Mason Jar Valentine Votives

last year i thought it would be a kick to have a valentine's day party. one that was actually on valentine's day. first off, it's murder to go out on that day. it's crowded, expensive and can often require getting a sitter; a herculean feat any night of the week. and i had some friends who were single or going through a divorce or just feeling topsy turvey in their love life so i figured that having a party would eliminate some awkward life stages along with the "what do i do with my kids" question that can come up on a romantic holiday. PLUS! i wanted an excuse to have a candy bar! you know, those adorable ones with apothecary and mason jars filled with red, white and pink candy, chocolates, candy necklaces and little metal scoops for pouring everything into cellophane bags. the house gets "loved up", as my husband calls it, and there's valentine decorations all over.  even for the candles.

putting votive candles into decorated mason jars isn't anything new and i don't have any kind of tutorial to go with this post. the pics are pretty much self explanatory. i had the yarn, ribbon and trinkets already (you can pretty much use anything and, of course, any color you want). i picked up a box of candles from michael's and the conversation hearts came from the dollar store. believe it or not, i had the hardest time finding the red hots. knew i could get them at powell's (fancy candy store in our neighborhood) but wanted to keep that as a last resort. kinda pricey there and i'll save that for some of the candies i'll serve in the bar.

aren't they fun?!? i'm soooo looking forward to lighting these! now i just need to finish decorating my house, painting valentine words on the wood pallet i found and plan my menu. last year i went mexican. kinda thinking about doing it again. or lasagna. or pulled pork sliders or chili...

check back because i'll definitely give an update of how the party went and post more pics! until then, happy early valentine's day!!!

What's Up With The Dots?

i have some pet peeves.

cottony apples.
incompletely buttered toast.
weak handshakes.
weaker hugs.
chipped nail polish in blog tutorials and etsy shop pictures.
to name a few.

you probably have some too. maybe something that i do. like...what's up the seemingly endless times that i use "..." at the end of a word or a sentence that i put on a facebook post or my instagram descriptions? the way i just did in the previous sentence. why can't i just use regular punctuation like everyone else? maybe like you?

i get it. and i'm not actually sure why i do this so often. well, that's not entirely true because when i think about it, i do know why. it's because, for me, there's more implied. more to say. more meaning in what comes before those three little dots when i add them. not just saying the word or ending the sentence. i want to keep going and deepen the thought. or let the reader add their own meaning or just 'get it'.

another hat to keep you warm and toasty...

newest knitting fun. little birds...

"looks like i picked the wrong week to stop taking amphetamines..."

well...that's just because you're older than me

first...it's my absolute FAVORITE time of day.    

eventually, i'll probably do something else quirky. like type in all uppercase letters (smile) or never add any kind of punctuation and the latter is strange even to me as i'm one of those annoying people who will correct your grammar if i've known you long enough.

it's crazy.

in the meantime, what do you think of my new blog header? it's getting closer to what i really want it to be which is something that represents the fact that i dabble in all sorts of creative veins; not just one thing in particular. and i've shortened "make it give it" to migi. cute, easy to remember and it's already the name of my online shop. there will be a few more aesthetic changes coming soon so keep a weather eye open my lovelies...

Dahl for Dinner

it's been raining here and i love it. not torrential and not so cold out that i have to wear layers upon layers. cold enough to want to stay bundled up with my lovies (or fur babies) and watch movies or knit or listen to my new favorite song over and over again ("golden" by jill scott). definitely cold enough to have a delicious soup or fragrant stew bubbling away on the stove. tonight, it's dahl.

i got the bug to make it after i picked up a bit at the whole foods hot bar last week. it was SO good! dahl is one of those staple, 'go to' dishes. it's indian so it's full of fragrant spices like cinnamon, turmeric, cardamom. healthy. filling. satisfying. i based mine off of this recipe  from eat spin run repeat that i found on pinterest.

the cool thing about dahl is that it's versatile and forgiving. and...inexpensive. bonus!!! seriously, you could feed this to, like, eight people for pennies on the dollar. add some minted plain yogurt to dollop on top, a crisp salad and warm naan and everyone will love you. or...at least they won't leave hungry.

so, naan isn't pictured in this shot nor minted yogurt or the chopped cilantro that the recipe calls for. that's ok. it's still delicious. for this dish, i replaced the carrots with butternut squash and i added 1/2 a head of chopped cauliflower. that's the cool thing about dahl; you can add or sub out ingredients however you like. and you know what? it's going to taste even better tomorrow...

Coconut Milk Rice Pudding

there's something about warm, creamy rice pudding that just so.....sigh....delicious. it's immediate comfort in a bowl. in a cup. in a jar. ummmm....off a spoon right out of the pan (not that i would ever do that, of course). it's the perfect dessert, the perfect breakfast, the perfect afternoon snack. if you have left over cooked rice you have the perfect reason to put this together. it requires few ingredients and only about an hour of somewhat watchful time.

 

here's what you need:

3 cups cooked rice (my favorite is short grain brown but you could use whatever you have on hand)

1 can coconut cream (14 oz)

1 can coconut milk (14 oz) full fat or light

1/4 cup to 1/2 cup raw sugar (regular sugar can be used. probably brown also though i haven't tried it)

1/8 - 1/4 tsp sea salt (to taste)

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 vanilla bean, split

1/4 tsp cinnamon

if you don't have left over rice, just cook your rice of choice per instructions. this is usually one part rice to two parts water brown rice takes longer to cook than white but i prefer it; fuller bodied, nuttier, and better for you. this is the time to add the salt listed in the recipe. if you're using left over rice you can add the salt when adding the spices. you could also leave the salt out completely but it does enhance the flavor if you use it. start with the smallest amount - you can always add more.

to the cooked rice add the coconut cream, coconut milk, sugar, vanilla bean and spices. bring everything to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. you want to let everything cook until the liquid is almost completely absorbed by the rice. this will take about 45 minutes. be sure to give it a stir every now and then.

it's done when it looks like this. your kitchen will smell amazing and holiday-ish. the rice pudding will be crazy creamy and you'll be ready for a bowl. eat it as is or add rasins, dried apricots or dried cherries. toasted, slivered almonds give a nice crunch.  and....not only is this the perfect dessert for those in your home who may be lactose intolerant, you'll also get the added benefits of coconut. yeah you!

enjoy!