Healthy Burgers, Low Carb "Mashed Potatoes," and My Life

Last night was a good night! I made turkey burgers for dinner and the kids even loved them! You can make yummy lean burgers by just mixing lean ground turkey and/or ground turkey breast (I like to use a mixture of half and half to lower the fat but keep the flavor, as ground turkey breast alone can tend to be a little dry) with some very finely chopped veggies and a little bit of Egg Beaters to help hold it together. Chopped spinach is my favorite, but minced garlic, onions, red and green peppers, and even very finely chopped broccoli makes a delicious burger. I also add some seasonings like black pepper and Herbs de Province but you can use any seasonings you like. I baked the burgers in a 425 degree oven until they were cooked through, gave the kids theirs on buns, and had mine on a plate with a heaping side of mashed cauliflower aka "faux mashed potatoes." It's a great way to enjoy "mashed potatoes" that are creamy, yummy, low carb and healthy. Just steam some cauliflower until very soft (I cut up a small head, put it in a glass bowl with a little water, covered with plastic wrap and nuked about 10 minutes). Then drain, pat dry, and add something yummy. I used 4 triangles of Laughing Cow Light garlic & herb cheese for the whole head, but you can use any Laughing Cow triangles in any flavor you like, OR light cream cheese, OR sour cream. Add seaasonings like salt, pepper, garlic, and chives. I mash it with a potato masher and then use my favorite kitchen tool, the Stick Blender, to puree it to a creamy, mashed potato texture. Or you can use a food processor. SO good!

I have mentioned before that I am the mother of five children, but haven't shared a whole lot about them just out of respect for their privacy (two are adults, two in high school, one in kindergarten!) But let me share a bit about my youngest and the excitement we are having this week!

My little princess is five years old. She is such a sweet little blessing, very cute and petite with long blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes, and had a rough start in life. She spent her first 5 1/2 weeks in the hospital and then much of the following months at home on oxygen, meds, and monitors while I cared for her. She is much better now! As she became more well, I enrolled her in things like gymnastics, sports, and movement classes as a form of fun physical therapy. Over the years, it's become crystal clear where her passion lies as all other things dropped by the wayside: dance. She is always dancing, singing, and twirling in her flowery dresses all around the house, the yard, at school and in her classes. She is in her third year of ballet, second year of tap dancing, and just completed her first year of jazz dance. So as you can see, I am pretty busy running her to classes! It's become such a wonderful thing for us both and I so love watching her learn. Anyway, it's the end of the year and her dance school puts on a year-end recital where all the kids get to wear their special costumes and dance on stage for a rather large audience. It is so cute and the girls all get a bouquet of flowers at the end. It is a pretty big deal! So this is what is consuming our time over the next 2 weeks or so: practices, class pictures, dress rehearsals, and the big performances on 3 nights. I love it! I love seeing my girl so happy and doing something she truly loves with her friends. By the way, she is my only daughter, so this was quite a switch from all the years of Little League, Boy Scouts, monster trucks, flag football, soccer, and bug collections. I am truly blessed to have experienced both worlds.

I am off to do dance stuff! Enjoy your life!