Making Rebatch Soap in a Crock pot - a Tutorial

I have made rebatch soap a few times before, and here, but always in the microwave. As much as I like using the microwave you never seen to get the same creamy, melted soap consistency that you do in a crock pot so I thought I would share my method with you.

• Take your batch of CP soap that you made and let it is sit for a few days. You still want it to be soft but not Caustic.
• Grate it up - this is a great upper arm workout.

Ingredients:

• Grated Scraps: 1177.5 gr
• Water: 28.6 gr or more if your soap is hard and well cured
• Base Oil: Castor 18.2 gr
• FO: FO of choice 37.0 ml

METHOD:

• Prepare your mould ahead of time.
• Turn the crockpot onto full heat.
• Take all your wet ingredients, except the Fragrance oil and pour that into the crockpot.
• Take the grated soap and place it into the crockpot.
• Turn the crockpot onto low heat. Give it all a stir.

• Leave the mixture for a bout 20 minutes and keep coming back every so often to check on it. The idea is that it melts slowly and thoroughly.
• You may need to add more water if it is really thick. Don’t add too much though as your soap will be very soft and you will have to wait for the water to evaporate from the soap.

• Once you are happy that the soap has melted turn the crockpot off.
• Leave the mixture to cool slightly add your fragrance oil and mix really well. Pour into your mould and leave for a few hours or over night.
• Once it has cooled down and set  you can cut the soap and if it is hard enough
• You can use this soap right away if it is hard enough but you may need to let it harden for a few weeks if you added too much water.

 

Riverlea soap

Africa is not for Sissies

We have had another post of the same title a while ago but I really thought I had to add more to it.

It is Winter here on the farm and that means SNAKES! I am a tough cookie and can pretty much deal with anything - thanks to my Dad. He thought us that a girl can co anything a boy can do. But what he could never teach me was to love snakes, or spiders for that matter. I can take any creepy crawly but these two.

I have had 3 snakes in my lab this week alone and I am pretty freaked out. I spent 3 hours this week trying to be nice and coax the first one one out but at number three and many wasted hours I took to a plank and took my best shot. I am not proud of what I did but every time I put my hand down to get a bucket or ingredient I am nervous because they sneak out at you and scare the cr... out of you. Apologies to all snake lovers out there.I need tranquilisers just to set foot in there.

We have a plastic snake in our kitchen to "protect" us from burglars. Yes a little odd but the people of Africa are superstitious and do not like snakes so if you have one in your house you should never be burgled. Last year this snake below (right) decided that it really like the plastic snake so it came it to kitchen and wrapped itself around the burglar guards and made friends with the plastic snake. I went into the kitchen to make tea and while I was carrying my cup back to my office I had a bit of an accident when the supposed plastic snake moved and my tea was history. Funny now but not nice at the time.

If anyone has any snake whispering advice now would be a great time to share. PLEASE.

Riverlea Soap

Happy Mother's Day

I hope you all had a relaxing Mother' s day. I hope you spoiled your Mother rotten and spent quality time with her.

 

Riverlea Soap

 

Ladies workshop Last Wednesday

What a great workshop we had on Wednesday.

   

We worked with essential oils and botanicals grown in my garden.
Well done ladies you made some very professional soaps and fizzies.


Riverlea Soap