Heading to Auburn

Hi all! I am driving to Auburn, AL to visit a good friend this weekend and I hope to have some great pictures to put up for you next week. The town is much more photogenic than people might think and I especially want to see the Toomer's Oaks and how they are doing.

If you aren't aware, these 130-year old live oaks were poisoned by a very angry Alabama fan. They anchor a very important landmark in Auburn, Toomer's Corner, which sits between one edge of campus and the main drag downtown. 

Considering the events of this year I was very lucky to see these trees almost a year ago and they were truly beautiful. Auburn fans roll the trees with toilet paper after a football victory, among other events. I'm not sure where this tradition originated and I do find it a bit ironic!

We didn't have a chance to go into Toomer's Drugstore last time I visited so that will be another item on my list. Between the lemonade and the old-fashioned soda fountain it sounds like a good place for lunch. I just need to persuade my friends we should go!

I hope everyone has a great weekend and safe travels if you're heading out like me.

Wordless Wednesday: Lovers' Lane

Family Recipe: Turkey Burgers

Since this Sunday is Father's Day and I will have a busy weekend, I've decided to move up my weekly recipe. And if you'll allow my somewhat biased opinion, I think these turkey burgers would be a great Father's Day meal. 

They are super easy to prepare, but make sure you chill the formed patties in the fridge before putting them on the grill. They tend to come apart otherwise.

These burgers have become a dinner staple in my house and I hope you enjoy them as much as we do. And a very relaxing, Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there!

Turkey Burgers (makes 5-6 patties depending on your preference)
1 package ground turkey*
1 cup plain bread crumbs or plain panko 
1 egg white
1 can low-sodium chopped green chiles (if you can find Hatch, those are the best!)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. ancho chile powder
1/4 tsp. roasted ground cumin
*My grocery store often packages the ground turkey between 1 lb. and 1.4 lbs. Anything in that range is fine for this recipe.

1. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Use your hands to combine well.

2. Form the mixture into 5-6 patties. Chill in the fridge for 15-20 to keep them from falling apart during cooking.

3. You can cook these in a pan over medium-high heat, cooking 5 minutes each side; or on the grill over medium heat for 6 minutes on each side; or on a Foreman Grill. Serve on a hamburger bun with you favorite toppings.

Optional garnishes: salsa, sour cream, fresh cilantro, grilled onions and peppers.

Wishful Wednesday: Pink Flamingos

I didn't know that this is what I wanted to celebrate my next milestone birthday, but I'm going to go ahead and spread the word among my friends.

Spotlight: Glas Designs

When I was in Florida a few weeks ago my friend and I hung out at a local art in the park event. One booth in particular caught our attention: Glas Designs, run by a couple from the Panhandle, had very unique pearl and leather jewelry.

I hadn't seen anything like their designs before since a lot of folks pair pearls with metal. I was also very impressed with the size of their pearls and the wire-wrapped rings that were on display at the front of their tent.

Linda, one of the owners, was creating additional pieces to sell as we stood and chatted with her and after deciding on the style of ring I liked, she wrapped it for me on the spot. This was wonderful since she could fit the ring exactly to my finger and I could watch her work.

I was tickled that the whole family was present at this art fair: Linda worked for the most part with the pearl jewelry; her husband Jason sat behind the tent and created glass beads which they also use in the jewelry; and their two children helped ring up and bag the sales. Even the dog was hanging out by their car!

They have a website that you can visit to see some more of their items. Linda also told us that they travel frequently to Gulf Coast events to sell their jewelry, so if you are in the area they will be visiting I would highly recommend stopping by their tent.

Perfect Summer Salad

This week's recipe has two parts. My brother discovered I this Citrus-Basil Vinaigrette a few years ago and we created the salad above to pair with it. It's one of my favorites and also one that my family requests at gatherings a lot. I start with mixed baby greens and add sliced hearts of palm, toasted pine nuts, golden raisins, and mandarin orange slices. Dried cranberries, cashews, or strawberries would also be delicious. 

Shelving the Book Reviews

One of the characteristics of a blog that I love is change. I know that five years down the road, my current blog may have evolved in a completely different direction and it's exciting to know that I can tweak and hopefully perfect what I'm writing.

That being said, I've realized that while I personally love reading, writing book reviews hasn't been very inspiring for me the way that writing about my craft and cooking projects has been. 

I can trace this reluctance to my school days. I loved learning about new authors and classic literary works through our summer reading program, but I balked at the idea having to write papers about what I'd read.

So for now I'll put away my regular book reviews and reserve them for those books that inspire me enough to write about it. I hope everyone has a great weekend!