Spicy avocado turkey burgers

It is always hard to write when I have a heavy heart. Boston's tragedy is weighing on me, as they all do. Airplanes, movie theaters, kindergarten classrooms and now marathons?! It is sad, sick, tragic and incomprehensible. Normally I would set my computer aside and try again in the morning. Since we will be traveling for most of the day tomorrow, that unfortunately is not an option. And so I write!

We have had such a nice vacation in North and South Carolina. Dan and I had a solid 48 hours of time sans kids, which was cherished beyond words. My dad and stepmom watched our boys while we enjoyed the ocean and warm sun and friends and each other. Tomorrow. Tomorrow. [insert very deep and strained groan] We will get on a plane and fly back to the land of never-ending snow and cold. Yes, the yard glacier still stands. No, I am not excited about leaving. Yes, I will miss my dad and stepmom and our vacation terribly. No, I am not excited about leaving. No, I am not excited about leaving. No, I am not excited about leaving.

Perhaps grilling season will open its welcoming arms soon. Until then, we will continue to grill burgers in the cold upon our arrival back home. This batch was a great one to start "the season" with last week. Have you noticed that I have had a bit of an obsession with hot peppers lately?

Light a grill over medium heat.

In a medium bowl, combine:

1 pound ground turkey (or beef, if you aren't worried about slimming the burger down)

1/4 cup red onion, chopped

1 jalapeño pepper, chopped

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Using your hands, mix the ingredients together thoroughly. Divide the mixture into four equal portions and form patties.

Place the patties on the lighted grill and cook for 5 minutes on each side, or until desired level of done-ness is reached.

Layer each burger as follows:

Bottom bun

Burger

1 slice of cheddar cheese

1 tomato slice

1/4 of an avocado (peeled, pitted and thinly sliced)

A couple spoonfuls of salsa

1 large piece of lettuce

Top bun

Happy delicious burger eating! 

Printable recipe: Spicy avocado turkey burgers

Soft pretzels with jalapeño cheese dip

I have an update on our yard glacier! I will post about it in the morning. Hurry and get your guess in for your chance to win $200 before the polls close!

The sun is shining today, but it is still only in the 30s. I stepped outside to get my cutie off the bus and was shocked by the wave of cold air that smacked me in the face. Goodness, SPRING! Where the heck are you?!

Onto these pretzels and the totally gooey cheese dip that I made last night. They are almost gone because my boys have been munching on them non-stop since the moment they came out of the oven. "Another pretzel, Mom. A big one, please."

And the cheese dip? I am trying to shed my winter pounds, so I had to really pull myself together after I took a few bites of this stuff. I limited myself to three bites. It was tough.

First, get the pretzels started!

(adapted from the Food Network.)

In a small saucepan, warm 1 cup of milk until it reaches 110 degrees F. This took less than 5 minutes, if you do not own a candy thermometer. Do not let the milk boil!

Pour it into a medium bowl.

Sprinkle one 1/4-oz. package of acrive dry yeast over the top.

Let it sit for 2 minutes.

Add:

1 cup all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons light brown sugar (mine drowned in the milk before I could snap the pic!)

Mix until incorporated.

Cube 2 tablespoons of salted butter and soften it in the microwave.

Add it to the mixture and stir.

Add:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon fine salt

Stir until a sticky dough forms. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead, adding more flour if needed, until smooth (3 to 5 minutes).

Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly greased bowl.

Cover the bowl and place it in a warm place until it has doubled in size, between 60 and 90 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

When the dough is ready, punch to deflate it and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough into 5 equal pieces. Roll and stretch each piece with your hands to form a 20- to 24-inch rope. Cut each rope in half, making ten 10- to 12-inch ropes.

Form each rope into a pretzel shape.

In a shallow dish, dissolve 1/3 cup of baking soda in 3 cups of hot water. Gently dip each pretzel in the soda solution, covering each one completely.

Arrange the dipped pretzels on the prepared baking sheets.

Sprinkle the pretzels generously with coarse salt. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until the pretzels are golden-brown.

In a small bowl, melt 8 tablespoons of butter in the microwave. Using a basting brush, spread the melted butter over the entire surface of each pretzel once they are out of the oven.

What should you serve with these soft, delicious pretzels, you ask? The jalapeño cheese dip I am about to share with you is a perfect match, and you can prepare it in 10 minutes or less (while the pretzels are cookin' in the oven).

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.

Add 1 diced jalapeño pepper and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until it is softened and fragrant.

Add:

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Stir until lumps form (this happens quickly, so have your milk ready).

Add:

1 cup milk

Whisk the mixture until the lumps are gone. Heat to boiling. Lower the heat and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Remove from the heat and add:

Salt and pepper, to your liking

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (or whatever shredded cheese is hanging out in your fridge)

Stir until the cheese is melted. 

Ding! The pretzels are done and both are ready to serve! ENJOY!

Printable recipe: Soft pretzels

Printable recipe: Jalapeño cheese dip

Hot pepper jelly

I am writing this post from the south! We are celebrating my stepmother's 30th year in the ministry this weekend in North Carolina. Family members have gathered from all around the country to spend time together, and most importantly to let Paula know how loved and special she is. It has been absolutely wonderful spending time with family! My boys have been receiving all sorts of love. Going home tomorrow is going to be a sad day for all of us.

Last week, before the rest of our family arrived from Michigan and Minnesota and Arkansas and Iowa, Paula and I were canning fiends! My favorite thing that emerged from our canning efforts was this hot pepper jelly. I plan to bring a few jars back home with us, and I also plan to coat everything I see with this nectar. DELICIOUS!

In a large saucepan, combine:

1 cup green bell peppers, cored and ground

3/4 cup jalapeno peppers, ground

6 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups white vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add:

One 1.75-oz. package fruit pectin powder

Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and add 6 drops of green food coloring.

Pour the hot jelly into hot, sterilized 1/2-pint mason jars. Seal tightly with hot lids and set in a cool place. The lids will pop as they seal. Store at room temperature or in the refrigerator. 

Serve with cream cheese and crackers. Or do like I plan to do this week and put it on everything.

Printable recipe: Hot pepper jelly

Jalapeño cream cheese stuffed chicken breasts

Some days I picture myself in a Family Circus comic, where you can see the path of footprints through the house with all of the unnecessary turns and stops all the way through. If I tracked my steps around this house in a single day, it would be hilarious! Back, forth, around in circles, up, down, repeat. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE IT. I love being at home with my boys, and even on the rough days I feel like I appreciate almost every little moment with them. There will be a day when I will miss this circus, and I always try to remember that.

So here in my circus-like kitchen, with the performers doing acrobatics around me, I made this totally yummy stuffed chicken. It was sooo good, you guys! And not "too" spicy (i.e., not too spicy to serve to guests). And it is super easy to prepare.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

In each of 6 defrosted chicken breast halves, cut a slit horizontally into the breast without going all the way through to the other side.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.

Add:

2 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

Cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add:

8-oz. package of cream cheese

1/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Stir until the cheese is melted.

Divide the mixture between the 6 breasts and spoon into the openings.

Seal the ends and secure with toothpicks. Place the chicken in the prepared baking dish. I propped the breasts on their ends so that they were stuffing-side up because I was afraid the guts would leak out if I would have laid them on their sides. It worked well having them stacked like tacos.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. 

Remove the toothpicks and serve warm. If you are feeling crazy, serve with salsa and guacamole.

From my circus to yours!

Printable recipe: Jalapeno cream cheese stuffed chicken breasts

Chicken jalapeno dip

This delicious Mexican dip is flavorful, spicy and cheesy, my three favorite ways to describe food. I love that it is unique and familiar all at once. I am marking this as a new favorite for parties. Or, just for those indulgent days when my husband and I decide to enjoy a margarita and a spicy, gooey treat. We are due for one of those soon.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, combine:

2 8-oz. packages cream cheese

1/3 cup skim milk

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 red bell pepper, chopped

3 jalapeno peppers, chopped (give or take, depending how much you like for your mouth to burn)

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Pull and coarsely shred the meat from 1 Rotisserie chicken, discarding the skin and bones. Add the chicken meat to the mixture and stir until combined. Transfer the mixture to a medium-sized, greased baking dish.

Top with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Serve with chips and pita bread. Have a cold margarita handy!

Click here for a printable recipe!