Luscious Meyer Lemon Curd

 Hubby's been craving lemon curd ever since we he finished the jar my sister gave me for Christmas. We haven't had many sweets here lately, and finding these lovely Meyer lemons on our date night in Wegman's  last night motivated me to remedy that situation. A bit sweeter than an ordinary lemon, Meyer lemons are a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange. (I've been wanting to try them for ages but my local grocery doesn't carry them) I could think of no better way to share their sunshine than with this lovely lemon curd!

And oh, is this lemon curd sweet, tart and delectable- the bright lemon flavor shines! I ate way too much of it just scooped out of the jar with a spoon, but I have plans for whatever is left after my willpower takes effect. I know it's great on English muffins, but I'm thinking of tarts, cupcakes, trifles...the possibilities are endless.

Look at the gorgeous color! That's thanks to my sweet little free range hens and their beautiful eggs. The yolks are such a deep golden color they've spoiled me for run of the mill grocery store eggs.

If you can't find Meyer lemons, just use the regular lemons you can find at your grocery. The curd will still be amazing, and you'll wonder why you waited so long to make it. It's easy to put together, and makes a fabulous versatile spread that's perfect for anything from breakfast to dessert.

Meyer Lemon Curd
adapted from this recipe
Ingredients
juice of 4 Meyer lemons (mine ended up being about 2/3 cup)
6 egg yolks
1 cup granulated sugar
small pinch of salt
1 stick butter, cut into chunks
1 Tablespoon Meyer lemon zest

In a heavy bottomed pan, stir together sugar and egg yolks. Add lemon juice and pinch of salt. Cook (medium heat) and stir constantly with wooden spoon until mixture thickens enough to coat your spoon.  (This takes about 10 minutes. You don't want to cook it too fast or hot, or the eggs will curdle.) Add butter one chunk at a time,and continue to stir until each piece is melted. Pour mixture through a fine strainer and then stir in the lemon zest. Pour into clean jars and store in the refrigerator.  (Keeps two weeks in the refrigerator.)

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Chicken and Oat Burgers

 I will be the first to admit that I am not a good juggler. Oh, I manage OK when I have a routine and nothing major happens to get it out of kilter. But when I add something new to to my ever-growing list of things to do, I always end up dropping my blog something. So what's new? Hubby and I joined the local YMCA and have been making use of its many opportunities this week. We've both been working out and coming home feeling great, but exhausted. Eventually I'll figure out how to keep everything up in the air.

 I found the recipe for these burgers posted on the bulletin board as I was leaving one evening, and picked up the ingredients on my way home. Quick and easy to put together, we both enjoyed them- and not just because we were both ravenous from working so hard! Instead of being dry like many chicken burgers I've tried, they were juicy and full of flavor. Low fat, heart healthy and delicious, I know I'll make them again. I think the next time I make them though, I'll make half of the recipe into meatballs. They'll be awesome with spaghetti!


Chicken (or Turkey) Oat Burgers
adapted from a Cooking Light recipe

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds ground chicken (or turkey) breast
1 cup regular (not quick) oats
1 cup finely chopped sweet onion
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 (14.5 oz) can no salt added tomatoes, drained and chopped
2 egg whites from large eggs, lightly beaten
*Wheat germ (optional) * I added about 1/2 cup because my chicken mixture wasn't firm enough to make patties. (I think it's because I didn't drain my tomatoes enough.)
Directions:
Combine first seven ingredients. If mixture is not firm enough to form into burgers, add wheat germ. Heat grill pan or electric grill (I used a George Foreman) on medium high heat. Coat surface with cooking spray. Divide mixture into 9 or 10 patties. (If the mixture is too wet to make into firm patties, use an ice cream scoop to scoop a patty sized amount onto the grill pan.) Cook patties 6 minutes on each side, or until done. (I cooked mine about 6 minutes in the George Foreman Grill. The time will really depend on the size of your burgers and the heat setting.)
Serve on a whole wheat bun with your choice of toppings. They were really good with spinach, tomato, avocado, provolone cheese and a thin slice of red onion!