Soap cake

Last week I collected together some left over soap bits and decided to turn them into a few new bars of soap.

I put the pieces into a pot and covered it with boiling water (probaby about a cup) and left to sit for an hour or so until the pieces softened.

I then mashed them all up to make a big gloopy mess, put it on the stove to boil for a few minutes (just to kill any bugs that might be lurking around).

I then set it to cool and left it to sit for a few days until it was firm and had shrunk from the sides of the pot. Tipped it out, cut it up and have stored it till we need it.

Connecting with the seasons

One thing I've been increasingly working on for myself and the kids this year is to be more in touch with the seasons. While I've been connecting on a basic level just because I grow a garden, I have been wanting to enhance the experience through other avenues.

In my last book buying stint just after Christmas I purchased a couple of seasonal craft and activity books where I can get the kids involved in a fun way that makes the seasonal connection more meaningful than just announcing that it is now officially summer or autumn.

Today is our Autumn equinox so it started off a new round of crafts, stories and activities in our home.

Yesterday I read the kids a folk story about the equinox and then we made some lanterns to symbolise the coming darkness and a means of providing some light to light our way through the dark season.

We then picked some pears off our pear tree and made a yummy pear crumble (just like the apple crumble I blogged about a few weeks back).

A few weeks back after we processed the corn, we used our left over corn husks to make "people" that are currently on display. I have also got a mini-pumpkin from last year's harvest that is on display (can't believe it's still hanging in there!).

Storing the harvest

Ideally, the corn would have been processed on the same day as harvesting to keep them at their freshest. But anyway, we got around to it today.

Peeled, chopped, blanched, chilled, frozen.


We then moved on to making our way through the piles of produce awaiting processing. Squeezing some excess oranges to make ice blocks and then I cooked up a big batch of tomatoes as well. Beans can happen tomorrow once I figure out what to do.

I started a hat for Simon a few days back and finally got around to finishing it tonight. I'm quite pleased with it and it's the first time I've followed a pattern completely (and learnt a new stitch too). He's happy with it (if he weren't, it fits me and Nathan as well lol).

Oooooh, harvest day!

We had great fun this morning collecting this lot. The corn was a disappointment, but got some neat looking Rainbow Corn with some deep purples and bluey colours.