I am up early this morning. It's not quite so cold today here in Iowa. I have the kerosene burner on to take the chill off the house.
Mary and Brandon were here last evening. Mary said "Oh, Mom, this house was my first home and I miss the way you decorate for fall. I miss seeing the pumpkins and the orange candles." I hope my home inspires her to go home and decorate her home for Fall. On my table, I have a plastic tablecloth with the farm animals on it. In the middle, I have a narrow cloth runner with bright pumpkins on it. The runner goes the length of the table. And on the runner, I have my kerosene lamp and a pumpkin. Also a big yellow squash and a dark orange one. Then my salt and pepper shakers and red enamel sugar bowl. Also orange scented pumpkin candles. I pray that our home did inspire Mary to decorate for Fall.
I used to start decorating for Thanksgiving in October. It's a time to harvest the blessings of the Lord.
Also yesterday afternoon, I made soap. I wanted to make it, then write about it. I haven't made it in a while so wanted to make sure I still could. It all turned out nice. I make it very simply with just lye, lard and water. The recipe is 4 pounds of lard, a can of lye, and 3 quarts of water. I made laundry soap and hand soap. For the laundry soap, I added a few cups of the dry soap powder from the store, and for the hand soap, I added spices and herbs.
But, OK, to make the big batch, I used a big enamel turkey roaster, big enough for a 25 pound turkey. Ya gotta use enamel or a big huge glass or crock bowl. Because if ya use aluminum or cast iron, the lye will eat a hole in the pan. So I had my big pan out and I put in the room temperature lard and the can of lye and the 3 quarts of water -- cold water. Ya want the lard and the water at about the same temperature. But I just guess at it. I don't even dissolve the lye in the water first and then add the lard. I just throw it all in and stir. Ya can't go wrong with it.
I laugh at all the hard instructions I read on making soap. Like, they tell ya to wear rubber gloves and wear goggles. I ain't gonna fly a plane -- I just wanna make soap. Anyway, I don't do any of that nonsense. But don't make soap, either, when the kids think they can help ya. You would be mighty sorry if the baby got into it or got it in her eyes or mouth. So do all of this when the children are out of the way, asleep or outside. I make soap when I have plenty of time, a lot of work space, and no interruptions. If the lye gets on your hands, it will burn a little, but it won't kill ya. Just rinse it off. But, no, don't get careless with the lye. I got lots of lye on my hands yesterday. But just rinsed it off, no big deal.
Anyway, after you put the mixture of 4 pounds of lard, 3 quarts of water and the can of lye in the pan, then just carefully stir it up. Use like a wooden spoon or a plastic one. I used an enamel spoon. Just stir this mixture until it is the consistency of honey. Stir in one direction and don't, like, beat it or it will curdle. Just stir it carefully. I am real patient at this point. I stir for about 10 minutes and, if it isn't thickening, I will let it rest a while. Then I will go back to stirring it.
For the spice soap, I just put some of the soap mix in a square glass casserole dish. Then I added the spices. I put an orange peel in the blender and ground this up and put this in the soap. Then I put in ground cloves, about 3 Tbs. And about the same of cinnamon and ginger. I just stirred this up and let it sit now in the glass pan. Never beat it -- just gently stir it.
I also took a pie plate and made a lavender soap. I just put dried lavender and ginger in this. If you use herbs, they have to be dried first. So I just left this all in the pie plate to dry.
In a few hours, the soap will begin to dry, and then just cut it like you want it and forget it for a few weeks. Now it has to rest and ripen.
LAUNDRY SOAP
OK, so I have the biggest share of the soap mixture still in my turkey roaster. With this, I will make the laundry soap. To this soap mixture, I added 2 cups of the powdered laundry soap from the store. I used Trend. Just stir it in.
Now, last night, I cut this soap up in the roaster and will just let this ripen now. But this will give me about enough soap to do 24 wash loads. And this will last me a long time. Because this soap I will just use for cotton white underwear or any wash load to use hot or warm water. Like for towels and bed sheets and blankets. Then I just use a cheaper soap for dark clothes or permanent press.
To use your homemade laundry soap, you just take out a square and put it in the blender with water and make sure it is ground up good. Then just add this mixture to the wash cycle. But note that you can't use this soap for about 2 or 3 weeks after you make it. It has to set. So be sure to cut it when it firms up, and then put it all up away from the pets and the children, and let it ripen. Then, in a few weeks, you can use it. And if you can't get the soap to thicken, don't worry about it. Just throw it all in a 5 gallon plastic bucket and use it as a liquid wash soap.
Mine has always thickened. But I don't cut my soap like I would like it. It all just takes practice.
