Liquid soap is often easier for children to use. Making my own liquid soap will make one bar of soap last about a month rather than a week for my family.

To make liquid soap, just grate and dissolve 13 oz. soap bar in 5 liters of hot water, add 2 tablespoons of salt (optional) and leave overnight before bottling and using. I find that adding salt helps keep the soap from being slimy.

A mild soap bar is recommended-- hopefully one that has the least amount of perfume and color and other additives. Making your own soap is best. Learn how here.

Photo credit: Dvortygirl

Eating yogurt helps to ensure that good bacteria (in the yogurt) is keeping your gut flora in balance so that you can avoid conditions like a yeast infection, a weak immune system, and even some allergies. Making yogurt is easy and economical. Using quality milk will also ensure that the yogurt you make is more nutritious. You’ll need a thermometer, milk, yogurt, a pot, and an insulating container (which can simply be a foam box with a lid).

1. Warm milk on low heat to 180 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Let the milk cool to 115 degrees Fahrenheit and stir in a tablespoon of plain yogurt for every liter of milk.
3. Place overnight in a covered insulator, or just until it is set.
4. Refrigerate in the morning. And enjoy when chilled.

Optional toppings: Honey, cut fruit, dried fruit, etc.

Photo credit: ProjectManhattan

Adapted from Ina Garten’s Beatty’s Chocolate Cake recipe

Serves:       15

Prep:          30 min

Inactive:     30 min

Cook:         35 min

Ingredients

• Butter, for greasing the pans and parchment paper
• 1 ¾ cups whole wheat flour, mixed with 1 c water and refrigerated for 1 hr to make it act like all-purpose flour
• ¾ cups Dutch-processed cocoa powder, mixed with some water to form a paste and set aside to bring out a stronger chocolate flavor
• 2 teaspoons baking soda, mix in with a little water to form a paste

• 2 cups sugar (or 2 c packed brown sugar)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

• 1 cup plain yogurt, (or 1 c shaken buttermilk)
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• (Chocolate Butter Frosting, recipe follows)

Soudough: Perfectly Healthy Bread

The starter info is elaborate. I personally followed another method and used only rye flour for the whole seven days-- adding a cup each of flour and water. It worked eventually but I had a massive amount of starter. I think you should try to use the method mentioned below instead:

Day 1: Mix 1/4 c water to 1/2 c rye flour and cover with cloth.
Day 2:  Repeat and add to the previous starter.
Day 3-7: Discard half of the previous starter, and mix in 1/4 c water and 1/2 c rye.
Once you see that the starter doubles in size after Day7, then the starter is mature enough to be used in your recipes.

I currently store a cup of starter in my fridge and take it out once a week to feed (adding 1/2 cup rye flour and 1/2 cup water to double) in the morning and store half a cup of the new starter mix in the fridge. Then, take the remainder 1.5 cup and cover it up with a cloth and a lid till the afternoon, at which time I make the English muffin dough, and then finish the rise and griddle the next day . They are delicious! We eat them with pork patties on burger nights.

Starting a sourdough starter
http://www.sourdoughhome.com/index.php?content=startermyway2

Maintaining a starter
http://www.sourdoughhome.com/index.php?content=maintainingastarter

Sourdough English muffin recipe
http://gnowfglins.com/2010/03/31/guest-post-sourdough-english-muffins/

For the muffins, I find that if I double the recipe and use only 1.25 cup of yogurt/milk, the dough is easier to shape the next day. I find that if the dough is sticky to the hand when mixing and not too soupy, then it will rise better too. When I triple the recipe, I just add a little extra water to get a sticky consistency. The baking soda added the next day will make the dough even mushier.

There are lots of other sourdough recipes out there. Once you get a starter going, you can make all sorts of things, like pancakes --> http://gnowfglins.com/2009/11/12/basic-fluffy-pancakes-sourdough/

Benefits

http://realfoodforager.com/5-reasons-to-make-sourdough-your-only-bread/

• Increases beneficial lactic acid to breakdown phytic acids which are in grains and nuts and which prevent the uptake of minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc.
• Predigestion of starches makes it easier to digest
• Breakdown of gluten, so that even gluten-intolerant people can usually eat it without problems. See blog http://www.wholeliving.com/183942/our-daily-bread
• Natural preservative: It doesn’t get moldy for a week outside of the fridge when handled properly.
• Better blood glucose regulation