Best Turkey Burger You Ever Tasted

So I’m walking in Sam’s club last week and saw these spinach and feta chicken burgers in the meat case. I don’t buy prepared food as a general rule and I wouldn’t dare pay $10 for a few burgers when I am perfectly capable of making my own. I did just that, and the results were so good I thought I’d share my version with you guys.

This is my original recipe, but you’re more than welcome to share it if you like it. I used ground turkey instead of ground chicken because I already had it on hand, and because ground turkey is juicier than ground chicken. Okay, the recipe:

2 pounds ground turkey

1 package chopped frozen spinach, thawed and drained

1red onion, finely chopped

2 eggs

6 ounces of blue cheese

salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder to taste.

Mix together and grill or bake until done. This was easily one of the juiciest and most flavorful burgers I have ever eaten.

Since we’re talking food, here’s my menu for the week:

• Monday: Eggplant parmesan
• Tuesday: Garlic roasted chicken and potatoes, zucchini
• Wednesday: Beef enchiladas, Mexican salad
• Thursday: Oven “fried” chicken, steamed green beans, yeast rolls
• Friday: Spinach mushroom pizza with white sauce, meat and veggies pizza with red sauce.

Hope your week is off to a great start.

 

Calling All Gardeners (Advice Request)

I’m a little behind this year preparing for my spring gardening. This is because I am choosing to forgo the quick run to Lowe’s or Home Depot to buy my starter seeds.

Because seeds are so often tampered with via GMO technology, I am on a search for the best and most reasonably priced store or website where I can buy seeds for my spring planting. I will be doing some of my own research, and have already begun in fact. However, experience has taught me that there is a wealth of valuable information to be gleaned from the small number of people who read this blog.

Therefore, I am sending out an all call to those of you who garden: Where can I find good seeds at a reasonable price? Help me out here!

Monday’s Musings

As always, I do hope your week is off to a good start!

Reason #3,896 that I stopped watching Christian television: I’m a little late getting to this one, but when the story broke I was livid on behalf of spouses who have been faithful partners and then find themselves stricken with Alzheimer’s disease. For those out of the loop, televangelist and talk show host Pat Robertson recently advised a man weary with the toll of his wife’s Alzheimer’s and eager to date that he could divorce her and it wouldn’t be wrong because Alzheimer’s is “a type of death”. Therefore he wouldn’t be betraying his marriage vows. I don’t think there is anything to add to that. And yes, I know that not all televangelists are like that. Duly noted.

It Ain’t Always About Race, Folks: Apparently acclaimed Hollywood actor Morgan Freeman has come out to say that the Tea Party is racist. That they want to defeat the President solely because they feel that they need to “get this black man outta here.” I think this is ridiculous on its face, to assume that anyone who opposes the President is doing so on the basis of race.

Now understand, I am no fan of the Tea Party movement mainly because I believe they’re a bunch of hypocrites on the very fiscal issues they claim to be crusading on. But being a cognitively dissonant hypocrite doesn’t make one a racist. Whatever happened to being able to argue something on the merits instead of using inflammatory language and accusations to shut the voice of the opposition?

Herman Cain wins Florida GOP Straw Poll: And make no mistake about it folk, this was an upset to the Perry campaign first, and the Romney campaign as well. Apparently the FL straw poll has predicted the GOP nominee in the past several presidential contests. I still don’t know that Cain, a business man and ordained minister can go the distance. If he does it certainly would take the race card off the able, wouldn’t it?

Homeschooling update: We’re settling into a nice rhythm now that I have resolved to focus on what I think is important and not on all the things I could be teaching Lil’ Princess and all the things we could be doing based on reading too many homeschool books, blogs, and websites. They have inspired me greatly but I also found myself overwhelmed. I have resolved that as Lil’ Princess is only 5 years old, this year will be centered largely around four things: reading, writing, mathematics, and Bible. That’s it. We learn science as the situation arises, conduct impromptu experiments as well, which is almost daily as it happens, and we touch the edges of all kinds of topics from geography to government in our day to day conversations. However, with 5 children and all the demands that come with a large family, I had to streamline this first year. We are making much more progress now that I have relaxed a bit. And having much more fun!

Homeschooling Specifics: For reading we are using The Ordinary Parents’ Guide to Teaching Reading. We were using Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons but for some reason that wasn’t going over as well as the ordinary parent’s guide. Lil’ Princess likes the Jessie Wise book much better. Go figure. For math we are doing Saxon K. For writing, I put together sheets from this site to help Lil’ Princess learn to write legibly and properly. For Bible we are using BJU Press’ K-5 Bible Truths.

I’m unclear on how we can help Europe with its debt woes: But, our government is joining the rest of the Western world in trying to surmise how we can “contain” Europe’s debt crisis before they plunge the world into an even deeper depression recession. Well okay, then. The stockpilers and survivalists don’t sound as extreme to me as they did a few years ago.

What’s cooking:

Sunday: Baked chicken, mushroom risotto, broccoli

Monday: BBQ Chicken tacos, salad

Tuesday: Spaghetti

Wednesday: Potato soup

Thursday: Chicken Alfredo bow tie pasta, salad

Friday: Toasted roast beef subs, baked french fries

Monday’s Musings

Hoping your week is off to a peaceful start:

~Focusing on the weightier matters: As some of you know, I have gotten a crash course in the theological camps within Christendom since I began blogging. I came from a Baptist background but my faith was always focused on a couple of things when it comes to religion and dealing with other people: What does the Bible have to say about it? and What do you believe about Jesus and who He is? This was the sum of my theology: love God,  love the word, obey the word, love people (all people) as precious souls created in the image of God. Then I discovered the difference between Arminianism and Calvinism. That certain groups who believe in the deity of Christ and the remission of sin by His blood and justification by His resurrection really aren’t Christians after all, no matter how good they are, how righteous their conduct or how plain their good fruit . This was news to me! It also gave me more opportunity to judge others than I feel the Scripture allows. I have simply decided to walk my walk and let others walk theirs while I focus on the weightier matters.

~Checking Out: This is something of a continuation of my above thoughts. Anyone who knows me personally knows I am a serious student of Scripture and I care about sound doctrine. But that doesn’t mean I know it all or that someone else’s interpretation no matter how flawed I think it is, negates the reality of their faith in Christ. After having our theology and traditional understanding of Christianity ripped to shreds the past couple of years to the point that it has been implied that we aren’t even really saved (this in my real life), I have a diminished level of tolerance for deciding who’s really a believer and who’s not, who’s chosen and who’s not. I haven’t the stomach for it so forgive me if the posts here moving forward lack theological depth. My posts will always reflect Biblical truth, but it will usually be Biblical truth that is universally accepted by  most believers. I’m checking out of the online theology wars because I know what it’s like when this is not just virtual, but real. I don’t want to contribute to the madness in any way.

~ In Others Words: I’ve been reading a collection of essays written by Chesterton of late from the book Tremendous Trifles.  I ran across a quote on Saturday that I want to share here:

Of all the marks of modernity that seem to mean a kind of decadence, there is none more menacing and dangerous than the exaltation of very small and secondary matters of conduct at the expense of great and primary ones, at the expense of eternal ties and tragic human morality. If there is one thing worse than the modern weakening of major morals it is the modern strengthening of minor morals. Thus it is considered more withering to accuse a man of bad taste than bad ethics. Cleanliness is not next to godliness nowadays, for cleanliness is made an essential and godliness is considered an offense. p.51

He expounds further as the essay continues. I have taken the time to find it online and link to it so you can read the essay here if you are so inclined.

It just occurred to me that a theme is emerging in these musings. Oh well, I’ll switch gears and end with something light.

~This Week’s Menu:

• Sunday: Slow-cooked round steak in red wine sauce, rice, cabbage, apple blackberry tart
• Monday: Portabellos Florentine, Caesar salad
• Tuesday:Parmesan baked tilapia, roasted new potatoes, ginger glazed carrots
• Wednesday: Chicken Marsala, butter and herb orzo, salad
• Thursday: Black beans and rice, crispy baked corn tortillas w/ spinach dip, tossed salad
• Friday: Tuna Melts on Rye, Sweet potato fries

You might have noticed that we eat a lot of salads. I try to vary them by using different types of greens, adding nuts or dried fruits, and making various salad dressings to break up the monotony. I work hard to get the leafy greens in where I can.

If you have a menu planned for your family this week, feel free to share it in the comments. I’m always on the lookout for new ideas and new recipes.

Happy Monday, all!

Monday’s Musings

It’s been a while since we’ve done this so let’s jump in with both feet, shall we?

• MLK Monument made in China?: I was stunned to learn that the recently completed Martin Luther King monument in Washington, DC was sculpted in China by a Chinese artist. Surely there was the talent here in the States to have this monument sculpted right here. This speaks volumes I think about where we are as a nation.
• Well at least they don’t discriminate: The population police, that is. Or do they? Soccer star David Beckham and his wife have taken quite a bit of heat in the press for their decision to bring a fourth child into the world. After all, everyone knows we have a population problem so this was irresponsible of them. The article linked offers the thoughts of both Al Gore and former speaker Nancy Pelosi who have both state their belief that it is bad for couples to have more than two children. Except Gore had four and Madame Speaker gave birth to five. This is one of those things that make you say “hmmm…”
• Hanging out with one-half of the Jos: I had the immense pleasure of hanging out with Joanna of The Jos Know last week. There’s a lot of personality in that tiny woman and her 6 kids defy all of the nonsense about homeschooled kids and social awkwardness. Our kids had a great time together. Thanks for a fun day, Joanna!
• What’s cooking this week:
• Sunday: Cajun grilled chicken, Potato Gratin, Steamed Green Beans, Peanut butter pie
• Monday (Meatless): Creamy Orzo w/ Basil and Portabella Mushrooms, Salad
• Tuesday: Split Pea Soup in Bread Bowls
• Wednesday: BBQ Chicken, Slow-Cooked Baked Beans, Cole Slaw
• Thursday: Vegetable Barley Soup, Spinach Salad, Breadsticks
• Friday: Pizza

Food for the spirit:

Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil;  for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.  For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another. Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are clean, but they are evil for the man who eats and gives offense. It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles. The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves.  But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin. Romans 14: 16-22 NASB (emphasis mine)

Paul was writing specifically about people who felt freedom to eat whatever is set before them with thanksgiving, but the principle of extending grace instead of judgment to our brethren fits any situation.

I feel as if I’ve been receiving a crash course in the importance of grace of late. I need to be reminded of my responsibility to defer to my sisters and brothers in Christ, not forgetting my own faults and foibles so that I can love them with the selflessness that God has shown to me. Hope that passage was a blessing to you.

Happy Monday, all!

A Return to Simplicity

While life today is indeed more complex today than it may have been a generation ago, it doesn’t have to be nearly as complicated as we make it.

I was cleaning house today and realized that the vast majority of the things I picked up, dusted, and rearranged were things I could do without. What’s worse, I’ve trained my kids to view luxuries as necessities. I’m not saying that it’s wrong to enjoy some of the little extras in life. It’s just that when I consider the amount of things that we own that we don’t even use I know a line has been crossed. And as a believer I feel an added duty to not allow myself to have a worldly attitude towards things and materialism. Just because I can buy something doesn’t mean that I should. Especially in light of this admonition from scripture:

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world-the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life-is not of the Father but of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. ” 1John 2:15-17

I know I’m not alone in this. One of my core beliefs is that humanity is a shared experience. If I am struggling in a particular area there is certainly someone else who is grappling with the same issue, whether or not they ever tell anyone. I am going to make it a personal goal of mine to learn to live a simpler life. I think it’s important every so often to take an inventory and re-prioritize. Now is as good a time as any. I pray that I can make the hard choices and set the boundaries necessary to insure that I have time for the things that matter most. And hopefully, I can teach my kids by example.

I truly believe that in the years ahead, our American standard of living will of necessity,  be pared down. The economic circus we see unfolding in Washington is really a snapshot of  mostAmericans’ personal economic policies and even those of us who don’t live on revolving credit will, as citizens, have to reap a bit of the carelessness our country has sown. All the more reason, in my opinion, for each of us to train ourselves to be know how to live of simplicity and reject this heavily materialistic culture.

One day we’ll be glad we did.

My Official New Favorite Recipe

This is my favorite recipe in the world. When I first stumbled upon it, the chef who posted it quoted this at the top of the page:

I really think this is what I would eat for my last meal on Earth. It’s so simple and, when done right, sublime.

Although the recipe did sound delicious, I am too much of a carnivore to fall in love with a meatless recipe. Give me a medium well bacon cheeseburger on a homemade bun first. But I made this again last night, and it is probably what I’d request for my last meal. It is just that good.

What’s more, it’s frugal. The eggplant I got for 0.69 per pound.  And even though cheese can be expensive, it tastes great with half the amount of cheese the recipe calls for. The magic is in the sauce. Don’t skimp on the onions and garlic.

One other thing: the full tablespoon of crushed red pepper packs quite a kick. I’d recommend cutting it in half, which is what I do, if you have little ones eating it.

Hope to return next week with something substantive to say. Who knows, if they don’t increase the debt ceiling  by Tuesday, the world as we know it might come to a screeching halt! Now that will be something worth blogging about, LOL!

Y’all have a sublime weekend.

Monday’s Musings

I do hope your week is off to a great start. Some random thoughts:

• Petty Pet peeve alert: Visible bra straps really bug me. It’s summer time (high of 98 here today!) and sundresses are making a comeback. Far too many women, young and old alike, seem to think visible bra straps are acceptable. Almost every where you look there are women in dresses like this, with bra straps showing. They still make strapless bras, right? I thought so.
• Blogkeeping note: As the month of July begins, I’ll be getting my homeschooling house in order and the only way I could even consider maintaining this space is with a fairly regimented blogging schedule and a focused topic selection. With a narrow range of topics I can write posts far enough in advance that unless a thread generates an unusually high number of comments, I can maintain this space without having to spend a lot of time here. It’ll also be kind of user-friendly for those who are only interested in marriage posts, or homemaking posts, etc. On Monday topics will vary, but will usually be homemaking, homeschooling, or Monday’s Musings. Wednesday’s post will continue to be marriage related as I  participate in Sheila’s weekly Wifey Wednesday event. Friday’s posts will be about books or book reviews.
• Belated Father’s Day Greetings: To the fathers who read my ramblings. I hope you had a blessed day with your families. We hosted my father and my father-in-law for dinner and had a wonderful time together. Our girls spoiled SAM silly. It was a great day.
• Thought for the Day: “A man (or woman) trying to love without God’s power is like a man (or woman) trying to breathe underwater.”  I heard that in church yesterday.  I think it’s worth sharing, particularly in light of our rather lengthy recent conversation on leadership and submission in marriage.
• This Week’s Menu:

Monday: Eggplant Parmigiana, Caesar Salad

Tuesday: Baked chicken w/ mushrooms and rosemary, quinoa with veggies, steamed broccoli

Wednesday: Orange Chicken w/brown rice, Chinese green beans

Thursday: Garden Ratatouille Casserole, Cranberry Spinach Salad

Friday: Frisco Melts w/ baked sweet potato fries

What’s cooking at your house?

Happy Monday, all!

The Sweet Taste of Success!

One of the constants in my annual gardening endeavor is that the pests decimate a good number of my plants before I can get a good return on my harvest. It’s hot here most of the year and there is only a small window of time when pests aren’t something to contend with in one way or another.

I have been gardening, and I use the term very loosely, for three years now. Every year the outcome is the same. The herbs grow wonderfully. In fact, I’ve given away basil every year but the other herbs do well also. In addition to the herbs, I get one good crop of…something. Last year, it was lettuce. The year before that, it was cherry tomatoes. Never, however, have I gotten a good result with my zucchini and it’s the thing that I most wanted to get a great harvest on.

Finally, the spell has ended! I can make zucchini bread today (and I will). I can add it to my salads. We have fresh, organically grown zucchini from our own garden! My kids think I’m nuts because I am so excited. This is a good day, people.  Oh, a picture:

Delicious, Nutritious, Zucchini!

You hear that? That’s my sigh of satisfied contentment and the sound of me eating a couple of slices off the zucchini that’s already been cut in the picture.

A word of encouragement: You CAN garden if you live in the suburbs and have limited space. Even if you’ve never done it before. I’m no expert gardener. I still have a brown thumb. But one thing I’m not is a quitter. I will continue to do this until I get good at it. The fact that I live in Florida gives me even more opportunity to work on it because you can plant something here just about any time of the year.

Is it totally weird that I’m on cloud nine over  a few zucchini? I don’t care. I also did pretty well with my green beans this year, though I wasn’t as excited. I don’t know why the zucchini moves me so. Maybe because I’ve been trying to grow it every year with zero success. This was my first year growing green beans.

We will return to our posts on Titus 2 and blogging tomorrow for Wifey Wednesday.

Have a great day and don’t forget to eat your veggies!

Any Experience With “The Well Planned Day”?

I am seriously considering ordering this detailed planner because I often feel like an ADD homemaker, running from one task to the next and getting frustrated with myself. I have a rough plan printed out that I follow most days but the slightest monkey wrench has a way of throwing me off balance- and off schedule.

On days that we have to run errands, I really fall behind. I’m also finding that the more we incorporate homeschooling into our lives, the more organization I require. Since Lil’ Princess will officially be kindergarten this summer, I’m going to have to incorporate more structure to get “it all” done.

So, has anyone of you used The Well Planned Day? What do you think of it ? Pros? Cons?