Colorado

[gardendufus]

how to do your own vanilla extract

Do you by any chance make your own almond extract. I've been looking it up, but can't find anything that tells me how much almond to how much vodka.

 

[Pozees]

Just let me know when and you guys can come over here. I have everything here that you guys would need. It is too much work to drag everything out when so much can be done in the span of a couple of hours here. I usually always go through canning of beans, meats, homemade laundry soap, no knead bread, yoghurt if there is a desire or kefir, I can show people what vinegar mothers look like, how to do your own vanilla extract... cold process soap, candles, body butters, lip moisturizer, etc. I just have to know what people want to learn and I can show. Get a sock loom and I'll go through the steps to make socks. I guess what I'm saying is you all can come here.

You just listed a bunch of things I would love to learn to do/make - I already make laundry soap but maybe your recipe is different from mine? Want to learn about pressure canning in general but especially meats, make soap, no-knead bread even though I love my bread maker, always up for some variety ... what part of CO are you in? And the vinegar mother is a complete mystery to me - no idea what it even is, just know the stuff that has it is superior. I have heard of kefir but like vinegar mother, no idea what it is/does.

How about sprouts, do you do those? I have been trying my hand with a few things in preparation for winter treats, but I think I'm not letting them go long enough and probably need better containment post-soaking.

 

[Pozees]

Wendell, Beth sounds like a gem - what an unspeakable comfort it must be to know she isn't too sick to have fun. As she recovers from infection and its treatment, her kidneys should come out of failure as long as she doesn't try to go too fast, and while balance is especially difficult to achieve right now, as she is able to walk more she will rest better and somehow the combination of those two things seems to be key. Finally diagnosing the infection is so critical. Staph is a bugger.

Fingers crossed a week from now you will be telling us she's on her way home - or already there!

 

[Mommato5]

Just let me know when and you guys can come over here.  I have everything here that you guys would need.  It is too much work to drag everything out when so much can be done in the span of a couple of hours here.  I usually always go through canning of beans, meats, homemade laundry soap, no knead bread, yoghurt if there is a desire or kefir,  I can show people what vinegar mothers look like, how to do your own vanilla extract... cold process soap, candles, body butters, lip moisturizer, etc.   I just have to know what people want to learn and I can show.  Get a sock loom and I'll go through the steps to make socks.  I guess what I'm saying is you all can come here. 

Colorado Springs is a long way away but I will make the trip to learn these things!

Wendell, glad Beth is recovering.

I have a question.....my remaining rooster has been roosting on top of the coop every night! When I go to tuck them in at night I move him indoors, but why is he doing that and will he go back to roosting indoors again??

We finally have the money to build THE coop! I am SO excited but now I need to figure out what I want!

 

[dennarahl]

Just let me know when and you guys can come over here. I have everything here that you guys would need. It is too much work to drag everything out when so much can be done in the span of a couple of hours here. I usually always go through canning of beans, meats, homemade laundry soap, no knead bread, yoghurt if there is a desire or kefir, I can show people what vinegar mothers look like, how to do your own vanilla extract... cold process soap, candles, body butters, lip moisturizer, etc. I just have to know what people want to learn and I can show. Get a sock loom and I'll go through the steps to make socks. I guess what I'm saying is you all can come here.

I can also help with fabric/yarn/fiber crafty things, water canning and bread. Im definitely interesting in learning about making soap.

 

[coloradogal]

Wendell, Beth sounds like a gem - what an unspeakable comfort it must be to know she isn't too sick to have fun. As she recovers from infection and its treatment, her kidneys should come out of failure as long as she doesn't try to go too fast, and while balance is especially difficult to achieve right now, as she is able to walk more she will rest better and somehow the combination of those two things seems to be key. Finally diagnosing the infection is so critical. Staph is a bugger.

Fingers crossed a week from now you will be telling us she's on her way home - or already there!

You just listed a bunch of things I would love to learn to do/make - I already make laundry soap but maybe your recipe is different from mine? Want to learn about pressure canning in general but especially meats, make soap, no-knead bread even though I love my bread maker, always up for some variety ... what part of CO are you in? And the vinegar mother is a complete mystery to me - no idea what it even is, just know the stuff that has it is superior. I have heard of kefir but like vinegar mother, no idea what it is/does.

How about sprouts, do you do those? I have been trying my hand with a few things in preparation for winter treats, but I think I'm not letting them go long enough and probably need better containment post-soaking.

When I sprout, they never last long enough to go into storage. Sprouting is simple..the hardest part I had doing it in the Springs is finding alfalfa seeds to sprout. I know others use other seeds but alfalfa just is what I like. I've been looking into doing a larger scale board for the girls but I'm not there yet. When I do it, I just do it for myself now.

I'm in Falcon, Colorado...which is east of the Springs. I suspect we use about the same recipe for laundry... 1 part of borax, 1 part washing soda, 2 parts laundry or sodium lardate soap and half part of tsp...food processed until very fine powder.

Do you by any chance make your own almond extract. I've been looking it up, but can't find anything that tells me how much almond to how much vodka.

Almond extract is just a handful per pint...which comes out to maybe 20ish. Just shell first, plop in and wait. If it isn't strong enough, let it sit a little longer and add a few more almonds.

I can also help with fabric/yarn/fiber crafty things, water canning and bread. Im definitely interesting in learning about making soap.

Can you felt soap? I do some of mine but it never turns out tight enough.

I can't do anything this weekend but perhaps within the next month? I'm beat tired.

Wendell, prayers are with Beth and your family.

Night.

 

[dennarahl]

When I sprout, they never last long enough to go into storage. Sprouting is simple..the hardest part I had doing it in the Springs is finding alfalfa seeds to sprout.  I know others use other seeds but alfalfa just is what I like.  I've been looking into doing a larger scale board for the girls but I'm not there yet.  When I do it, I just do it for myself now.

I'm in Falcon, Colorado...which is east of the Springs.  I suspect we use about the same recipe for laundry...   1 part of borax, 1 part washing soda, 2 parts laundry or sodium lardate soap and half part of tsp...food processed until very fine powder. 

Almond extract is just a handful per pint...which comes out to maybe 20ish.  Just shell first, plop in and wait.  If it isn't strong enough, let it sit a little longer and add a few more almonds. 

Can you felt soap?  I do some of mine but it never turns out tight enough. 

I can't do anything this weekend but perhaps within the next month?    I'm beat tired. 

Wendell, prayers are with Beth and your family.  

Night.

I haven't tried felting soap yet, but I keep meaning to. Darn good idea if you ask me.

 

[mickey328]

I've felt soap...it's usually kinda slick

 

[dennarahl]

I've felt soap...it's usually kinda slick

 

[Pozees]

When I sprout, they never last long enough to go into storage. Sprouting is simple..the hardest part I had doing it in the Springs is finding alfalfa seeds to sprout. I know others use other seeds but alfalfa just is what I like. I've been looking into doing a larger scale board for the girls but I'm not there yet. When I do it, I just do it for myself now.

I'm in Falcon, Colorado...which is east of the Springs. I suspect we use about the same recipe for laundry... 1 part of borax, 1 part washing soda, 2 parts laundry or sodium lardate soap and half part of tsp...food processed until very fine powder.

Almond extract is just a handful per pint...which comes out to maybe 20ish. Just shell first, plop in and wait. If it isn't strong enough, let it sit a little longer and add a few more almonds.

Can you felt soap? I do some of mine but it never turns out tight enough.

I can't do anything this weekend but perhaps within the next month? I'm beat tired.

Wendell, prayers are with Beth and your family.

Night.

Oh I think waiting at least a few weeks is better, I still have lots to do weekends, trying to get my new big coop ready to move the girls into it, and I know everyone else has things going as well. I found organic alfalfa seed at my local Natural Grocer, $1.72 for .30 lb ($5.73/lb). Whenever we get together I'll try to bring you some - occasionally they are out of things right when you want to buy them, and it isn't like a large grocery chain where they get everything in a day, so you want a week or so sometimes, but they've been good to me and their prices are reasonable.