Interesting dialog going on. I just had to jump in. I have made lye soap when we lived in CA. It turned out pretty good. I made it nearly every year while our four sons were growing up. If they happened to get into poison oak or ivy they used lye soap to wash with. It helped to keep the poison from spreading so bad. I also made home made bread, all types, butter, buttermilk, yogart, cheese. I loved making cheese. Some cottage cheese, but mostly hard cheeses. I baked with the cheeses, and we ate it plain also. I made kraut with my mother in law after we moved to MO. We made it every year. I canned all our vegetables. Also froze some. Made freezer tomatoe sauce. It was really good, had grated carrots in it. Used it in lots of dishes. In California my grandpa cured olives, and I have his recipe. I helped one of our neighbors cure some a couple of years while we were there. I don't do much of any of these things anymore since our sons are all grown. But enjoyed it while I did. I've never had homemade hominy, but sounds good. My mother in law had told me about her making it when she was younger. I made butter with a mixer, or even a jar of cream shook until it thickened. One of our sons came home from school telling how the teacher had made some, so we tried it. It worked just fine. I sent for recipes to make different types of cheese. Even made goat cheese. My sons all liked goats milk as two of them were alergic to regular cows milk. We used goats milk for every thing. Sorry to have rambled on so, but you all got me started. Have a good evening. Marie Clayton