Identity Crisis Western Soapberry VS. Chinaberry

This is my second post is a series of foraging for soap nuts.....

Charlies Soap, Rockin Green, DIY....

Bac-out, Biokelln, Borax....SIGH! 

I was a mom on a mission..and I wasn't sure why,

But I found my solution in Sapindus drummondii.  (no idea if that rhymes)

When I discovered that I could get soap nuts (or berries actually) from the Western Soapberry tree that grows right here in North Texas, I set out on a mission with my arborist husband to locate the tree.  I mean, who better to take along that a bonafide ISA Certified Arborist, right? I did some research online and he made some calls to a couple of other arborists and a state forester.  With what I thought to be a  fairly good description of what we were looking for, we went on an afternoon adventure from which we returned...with an abundant harvest......of CHINABERRIES.  Nasty, invasive, stinky, ugly little pale white soap berry imposters! 

Somewhat discouraged and defeated, my hopes were dashed. Until that glorious day..when the one I love was trimming some trees for a friend. When I showed up to bring his lunch, I found him gazing upwards in awe and disbelief. He was standing in the middle of a GROVE of the elusive Western Soapberry trees loaded with the elusive golden berries, exploding with the soap of my dreams.

Though the adventure is a story worth telling...I hope that my tips help you in finding the right berries, the first time.

The berries on the left side of the photo are Chinaberries.  They are pale and stinky, and notice how they grow on the very end of the stem. The golden berries on the right are the Western Soapberries. Sometimes, they may have some black spots, but they look very different from the pale berries of the Chinaberry tree. These soap berries were harvested in springtime, and will grow dark if allowed to remain on the tree during summer.

This is the bark of the  Western Soapberry tree. Mature trees are 20 to 50 feet tall. The thin bark is split by deep fissures into long narrow plates. The bark is grayish to reddish-brown and scaly.

This is the Chinaberry tree. It ranges from brown to dark red. The bark is much smoother, especially the young trees. It can also reach a height of 50 feet.

                                             

Hugelkultur Fail

Inspired by Pinterest, I set out to try my hand at hugelkultur (hoogle culture..like google with an "H"!). Basically, hugelkultur is making raised beds with rotted wood.  Since most of our almost 3 acres here in Azle, Texas consists of heavily wooded forest, there was no shortage of material! So I decided to work with what was available. Which for all you permaculture people out there is principle #5 "Use And Value Renewable Resources"...or maybe it's #6 "Produce No Waste". Either way, I don't profess to be a permaculture professional of any kind, but a Mom with lots of creative ideas to scatter and a fancy for bringing forth life from the ground. Plus, I've always been a fan of the German language..and who wouldn't want to have something in their yard that allows them to frequently say "Hugelkultur"?

So I set out to build one of these little hills in the middle of what I dream will someday be my very own food forest. And here is what happened:

Perennial grass. (I'm pretty sure that's a nice way to say "death of a dream,by grass").  Trumpet vine also found my sexy German garden hill a wonderful place to do it's climbing. Frustrated...I walked away from the idea for at least half a year.

Inspired by a 68 degree January afternoon, I revisited my grass covered German fantasy hill in an attempt to see it with new eyes.  I've been doing some reading on lasagna gardens, so I thought, why not build a lasagna hugelkultur? It will be kind of like one of those Chinese/Mexican buffet's on Lancaster Avenue.  A multicultural stew of gardening savvy. So here is where I started this time:

I call it "hugellasagna".  A tasty blend of wavy noodles with german sausage inside. I will keep you updated on it's progress.

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. ~ William E. Hickson 

Shopping The Urban Forest

Yesterday afternoon a woman walks into my husband's very secluded office with a piece of paper in her hand. "Are YOU Kristoffer Rasmussen?" she asks.  He replied with an apprehensive "yes". Extending the paper towards him, she continues the questioning... "Are you THE Kristoffer Rasmussen who wrote this article for TCI Magazine?"  He glances down to see she is clutching his article "Shopping The Urban Forest", which he wrote about a whim I had one day to gather soap nuts to produce a locally grown natural soap for washing cloth diapers.  Somewhere in that moment...caught in that awkward place where you're not certain if you feel accomplished or like a stalking victim....came the hope that someone might actually be listening, or even inspired enough, by our unconventional, seemingly random passions to seek us out for a quart jar of locally produced laundry soap. How much more could we inspire others to act, or think, or dream.  I have been planning a detailed "how-to" blog entry on foraging for soap nuts..so in anticipation..I thought you would enjoy Kristoffer's article about how this soap came to be.


Shopping The Urban Forest by Kristoffer Rasmussen

Paleo Coconut Latte!

I've been slow to join the coconut oil craze. Mainly, I have been avoiding the change because of the cost. But the more I read, the more intrigued I became. In an effort to ditch dairy, I decided to give coconut oil a whirl (literally). This one change has provided amazing results for me. I notice that I am less hungry, feel more in control of my food choices and I haven't been sick once this winter.  And major bonus..I've lost 6 pounds in about as many weeks without effort. Give it a whirl..you'll be surprised by the creamy texture and sweetness...and maybe by your waistline too!


Coconut Latte

1/2-1 Tablespoon Organic Unrefined Virgin Coconut Oil
1 Heaping Teaspoon Instant Espresso 
8 Ounces Boiling Water


Place coconut oil and instant espresso in the bottom of your blender
Add 8 ounces of boiling water
With the center removed from the lid, give it a whirl until the top becomes frothy
Pour into your favorite coffee mug
Enjoy!

Spinach Cilantro Rice with Zing

3 cups cooked brown rice
1 – 9 oz package fresh spinach
2 small bunch fresh cilantro
3 limes
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 fresh jalapeno (seeded), diced very fine.
1 teaspoon salt









Zest the limes and set aside.

Finely chop spinach and 1 bunch of the cilantro with a sharp knife and place in a large bowl.

Add half of the diced onion (the smaller the pieces the better) and one finely diced jalapeno to the bowl.

Add 3 Tablespoons of the olive oil and the juice of 1 of the limes.

Mix to incorporate. Set aside.

In a small coffee grinder, puree 1/4 C diced onion, 2/3 C Cilantro (packed, not diced) the juice of one lime, 1 teaspoon lime zest, 1/2 of the remaining jalapeno and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

Pour over rice mixture.

Repeat the coffee grinder steps again...pour second batch over rice mixture.

Stir until puree is well distributed.

Eat it right away or refrigerate.

GF Cherry Cheesecake In A Jar

I love canning jars and am currently a little obsessed with cooking in them. I love that you can see through them and it makes layered desserts look so much more amazing! Here is one of my favorite tested recipes. Just writing about it made my mouth water.

You will need 12 wide mouth half pint jars or 12 small ramekins.


1 C gluten free graham cracker crumbs
1 T sugar
4 T butter, melted
2-8-ounce packages of cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 C sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1/2 C sour cream
1/2 t vanilla extract
zest of 1 lemon
12 heaping T gluten free cherry preserves

Spray the jars or ramekins with non-stick cooking spray.

Blend the graham cracker crumbs, 1 tablespoons of sugar and melted butter in a bowl. Place about 1 tablespoon of the crumbs into each jar and press into the bottom of the jar with your finger to completely cover the bottom of the jar.

In a large mixer bowl, mix the cream cheese with the 1/2 cup of sugar until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix well. Add the sour cream, vanilla and lemon zest and mix until well incorporated. Fill each jar with about 1/3 cup of the filling.

Place the jars in a large roasting pan. Fill the pan with hot water halfway until it reaches about half way up the jars. Be careful not to spill any water into the jars. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove jars with tongs and place on a wire rack until cool enough to handle.

Chill in the refrigerator for about at least one hour.

Top each cheesecake with a heaping tablespoon of the gluten free cherry preserves.

Gluten Free Green Chili (White) Enchiladas

12 GF corn tortillas (some people prefer to double the tortillas in case of breakage)
2 C Cooked Chicken (shredded)
2 C Monterey Jack Cheese Shredded
3 T Butter
3 T Lisa's Gluten Free Flour Blend (or any GF flour blend that you love)
2 C Chicken Broth
1 C Sour Cream
1 Can Diced Green Chilis (4 oz.)
1/2 t Salt

1. Preheat Oven 350 degrees.
2. Grease Pan (9x13)
3. Mix the chicken with one cup of the cheese.
4. Roll up in tortillas and place then in the greased pan.
5. Melt butter, stir in flour and cook 1 minute over medium heat.
6. Add broth and whisk until smooth.
7. Continue to cook until thick.
4. Turn off heat and stir in sour cream and green chilies and salt.
5. Pour over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.
6. Bake 25 min and then broil for 3 minutes to brown the cheese.
7. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Tips: Microwave the corn tortillas in a ziplock bag for 45 seconds(prevents breakage)