Laundry soap, canning and cookies

I was so busy the week of Christmas getting presents finished, I make most presents months in advance and they usually consist of quilts, lap blankets, embroidered items and also crochet items. I ask for hints this year on what to give  and (surprising to me) most wanted my concentrated laundry soap, jelly, relish and cookies. These items do not take long to make so I made most of these items just a few days before Christmas, yay for me :)
Glad I make my laundry soap concentrated, it was easier to give 2 quarts to each person along with a tablespoon tied with a ribbon than 5 gallon buckets :)
I have had a tiny problem with the cookies though.....my grand daughter and I sampled way to many, I don't think I will want another cookie for a long time:)
Glad I had lots of blackberries in the freezer (from July) ready to be canned. I ended up gifting 7 half pints and 6 quarts of blackberry jelly, 7 half pints of cranberry apple strawberry orange preserves (all made the week before Christmas) and 4 pints of zucchini relish (relish I made in August)

It was funny after everything was made, wrapped and given away the following day was going to be calm so I started to do my laundry, only to realize out of the 12 quarts of laundry soap I made..... I forgot to make any for me......so the next day before I did laundry I had to make more soap! At least the way I make it I only have to wait for it to cool in the jars then whip it and its ready to use :) the way I used to make it I waited until the following day to use.
The recipe I use is:
1 grated bar fels-naptha
1 cup arm and hammer super washing soda
1 cup mule team borax
Heat grated fels-naptha in a pan on stove top in 1 1\2 quarts water, when dissolved add washing soda and borax, stir then divide equally into 2 glass quart jars set aside for about 3 hours until cool then I use my stick blender to whip it up, kinda looks like mayo when finished, it only takes a tablespoon per load. Make sure the jars are labeled it really does look like mayo
Hope everyone had a nice Christmas!

Liquid Soap

I ran out of my basic soap yesterday this is the main ingredient in many of my cleaning supplies it is really easy to make! I start it by grating 2 bars of my homemade soap. However, you could also purchase castle soap then grate it. Anyway, add the grated soap to your water. Stir over low to medium heat until the soap has melted then take off the burner and add sure jell to this. Stir some more until this has also dissolved. Now wait for the mixture to cool a bit and pour into prepared jars (I use a strainer just in case a little of the soap bits did not dissolve), that's all there is to it! I use this basic liquid soap for may things around the house. When I remove the amount I need it is jelled you may have to remove it with a spoon, but when added with other ingredients, just whisk.
Basic soap recipe
2 bars soap (about 6 to 8 ounces)
4 cups of water
1 ounce of sure jell (same as used in making jelly)

Here are my three ingredients

Heat over a low to medium burner, stir and when
melted add your pectin. Be careful if it starts to bubble
turn down so you don't get burned!

 When cool pour into prepared jars, now you have your
basic soap which can starer for many things around the house!

Fabric Softner

I love fabric softner but do not like the perfumey smell, the ingredients below softens my clothes and also helps keep my whites white (we have hard water). When vinigar is added to the rince cycle it will naturaly soften your fabrics! I use my veggy peeler and take the rind off of about 5 to 6 lemons (when I am making lemonade). I then put the rind into a gallon jug of white vinegar and set aside for 2 to 3 weeks. I strain this mixture thru a cheese cloth, then to use as fabric softener I just add 1/2 cup of this mixture in the rinse cycle.
When I am not making very much lemonade I have used lemon balm. I just put a couple of handfuls of lemon balm into one of my 1/2 gallon ball or mason jars (wide mouth) and let this mixture set for a couple weeks, strain and use as above (This has a lemon/minty smell).
I have also just used straight white vinegar, when the clothes are dry the vinegar smell is gone. I end up with a clean earthy type smell when I take them off the line instead of a perfume smell. :)