Making Soap

Making soap

My endever to create a giant soap dynasty is getting off to a rough start. Using a gylcerine soap making kit is not very cost effeincent. Making soap from scratch with lye is cheap but scary. Using lye is just as dangerous as all the articles say it is. The internet says do not let lye come in contact with aluminum. I thought it just meant aluminum foil. Apparently, it means all aluminum and that includes aluminum pans.  When lye meets aluminum it can be scary, albeit amazing. It becomes a mass of hot steaming lava. I am now down one aluminum pan, a few minor chemical burns to my face and eyes ( nothing perminate.. I have my vision back). The extra good news is that Peek doesn't seem to have any permanent lung damage from the noxious poisonsous steam from boiling lye water.


Gloria Stewart

Processed Food

I am going to cook 4 meals this week. No frozen processed food. Although, I think processed food gets a bad wrap... Or does it? Is it all hype? Isn't any food that you put together processed food?

proc·essed, proc·ess·ing, proc·ess·es

1. To put through the steps of a prescribed procedure: 2. To prepare, treat, or convert by subjecting to a special process

There I go, wondering off topic. I am cooking this week with fresh meat. But really, is purchased meat from a grocery store, fresh meat? Is it just called fresh just because it is not cooked? I have seen fresh meat on my sisters table. Meat that just gave up it's last breath minutes before being slapped into a skillet. That is fresh meat! Albeit' gross meat. Now that is what I consider processed meat. A process  that can turn you into a vegetarian!

Okay back on topic of my quest to fix real suppers. I even bought some exotic ingredients. White pepper and thyme leaves. Really? White pepper? Does it taste different than black pepper? Or is just to hide the pepper.. to sneak pepper into a dish? A secret ingredient! I like it.