Today was a no go area for doing anything outside.

We have been battered with lots of torrential rain and hailstone storms, with about 10 minutes’ intervals of sunshine.

Still I had acupuncture this morning, so was not in a fit state to do much work outside anyway.

Instead I have been busying myself making a batch of soap.

This is what it looked like once I had melted the oils and added the lye


– looks like a nice toffee mixture doesn’t it.

Once it had reached trace, I added oat bran, cocoa powder, lemon oil and Clary Sage essential oils.




I now have to leave it for 24-48 hours before I can turn it out and cut it up, then leave it a further four to six weeks before it is cured and ready to be used.

I am already researching what will be my next batch of soap. It will be nice to have a selection for use at home and as presents.

I no longer use shower gel, but pure soap instead, and I am seriously considering making my own shampoo – but it will be in a soap block, but one that is bubbly. I have tried some from a famous soap shop and it was so hard you couldn’t work up a lather, which made it difficult to know how much to use each time.

Lunch was fairly basic today, with chunky cod steaks, which I topped with a crunchy topping, made out of a crust of my wholemeal seedy loaf crushed into breadcrumbs, and mixed with a pesto paste made with virgin olive oil, and basil leaves, then baked in the oven for 20 minutes which was just about the length of time that it took the thawed out potato, carrot, and pumpkin mash to cook and get a nice crunchy top too.

My next task is to make some biscuits – we have run out. I did ask the boss man if he could get some ginger biscuits whilst he was in the village shop – but he refused – he likes mine better. So off I go again to make some.

I made the cookies with the recipe I used before, but omitted the chocolate and added jumbo oats and some ginger. The recipe is so very simple and adaptable - next time I am going to add walnuts and dates.

The bad weather has not let up all day, so I really hope that we get a dry day tomorrow, things to do!