Saturday, November 22, 2008

Soap, Easy soap...

Here is my recipe for an easy soap....
 Here's a very simple 2 pound soap recipe. I've never had it fail and
it's one I give to everyone to try for the first time. They all have
had good success with it.

Here is the way I make soap...

First I prepare my mold. For a small batch I use a square or oblong
plastic dish. Just a low flat one. . For the 2 pound an 8X8 or 9X13
is a good size. For the plastic ones I just spray with Pam or
whatever. If you are using a wooden mold or a box line it with
freezer paper and tape the corners well. Make sure that the shiny
(waxed) side of the paper is toward the soap.

I measure all my solid oils and set aside in the pan I'll be using. I
measure my lye into a paper cup (disposable! ) and liquid into a
plastic bowl (empty shortening containers work very well).

This recipe uses only 4 oils and all of them are available at
Walmart or most grocery stores. Soybean shortening (or regular
shortening if that is all they have that is solid) to make your skin
feel soft, Coconut for lather (LouAnna is a brand available almost
everywhere now. White plastic jar with green lid on the shelf with
the other oils.), Olive (least expensive or canola liquid. Olive and
canola have the same sap value so they can be substituted for each
other without changing the lye amount) for skin conditioning and
Castor for small creamy lather, it is a laxative so look by the
pharmacy!

Ingredients:

10 oz, milk (or water)
4.4 oz. lye

14 oz. soybean oil
8 oz. coconut
8 oz. olive oil(Canola)
2 oz. castor oil

Make sure your scale has a tare feature. Be sure to hit the tare
button EVERYTIME after putting your dish on the scale so you get a
correct amount of oil without the weight of the bowl.

Dissolve 4.4 oz of lye into 10 oz. of COLD milk (or water). Add just
a few grains of lye and stir and stir. Add a little more and stir
etc. until lye is fully dissolved. Milk will turn a golden color.
This will get very hot very quickly. I use a small plastic bowl in a
sink with an inch or 2 of cold water to keep the milk from getting
so hot.

In a different pan measure your oils: Use stainless steel ONLY for
stove top melting or use Pyrex etc in the microwave.)
14 oz. soybean oil
8 oz. olive oil (canola)
8 oz. coconut oil
2 oz. castor oil

Melt them together and let them cool until you can touch the outside
of the pan for just a second... Add the lye/milk mixture as you
stir. Use a stick blender (or plastic spoon) and begin to mix them.
Keep blending and stirring until light trace... (Looks like gravy or
instant pudding before it goes into the frig) If you lift the
blender or spoon and the trail stays on top of the soap for just a
second it's time to add your fragrance and pour into a mold. I cover
mine with freezer paper or waxed paper. I like to insulate so I
cover with a thick towel and leave it alone for 8 to 12 hours. It
should be cool and come out of the mold easily. Just cut this into 8
bars and let it cure for a couple of weeks.

You can use this soap right out of the molds(and I do)......it will just get harder as time goes by.



More about my cows....

she is so cute.....but very hard headed and likes to get her own way.......But she is becoming friendly, it has been a slow road for us. As you can see the halter isn't on yet....I will be heard when I am able to do that...I want it so bad because it will make it much easier to work with her.She does come up on her own to me....boy is that a great start.