bluebird chic

modern style, vintage soul

summer grilling – the perfect turkey burger recipe

[perfect turkey burger recipe]

If you happened to read my previous post on our favorite recipe for juicy grilled beef burgers, you’ll already know how we feel as a family about grilling (well, especially myself and my husband). It’s our evening chill. The way we build that space between the crazy chaos of the day’s school/sports/workouts/work activities and the slower motion of intentional family time in the evening. Since we began grilling regularly last summer I’ve built a fairly impressive stash of recipes that we love to rotate through regularly and wanted to share them for everyone to enjoy.

Today, I’m sharing one of our favorite turkey burger recipes. These are super juicy, filled with flavor and seasonings, and the added ricotta cheese keeps the texture of these amazing – just like our favorite beef burger. Turkey burgers can have this tendency to get either sort of rubbery or dry if you’re not careful, but I think the addition of the ricotta cheese creates the perfect texture. My recipe is inspired by this recipe for Vermont Burgers that I found years ago and have updated to both suit our tastes and be a bit easier to make on the fly, since I don’t use the fresh herbs.

Perfect Turkey Burgers

2-1/4 pounds organic ground turkey

(be sure to purchase ground turkey that’s a mix of both dark and white meats. If necessary, purchase separately and mix equal portions.)

1/2 c. part skim ricotta cheese

2 T. dried parsley

1-1/4 tsp. dried rubbed sage

1 tsp. garlic powder

1-1/4 tsp. fine sea salt

Combine all of the ingredients in a stainless steel bowl and stir with a fork until everything is mixed well. Form into 6-8 patties. Place the patties on a tray or in a dish lined with either waxed paper or parchment and refrigerate for several hours. (I sometimes even pop them into the freezer.) Because of the added cheese, they can get a bit sticky to work with if they’re not chilled enough. It can take a few tries to find the perfect chill for you, but they are 100% worth it.

Oil or spray your grill grates with olive oil, and prepare as usual for grilling, making sure the grill is fully heated before adding the patties. Cook through thoroughly, without overcooking.

Serve on bakery buns with thousand island style dressing and hot pickled banana peppers.

this week’s featured strap – sunny days

[shop the look in the bluebird chic shop, the etsy shop, or our shop on Amazon handmade]

The perfect sunny golden yellow for summer from Art Gallery Fabrics premium quality cottons. I so love the feel of these cottons. They’re woven with a really high thread count, so they feel a lot like your favorite high quality bed sheets. They’re some of my FAVORITE fabrics to work with, and I find them SO comfy and breathable.

[here’s a peek at one of the scarf camera straps from the summer collection featuring more Art Gallery premium cottons. I’ve been rocking it on my camera for a couple of months]

Each week we’ve been taking the time to highlight a chosen camera strap from the shop to give a little bit more background information, share a little bit about what I love about the particular print and why I selected the print to create camera straps. Sometimes I share a bit about the designer and company it comes from, because I love being able to connect with and support amazing designers and companies.

Brand Ambassador Spotlight | Dia Meraz

This week’s ambassador spotlight shines a light on Dia Meraz  of Dia Meraz Photography. Read on to find out more about Dia, see some of her beautiful work, and which bluebird chic strap is her personal favorite! (For this week, her pick will be available at a discounted rate in the shop.)

My name is Dia, and I am a mother, wife, and photographer. My husband and I have had the honor of professionally photographing weddings since 2006. I love organizing and planning: A goal without a plan is just a dream! I am a FOODIE! (A vegan one!) I LOVE running, beer and wine…they go together, right? Texting…it’s the best and easiest way to get a hold of me. And lastly, I admire Audrey Hepburn, for her classic beauty and everlasting elegance. Visti me at: http://www.diamerazphotography.com/

 

How long have you been a photographer?

I have been a professional photographer for 11 years now…wow, where does the time go?!

 

What made you decide to pursue photography?

Photography was a passion of mine long before I actually got paid for my services. I was a stay at home mom, looking for a way to be home with my kids and to help financially support my family. With the complete support and encouragement of my husband, I started on my photography business journey!


 

How has your photography evolved over the years?

Over the years my photography has changed dramatically. I’ve gone from trying to get my clients to pose the way I think they should, to being more relaxed and open to capturing the essence of who they truly are. I have to admit that I get quite embarrassed when I see some of my earlier editing too. I tried to keep up with the newest Photoshop Actions, but soon realized that was not my style. I know now that I am a natural light photographer, with a clean and classic editing style.

 

What is the best part of being a photographer?

The best part of being a photographer, and owning my own business, is being able to be here for my family when they need me. I create my schedule, and have the freedom to chose how much work I want to take on. With kids, there are busy seasons of my life, and not so busy seasons. I know they appreciate all the times I was there for them throughout the years and I feel nothing but grateful for my husband, who believed in me far sooner than I ever did.


 

What kind of camera(s) do you own and what role do they play in your life?

My main camera is a Nikon D810, and he is my workhorse. The quality, speed and clarity with this camera allows me to photograph all my clients with confidence. Because he is quite heavy, I recently purchased the Olympus Mark II. This camera is light, adorable looking and has fast access to manual controls. I carry this camera around with me everywhere.

 

What’s your favorite thing about your bluebird chic strap?

I wear a lot of black on the job (because let’s just be honest, black is slimming) and I just feel that it brightens me up a bit yet still goes with every occasion. I can jump from a newborn session to a family reunion and not ever feel over/under dressed. It’s lightweight and fashionable. The chiffon scarf makes me feel like I’ve added a bit of flair to my outfit. Whether I’m in yoga pants or a black dress. It’s perfect.

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This week save 20% on Dia’s ambassador pick! Offer ends 06/11/17.

[ click here to shop this style in the bluebird chic shop, etsy shop or on amazon handmade ]

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Thanks for sharing with us today Dia and for supporting the bluebird chic brand!

Coming Soon…the NEW Summer 2017 Collection – a peek at some of our new cotton batiste

I can’t wait to share the NEW bluebird chic summer collection with you!

This is just a sampling of what’s in store, as we have 28 new styles almost ready to make their way into our shops.

But, while I’m putting the finishing touches on the new collection, I wanted to give you a quick peek AND tell you about some of the wonderful features we’re revealing in the new styles.

First off,  in addition to the durable and stylish 100% cotton styles that you’ve come to love and expect from the bluebird chic brand, we will also be introducing some 100% organic batiste cotton styles. The batiste cotton is super-soft, luxurious, light-weight, and stylish–making it perfect for both professional and everyday wear. It’s soft and billowy feel are perfect to keep you comfortable and stylish while on the job or on the go.

Each of our new styles will also feature a custom stamped brass tag made by the lovely Cindy Liebel Designs.

 

I hope you are as excited as I am about the arrival of the new collection – the new styles will be hitting our shops soon!