Mushroom burger

  So I have always been a pretty healthy individual, striving to be the best physically fit I can be. I was a multi-sport athlete in high school, went to college to play football, and then straight off to the Marines. So I have always had a pretty physically demanding life style. One day - while contracting - I realized something, which was my belly had become bigger than I liked. Right then and there, on that ship in the middle of the Gulf of Oman, I decided I would have a six pack once again. I began following a gentlemen by the name of Craig Ballantyne - creator of Turbulence Training. I followed his workouts to the "T", not missing one second or one repetition of an exercise. As soon as I got off the plane back on American soil, I knew the game was on with my diet. I began eating extremely clean and healthy, only organic and raw food, lean proteins and the occasional complex carbohydrate to fuel my next workout. I saw a recipe from Craig called the 5-Napkin Bunless Burger, and as soon as I finished the article I sprinted to the store. I picked up the ingredients, lit the charcoal on that muggy summer afternoon, and began preparation of the most epic, messy, tasty and healthy turkey burger I have ever eaten in my life. I remember talking to my wife in excitement as I squished the cold turkey meat in between my fingers. The summers breeze was blowing the grills smoke through the open kitchen window, where I was furiously patting the burgers flat. I knew it was time to grill. Roughly 40 minutes later my family and I were partaking in one of our favorite meals for the first time. Once I had complied all of the vegetables and meat on the perfectly charred garlic portabella mushroom caps, I knew I had to send a picture to the gentlemen that had given me the idea. I posted the picture on Craig's Facebook page I followed. He went on to use my picture in another article he wrote over the majestic 5-Napkin Bunless Burger. So if you are ready to try something new and healthy follow the instructions below.

Ingredients:

2lb Ground Lean Turkey

6 Portabella Mushroom Cap

3 Cups Spinach Leafs

2 Avocados

1 Tomato

1 Shredded Carrot

1tbsp salt

1tbsp pepper

1 cup of barbeque sauce of your choice  (I prefer Hot and Spicy Sweet Baby Rays)

Garlic Salt

Coconut Oil Paste

While you are mixing your ingredients heat up your grill. If you are using a charcoal grill - which is the best way to grill - make sure your coals are grey before placing the burgers on to cook. If you place your coals only on one side of the grill, your no coal side can be use for indirect heat.

Recipe will make roughly three burgers

Directions:

Take one large mixing bowl and place the ground turkey in it. Mix salt, pepper, shredded carrot - this keeps the turkey moist while cooking - and BBQ sauce. Mix with your hands until it becomes a sticky and smooth consistency - besides the pieces of carrot. Take about a handful of the turkey mixture and pat them into patties. Next, take the portabella mushroom caps and spread the coconut oil paste on both sides generously. Sprinkle garlic salt on each side for taste. Once the grill is hot, place patties on direct heat - over the coals - and cook each side for roughly five minutes, or until there are good char marks. After you have cooked each side for the five minutes, place the burgers on indirect heat - off of the coals  - and place the portabella mushroom caps on direct heat. Cook each side until there are good char markings. Once both sides are done place the mushroom caps on indirect heat - off the coals. Occasionally flip the turkey patties and mushroom caps while they are on indirect heat, and they should cook for around twenty more minutes or until the middle of the patty is grey - 165 degrees Fahrenheit. While you are waiting for everything to get done on the grill began mashing avocados and cutting the tomato into slices. Once the meat is at the appropriate internal temperature pull everything off of the grill.

Now the fun begins! Place a mushroom cap on your plate. Put the turkey patty, raw spinach, avocado and tomato on top of it. Have fun and place it in any order your heart desires, and then top it off with the last mushroom cap. Enjoy! Be prepared though, because this is a messy - yet delicious - meal.

Reflection

     So as I look back from the start of this assignment,  to now, I realize it is becoming easier for me to put my thoughts on paper. Although I have to be extremely interested - even enthusiastic- about the topic, I am able to express myself.  I find myself less frustrated when dealing with writing also. At the beginning of this blog/journal assignment I would stare at my computer screen, angry, dreading what I was about to partake in. Now, I see it as a sort of release. If I have had a rough day, and need to vent, I go to my blog sight and begin to type away my frustrations. It is like the computer screen is my shrink, and I have nothing to worry about while writing. My shrink will not judge me for missing a comma, a misspelled word, or a sentence fragment. I am free to express myself.

     At the beginning of this blog assignment I had shackled my thoughts inside my mind, afraid to let them out. I didn't understand how to put everything into words on the paper. With our reading lessons, some practical application, and a whole lot of practice, I believe I have broken free from those chains. I know I still have a lot of work to do - fine tuning my skills - but now know there is light at the end of the tunnel.

     This blog has actually had a practical application in my life as well. I had a presentation due for work the other week, and had  a co worker proof read it for me. He is a self proclaimed "grammar Nazi" and could not find anything wrong on my PowerPoint. I still understand I am horrible with grammar, but will give credit to my blog for helping me with punctuation.

Heros

   Their was a question asked by my English professor wanting to know what a hero was to me. I thought about this a lot, and how perception of a true hero has been twisted. Young people today see a person living a luxurious lifestyle, with all the money, clothes, new cars, and fame in the world. They see these people as hero's because of the material items they have, and the reputation they maintain. These individuals are normal actors and athletes. We - as society - are to blame for these poor young people's misperception. We have associated material items with being a good person. For example, if you see a homeless person on the side of the road what is the first thing you think? Probably he/she is a drunk, or they don't work hard enough, maybe the are drug addicts. Since they are dirty we can't see them as a good person. Dirt - in our minds - equals bad. In all reality though they may be the most caring individual or hardest working that have not been given a chance.

     A true hero to me is someone that sacrifices their way of life so another's may flourish. The individual will not be on t.v., they make barely minimum wage, and they could be dirty. A true hero put others before himself. They will do whatever it take for another individual, even if society does not understand. For example the Armed Forces. Some Americans call us baby killers - I have been called this more than once - that our fighting our governments war for financial gain. They say it has nothing to do with them, and call use cowards for not "STANDING UP TO THE MAN." The men and women of the Armed Forces will keep their mouths shut, take the harsh word, but then go back to the hellish environment they call war again, without thinking twice. What society does not understand is if we don't fight these extremists overseas we will be fighting them at home. Then society will be screaming for these brave men and women to protect them. These are hero's. Another example, the only time you see something about law enforcement on t.v. is when they have done something wrong. Their is always something in the headlines "Police Officer beats elderly man" or " Police pepper spray college student." So you have society who curses law enforcement, raging  with uncalled violence towards them in retaliation. Though when their house is being broken into, or their child  is missing who are the first people they ask for. "Call the Police"! The police officers will come and treat them unbiased. They will treat everyone with the up most respect, even though you do not do this for them. These are men and women who put others feels and lives before their own. They are hero's. Fire fighters, EMT's, Armed Forces, Police Officers -and more I can't list- these are true hero's. They will sacrifice themselves for another persons well being.

Entitled

     We are failing this generation of children. They set at the t.v. in a coma, drooling on themselves, to lazy to go to the restroom. We cater to their every needs by cleaning their rooms, waiting on them hand and foot, giving them anything they ask for. Yet we don't make them work for it. We are so scared by the perception of the outsider, that we show our love with material items. The children turn into adults, and they have no clue what true work ethic is. They have had everything handed to them their whole lives, so why would they. They will never make it in the workforce, and begin to draw benefits from the government that they truly believe they are entitled too.

     Back in the 50's families where fine by showing their love with emotions, strong discipline, and hard work. If you wanted a baseball glove then you did chores around the house. When you were old enough, you got a job to pay for your stuff. Mommy and Daddy did not shower you with new things that were not a necessity to survive, such as, food, cloths, water, and a home. You had to earn them. I was also raised this way, even though it was 30 years after the 50's, and I appreciate my father setting me up for success. I was told either you play sports in high school or you get a job. I was an athlete, so I played sports. Even though my father would give me money on the weekends to have fun, I would have to earn it with household chores. He was a single parent, so it was up to all of us to provide, even if that did not mean bringing home the bacon. This gave me a great work ethic, but not all children are this blessed.

      So we complain about the young kid our company just hired. We say he is lazy, useless, and does not know his head from his rear end. Whose fault is it truly though? Although he is not our child, could we not begin to teach him the meaning of a hard work ethic. It is a contagious disease that we have to stop dead in its tracks. Intervention from you could bring this country back to the golden years. Teach your children how to work hard, by example and instruction. That new kid at your job, take him under your wings and teach him by example and instruction. For we have no one to blame for this epidemic but ourselves.  

Children of the streets

     In the book The Heart and The Fist the author talks about his travels to Santa Cruz, Bolivia. He explains the children of the street as kids that would spend their days shining shoes, begging, selling gum and cigarettes only to return to small cardboard or corrugated metal shelters where they slept. Instantly I connect - once again- with the book.

     During my travels as a private contractor I would stay in the best hotels a third world country would have. If there was a star rating for them, it would of be off the charts. We had internet, t.v. with both local and English channels, heat and air, running water and bathrooms. Most of the places I would work at didn't even have a constructed floor, let alone running water and t.v. I remember staying at one of these fancy hotels, and on my floor their was an amazing balcony that looked over the central area of the capital. It was two roads that met at a T section, running parallel to the top of the T was a railway and running with the base of the T was the Capital building and the U.S. Embassy.  A lovely park and metal art work was planted in between the two government buildings. At night though, when all the lights went out, you would hear the cries from infants going hungry, tourists being mugged, and women being raped. I remember looking down to the front entrance of my hotel from the balcony the first night. I was investigating where the crying from a newborn infant was coming from. I thought it was a family taking an evening stroll, and the young child was tried. I was not in for what I was about to see. Out of no where there were boxes everywhere. Young families lay on the sidewalk begging for money or food. The children not clothed, going without the bare essentials for life. I remember looking at the infant laying by itself on the cold sidewalk. As it laid there screaming - the mother begging for food - I could see the poor things ribs expanding with every screech of discomfort. I started to think of my children and what I would do to keep them from being hungry, cold, sick or in pain. I would do the exact same thing the mother was doing, and probably more. It makes you think of how privileged we are and thing small things we take for granted. Eventually the mother and child crawled into their cardboard box once the streets were empty of tourist traffic. I wish I would have done something more than just looking down at them now. I actually feel horrible for not. I went back into my first class hotel and fell asleep. I understand you can not help everyone, but I have probably helped more people that didn't deserve it compared to this small family. I just pray god looks at the good I have done and forgives me for not putting any effort into helping them that night.
    

Africa

    So as I read The heart and the fist in my English course it takes me back to some of my first contracting gigs. I was doing maritime security for cargo ships taking U.S. aid to the different countries of Africa. I had been to Djibouti before, but that was while I was still in the Marine Corps. I remember as our vessel began to dock, thousands of locals where sitting in a huge line wrapping up and down the port. None of them had shoes, they wore old ratted up American themed sport shirts and baseball caps. There were maybe a dozen individuals wearing reflective vest, and come to find out these where actually employees of the port. Once we where tied down the line scattered like cockroaches when you turned on a light, gathering around the vest wearing employees like a piece of leftover dinner someone had forgotten to pick up. It was crazy! They waved their hands and screamed as the employee picked out who would work a 24 hour shift. They did this every morning. The same dog and pony show, all so they could support their family.
     I was in charge of searching and clearing everyone that came on the ship or off. The individuals would be exhausted both coming on and going off. They were moving hundred pound bags of dehydrated corn, peas and rice off of the ship. So it was extremely labor intensive work. Come to find out they where making a mere 2 dollars USD a 24 hour shift. I was not allowed to let anyone take anything off the ship, even if it fell out of the bags. It was considered stealing from the United States government while it was on board our vessel. Once it was downloaded though it was Tanzania's property and I had no authority. It was truly sad I had to take the liter water bottles they had filled with whatever had fallen out of the bags. The citizens would plead telling me their kids where starving, and it broke my heart. I let a lot slide under my nose, they would hug me and thank me for helping their families. The poverty was so bad I remember watching a kid, roughly 13, beg all morning for a shift. The kid had no shoes, sweat pants that were cut off but no shirt. I watched him waiting for the pallets to descend from the ship to the port deck so he could jump up and unload them. Some bags fell from the pallet and they broke open. The port had individuals with brooms on hand to sweep up the mess instantly. The poor 13 year old was so hungry he got on his hands and knees and began sifting through dust for the pieces of rice left over from the sweepers. He ate what he found raw off of the ground. Then, when the next pallet came down he would jump up and begin to off load it. He kept this cycle for 24 hours.
     It makes you appreciate what you have in this world when have seen the things I have been able to. If only Americans would work as hard as that little 13 year old did then maybe we would be more grateful. I will never forget that day, and I pray he is still alive. That kid changed me in so many was and he does not even know it. So thank you young man I appreciate it.

Blind leading the blind

      Subject matter experts - and I use this term loosely - seem to be popping up everywhere these days. No true experience is needed anymore, as long as you have dipped your toes in the area you are talking about you are now considered an expert. This obviously is not true, but why is it now a days people blindly follow individuals and don't ask question. For example, there is an individual that I guess lost a lot of weight and turned his life around. Awesome, I can commend this. Now this person is going around as a personal trainer - who doesn't have personal contact with his clients- with no true experience. The scary part is a lot of people are following him and even paying him their hard earned money. He gives everyone the same advice and workout plans via text message. I talked to one of his clients today and he said," If I saw the guy face to face, I wouldn't know who he is." Where is the personal in personal training with that. The clients just listen to him via text messaging and send their 100 dollars every four weeks. I don't get it! Do these people not understand that every ones body is different and need different plans. I am on the understanding that he is big on zero carbs. Well, this is how I know he is not a subject matter expert at all. First, one of the four main compounds that make up your body are carbohydrates so why would you eliminate them. Two, every thing we eat has some form of carbohydrates, this includes vegetables. The carbs in vegetables are in the form of cellulose, which are body does not have the right enzymes to metabolize, so it leaves the body as waste. This is the reason it takes more calories to eat celery than you get from celery. I wonder if the newly self proclaimed personal trainer knows this fact? It is not just this example that comes to mind when I think of the blind leading the blind.

       There was an individual I want to a specialized school with. He was brought up in a very well home, and his parents had great jobs. This lead to the individual being able to attend any course he wanted to without money being a problem. I know he became a helicopter pilot, but never flew one professionally. He went to the school I attended for personal security, but has never enlisted in the military or became a private contractor. He went through an Emergency Medical Technician course and is now a Nationally Registered EMT-B, but has never work in the pre hospital services. I saw on Facebook he just graduated from the police academy, but do you think he works as a Law Enforcement Officer? No! So what does this have to do with the blind leading the blind, mommy and daddy put up the money for him to start a training company teaching every one of this skill sets, even though he has no true experience. Once again, the scary part is people actually come to him for training and pay their hard earned money.

       Don't be afraid to research the individual claiming to be a subject matter expert in something you want to learn. In all reality you need to, because it is your time, your money, and your brain the knowledge will be engulfing. Not to mention some one teaching you this things can hurt you or god forbid kill you. Don't follow the crowd like cattle following the hay truck. Break off and inform yourself. It will help you in the long run.