Oatmeal Soap on a Rope

Kitchen Coach Jennifer Bushman gave us some great ideas for holiday gifts you can make in your kitchen. (Go to blogtalkradio.com/joinusatthetable -- Jennifer's on the 12/12/09 show.) Here's one that I like to make. You can't eat it, but it's the perfect way to recycle bits of leftover soap -- or just buy a bar of something that smells good and use that! Remember, it has to dry for three days, so get going now if it's going to be a Christmas gift.

½ cup oatmeal
½ cup soap crumbs
1½ tablespoons vegetable oil
1½ tablespoons water
16-inch piece of cotton rope or cord
Pulse the oatmeal and soap crumbs in a food processor until the mixture becomes quite fine. Put the mixture into a mixing bowl, add the oil and water and mix well using your hands.

Form the mixture into a ball and, with a knife, divide it in half. With your finger, make a small indentation on both cut sides of the soap. Fold rope in half and place about three inches of the cut end in the the middle of the split ball.

Gently mold the two halves back together. Let the soap dry for about three days, ideally in the sun.

(Adapted from Home Made, by Alexa Lett)

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