Pumpkin Shea Butter Soap

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INGREDIENTS

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½ pound pumpkin pulp* (no stringy bits)

1 teaspoon orange mica powder

2 teaspoons pumpkin** spice

2 tablespoons isopropyl alcohol

2 pounds shea butter soap base

1 teaspoon cinnamon leaf essential oil

isopropyl alcohol or butter to coat molding

isopropyl alcohol to spray away bubbles forming on soap

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* = Use the pumpkin pulp from your Halloween pumpkin or possibly pick up a free Halloween pumpkin from your supermarket on November 1.

** = Or substitute with 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, ½ teaspoon ginger, and ¼ teaspoon nutmeg.

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SPECIAL UTENSILS

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food processor

soap mold

spray bottle

microwave

soap slicer (optional)

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Makes 10½ bars, 1″ wide. Takes 3 hours 30 minutes.

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PREPARATION

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Puree pumpkin pulp in food processor and set aside. Add orange mica powder, pumpkin spice, and 2 tablespoons isopropyl alcohol to small mixing bowl. Mix with fork until well blended.

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Cut shea butter base into 1″ cubes. Add shea butter base to large glass measuring cups. Melt base in microwave with timer set at 30 seconds. Stir after every time. Add orange mica powder/isopropyl mix and cinnamon leaf essential oil. Stir with knife until well blended. Let sit for 6 minutes. (This inhibits pumpkin bits from settling to the bottom of the soap mold.) Add pureed pumpkin. Mix with knife until well blended.

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Spray silicon mold with isopropyl alcohol or rub with butter. Pour into soap mold. If desired, lightly spray bubbles with isopropyl alcohol to make them disappear. Let soap sit for 3 hours. Use soap slicer to cut soap into slices 1″ wide.

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TIDBITS

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1) Spoiler alert, this soap, Pumpkin Shea Butter Soap uses pumpkin.

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2) So does pumpkin pie.

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3) So do many recipes from Africa.

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4) Pumpkins have other uses.

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5) Like jack o’lanterns.

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6) Like pumpkin bowling ball.

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7) Culinary sport historians assert that pumpkin bowling started in the northern states of the Union in 1865.

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8) Because every Northern soldier returning home after the end of the Civil War was given 50 pumpkins when mustered out of the army.

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9) This meant northern towns and cities became inundated with pumpkins.

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10) Pumpkins that would eventually rot. Ugh.

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11) There were only so many pumpkin pies and African entrees featuring pumpkins that people would eat.

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12) So naturally, pumpkin lawn bowling leagues sprang up in any town greater than 6 people.

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13) Didn’t the pumpkin bowling balls break apart when they hit the bowling pins? Yes, they did. But remember, each returning soldier returned with 50 pumpkins.

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14) Pumpkins still remained. Pumpkin Baseball flourished for two weeks in the summer of ‘65.

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15) Frank Butler and Bartolomeo Diaz of Madison, Wisconsin thought up the game of basket ball on June 15th, 1865.

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16) Pumpkin basketball was such fun. The 39 seconds of the first game thrilled the local fans.

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17) But it took only two shots to demolish the pair of pumpkins. Madison would not get anymore pumpkins until harvest time in the fall.

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18) By which time, people plain forgot about Pumpkin Basket Ball, what with the long days devoted to harvesting and eating pumpkin pies.

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19) This is why June 15th is only remembered as a day to pay taxes and not by the National Basketball Association.

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– Paul De Lancey, The Comic Chef, Ph.D.