Paul De Lancey's Blog

Basil Glycerin Soap

Posted on January 6, 2024 by pauldelancey

BASIL GLYCERIN SOAP

INGREDIENTS

6 tablespoons fresh basil

1 teaspoon pale green mica powder

2 tablespoons isopropyl alcohol

2 pounds glycerin soap base

1 teaspoon basil essential oil

isopropyl alcohol

SPECIAL UTENSILS

soap mold

spray bottle

soap slicer (optional)

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

PREPARATION

Add basil to spice grinder. Grind until the basil bits are small as possible.. Add pale green mica and 2 tablespoons isopropyl alcohol to small mixing bowl. Mix with fork until well blended.

Cut glycerin base into 1″ cubes. Add glycerin base to large glass measuring cups. Melt base in 30 second intervals. Stir after every time. Add green mica powder/isopropyl mix and basil essential oil. Stir with knife until well blended. Let sit for 15 minutes. (This inhibits basil bits from settling to the bottom of the soap mold.) Add basil bits. Mix with knife until well blended.

Spray silicon mold with isopropyl alcohol. Pour melted soap 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.

TIDBITS

1) Perhaps the most famous Basil of all time is Basil Rathbone, who is most remembered for his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes.

2) The next most renowned Basil is Basil II emperor of the Byzantine Empire, 976 – 1025. He proved to be more aggressive than the above actor as evinced by his nickname, “Bulgar Slayer.” Bulgars, or Bulgarians, come from Bulgaria. However, bulgur wheat is a nutrient dense cracked grain that improves blood sugar control, heart health, and digestion.

3) Basilicas were first designed by the famous architect Basil Ica in Greece in 452 AD.

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

My cookbook, Following Good Food Around the World, with its 180 wonderful recipes, my newest novel, Do Lutheran Hunks Eat Mushrooms, a hilarious apocalyptic thriller, and all my other books, are available on amazon.com.

Categories: soap | Tags: actor, Basil II, Basil Rathbone, Bulgar slayer, Bulgaria, Byzantine Empire, cracked grain, emperor, essential oil, glycerin, isopropyl alcohol, Paul DeLancey, soap, soap base, spice grinder | Leave a comment

Owie Day.

Posted on January 5, 2024 by pauldelancey

I managed to rip off half of big-toenail while reshelving my books. It’s not easy, but I managed it. Then I went to an exercise class. The big toe didn’t like it.

Somehow, the day took a wrong turn.

So, another short post.

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

Categories: what I did | Tags: big toenail, books, Comic Chef, cookbook, exercise class, good food, hunks, Lutheran, murders, Paul De Lancey, recipes, thriller | 1 Comment

My Latch Hook

Posted on January 4, 2024 by pauldelancey

In my continual quest to find something that will me keep off the streets–where I’d only foment revolution–I’ve taken up latch hooking. This project will also help my manual dexterity and my eye coordination by building neural pathways. So my latch hook project is a win for every one.

I have decided to do Charlie Brown as I like his character very much and I also had a 26-year old kit for him.

Doing my bit to tame inflation, you betcha.

And here’s my progress after two days.

01/04/2024, Second day

I played Snoopy in 5th grade Santa Anita grammar’s school production of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.

Iggy piggy poo. (I ran out of things to say.)

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

Categories: what I did | Tags: arts and crafts, Charlie Brown, Chef Paul, Comic Chef, cookbook, eye coordination, good food, iggy piggy poo, inflation, latch hook, Lutheran, manual dexterity, neural pathways, recipes, revolution | Leave a comment

My Day

Posted on January 3, 2024 by pauldelancey

My local library is smaller than this

Sometimes time gets away from me. I almost forgot to post!

Yesterday, I found out how difficult it was to find, buy, and take home a latch hook.

This morning, I discovered how hard it was to find where I put my latch hook.

I looked for hours for it, but to no avail.

I looked on line on Amazon, etc. and found nothing that could get to me in time.

While doing this, I dealt with a hacking or virus attack. This is why I wasn’t on the streets fighting crime.

Okay, I stopped a bank robbery, but that was only for a few minutes.

Hoorah! I found the latch hook. It was in the back of the car, in a flexible cooler with two ice packs.

Had lunch.

Went to a library arts-and-crafst get together. I learned to use my latch hook. I did! I did! I’m going to make a latch-hook rug of Charlie Brown.(tm)

I drove home in a horrible rain storm. Whew.

Made meatloaf for dinner.

Watched Seinfeld and two mysteries.

Checked to see if the Earth is still rotating in the right direction. It is.

Writing this blog and will go to sleep soon.

Good night.

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

Categories: what I did | Tags: apocalyptic, bank, Charlie Brown, Chef Paul, Comic Chef, cookbook, Earth, latch hook, library, Lutheran, meatloaf, my day, rain storm, sleep, storm | Leave a comment

Bad Day

Posted on January 2, 2024 by pauldelancey

Bad day. Incredibly annoying and continual. Latch hooks are astoundingly difficult to buy.

– – Paul De Lancey, Ph.D.

Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: annoying, Bad Day, latch hooks, sad | Leave a comment

Buddha’s Hand Glycerin Soap

Posted on January 1, 2024 by pauldelancey

BUDDHA’S HAND CITRON GLYCERIN SOAP

INGREDIENTS

¼ pound Buddha’s hand citron*

1 teaspoon yellow mica powder

2 tablespoons isopropyl alcohol

2 pounds glycerin soap base

¾ teaspoon lemon essential oil

isopropyl alcohol

* = May be found in organic food stores..

SPECIAL UTENSILS

soap mold

spray bottle

microwave

soap slicer (optional)

Makes 10 bars. 1″ wide. Takes 3 hours 30 minutes.

PREPARATION

Cut Buddha’s hand citron in food processor into little bits and set aside. Add yellow mica powder and 2 tablespoons isopropyl alcohol to small mixing bowl. Mix with fork until well blended

Chop glycerin base into 1″ cubes. Add glycerin to large glass measuring cups. Melt base in 30 second intervals. Stir after every time. Add yellow mica powder/ isopropyl mix and lemon essential oil. Stir with knife until well blended. Let sit for 15 minutes. (This inhibits Buddha’s hand citron from settling to the bottom of the soap mold.) Add bits of Buddha’s hand citron. Mix with knife until well blended.

TIDBITS

1) Buddha’s Hand Citron resembles the hand of many-fingered people praying to Buddha.

2) Buddha’s hand fruit is a symbol of happiness, longevity, and good fortune. Indeed, Buddha’s Hand is often given to family and loved ones in Japan as a symbol of good fortune.

3) Washing with Buddha’s Hand Citron Glycerin Soap helps you smell nice. Plus, with the Buddha citron bits inside it, you also get happiness, longevity, and good fortune. What more could you want?`

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

Categories: soap | Tags: Buddha, Buddha's Hand, Chef Paul, Comic Chef, cookbook, essential oil, glycerin, good fortune, happiness, Japan, longevity, mica powder, praying, soap, soap base | Leave a comment

My New Year’s Resolutions

Posted on December 31, 2023 by pauldelancey

Resolution #22

I, like many of you, endeavor to become a better person for the next year. How do we do this? By making new year’s resolutions.

And keeping them.

“I’ve never strayed from all I believe.
“I’m blessed with an iron will.
“Had I been made the partner of Eve
“We’d be in Eden still.”

– from the musical Camelot

Ahem.

Anyway, here are my new year’s resolutions:

1) Give up lutefisk.

2) Give up mushrooms.

3) Never murder anyone who blocks aisles in supermarkets with their cart.

4) Not even when a customer and a checker chat for ten minutes. Like today, for instance. They’re both alive because of the previous year’s resolutions.

5) Go to exercise classes twice a week.

6) Go to arts and crafts class once a week.

7) Learn a new word every day.

8) Forget a new word every day.

9) Take a positive attitude.

10) Especially with laundry. Always do my very best to make sure all my socks pair.

11) Accept my limitations and jettison resolution #9.

12) Read as many bath books as I can.

13) Limit my television watching to programs I like.

14) Say, “Bunny!” everytime I see a rabbit.

15) Same thing for cows.

16) Halve the number of hours I spend watching curling.

17) Never bring up at parties how Sweden got screwed at the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648.

18) No matter how many times people bring up the topic.

19) Join the At Least One Egg Eaten in a Year Club.

20) Eat tacos.

21) Limit spending to the things that cost money.

22) Have tea with a rabbit.

23) Make my resolution last from now until the end of 2023.

There.

Wish me luck.

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

Categories: lifestyle | Tags: 2023, arts and crafts, bathtub, bunny, classes, cow, Eden, exercise, laundry, lutefisk, mushrooms, new year resolutions, positive attitude, resolutions, tacos | 1 Comment

Misheard Lyrics of Traditional Scottish Folk Song

Posted on December 30, 2023 by pauldelancey

The haunting lyrics of “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean” evokes feelings of deep sorrow. This sorrow derives from the fact the Pretender to the British Throne, Bonnie Prince Charlie, lies across the English Channel. Or perhaps someother body of water if had been struck with a feeling of wanderlust. Did they have Club Med(tm) then?

Or, a Scotsman is pining for his love, Bonnie, who for some reason took a cruise to the continent. As after the disastrous defeat at Culloden in 1745, the victorious English banned all support for Bonnie Prince Charlie. So, apprehended Scotsmen could say, “Why no, constable, I wasn’t singing about the Prince, I was singing about my lass, Bonnie.” And the constable would have to walk away.

And so goes the story for the correct lyrics.

But in or grammar school song time we heard, “My body” instead of “My bonnie.”

This turned the story into something existential and eerie.

The true lyrics are:

“My Bonnie lies over the ocean,
My Bonnie lies over the sea,
My Bonnie lies over the ocean,
Oh, bring back my Bonnie to me.

[Chorus]
Bring back, bring back,
Oh, bring back my Bonnie to me, to me.
Bring back, bring back,
Oh, bring back my Bonnie to me.”

Eventually, our teachers told us that we were to sing “My Bonnie.” Of course, this made us sing “My body” even louder. We were ever so clever back then. The thought just struck me today that “My bottom lies over the ocean” would be hilarious as well. Apparently, I’m still as brilliant as I was back then.

And now the misheard lyrics: