Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Best burger!

So I was watching Bobby Flay and both of the episodes were about cheeseburgers. Yummy! My mouth was watering and my preggo tummy was begging to be fed its own cheeseburger. We happened to have two turkey patties (I try not to eat the red meat variety very often) in the freezer. They are so cool (pun intended)! They come packaged in twos (which is perfect for Aaron and I) and they can be cooked right out of the freezer. They are already lightly seasoned and are low fat. They are so delicious!

I was inspired by the second episode of Bobby Flay (both were re-runs but that didn't matter in the least). In it they cooked green chilis and put them on the cheeseburgers. I decided that was a genius idea. So I went to the garden (our little circle of a garden) and picked some of our (very spicy) jalepanos.

I took the jalepanos and cooked them in a little bit of olive oil on the stove in my cast iron skillet. I turned them periodically so that the skin got evenly blistered. While they were cooking I cut a ring of onions from my white onion. When the jalepanos were nice and blistered I removed them from the skillet and replaced them with the onion slices (I separated the ring). As the onions cooked I peeled the blistered skin off of the jalepanos, cut off the top and bottom, and chopped them into little pieces. I then added them back to the skillet with the onions.

After the onions were lightly browned, I removed the onions and the jalepanos and set them aside. I then placed the patties in the skillet and cooked them most of the way through, flipping them a couple of times (I could have left them alone but I get impatient and tend to flip more than necessary). I then placed a slice of Fat Free American Cheese (by Kraft--very yummy even without the fat) on each patty.

While the cheese melted and the patties continued cooking I prepared my plate with a bun. If there had been any tomatoes or lettuce in the house I would have put them on my bun (and if I used other condiments I could have done so as well), but we didn't (and I don't) so I left the bun open and ready. When the cheese was nice and melty I scooped out one of the patties and placed it on the bun. I topped that patty with the jalepanos (which soaked into the cheese) and the onions. Then I placed the other patty on top, followed by the top of the bun. The end result was a burger so delicious that I didn't even wait long enough to get a picture!

Next time I make them I will try to take a picture. I will definitely be making these again soon! Yummy!

Swaddling Blankets and the Cricut

So I haven't really ventured into any of my crafts lately. Been trying to take care of a sick baby and deal with the joys of being in the first trimester of pregnancy. Between appointments, cuddling, keeping the house in (somewhat) order, cooking, and crouching over the toilet (or sink with garbage disposal--don't worry I wash it afterwards) I haven't had time or the desire to do any crafting. Which is a shame.

But now I am pondering two new things (on top of Christmas and the crocheting and other projects I've got going). The first is how to make swaddling blankets that are lightweight (as in more breathable than flannel which makes Sherwood sweat really bad). The concept isn't hard. Take a piece of fabric, cut a large square, and hem the edges. The question is in regards to what fabric to use. I have no idea what fabric would work well and yet be really breathable. I also don't know what size to make them. I want them to be big enough for my growing boy to be swaddled in for the next few months. He still has three months before he hits 6 months and I want to swaddle him at least that long.

The second thing I am pondering is how to connect letters on my Cricut. I didn't know it was possible until Nenna was telling me about a friend of hers who has one and was able to connect words. Now I am puzzled as to how to do this. It would make my creations so much better because with it all as one connected word I would be able to use my sticker maker more easily and it would make the letters much more accessible. It would also help with my card making. I have some Christmas cards that I made last year but it would be nice to be able to make some more. Maybe I could make some to sell? Hmmm...that's a thought.

Anyway, if you have any answers to these ponderings I would love the insight. If not I will keep searching online until I figure it out. And hopefully I will be able to continue crafting. :)