(Pierce back at TD…it was an emotional game Sunday! So happy we were there!)
(Ron got a new frisbee and it wore him out. So much so he was able to fall asleep on our old couch in the basement which is the worlds most uncomfortable piece of furniture)
(I made a hat for Kate!)
(our first piece of china/first present came ❤ . My next project is making our table numbers)
xo-J
Since we are a no-beef house I’m always trying to find new recipes for chicken and turkey that don’t take a ton of time, but are really tasty. I loosely based making some turkey burgers last night on my meatballs and whoa, so good. I’m all about easy and not having to go buy bizarre ingredients that cost way too much (why does every food network recipe require me to spend $60 on spices I will never use again?!). Here ya go:
TURKEY BURGERS
What You Need:
1 pound ground turkey (I use the white meat 93% fat free super healthy one)
1/8 cup breadcrumbs
1 egg white
1 tsp onion powder
1/8th cup chopped parsley
1 clove diced up garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8th cup Worcestershire sauce
DIRECTIONS:
1. Mix everything together in a bowl except the Worcestershire sauce
2. Once that is all mixed up really well, then pour the W. sauce on top and mix it all again.
3. Make that disturbing looking meat into some patties!
4. Cook the burgers in a pan. I used about 2 tbsp of olive oil. Heat the oil first, then add burgers. Cook them for 2 minutes on one side and then flip (this way both sides get brown and they don’t fall apart). Flip them a couple times through the cooking (about 15 minutes on med-high with cover)
5. Add your toppings! I used munster cheese and made some sauteed spinach (with soy and garlic powder)
6. Enjoy that amazing (and healthy) turkey burger on a toasted bun!
Promise you, these are awesome.
xo-j
Since it’s started to get cold here I keep having cravings for soup. Anyone who has ever met Jay knows he is obsessed with soup (it’s weird) so it works out when I get the urge to try out a new one! This weekend, while Reggie was visiting (!!), I decided to try out a clam chowder crock pot recipe, and oh man, so good. I did make some changes to the recipe and thought I would share what I did…
CLAM CHOWDER in the CROCK POT
WHAT YOU NEED
4 – 6 1/2 oz cans of minced clams (with the juice)
1 cup chopped onion
5 potatoes chopped up
2 cups water
1 cup chicken stock
3 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 cup half & half
3 cups milk (I used skim)
5 tbsp corn starch
Parsley for garnish
(The recipe called for 8 potatoes, 3 cups water (no stock), 1/4 tsp pepper, 4 cups half and half, and 3 tbsp corn starch…I read a bunch of the comments and ended up using the mix of recipes and it came out perfect. I can’t imagine fitting more than the 5 potatoes in the soup!)
DIRECTIONS
1. Chop up your onion
2. Chop up your potatoes (I left the skin on)
3. Cook your bacon in a pan until it is nearly done. Then add your onion to the pan and allow to cook until soft (about 5 minutes) with the bacon. Then remove from heat and crumble/chop up the cooked bacon.
4. Add the clams, bacon, onion, potatoes, s&p, water, & stock to the crock pot. DO NOT add the milk or corn starch. Allow this to cook on high for about 4 hours.
5. Once the soup has cooked for 4 hours, mix 1 cup half & half with the cornstarch and add it to the soup. Continue to cook for another hour.
6. My crock pot by this point was completely filled to the brim, so once I had allowed the corn starch mix to cook for an hour I poured the soup into a big pot and added the remaining 3 cups of milk then. I allowed it to heat up on the stove for about 15 minutes.
7. Cut up some bread and enjoy! I ended up loading a ton more black pepper and hot sauce into my own bowl, but each person likes their own level of spice so I didn’t add it to the full pot.
If you have the time on a Sunday to chop things up and wait for this to cook, it is totally worth it!
xo – j
I know I always say we are busy, but this weekend was really crazy…and for us to say it’s crazy is something. Friday, I ran into a friend who was moving the very next day (by chance on the subway!) and ended up getting to say goodbye to her at her apartment, went to meet Jay (who had been celebrating his last day of work!) and then stayed out way too late with friends.
Saturday we went to Smorgasburg, a bbq with friends, and Postal Service at Barclay’s. It may sound silly, but having things that both Jay and I were loving long before we loved each other (like PS) makes me so happy!
Sunday I went home to celebrate my other main man, Dad! We had a yummy brunch, family walk, relaxed in the house, and went to the fruit stand. Dad, love you, you know this. (see ridiculous cat pet below)
When I got home Sunday night, we decided to go to see a late show of Superman. Yes, I’m tired today, but it was worth it! Nothing like a summer superhero blockbuster!
Hope everyone had a great weekend!
xo-j
Yesterday we both tried to relax after our wonderful trip and get back to stasis. Our bodies are so confused about when to be hungry and tired (is lunch at 7am now?!). We really did have a fantastic time (despite some manic moments stuck on the wrong side of the road…literally). Thank you so much R&P for taking us all the way across the Atlantic! I am so looking forward to having you as my family.
I can promise you within the next week I will annoy you with thousands of pictures, but for right now here is a quick video I put together yesterday!
xo-j
We had a wonderful Mother’s Day as a family at home in Flemington this weekend! I managed to go to the same grocery store 4 times in 36 hours…amazing. Sunday we had a family breakfast where we all pitched in (except for Mom of course) and then had a relaxing day all together!
(baked french toast can be found here)
(Goofing around with Mom on Shop Rite trip #3. Dad and I searched for Bacon for 15 minutes with no luck…the master showed us where we missed!)
(beautiful sky from the parking lot)
Love you Mama!
xo- j
Today I got to meet up with my favorite lunch friend of all time. I have missed her so much since she went to her new job! It is a beautiful day in NYC we thought so we would have a delicious/horrible for us lunch outside.
We met up in Bryant Park for LT Burger…and oh man, it was unreal. I do feel like I may die at any moment as I am digesting, but I think it was worth it!
Erin, we will forever eat too much for our bodies to handle…but I’m so happy I can depend on you to do it over and over again with me!
xo-j
Yea, that isn’t true…I have not been happy this week. Work has been a bit of a nightmare…ok a lot of a nightmare. I try not to whine on here, but man, how is it not Friday yet? And poor Jay has been having a rough one too. We are both ready for a relaxing weekend together…big time.
Anyways, on weeks like this, where all I want to do is close my eyes and have it all stop, I try to remember everything around me that does make me happy…
(the fact that my nails look like a 14 year old)
(the celtics killing it the past 2 games!)
(this little babe)
(that even when you are stuck in traffic here, at least there is a beautiful view)
(last but not least, the fact that this amazing picture exists and i call this person one of my best friends…my lord…i’m obsessed with this picture)
Here’s hoping today and tomorrow are better than that last two days!
xo-j
This weekend was Jay’s birthday, but more importantly, Sunday is Game of Thrones night. I wanted to do something fun to celebrate for him, but also GOT themed. I decided to make Lemon Cakes! I realize I am a total dork, but…I love it!
You can find the recipe here. They were a little weird, but delicious.
If I make these again I will definitely cook them a little longer…maybe if you have a gas oven they cook a bit quicker than with electric…not sure. Regardless, a delicious themed dessert for the birthday man!
xo-j
forEVR and always 