Rainy Days and Mondays

THE CARPENTERS! Right? Right.
It's pouring in Boston, my clothes are wet, and I am coming off of a lovely weekend filled with people I love and things I like to do that aren't giant spreadsheets that apply to math books.
As you can imagine, my mood has not been 100% great this morning (also, daylight savings time really messes with me for more than a day). I am exhausted.
Imagine my delight though, when B emailed me and said his work was slow. Okay, I'm not delighted that his borderline bored over there. But, I (mostly jokingly) told him if he was looking for things to do, he could research a photographer for the wedding. Here's the surprise: he agreed to do it!
This is not to say I didn't think he'd be willing to help (he's super like that), but after the morning I've been wading through (spreadsheets in unreal quantity), I am overjoyed.
In conclusion, the day may get me down, but it can't KEEP me down.

Turkey Burger Soup.

Most nights when I cook, we each have maybe one plate or one bowl full of dinner. (Okay, B and D eat one; I eat one plus one or two extra servings of bread, noodles, rice, etc. I like carbs.) However, when I make this soup (always a little different, and you'll see why), it pretty much evaporates. (Be aware, this is not a particularly low fat recipe, but you can substitute here and there to make it healthier.)

Here is the how to:

You will need: ground turkey, chicken/beef/veggie broth, potatoes, flour, milk, cheese (whatever kind you like on a cheeseburger), onions (or onion powder), ricotta cheese, brown mustard, pepper, garlic (or garlic powder), parsley, rosemary, and Worcestershire sauce.

First, you're going to need to cut some potatoes. I like them to be the size of home fries, and I leave the skins on. (If you have leftover cooked potatoes, you can use those. This recipe was actually borne out of leftover home fries.)



Next, throw said cut potatoes into a pot of boiling broth that JUST COVERS the potatoes and cook them until they’re almost soft. (If you’re using leftovers, put them in hot water and simmer until they’re hot all the way through…maybe eight minutes? Bigger pieces stay cold in the middle for a while if they’ve been in the fridge.)



While your potatoes are taking their bath, brown some ground turkey in a frying pan. (I was in a butter mood, so tonight I used about a tablespoon of butter instead of spray or oil.) Once it’s browned, put the meaty goodness into the potato and broth. (Add a little water/broth if the meat isn’t in the water.)

(Mmm…delicious melty butter.)

Don’t do set aside your frying pan; don’t even turn off the heat. Instead, put in your onions (strips, cubes, or whatever iteration suits your fancy)…yes, directly into whatever meat fat is still in there (as I said: not low in fat). Sometimes, I also add celery. Cook whatever veggies you’re using until they’re soft, and then, throw those in the potato and broth, and meat pan.

Now, you’re definitely going to need a little butter or margarine. Melt about a tablespoon in the pan (yes, you’re still using your frying pan here). Once it’s melted, throw in some flour and mix it until there are no lumps, then slowly add in about ¾ of a cup of milk (if you’ve never done this, I suggest heating the milk before you add it).
Keep stirring and stirring. It should smooth out and thicken up (be careful not to burn it…) It should end up looking like this consistency. (There are also veggies in there in this picture. I don’t recommend leaving them in for this step. Whoops!)



Once the butter, flour, milk is nice and thick, slowly stir it into the rest of your soup. Stir in the ricotta cheese, several slices or handfuls of whatever other cheese you’ve chosen (the pictures are of provolone. I also really like cheddar and mozzarella. I do not care for Swiss, I think the flavor gets lost), and keep stirring. This mixture should NEVER boil. It should just simmer. (For the cheese to mix in properly, you’ll want to let it simmer for at least two or three minutes.) While you’re making sure that the cheese is mixing in, you want to add in all those spices, herbs, etc. For the most part, I let my taste in burger lead the spices. For a spicier concoction B likes to add hot sauce, I like it more on the mild side.

(Here is tonight’s pan of soup simmering away.)



Ultimately, the soup is a little beige looking, but the taste is hearty. It’s great for a cold day with snow, slush, rain.

Vermonty

I realize upon uploading pictures that I did a TERRIBLE job of taking photos of what we were seeing. We were so busy watching what was going on around us that we didn't really pause.

Notable: It was Mardis Gras weekend, sponsored by Magic Hat. The brewery was okay. We were there too early to even want to consider samples. The store was packed with a strange combination of people...a combination that we couldn't stomach for long. So, after browsing, we left and got some delicious late breakfast...which I forgot to take a picture of (whoops).
An old hippie with wiry hair and sour cream on his mustache insisted that B and I obtain free burritos from BoLoco (the nearest location was not close. We kept walking.)
I found a dollar. (YAY!)
A man in our hotel elevator tried to befriend B, and then proceeded to swear several times. We aren't sure why a twenty-something in work boots and a t-shirt with dirty jeans would "stay in a lot of hotels" but he said he did. My money is on him being some kind of serial killer.
I almost beat B at Scrabble! (I was ahead for a few turns. In the end, he beat me.)
Again...no pictures.

Here are some things we do have pictures of:

So, B and I drove up to VT in weather that was like this (note the awesome view).
Take note, it was about 50 degrees most of the weekend.

We did have about a half hour of scary driving...up and down several mountains with two tractor-trailer trucks following us up and down, up and down...but hey, we survived.

(Also mine.)


The crosswalks in Burlington, VT are painted to look like bricks. Someone even took the time to carve out the pavement in the shape of bricks. It's crazy, a waste, and I LOVE it. Hehe.
(I took this one too...)

Vermont itself was awesome. We got free ice cream.
FREEE


(Mine.)


This is where we stayed...(B loves to be photographed.)
(I took this one.)

Whoops...

So...maybe I did forget that I have a blog. No matter.
Here is a quick wedding planning recap:
We have interviewed a DJ.

And that's what we've been up to hehe.

In all seriousness, and this is a legit BIG DEAL, B and I opened a joint checking account this week. (Please feel free to make checks payable to me, him, or both of us.)
We are officially linked financially. Kind of a big deal, but it hasn't set in so much yet. (Being engaged still hasn't set in so much, although, every once in a while I think, "Wow, he's crazier than I ever thought. He's willing to put up with me for HOW long?" LOL.)

Anyway, that's all I have for the moment. I'm sure things will be getting more exciting in the coming months. 450 days...Weird.