Oh.My.Goodness! Carrot salad? Oh yes Carrot salad.

I am addicted to this recipe!
I was recently told to eat more veggies and one serving or less of grains for a little while, for health reasons. This is really difficult once you look at what you eat with a critical eye, at least for me. So I got to reading all my cookbooks for salads I could keep on hand and this is one that doesn't stay in the fridge for more than a day. Thank you Nigella Lawson and your Forever Summer cookbook, I bought it ages ago when I could catch her program on Food Network. I love how easy and yummy this recipe is, and if you don't have peanut oil olive works just fine.

4 medium carrots, peeled
1/3 cup salted peanuts
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons peanut oil
few drops sesame oil
Nigella says:  Grate the carrots very coarsely, push them through the french-fry cutter blade in the food processor, or just cut them into skinny batons or sticks. In a bowl, combine them with the peanuts and then add the remaining ingredients. I like to eat this, straight out of the Pyrex bowl I mix it in, held up high, under my chin, for ease of eating-action. In fact, the only way I stop eating it is by having someone prise the bowl out of my hands.
Serves 1-2, depending on your compulsiveness or generosity.
Forever Summer by Nigella Lawson Hyperion April 2003

Recycle clothing, Do you?

My Mom is the queen of finding me cool little things and she recently sent me a care package from FL (yes I'm an adult with a family and my Mommy still sends me care packages and I love it). Inside there were some new sewing notions to try out so I am dedicating this post to her, thank you for supporting all my crafts, even if they aren't quilts! I love you Mom.

My toddler is now potty trained but not button/zipper trained therefor when she goes to the bathroom by herself she needed to be able to pull her shorts up and down on her own. It's tough because I know she needs to learn how to use buttons and zippers it is more important to me that she is able to use the restroom on her own. So I made her elastic waist shorts that are stylish and a re-purposing of an item of clothing I already had but didn't use.

She seemed to like them!
Step one gather all needed materials: men's polo shirt, tailors chalk or something to trace with, pair of knit shorts that fit the kiddo now, scissors, sewing machine and thread. Extra: contrast color for heart pocket.

Step two trace the current pair of shorts against the right side, side seams. Make sure to get enough extra for your seam allowance and elastic casing at the top. I used the original hem and side seams to save myself some work.

Step three: flip the shorts over and repeat on the other side or use your new cut out leg as your pattern and carefully cut against it's edge.

Step four: turn your new legs inside out so that you can first stitch the inseam, Then put one leg inside the other right sides of fabric together and stitch the crotch seam. Turn the pants inside out and stitch a casing that will fit whatever elastic you have available, this about recycling and re-purposing so get creative if you have to. I didn't have white elastic so I used 3/4 inch black knit elastic, and black thread, not because I didn't have white but because it was already on my machine. I know kind of lazy, but it work out for me because.

I then stitched a decorative edge around a purple heart pocket (so the kiddo would know what side was front and what side was back) and a black heart deco stitch on the hem.

I love it so much I made a matching tank top out of the old tank top that I cut up for the pocket. I'm still not sure how much I like the tank so it may become a tutorial or may not. I don't have a serger and my abilities with the kind of fine knit the tank top is made from is not up to par, so it's ok but not oh la la like the shorts.
Thanks for checking it out and I hope this project inspired you to make something fabulous with your stash!

Signing off,
Head Bather

Camping in California

Recently we went camping with some friends and I just wanted to share the differences from FL to CA.

Florida

• Gators
• Rivers with lots of mud
• Canoe in all equipment
• Nature toilet
• Mostly the same temp, warm and humid
• Lots of grass and vegetation
• No kids (at least at that time)

California

• Streams with rocks
• Not much grass (the kind underfoot of course)
• Vault toilets
• Drive in camping
• Hot to cold weather in one day
• Kids (we have them now)

Both are dirty, fun and on of my favorite spring past times.
What are your favorite things to do in the spring?

Head Bather

Do you have a dry nose?

Photo credit: D Sharon Pruitt

In this dry air sometimes my nose gets so dry and the saline/neti pot just won't cut it. On days like that I dip a cotton swab or my finger in a little veggie oil and just lightly rub it inside my nostrils. Not too much just enough to ease the dryness.
So go ahead mine for green gold with a little natural oil if your nose is a bit dry.

Head Bather