Anxiety, depression, laziness...Can the nameless wonder change? page 123

[jenn26point2]

Let me know if this doesn't work.
My grandmother, when she kept a garden with fresh veggies & strawberries, was taller, and appropriately fat for a true Babushka. My dad, when he listened to his AM radio for French and Russian broadcasts, was thinner, not silver-haired, and sported a beard instead of just a handlebar 'stache. Me, when I was super-blonde.

What a great picture! How old were you? About 6? super cute.

[namelesswonder]

The photo is dated October 1992, so I was probably around 4 (back then, my family kept the camera dates pretty accurate, or maybe it was the printing facility that dated them). That photo actually comes from a little album that I put together when I was under 10 yrs old (favorite photos/memories from loose photos that were never put into albums, we have a lot of boxes of unsorted photos). I found it a couple years ago and scanned most of the pictures. I still want to finish that project. The pictures of my Didushka (grandpa) with my sister and me make me pretty happy. There aren't a lot of him with my brother, since my brother was not even 2 when my grandpa died.

Groceries are pretty expensive around here, being near a city I suppose. We buy meat in bulk at BJ's so that helps a lot, considering how much we eat though it's definitely not high quality! Growing kids are ridiculous vacuums, I eat two burgers!

[Finnegans Wake]

You were a cute kid, Tasha!

What's your recipe for burgers, BTW?

[jenn26point2]

IK! Me too!! My son is very active... like won't sit still active. lol He's always moving even if it's just to stand at the sand table have have a little "race" with his Hot Wheels. And if he's not moving, his mouth is. lol He's always got stories to tell and they are LOOOOONG!

Right now he's going to a summer program where they play all day, and he's in swimming lessons. He's very active and our doctor loves it. But, he's also 65 lbs which is off the growth charts (but 95th for height, so dr isn't overly concerned, just said to be aware of his 'rank'). She said a paleo lifestyle would prevent any future weight problems (she's a paleo doctor. Love her). Working on him, but some things are tough b/c he doesn't like whole cuts of meat, only ground meats. Last night, he ate two burgers with a slice of cheese and a bowl and a half of grapes. Pretty primal, I think.

But, damn is that kid active! he's hard to keep track of most days.

[namelesswonder]

What's your recipe for burgers, BTW?

While meat is coming to room temp, add salt, pepper, and dashes of Worcestershire sauce (or small puddle in the middle of the meat). Sometimes I add oregano or "Italian seasoning", which apparently my grandmother has always done. It's an odd mix, but I like it. I also tend to add garlic to everything, and would add onion powder if I wasn't out. Mix gently, let sit until i'ts room temp. I alternate using butter or bacon grease as a medium for the pan and now I always use my larger (maybe 12"?) cast iron for the burgers. Heat it up, add the fat when it's almost smoking, plop the burgers on as balls and spread them out with hand or spatula (I use my hand and make a thumb indent in the middle to help cook more evenly, it rises up again anyway). 4-5 min per side, depending on the weight of the burger. Mine are probably always about 1/4 lb. That usually gets me about medium or medium-well. I would cover them with the heat off to finish them more, not sure how I'd get more rare without them being cool in the middle (I dislike that). If I have more than 1 lb to make at a time (rare), I'll mix in one egg. They hold together well without, and the eggs I get are probably jumbo so they don't really mix well and I end up with odd white areas in the burger if it's too much.

Anyway, that's how I like them. And that's pretty much how I make steak too, though I'm still messing around with marinades and seasonings. Getting the pan heat just right took a while, also warming the meat in winter is difficult.

I should write about my experiences of organized physical activity (gym classes, soccer, ballet) and incorporate a story about church camp. Yes, church camp. Little miss pretty-much-pagan was once Orthodox Christian and attended a camp for like-minded youngsters, ages 9-17, for a few years as a pre-teen. People are very surprised to learn about this, knowing me now. Something for the blog, maybe today. Thanks for the inspiration, Jenn!

[jenn26point2]

You know that worchestershire sauce has soy and wheat in it right? At least mine does... Probably going to give it to my mom or MIL. They use a lot of worchestershire sauce.

[namelesswonder]

Mine has soy, but it's such a minimal amount, it doesn't seem to bother me. I'm adding at most two tablespoons, I would say. Boyfriend doesn't like coconut aminos and I couldn't get the container open anyway. Wish there was anything else out there that would make a good burger juice

No fun photos this time. Maybe if I can find a pre-recital photo from my ballet days, I'll throw that in later.
Ramblings, Ravings and Rants.: A history of fitness

[Finnegans Wake]

Sounds like a good recipe, NW. Sometimes I'll hide a little butter inside for extra yum. I usually go simple: S&P, maybe minced onions. Your burger size and dimpling technique are spot-on.

I also like my burgers medium, give or take. If your grill or pan is cranked, and the burgers are at room temp, you can get rare by just doing a very quick sear and flipping once. Depends on thickness, but if I want to go rare, it's maybe 90s. - 2m. per side, but again, variations to heat/thickness mean you'll need to experiment. Take them off and let them sit under foil for a couple of minutes before serving, should be no issue with cool centers.

Also don't worry about wheat/soy in my Worcestershire, given the scant amounts I use (usually Caesar dressing).

[jenn26point2]

I let the burger juice be juice enough. We usually make our burgers out of a 1/2 and 1/2 mix of both deer and pork. Pork adds a nice amount of juice.

I don't use spices, typically. Just don't think about it. I just toss them on the grill and be done with it. lol

[namelesswonder]

I think I got used to Worcestershire sauce in college when I used to make turkey burgers (because the meat was cheap and a friend loved them). They *needed* the juice or they'd be too dry. I kind of miss turkey burgers now that I think of them, but I think I'd add butter to them too since it's a fairly lean meat (isn't it?). Also I haven't tried pork burgers yet, but my one and only real-life paleo friend (Paleo on a Budget) likes to use ground pork for meatballs.

I still have never had venison! I would love to try more kinds of meat. I am sure I could get it somewhere in Maine. Whenever I get up to my grandma's next, I plan on bringing cash so I can pick up some local farm goods (last summer I got some amazing eggs and the most moist chicken breast I have ever encountered). Definitely want some eggs and farmer's butter if I can find it.