Lye Soap!

I have always, always, always wanted to make homemade soap. I've just always been a little nervous about doing it on my own, without ever having seen it done. To read about it was intimidating because it seemed so "technical" and "precise." But a few weeks ago, I got together with two good friends who had made soap before. What a fun day!! We had lunch together while we giggled and cackled, then got busy with the "saponification process." (For all you non-soapmakers, that's fancy talk for "making soap.") :O) Below is a picture of the finished process. I just cut it into bars today. Can't wait to use it!! I also plan to use it for laundry...I make my own powdered laundry detergent. Hopefully it won't eat the hide right off of us or eat holes in our drawers!! I'll let ya know. :O) (Next on my to-do list is cheese-making!!)