Something good to eat -- lotion, or what am I up to now? This whipped yummy looking good enough to eat but is actually soap. It reminds me of my home-made marshmallow creme. It's why I labeled the jar clearly just in case because I have lots and lots of things in canning jars some edible and some not.
As I said earlier in a blog post that I was about out of powdered laundry soap and I can't find the soap which is fragrance free etc. on the store shelves in a decent size and online it is too expensive in my budget to order so I decided to go back to home-made. Yes, when the kids were little I always used home-made soap. Just home-made hand soap grated and added to boiling water to form a jell that I scooped a bit of and put in my top loading washer. This is a bit different and I think better.
Back then I was known to use pig fat, beef fat, deer fat, sheep fat, but definitely not chicken fat to make into soap. What ever animal happened to be butchered that fall and had hard, not the soft greasy type fat which is why you don't use chicken fat, available after we made hamburger I ground and froze to be render latter and make into soap. It's why one year we had deer/sheep/pig soap combination and it was lovely.
Now I'm not a fancy soap maker. Just good ole get the body clean soap is all I've ever made and I have to confess that I've never even made goat milk soap. Can you imagine this woman not ever making goat milk soap? Yeah, I know but it was on my list this year of to do's and then Waltzing Matilda duped us and didn't produce the amount of spare fat we needed. Yes, the pig failed us so now I'm going to try and round up some fat from someone who is butchering this fall. If all else fails I may even resort to buying lard to make soap. I'm just leary of the chemicals that might be lurking inside of a commercial product.
I have a friend close by who makes fancy soap with wine, and dyes, and fragrance and all that foo, foo stuff. It is beautiful and I'm in love with her sunflower and thistle soap molds. I'd guess some of it isn't all with cocunut oil and such so maybe she knows a good source for lard. Her soap is really pretty and smells good but I can't get over the image of the battle of the perfume bottles. Think about it. Your shampoo is perfumed and your creme rinse, and then your body soap, and then you put on smelly deordorant and lotion and yes a battle of the fragrances has begun before you are even dressed. Then you put on clothes that have been perfumed with laundry soap and you apply goopy jell and other hair products with perfume and then move add makeup which some more perfume I'm sure too.
A well dolled up lady may of just put on eight or more different perfumes. You can't tell me that a battle isn't raging and that those hundreds and hundreds of chemicals aren't having a negative effect on the person. It is why I don't dye my hair and why I don't perm it because I can't help but think of how your head has thousands of pores and those chemicals are seeping into your brain. My brain struggles enough to work correctly.
How can you worry about eating organic food and not worry about the largest organ of your body, your skin. I find it confusing because on the rare occasion I walk into a health food store I look around at the people and they don't look healthy as a whole. They look as sickly as those wandering through Walmart. Their hair is dull and their skin thin, wrinkled, and lifeless. Makes me think that there is more to this health thing than what you can purchase. In fact I know it there is. People are always asking me what kind of beauty regiment I do to look so young. Well folks, here it is. Eat well by growing as much of it as you can yourself, cook instead of buy ready made, drink lots of water, work hard, and stay away from the chemicals.
Am I healthy? Some doctors say yes and some no but I will say I am healthier than I have been in twenty years and I'm becoming healthier each year that passes.
So once again I'm going to return to home-made soap. It is not only a less expensive choice but a healthier one I'm sure. My soap is not creamy white anymore as it is quite old since it has been some times since I've made any soap but it works the same. The recipe I found called for a Fels Naptha soap. I looked it up and it has coconut oil and even lye. It looks pretty natural but it does have a few chemicals and of course perfume. I substituted my home-made soap instead in the recipe.
The gal calls her soap Mom's Super Laundry Sauce and I'm pretty impressed. Of course mine is quite different than hers since I used my own soap. When do I ever follow a recipe precisely? Anyway, I simply grated my soap, the entire bar, and put it in 4 cups of boiling water that I'd heated in a saucepan on the stove. Stir occasionally. Meanwhile in a small bowl mixed 1 cup of 20 Mule Team Borax and 1 cup of Super Washing Soada by Arm and Hammer, (not baking soda).
When the soap is melted then remove from stove and add the mixed borax and washing soda. Stir until you don't feel the granuals on the bottom of the pan. Then pour into three - quart jars.
Let sit for four hours. It will separate like this. The mixture will still be warm when you put it into your blender or turn the mixer on it. That causes the mixture to blend and form the whippped appearance. The instructions called for turning the jars upside down but I like them right side up just in case I had to scrap out the soap a bit from the edges of the jar. Then presto soap. I've give you the shortened version as I've linked to the site where you can get the full instructions.
I can say that I took a old sweatshirt with huge oil stains on the front and scrubbed in some soap with a scrub brush. This was a sweatshirt that had been washed and dried several times before and the stains magically dissapeared. I was impressed. I now have a front load washer so I am putting my soap in on top of my clothes. The instructions say for a top load to put in when the water fills and then add the clothes but what is the difference of adding on top of the clothes like in a front load washer? Just wondering. They recommend just a tablespoon.
As for getting rid of ordors like the site said it was miraculous at. Well, I tested that too with a milk soaked rag that I had thoroughly rinsed out. It still smelled milky when washed. The perfume in their soap probably helps mask ordors and I have to admit I really tested that one hard. Next wash I'm going to add a bit more borax when I'm faced with a ordor issue and see what happens.
I'd highly recommend this recipe and here is the site to go to for more details. This is truly one area you can save money in.
http://www.budget101.com/myo-household-items/whipped-cream-super-laundry-soap-3993.html
I know, I know a great many posts lately have the title sourdough in them. I did warn you this spring that I was going to concentrate on a few subjects to better understand them and not be trying so many new things.
I did spy a recipe for laundry soap and I've decided to use up my old bars of hand soap in the creation. Yes, I will be tweaking the recipe a bit to conform to what I have but I always do.
It was getting hard to buy plain old powdered laundry soap -unscented especially in a big box, of course on sale too. Now I can't find any at all. The Internet has it but by the time I pay shipping it is no longer a good deal. When this shortage occurred I'm not sure since I buy in bulk six or so boxes at a time and it is months before I need more. Why not buy liquid detergent? To me it doesn't make sense.
I did a blog a year or so ago on powdered versus liquid laundry soap price wise and in my research was surprised to find out that powdered is formulated for dirt and grime, liquid is not. And even if it wasn't cheaper I'd of bought it if it wasn't exorbitantly price. Dirt and grime is the stuff I seem to be made of. So since I'm not buying water with a little detergent thrown in that isn't formulated for dirt. Now what?
Home-made of course. Any more it seems like if you want it done right you have to do it yourself. I'm going to try fitting in home-made laundry detergent once more into my schedule. Yes, once more since I used home-made when our kids were little and I was doing a cazillion loads. I had a top load machine then though and put in the soap and let is swoosh around before adding the clothes. I have a front loading washing machine now. It isn't going to work the way I use to do my soap. Still, the original plan was to return this year to home-made as I was having a time finding my store bought soap in powdered and I just now have a greater push.
That was one of the reasons for buying Waltzing Matilda, the hog that was suppose to be a fat hog according to the breeder but never made it though she grew and grew. So no fat, no soap making. It was alright until now, I had enough store detergent in storage and postponed the adventure for another year. But now I'm nearly out and none in sight at the stores. The new recipe I spied on the Internet has me gun hoe to barrel ahead and make my old soap into laundry soap. Maybe I can find someone butchering a hog and they will have extra fat and I can make some more hand soap for storage. I asked the butcher and he saves all of the extra he gets to make wild game sausage in the fall.
Just like our food storage since the garden failed, I guess our soap storage is going to get used up also this year. By next summer Mother Hubbard here will have bare cupboards. It has me motivated more than ever to put extra away.
So keep in touch because I am starting a batch of cream culture tomorrow to make cultured butter (Hopefully it works out) And I plan on tackling laundry soap sometime this week too. I promise, not all my posts will be about sourdough.
This recipe I found for sourdough waffles is awesome. First we tried it with white flour and loved it and then spelt. The recipe calls for half white and half wheat but we were only making a half recipe so the second batch was all spelt flour. After all it is just Kirk and I, and so we just counting on the sourdough, which is made from white flour, to be the white part. The grand kids are coming tomorrow night to sleep over so I plan on a nice big batch come Friday morning and get there opinion. I'll do the half spelt and half white for them. They don't get wheat at all except here.
And I've got to say that despite the large selection of wonderful waffle recipes that I have. This is the one I want to eat over and over again lately. The texture is a bit different. It is very light and slightly spongy. Not quite like an angel food cake but none the less a different texture than traditional recipes. We love it! And of course we had to throw in some nice plump blueberries each time too. But enough talk. You need a recipe so you too can begin enjoying sourdough waffles too.
KING ARTHER'S SOURDOUGH WAFFLES
Sponge:
1 cup (4 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 cup (4 1/2 ounces) white whole wheat flour
2 Tablespoons ( 7/8 ounce) sugar
2 cups ( 16 ounces) buttermilk
1 cup (8 to 8 1/2 ounces sourdough starter
Batter:
2 large eggs
1/4 cup ( 2 ounces) melted butter
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
To Make The Sponge:
Mix together the flours and sugar in a medium sized bowl. Stir in the buttermilk. Add the starter and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let sit at room temperature overnight, or for whatever shorter time span is practical.
To Make The Batter:
Beat together the eggs, butter, salt, and baking soda until light. Blend this mixture into the sponge.
Spray your waffle iron with oil. Pour batter onto the iron and cook.
What I found out with these waffles is for us overnight was perfect.
Anything to help get the next morning off to an easier start. Also the waffles more challenging to get off the waffle iron if they aren't done enough. That doesn't mean over done just to the color of the photo I showed. And I used oil instead of butter one time and they worked out the same so don't be afraid to do some substituting with this recipe.
I'd like to tell you how stiff or liquid my sourdough start I begin with is but I don't measure when I feed. I just adjust my recipes according to how the start is. I know there is a formula for feeding but really, I find feeding sourdough like feeding bum lambs. Each one is unique and there care also. When sourdough has sat and not been fed often it needs to have more liquid to help the natural yeasts multiply. Older and it bubbles over the top of the jar like a volcano so I make the solution stiffer.
And the buttermilk I used in the recipe of course was cultured from good ole goat's milk courtesy of our Meagan and Mercedes, our lovely does. I know this adds a richness that store bought can't compete with but do your best with what you've got.
Two of our children want a sourdough start for part of their Christmas present and a recipe book of all the wonderful recipes I've discovered. Yes, home-made makes a very nice gift indeed and what I need to do for Christmas has been nawing at the back of my mind.
Keep in mind that sourdough breaks down the phytic acid in wheat and releases the nutrients for your body to absorb. It is also anti-cancer so go ahead give whole wheat sourdough waffles a try. Or try using spelt instead. It just happened to be what I had ground up.
Sourdough Rolls
1 teaspoon dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (110F.)
2 cups Sourdough Starter
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup vegetable oil,
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoon salt
31/2 cup - 4 cups all-purpose flour
I mixed the above in the general way of making bread but I used only 3 cups of flour, not 3 1/2 - 4 and had to add a little more liquid because it was too dry so I'd go easy on the flour. Our weather has been brutally dry so I'm sure that was a factor.
Keep in mind too stiff a dough and it doesn't raise very well and is dry. I ended up using another egg and a little flour to compensate for too much fluid. Making dough isn't an exact science. More a feel and a skill acquired.
I mixed at first in the Kitchen Aid mixer and threw a towel over it letting it raise in the bowl. The recipe calls for 2 - 1 /2 hour time laps but I just watch the dough knowing the temperature of the room makes a large difference along with the stiffness of the dough. I prefer leaving the dough rather sticky at this stage. The bread dough clinging to the hook but still has a very moist look to it. This takes some time and I don't rush putting in all the flour at once but slowly allow the gluten to develop in the flour.
When raised I turned on the mixer and then turned the bowl out onto a flour coated counter top for a bit of hand kneading. This is a good time to add more flour if needed. When the dough feels nice and smooth and elastic I pinched off pieces of dough and rolled into balls, placed them in a well greased large cast iron skillet to rise. Once again I threw the kitchen towel over the top. I just can't make myself use plastic wrap. It is so disposable and a nice white cotton towel is much for fitting.
The recipe says 1 to 1 1/2 hours later it will have risen but I just know it was after chores were done that I heated the oven to 375 F. and then placed in the rolls. They always call for brushing butter or egg whites on top and this recipe calls for butter but I never do. Sometimes afterwards if the tops seem a bit dry but this recipe needed neither this time.
Then when the tops just start to turn a light-light brown, I turn down the oven to 350. This increased heat at the beginning causes the dough to raise extra high. Then turning it down insures the insides get done all the way through before turning the outsides to crisp. Don't crowd your rolls. Leave lots of room to raise or they turn out heavy.
This is a Cuisine magazine recipe and it gives a sourdough starter recipe using dry yeast. I've not liked those. They are bitter to my palette. My sourdough imparts of well over a hundred years of history and I love its mellow tones.
Warm from the oven Kirk and I took our first bite. I wasn't impressed. There was a distinct tangy sourdough flavor and a bit bland flavor. I wondered with the speed this dough came together if it might lack the developed character we've grown to love in doughs that sit and age.
Time means flavor. The texture of the rolls was wonderful though, light, airy. And we both looked at each other and talked of how much better the rolls might be in the morning when they had cooled and the flavors melded. Indeed they were better the next morning. A sweeter taste appeared. Kirk loved the tanginess, I preferred the sourdough baguettes we had left over from a few days before. They too need just a little tweaking for my taste. Nothing wrong with them but I miss the European texture I mentally associate with this type of bread. Ridiculous really since I've never had baguettes before making them myself. But don't burst my romantic bubble. I've got a fantasy going on here about this foreign to our household style of bread and I intend on fiddling until reality meets up with fantasy.
Still on a sourdough roll, get the pun, I made two batches of sourdough waffles. One with white flour and one with spelt. Oh my, home-made buttermilk and either white flour or spelt are awesome in these waffles. They are so.... light and slightly spongy in texture and a wonderful flavor. I'm not done yet for I've still a stash of sourdough recipes to try. I'm really liking sourdough. I've an article that talks about a scientific study on sourdough since they have found anti-cancer properties in it. Go figure, and they think they are so smart today. I'm thinking our ancestors without all their sophistication are looking pretty smart to me.
I'll be sharing this recipe with you also but for now I've got to shower and be off with Kirk to the neurosurgeon to see what he has to say about hubby and all those tests the neurologist ran on Tuesday. I know none of those were normal. Like I said life is wa...y to exciting.
