There is no doubt that goat milk soap is all the rage this year – we had a whole clutch of goat milk soaps entered (and winning) in the FreeFrom Skincare Awards recently. So when my good friend Prudence Nuesink (she of Body Talk) leant me a book about the making of goat milk soap, I was definitely interested.
Secrets from Chuckling Goat tells of the trials and tribulations – medical, financial and practical – of Shann Jones, an radio talk show host from San Francisco who found herself, on her own with two small children, in the depth of Wales – where she fell in love with a Welsh farmer with ulcerative colitis!!
I must admit that, being curmudgeonly city dweller, I initially found this American ‘blow in’s’ raptures about the Welsh countryside faintly irritating – but that did not last long! Shann is so enchantingly enchanted by Wales, by her wonderful friendly, happy goats, by her lovely neighbours and by her new husband and family! As a result I was soon totally gripped by the dramas of ‘kidding’ and lambing (they also keep sheep), whether the weather will hold for long enough to harvest the vital hay stocks, whether the vats of soap will set properly and the couriers arrive in time to fulfill the orders – and then by the life and death struggle of her husband, Rich, with major gastrointestinal surgery followed by pervasive MRSA.
I will not spoil the story for you by telling more, except to say that it is raw goat’s milk kefir that proves to be the hero – both in saving Rich’s life and in the success of the soaps and skincare range. Mind you, I do wonder whether the kefir would have been such a miracle worker if the goat milk it was made from had not been raw….
You can buy the book – and it is really worth the read – perfect for a summer holiday – here on Amazon and the soaps, skincare products and kefir from their site – where you will find a lovely video of the goats and Shann and family at work onto farm and interesting information about MRSA and why kefir appears to be such a successful treatment.
And I can vouch for the soaps as well as the book! We had them entered for the FreeFrom Skincare Awards and they got a bronze medal!