amandaspace1330

I have been using Mason jars to house so many things these days and I wanted to share a few of  my soap recipes here. Maybe some day I will can again... my last attempt at strawberry jam resulted in a wonderful strawberry syrup, which my ten year old asks to make every year! Anyway... here are some of my new ideas that do not require a water bath, or fruit pectin! First up, liquid laundry soap. Ingredients Hot Water (2 cups) Baking Soda (1 cup) Salt (1/3 cup) Castile Soap (1 cup) Essential Oils (10 drops) Directions Place the first three ingredients in jar and shake well. Then add the Castile soap and essential oil (optional for fragrance). The ingredients settle and this must be shaken or stirred before using.  I also enjoy using dry laundry soap. This recipe is so basic and simple. I do not add the essential oil to mine. Thanks to my sister for this one.  Ingredients: 1 1/2 c Baking Soda 1 1/2 c Washing Soda 1/2 c Epsom Salt 2 Tbsp Salt A fe...

The Berks County Heritage Center hosts a variety of educational programming, from history day camps, to paddle board lessons, to their lunch and learn series on various topics. The children and I attended June's Lunch and Learn program about covered bridges. This was our first time visiting the heritage center property and we had a lovely time. The heritage center is a cluster of buildings located just north of Reading in a secluded spot bordered on one side by Tulpehocken creek and otherwise surrounded by farmland. Wert's Red Bridge spans the creek and is the longest single span covered bridge in Pennsylvania and the second longest in the country. The presenter for this program spoke about the history of covered bridges in PA, how covered bridges are constructed, and included in her slideshow pictures of covered bridges around the county of Berks. Her presentation also included interesting anecdote and information about animals that use the bridge as a shelter and home. The ...