Scented Bath Salts

The above is based on a how to at the following site http://www.ehow.com/how_4592105_own-bath-salts.html For this project I used:

• 3 cups Epsom Salts
• 2 cups Baking Soda
• 1 cup Kosher Salt
• Approx 30 drops of scented essential oil (I used imitation "Red Door" scent)
• 12 drops red food coloring
• Large bowl
• Large spoon
• Containers (I used glass jars)
• Funnel

Pour the epsom salts into the mixing bowl.

Pour the baking soda in with the epsom salts Pour the kosher salt in with espom salt and baking soda.

Mix the three ingredients together throughly.

Add red food coloring to the salts and mix in (I had to press down on the lumps that formed around the drops of food coloring to get them to mix in) - keep adding food coloring until you have the desired color (I was going for a light pink, not red, so I only used approx. 12 drops)

Add the essential oil and mix throughly. Use a funnel and spoon the balt salts into the funnel on top of a jar.

Funnel from plastic bottles

This is a case where necessity was the mother of invention - I needed a narrow funnel to fill a jar of bath salts that I made. (Left, out of a 2 liter bottle and right from a 1 liter bottle) Start with an ordinary plastic bottle. Holding the bottle horizontally, pinch it just above the top of the label and make a cut into the bottle. Cut all the way around the bottle just above the top of the label. Flip the top of the bottle upside down and you have a narrow mouthed funnel.

RANCH BLACK OLIVE BOWTIE PASTA SALAD

This is a good alternative to a standard ranch pasta salad to take on a picnic or barbeque as it does not contain any mayonnaise and holds up a bit better as the pasta is firmer. 1 lb box bowtie pasta Cook according to directions on the box, drain and place in large bowl. Add 2 tbsp of margarine, olive oil and and toss to distribute (keeps pasta from sticking together). Put in fridge while you prepare dressing.

Dressing:

• 1 pkg. Ranch dressing packet (Hidden Valley brand is recommended)
• 1 3 oz can finely chopped black olives
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• 1/2 tsp dill
• 1/2 cup shredded paremsan or Italian cheese

Mix dressing together throughly using the above ingredients.

Remove the pasta salad from the fridge and pour in 1 1/2 cups of the above dressing and toss. If you want your salad to be creamier, you could use the entire 2 cups of the above dressing that was made.

Other add-ins to this salad are:

• Sunflower seeds
• Green olives
• Finely chopped red or green pepper

If pressed for space in small cooler, you could put the pasta salad in a zip lock bag.

If it is going to be left out for a period of time, you could take a larger bowl, fill it full of ice and pour the pasta salad into a smaller bowl that you put inside the larger one and cover it with a plate for easy access (but keep the bugs out).

CRAFT FAIL - Zonked Zebra

I was going to use this zebra applique on my no-sew skirt and to keep with the no-sew theme got out a piece of double sided iron on bonding paper. I have used the stuff in years, but as I used to use it all the time when my son was little to embellish his clothes, I just put a piece over the TOP and ironed away. I then realized that I should have ironed on the BOTTOM of the applique, not the top, as the BOTTOM of the applique is ironed on to the TOP of the skirt.