered for a bit if needed to avoid steam accumulation, then cover and chill in the fridge for a minimum of 30 min before serving.


Serve over mixed salad greens lightly drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

This week I will be eating lots of peanut butter & jelly sandwiches for breakfast, perhaps a salad with dijon mustard dressing for lunch, relying on the constant standby - hot pasta - in the evenings, and working on a salad invention to use up the adoreable jars of shitake mushrooms I found on clearance at Gelson's last weekend.


But don't worry, I'm not going to attempt to provide every needed recycled jar from my personal inventory. I already have a few friends who save their jars for me in return for a 20% friend discount whenever they order, and I have plenty of other ideas I'm working on for how to collect more jars from strangers. An infathomable amount of energy is consumed in the aquisition of raw materials for and the production of glass jars each year. Americans burn countless numbers of glass container candles annually, in addition to vast amounts of packaged foods they consume. I hope others will agree it is time we reuse everything we can. Together we can help preserve the environment and slow global warming. Furthermore, to show that I am serious about my commitment to the cause, I will be donating 5% of all gross retail and wholesale sales in the indefinite future to the Environmental Defense Fund. Happy New Year everyone! Cheers to moisturizer, mushrooms and mustard and their re-usable packaging!