Red Pepper Relish

I'm hooked on the red pepper relish from Jersey Mike's so I decided to make some of my own. It's perfect for sandwiches, burgers or just add it to some cheese and crackers.

Ingredients:

• 2 red bell peppers
• 1 onion
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
• a pinch of salt and pepper

Finely chop your bell peppers and onion. I used my trusty food processor.

Add everything to a saucepan and cook on high for about 5 minutes.

Continue cooking (stirring occasionally) on low until most of the liquid is gone.

Allow to cool for about an hour before serving.

DIY: Goo Gone

So, I dried some clothes yesterday and I don't know what was in the pockets but whatever it was, it was sticky. It was either gum or tape. Regardless, it made a huge gross mess all over the inside of the dryer. I didn't want to use any harsh chemicals that will leave a bad smell in the dryer so I started googling. Turns out, if you mix equal parts baking soda and canola oil (coconut oil works too), you have your very own goo gone! I scrubbed the sticky mess with an old toothbrush and it worked perfectly! No bad smell either!

DIY: Dollar Store Fall Wreath

I went on a little shopping spree at Dollar Tree yesterday. They have a ton of autumn decorations right now. I only used about half of what I bought to make this wreath so I might just make another one. My grand total was $6. $3 per wreath? You can't beat that!

National Cheeseburger Day!

It's national cheeseburger day! I couldn't let the day go by without a cheeseburger themed post, especially since burgers are my absolute favorite food. So, I thought I'd take a little trip down memory lane and share my favorite burger DIYs. Learn how to make my cheeseburger pillow here and, just in time for Halloween, learn how to make my no-sew burger costume here.

I also thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite burger-themed Etsy items...

handmade burger stamp | 'well done' burger print | burger shorts

Texas

Last week I flew to Austin to visit my friends Andrew and Nina. They took me everywhere! I had the best time. Here are a few photos from my trip. I brought my camera but ended up using my phone the whole time. It was just easier and I still got a lot of good pictures. One of the first places we visited was the Texas State Capitol. 

One day we went for a swim at Barton Springs Pool. It was so pretty! I'd never really been to a place like this. It was like a public pool (with lifeguards and a diving board) but all natural.

We of course had to get some BBQ. I tried fried okra for the first time. Delicious!

The next place we went swimming was Hamilton Pool Natural Preserve. It was one of the most gorgeous places I have ever been. I didn't want to leave! Check out the mini waterfalls in the photo below. There were a lot of catfish swimming around and some turtles too. Photos don't do this place justice.

One night we went to the Texas Chili Parlor for a drink. If you're a Quentin Tarantino fan, you might recognize this bar from Death Proof. Andrew is sitting right where Kurt Russell ate that big, messy plate of nachos.

I also hung out at Andrew's work for a while and ate some really good tacos. One night we made a late night trip to Whataburger. I'd never been. I got myself a honey bbq chicken strip sandwich on Texas toast. I'll be dreaming about that sandwich until the day I go back.

The last place we went swimming was Krause Springs. It was also really beautiful. Everyone just kinda hangs out and floats around. They have a rope swing too. I had a little too much fun on the rope swing and broke a finger! Tell me that isn't the ultimate Texas souvenir!

Luckily that was the last day of my trip. I flew home early the next morning. As you can see below, the Jet Blue stewardesses were nice enough to make me an ice pack.

All in all, it was a great trip! Thanks Andrew and Nina. I can't wait to come back! I might just have to pass on the rope swing next time. ;)

September!

Fall starts soon! I don't know about you but I'm pretty excited. I'll definitely be making both of the soups pictured above. You can find the recipe for the potato cheese chowder here and the bean soup here.

It's also time for some fall DIYs. This year I'm going to attempt to make a felt acorn garland. Some of my past fall favorites include the felt flower bouquet, the faux leaf wreath and the yarn wreath pictured above.

Last but not least, it's time for everything pumpkin! You can find my favorite pumpkin chocolate chip cake recipe here.

New Arrivals!

I just added a few new hand drawn cards to the shop! Go take a look!