Garden Salads

One of my favorite things to eat in the summer are salads, I could eat them every day.  Its even better when the ingredients come straight out of the garden. Salads are a really good food to eat in the summer, they can be cooling, light and refreshing for the body on a hot day.  Here are two salads I made using mostly ingredients from the garden.    

 

A Very Red Currant Cordial

 Home made cordials make the most of seasonal fruit and taste much better then those you can buy.  If like us you have too many redcurrants in your garden, then making cordial from them I think is the best and easiest thing to do. We really have a lot, I have already picked 2 1/2 kilo's of berries and there is still a lot more.   These berries are a good source of vitamin B1 and C, and are rich in iron, potassium, copper and manganese. The best way to get all the goodness out of these little berries is to eat them straight off the bush.  But we can't do that all year round so making a preserve is the next best thing. The best time to pick them is before they are too ripe to get more fruity flavour.

Here is how you can make your own redcurrant cordial in just 30 minutes.

A Little Blue flower Dress

Today I made a Dress for my daughter.  I got the idea from a dress she already has but is now too small for her. It's fun and simple to make.  This is how I made it.

•    I used 1/2 a meter of fabric for this dress and it was just enough.  This dress is made to fit a 2 to 3 years old, so if you are making one a bit bigger then buy 1 meter, you can make a sash or something with the leftovers. 

• First cut out the shape to make the straps that go over the shoulder making sure they are long enough to tie (see photo).  Cut out 2 straps going to the right and 2 going to the left for front and back + cut out the same for lining (this can be a different color) Then sew lining straps to the outer straps with right sides facing. Then turn right sides out and top stitch around 3mm from the edge. You should then have 4 pieces, 2 with straps to the right and 2 to the left.  Pin 1 right strap to a the left in the center with about 5 cm cross over, this can be adjusted  to get the right size, do the same for the back. Then sew the 2 under arms together.  

•  Cut out 2 pieces of fabric twice the size as the top and sew up the sides with right side facing.  Then pin and fold to the top part of the dress, this will give a pleating effect.  Sew together with right sides facing. Then sew on the edging to the bottom and trim around the middle were the seam is. I bought my edging but you can make your own its just a lot more work.

 

This little girl is very happy with her new dress and now her big sister wants one as well.