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Loran

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 24, 2020
Messages
105
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Location
Mississippi
Howdy y’all!! My name is Loran, I am a dude(thanks mom and dad). I am 38 years old, grew up in Arizona and moved to Mississippi for a change of scenery. My interest in soap making recently sparked when I remembered a childhood moment when I was visiting my grandmas house in Kansas. I was exploring in her basement and came across these big square blocks of homemade soap(didn’t know that at the time, was probably 8 years old). I distinctly remember smelling the dirty yellow looking blocks, and they had this unique smell to them! It wasn’t a scented smell, but that natural, almost pungent yet slightly soft and mesmerizing. I to this day haven’t been able to locate that specific scent, but it is my lifelong goal to recreate this bar of soap with that same scent that has intrigued my childhood and left me longing for answers all these years. And I look forward to meeting all of you and exploring this vast world of soap making and learning all I can!
 
Welcome to the forum, Loran.

Arizona to Mississippi sure is a change of scenery! I moved from California to Illinois, also a huge change of scenery, but that's not why. It was marriage to a guy whose parents needed him back in their lives, so that's why we are here. Eventually we will be somewhere else, but haven't yet decided where.

That scent was probably just plain old soap. Unscented naturally fragrant of the ingredients in the soap. If your grandma made it herself, which I suspect she may have done, it was probably made with whatever oils were most available to her at the time. A little family history might give you a clue.

I have a (food) recipe boxful of cards with recipes from my mom, that I treasure because many were hand-written by her, but also because many are cut out from box-tops or magazines or newspapers & attached to the 3 x 5 cards. Some are from her mother, as well. As I went through those the first time, it was like looking at wartime and post-wartime (WWII) culinary history. Some were more recent, but many of the printed recipes were from that era. It gave me insight as to how food rationing affected meal preparations and what her own youth was like.

None of my relatives ever talked about making soap and I don't recall ever finding home-made soap in anyone's house. My mom's mom died before I was born but if anyone in my family made soap, she would have been the likely candidate, but I don't really know. My Dad's mom would be a candidate, too, but in all the years growing up around her, it never came to light.

Good luck re-creating your Grandma's soap! It sounds like a fun adventure!
 
Welcome to the forum. If you came across these yellow-looking blocks of soap in your grandmother's basement; my thinking is that they were unscented and you were just getting the scent of natural soap. Old-time soap makers used to save the bacon fat and clean it for soap making.
 
Welcome to the forum, Loran.

Arizona to Mississippi sure is a change of scenery! I moved from California to Illinois, also a huge change of scenery, but that's not why. It was marriage to a guy whose parents needed him back in their lives, so that's why we are here. Eventually we will be somewhere else, but haven't yet decided where.

That scent was probably just plain old soap. Unscented naturally fragrant of the ingredients in the soap. If your grandma made it herself, which I suspect she may have done, it was probably made with whatever oils were most available to her at the time. A little family history might give you a clue.

I have a (food) recipe boxful of cards with recipes from my mom, that I treasure because many were hand-written by her, but also because many are cut out from box-tops or magazines or newspapers & attached to the 3 x 5 cards. Some are from her mother, as well. As I went through those the first time, it was like looking at wartime and post-wartime (WWII) culinary history. Some were more recent, but many of the printed recipes were from that era. It gave me insight as to how food rationing affected meal preparations and what her own youth was like.

None of my relatives ever talked about making soap and I don't recall ever finding home-made soap in anyone's house. My mom's mom died before I was born but if anyone in my family made soap, she would have been the likely candidate, but I don't really know. My Dad's mom would be a candidate, too, but in all the years growing up around her, it never came to light.

Good luck re-creating your Grandma's soap! It sounds like a fun adventure!
California to Illinois? That’s quite the change up too! Usually it’s people leaving the fly-over states to go somewhere else! You will find your happy spot I’m sure of it. I very state has something great to offer. I love how you still have all of those recipes! Hold on to those and never lose them. I’m wondering if the old soap my grandma made was made from lard or tallow. Do those have a unique smell to them? I’m trying to get my hands on suet and back/leaf fat to make it all from scratch.
 
Hi Loran! My goodness what a small world it seems. I grew up in southern Illinois, my husband grew up in California. We met in Illinois but moved to Arizona and have lived here for probably as long as you did before your move to Mississippi lol. I have a daughter who was born and raised in Arizona and now she lives in Kansas! I love Mississippi and was in Biloxi a few years ago . I used to search my grandmother’s canning shelves as a kid but I never found soap! I think it’s pretty cool you have that great memory. Looking forward to hearing how it goes.
 
Basil, What part of Arizona do you live in? Heard of the white mountains? Snowflake/Showlow area? Grew up there and moved to the valley for work opportunities. How funny! I love just east of Biloxi lol
 
@Loran we’ve lived in Flagstaff for over 30 years, but yup I know Show Low area and white mountains! I used to go to the Red Door consignment store a lot and know the owner lol. Also know the valley area - lots of people there for work opportunities, huh?! I did too. Mississippi is a big change from Az! I have a friend who works at the VA in Biloxi 😊
 

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