tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3924396345306807062023-06-20T05:58:35.090-07:00Joyce Eli WritesJoyce Elihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636102600417025914noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-392439634530680706.post-78816710344911577132011-06-02T06:15:00.000-07:002011-06-02T06:17:00.952-07:00Honey Don't Grow on Trees | Book Review Author Deborah Dolen<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Deborah Dolen | Honey Don’t Grow on Trees | Book Review</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">My favorite books written by <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Deborah-Dolen/e/B00457BI2S"><span style="color: purple;">Deborah Dolen</span></a> are <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-London-Apothecary-ebook/dp/B0048WPBXM/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_5">The London Apothecary</a></u></b> and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Beekeepers-Digest-Recipes-Formulas-ebook/dp/B0042P5H8O/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_3">The Beekeeper’s Digest</a></u></b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The main theme they have in common is that beeswax is one of the oldest apothecary ingredients known to man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The writer, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Deborah-Dolen/e/B00457BI2S"><span style="color: purple;">Deborah Dolen</span></a> is very adamant that bees are one of our most precious commodities, second only to water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did not know, for example, beeswax was used during our early wars to act in lieu of stitches on wounds or that honey is a natural antibiotic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">Because of my readings of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><a href="http://www.mabelwhite.com/SupplyCo/Books.htm"><span style="color: purple;">The Beekeeper’s Digest</span></a></u></b> I now am a hobbyist beekeeper as of 2009.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My land was fairly absent of any trees or life, and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Beekeepers-Digest-Recipes-Formulas-ebook/dp/B0042P5H8O/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_3">The Beekeeper’s Digest</a></u></b> gave me some insight as to why that was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were no real honey bee colonies in my area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was able to get my Agricultural Department Extension out to my area to confirm the absence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now I have an unlimited supply of honey, beeswax, pollen, you name it! Deborah Dolen’s article about the <a href="http://deborahdolen.blogspot.com/2011/03/bees-and-colony-collapse-disorder-2007.html">plight of bees</a>, is here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her amusing article about “<a href="http://deborahdolen.wordpress.com/2011/03/28/genetically-modified-bees-and-colony-collapse-disorder/">Genetically Modified Bees</a>” written a few years ago is here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of <a href="http://deborahdolen.blogspot.com/2010/09/favorite-formulas-from-beekeepers.html">Deborah Dolen’s formulas I use regarding bee by products</a> is here for free.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">I also make a myriad of bee by products that my teacher <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Deborah-Dolen/e/B00457BI2S"><span style="color: purple;">Deborah Dolen</span></a> wrote quite perfectly in the formula’s section of her <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Beekeepers-Digest-Recipes-Formulas-ebook/dp/B0042P5H8O/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_3">Beekeeper’s Digest</a></u></b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Deborah Dolen’s other book I mentioned, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><a href="http://www.mabelwhite.com/SupplyCo/Books.htm"><span style="color: purple;">The London Apothecary</span></a></u></b> is also full of formulas I use with left over bee pollen and beeswax.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The products I am able to make begins as follows;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Honey, infused honey for medicinal click here for Deborah Dolen’s recipe on infused honey….I also make a lavender infused honey and sell it the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.fredericksburg-texas.com/WCEvents/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=2755"><span style="color: black;">Lavender Festival</span></a></span></b> in Fredericksburg.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the left over wax I make all kinds of healing salve and balms, basically using <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Deborah-Dolen/e/B00457BI2S"><span style="color: purple;">Deborah Dolen’s</span></a> 1:3 ratio – which is one part wax to three parts oil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I want it really loose I will up the oil and do 1:4 ratio, basically 20% beeswax to oil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Deborah Dolen also wrote an “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.deborahdolen.com/Library/SoapmakingOils.htm"><span style="color: black;">oil attributes chart</span></a></span></b>” I reference at least every week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Click here for that.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">So beyond making honey, raw honey, infused honey, medicinal syrups, balms and salves, I also make beautiful lotion and crème thanks to Deborah Dolen and her formulas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Making lotion and crème are really no different than making salad dressing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only difference is you need to have your water parts and oil parts past 120 degrees to ensure they “mix.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lotion is mainly water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Beeswax, as Deborah Dolen pointed out, is a natural emulsifier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I use beeswax to make thick and rich crèmes, but to make a non-greasy lotion I need a more serious emulsifier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am not sure how Deborah Dolen makes lotion with just beeswax, although she never said she did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do love “Black Cumin Oil” Deborah Dolen raves about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I make a facial cleansing milk with primarily black cumin oil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is very crisp, fresh, and different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel black cumin oil also has a lot of medicinal properties and is a great anti-oxidant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">Soap.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You bet I am a believer that whatever goes on your skin ends up in your blood stream.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is another prime principle of Deborah Dolen’s teachings and right on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I make a natural liquid castile soap with primarily olive oil and water-and I make a hard castile soap also.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The main difference is what lye I use. For solid I use Sodium Hydroxide.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For a liquid soap I use Potassium Hydroxide.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do love Deborah Dolen’s basic recipe in her book <a href="http://www.marthawhite2001.com/Retail/NaturalSoap.htm"><span style="color: purple;">The Natural Soap Maker</span></a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That book is sold under the Mabel White brand name.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that book does not appear to be on Amazon yet, but Author Deborah Dolen told me it will be soon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since we are on that subject, <a href="http://www.marthawhite2001.com/Retail/NaturalSoap.htm"><span style="color: purple;">The Soap Rebatcher</span></a> by Deborah Dolen is also wonderful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That book is more for people who do not want to deal with lye at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still, beautiful natural hard soaps can be made by buying plain real soap and shredding it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It can be heated up with a little water in a crock pot and wonderful additives added-such as orange peels, pumice, dried botanicals, you name it!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">In fact, I even use beeswax in some of my soap formulas and my honey also.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Deborah Dolen has a few recipes that employ the use of both.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Beeswax does make a harder and firmer bar, with a more quality texture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think I use 5% melted beeswax as part of my hard bar recipe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">Sources:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-London-Apothecary-ebook/dp/B0048WPBXM/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_5">The London Apothecary</a> by Deborah Dolen</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Beekeepers-Digest-Recipes-Formulas-ebook/dp/B0042P5H8O/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_3">The Beekeepers Digest</a> by Deborah Dolen</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><a href="http://open.salon.com/blog/maisonrose1/2011/06/01/spreading_joy_a_look_at_author_deborah_dolen_diy_perfume">Spreading Joy by Rose Maison</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a Review of Deborah Dolen’s Life Work in Perfume</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Deborah-Dolen/e/B00457BI2S"><span style="color: purple;">Amazon Biography Deborah Dolen</span></a> by Amazon</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><strong>Honey Don’t Grow on Trees by Joyce Eli</strong></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><a href="http://www.deborahdolen.org/Dolen_on_Water_Issues.htm"><span style="color: purple;">It’s in the Water</span></a> by Deborah Dolen</div>Joyce Elihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15636102600417025914noreply@blogger.com0