Thursday, March 27, 2008

Realizing limitations


This is one of my pedigreed Satin Angoras just short of being a year old. Can't tell you which one 'cause I'm so new ( or perhaps lame) that I didn't mark the cage. In any event this is either the Fawn or Red Satin. We had attended our 1st Rabbit show in Syracuse when DH fell in love with this breed dragging me down with him. Yeah that's it, gonna go with that at least until he reads my blog! The idea was that these would be a good dual purpose breed both meat & fiber. I think he thinks I spend way to much $ on yarn.
Well truth be told I have bit off more than I can chew in the rabbit department of our homestead. Future plan is to bring the rabbits down to a buck & two does then breed up for freezer camp.
So if your in my area of Western New York ...
Here is the link for the National Angora Rabbit Breeder's Club http://nationalangorarabbitbreeders.com/blog/

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Dirty Laundry


These are the 3 basic ingredients in making your own laundry soap minus the water.
To be truthful this is only really fugal if you can manage to buy the components on sale or with coupons. Fortunately over a year ago a local M&P chain grocery store went belly up so I was able to stock up on the washing soda & borax. I have yet to find any store brands of these two. The Fels Napa can easily be replaced with a pink laundry bar soap from Mexico named Zoot, if memory serves me right. Check out any of the $ stores in both the cleaning & body care sections.
I used Fels because I was able to find it for a buck. Yes, I stocked up buying 12 bars.
Or if your really a hard core homesteader you could render your own lard (provided if was obtained cheap) and saved up a year's worth of wood ash to filter your own lye (storage & effort issues). File that effort under "Good to know in case".
I have a front load washing machine which after 4 years hasn't suffered from this old fashioned laundry detergent. I don't add any essential oil because well that would add to the cost which this time around works out to 3 cents per load. Also once the fabric softener is added can't say I can smell the essential oil.
On the subject of fabric softener - tired vinegar while it is great for a rinse cycle removing soap residue it isn't fabric softener. Softner takes on a whole new meaning when your machine spins like a jet engine & the clothes are line dried.
1 bar Fels Naptha Soap
2 cups Washing Soda
1 cup Borax
Cut up the Fels, combine with 2 cups water in saucepan heat until soap is melted. Add this to a 5 gallon pail with 4 gallons of warm water. Stir in dry ingredients until well mixed. 1/8 cup or less works for us in my front load washing machine.
~~ pelenaka ~~