New Obsession: Cabin Porn

No worries, the only inappropriate behavior going on here is the drool from your mouth after looking at all these amazing cabins. NSFW blog name, totally SFW pictures. If you're looking for me, I'll be in the corner gawking at this blog for the next 3 hours.

Superthx to Christina for the share!

Curry Stuffed Peppers + Fixing Things

We took the camper out for its first full weekend trip, so we had plenty of time to enjoy it in its full glory- and do some updates. The two things on my list- new throw pillows and drawer pulls- are simple and inexpensive ways to change up a room (on wheels) instantly. Once I had the fabric picked out, the throw pillows were super easy to tackle (see The 5 Minute Pillow). After adding the pillows to the couches and doing some lounging around to test out their effectiveness (thumbs up!), the drawer pulls were next.

The pulls were brass, dated, and just really ugly. With $20 and a screwdriver, I switched out all the pulls to a simple and updated chrome- all in less than an hour. Some of the screws were really tight, so I would recommend using an electric drill, where possible. We didn't have one handy, so we just worked on the screws slowly to avoid stripping and were able to remove all the pulls with a little elbow grease.

As you can see, Ella was very helpful in the process.

With our work done, we set the table (breaking out our new tablecloth sewn from vintage fabric I scored at the thrift store) for a tasty dinner. We always hate prepping dinner when we're camping, so I came up with a recipe where all the work was done days before; it made cooking dinner was a breeze.

This certainly doesn't look pretty (what does when you're camping?), but it was so good and super easy to prep and cook over the fire.

Curry Stuffed Green Peppers over Campfire

Ingredients

4 Green peppers

1 lb Ground beef

1/2 cup White onion

1 (14.5oz) can Chopped tomatoes

1 1/2 cup Cooked rice

3 Tbsp Patak's Taste of India Mild Curry Paste

1 cup Paneer cheese or another mild cheese, like shredded mozzerella

Aluminum foil

Olive oil

Salt to taste

At home

In a large skillet, saute beef and onions for 5 minutes, or until beef is browned. Drain excess fat.

Add cooked rice and tomatoes. Stir in curry paste and salt.

Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Allow mixture to cool, then store in an airtight container.

Toss mixture in the cooler, and bring along peppers and other ingredients to assemble later.

At camp

When you're ready to cook, cut the tops off the peppers, and remove the seeds and insides.

Stuff each pepper with beef and rice mixture.

Tear off a sheet of aluminum foil big enough to wrap each pepper.

Pour some olive oil in the middle of the foil and place the pepper open side up.

Rub the rest of the pepper with olive oil and wrap.

Place peppers over open fire for 30 to 35 minutes, turning every 10 minutes.

Remove from fire, let cool, and enjoy!

Make this recipe veggie friendly by subbing meat for a substitute or just adding extra veggies. Vegan? Just remove the cheese, too.

Wherever we are...

I'm (obviously) of the mentality that two people in a home on wheels is one of the more romantic notions.

Courtesy of Etsy Shop VOL25. Check out this print here.

Camper Love! Etsy Roundup

Turns out, I'm not the only one under the influence of camper love. Check out this roundup of handmade items from Etsy inspired by camper trailers. From vintage inspired birdhouses to a wooden laser cut (and reversible!) trailer necklace to a home on wheels for your four legged bff, these goodies can satisfy even the biggest camper envy. No storage required.

Top to bottom, left to right:

Modern Traveler Art Block Set by Red Tile Studio
The Trailer Birdhouse by KoolBird
 Vintage Camper Birdhouse by Jumahi
Laser Cut Reversible Camper Necklace by Vectorcloud
Reclaimed Wood Camper Sign by SlippinSouthern
3 Pack Airstream Mini Journals by Red Tile Studio
Handcut Vintage Trailer Card by HollerandWhistle
Doggie Trailer House by Shawn Monahan
Manner of Traveling Typography Print  by CornerChair 

DIY Done in 5

This throw pillow is so simple to make. To really understand how easy it is, I whipped out a stopwatch and timed the project from start to finish. It took 5 minutes and 38 seconds. Serious. Plus, you can remove the pillow and toss the cover in the wash, making this DIY project a perfect accessory for the camper.

Supplies: Fabric, Scissors, Iron + Board, Ruler (Rotary Cutter + Mat optional), Stitch Witchery, Pins, Sewing Machine, Pillow Form

Cut a piece of fabric  ½ - 1 inch wider and 2½ times the length of the pillow form.  

For a 14 x 14 pillow form, my fabric was 14½ " wide x 35" long (14" front and back +  7" flap).

On the short sides, fold down  ¾" and press. Cut a piece of Stitch Witchery the same length and insert into fold. Press 10-15 seconds until the fabric is fused. Repeat on other end.

On one side, fold your fabric down 7 inches (or ½ of the length of your pillow), right side in, and press. This is your flap.

Fold the other end of your fabric up, right side in, about 14" or the length of your pillow, and press. This edge should meet the fold of the flap you just made. Pin both sides. 

Sew up both sides with a ½ seam allowance. Trim the corners of your fabric, so the corners will lay nicely. Turn inside out, and insert pillow form.

Top Gear CamperVan Challenge

I watched an episode of Top Gear UK last night where the guys had to build their own motor home campers. Classic and, as always, super hilarious. Who knew you could put extra weight on a Lotus and it would still drive? This episode made me think three things:

               1) Camping in a camper trailer is totally a US thing.
               2) I hope I never want to roll my camper off a cliff.

And the more important question:

               3) Why doesn't my camper have a library?

Find a clip of this episode on the Top Gear site. (And check out this hilarious Lego reconstruction of Jeremy's camper design shown above)