There are weeks that are easy and there are weeks that are not. This week was, um, not.
But as I stand here perched at the edge of the weekend, I can squeeze out plenty of sweet goodness that came of these past five days – however sticky the bulk of the days were. The last member of our family is officially wicked sick (meaning we'll finally be done with this bug we've been passing around for the past two and a half weeks), the snow is deep and lovely outside, and we're all truly enjoying the GAPS diet (really!). My business is going crazy strong (for a month that should be our slowest of the year) and we've hit a homeschooling groove that feels like flow.
Centering and reflecting on what is going right can smooth out the wrinkles in a difficult week, can't it?
Here are some of the high-points from the past few days…
: : Winter, despite my aversions to it, is magical in its own right. Deep glittering snow and bright sunny skies make it livable and even enjoyable.
: : The kids and I made homemade laundry soap out of our Scratch-and-Dent LuSa Soap, some borax and some washing soda. It smells LuSa-heavenly and works like a dream. (I'll share the recipe and procedure soon!)
: : By way of this rough week I discovered that indeed, I can drink wine again, as long as it is sulfite-free, and not suffer from migraines. (I've been headache free since I stopped drinking alcohol, in case you were wondering about the results of the migraine experiment.)
: : The GAPS diet (I talked about it here) is proving to be amazingly simple and delicious. We decided to transition our way on slowly (we're still enjoying raw milk, for example) to ease the switch for the kids, but we're 90% GAPS now.
At dinner a few nights ago, after seconds on kale, mashed cauliflower, homemade sourkraut, and burgers Sage announced, "This was the best meal I've ever eaten in my entire life!" Last night's stuffed butternut squash with indian spices was met with equal enthusiasm, and so have the nut butter pancakes in the morning. Easy, yummy, and we feel great.
Yes, even the hard weeks arrive with their pockets full of treasures. You just have to remember to look.
Have a great weekend, friends.
Love,
Rachel
Rachel your laundry detergent sounds wonderful (although I don’t think I can use powder in our washer) the food sounds amazing as well. As for winter, well, I’m ready for spring and to get back to the farmers market with my babies to get our Siao fix (our stock is dwindling 🙂 have a restful weekend.
We’ve made laundry soap with LuSa shavings…it’s wonderful…you will love it!
Also the soap we made, and the soap I think Rachel is making IS liquid and works really well (I hear) in front loading (low suds) machines.
Laura REALLY? That would be awesome. We have a front loss HE washer so I’m not really sure what we can use but it would be wonderful to possibly use it.
Good to know about the laundry soap! I make mine with dr bronners, but i don’t know why it never occurred to me that scratch & dent soap would be an economical alternative. And smell heavenly to boot 🙂
I’m interested in the soap recipe too. I collect these things.
Last week was my not-so-good week; difficult exam that I think I did poorly on, and that always rocks my world. This week is better.
Thanks for that reminder.
Thanks Laura. Yes, it is said to be HE friendly (indeed, that is what were using it for). And there is a liquid or dry option, so you can choose!
xo
Rachel
Lori,
See my comments to Laura, above. Yes, you can use it on an HE machine! Mine is a kenmore HE-3plus, front loader. The soap is low sudsing because it is barely any soap going in. Blessings, Rachel
Renee,
Funny. As a soap-maker it never occurred to me to make laundry soap with a fresh new bar! It is a great way to use up inferior soap too that you regret buying (or being gifted) but just cant make yourself throw away.
~ Rachel
Glad your week is back on track, Madcap. I will plan for the same over here!
~ Rachel
Thanks Laura. Yes, it is said to be HE friendly (indeed, that is what were using it for). And there is a liquid or dry option, so you can choose!
xo
Rachel
Sounds like you actually had good week. If you hadn’t told us it had been a hard week, I would have thought it was perfect one.
Just wanted to stop by and say that we just bought some more chin and cheek balm at Happy Bambino today! Maybe scratch and dent soap is next on our list?
I too make my own laundry soap. We also use Dr. Bronners. But I am with the other posters maybe scratch and dent soap is on my list the next time. I can’t wait to here your way. I need to do a posting on how I make mine as well.
Do you have to buy organic wine for it to be sulfite free?
Hi Rachel, we live in town and I’m wondering if the provider or your raw milk has any extra? We’re looking for a temporary source, since our other source won’t have milk again until April or May.
Also, just bought some scratch and dent soap to make more laundry detergent. I’m excited to pick it up! I’ve been using Dr. Bronner’s but would love to support your family, as a local-to-us business. =)
Thanks!
Kelly
I’m interested in how you cooked the kale to make Sage love it! My “big” kiddos, 5 and 2, despise it, as does my husband who eats it but reminds me every time how he much prefers spinach. Kale grows like a weed in my garden so we always have a freezer full, spinach not so much.
Hi Rachel,
Loved your post and hope you’ll have some good weeks ahead. I would love to know the soap recipe and I must confess the food you made did sound delicious.
Thanks,
Alexandra
In addition to your GAPS diet, just thought you might like these sites:
https://westonaprice.org/healthtopics.html
http://homesteadcommunitypost.com/
Love your blog, Rachel! LOVE it!
I make our laundry soap like this:
Grate a bar of “natural” soap (I’ve been using Dr. Bronner’s lately, but have also used handmade soaps)
Measure it, then add an equal amount of washing soda, baking soda, and borax
I grate the soap on the smallest holes of a box grater for the most accurate measurement; I get about two cups of shavings. Oh, and I unwrap the bar weeks before I need it so that it dries out, making it easier to grate.
We use two tablespoons per laundry load.
Just wondering if the borax makes anyone nervous, given its 6-7 rating on Skin Deep? I know I’ve used it (very effectively) to kill ants and this has always stopped me from trying this. (Though heaven knows what’s in my commercial detergent)
May,
Thanks for buying double-local (HB and LuSa!). Youll never look back once you try the soap, scratch-and-dent or otherwise. 🙂
Rachel
Hi Kika,
The only sulfate free wine I have found is organic. In fact, much of the organic wine in my Coop actually contains sulfates! We normally now buy Our Daily Red or Frey. There are more to be sure, but these are our local coops choices. Hope this helps. ~ Rachel
Meg,
I wash the kale and shake it off, then cut out the ribs to make the kale not tough. I cut it into small pieces – maybe 1 bits? Smaller is better for my kids with greens. Then I heat some ghee or oil in a cast iron pan (not too hot or garlic will burn) and add a minced clove of garlic. I stir the garlic around for a minute and then add the still damp kale. I stir, salt, and stir. After it has cooked for a few minutes I add 1/3 cup of water, lower the heat, and cover. Check it often until you get a feel for how long it takes. Then uncover, cook off the water and voila! It really needs to be cooked more than you think or else it will be tough (like mine was last night. Noone touched it after the first bite.) Err on the side of overcooked.
Good luck!
Rachel
Hi Melanie. Thanks so much! Weve been way into WAPF since Lulus decay started but I havent seen the other link before. Thanks so very much!
Rachel
Hi I,
Thanks for raising this question. I am aware of Boraxs mixed safety ratings but hadnt considered it in terms of safety. After doing some reading I am so-very-comfortable with borax as a laundry additive. Direct skin application? Not so much. The Skin Deep ratings are put together for skin use- the amount of borax after rinsing your clothes is very different form a direct application.
It is in your laundry soap already, I promise you that. And lots of things you might not want in your house much less your clothes and bedsheets, depending on what brand you choose. Here is some great information on the safety of borax. http://www.greenfootsteps.com/borax-information.html
For me it is similar to how we make soap. We use lye (sodium hydroxide) and organic vegetable oils. When properly used the result is gentle, safe, moisturizing soaps. It is the only way to make soap. The other option is petrochemical surfactants (detergents) like you would find in grocery store brand soaps. Not a safer option in my opinion. I hope this helps you decide what your comfort is!
Many many blessings,
Rachel
The laundry soap looks fabulous! Can’t wait for you to share the recipe and procedure soon!