With gas, food, and utility prices being at an all time high we are trying to live as frugally as possible. Honestly, it hasn't been that bad, but we've never been ones to rush right out and buy the latest gadgets, clothing, or snacks. Our children have never been given new toys unless it's Christmas or their birthdays.
My family loves meat. I've cut the cost of the meals where we do eat meat by cooking just enough for everyone. Don't get me wrong, no one is going hungry, but instead of cooking 16 pork chops for seven people, I now cook nine. Two for Verne, two for Mac, one for everyone else. Also, we're eating mostly out of the garden right now. Lots of zucchini! Check out Mama's Fixins for loads of great recipes that include zucchini. We've only been eating meat as a main dish one or twice a week.
I ask Verne to stop at the store rather than driving the eight miles to town myself. I go only when someone has an appointment or a lesson.
And last but not least, I made my own laundry detergent last week. I read forum after forum. Recipe after recipe. There are so many skeptics out there! Anyway, I decided on a powdered version for my first time around. It takes all of the same ingredients, and less room to store.
The recipe that I decided to try is as follows:
1 bar Fels Naptha Soap soap, grated
1 c. Borax
1 c. Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda (NOT baking soda)
1/4 c. Oxy-clean
Mix all together, and use 2 level tablespoons per load.
I have a Bosch HE front loader, and this recipe works wonderfully in it. It is a no-suds recipe which is great for the high efficiency machine. The clothes look and smell very clean. We do not have a water softener, and I have no problem with dingy whites using this recipe.
Let me note that I could not find the Fels Naptha or the washing soda at Wal*mart near me, but had to go to Kro*ger instead. Check around. These are inexpensive items!
As for fabric softener, I keep reading about using white vinegar. I tried it. For several loads. I don't find that it takes static cling away if loads are machine dried. Other than that, it's fine. My solution? Half liquid softener, half white vinegar. It works for me. Any other suggestions?
Next time, I'm trying the liquid (gel) laundry soap.
My ever helpful husband installed shelving in a corner of our walk in closet for my soap business. It has to cure for four weeks before I sell it, and takes a lot of room! Since the door is always closed, the fragrance is very strong every time I walk in there. Not a bad thing! I certainly don't have to buy air freshener.
When I take the soap out of the molds, I trim each bar. I collect the shavings and set them in pretty bowls in different rooms. Easy and economical potpourri!
A bowl of almond shavings:
For those of you whom have purchased almond soap from me, yes, these do look different. More of the good oils, and a harder, longer lasting bar. AND, a pretty design on top. The design was made by dying the soap with all-natural paprika!
okay... this is me... at my worst. But I wouldn't chance making soap without eye protection. It's not worth losing an eye over it. The mask is to protect me from the fumes when I mix the lye with the water.
Come on in, and learn how to make cold-process soap!
Don't forget your heavy rubber gloves. We don't want to have to call poison control!
Carefully pour the lye into the water. Never pour water into the lye. To me, the hardest part of the process is jockeying the temperatures of the lye water and the fats and oils. They both get hot, but have to cool back down. My recipe calls for the lye water to be at 100 F, while the oils are at 110 F. Here you see the lye water sitting in a cool bath to obtain the right temperature.
The fats and oils are ready.
Pour the lye water into the melted oils. Stir gently.
Mix. Mix. Mix.
The mixture starts to thicken as the oils/fats saponify.
It's getting thicker...
almost there...
Heavy trace! See how there's a visible trail on top?
Adding the essential oil to fragrance the soap. Usually you add your color and then the fragrance, but I had a reason to do it the opposite way.
Adding the color into the soap mixture. I used turmeric (the spice!) mixed with a very small amount of olive oil for a natural color that enhanced the bay rum essential oil.
Gently stirring the color into the soap.
I purposefully did not fully incorporate the color into the soap as I wanted a marbled effect in the finished soap. This is why I added the fragrance before the color in this batch.
Tapping the mold on the counter to release any air.
Soap can be molded in many different shapes. Candy molds, and old jello molds are ideal for this.
Decorative molds make lovely hand or gift soaps. Aren't they pretty?
The soap popped out of the mold and is ready to cut.
My finished bars of bay rum scented soap! These are ginormous (to borrow a word from Elf) weighing in around 7 ounces!
Now the bars have to cure. This takes about 4 weeks. If we would use them right away, the lye might still be too strong, and could burn our skin. Patience is the key word here.
I made this batch yesterday, and cut it this morning.
Last night, I made another batch. Peppermint Patty soap. It has real cocoa powder in it. As I was pouring it into the molds, Collin and Autumn wanted to lick the spoons. Yea, it smelled that good.
I made my first batch of cold-process soap today. I've been reading, and reading, and reading some more, and I finally jumped in the pool. I measured, and re-measured to make sure that everything was just right. I shooed everyone away so as not to be near the lye. I melted, mixed, and stirred. I guessed at the "trace" but I'm pretty sure that I got it right. The hard part is being patient for four weeks to see how I like this recipe!
image found on inmagine
