Camping with some Tasty Turkey Burgers!

We did manage to squeeze in a trip with the RV (only the water pump blew!) to go camping which was a lot of fun and I’m not as cranky as I might have been otherwise. This is good-- the kids go back to school Monday! Back to school is always crazy. It starts with a packet-pick-up day a week or two before the start of school. The packet contains the one million forms that must be filled out by every member of our extended family. We call it “homework for parents.” Anyway we have a month left until school start, I guess I should be getting back into the swing of things, you know like showering our kids regularly and making sure they have school clothes. Hannah Rose’s new uniform of course isn’t the same *&^%$ color as her old one so I had to find a dozen fashionable black polo’s and new nice but not decorated or baggy or decorated or torn etc. jeans. I don’t even want to get into the joys of bra shopping with her. Then there’s the “rally” a few days before school starts. For Hannah Rose it’s called Falcon Frenzy and she’s at least pleased with the classes she got. That’s when parents and kids descend in a crazy mob to return forms, sign up to volunteer, study the class lists to find out whether they’re grouped with friend or foe, and check out the classroom for the next year. I try not to be THAT mom. But it is in my blood to procrastinate to the point of absurdity. I try to let the fruits of my wait-to-the-last-moment harvest affect only me, but one year I was THAT mom. The mom that sent her kids to school on the first day without school supplies. {Gasp} It has been a busy end of summer, start of fall. We had returned from camping to find that the to-do list exceeded the time available for to-doing. So I got Hannah Rose outfitted in new school uniforms, needed shoes, belts, backpacks and lunch boxes. I ordered a list of books for each child that rivaled a library aisle in size. Who knew binders came in so many sizes? Will she really fail 11 grade if I get the 2 inch instead of the 3 inch? I guess so. Anyway, during our camping we naturally had to cook outside and we recommend these turkey burgers. Tasty Turkey Burgers • 1 lb ground turkey • 1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs (I use whole wheat) • 3 tablespoons onions, minced • 2 tablespoons ketchup • 1 tablespoon lemon juice • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce • 1 teaspoon soy sauce • 1/4 teaspoon paprika • 2 garlic cloves, minced • 1/4 teaspoon liquid red pepper seasoning (optional) • black pepper, to taste • 6 hamburger buns, to serve Directions: 1. Combine all ingredients in large bowl. 2. Shape into 6 patties. 3. Pan-fry, broil, or grill until lightly browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. 4. Serve in hamburger buns with desired toppings. 5. Lay out the toppings: lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, ketchup, and fat-free/light mayo.

Everything's better with chocolate....and wine.

Well I’ve not written much lately because it’s been insane at work, with a teacher out on medical leave and 5 weeks of workman’s comp and covering her classroom although we discovered in the end she was fine and did not indeed have a “broken spine” . Ugh. Then she was accused of slapping a child and there was a 3 week investigation by the state, meanwhile I’m paying 2 staff members to “do” one person’s job. Naturally she didn't do it and everything's fine it just took forever to sort out. So yes a very stressful summer. Oi vey. This summer at work has had a series of downwards spirals that really just turned in to me clawing at the sides of a bottomless pit. I’m getting too old for this…… So tonight I will eat chocolate and drink wine. Lots of both. After all I have to get the kids ready for school this weekend and I might as well wallow in irresponsibility as long as possible. Chocolate Truffles Recipe INGREDIENTS Basic truffle ingredients • 8 ounces of semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate (high quality, 62% cacao or higher), well chopped into small pieces • 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract Optional base flavorings: • Mint leaves (1 bunch, stems removed, chopped, about 1 cup) • Cinnamon and cardamon (1 cinnamon stick, 2 cardamom pods) • Amaretto (1-2 tablespoons) • Almond extract (1 teaspoon) Truffle coatings • Cocoa powder • Finely chopped walnuts • Finely chopped almonds METHOD 1 In a small, heavy saucepan bring the heavy whipping cream to a simmer (this may take a while, be sure to stir and scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula every few minutes). If you are using one of the other recommended flavorings, stir it in with the cream (and ignore vanilla in the next step). If adding mint or other solids, after the cream simmers, remove from heat and let seep for an hour. Then strain away solids, and return the cream to a simmer and proceed with recipe. 2 Place the chocolate in a separate bowl. Pour the cream over the chocolate, add the vanilla, and allow to stand for a few minutes then stir until smooth. (This chocolate base is called ganache.) 3 Allow to cool, then place in the refrigerator for two hours. Remove and with a teaspoon roll out balls of the ganache. Roll in your hands quickly (as it will melt from the heat of your hands) and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place in the refrigerator overnight. 4 Roll in cocoa powder or chopped nuts and serve, or place back in the refrigerator until needed. Yield: Makes 30-40 chocolate truffles