happy birthday, brother!

i've been searching for quite some time trying to find this picture of my brother and i circa 1990 (?) which puts us around age 4 and 2. clearly, we were HUGE rangers fans back in the day. glad to see that our family is still pretty loyal. needless to say, it's one of my favorite pictures of us to this day. it reminds me of simpler times, when we had no cares in the world other than looking cute; which i think we were pretty good at pulling off. :)  it also has me thinking of how important it is to cherish special moments with the ones you love; making memories, laughing, enjoying each other's personalities and just loving each other in a way that no one else can, because you are family. 

the last 5 years my brother has spent serving his country in the Army. i am so completely proud of his selflessness in fighting for our country; having to be separated from the comforts of home and familiarity. in my selfishness, however, i wish he were in the same zip code as me; always.  thankfully skype has been there to sort of bridge that gap, but there's nothing like quality time just hanging out as if we have no cares in the world all over again. 

so glad that this year he was able to come home just in time to for his 24th birthday. each year we aren't sure if we will get to spend holidays or birthdays with him, so any chance that he gets to come home is a need for celebration anyway. i'm really excited about tonight where we will get together with friends &  family and celebrate my brother's life over some delicious pizza and wine! 

to my brother, eli: i'm so proud of the man that you are becoming. to be one who has always been an advocate for helping others. to sacrifice the comforts of home living and familiarity and trading it in for foreign places, and different worlds. for the love you have for those you hold most dearest. those things i will always admire about you. for the laughter and movie talks, and arnold impersonations; i will always look forward to. hoping this year of 24 brings times of growth and everlasting joys; deeper relationships, conversations and memories, all moments to bring you  closer to becoming more of you: who you are & who you want to be. i love you. 

happy birthday, Eli! 

a holiday & southwest turkey burgers

my heart is filled with happiness as this weekend has provided much rest and enjoyment of foods such as the picture above. if you know me, you know that i get pretty pumped up about a good cookout with great foods, family & friends, and the perfect musical background (aka rodrigo y gabriela pandora radio, if you really want to picture my weekend!)

 since such holidays have actually given me time to sit here and blog i thought i'd share a new recipe we are trying out this weekend. now, i know i know i know that turkey burgers do NOT sound appeasing to such burger fanatics, but trust me, a good turkey burger is worth trying, and again, if you know me, you know how much i love my beef!

here is the recipe we found via food.com!
you'll be sorry if you don't try it... :)

ingredients:

• 8 slices turkey bacon or turkey bacon with black pepper or applewood smoked bacon
• 1 1/3 pounds ground turkey breast, the average weight of 1 package
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 large shallot or 1/4 red onion, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves, optional - parsley may be substituted
• 1/2 small bell pepper, green, red or yellow, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 serrano or jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons, 2/3 palm full, ground cumin
• 1 to 2 teaspoons cayenne hot sauce, several drops (recommended: Tabasco)
• 2 teaspoons grill seasoning blend (recommended: Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick)
• Vegetable oil or olive oil, for drizzling
• 1/2 pound deli sliced pepper jack cheese

instructions: 

Chop your garlic and veggies.

Combine turkey meat, garlic, shallot or onion, thyme, cilantro or parsley, bell pepper, serrano or jalapeno pepper, cumin, hot pepper sauce, grill seasoning or salt and pepper. Divide mixture into 4 equal mounds then form meat into patties. Drizzle patties with vegetable oil to coat. Cook in skillet over medium high heat for 5 to 6 minutes on each side. Place sliced cheese over the patties in the last 2 minutes of cooking, use 1 or 2 slices for each patty, as you like.

happy summer food days! 

Christina 

dear rangers,

we heart you around here.  

thank you for excuses to wear t-shirts to work on game days.

thank you for providing one more reason to add to the list of why texas is so awesome.

thank you for family bonding times.

thank you for the excuse to have a party.

please. don't. end.

{a few pictures from when my brother was in town!}

{will be flipping through these pictures, wishing i was at the world series}