Gobble Patties.

Which is to say: Turkey Burgers!!

I love summer for reasons we don't have to get into. What's that? We can? There's summer camp!! Travelling!! Drinking on Tuesday afternoons!! I don't mind sweating, even though I do so excessively. Also, as a teacher, during the summer it is possible to remember my own name and think cohesive thoughts with or without copious amounts of terrible workroom coffee that will inevitably be spilled all over my fake grown-up clothes during wild gesticulations in response to dumbass eighth grade comments and/or my own enthusiastic interpretation of under-appreciated poetry.

These are all good things, people.

Summer is also for eating outdoors. Preferably in the company of people you love, or at least sorta like. Which brings us back to the issue at hand. 'Da burgs: I threw these together for one of our* first meals on the little patio furniture not long ago, and now I never need to eat turkey burgers any other way.

*"Our" meaning Marie, my domestic partner's. But they're iron, and I do the heavy lifting around here.

Turkey Burgers!

1 lb-ish ground turkey (I used 97/3)

little handful of chopped basil

little handful of chopped cilantro

1/3 medium red onion, chopped

1/4 c water (Sounds weird, but keeps it from being dry. Mix it right in.)

a dash or two of Mrs. Dash

Salt and Pepper to taste

A melt-able white cheese like provolone or swiss

Mix it all up with your hands, and make four patties. Grill until done outdoors or inside; a cast iron skillet with raised grill thingies worked well for me. When finished, move to a plate, put cheese on top, and cover to melt while you grab everything else.

I highly recommend topping with avocado, spinach, and wants-to-be-fancy-flavored-but-is-really-just-Kraft mayo.

And toasting the buns helps, too.

Woo-hoo!!

Beer Margaritas

Those who know me well can tell you exactly how I feel about winter. They could probably tell you more politely than I would.

To celebrate the upcoming spring and summer, now presenting itself degree by warming degree, I give to you Beergaritas. These were the perfect compliment to a taco potluck Sunday night, and taste exactly like what you remember summer to be. Backyards, barbecues, frisbee and front porches.

Beergaritas

1 can limeade concentrate, thawed or slushy

1 cup tequila

4 beers (Corona was great)

limes, for garnish and to float

Combine in a festive pitcher. Throw in some limes in slices or wedges. Give it a stir.

Serve over ice. Salt optional. Summer soundtrack mandatory.

Bread Pudding

Bread pudding is the ultimate comfort food. It is also so very flexible that one would have topractically try to mess it up. One time, a batch of Amish Friendship Bread (the culinary equivalent of those old-school chain letters that haunt one's existance) was such failure that I just cubed it, let it dry out, and I'll be derned if didn't make a killer bread pudding. Then again, any dessert consumed with bourbon sauce, The Bachelor, and the company of fellow blog contributers. . .

Anyway, the bottom line is this: Comfort food + Easy = Me loving it.

So I had made these whole wheat dinner rolls a while back (like way back), and there were a few left. I always let them hang around on the counter for a while with the intention of bread pudding, but these were really like little rocks. Like, get-the-rolling pin-out-and-hammer-them-to-pieces rocks.

I had also just procured four adorable ramekins, so the stars were obviously lined up and screaming bread pudding at me.

Bread Pudding

makes 3 servings in 1/2 cup ramekins

1 and 1/2 c. dried out bread, cubed or broken

1 c. milk

2 eggs

1/4 c. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

a sprinkle of nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 350. Divide the bread among the ramekins (this can also be done in a baking dish on a slightly larger scale).

In a bowl, mix up the eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, and spices.

Pour over the bread. This will probably cause the bread to float up a bit.

For a few minutes, weight a plate on top of the ramekins to hold the bread down so it soaks up some of the custard mixture.

Put them in the oven and wait anxiously for 20 or 30 minutes, or until a knife comes out like they're done. Cool for at least 10 minutes before eating.

Notes: This is a very basic recipe. Because I only had skim milk, I added a few thin slices of melted butter. You could probably throw in another egg if you wanted it a little richer, or more sugar if you like things sweeter.

Raisins are a fun addition, or take out the cinnamon and nutmeg and add chocolate chips.

Homemade Oreos

Hey there.

I'm Annie, and I'm really glad you stopped by to check out our new blog. Tonight I have a recipe that I can't wait to make again. The effort-to-reward ratio is totally in your favor here.

First, as seems to be the thing to do--a bit about myself ( insofar as is necessary for blogging purposes):

I have somehow become the resident dessert-maker for our little community of cookers and eaters. This just happened. I claim no more skills in the production of such confectionry than any of our others. I do enjoy it, however, and seem to have the "What the hell, it'll taste good regardless of what it looks like" attitude necessary for such projects.

I have a thing for family recipes and farmers' markets. I'm scared to death of the day when kids don't know where anything comes from. Even if that means a sunburn and sore hamstrings from picking beans in the summer.

Cooking should never be more trouble than it's worth, and sharing it with your friends is the best part. This isn't to say I haven't selected a few lady-like profanities when caramel seizes or an improvised cake carrier tragically fails. But the good thing about my friends is that they eat it anyway.

All of that said, this blog is a fun project for the seven girls contributing. We are blessed with one another and our shared love of all things genuine and delicious. Please enjoy.

Homemade Oreos

Adapted from recipe originally published in Retro Desserts.

I love chocolate, and for this reason, I never purchase Oreos. Dangerous situation. If you think about it, though, they're a little strange. Like, what on earth are they even made of? No one knows. What you will find below is a recipe for something more honest, but with every ounce of the addictive appeal we know so well. Your friends will think you're magical.

The Cookie Part:

• 1 ½ cups flour
• ½ cup cocoa
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ¼ tsp. baking powder
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 ¼ sticks butter, room temp.
• 1 egg

The Middle Part

• ½ stick butter, room temp.
• ¼ cup shortening
• 2 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 375. In a mixer, mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda and powder, salt, and sugar. On low speed, add the butter, and then the egg. Mix until dough comes together. Line your cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Making sure to keep size uniform, form balls with a rounded teaspoon of dough and place two inches apart. With moistened hands, slightly flatten the dough. Bake for 9 minutes, rotating once for even baking. Set baking sheets on a rack to cool.

For the filling, mix butter and shortening at low speed. Gradually beat in the sugar and vanilla. Turn mixer to high and beat for 2 to 3 minutes until light and fluffy.

To assemble the cookies, pair them up by size. Using a pastry bag or whatever seems like a good idea, get about a teaspoon of filling in the middle of one cookie. Top with the second, and gently press to get filling to the edges.