soap

Soap. i made it today and it should be ready to unmold tomorrow morning. it was easier than i thought it would be. i did most of it before terry and tyler were out of bed. terry expressed concern about the lye aspect of the soap. and he gets so nervous about the unknown so i just yet him sleep until i was done with that part. without a stick blender it took a long time to trace. i will be on the look out for this item. i have tried to busy myself with other things. but i have peeked twice and the soap does seem to be getting thicker. i will cut it tomorrow and sadly find a place for it to cure for 4 to 8 weeks. it just seems like such a long time. but it is only my first batch. i want to see how long this batch is going to last so i can schedule my next batch so i don't run out or have to much setting around.

i also took it upon my self to construct a soap box. i priced them on line and they were so expensive. i went to the local hardware store and bought myself a 1x6x8 and i'm happy to say that i made two boxes for a third of the price of one online. they aren't very pretty, but they will be functional.

i think i'll make soap this year for Christmas. i think hand made gifts are the best. a few years back i made strawberry wine. i drank it i don't know if anyone else drank theirs. but that's not really the point.

pile of wood-soap

While i was waiting for the batch of soap i made myself a soap box i shopped for them online and was amazed at the price. So i went and got the supplies. i was able to make 2 boxes for way less than the price of one. i put a second batch in this box I'm still waiting. for the time to unveil my master piece.

Tyler

This is Tyler in the sleeper that his grandma got for him. he is 2 months old in this picture. wow i can't believe how fast he is growing, where does all the time go.

He has developed this habit of sucking on his hand and staring at the ceiling fan. well as long as he's happy i guess.

day to day

I got up early this morning. i made bread yesterday and used it this morning for breakfast. i have to work at my paid job today, i manage a seasonal ice cream shoppe. we are open from April to November, i realize this maybe a problem in regards to my simply life. because i seems that i will be busiest during these months with a garden, worms, preserving, and my family and then I'm off all winter when it would seem there is less to do, in new york anyway.

my corn bread recipe

This is also known as Yankee corn bread

1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tblsp. baking power
1- 8 oz. can whole kernel corn

preheat oven to 400 degrees.grease bottom and side of round pan 9"x 1 1/2 " with shortening

beat milk, 1/4 cup butter, and egg in a large bowl. stir in remaining ingredients except the remaining butter. stir until flour is moist. there will be lumps. pour into pan.

bake 20 to 25 min. until golden brown and toothpick comes out clean.

remove from oven and use remaining butter on the top of the bread.

i made this last night. it was delicious. some times i forget what i can make from scratch and how good it can be. just another step in becoming self sufficient.

little steps to a big change

I want to start off by introducing my self. my name is Jen. this year i got married to a wonderful man named terry, had a baby boy named Tyler, and am in the process of buying a house. with all this excitement i have been searching for a calmer and more peaceful way of life. i wanted to move to the country and have some sort of hobby farm. but instead we found the perfect house right in town with 2 acres. this will be just small enough to keep me from getting carried away and hopefully big enough to provide a good source of vegetables for my family.

I have been doing alot of research on the topic of living simpler and i'm going to start.

Little steps to a big change. i have been baking, sewing, knitting, and crocheting all my life so i guess i have a head start in that department. what will be the hardest thing for me is de-cluttering. i have lots of stuff and i'm emotionally attached to my stuff. i always think i'll need it what ever it is someday and i better not part with it.

i have a plan to make soap for the first time on Sunday. i have been using homemade soap i got from the health food store. but i realize i still really don't know what's in it. so i have decided my first step simpler is homemade soap. i've read some articles about the chemicals in the things we use every day and how harmful they are. with a new baby at home i don't want to do anything to harm him.

when i cut back on the chemicals in my life i was suprised to reallize how stinky the world around me is. i really notice other peoples soaps,shampoos, and parfumes. my husband still isn't on board with the change. so i really smell him when he gets out of the shower, but i'm sure he will come around after all we are married. and in his words that's forever.