Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Turkey Black Bean Burgers with Salsa

I am not a huge fan of burgers, but loved the idea of these turkey burgers with salsa. They were very flavorful, which is hard to come across sometimes with turkey burgers. They were very easy to make, and I actually halved the recipe which gave me 3 smaller sized bugers, which is a perfect size for me.

I also made some of my homemade salsa and just added some grilled corn to it.

You can find the original recipe which is by the Deen Brothers here.


Turkey Black Bean Burgers with Salsa

Burgers:
-- 1/4 cup olive oil
-- 1 1/4 pounds ground turkey
-- 1/2 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed, drained, and lightly mashed
-- 1 cup crushed tortilla chips
-- 2 teaspoons The Lady and Sons House Seasoning, recipe follows
-- 1 tablespoon chile powder
-- 1 tablespoon ground cumin

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, or prepare your grill (I cooked these out on my grill, and did not use the olive oil).

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. In a large bowl, combine the turkey, beans, tortilla chips, House Seasoning, chile powder, and cumin. Use your hands to form the mixture into 8 equal sized patties, working in batches if necessary. Cook the patties until no longer pink in the middle, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the patties to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

To serve: Spoon the salsa mixture over the burgers. Top with avocado slices and sour cream or whatever your choice of toppings.

The Lady and Sons House Seasoning:
-- 1 cup salt
-- 1/4 cup pepper
-- 1/4 cup garlic powder
-- 1/4 cup onion powder

Combine all the ingredients. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 6 months.

Monday, April 4, 2011

Amy Butler Yoga Bag

I have been shopping for a yoga bag for over a year now. There are a lot of cute ones out there, but the cute ones were always much more than I was willing to pay. I came across this pattern a few months ago, and just had to try and make it.


This probably took about 4 or 5 hours to make, and I did it over the course of a two day weekend just so I did not get burnt out.

The pattern is by Amy Butler and you can find it on her website for free here. It was a pretty simple pattern and the directions were pretty easy. You just have to make sure to read them throughly and take it one step at a time.

It's hard to tell, but there are 3 pockets on the front of the bag and they are perfect for your keys/phone/etc. So far I am loving it, and really love the fun fabric I was able to find at Sew to Speak. If you are up for the challenge, I totally recommend you try making this.