Introduction

[Erin]

Me too. I figure the day I don't learn something is a wasted day.

I've gotten into making soap in a blender and I'm delighted with the result and how fast it saponifies. I got so tired of all that stirring and stirring and....

[Guest Guest]

Oh wow...*smile* You do some really neat stuff...

I live in Miami, Florda in the suburbs so am unable to do alot of the things those with larger pieces of land can do. I've contented myself, at least for now, with growing various fruit trees...orange, banana, lemon, lime, mango, grapefruit, coconut, avacado, macadamia, fig, etc...

Our farming season down here is during the winter months, so I tend to do my canning in the spring. I'm in the process of reorganizing my home and my life and hope to get more into the *simple* things in life...

Thanks for taking the time to introduce yourself...it never ceases to amaze me the varying gifts we have in each of our backgrounds.

If you ever need a thing, just hollar.

*smile*

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[This message has been edited by Darlene (edited August 07, 2002).]

[Guest Guest]

Welcome to Mrs-S Glad you stopped by the sunporch so everyone can meet you!

Sounds like a really nice place you have. I'm, up north of you in IA. And I'm the SAHM to 4 beautiful children aes 10, 7, 4 and almost 9 months. We have 3 cats We don't have any land here, just a double lot, but I grow a small garden.

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[Guest Guest]

Hi! and Welcome here!..

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[mrszouave]

Sorry for "outing you" MO....But i for one am glad you posted! You are so very interesting! I just love hearing how people like you live with your farms/animals/self sufficiency lifestyles..We have so much to learn from you! It's like watching a great movie or readin a book. I live in the city and have always dreamed to be like you.(but Fat chance) So i hang on everyword. Keep on posting...ok?

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[Guest Guest]

Glad to have you join us. Wow your place sounds so interesting. I've always wanted to get a loom and learn how to weave. Maybe someday. di

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[Dee]

I am a newbie poster MOgal but I can tell you this. These gals and ED are just the nicest bunch of people I ever met online. They make you feel so welcome and at home.

Im glad you posted and look forward to reading your future posts. Hugs.......Edna

[Guest Guest]

Welcome MOgal, to this great place. Hope you learn to love it here as much as we do.

We have our 36th wedding anniversary coming up this month. We have 2 kids, both grown and on their own.

So glad to hear you like gardening. What do you can, freeze and dry? Come on down to the orchard and we can discuss it all....I love gardening too!

How about reading? Got any favorite books to talk about?

Look around and see what's all here and be sure to post wherever your interests lie.

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[Auntmeanie]

MOgal!!

Hello again,

I'm personally glad you felt moved to write right away, I did the same.

A very nice opening and your place sounds great!! Love the four-legged burgler deterrents also!!!

Another Miamian like Darlene,

Cookie

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[Guest Guest]

Mo,

Do your spin your Great Pyr's fur? I have Anatolians for the same reason you have the GP's. I don't knit, crochet or weave, though I am intrigued by weaving.

hello!

[Erin]

I apologize for the breech of etiquette in posting before I introduced myself but I tend to speak on things that concern me and maintain my own counsel on others.

I've been married to the same fine man for nearly 28 years--lots of 4 legged kids but no 2 legged ones. We are in Missouri as you may have guessed from my name. We have 65 acres about 100 miles west of St. Louis where we keep dairy goats, 3 superannuated pet ewes for my spinning, chickens, cats, and dogs. Because of a hefty coyote/stray dog/uninvited visitor problem (we're close to I-70 and have had incidents in the neighborhood with opportunistic criminals and a few homegrown knotheads), we have 3 Great Pyrenees with the stock and in the yard and a German shepherd and a pit bull mix in the house. The GSD is a 7 1/2 mo. old rescue now in obedience classes and I'm amazed at her. It's been so hot lately that I don't do any official "training" with her until about 8 p.m. (I work on her recalls and long downs and sits throughout the day as we go about our normal activities) She starts BUGGING ME to work with her about 7:45. To date the dogs have worked well as deterents because while several of our neighbors have been burglarized,so far, so good, we have not. We aren't nearly as isolationist or aggressive as these precautions indicate--we just want to be safe in our own home.

I try to raise a big garden every year so I can feed us and share the surplus. We are in the process of removing the old, somewhat overmature landscaping and replacing it with edible landscaping. I traded for 2 green houses in the last 3 years and use one to winter the chickens but grow cold hardy vegetables in the other. It was so nice to have beautiful fresh salad greens when the price was so high for such poor quality produce last winter. We have a lot of deer and turkeys in our county and we hunt on our own place each season--safer that way. Between hunting, the garden, and our animals, I don't buy much at the grocery. I probably spend more on critter food than I do on our own.

I spin, knit and although I own 4 looms, I don't yet know how to weave and I plan to remedy that one of these cold Missouri winters. I have grown and processed cotton and flax using some restored antique equipment I was fortunate to find. I'm a retired home economics teacher but don't expect to find my house spotless. Life is too interesting to spend a second more than necessary removing dust. (My dear husband claims we have dust elephants instead of dust bunnies. I tell him the handle of the vacuum will fit his hand just fine)

That's about it.

[gardnmom]

Nice to see you post, I'm sure you can teach us a lot. We are trying to learn about a lot of things. 4 looms? wow.

I am from the finger Lakes region of NY, Married for44 years with 2 children 1 of each, 6 G-children and 2 g-grandsons.

Stil finding things to learn.

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[Oldpine]

MOgal,

Would you mind sharing your soap recipes?

It would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you!

[Erin]

Westbrook, I think we are already friends from a previous forum and phone conversations. Do you live on 30 acres that have been in your husband's family a while? Did your husband save a sheep from drowning in a creek one time?

Let me know.

[Erin]

Danny Lou, the ones I use in the blender are from Elaine White's book and copyrighted. Also I have heard that the book is out of print. I will post tips on doing the blender soaps later but basically, any recipe that saponifies by slow stirring and you can reduce to no more than 16 oz of fat will work in a blender. I can do several batches in the time it usually takes to stir by hand one batch. You must not use the blender for food preparation and measuring is a little more critical, I think.

[Oldpine]

Thank you!

I will check the used bookstore for White's book. I also think Amazon carries used books, so I may try there.

Again, thank you . . . {{{MOgal}}}

[twilap]

MOgal:

Wow....you have an amazing place and are so talented! I am sure I can learn lots from you!

I think it is sad that we have to take so many precautions these days to protect our own homes, but glad you have been able to do that.

I am sure you will enjoy this site and we will all gleen from your experience!

Have a great day!

[mrszouave]

Danny Lou,

I was gonna ask about the soap too....but i was to embarrased to admit i didn't know what SAPONIFIES means.

Hey MO.....could ya post the recipes cuz i'm too Po and Cheap to buy the book. (unless you might get in trouble)

deb

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[This message has been edited by debbielee (edited August 08, 2002).]

[logcabinmama]

Hi there MOgal, welcome to Mrs. S. Nice to meet you and looking forward to reading your posts.

Sounds like you have enough to really keep you busy.

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[Erin]

Saponify is just the word to indicate the chemical bonding of the fats and lye (sodium hydroxide). The dumb question is the one for which you truly want an answer but don't ask. There are lots of silly questions but few dumb questions. Some silly questions are actually dumb questions that indeed shouldn't have been asked!

I hesitate to publish copyrighted material even if I give the source. It's a neat little book though, if you can find it.

[mrszouave]

Thank you Mo!!!

And i wouldn't want you to get in trouble...i understand...who knows the library might have it!

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[CeeGee]

Hi MOgal and welcome!

I'm wondering what the title of Elaine Whites book is or did I miss it? I look forward to talking to you.

Miki

[Erin]

I posted the whole deal about using a blender for soap making and somehow lost it. I will repeat it later but wanted mostly right now to give the information about the book I mentioned earlier.

The author is Elaine C. White and the book is called SOAP RECIPES. The ISBN is 0-9637539-5-9 to make it easier to know it's the correct book if you ask for it at the library or used book seller's.