Homemade shampoo

I found this recipe for homemade shampoo:

1/4 c. liquid castile soap

1/4 c. distilled water

1/2 tsp light vegetable oil such as jojoba or grapeseed

Mix together and place in bottle, shake before using.

I just, just made this about 20 minutes ago and then promptly took a bath to try it out.  I used sweet almond oil instead of the recommended oils because that is what I had on hand.  I also doubled the oil because my hair is usually very dry and takes several days to feel oily.  I used this mixture on skin and hair.  I have to say, it passes the skin test.  The hair test is still in progress, it'll be a few hours before it dries.

Later - Passed the hair test.  Wow!  I did not apply conditioner or gel and yet I got no frizzies.  This was a much better use of the last bit of Dr. Bronner's than the ol' laundry detergent.

Houston weekend

Ollie and I spent the weekend with our good friends who live in Houston. The weekend provided a shining example of what shenanigans can happen when you say to your husband, "You can do whatever you want outside as long as you leave the inside to me."  Behold, Beer Can House:

The house is covered/shingled in beer cans, including elaborate hanging beer top curtains along the eaves which jingle and flash in the wind:

The property also includes a shed and a fence of beer cans and beer bottles of varying colors which I found quite dazzling.  They even have a man-made lemon tree:

The house is very, very insulated using the same technology that has kept beer cold for over 70 years.  Luckily I do not believe that I am in danger of ever living in a beer can house.  My husband is thankfully a beer snob and would not drink anything out of a can--his mantra is "Brew Your Own."

This weekend I also came down with a quilting bug after seeing this beauty at Ikea:

I have been contemplating making another quilt for a few weeks now, as I have a bag of adorable fabric that has been begging to be blankified.  I just couldn't think of the perfect quilt pattern that wasn't too difficult (I HATE cutting fabric, but squares are manageable).  I'm not a great quilter but I can sure as hell cut fabric squares in half and sew them back together. 

Mugshots

 

Powdered laundry detergent

For the past six months or more I've been making my own laundry detergent.  This whole time I've used only one liquid laundry detergent recipe which calls for castile soap.  After finding myself low on castile soap and high on cheap-skate-miserliness I determined to find a recipe that didn't force me to invest my savings in a new bottle of Dr. Bronner.  I invested $0.94 on a bar of Zote laundry soap.

The recipe I followed goes like this:
1 cup grated Zote soap
1/2 cup washing soda
1/2 cup borax

I found out that a Zote bar grated comes to about 3 cups, so about $0.31 per batch.  I already had the Borax and washing soda, so I don't remember how much those cost, but I know I've been making laundry detergent with them for over six months and the boxes are about half full.  After grating the the Zote I transferred some of the shavings to my chopper to get them into smaller pieces.  Mixed all the ingredients together, and that was it.

I've done several loads of laundry with this and am very impressed.  It only takes about 1-2 tbsp per load of laundry, and things have been coming out smelling fresh, fresh, fresh.  The Zote has a citronella-ish scent.  I will definitely be making this again. 

Psalm 23

Last night I happened upon Psalm 23 and was astounded by the beauty of the first part:

"The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want
He makes me lie down in green pastures,

he leads me beside quiet waters,

he restores my soul."

It reminded me to enjoy these green pastures and quiet waters while I have them, because surely things will not always be this sunny (valleys and shadows and death and all).  I sometimes complain about my condition, but I really have no cause to fret when I truly focus on how great things are.  Things are not perfect, but I am content.  I don't make a lot of money but I have what I need.

Speculaas

Lately I have been completely obsessed with speculaas, Belgian spice cookies.  The cookie is utter perfection: crispy, lightly sweetened, delicately spiced, nutty.  I first made these cookies was a freshman in high school using the recipe that my great grandmother brought from Belgium when she immigrated.  Initially I did not like them much--didn't like the spices, didn't think they were sweet enough, did not bake them thin and crispy.  I suppose my tastes have changed--because I just ate about 12 of them.  Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 teaspoon clove
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup pecans, finely chopped 

 Directions:

1. Cream together the first four ingredients.
2. Sift together dry ingredients, pour into creamed ingredients.
3. Stir until blended, add pecans.
4. Form the dough into a long roll on wax paper and chill overnight.
5. Slice very thin.  I like them to be about 1/8 inch thick, maybe a little thinner.  They will only rise slightly in the oven.
6. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.

If you are totally impatient and cannot wait overnight, I recommend that you bake just a few immediately on the cookie sheet and press them very thin.  Roll the rest and have a sweet treat the next day--these cookies are wonderful with coffee or tea (and probably beer...the Belgians love their beer).  The above recipe makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Leisure Time = Win

Last night I was in a pitiful mood.  I felt better after I turned on trash TV and watched Intervention.  And then I watched part of Hoarders which was about a man whose house was full of thousands of domestic rats that he would feed and could not bring himself to get rid of.  Then this morning I was still feeling a little bit pitiful until I turned on trash TV again and watched I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant.  My, things could be much, much worse.

Things got better when I stepped outside and was kissed by strong orange sunlight.  I took a scenic drive in the fields  in the early afternoon and was again struck by the beauty of the landscape here.  I do love the Medina valley.  It is full of amber pastures and colorful winter prairie grass which waves and flashes in the wind.  The live oak trees don't lose their leaves in the winter and are a dependable green in the countryside when other trees are bare.  I kept thinking that if I had that full-time job I was yearning for last night I would probably be missing this jewel of a day.

The truth is, I don't truly want a job.  I work so that I can have money to buy necessities and afford to pursue my genuine interests.  If I had things my way, I would be able to get everything I need directly without the use of money either by the sweat off my own brow or by bartering with goods that I produced.  Librarians have a truly thankless job.  Every time I go to work I feel tread upon, disrespected, and underutilized.  Yes, I adore books.  Do I envision for myself a life of listless dungeon reference desk duty?  No. 

So why am I upset that there are no jobs?  Because my degree was paid for using scholarship money in which I agreed to work at a public library for two years upon the completion of school.  These two years will be a platform for building savings, finding land, buying or building a house on it, and paying-it-the-fuck-off.  I would like to get on with it.  I have even less reason to be upset when I remember the numerous times in my life in which I have been forced to accept the idea of fate, or God's plan.  I have to have faith that when the right opportunity presents itself I will know to take it.

I would probably be more inclined to stay in the workforce if I found a position at a small town public library.  The system I work at now is very big.  There is a central library and 26 branch libraries.  A big system like this necessarily becomes more bureaucratic than my tastes allow--I believe in people more than I believe in following arbitrary rules.  Small towns have a better sense of community.  I truly hope I am presented with an opportunity like this...but that remains to be seen.

I am also feeling particularly hopeful because I have pretty much all my supplies for soapmaking all lined up and ready to try.  The inspiration for this little venture (thanks, Sprite!) comes at a great time because my diy laundry detergent recipe calls for castile soap.  I usually use Dr. Bronner's, which is relatively expensive and my current bottle is nearly empty.  I found a 52 oz bottle of olive oil for $10 at Wal-Mart (I can almost forgive myself for shopping there) and 16 oz of lye at True Value for $5, which will make MUCH more castile soap for the money than the good Dr.  It is also one more step towards self sufficiency that I am really anxious to try out.

Wasting time.

I now have a Master's degree while working a part-time job that now only requires an Associate's degree and has absolutely no benefits.  And there are NO LIBRARY JOBS.  Nationwide.  We may be having a warm winter, but the widespread hiring freeze is acutely biting.

AND I realize now that my ideal life of self-sufficiency requires absolutely no education whatsoever.  I've wasted so much time.

Utilitarian ideals

This winter has been exceedingly inhospitable to my hat collection.  It's been a warm winter.  I made several hats in October but haven't worn them much.  I've been about 10 rows away from completing a Felicity since early December.  The hubby requested a Wurm in gray for Christmas, but I didn't make it.  What was the point?  I started spinning some nice Kool-Aid dyed BFL with the intention of making a certain ear-flap hat with it, but have all but neglected the wheel following the realization that it would be a waste of perfectly good BFL.  I must remember to stick to lacy things.

The bad hat weather has led to advances in other interest areas.  I have made two potholders which were sorely needed.  I made a re-usable Swiffer pad.  I've made two successful batches of bread since the last fail.  I've sewed an apron and a skirt which is good enough to wear in public (it even got a compliment!).  I've learned to play a few banjo tunes.  I've embroidered.  I've read several books.  I made a hair kerchief.  I read more of the Bible than I have ever read in my whole life.  I've been making all kinds of food from scratch.  I have been keeping my apartment reasonably clean (well...relatively).

I am trying to keep my knitting compulsion under control and not work on things that I do not need, or will not use often.  The problem with many of my hobbies is that they result in more stuff, and I'm the kind of person who feels trapped by her stuff.  I cannot be creating things that I don't need.  Knitting and spinning are not the most practical hobbies for Texas, but they do have their place.  I like spinning fingering and lace weight yarn, which is good for shawls.  Shawls and other lacy things are good for this part of the country. How many shawls does one person need?  Not very many.  This is why I don't spin as much as I would like.

The goal lately has been to cultivate interests which do not result in stuff.  Banjo playing has been very interesting.  I'm also trying to plan out some kind of container garden for my balcony (we are moving in April, so opportunities are limited here) which results in perishable, delicious stuff.  Bread has been a hobby which is also delicious and perishable.  I also do a fair amount of cat wrangling.