Tomato Relish and Black and White Salt Soap

Today I made a relish from a recipe that was given to me in May, by a member of my extended family that I’d only just met. We were standing in a hall, at a reunion, when I tasted it and immediately wanted to know how to make it.

So last night I prepared the tomatoes (cherry tomatoes from our garden, they’re still coming) and onions, sprinkled salt over them and left them overnight in the fridge.

Today, I added the vinegar, sugar, dry mustard, cayenne and curry powder and let it simmer  until it was thick and tasted amazing.

When it was done, I poured it into jars I’d saved and sterilised. It’s the first relish I’ve made and it’s hugely satisfying for such a small thing 🙂

Then later, I made more soap. Oh yes, more soap! Because it’s fun and creative and great! This time a salt soap, made with coconut oil, rice bran oil, avocado oil, eucalyptus essential oil, activated charcoal and kaolin clay.

I read a lot about salt soaps before I chose the oils and how the salt affects the lathering properties and then I put my choices through a lye calculator, to make sure it would work well and be safe to use. When I finally had a recipe I was happy with, I made it and I’m really happy with the way it turned out. Of course, the proof will be in its use, which won’t come for another six weeks or so.

This is freshly cut, I couldn’t wait. You can see the condensation on it, which I later wiped away. The black on top is Cyprus black salt. I ground it on at the end.

 

There was also a hearty ham and green split pea soup, cooked in the slow cooker but no photos of that. We ate it and were warm.

I found and bought an exercise bike in a second hand shop the other day. It was fifteen dollars and in really good condition, with a working digital display and everything. So in it went, to join the rest of the stuff in the home gym. This afternoon, after a lazy, chilled out day, Zac and I went downstairs to spend some time there. We weren’t there a long time but it was fun and he’s so determined on those machines. It’s inspiring.

 

One of each of the other soaps I’ve made.