Make Something: A Different House Warming Gift

Recently I  had another set of friends that moved into a new place, which meant another round of the housewarming party!  For this gift, I did some serious Pinterest stalking to find something that I thought my friends could use.  I came across a drink recipe and a large mason jar dispenser that she'd posted.  Perfect!  So I gathered up all of the ingredients, placed them into a jar, and wrapped it with a bow.

Sorry about how terrible these pictures are.  I didn't assemble everything until in the car, and it was raining so the lighting was terrible.

Because the gift was a little light on the DIY side (and I really prefer to give homemade gifts), I spent a decent amount of time on the card.  Originally I tried to sew the letters in  cursive, but when I turned my sewing the stitches looked a little wonky.  I'll probably use a straight stitch if when I ever try to sew something in cursive.  I'm really happy with how this card turned out.

And tomorrow I leave for San Francisco for a girls' trip!  So excited!

Easy Peasy Zippered Pillows

Need some new pillows in your life?  I did.  I also seem to.  I made these for my office last weekend, when I was supposed to be reading.  Have I mentioned how much I hate first day of class assignments?  It's summer vacation until I'm forced to step foot on campus; don't try to muck up my summer with school reading.

Fabric: Amy Butler Lark, Emerald Kasbah

Speaking of school.  I started my last year of law school.  Ever.  Well...maybe.  I'm throwing this whole LLM idea thing around in my head right now.  #couldpossiblybemyworstideaever

I'm actually a little overwhelmed that it's my last year.  Does (did) anyone else feel like that?

Anyway, enough rambling.  Watch this awesome video if you need some awesome pillows.  They really are as easy as she makes them seem, and I didn't even use a zipper foot.

Lamb Burgers and Green Harissa

My favorite food time of the year is Central Market's Hatch Chile Festival.  For several weeks in mid-August, they bring in the famous Hatch chiles that grow only in New Mexico.  I don't exactly know what makes them taste so good, but they are delicious.  I pretty much go on a Hatch binge for 3 weeks. This meal was one of those binges.

I found this recipe in August's Food and Wine magazine.  It looked tasty delicious and I knew that I could swap out the originally called for chiles for some Hatch.

Lamb Burger and Green Harissa
modified from Food and Wine

Lamb Burgers

• 1/2 lb. ground lamb and 1/2 lb. ground beef.
• 1/2 cup cooked rice
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup cilantro

Gently combine the ingredients and form into palm sized patties.

Harissa

• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 4 hot green chilies (either jalapeños or serranos)
• 2 Hatch chiles (alternatively you could use a more mild chile, like an Anaheim)
• 2 scallions, coarsely chopped
• 1 garlic glove, smashed

 Combine all ingredients in a  food processor until blended.

Serve the burgers on some warm naan and top with the Harissa, chopped tomatoes, and some feta cheese.

Olympic Dreams

I love the Olympics.  It's even better when you know someone who's competing.  And it is out of the world awesome when that person medals.

My childhood friend runs the mens 1500m, and last night he became the first American to win a medal in the 1500 for 44 years.  At the start of the last lap he looked to be out of medal contention, but he dug deep and crossed the finish line in second place!  Just thinking about it gives me the chills and I get all teary.

His come from behind victory sent my small town into a frenzy.  It's so amazing to see someone who's worked so hard for so many years succeed.

And here's the link to the replay of his race if you want to see it for yourself!

Congratulations Leo!