By Justin called Monday. "Mom. I want to come home." I said, "Baby. Come home." He said, "I don't know about school." I said, "Come home for a weekend. We'll talk." He came home Friday. He was quieter than usual. He ate dinner. He sat with Gayle. He and Dave talked on the porch for two hours Saturday. I did not ask what they talked about. Sunday he drove back to UNK. He called Sunday night. "Mom. I'll finish the semester." I said, "Baby. That's the right move."
Drove Wednesday, short.
Book 2 has a release date: February 18, 2025.
Dave's surgery in two weeks.
Sunday: chicken soup.
The chicken soup was already going Sunday when I realized I needed something to do with my hands. Dave’s surgery coming, Justin on his way back to UNK — I needed a project that wasn’t just stirring a pot and thinking. These mushroom turnovers are exactly that kind of recipe: small, repetitive, satisfying. You fold and press and crimp, and for a little while the week gets manageable again.
Mushroom Turnovers
Prep Time: 35 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 55 min | Servings: 24 turnovers
Ingredients
- Pastry Dough
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- Mushroom Filling
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 12 oz fresh cremini or button mushrooms, finely chopped
- 2 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves (or 1/4 tsp dried)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp sour cream
- Finish
- 1 egg, beaten (egg wash)
Instructions
- Make the dough. Beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Mix in flour and salt until a soft dough forms. Divide in half, flatten each into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes (or up to 2 days).
- Cook the filling. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook 4–5 minutes until softened. Add mushrooms and cook 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until all liquid has evaporated and the mixture is dry. Remove from heat.
- Season and bind. Stir cream cheese, thyme, salt, pepper, and sour cream into the mushroom mixture until fully combined. Let cool to room temperature.
- Preheat oven. Heat oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll and cut. On a lightly floured surface, roll one dough disk to 1/8-inch thickness. Using a 3-inch round cutter, cut out as many circles as possible. Gather scraps, re-roll, and cut again. Repeat with second disk.
- Fill and fold. Place 1 teaspoon of mushroom filling just off-center on each round. Brush edges lightly with egg wash. Fold dough over filling to form a half-moon. Press edges firmly to seal, then crimp with a fork.
- Bake. Arrange turnovers on prepared baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Brush tops with remaining egg wash. Bake 18–22 minutes until golden brown. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 110 | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Carbs: 8g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 105mg