Things you make and think, why did I ever buy it?

[MuddyWitch]

Cole slaw: I was brought up in a house where this was an exotic treat from sainsburps!

It was one of the first things I learnt to make for myself after I left home, (in 1978), but recently I went to an elderly friend's house for tea & there was the dreaded pot...it tasted so

(We also make most foodstuffs, but cole slaw was the first to spring to mind!)

MW

[greenorelse]

Kindling, now I use fir cones.

Yes, must do that myself. Thanks for reminding me, wildbee. Don't forget silver birch 'peelings' too.

Toothpaste (because of the ingredients), 75p tub of Bicarb with 4 drops of (very strong) peppermint essential oil mixed in works just as well and doesn't make your food taste gross afterwards.

This is what we've done for years now. I usually mix in some vegetable glycerin too, to give it a bit more sliminess and a small amount of salt.

[Green Aura]

any suggestions on places to buy potassium hydroxide?

Fleabay - that's where I got mine, but I think Soap Kitchen sell it as well.

Can't you just use your washing powder if it's all natural?

No, it has soap flakes in it and would foam too much!

I just don't know what I did wrong, so am reluctant to waste all those ingredients again.

Sounds like you've got a couple of different problems there, Sarah. Some oils make soap softer than others so blending them to get a harder bar is important. I've just done a quick search and this one looks OK.
http://www.soapnuts.com/indexoils.html

And it sounds like you used too much lye, which is why it was still caustic. Before you have another go, have a look at a reliable lye calculator - this is the best one I know of.
http://www.thesage.com/calcs/lyecalc2.php
You need to weigh all the ingredients very carefully - to the gram! And if you keep it warm for the first 24 hours - I stuff mine, in the mould, in an old sleeping bag to insulate it, it'll make sure it's finished cooking. Then cut and store to cure - about 6 weeks.
Alternatively you could have a look at hot processing - I use it quite a lot because it can be so cold and damp here curing can still be difficult.

[oldjerry]

Swiftly,OJ's pizza tips(many of you will do better).
1, Incredibly hot oven (thats why they cook so much outside).
2. O type flour,or sieve plain flour,a lot.
3' Imagine your mixing mortar,forget quantities,plenty of liquid then add flour till it's nice and doughy.
4.Agood glug of DECENT olive oil in with the liquid.
5.Chuck a bit of polenta on the board/marble when you're rolling out the dough.
6.If you've got a S---t LPG oven that doesn't make a good heat,cook the base first(flip it over half way).
7.If the toms are'nt San marzarno/G delight or some really sweet variety(eg ordinary tinned) add sugar.
8.Spinkle the final effort with same olive oil before cooking.
9.Open a litre bottle of red,then even if it's a disaster,who bloody cares?
Best Wishes.

[Keaniebean]

Sounds like you've got a couple of different problems there, Sarah. Some oils make soap softer than others so blending them to get a harder bar is important. I've just done a quick search and this one looks OK.
http://www.soapnuts.com/indexoils.html

And it sounds like you used too much lye, which is why it was still caustic. Before you have another go, have a look at a reliable lye calculator - this is the best one I know of.
http://www.thesage.com/calcs/lyecalc2.php
You need to weigh all the ingredients very carefully - to the gram! And if you keep it warm for the first 24 hours - I stuff mine, in the mould, in an old sleeping bag to insulate it, it'll make sure it's finished cooking. Then cut and store to cure - about 6 weeks.
Alternatively you could have a look at hot processing - I use it quite a lot because it can be so cold and damp here curing can still be difficult.[/quote]


Thanks Maggie, the lye calculator site looks really usefull and Susie has sent me a recipe too. I'm still confused as I bought digital measuring scales and followed the recipe exactly, but I obviously did something wrong. I'll give it another go soon.

[mrsflibble]

next i need to learn how to make liquid soap, just cos a pump dispenser is easier when you are really mucky

I make a liquid soap from ready made hard soap. great for stain removal.

150g hard soap, grated
1l water (for jelly texture) or 1.2l water for pumpable soap.

melt soap in water wisking occasionally so bits don't stick to your pan. pour into jars. put on lids. either rapidly cool by shoving in snowor a bucket of cold water, or slowly cool but shake jars every 5 mins or so.

(adding salt when the pumpable version is cooled to a semi-soft jelly consistency makes an excellent "sugar" soap. I've found that when using sugar it goes all syrupy so salt works better.)

I never buy coleslaw, I was rased making my own and tried shop bought recently. not only was it nasty, it alo made me very ill because some bright spark decided to put cream in it. WHY?!

I make my own pizza and using certain cheeses and varying the amount of sugar in the tomatoes and how I cook the base, i can choose whether to have a high class pizza or a sh1t quality "just like takeaway" one for family movie night.

I am never going to buy another handbag. I have just learned how to line bags properly and loooove making my own.

spaghetti sauce. never bought it. never will.

macaroni cheese. yeah. hit me. I used to BUY this from the freezer section of a supermarket because I could never make a decent white/cheese sauce using cornflour. then I discovered how to make a roux. never looked back.

[Susie]

I'm still confused as I bought digital measuring scales and followed the recipe exactly, but I obviously did something wrong. I'll give it another go soon.

I'm absolutely sure it was the recipe and not you. There are some really dodgy soap recipes floating about. I think if you have a recipe where the quantities actually work and you measure accurately, there's not actually that much you can do to screw it up (because I've done everything you could do to screw it up and still come out with soap).

I'm like a mad obsessive. I'm leaving you alone now .

[mrsflibble]

cushions.

[greenorelse]

Baked beans.

We make ours in big batches; in sterile lidded jars they keep for some time or we freeze handy size portions.

Buy the beans in bulk and get rid of some cans. Delish!

[Odsox]

Baked beans.

Buy the beans in bulk and get rid of some cans. Delish!

As do I, as I said in my post above.
It's a lot better if you grow the beans yourself though, easy to do and air feet instead of air miles.

And the tomatoes of course.

[greenorelse]

Baked beans.

Buy the beans in bulk and get rid of some cans. Delish!

As do I, as I said in my post above.
It's a lot better if you grow the beans yourself though, easy to do and air feet instead of air miles.

And the tomatoes of course.

Which beans do you recommend growing for baked beans? We're not growing any at all at the moment, a situation I do intend to remedy.

I like to vary it in my baked beans, though my favourites are cannelloni beans and butter beans. We always buy organic but it can sometimes be hard to get beans that don't come from China these days.

The toms, no probs; it's a great way of using gluts.

'Air feet'! I often use the term 'food metres'.

[Odsox]

Which beans do you recommend growing for baked beans?

For true baked beans like you get out of a tin, I grow Cobra climbing bean which is related to Blue Lake.
Otherwise I use my Borlottos for taste and texture.

'Air feet'! I often use the term 'food metres'

Ah well I'm not metricated, can't be doing with these new fangled measurements.
And they do "fly", at an altitude of about 2' 6".

[greenorelse]

Ta for that Odsox. I'll get onto it. I really borlotti beans.