In a message dated 2/21/00 12:25:15 PM EST, [email protected] writes: << The easiest soap I've made is from Crisco or some other brand of shortening. 3 pounds of Crisco (1 can), 6 oz of lye (you can buy red devil lye in store next to drano) 12 oz water. >> Enjoyed it BUT...as the person who mentioned here soapmaking and Crisco first(grin) with respect to my former babysitter, our ancestors got their Crisco equivalent from fat drippings (right??)...where did the lye come from? Actually, my I said my mother used Crisco for pie crusts and baking, my caregiver used the fat drippings from whatever my mom had (stored in old Crisco or Coffee cans) for soap. Janet (Baugh) Hunter