Boo had more fun with the box!

Ready to Blenderize!

I heart accessorizing!

I have no new recipes to share today, but I did want to mention that we ate the Easy, Southern Sweet Potato and bulgur patties over salads last night…cold! The bulgur mixed perfectly and the potato added just the right amount of sweet! I thought I would share a pic!

Organic strawberries are a must-have in salads this summer!

 SUNSCREEN CHALLENGE! 

Yesterday, my friend Lindsay over at The Ketchup Diaries, posted about a 5K she ran in memory of her college friend, Glenna Kohl. Glenna lost her battle with skin cancer at the very young age of 26. Throughout her teen years, she had worked as a lifeguard and also frequented the tanning beds on a weekly basis. Because of Glenna’s story, there is a new law called, “Glenna’s Law,” where anyone under the age of 18 needs to have parental consent before using a tanning bed. Her story appeared in Cosmopolitan magazine and I think it’s something worth reading and sharing with others. I hope Glenna’s story will inspire you to be smarter about the sun. You know I’ve got my SPF on!!

“FUN” FACTS:

•  One in FIVE Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime.
• Melanoma in more prevalent in females 15-29, than in males of the same age group.
• The torso is the most common location to develop melanoma in 15-29 year old females.
• The American Cancer Society recommends a skin cancer-related checkup and counseling about sun exposure as part of any periodic health examination for men and women beginning at age 20. Have you had your exam yet?

*Information provided from the American Academy of Dermatology

Thanks for all the well wishes to Brandon. He came out of the exam feeling “okay,” but I have confidence that he did better than he thinks!! *fingers crossed!!* We will find out results in a month!

• Saturday: Baby shower, girls’ dinner, and a night at a karaoke bar! Good times were had by all and we didn’t get to bed until 2:45 AM!! That’s the sign of a good time!!

The love and I; smiling because karaoke is our favorite. Even though my voice is like a bell...you wouldn't catch me on stage!

SILVER STRIKE 2009!! I was the winner of the electronic bowling shenanigans'...that's the game behind us! We also had a pool playing tournament! My partner and I kicked arse!

RECIPE TIME!! A couple things made this recipe difficult:

1. Our apartment was hotter than the dickens:  literally sweat and tears went in to this dish!
2. I have poor grocery list making skills and came home forgetting several ingredients and also picking up BULGUR instead of BUCKWHEAT! Am I the only one this happens to?? Just make me feel better okay?
3. LOST was on as I prepped, so I was slightly distracted. Almost “LOST” a finger…

I adapted this recipe from the site, Diets, Desserts, and Dogs. The recipe was for Sweet Potato and Kasha Burgers. As you know, I had to improvise…the result was doggone delish!

Luckily, swapping bulgar for kasha (buckwheat) was successful! We were also very fortunate that it also has wonderful health benefits!! It contains lignans, which are powerful antioxidants that can help PREVENT CANCER!! It also contains ferulic acid, which stops nitrates from converting into cancer-causing nitrosamines in the body!! GOOOOO bulgur! *insert crowd WAVE here*

  The burger “meat” had a very grainy texture that was sticky when first combined. Be prepared to get your hands dirty and use gentle flips when frying because the patties are delicate. 

 I would suggest swapping the burger bun for a mixed greens salad. I think the flavors stand out a lot more and you aren’t combining so many starchy foods (bun, potato, bulgur). Overall, I thought this recipe could work well as a burger, salad topper, or side dish! Just dynamite!!

Almost ready!

The final product!

Easy, Southern Sweet Potato and Bulgur Patties adapted from Diet, Desserts, and Dogs!

Makes 8-10 large patties

• 3/4 cup bulgur wheat
• 3/4 cup water
• 3/4 cup organic chicken stock
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 1 T Olive oil
• 1 large carrot, grated
• 1 large organic sweet potato, skinned, boiled, mashed
• 2 T almond butter
• 2 T freshly chopped organic parsley
• 2 organic green onions, sliced
• 1 T Worchester sauce

Directions:

In a medium skillet, dry roast the bulgur for ~5 minutes, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon. Add 3/4 cup water and 3/4 cup chicken stock; bring to a boil , reduce heat, and simmer until the water is absorbed and the bulgar is tender, ~15 minutes.

In another skillet, cook the onion until soft in ~1 tsp of olive oil. Add carrot and cook 5 minutes.

Stir together bulgur, onion, carrot, mashed sweet potato, almond butter, parsley, green onion, and worchester sauce, until well combined.

Shape in to 8 large patties and “fry” in a skillet. I used ~ 1/2 T of olive oil and cooking spray. If you want more of a crispy patty, use a little more olive oil!

Nutritional Profile (per patty): 119 calories, 3.7 g Fat (0.4 g sat, 0.6 g poly, 2.3 g mono), 19.3 g carb0hydrate, 3.3 g protein, 3.8 g sugars, 3.8 g Fiber, 111 mg sodium

SUNSCREEN TIME!: SPF all over! Tis a bright, sunny day afterall!! My friend Zibi from Fresh Slow cooking was curious about the chemicals in common sunscreen products. Find out which sunscreens are safest and contain the LEAST toxic chemicals from the Environmental Working Group!