A Crafty Yarn

We've been using this homemade laundry soap for a while now and I really wish I had started using it years ago!  It cleans really well and it has a really fresh smell :-) 1 bar of Fels Naptha 1 cup of Borax 1 cup of Washing Soda 3 gallons water Grate the bar of soap ( You can use any type you'd like but I prefer Fels Naptha) Put the grated soap into a very large stock pot and add 1 gallon of water.  Cook until the soap is fully dissolved and add the Borax and Washing Soda.  Bring to a boil stirring frequently.  Turn off heat. Add 1 gallon of cold water and mix well.  Divide the soap evenly between 3 1-gallon jugs....a funnel helps trememdously with this :-) Fill each jug almost to the top with cold water. Put lid on tightly and shake. Once cool, the laundry detergent will look like it's solid but if you give it a quick shake it will be ready to pour and use.  I use the lid from a traditional bottle of laundry soap as my measuring cup and

I've been busy in the kitchen this week!   Sweet and Spicy Pickles:  We're anxiously awaiting the 2-week mark so we can crack these open and see how they turned out!  Also, I had a bunch of banana peppers so I sliced them and canned them in some of the extra brine. 3 pounds pickling cucumbers, sliced into 1/4-inch thick slices 2 cups sliced onions 1/2 cup pickling salt 6 cups water 3 cups white vinegar 1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar 3 1/2 cups sugar 2 tablespoons yellow mustard seeds 1/2 teaspoon turmeric 4 whole cloves 10 tablespoons roughly chopped garlic 24 dried cayenne peppers Directions: Place cucumbers, onions, pickling salt, and water in a large, glass or plastic bowl. Cover and allow cucumbers to soak for 2 hours. Drain the water from the onions and cucumbers through a colander and rinse well for 5 minutes. Drain well and set aside. Combine the vinegars, sugar, mustard seeds, turmer

A fun idea if you're looking for something special to make for Father's Day....