So good I just had to share!

I have always really liked baking! And just recently I have discovered that I really like cooking as well! I know it is kind of silly, but I look forward to the begining of the month so we can plan out our menu & I get to try some new recipes! Yum! Here are 2 new ones that we tried recently, and I really, really liked them! The first is a turkey burger recipe from the Bon Appetit magazine. The recipe is from Amy Finley - the Next Food Network Star winner last year. The 2nd recipe is a delicious brownie recipe from the Food Network show Barefoot Contessa. These brownies are seriously so dang good - you don't even care that you have to run a marathon after you somehow ate the whole pan!! I'm not even kidding - they're that good. The recipe is kind of big, so we just halfed it & baked it in a 9x13 pan. Yum, yum, yum....

Turkey Burgers:
Ingredients: 1 lb. ground turkey, 2/3 cup finely chopped red onion, 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese, 1 1/2 tsp. olive oil + additional for brushing, 1 small garlic clove, pressed, 1/2 tsp. fresh rosemary (I used dried because we didn't have fresh), 1/2 tsp (generous) coarse kosher salt (um... or just salt!) 1/2 teaspoon (generous) black pepper, 4 crusty rolls (crusty rolls! haha - I don't know why, but that just struck my funny bone!! ok - maybe I'm tired!! But i'm just picturing these ornery looking rolls in my head... oh boy!) - oh & the rolls are cut in half.
Directions: Prepare BBQ (or you can cook it in a pan inside - that's what we did). Gently mix turkey, onion, 1/3 cup feta, olive oil, garlic, rosemary, salt & pepper in med. bowl. Form into 4 patties - each about 1 inch thick. Brush with oil & sprinkle with salt & pepper. Grill until cooked through- about 5 min. per side. Grill cut side of rolls until toasted, about 2 min. When you "assemble" the burgers you can put more feta on if you want. They are really yummy!!

Outrageous Brownies
Ingredients: 1 pound unsalted butter, 1 pound plus 12 ounces semi sweet choc. chips- divided, 6 ounces unsweeted chocolate, 6 extra large eggs, 2 T vanilla, 2 1/4 cups sugar, 1 1/4 cups flour - divided (1 cup for batter, 1/4 cup in the choc. chips & nuts), 1 T baking powder, 1 tsp kosher salt, 3 cups diced walnut pieces (I just put these on top on part of the brownies, since Ry doesn't like them!) - You can see why we halfed the recipe, huh?!
Directions: Preheat oven to 350. Grease & flour a 13 x 18 x 1 1/2 inch sheet pan. Melt together butter, 1 pound choc. chips & unsweetened chocolate on top of a double broiler. Cool slightly. Stir together eggs, vanilla & sugar. Stir in the warm chocolate & cool to room temp. Stir together 1 cup flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to cooled chocolate mixture. Toss walnuts & 12 oz. of choc. chips with 1/4 cup flour to coat ( I just learned this makes the choc. chips not sink to the bottom of the brownies. cool, eh?), then add to chocolate batter. Pour into prepared pan. Bake about 30 min - or until tester (toothpick?!?) comes out clean. Halfway through the baking, rap the pan against the oven shelf to allow air to escape from between the pan & the brownie dough. Do not over bake! Cool thoroughly, refrigerate well & cut into squares. (It should seriously say: then go run a marathon! ha ha!)

P.S. Don't ya love how I like "sited" where I got the recipes from?! Hopefully no one will sue me now for posting their recipes on my blog - since I gave them credit, ha ha! If I do end up in "copyright violaters prison," though, bring me some brownies, K?!