Turkey burgers (and coffee?)

Coffee, a love story:

I cannot, for the life of me, remember when I first started drinking coffee. I had hot chocolate with breakfast every single day as a kid (how French of me) and well into my teens. I switched to black tea in my late teens, and kept drinking it every morning until a few years ago.

I must have tried coffee during that time, and I don't ever remember hating it, but I clearly wasn't hooked enough to make the ol' cup of joe a daily occurrence. 

Here is the thing though - I now find myself drinking multiple cups of coffee as soon as I wake up, every day. 

When and how did that happen? Couldn't tell ya.

I do think that there is nothing wrong with A cup of coffee, especially since I drink it black, which means no unnecessary dairy or sweeteners.

Caffeine, when consumed in moderation, can be a good thing:

- it contains anti-oxidants, which fight free radicals in the body (in short, lots of free radicals over time = diseases such as cancer)

- it obviously improves alertness and boosts energy and mood

- it improves athletic performance (a given level of intensity feels easier while caffeinated)

However, I have never been known as The Queen Of Moderation.
Bottom line is, I need to cut back on the coffee drinking, limit myself to a cup or two, and ideally not every day.

Here are some of the not-so-cool things about caffeine:
- caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant, which temporarily raises blood pressure and heart rate. It will temporarily increase metabolism and lower blood sugar levels, but once the initial stimulation is over, blood sugar levels will spike up. All this blood sugar yo-yo-ing can lead to dysglycemia, sugar cravings, and diabetes
- coffee is a diuretic and a mild laxative, leading to loss of minerals such as potassium, magnesium and zinc, as well as vitamins including the B-vitamins and vitamin C
- coffee is acidic, leading to heartburn through increased hydrochloric acid production in the stomach (clearly a problem for people with ulcers)
- caffeine is addictive!

Speaking of which, I'm going to warm up the rest of my second cup of coffee.

......................

I made turkey burgers yesterday (team effort actually - I made the patties, and The Husband barbecued them), and I thought I would share the recipe:

- 1 pound ground turkey
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 handful fresh basil, chopped
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tsp rosemary
- 1tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1/3 cup applesauce
- 1 cup oats
- 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
- salt and pepper, to taste

Mix it all together and form patties! This will make 7 or 8 patties.

Oh, and because I loved my chocolate-espresso tart so much, I made it again - this time even cuter! That same recipe makes 4 small tarts.

Have a wonderful day, and don't drink too much coffee!