I have to say- I made these for dinner tonight for my husband and two friends, served with sweet potato fries. They were the best turkey burgers we have ever made. Thank you, yumwatch Carrie! Easy, delicious, impressive- perfect dinner!
So here’s a little sandwich/burger recipe I’ve been working on — I’m still tinkering with it (and also I don’t measure! anything! ever!), but the flavors have bomb-in-your-mouth potential and it’s essentially pretty healthy. I think this is an original, from-my-own-brain recipe, but I’m not sure? The ingredients may seem a little anti-intuitive, but it all comes together nicely.
Carrie’s Spicy Chutney Turkey Burgers
You can just do your basic turkey burger as you like it, but I made mini turkey-meatloafs using the following mix:
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 egg
- 1 carrot
- 1/4 roasted red pepper
- 1/2 small onion
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- salt, pepper, crushed red pepper to taste
Roughly chop the onion, carrot, and bell pepper and then whiz them through a food processor until they’re verrrrrrry finely chopped. Mix with all other ingredients, form into patties, and either grill, saute, or bake in a 375 oven for about 25 minutes. (I baked mine.)
Other burger components:
- Buns (I used Trader Joe’s mini-ciabatta)
- Quick-pickled onion (toss them in red wine vinegar, dill, and salt, let sit in the fridge for 30 min.)
- Sliced roasted red bell pepper (I just roasted mine on the oven burner, but you can use jarred bell peppers as well)
- Mango chutney or other tropical fruit spread
- Sliced mozzarella
- Mayonnaise :D
Layer at will. It’s crunchy, salty, creamy, sweet, spicy, and savory.
Kenny Powers
Just saw the Eastbound and Down panel during Paleyfest.
Interesting tidbits:
They film each season like a long movie and then cut it into episodes later. The third season will probably be the last. Katy Mixon came into her audition “looking all Jessica Rabbit.” Since they shoot in the South, everyone’s mom hangs out on set all day.
It was just endearing and great and hilarious. I’m grateful to live here. Some days, I couldn’t be more in love with Los Angeles had I raised it myself.
Enjoy the silence
So I started a new job. I left a small agency and moved to the big studio side of things.
I’ve gone from leisurely working from home, running my errands, going to the good classes at the gym (let’s be honest, the best classes are during the day) to working at a frenzy, businesswoman’s special outfits, and working with very ambitious 24 year olds.
Do all 24 year olds talk in the same nasal, languid voice or just the ones in California? It’s fascinating. That being said, I like them, a lot, but it’s weird, I haven’t been in this position before: of being older. I’ve always been young and hip and whatever and now I’m all “Oh, I’m 33, hanging out with my husband, tupperwared healthy lunch that I cooked, here are my work PANTS which do not go with your DRESSY LEGGINGS.” It’s weird. I feel like that old lady in all my college classes who was too busy ACHIEVING and being prepared while I was busy being hungover and having too many “intense” “adult” relationship sagas. So that’s the thing- I don’t dislike them, but I am weirded out by how I feel around them. It’s like high school.
The more important part is I like the work, I thrive with a busy pace and I find it all fascinating. So hopefully I’ll stand out for that.
The main thing I’ve been thinking about though is how hilarious/wrong Michaele Salahi is for going to Celebrity Rehab without having a problem. What the hell.
I am trying to catch up but I miss the internet.
This morning
I received a reminder email from Lifetime that the Amanda Knox Murder In Italy movie is on tomorrow. I am skeptical, but will be recording it.
Just spent 20 minutes googling what the hell happened to Mickey Rourke’s face while my husband watches Rumble Fish. Boxing plus speculations of plastic surgery is not a good enough answer. Also, this is one of the most beautifully shot films of all time and I highly recommend it if you haven’t seen it, it’s currently streaming on Netflix.
It’s going to be a good day, good morning. 
So in the last two weeks I got the terrible bronchial flu, went to my sister-in-law’s engagement party in Texas and had some Brothers and Sisters type melodrama emosh moments, and I also got a new job.
I still haven’t recovered. The flu started over two weeks ago and I can’t get my lung capacity back. I usually work out 4-5 times a week and after the near vomit coughing fit I had after attempting a workout last week, I’ve taken it easy. I’m considerably weaker, this bug just slayed me. Now I’m in this weird place where I am having a hard time going to the gym out of fear/sloth but feel all soft and puffy and gross. I’ve never been a “I can’t finish anything” person, my problem is in the starting, and now I can’t start working out again.
The engagement party was beautiful and huge. Having grown up as an only child, it’s been fascinating from that outside-looking-in way to see how my relationships with his siblings have grown. Having siblings that you don’t fight with is pretty fun. It was great because it was also sort of our coming out party to his parents’ friends, but we weren’t the couple in the center, so that was refreshing. Pressure-free charm zone.
The job is exciting. I’m leaving a small “we’re a family” job for a fancier job. I’m nervous to be in an office again (after 2 years of working from home). I’ve gotten very accustomed to empty grocery stores and the fact that yes, all the best gym classes are during the workday (“lucky bitch moms” says my friend) and just having my own space/schedule. However, it’s a great opportunity and there’s nowhere for me to go at my current job. I like the people, it’s a small department in a big company. I’m excited.
And that’s what’s been happening.
I feel like this is the internet. Paul Haggis article, the Party Down oral history, etc etc
New Drinking Game
Everytime Andy Cohen says “….kay” during an awkward moment in reunion shows.
Germs
I am the worst at being sick. It happens rarely. First I play the “it’s just allergies” game until I fall over. Then I become Encyclopedia Brown trying to sleuth out the source. That’s where we are now. I mean, my lungs hurt and I have a rattly cough. I feel like my skull is expanding and contracting like an accordian. So let’s look at the evidence.
We had dinner on Tuesday with a friend who was recovering from strep.
Wednesday friends were going to come over, but he had the flu (so through the phone. Farfetched, but sure, who knows)
I stopped using antibacterial wipes after I quit the mortuary (a whole other post) and am pretty anti-anti-bacterial stuff. However I’ve been trying to change my workouts and have spent more time on machines and in gravity classes and they make you use those stupid wipes.
People who use the machines and DON’T use the stupid wipes. (Can’t win for losing here folks)
We took a long hike yesterday afternoon up to the Hollywood reservoir and it’s just all the crazy wind and it really is just ferocious allergies.
Our friends who were here last night who came back from Argentina and Hawaii (plane germs!).
It’s hard to say. INCONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE.
We were at Disneyland a few weeks ago for a friend’s birthday. Did you know you can get married at Disneyland? We witnessed it, right by the castle, on the opposite side of Snow White’s wishing well there’s a little courtyard. There are Disneyland employees on either side and there was a young grinning Asian couple in tux and gown, and maybe 8 family members (it’s a tiny space). There were 4 Disney employees at either entrance of the courtyard so that no one could walk through. Another Disney employee acted as officiant (and he was unbelievably handsome, like Disney prince handsome, tall, lantern-jaw, big eyes, all that). Here’s where it gets weird. Mickey and Minnie are the maid of honor and best man. And make all those silent winking gestures reserved for people in character suits. They are in formalwear and the first dance after the kiss between the newlyweds is WITH THE CHARACTERS. Not all 4 dancing together, but Bride with MIckey, Groom with Minnie. Then they were swept over to a table 5 feet away with a bottle of champagne (though maybe it was sparkling cider? Since they were in the park and not in Club 33?) while Mickey and Minnie pranced around dancing for them? The select family meanwhile all had is-this-seriously-happening toothy grimaces or overly eager SO-MAGICAL smiles. Plus there was a huge group of people gawking over the drawbridge at their special moment (us included). It was one of the strangest things I’ve ever seen.
Ugh
Am wrapping the little gifts I got for my husband for his birthday. I am the worst at wrapping. Like, I’m fine with keeping things in the mail order box they came in and letting people open that. It’s the same experience, just with corrugated cardboard instead of slippery paper. Usually at Christmas, my parents take over for me in frustration and just wrap for me. They look at me in disgust that I don’t care about bows and clever tags and symmetry. If there’s enough tape to hide what’s inside that’s good enough for me.
I remember when I was a kid I used to BEG my mother to make curly ribbons for every gift. She has said several times she’s thought about taking a part time gift wrapping job for fun. Every gift I took to a birthday party always stood out in its perfection. I’m just not into details. Same thing with baking, I’m into quantity and taste, not decorating each one individually. Our poor future theoretical kids.
Everything I wrap ends up with rounded corners because I can’t be bothered to trim the excess paper. Every gift looks like lumpy tshirts.
Unrelated, I’m grateful that Dine LA week usually coincides with his birthday. Fancy cheap dinner for everyone!
And it continues
So Saturday we had a few people over for Beardo’s birthday. Had a cooler full of Chick-fil-a sandwiches, a crockpot full of tater tots, Old Bay popcorn, spinach dip and veggies, fresh pineapple and grapes, ice cream cake (he turned 8 years old!) and lots of booze. We started at 1 and went til 9, per the invite. Our friend has started dating this new girl. He’s head over heels in love with her and we think she’s nice, but don’t really see it. She’s just a little too…assumed intimacy? Like, she walks around our house barefoot and takes food out of our fridge and just starts eating it? Anyway, they came up from OC around 4 and had tickets to a show at 9. They left their car at our house (due to drunkz) and took a cab there. Around 10:30, we were falling asleep. It was just one pair of friends left and they were winding down, helping me tidy the kitchen while Beardo was pretending he wasn’t asleep on the couch. The other two bust in through the front door and he opens a fresh beer while she opens the fridge to start snacking (since all the food has been put away because the party is OVER). Our cleaning couple friends look baffled and ask her, jokingly, “what, are you staying here tonight?” and she responds “Oh, we haven’t decided yet, maybe.” NEWS TO US. Her boyfriend, one of my husband’s best friends, crashes here often, but usually just passes out on the couch and needs nothing. It’s different. We’ve been friends with him for YEARS, he’d do anything for us, and he’s incredibly grateful and respectful. He always asks first. This left me feeling like an innkeeper. One person passing out on the couch is fine. But two… Like, that involves moving things from our guest room (my office) and putting sheets on the bed (for what I assume is their inevitable drunk sex in our house). I imagine this is what the mother of 4 teenage boys feels like.
There’s nothing we can do. She’s not rude, exactly (though I’m certainly highlighting her ruder points for the sake of venting), she’s just socially weird. Not even awkward, just weird. She’s like an alien. Like, she KIND OF gets social structure, but it’s just a little off (seriously, there’s beer ALL OVER THE FLOOR, you were wearing flats? PUT YOUR SHOES ON! That’s some Britney gas station shit right there). Also, she is very nice but I have yet to find her funny (hopefully it’s in there?) and life is too short to have friends that aren’t both pretty AND funny.
Aside from that, we had a super fun time. We played a rousing and hilarious game of pennycan on the lawn, and badminton. Listened to a fantastic array of records. The food was delicious (patting myself on the back). Very little cleanup (aside from floors which are a given). One of the best things was when a friend of ours sabered open a bottle of champagne using a martini glass. And because it was an early ended party, we didn’t feel awful yesterday! Still went to the gym in the morning and Beardo djed last night. Overall, 9/10.
I can’t figure out
how to respond to notes.
So, thiswontlastlong, I completely agree with you. It is awful when you show up to something without knowing it’s a small event.
It seems the common denominator in both situations is crappy middleman friends with bad manners. They should host a party for us all.
When did it become ok
To be invited somewhere and then invite your friends who aren’t friends with the host? Trying to plan a birthday weekend away at Beardo’s family’s place, very small group, and we meet up with one of the invitees last night at El Chavito. She tells us that she also invited the other two people at the table, who want to bring guests. One of them is a loud fun acquaintance who drinks way too much and is notorious for things like hurling platters of salmon at parties. Like, we like that person, but not for a relaxed weekend. We glossed over it at the table and dodged it, but when we got home, we were equally miffed.
Then tonight we’re having people over and someone called me today saying, “Oh, I’m bringing my roommate, I hope that’s ok.”
I mean, not to be the most cliche of mothers, but telling someone isn’t the same as asking, especially into someone’s house.
Harrumph grumble manners harrumph.
I spend a lot of time thinking about the love and friendship between these two. We saw a John Waters Xmas a few years ago at UCLA, and Johnny Knoxville was in the audience. Waters waxed poetic about the extreme homoeroticism amongst the Jackass boys and how he just loves them all so much. On one hand, I love that they find similarities and kinship in their work. On the other, do you think Johnny leads John on? And it’s like a Gods and Monsters thing? I don’t want anyone to make John Waters sad. So I create this melodrama and then start to hate Johnny Knoxville. Every time.
UNC
The greatest thing I got out of living in Greeley for 5 years is that I never miss a Horace Greeley question on Jeopardy.
(aside from invaluable friendships, of course)
(oh, and a fairly useless degree)
