Everything is Ready to Take to the Shop

I finished wrapping and pricing everything that I'm going to sell in a local shop.  Wrapping and pricing takes a lot of time and for me it makes a mess.  I had everything spread out on the table and the floor.  I have it all cleaned up except for running the vacuum and sweeping the floor.  I also took all the soap that I made on Wednesday out of the molds and it is now drying/curing.  The colors are oh so nice but they do change as they cure.  You can see that the avocado soap is many different colors even though it was out of the same batch.  The color is affected by how fast it cooled when in was in the mold.  The pictures aren't the best but you can see the different colors.

Top, L-R; avocado, spinach, gift baskets.  Bottom L-R; avocado, carrot and cucumber.

The buckets all have a different soap in them.  Notice that I drilled some holes around the top of the buckets so they could get some air.  The buckets were picked up free from local grocery stores at the bakery.                                          

Pile of rag rugs ready to go.

My Morning

First I need to stop making plans and just do things when I can.  I did not get the mulberries picked last night but I did make it my morning walk.  I picked over a gallon of mulberries and about 1/2 gallon of leaves.  I have the berries on the stove right now simmering and have used the potato masher to smash them to get all the good juice out.  I also have the leaves simmering and will turn both of them off soon and when they cool I will strain them and freeze them in ice cube trays and use them to color my soap.  When I want to use them all I have to do is take a cube or two out and not have to thaw a whole container of the juice.  I also picked lettuce, lots of lettuce this morning and will cook it and then run it through the blender to use to make soap.  I love these no cost items and they are all natural.

I have a neighbor who lives two doors from us going through a divorce.  The house is owned by his parents so he is living there, young guy around 30.  She planted lots of flowers, trees, bushes and herbs over the 5 years they were together.  She would plant the stuff and then never take care of it.  Out back there is a beautiful flower/herb garden (about 30' x 30') that I just love to look at when it is all in bloom.  The weeds have taken over so this morning when I finished picking my stuff I went over and weeded it.  I sure hope he doesn't mind and will watch for him to come home and tell him what I did.  I'm sure there is well over $500 worth of plants in there and I just hated to see it full of weeds.  If he doesn't mind I will probably keep it weeded this summer.  Now if I could get the weed eater started I would use it to go around the spot.  Now the 2 houses on the left side of us have single men who don't take care of their yards like I wish they would.  My sister-in-law from Texas reminded me this morning that I don't need to take care of it for them even though I wish I had the time and energy to do it.  Both houses have neglected landscape and they wait forever to mow their grass.  I keep mine mowed and everything has to look perfect.  In case you haven't noticed I am a LOT picky.  Oh well could be worse.
Later, take care.

Soap Making Day

Didn't sleep well last night so I slept in until after 7 this morning.  Did not take my morning walk so after supper I plan on walking up the road to pick some mulberries and some of their leaves to use to make soap.  Brandon is coming over to spend the night so I thought both of us would go pick the stuff.
I made 4 batches of soap this morning and each batch yields a little under 5 1/2 lbs.  I made carrot soap with some the carrots that I got on sale and had cooked and froze for when they were needed.  I then made cucumber soap, spinach soap with the spinach I picked from my garden.  The last batch was made with the avocado skins and seeds that I cooked and froze last week.  I will take them out of the molds Friday morning and then they will sit out to cure for several weeks.  I will post a picture of them when I take them out.  As it dries and cools down it will change colors, so it is very hard to tell exactly what you'll end up with compared to when you poured it.  If the additive that was used in the soap has natural sugars that affects the color.  Buttermilk is white and the oils that I use to make that soap would yield a white soap.  But because the buttermilk has natural sugar it turns a golden color.  Right now the carrot soap is a pale orange, the spinach is a rich green, cucumber is a pale green and the avocado is a rust color.
Later, take care.

Good News Friday

1st thing; those of you who personally know me know how it has been a struggle to get the grandson who lives with us his drivers license.  Well he finally got it this morning, now to get him a vehicle is the next step.  I am so happy that this day has finally came.  Some thought it might never happen (including him) but it has.
2nd thing; I have an appointment with a shop to see about selling my soap and rag rugs.  I go next Tuesday and am very anxious to go and talk to the owner.  If everything goes well I will need to start making some more soap and rugs to get my stock built up.  :)
Later, take care.

Using Food Items for Soap

When making soap there are so many food items that are little or no cost that add color and scent.   Save and ask family and friends to save some of the following items for you.  All you have to do is put them in a baggie or plastic container and stick them in the freezer until you have enough.
These items cost nothing:
1. Avocado peels and seeds, when I get enough to fill the small crock pot I just throw them in, add enough water to cover and cook until they are soft and mushy.  When they cool I put them in the blender and blend until they are a thick liquid.  I put them in  freezer containers and freeze until I am ready to make some soap.  I replace about 1/2 of the liquid with the frozen avocado and add to the lye; the soap turns out a caramel color.
2. Orange, clementines and lemon peels, when I get enough to fill the small crock pot I just throw them in, add enough water to cover and cook until they are soft and mushy.  When they cool I put them in the blender and blend until they are a thick liquid.  I put them in  freezer containers and freeze until I am ready to make some soap.  I replace over 1/2 of the liquid with the frozen citrus and add to the lye; the soap turns out a pale orange and has a slight citrus smell.  You can also keep out some of the peels after they are cooked and just chop them in the blender and add some at trace to have some small specks of peelings in the soap.  I do this and it really looks nice.
3. Pineapple cores, when I get enough to fill the small crock pot I just throw them in, add enough water to cover and cook until they are soft.  Pineapple cores don't get real mushy but you are still able to get a thick or thin liquid from them when put through the blender.  I put them in  freezer containers and freeze until I am ready to make some soap.  I add water to the pineapple until I get the amount of liquid needed for the batch and add to the lye; the soap turns out a pale yellow.
4. Melon, after cutting the melon from the rind I then go back and cut any remaining pieces as close to the rind as I can get, add water to cover and simmer for 20 minutes on the stove.  Cool and then put through the blender and you get a pale orange color.
All of the above items I have used, play with the amounts added.  There is no wrong way to do it,
Try using mango peels, pears and apple skins, cucumber skins all of these items are what would have gone in the garbage or compost and by using them you are only out a small amount of time.
These items cost very little and will be trying them soon:
1. Carrots, I took 1 lb of the ones I got for 49 cents, put them in the crock pot, water to cover, cooked until soft, put through the blender and have them in the freezer ready to use.
2. Cucumbers, I am going to put 3 of the whole cucumbers and the peelings from the 4th through the blender tomorrow and freeze this until ready.  I got these for 29 cents each this past week, or use some from your garden if you grow them.
3. Spinach and lettuce, I have more than I will ever eat in my garden right now and plan on preparing these items this week and freezing them for some soap to have when ready to use them.

Here is a list that I found and there are many more out there.

http://standeyo.com/News_Files/Soap/Hand_Milled_Ing.html

What items have you used that are no or little cost to use when making soap?

Left to right, front; carrots sitting on top of avocado, strawberries, citrus mix (orange, lemon, lime); back; cucumbers in the 2 freezer containers sitting on pineapple (left), oranges (right), and the jar with the red cap is cantaloupe.

Soap and garden update

Came home from work and cut enough lettuce and onions for 5 salads.  Making a salad from the garden is a labor of love.  It takes me so long to clean each leaf, one by one, wash it several times and then put it in the salad spinner.  When I was in the garden I decided to pick the cilantro that went wild and get it in the dehydrator.  I will get it out tomorrow when I get home and get it in the jar.
After supper I cut the remaining soap that I made on Monday.  The soap I made with buttermilk I put in some of the vanilla carrier oil and it smells really nice, the cinnamon one I tried to make it 2 tones of brown and it turned out OK, not wonderful but OK.
I'm saving the spinach that is in the garden to use to make some soap green.  I've been researching how to use different food products to color soap.  I plan on making the spinach coloring and then freeze it until I want to use it for the soap.  I will post more later when I make it and also post some more of the food items that I plan on using to make some soap.
Later, take care.

The Garden and Soap

After the rain we had last week my plants have doubled in size.  My lettuce, spinach and onions are beautiful.  I am picking stuff for a salad after supper so I can have it for my lunch tomorrow.  Salads made with the fresh lettuce always last for over a week so when I pick it I try and make several meals of it at a time.  My potatoes are doing very good and I added straw to the sides of them when I piled soil on the sides of the plants on Sunday.  I also added some mulch to the other raised beds and pots; it holds in the moisture and adds some good nutrients for them.  My husband brought home some wood from work on Monday and am going to put in a raised bed just for herbs to use for cooking and also for making soap.
My soap looks so good; some of the soap I made last month will be ready to take off the drying rack this weekend and put in an open container for storage.  My daughter Renee has found a little shop in a small community not far from our house that sells homemade items but does not carry soap.  We are going to visit it next week to see about adding some of my soap and rag rugs to their shop.  Sure hope that this is something I can do, I really enjoy making the soap. 
Later, take care.

I'm Hooked

Just thought I would share that officially I am hooked on making soap.  I removed some of the soap from the molds that I made yesterday.  This batch was made with lavender scent and it smells wonderful.  I used 1 tsp of the carrier oil that I made and I think I got it right the first time.  I will remove the other 2 batches tomorrow night.
Later, take care.
 

Saop making day

I made 3 batches of soap today.  Each batch will yield about 5 1/2 lbs when cured.  The first batch was scented with lavender oil and used assorted heart molds for most of it.  The second batch I used one of the wooden soap molds and poured most of it in the mold and saved a little and added some more cinnamon to make it darker and tried a simple swirl.  Really anxious to see how it turns out.  The third batch is a vanilla scented buttermilk soap.  I used the wooden soap mold for this one, buttermilk soap is very good for your skin.  I used some of the frozen buttermilk I had, will have to make butter real soon so I can freeze some more buttermilk.  The "true" buttermilk has a little bit of butter fat in it and that also adds to the advantages of the soap.
For the last 2 days I have been washing my hair with a bar of homemade soap.  Yesterday I used some avocado soap and today I used an unscented soap.  Both times my hair has turned out really soft.  I just get my hair wet, rub the bar on my hair and it when I have plenty of suds I just scrub my hair like I normally would.  I plan on using whatever bar of soap I am using on my body on my hair, the savings is huge.  I told Ron (my husband) yesterday that when he is out of liquid body wash he will have to start using bar soap.  He isn't real keen on the idea but why pay all that money when I make something that is better for the environment and better for you and better on the wallet.  I haven't said anything to Ian (grandson who lives with us) yet but I'm pretty sure he will react the same way. 
Later, take care.

Carrier oil for soap

I mixed up some carrier oil for scents and color today.  I put 2 ounces of grape seed oil in several 1/2 pint canning jars and added the following to the jars:
Lavender oil
Peppermint extract
Vanilla powder
Jasmine tea leaves
Black currant and vanilla tea leaves
Cinnamon
Paprika
I have 3 more jars ready and will try and find some other spices to add to them.  On each jar I also added the cost of the scent/color so I can keep track of the cost of each.  The most expensive is the lavender but you only use a small amount of the carrier oils.  There is no exact science to how much you add to each batch of soap, I will just keep track of the amount added and adjust accordingly.  The grape seed oil is good for you skin so along with the addition of color or scent you also have added value to the soap.

The scents and colors I mixed up for soap.

Soap Basket

I made up a gift basket for my daughter Gina to give to someone she works with.  She wanted some heart soap and luckily I had some to use.  The basket is one I made several years ago and had packed away.  I only have 2 more baskets that I made so I will have to add that to my list of things I want to do.  I plan on making 2 "egg" baskets; one for me and one for Renee to use when she gathers her eggs.  As far as baskets go the "egg" basket is made differently than the baskets I've made in the past.  It will be a couple of months before Renee's "girls" start laying so I have plenty of time.
Later, take care.

Basket of soap for someone special.

Amish Saturday

Today we went down to the Amish greenhouse and got myself some more herb plants.  Brandon picked up some hot peppers, watermelon and some herb plants.  Renee had me get her pepper and tomato plants and she also got some herbs.  Then we went to the Bulk Food store and it was donut Saturday.  Got 6 donuts, pecan rolls, some special oils for soap making and some rhubarb jam.  Gina had me get her 2 strawberry-rhubarb jams, Renee had me get her cocoa and some ham.  Next was the Kaufman's dairy, everyone was busy getting things ready for the wedding that will take place on Thursday.  One of the Kaufman girls will marry one of the boys who parents own the store.  They are expecting about 400 people for the noon meal.  Because the Amish don't have church buildings they have the wedding at the house.  It will start in the morning and takes about 3 hours, then they will serve a huge meal at noon and then the family and extended family has a meal at supper.   The couple spends the night at the brides house and Friday everyone gets up early to help clean up and pack up dishes and pans that were borrowed for the meal.   The meal will be served in an out building that they have taken everything out of and they were power washing the floor and walls.  Several small boys were out cutting the grass; everyone has a chore to do no matter the age. I got 6 gallons of milk and came home and made mozzarella cheese.  We didn't use the separator to separate the cream and make butter this time.  I usually do but just did not feel like doing it.  Next time we get milk we will be able to use the ELECTRIC cream separator that Gale is sending me.
After I cleaned up the cheese pans and mess I went out and filled up the 3 water containers for the chickens.  Ron filled their feed up as I was doing the water.  Tomorrow I plan on putting the herbs out that I picked up today.
One of the herbs that Brandon got was some spearmint and he will be making me some mint oil to use when I make soap.  He has a mint plant at home already and will make some oil from it also.  All you have to do is to put some vegetable oil (or any orderless oil) in a jar and add crushed mint leaves to it.  You microwave it just to get it warm and it helps the mint release its oil into the vegetable oil.  He will add mint leaves as his plants get larger and when I am ready to use it all you have to do is strain the oil.  
Later, take care.

Kaufman's Dairy Farm

The Bulk Food Store Parking Area

Young Boys Cutting the Grass

Working in the Field

The Amish School

Homemade dish soap

Saw a recipe the other day for liquid dish soap and thought I would give it a try.  I changed it a little and this is my version:

Homemade Dishwashing Liquid

1 1/2 cup hot water

1/2 cup homemade grated soap

1 TBSP lemon juice

1 TBSP washing soda
Wisk this all up for several minutes until soap melts.
I added several dehydrated lemon slices to the soap and it will give it a fresh lemon scent and helps cut the grease.

This recipe makes a little over 16 ounces and I use about 1 TBSP per sink of dishes.



I've used this twice now and the verdict is still out on it, gets the dishes clean and I knew it wouldn't make suds but there is just something about the suds and doing dishes.  I might try and add a drop of dish soap with it to see how that works next time. 

Lemon Homemade Dish Soap

Soap

Today I made two batches of soap and used the 2 new wooden soap molds that we made.  The liquid for the first batch was made from cantaloupe that I cut away from the skin, added some water, simmered it and then ran it through the blender.  The soap will be a light orange color and have added vitamin C in it.  The second batch I used the tops of the strawberries that I cut up the other day,  I added some water, simmered them and then ran them through the blender.  The color will be a light brown (not red as I had hoped for) and this too will have some added vitamin C.  Tomorrow night or Tuesday night I will take them out of the molds and will use my free miter box (got it at the garage sales we went to yesterday) to make the cuts nice and even.
Using fruit and vegetable scraps to color the soap is a real money saver.  I am making use of things that I would have gave to the chickens or thrown away.  When I get some cucumbers this summer I will try and make some soap with them.  I read that cucumber soap is very good.  Two weeks ago I used some of the true buttermilk that I had froze when I made some butter.  I don't bake a lot and use the buttermilk and had just been giving it to the chickens or putting it down the drain; now I will freeze it and use it to make soap.  Both batches I used tallow, used vegetable oil, sunflower oil and coconut oil. 

Buttermilk soap

Soap mold

Soap Molds

   

                                These are the 2 soap molds Ron and I made; they should hold 4 lbs each. 

Things

Today is my oldest daughter's birthday, Happy Birthday Gina.

The light at the end of the retirement tunnel is closer, moved the date up to May 11th.

Got some wood tonight at Menard's, my very favorite store, and Ron and I made 2 soap molds.  I will take pictures tomorrow. 

My daughter Renee saw some silicone bread pans and molds at a garage sale that were pretty dirty and didn't know that I would have loved them and could have cleaned them up (use them for soap molds).  She did get a new package of 2 silicone ice cream cone cup cake pans for 75 cents, I am jealous.  After work I tried to find the sale with the pans but could not find it.  Of course trying to find a location that Renee is directing me to to the best of her memory was a lost cause before I started.  :(  She is going to go in the morning to it again and if the stuff is there she will pick it up for me.

A small community by us is having their town wide garage sales tomorrow and we will go to it.  There is always this small farm at the edge of town that has vegetable plants and I have had the best luck buying them there, you have to go to it first because they sell out really fast.  Maybe I will find some silicone molds, wish me luck.
Later, take care.

Frugal advice

I came home from work today and cut up two 1 # boxes of strawberries and 3 large pineapples.  Both of these items were on sale this past week at a national supermarket.  This store is not one of my favorites so I took the ad to Walmart and price matched.  I got the strawberries, pineapples and some cantaloupe for 99 cents each.  The strawberries are cut up and ready for some strawberry shortcake that we will have later this week.  The pineapple is all cut up and in the dehydrator.  Dehydrated pineapple is absolutely delicious, nothing like that sugar laden stuff you buy at the store.  My granddaughter Hannah  loves it and ate almost all I had the last time she was here.  The leaves of the strawberries went to the chickens and the little bit of strawberry that was attached to the leaves went in a small pan of water, simmered until soft and then put through the blender to use in a batch of soap.  The pineapple skin went to the chickens and the core is simmering and will go through the blender and I will also use it for soap.  Right now in the freezer you will find some orange peelings and avocado skin and seeds that I will boil and use for soap.  Using fruit, spices and herbs are the only thing I use for color and fragrance for the soap.  Why pay for something to color or add fragrance to soap; neither one of these does anything to get you clean.
For supper tonight we had pulled pork, the pork was on sale this winter for 99 cents a pound so I purchased a lot of it, cooked it in the crock pot, cooled it and added BBQ sauce.  I then packaged it and froze it; it makes for a simple convenient meal.
I seldom ever purchase something unless it is on sale.  If you have a freezer buying meat when it is on sale is the only way to do it.  The same goes for pantry items, stock up when on sale, don't buy things at full price.
Later, take care.

Beautiful Monday

Until I retire next month I have been working 4 days a week; only 20 more working days and then I will come and go as I please.
Tried to separate the glycerin out of some of the used vegetable oil  today without any luck.  Did some wash, watered all the trees and the garden and sat outside and cut strips for rag rugs.  I also picked some lettuce, spinach and a couple of green onions and made myself a salad for my lunch for the next 3 days.  Renee gave me some radishes from her garden yesterday and I added them.
Today I also baked 2 loaves of bread.. Bread baking was done on Sunday until I started working 4 days a week.  I love the smell of the house on bread days.
Weighed the batches of soap I made last week and also calculated the cost of each batch.  I love making the soap and hope to start selling it.  My soap is not fancy looking nor does it have any fancy smell.  Fancy looks or fancy smell does not get you clean.  I also plan on selling rag rugs.  I would like to set up a stand when Spoon River Days come.  Please watch my blog for details about buying soap or rugs.
Right now the chickens are paying their own way with selling eggs.  They are even making a little money after buying feed' now the soap and rugs need to pay their own way.
Later, take care.

Earth Day

April 22nd Earth Day, what do you do to help out our mother earth?  Here are some things that I am doing and maybe you can add some of these things to your list.

We planted 10 pine and 2 apple trees this year.

I go to a couple of grocery stores and get buckets with lids from their bakery (free) and use them to store my flour, oatmeal, rice and other items.  I have all I need right now but still get them and take them down to an Amish community that I go to a couple of times a month.  They give them to anyone who wants them to do the same.

I recycle old clothes and linens to make rag rugs.

I have my daughter Renee save her avocado peels and seeds and orange peelings.  I also save orange peels and put them in the crock pot with some water and simmer all day and put them through the food processor to use as the liquid when making soap.  It gives the soap some color and it is all natural.  So far I have used avocado, orange, clementines and pineapple to use when making soap. What doesn't get used for the soap I give to the chickens.

I render beef suet and pork fat to make soap.  I get the fat and suet from a local butcher for 50 cents a pound.

My daughter Renee's in-laws give me used vegetable oil to use to make soap.  They volunteer at a local American Legion and they save the oil when they change it out.  I filter it and use it to make soap.

I save all my soap scraps and use them in making laundry soap.

I feed all the table scraps to the chickens.  I also feed them all the vegetable and fruit scraps that I don't use for soap.

I have 2 rain barrels that I use to water my plants.

When the dehumidifier fills up I use that water to water my flowers and bushes.

I have fixed up a system to collect the water from the AC to water my garden.  In the middle of the summer I get about 10 gallons of water a day.

There are so many things that we all can do to help; just adding one thing helps to save our earth.

Later, take care.