Last week we passed the 2 month mark of my husband’s first deployment. I had been going over and over a post I wanted to write about it.
A post about how I had reached a comfortable spot. A spot where I didn’t worry.
I wanted to tell others who were starting their first deployment that the first week is worse than you can imagine (sorry) and even though you feel like you’ll never pull out of the funk, you will. I wanted to tell them that there will be a day when someone will say “Your life doesn’t stop just because he’s deployed” and you won’t yell “BUT IT DOES!”
I wanted to tell you guys how the day after my husband deployed I was emailing with a friend whose husband had already been gone a few months and she said, “Just remember that 90% of the time they aren’t doing anything and the other 10% they’re doing exactly what they were trained to do” and it helped me more than she’ll ever know.
And then the company my husband is attached lost a soldier on Friday.
I know that there isn’t a situation in the world that is made better by worrying and yet that’s all I’ve done for the past few days. I worry about my husband, about our friends who are also deployed, about the family who’s having to deal with the loss of their soldier, about anything that could possibly be worried about.
Gosh, I hate to be such a downer but I really struggled this past weekend. It’s hard to know that a member of the 1-12 Infantry family is now without her husband and 2 kids without their daddy. But that’s the reality of war and I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to it.
I’m posting these burgers today because my husband would hate them! He would probably refuse to eat them and then whine to his friends about how I tried to poison him with *gasp* peanut butter burgers.
But I loved them! And even my kids enjoyed them! They peanut in the burgers isn’t super obvious so if you wanted to serve them to someone who doesn’t like “weird” food, just leave the sauce off and they probably wouldn’t be able to pick peanut butter out as an ingredient.
Happy post tomorrow, I promise! It involves bar cookies!
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Thai Turkey Burgers with Peanut Sauce
adapted from Iowa Girl Eats
Ingredients
For the peanut sauce:
- 3 tablespoons peanut butter, I used chunky
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 - 2 tablespoons water
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce, like Sriracha
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
For the burgers:
- 1 pound ground turkey
- ½ cup grated carrot
- 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 1 green onion, thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- hamburger buns
- lettuce, or toppings of choice
Instructions
To make peanut sauce:
- Combine peanut butter, rice vinegar, soy sauce, 1 tablespoon water, garlic, sesame oil, chili garlic sauce, honey, and ground ginger in a food processor or blender. Process until smooth (if you're using chunk peanut butter, don't process until all the chunks are gone - the peanuts make it better!). If it's not coming together for you, slowly drizzle in the remaining 1 tablespoon of water until it reaches the desired consistency. Set aside about 3 tablespoons of the sauce - you will use the rest in the burgers.
To make the burgers:
- Combine remaining peanut sauce with ground turkey, grated carrots, sliced green onion, chopped cilantro, salt and red pepper flakes in a large bowl. Mix until just combined and form into 4 equal patties.
- Heat a large pan over medium-high heat and spray with non-stick spray. Cook patties for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until browned on the outside and cooked through.
- Put the burgers on buns and top with peanut sauce and any other toppings you desire.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 429Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 120mgSodium: 765mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 33g
Maria @ Box of Stolen Socks says
Am I the only one whose husband would love the peanut butter burgers???!!! Yes probably I am but then again my husband is not a in the military…he is a diplomat…I guess that makes the difference… Even though I don’t know any of you ladies I will send positive thoughts for your hubbies and your families. I cannot imagine how difficult it is….
kita says
I can’t even begin to imagine. Mine is out of the military now, but is considering joining the guard. I won’t tell him, but the thought alone has me petrified. I can’t even pretend to be the kind of strong it takes when they are deployed. I wouldn’t even know what to do if I were in your shoes and had children to care for and be strong all at the same time. Hell, I worry when its just me and the dog! ( please know, that I do not mean to sound like one of those women that needs her man around all the time – work is one thing – deployment is a whole other world).
Kitty says
As a fellow military wife . . . I know how you feel and my heart breaks for the family of the fallen soldier. Thoughts are with you and i read your post with tears in my eyes bc i know exactly what you are going thru! Thinking of you!
amanda says
Thank you so much. Deployment is proving to be quite a rollercoaster for me. I hope all is well with y’all! :)
nicole @ I am a honey bee says
the move has stalled my progress is compiling he most awesome care package ever to Hubs but I hope to send it off to him soon.
I make thai style turkey burgers (recipe on my blog). They have ginger in them. You would hate them! ha!
Alyson says
Big hugs to you and your little guys after such a rough week. Hang in there.
Katrina @ In Katrina's Kitchen says
Lots of love to you and your little men. You are a strong strong woman.
Tracey says
I’m pretty sure my husband would turn his nose up at the idea of a burger with pb too, but I just may try to sneak these by him. They sound awesome!
Sending lots of hugs your way – hope you are feeling better.
yummychunklet says
Your peanut sauce sounds and looks delicious!
Cassie says
These burgers sound awesome and I would love them, although my husband would probably have issues with eating a PB burger. I hope this week is going better for you!
Amy says
Our next door neighbor was just deployed to Afghanistan for 6 months. His in-laws moved in to help his wife until he returns (and he will, dammit!) His job? His job is military police where he takes dogs around to sniff out bombs. GAH. I made a huge care package for him, which included toiletries, non-perishable food, and some dice/card games…and could barely hand it to him without crying. And I’m just a neighbor. (((hugs))) to you.
Blog is the New Black says
I saw these on Kristin’s blog and bookmarked them! YUM!