Turkey Meatloaf Burger

Original Pin:

(Disclaimer: I saw this in Rachael Ray's Look and Cook before I saw it on Pinterest)

Ingredients:

· 4 tablespoons butter
· 1 small mcintosh apple (I didn't see any mcintosh at my grocery store so I bought a lady allice instead), peeled and finely chopped
· 1 small onion (I prefer red so that is what I used), finely chopped
· 1 small rib celery, finely chopped
· Salt and pepper
· 1/3 cup plain breadcrumbs
· 1 pound ground dark-meat turkey
· 1 large egg
· 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
· 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
· 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning (about 2/3 palmful)
· Extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), for drizzling
· Sliced sharp white cheddar, for topping
· 1/3 cup whole-berry cranberry sauce
· 3 tablespoons sour cream
· 2 tablespoons chopped chives
· 4 large sandwich-size sourdough English muffins, split and toasted
· 4 thin slices red onion (I forgot this…)
· 4 leaves red-leaf or red romaine lettuce (I forgot this, but it would be delicious)

Directions:
(from Rachael Ray's Website)

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the butter to melt, then add the apple, onion and celery; season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. 

2. Stir in the breadcrumbs, then transfer to a bowl to cool; reserve the skillet. 
3. Mix in the turkey, egg, parsley, mustard and poultry seasoning; season with salt and pepper. 
4. Form into four (I made 6 smaller (but still good sized) patties instead, well I had seven but one fell apart) 4-inch patties.

5. Wipe out the reserved skillet and add a liberal drizzle of EVOO. Warm over medium-high heat, add the patties and cook, turning once, until cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Top with the cheddar during the last minute.

6. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the cranberry sauce, sour cream and chives.

7. Serve the patties on the English muffins with the onion, lettuce and cranberry-sour cream sauce.

Rachel Approved?: YES! This was probably the most delicious burger I've ever eaten. It combines my two favorite foods: Burgers and Thanksgiving. (Yes, "Thanksgiving" is a food). 
I definitely overuse phrases like "the best day ever", but I think cooking this was "the proudest I've felt after cooking something ever."

You don't even notice the missing lettuce and red onion slice

Anything that could make it better?: Having my sweet potato fries done cooking at the same time as my burger...

Check out that ranch and BBQ sauce mixture!

But seriously, I should have used a little less apple - I had a little trouble keeping my burgers together. 

What is the best burger you've ever made? Was the recipe from Pinterest?

Microwave Cleaner/De-Odorizer

Original Pin:

Directions:
From Budget Savy Diva's Blog
Mix 1 cup hot water (I made my water hot with the tap) and 1 cup vinegar in microwave safe bowl. Microwave mixture for 10 min. 
You could be productive during this time and get some other cleaning done, but I chose not to. 

My favorite way to clean: wine, ice cream, and Duck Dynasty! 

Pin Approved?: No. I'd say my microwave (originally smelling of bacon) went from a 9 (on a 1-10 scale with 10 being the worst) to an 8. So not a big change. The scent is now a mix of bacon and vinegar and my kitchen and dining area smell of vinegar which is less than ideal. (I'm very glad that I'm having nice weather so my kitchen window can be wide open!) 

Any positives?: Yes, after the process it was easy to wipe down my microwave. Mine was pretty clean to start with, but I'm guessing that this method may help with food splashes that have dried.

What now?: Luckily, Pinterest has a multitude of ways to clean-deodorize microwaves so I'll be trying another method later this week. 


Have you tried to clean your microwave using a natural solution? What worked? What did not work? 

Pin Tested: Chocolate Chip Mug Cookie

Inspiration/Original Pin:

Mug recipes are everywhere! I LOVE chocolate chip cookies, but I don't love making a whole batch for myself so I thought I would try this mug recipe. 

I followed directions from Domesticated Duchess

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon of butter 
1 tablespoon of white sugar
1 tablespoon of packed brown sugar
3 drops of vanilla extract
1 dash of salt
1 egg yolk
scant 1/4 cup of flour (a bit less than 1/4 cup)
2 tablespoons of chocolate chips (I mixed regular and mini semi-sweet chips)

Instructions:
1. Melt butter in a mug (I used a large mug, but a normal sized mug would work well too) using the microwave
2. Add sugars, vanilla and salt. Stir. 

3. Separate your egg and add only the yolk. Stir.

4. Add flour, and stir again (now it will look like dough)

5. Add chocolate chips and give a final stir
6. Cook in microwave for 45 seconds

Ready for the microwave!

Results:

Pin Tested?: YUM!! Oh my goodness - this cookie was delicious! The texture of this cookie is great. It is easy to make and turned out much better than my Banana Bread in a Mug. I also enjoyed the short list of ingredients (only seven!). 
It is a perfect late night snack or afternoon pick-up. 

Improvements: This cookie was a bit bland. I may add a little extra vanilla, sugar, or butter next time. 

-Rachel 
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