Combine six old friends, a warm summer evening, a gorgeous sunset over Red Hill, a handful of blueberries and a cucumber fresh from the garden - and what do you have?

Last summer, while visiting friends on the Big Lake, I was introduced to the most wonderful concoction: a Blueberry -Cucumber Martini. It was cool and refreshing, so summery and so pretty! I thought, "I could bathe in this."

Aha!

Sunset on the dock calls for a refreshing seasonal cocktail, and I've discovered (through a little research) that a Blueberry-Cucumber Gimlet (made with gin) is even more delightful! The slices of cooling cucumber create a refreshing base for the cocktail. Add a handful of fresh berries, a dash of citrus (I prefer lime juice), a quick pour of simple syrup, a gin with luxurious botanicals, and maybe a sprig of fresh mint from the garden - and you have a fantastic cocktail to sip through summer... as well as a decadent bar of cold process soap to soothe and cool sun-kissed skin. I like the additional fragrance nuances furnished by the botanicals in the gin - so the soap has a bit of an herbal infusion as well.

But now... the dillemma: Is it proper to name a soap after a cocktail? Might we not come up with something tongue-in-cheek with a nod to good manners? This IS Wolfeboro, after all!

Blueberry-Cucumber Gimlet

Yield: 1 cocktail

Glassware: lowball glass

Tools: shaker, muddler

Ingredients:
1/4 cup blueberries, more for garnish
8-10 slices cucumber, more for garnish
1 fl. oz. (15ml) fresh lime juice
1 fl. oz. (15ml) simple syrup
2 fl. oz. (30ml) gin

Instructions:

1. Add blueberries and cucumber into a shaker and smash several times with the muddler until juices are released; add lime juice, syrup, and gin, and top with ice cubes. Cap the shaker and shake vigorously until well combined, about 20-30 seconds.

2. Pour mixture into glass, half-filled with ice. Garnish with cucumber slices, blueberries, and a sprig of mint. Serve chilled.

3. Imagine taking your cocktail with you into the shower after a sun-drenched, bluebird-sky day of playing and relaxing on the lake.

4. Follow Winnipesaukee Soap Company on Pinterest and Facebook

5. Create a Pinterest Board titled “Winnipesaukee Soap Company”

6. Repin the images above with your name suggestions, and our logo to your board - plus at least 10 images of sunset on The Big Lake and your 5 favorite soaps from Winnipesaukee Soap Company. Got a recipe for a blueberry-cucumber smoothie or other libation? Do post that too!!!

7. Email us a link to your pinboard along with your first and last names thru the “contact us” form at http://www.winnisoapco.com/contact.html.

8. Need more inspiration? Just send us your address and we'll send you a little sample of the soap to try! The winner will be announced on Friday, May 30 - to kick off the summer season. Name our soap, and you'll be famous from Alton Bay to Center Harbor, and beyond! Plus, we'll send you some custom-labeled bars with your name on them for bragging rights!

Winnipesaukee Soap Company
Cleanse your skin with confidence, knowing that our all-natural soap is always safe for you, and for the Earth.

Cheers!

"Ugly Ends"  are bar slices that are a bit dented or mis-shapen and are known to soapers as "ugly soap." Each bar weighs about 2 - 2.5 ounces (measuring about 2.75 x 1.5 x .75" each +-). This is a great way to try a variety of our handcrafted soaps and discover a new favorite or two... we'll create a nice assortment for you from our current inventory. You will receive 8 bars, over a pound of assorted Winnipesaukee Soap Company varieties!

Ingredients may include: Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Hemp Seed Oil, Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter, Goat's Milk, Yogurt, Sodium Hydroxide, Distilled Water, essential oils, natural colorants, fresh and dried fruits, flowers, nuts, herbs, spices, oats, seaweed, and natural muds and clays.

Treat yourself to fun grab bag of assorted ugly ends, and let us know which one is YOUR new favorite!

High-end spas all around the world have introduced the latest in skin care - chocolate spa treatments! From soothing chocolate massages and body wraps to indulgent chocolate facials and invigorating chocolate body scrubs, suddenly chocolate is everywhere. Using cocoa-based creams, lotions, oils, and our own Winnipesaukee Soap Company Dark Chocolate Artisan bars you can now choose to get your chocolate fix without the calories.

Some of the benefits of chocolate body treatments include:

• Chocolate firms the skin - The caffeine present in chocolate stimulates the circulation and improves blood flow. This in turn improves and invigorates skin cells, decreases the aging process and increases firmness of the skin.
• Chocolate is rich in anti-oxidants - The darker the chocolate, the more powerful are the antioxidant properties. It is also important that you choose your creams and lotions carefully before you begin using them. Products that contain more than 35% of pure cocoa are more effective when it comes to revitalizing the skin and giving it a plumper and firmer feel. Antioxidants also help increase the level of collagen and elastin in the skin and thereby reduce the effects of aging. Fine lines and wrinkles can be treated with regular chocolate treatments as antioxidants lessen the damage caused by free radicals in the body.
• As a moisturizing agent - Cocoa butter contains high amounts of natural oils and emollients necessary for treating dry, rough and flaky skin. Our chocolate body bar will help remedy rough skin especially on those stubborn spots such as the elbows, knees and feet.
  
• Good for cellulite - Chocolate contains theobromine that helps burn fat and get rid of cellulite.
• Calming effects - Who hasn’t calmed down after biting into a chunk of chocolate? In much the same way, a chocolate massage helps reduce stress and tension and eases tight and sore muscles.

You can also make your own chocolate massage lotion at home in a few simple steps:

1. Mix together a quarter cup of cocoa powder with one cup of shea butter and a quarter cup of chamomile oil. You can use a blender for this to get a nice smooth consistency.
2. Mix till the lotion is smooth and free of lumps. If you would like it thinner, add some more oil. If you prefer a thicker cream, add some more shea butter. Make sure that the shea butter is at room temperature for the best results.
3. Pour this lotion into a jar with a tight lid and store in a cool dark place.
4. Use to massage into the skin or as a moisturizer. It is gentle enough for everyday use!

Thank you to everyone who participated in our first annual (yes - we'll do it again next year) Pin It to Win It contest! With over 400 new fans on our facebook page and pinterest board the contest was a wonderful success!

And so without further ado, we announce our winner...
DeBorah Boyd!

DeBorah, please message us using the Contact Tab above to let us know which five soap selections you'd like, and the address to which you'd like us to the ship the bunny and the bars. Please visit DeBorah's Winni Soap Pinterest Board and say, "congratulations"  to our winner!

Stay tuned for our next contest coming soon - we've got some new soaps to name and we're going to let our fans pick the names! Details will be posted on this blog and on our facebook page very soon!

Again, thank you to all of our fans and friends!
Think sunny thoughts, and be happy!

Magical and mysterious... enter the Enchanted Forest! This bar has a captivating fragrance that both men and women love. It's fresh and clean - yet deep and earthy... 

The hypnotic blend of Amber, Patchouli, Cedarwood, Sandalwood, and Oak Moss Essential Oils is captivating. Activated Charcoal works like magic to draw out deep-dwelling pore-cloggers. This will leave your skin soft and beautifully conditioned, and your mind and spirit free to fly!

Each hand cut bar measures approx 2.75 x 3 x 1 inch thick and weighs about 5 oz.  Domestic shipping is free.

Ingredients: Olive, Coconut, Soybean and Hemp Seed Oils, Distilled Water, Shea Butter, Sodium Hydroxide, Amber, Patchouli, Cedarwood, Sandalwood, and Oak Moss Essential Oils, Activated Charcoal, and Natural Colorant.

Winnipesaukee Soap Company
Cleanse your skin with confidence, knowing that our all-natural soap is always safe for you, and for the Earth.