Quitting Cold Turkey and Turkey Burgers

I did something yesterday that I have never done in my entire life. In my big, crazy imagination I would have never dreamed this is something I would do. 

But I did it. And I did it Cold Turkey. 

I returned a Kitchen Gadget. 

Not just any kitchen gadget mind you, a Deluxe, Fully Automatic Juice Extractor. The cadillac of juicers. I had it. It was mine. And I gave it back - willingly.

To understand what a momentous accomplishment this was, you have to understand how I feel about all things kitchen. I love, yes adore, dream about, collect and envy all things kitcheny. 

Mixers - have two.

Full immersion blender - check

Regular Blender - got it.

Food Processor - yeahhh

Pasta Maker - duh

Bread Machine - yes

Microwave - puhlease

Platters, cutters, shapers, rollers, slicers, scoops, whisks, spatulas, spreaders, you name it, I've got at least two. I even have a specialty avocado slicer and grapefruit sectioner thing. I've got two muddlers (in case one ceases to muddle?)

The only thing missing was a Deluxe, Fully Automatic Juice Extractor. Oh, I had admired them from afar for quite sometime. Whenever I ventured into the kitchen section of [insert any store name here] I eyed them up. Compared their virtues, priced them out, felt them up. 

And then, a few weeks ago with The Best Husband In The World in hand I took the leap. I bought the top of the house, the biggest and the best, the juicer with more gadgets than any other juice ever manufactured anywhere, I bought the long sought after, Deluxe, Fully Automatic Juice Extractor. I brought that baby home and planted it on my kitchen counter. 

Dreams of freshly made juice danced in my head. I imagined myself every morning grinding all manner of plant material into a nutritious concoction that would instantly slim my thighs and make me the envy of middle aged women everywhere. Why, I was even going to BLOG about my superior juice making skills. Oh, yes - I had dreams.

Then reality stepped in. A month passed and the Deluxe, Fully Automatic Juice Extractor laughed at my non-juicing. Still in its original box,  it taunted me and dared me to make juice. But no fruits or vegetables sprang forth to give their life to juicing. My thighs stayed the same (slightly jiggly) size.

I finally had to admit, I was never going to make juice. I did not need (gasp) a Deluxe, Fully Automatic Juice Extractor with every bell and whistle known to the world of juicers. 

With a resolve I have never known before I packed up that Deluxe, Fully Automatic Juice Extractor and took it back to whence it came AND here comes the COLD TURKEY part, I did not buy any kitchen gadget to replace it. (okay, full disclosure, I did buy one little, itty, bitty new whisk - I mean I was there, in the store anyway....) but with the exception of that one little whisk, I did it COLD TURKEY.  phew. 

To celebrate my new found will power and dominance over all things kitcheny, we're having these Turkey Burgers tonight. 

They are one of Bobby Flay's favorites and my family's too. 

Cheyenne Burger's ala Bobby Flay* (makes 5 burgers)

1 1/4 pounds Ground Turkey Meat, divided into five 1/4 pound burgers

Onion Rings (recipe follows)

BBQ Sauce (my family is addicted to Sweet Baby Ray's - but use your favorite)

Cheddar Cheese

10 strips bacon, fried crisp

5 round rolls, split, buttered lightly and toasted on inside.

Use 90 percent lean turkey - you need a little fat to keep the burgers from getting dry.

Preheat Grill to Medium High

Grill the burgers at least 5-7 minutes per side. 

Fry the bacon

Slice the cheddar cheese.

Grill the buttered rolls, cut side down for 1 minute.

To assemble (this is how I do it)

Place 2 strips bacon on burgers in an X pattern. Top with cheese. Grill, covered for another minute or two to melt cheese. Transfer to bottom half of roll. 

Slather on the BBQ sauce.

Top with two or three onion rings. 

Top with other half of roll.

Onion Rings:

Vidalia Onion - cut into thin rings. 

Preheat oil in kettle to 360 degrees F. 

Dredge onion rings in flour that has been seasoned with salt and pepper. (I like a little smoked paprika in there too)

Dip into buttermilk seasoned with salt and pepper, then dredge in more flour.

Fry until golden, then drain on brown paper bags. 

Serve extra onion rings on the side. If you have to have something to drink, just go out and buy some juice. 

* I always give credit where credit is due. Any time I use someone else's recipe, I will duly note it. Especially if it's Bobby Flay. I just admire and like his cooking style. Simple, direct, good flavors, bold, with readily available ingredients. Our cooking styles are similar.

 In fact, there are lot of similarities between Bobby Flay and myself. For instance, he has red hair. I have red hair. He cooks, I cook. I bet he owns a lot of kitchen gadgets, I own a lot of kitchen gadgets. Heck, we are practically cousins me and that Bobby Flay.