OPRAH'S SUMMER PICK FOR FAVORITE TURKEY BURGER

I decided to try a little healthy grillin' this weekend so I made this for my family..... something full of fruits and veggies and low fat..... Mix reviews from the family..... Dad said in his true meat and potatoes kind of way "give it back to Oprah"... Smiley, the oh so adventuresome fifteen year old "tried it, but not too thrilled about it". Me and my mom.... LOVED IT!!! I felt totally satisfied, yet like I really ate smart. It was what guys would term "chick food".... I give a two thumbs up....

Turkey Burger
Serves 8

Oprah found a new favorite food when she tried this turkey burger at Mar-a-Lago, Donald Trump's private club in Palm Beach. "I believe [it] may be the best turkey burger in the entire world," she says. The Mar-a-Lago Turkey Burger will be permanently available at the Trump Bar and Grille in Trump Tower in New York City, open to the public for lunch and dinner. It will also be served during lunch in Chicago at Sixteen, the Trump International Hotel restaurant.

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced
1/8 cup canola oil
4 pounds ground turkey breast
2 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. black pepper
2 tsp. chipotle Tabasco™
1 lemon, juice and grated zest
1/2 bunch parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup Major Grey's Chutney, pureed

Saute the scallions, celery and apples in the canola oil until tender. Let cool. Place the ground turkey in a large mixing bowl. Add sauteed items and the remaining ingredients. Shape into eight 8-ounce burgers. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Season the turkey burgers with salt and pepper. Place on a preheated, lightly oiled grill. Grill each side for 7 minutes until meat is thoroughly cooked. Let sit for 5 minutes. Serve with a side of Mar-a-Lago Pear Chutney and your favorite toasted bread, pita or hamburger roll.

Mar-a-Lago Pear Chutney
Recipe courtesy of Jeff O'Neill
Serves 8

This pear chutney topping is the key to giving the Mar-a-Lago Turkey Burger that extra zing.

INGREDIENTS
1 Anjou pear, peeled and diced
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. sea salt
1 1/2 cups Major Grey's Chutney
1/4 cup dried currants or raisins
Preheat oven to 350°. Toss the diced pears with the cinnamon and salt. Bake on a parchment-lined cookie sheet for 10 minutes. Cool and mix with the chutney and currants or raisins.

FAMILY FACES

MEET MY FAMILY... we are sitting on my parents deck...... See those gorgeous mountains with snow tops??? Ah... this is the Rocky Mountains for ya.
Twinkle Toes enjoying her "fancy" root beer drink... a few seconds later, this whole glass of sticky root beer was spilled all over me. TT entertain us on the deck with her dancing and singing to teen pop music.

Meet my 15 year od nephew, Smiley. We made him pose all "cool" like.... he normally is flashing his million dollar smile. Always the fun guy, Smiley has scored a job this summer at a Country Club around his house.... I laugh that he calls it "a job" because the job actually is a job where pay is from tips, but offers him golfing 18 holes at least 5 days a week.


Meet my DAD... Tate's Gramps and the most anxiously awaiting member of this family for Tate. If you look closely you can see he has a blue eye and a brown eye..... He claims that while as young dating man he would ask the girls if they like brown eyed or blue eyed guys... He would then close the less desired eye becoming blue eyed or brown eyed.... He is joking of course, but was always a fun story to hear.
This is the Georgia O"Keefe like photo Twinkle Toes took..... she stated that she wanted to be like Georgia and snapped away using my point and shoot. Not bad for a 9 year old with just a point and shoot camera.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT......

"When God wants a great work done in the world or a great wrong righted, he goes about it in a very unusual way. He doesn't stir up his earthquakes or send forth his thunderbolts. Instead, he has a helpless baby born, perhaps in a simple home and of some obscure mother. And then God puts the idea into the mother's heart, and she puts it into the baby's mind. And then God waits. The greatest forces in the world are not the earthquakes and the thunderbolts. The greatest forces in the world are babies." E.T. Sullivan

MISSING INFORMATION???

I am sure most everyone out there in the IA CHINA community has seen if not read this issue of Nation*l Geogr*phic...... I personally own TWO of these. One for reading and sharing, the other to save for Tate. I think that when Tate is at that age where she wonders about her early history, it just might give her a foundation and knowledge for the whys her abandonment.

I think I have read this cover to cover. What I did not read word for word, I did skim searching for the thing about China that interests me the most. Unless I totally missed it, did anyone read anywhere in this issue about the orphanages, abandonment of their little girls and SN children, waiting families, ANYTHING that had to do with what is making my heart beat these days?

Tell me if you read about it and where it is in this issue of NG....

PAY IT FORWARD

SHE is playing, why not you? I will jump on board and here are the rules. I will send something of my choosing to you if you are one of the first three commenters on this entry. Then you also, play from your blog agreeing to send three more commenters something. Send me your e-mail address and I can e-mail for the snail mail address.

IT 'S MESA TIME

I have not talked about the 90 lbs of snuggle lovin' for sometime and did not want to forget her while documenting the wait for Tate...... She does take A LOT of my time and a huge part of my heart.......

Mesa Bullets....

• The other day, Mesa got live her fantasy. While walking, we passed the school where TONS of 9-11 year old boys were playing soccer. Mesa loves all kids but because of the after school care by a few 9-11 year old boys, she is especially drawn to them. With her obsession with BALLS and the kids, she did not know what to love the most....BALLS or THE BOYS!!!
• Mesa is quite entertaining while sleeping. When she is in her ZONE, she snores, whines, soft barks and runs. I only wish I could know what a pampered pup has to dream about that causes all this "action".
• Mesa has gotten to be quite a svelte puppy since I no longer work from home. I feed her half of her food in the AM and then again in the PM. Bad mommy forgets to put out the pm feedings IF I see she still has food in her bowl. The sharing of meals have stopped also since I no longer eat most meals around her.
• Our dog park is between three baseball fields. Mesa will enjoy minutes at a time watching the game. I know it is the balls and the kids, but I like to think she has a higher intelligence and watches knowing the game. I guess I am the dog owner who lives in delusions about her pup.
• The above baseball fields also offers a chance of Mesa scoring a softball or two. Mesa is able to find any lost balls along the fences, and will not stop whining and digging until she has the ball in her mouth.
• The cutest thing happened yesterday. I was hanging out on the lawn with my neighbor and her 7 month old daughter. Mesa was hanging too. Out of nowhere Mesa got up and went face to face with this baby. The baby put both hands out on each side of Mesa's snout. Mesa had the look of total surprise at this but with a swift one time lick kissed her face then plopped down right in front of her while putting up with some ear pulling and eye poking.



• I think Mesa is ready to be a snuggle pup to my gal.....

OH MY HECK.....

Look what I (oooops, Tate) got in the mail today!!! It is a handmade bib from Kayce!!! I am just in love with this fabric! I keep staring at it..... with this breathtaking bib was the sweetest note reminding me that soon this long torturous wait will be just a distant memory!!!! Thank you Kayce so much for making my week!!!



The other weekend, I had the pleasure of going to Eliza's first movie in a theatre. This sweet gal is so tender to all things that are loud and rough which makes it sooooo "scary" to her. The previews to other kiddo movies about did this sweet gal in..... but she toughed it through all this "scary" and was able to enjoy seeing "Porton" Hears a Who. Since this was Eliza's first movie, I had to get the largest popcorn and drink just for picture posing. Ha... the largest size was consumption too.

'Tis strawberry season around this neck of the world...... Actually I think the strawberries are imported from somewhere else, but they are on sale..... I am taking advantage of this abundance by making freezer strawberry jam. I think I will be making 3 batches of this ruby jeweled jars. The rest of the strawberry poundage will be eaten and frozen for smoothies......

HEY SINGLE MOMMAS!

I have a question for you .... those still in the wait, those recently home, those who have school age kiddos.

Do you wish for or want a second (or more) child?

On my mind lately, has been how and when I will be able to provide Tate a sister or brother. I just love having siblings, could not imagine a life without them, and want to provide the same for Tate.

So my thoughts-

POSITIVES...

• companionship. Having someone always there to play with, love or even dislike at times.



• dynamics between a single child and parent. I have heard that when it is only a mom and a child, the relationship is so different than when you place another child in the mix. When there is another child, then you are the mom and they are the kiddos.



• someone to share family memories. Since I am a card holding membership of AARP now, I worry that I will leave this earth before Tate is established in her life. I want Tate to have someone who she can "dish" about me and all the memories... fun and frustration with me as the Mama.



• someone to have family traditions. I want to have my own very specific family traditions. I will have these traditions whether it is just the two of us, or others in our family. Heck, I even have specific family traditions with the 90 lbs of snuggle pup, Mesa. I know that Tate will be welcomed with opened arms at my family and friends while they have their traditions. I also have been there at these same traditions. I love being a guest at these traditions.... but I am a GUEST in someone else's traditions. I never want Tate to feel that she does not have her own traditions she can share with a sibling.

CONCERNS...

• I know it will be a hard job to mother two as a single momma.



• I know it will be a huge expense.

Hey I can only think of two concerns why not to add one more kiddo.

Right now I have got to wait to get Tate here and then figure out the how to for another one or two....

QUESTION

If you do want more munchkins, how do you see yourself adding to your family?

****I know that this is a dilemma for married parents. Please feel free to comment on this subject also.

WHEEEEEEE

ONE MORE LID!!!

WHAT THE???

I just got done buying a loaf of high fiber bread from a bread shop for $6.00. Two weeks ago the same loaf of bread was $4.50.

My voluptuousness will attest to this.... Those who know me, know I love me a good pastry and frosting. I headed to a favorite German pastry cottage to "reward myself" for some dumb thing. The cupcakes, with butter cream frosting, (YUMMMM) I usually buy is now $1.45!!! Last time think I paid 78 cents! I can see a decrease of such guilty pleasures in my near future. I know I need to lose weight and save money anyway, so this will definitely be a little bump forward on this plan.

I just took some money out of my savings account to fill the car with gas ($43.00) and to buy a bag of flour and rice at C*ostco. The 25 lb bag of flour was available, the bag of rice was not. Stories have it, there is a rice shortage and C*ostco cannot seem to keep bags of rice on their shelves. I really need to watch the news a little more around here, I guess.

I'm wondering if we are heading for desperate times when I cannot drive to my favorite pastry place and buy a cupcake without feeling like I have to post about it????

OUI OUI PAREEE

Wheeeee!!! It is a done deal. I made the commitment and handed over the money. It is all mine, three nights and four day at the M*arriot at the Champs Elysee. I will be traveling to Paris October 24th-27th. The way I see it, this just seems my luck that I will either get my referral end OR be in the throws of traveling or critical preparation... Those with LIDs near me can thank me later when fate has hit me and CC*A does a speed up and spits out those March beginning referrals....

The way I see it, it will be a WIN WIN situation anyway it happens. Just the thought of what could be is just Freakin' ME OUT!!!