thanks for the reply dan! i had read on another website that someone used a homemade insecticide soap against leaf miners which is why i was planning on trying it. i have read some of the many threads on leaf miners, but nothing too promising has been revealed. is there anything you, or anyone else here, has had success with against leaf miners? the most useful advice seems to be to pick off the infested leaves, but that's pretty much going to mean all of my tiny chard plants... any ideas if i can still pick off nearly all the leaves and the plants will still produce new leaves? this is my first year gardening, so any advice is much appreciated! i know that for harvesting the chard you can pick off some stalks and new ones grow, it's just that my largest plant is only a few inches tall at this point, so i'm worried about the resilience of such small plants. and any reason why i shouldn't use murphy's or other soaps on plants/leaves that i plan on eating? thank you!

I am sad, or am I glad, to see that Dicken posted to this thread. He died last Thursday. He was a gentle spirit and a wonderful writer. We'll miss him at the Garden Party. Here's a recipe I got from Sara the Brit, she frequents the Garden Party. I wish I could say I had made it, but alas, the ease of the Crosswell jar beckoned... Dear Sylvia Here's the recipe I've been using for the last couple of years. it's fairly variable - you can leave out the nuts, add different ones, change the proportions of the fruit, to suit your own tastes. It really benefits from at least 2 weeks maturing, so you don't have to make it now if you don't feel like it. alternatively, the first year I made far too much, and it kept superbly until the following Christmas! (although it depends on how hot your summer is, I suspect). half pound, peeled finely chopped apples (I use Granny Smiths) 4 oz shredded suet or melted butter (I use butter - suet is traditional, but not used in the UK these days) 4 oz golden raisins (probably about 2/3 cup?) 6 oz raisins 4 oz chopped mixed peel (the lemon and citron stuff is best) 6 oz soft dark brown sugar (3/4 cup) grated rind and juice of 1 orange grated rind and juice of 1 lemon quarter teaspoon cinnamon quarter teaspoon allspice quarter teaspoon ground nutmeg 3 tablespoons brandy Mix everything, except the brandy, together and stir well. Leave it covered for 12 hours or overnight. To prevent fermentaiton, leave it in a cool oven 225F/120C for 3 hours. Allow to cool completely and add the brandy. Spoon into clean dry jars and seal. Don't worry if the butter separates slightly on the top - just stir it again before baking it into pastry. Makes approx. 3lbs - about 1 large mason jar. Happy cooking - and have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Best wishes Sara Sylvia wrote: > [This message originated at GardenWeb] > > Hi Sara - I would *love* a copy of your mincemeat recipe! And - how far in advance do you prepare it? > thanks so much - Sylvia Here is a link that might be useful: Dicken

I don't think this is too easy to make. See the site below for some info. The second site sells in huge quantities, the clear and shipping is based on the weight. http://www.pioneerthinking.com/glycerin.html http://www.soapcrafters.com/soap_crafting_supplies/711 http://www.millersoap.com/glycerinsoap.html I did find this info. for you. Looks complicated. Let us know how you do. deb "You can also make clear soap from scratch. This method involves all the aspects of cold process soapmaking, but takes it a few steps further by adding alcohol for clarity and a glycerin and sugar mix to suspend and enhance the clarity. It is a dangerous process because of the alcohol vapors. If you wish to make clear soap (which will not melt down like melt and pour  itÂs one pour only soap), please read "Transparent Soapmaking" by Catherine Failor. This is an excellent resource for anyone wishing to make clear soap from scratch".

I buy natural mosquito repellant lotion that contains all of those items. It smells really good and works pretty well too. I don't use regular bug spray because it freaks me out to spray poison all over my body (of course I don't live in a West Nile or Malaria area either, thank goodness!). ellendi, in Seattle I get essential oils at a little shop at Pike Place Market, but they also sell them at Whole Foods and most Natural Food stores. You could also get them online.