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Top 10 Time-Saving, MacGyver-Style Cleaning Tricks -Part 2

May 23rd @ 12:09pm EDT

Top 10 Time-Saving, MacGyver-Style Cleaning Tricks -Part 2

8. Use salt to wipe up spilled egg
Even if you happen to have paper towels handy, spilled eggs tend to leave everything they touch feeling slimy and not-quite-hygienic. Sprinkle a good dose of table salt on the egg, wait about 10 minutes, and you'll have a semi-solid mass that's easy to pick up, and won't leave your towel or broom a sticky mess. Brian Lam of Gizmodo demonstrates the tip, brought to us by Urawaza author Lisa Katayama. (Original post)

7. Pour Coke into a dirty toilet
Out of Soft Scrub or other toilet-scaling potions? wikiHow recommends pouring a can of Coke into the bowl, letting it sit in the bowl for an hour or more, and then scrubbing the bowl clean. It doesn't save you the manual effort, but your bowl will eerily get clean--and your soda habit may possibly diminish. The cola color should flush away, but if you've got soda water on hand, that might do the trick just as well. (Original post)
6. DIY Drano for plugged pipes
Some landlords explicitly forbid tenants from using Drano, and some folks don't love the idea of pouring it down the same sinks they drink and shower from.

Top 10 Time-Saving, MacGyver-Style Cleaning Tricks

May 23rd @ 7:45am EDT

Top 10 Time-Saving, MacGyver-Style Cleaning Tricks

Very few people truly enjoy spending time cleaning, and fewer still love buying expensive cleaners for every little task. Here's a handful of clever, time-saving DIY substitutes for common household cleaning jobs.
We've already shown you 10 tricks MacGyver would be proud of, but how about when the Mac comes home to a dirty apartment? We'd like to think he might use the following cleaning methods:
10. Use cola and foil to polish chrome
Chrome looks great when it's new, and rather sad when it's accumulated dirt and discoloration. Chemical-filled and wallet-lightening cleaners aren't necessary, though. Apply a little cola--Coke, Pepsi, or whatever generic you've got handy--and rub down your shiny surface with aluminum foil, and you'll retain the eye-catching shine to your antique bar, Harley, or whatever else has a glint to it. (Original post)

9. Use baking soda and vinegar to fix funky towels
Over time, and with many washes, your bath towels will build up detergent and fabric softener residue, leaving them both unable to absorb as much water and smelling kinda funky when they do. Rather than give Target another lump sum, run them through the wash once with hot water and a cup of vinegar, then again with hot water and a half-cup of baking soda, as wikiHow suggests. That strips the residue from them, leaves them smelling fairly fresh again, and makes your post-shower experience a dryer one, at that. Photo by evelynishere (Original post).

Mistakes Introverts Make -Part 3

May 23rd @ 12:11am EDT

Mistakes Introverts Make -Part 3

Confusing introversion and fear: We all must do things we don't like. That's life. But if you find that you can't bring yourself to do certain things-return a phone call, attend a gathering, join a conversation-then what you're feeling may be fear, not introversion. Fear is a useful emotion, of course, with deep evolutionary roots. But if it interferes with your life and you find yourself regretting things not done, maybe it's time to rummage around in your psyche (one of our favorite activities!) to figure out what you're scared of and how to change that.
Judging: Some introverts insist that parties are pointless, chit-chat is a waste of time, and extroverts are shallow. I neither share nor endorse those opinions. Parties can be joyous, and community ritual has been important throughout history. Chit-chat connects us and greases the gears of society. And while I'm sure some extroverts are shallow, as I'm sure some introverts are (thinking deeply about yourself only does not make you a deep person), a blanket dismissal of extroverts is bigoted and, well, shallow.
Just 'cause I don't like something doesn't mean it's bad.
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Live a good life. If there are Gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are Gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no Gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones.
Marcus Aurelius

Mistakes Introverts Make -Part 2

May 22nd @ 8:12pm EDT

Mistakes Introverts Make -Part 2

calls, then you get some leeway to make your point. Otherwise, be nice. (I learned this lesson after hurting the feelings of a very dear friend.)
Plunging into the deep end: As much as we prefer deep conversation, plunging straight into your worldview over the onion dip at a party can be off-putting to others. Start shallow and ease into the deep if the conversation continues. If you're looking for friends, remember that insta-friendships are rare, and rushing the conversation isn't a shortcut. Friendships build incrementally, and they start with small talk.
Letting your mouth run away with you: Ah, the dreaded babble. It happens. Lots of us chatter when we're nervous. Shy introverts might be prone to this. It's like running down a hill; once you get started, it's hard to slow down. But it also might happen when the subject is something you are particularly passionate about. Either you get caught up in your own enthusiasm, or you burrow deep into your own knowledge and forget to check audience reaction.
If you suddenly realize you've careened into a long monologue, take a breath and look around. Do people appear rapt? Then continue. Do they look slightly pained? My favorite line at that point is, "But don't get me started...." Cue laughter, everything's fine.

Mistakes Introverts Make

May 22nd @ 4:07pm EDT

Mistakes Introverts Make

Some pitfalls of letting your introversion hold too much power.
Published on February 8, 2011 by Sophia Dembling in The Introvert's Corner

We are all so very wonderful and yet--I'm sorry, but it must be said--we are not perfect. This blog has focused mostly on staking out turf in our culture for introverts, but now it's time to consider some things related to our introversion that might be interfering with our relationships and accomplishments. Many or most of us have probably made some of these mistakes at one time or another. I certainly have.
Isolating: Sure, some people need more social interaction than others, but we all need some. Too much isolation is not healthy. I know it's time to leave the house when I start feeling gloomy in my solitude, or like I'm getting weird. Weird is subjective, but when going to the supermarket feels like a major excursion, when I start worrying that I may have lost the ability to converse, when I get furious at near-strangers in my online social networks, I know it's time to for face time. I call a friend, do lunch, attend a party...anything to get my social gears cranking again. It needn't be anything deep and meaningful. Just a little something to reconnect me.

Not returning phone calls: Yes, we hate the phone, and it's OK to ask that people respect and honor this. But that doesn't give us carte blanche to ignore phone calls. When someone you care about calls--even if you let it go to voicemail to deal with later--you really should respond at some point. If necessary, drop an e-mail and schedule the call. Otherwise, pick up the phone and dial. You can do it.

Eat Like a Foodie at Home, Without Breaking Your Budget -Part 12

May 22nd @ 12:05pm EDT

Eat Like a Foodie at Home, Without Breaking Your Budget -Part 12

"Foodie" Meals at Home: In a Nutshell
To sum up, you can save more but still get a lot of value and tastiness out of the foods you buy and make at home. The basic guidelines:
 Buy from less conventional/mass marketplaces. Explore ethnic markets, farmer's markets, and grow your own if you can
 Buy as much as you can whole and unprocessed
 Learn how to preserve your foods (e.g., how to store food properly in the freezer and fridge or food preservation techniques)
 Use all parts of the food if possible. Use chicken bones to make stock, toast pumpkin seeds, etc.
 Splurge on items that will enhance the rest of the meal and where a little will go a long way. Or focus on one quality ingredient in each dish.
Doing this may increase the quality of your meals at home to the point where you might even prefer dining in rather than out. Bon appetit!
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"Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark in the hopeless swaps of the not-quite, the not-yet, and the not-at-all. Do not let the hero in your soul perish in lonely frustration for the life you deserved and have never been able to reach. The world you desire can be won. It exists.. it is real.. it is possible.. it's yours."
― Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged

Eat Like a Foodie at Home, Without Breaking Your Budget -Part 11

May 22nd @ 8:10am EDT

Eat Like a Foodie at Home, Without Breaking Your Budget -Part 11

How to Get More Value Out of Your Wines
If you agree with the old Andre Simon quote that "Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost," you'll probably want some good vino with your home-cooked meal. For many people, a wine store filled with bottles upon bottles of wines of varying prices can be overwhelming.
Jsaon Mancebo, who writes the 20 Dollar Wine Blog, said the best strategy is to develop a relationship with a wine monger at a smaller wine shop, so he/she can get to know your style, palate, and price ranges. Regionally speaking:
The usual suspects for bargains in the past 10 years or so are Australia, Chile and Argentina, but recent economics make Spain, Portugal and even Italy VERY attractive now. Great Rioja, Alentejo and Barolo are certainly within reach! If you're normally only a red wine fan, try some rose' from Provence or white from the Langhe. There's lots to explore and great stuff to pair with the dishes you create!
Though you can find good wines at $10 or below, they're not as easy (i.e., super-easy) to find at $20. The sweet spot, Mancebo says, may be about $15-17.
I also like Lopez-Alt's answer: "It's the summer. I like having inexpensive, easy-to-drink wines, like a nice cold vinho verde."

Eat Like a Foodie at Home, Without Breaking Your Budget -Part 10

May 22nd @ 12:00am EDT

Eat Like a Foodie at Home, Without Breaking Your Budget -Part 10nnFavorite Versatile, Inexpensive MealsnWhen asked what their most delicious yet cheap meals were, our food sources had so many great suggestions:n Durand reminded me of the addictiveness of chickpeas when toasted as a snack, turned into fresh hummus or a spicy chickpea salad for lunch.n You'll find great pizza cooking at Smitten Kitchen; Deb says you can "buy the softest, fanciest mozzarella" and toss in some proscuitto plus imported tomato puree to make a $5 meal for many.n This recipe for Grilled Mussels with Herb Butter at Bitten Word is one of the least expensive dinners Clay and Zach say they've ever made, and it has a huge "wow" factor. Total cost of the meal for three people: under $15. (Besides being flavorful and inexpensive, mussels are also one of the most sustainable seafood choices, so this may be a great go-to recipe.)nHow to Get More Value Out of Your WinesnIf you agree with the old Andre Simon quote that "Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost," you'll probably want some good vino with your home-cooked meal. For many people, a wine store filled with bottles upon bottles of wines of varying prices can be overwhelming.

Eat Like a Foodie at Home, Without Breaking Your Budget -Part 9

May 21st @ 8:02pm EDT

Eat Like a Foodie at Home, Without Breaking Your Budget -Part 9nnLikewise, Chef Mark Estee, owner of Moody's Bistro and Lounge and Burger Me in Truckee, CA, reminds us that having great staples in your pantry is important because "bad quality in, bad quality out." The staples he suggest you invest in: extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sea salts, chutneys, and mustards.nDurand adds to the list nut oils like hazelnut and roasted walnut oil for delicious salads, and really likes this smoked olive oil featured on TheKitchn. (When cooking, stick to cheap olive oil to save cash, but for salads or drizzling over food, you may actually taste the difference in a higher-quality oil.)nKeeping basics in stock will also help you avoid the dine-out/take-out bug. Lopez-Alt says he always has on hand a collection of Chinese, Japanese, and South East Asian condiments and sauces ready to go, so all he has to do for a quick and savory meal is pick up a protein and boil some rice.nI'm with Perelman on splurging on milk, eggs, produce and meat; it's worth the extra cost to us to buy ethically raised and cleanly produced foods. But even then, you can still save even on organic produce, grass-fed beef, free-range eggs and the like using some of the shopping tips above.nFavorite Versatile, Inexpensive MealsnWhen asked what their most delicious yet cheap meals were, our food sources had so many great suggestions:n

Eat Like a Foodie at Home, Without Breaking Your Budget -Part 8

May 21st @ 3:56pm EDT

Eat Like a Foodie at Home, Without Breaking Your Budget -Part 8

Online shops let you find specialty foods that you couldn't find in brick-and-mortar stores. International food market places like Foodzie, Zingerman's and Import Food offer specialty ingredients that can elevate your dish. As CNN reports, most foodmakers will also ship direct to you, for even more savings:
A pound of Humboldt Fog goat's-milk cheese, ordered off Zingerman's, will run you $35; the same amount from the cheesemaker, Cypress Grove, is $20.
How to Stock Your Gourmet Pantry/What to Buy
Sometimes, all it takes is that one key ingredient--a unique sauce or a condiment--to make your meal extraordinary. Investing your food money wisely lets you scrimp on some expensive items (like meats) while still getting a lot of flavor from your meal.
Stephanie Trahd at artisan foods marketpace Fooducopia says "It's much more affordable to take a cheaper cut of meat and dress it with a gourmet steak wash, than it is to buy a filet and only be able to afford a parsley garnish!"
Likewise, Chef Mark Estee, owner of Moody's Bistro and Lounge and Burger Me in Truckee, CA, reminds us that having great staples in your pantry is important because "bad quality in, bad quality out." The staples he suggest you invest in: extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sea salts, chutneys, and mustards.

Eat Like a Foodie at Home, Without Breaking Your Budget -Part 7

May 21st @ 12:03pm EDT

Eat Like a Foodie at Home, Without Breaking Your Budget -Part 7

To get the most bang for your organic buck, you can also focus your spending on just those organic foods most prone to pesticide (e.g., with this organic food buying cheat sheet). If your main reason for buying organic is to avoid pesticides, foods like avocado and bananas, which have thick peels that aren't eaten, can be bought safely non-organic. Peppers, celery, peaches, apples, strawberries and other fruits and vegetables with thin or edible skins are better organic options.
Of course, you can also save a lot of money by starting your own vegetable garden, if you have the space. Cheap Vegetable Gardener has a chart of the most profitable vegetables/herbs to grow yourself. (Previously mentioned tools like Smart Gardener can help you set this up and grow your own food successfully even if you don't have a green thumb.)
Where to Buy Other Quality Food for Cheap
Beyond fresh produce and meats, you can save a whole lot more by shopping in unconventional places.
Look to ethnic grocery stores for better deals on spices, for example, or just the international aisle of your main grocery store, Dunn and Patton advise.
Online shops let you find specialty foods that you couldn't find in brick-and-mortar stores.

Eat Like a Foodie at Home, Without Breaking Your Budget -Part 6

May 21st @ 8:29am EDT

Eat Like a Foodie at Home, Without Breaking Your Budget -Part 6

How to Save on Fresh Produce
Speaking of Whole Foods, you don't really need to shop there for any or all of your choice foods. Farmer's markets, or greenmarkets, offer fresh-from-the-farm foods, and as mentioned here at Lifehacker previously, shopping later in the day at a farmer's market can save you some extra cash. (Dunn said you can find some really great deals at farmer's markets if you buy the fruits and vegetables at the peak of the season--you could get a pint of berries for a third of what it would cost you at the grocery store.)
Joining a CSA (community supported agriculture) group may likewise be a worthwhile investment where you get a load of in-season veggies and/or fruits (or even eggs and flowers) for about $20-$50 a month.
Canning, freezing, and even layering in salt can extend your food's life as well.
Perelman also reminds us that good looks don't always matter when it comes to your fruits and veggies:
Don't be afraid of ugly produce (in fact, be more suspicious of the overly pretty stuff and what has to be added to the soil to get blemish free beauties); ugly tomatoes make great sauce

Eat Like a Foodie at Home, Without Breaking Your Budget -Part 5

May 21st @ 12:01am EDT

Eat Like a Foodie at Home, Without Breaking Your Budget -Part 5

One of the best, most versatile and most affordable cuts of meat you can find is a skirt steak. You can often grab it for about $2 per serving. Another plus: It's also one of the easiest cuts of meat to cook. Amp up the flavor by rubbing the steak with instant espresso powder and some cayenne pepper. Then just sear it in a stovetop pan over high heat for a couple minutes per side, let it rest for several minutes, and slice it against the grain. You can stretch your protein dollar even further by incorporating the skirt steak into a steak salad: It's fantastic tossed with fresh dark lettuces, green beans and a sweet vinaigrette.
Another favorite inexpensive protein of ours is chicken thighs. They're tasty and succulent -- way more flavorful than white-meat breasts. And you can frequently find chicken thighs for about a dollar per serving. We always by these instead of chicken breasts. Sear them on all sides in hot oil, toss some chopped onions and fresh tomato into the pan, and throw the whole thing in a 375-degree oven for 16-18 minutes to roast.

...To be continued

Eat Like a Foodie at Home, Without Breaking Your Budget -Part 4

May 20th @ 8:31pm EDT

Eat Like a Foodie at Home, Without Breaking Your Budget -Part 4

Buying and learning how to cook cheaper cuts of meat is very useful as well. Pork shoulder, for example, to me tastes a hundred times better than a pork chop. You just have to be willing to cook it a little longer. It takes well to methods like braising, slow roasting, or grinding into mince.
He also recommends buying a meat grinder, because not only will it give you the freshest tasting burgers, it lets you use up leftover scraps of meat you'd normally throw out. (Ready to take the plunge? Serious Eats shows you how to buy, use, and care for a meat grinder and what to do once you've got one.)
Cheaper cuts: Katerina, who writes the Daily Unadventures in Cooking blog says that:
One of the well kept secrets of foodies is that the cheaper the cut of meat, the harder to cook but the more the flavour. Lamb shanks and neck? Pork belly? Octopus? Short ribs? As proteins, they all represent a cheap way to impress guests at home if you are willing to take the time to properly cook them.
For example, if you have some cheap pork shoulder, TheKitchn managing editor Faith Durand says you can really maximize the flavor of it by grilling before braising.
Clay Dunn and Zach Patton, who write the popular and informative Bitten Word blog, generously offered these two preparation techniques:
One of the best, most versatile and most affordable cuts of meat you can find is a skirt steak.

Eat Like a Foodie at Home, Without Breaking Your Budget -Part 3

May 20th @ 4:23pm EDT

Eat Like a Foodie at Home, Without Breaking Your Budget -Part 3nnSalting: That $5 steak that tastes like it came from the very expensive steakhouse? It's all about salt. Basically, salt your steak like crazy at least 40 minutes before cooking (wash the salt off before) for the juiciest steak you've every made. You can intensify the flavor of all of your meats with wet and dry brining techniques--basically using salt to enhance the flavor of your meats by immersing them in a salty solution or just applying a dry salt rub directly.nHow to Save on ProteinsnWith the techniques above you can make cheaper cuts of meat, like pork shoulder, taste extraordinary, but here's how to save even more:nProcess your meat yourself: For the most savings, buy your meat (and other foods) minimally processed. Serious Eats' James Kenji Lopez-Alt (who forever transformed my steak-cooking technique and subsequent lifelong enjoyment) says that his biggest tip is:nBuy your meat in the least processed form possible and learn how to do some very minimal butchering yourself. So don't buy boneless skinless chicken breasts. If you want them, buy a whole chicken, which ends up costing about the same price as you'd pay for its breasts alone, but then you end up with chicken leg meat for a whole extra meal, as well as a carcass with which you can make stock. Three meals for the price of one, and all you've got to do is learn how to break down a chicken.

Eat Like a Foodie at Home, Without Breaking Your Budget -Part 2

May 20th @ 12:18pm EDT

Eat Like a Foodie at Home, Without Breaking Your Budget -Part 2

Slow cooking: Even if you don't decide to hack your slow cooker into an off-the-charts sous vide cooker, a slow cooker can make even the toughest of meats tender and tastier. (Apparently you can also hack a beer cooler into a sous vide cooker.) Plus, the hands-off approach of using a slow cooker also means you can get flavor-packed meals without a lot of effort. You don't want just an everyday slow cooker meal though: foodie recipe search engine Punchfork can help you find more advanced slow cooker meals to make at home, like this carnitas recipe from TheKitchn that uses an inexpensive cut of pork: place a 6-8 pound pork butt (a.k.a., pork shoulder) in the slow cooker with some spices and tomato and orange juice and 8 hours later, you've got tender meat that falls off the bone.
Braising: Deb Perelman of the beautiful Smitten Kitchen food blog suggests we embrace braising. Cooked low and slow, ribs, briskets, pork shoulders, and so on "make incredible flavor-packed, stewy meals that can easily be spooned into tacos/served over rice or egg noodles and stretched to feed you for a week." Want recipes? Try Deb's knee-weakening braised beef short ribs or other braised recipes. Don't know what braising is? Previously mentioned cooking video library Cookblast has some videos and recipes for this slow cooking technique.

Eat Like a Foodie at Home, Without Breaking Your Budget

May 20th @ 8:13am EDT

Eat Like a Foodie at Home, Without Breaking Your Budget

Just because you enjoy great food doesn't mean you have to spend a lot of money dining out or buying upscale foods for delicious meals at home. With the advice of some noted chefs and food writers, you can elevate the level of your home-cooked meals even while working with a tight grocery budget, producing feasts that wow for just a few dollars per serving.
We'll show you where to shop and what to stock in your pantry to maximize your dollars-to-enjoyment ratio. We'll also show you how to save more on buying meat (often the most expensive part of the meal) and techniques and recipes for cooking up some exquisite dishes. Note: you don't have to consider yourself a "foodie" to use these suggestions--all you need to bring is a desire for great food.
Learn Techniques to Make the Most Out of Your Meals
Some cooking techniques like braising and slow cooking are very cost-effective and simple, producing flavorful meals; you can tenderize extremely tough--and inexpensive--cuts of meat with these techniques.
Make the Most Out of Cheap Proteins
The biggest cost savings you find may be on proteins, especially with today's rising meat prices. If you're not a vegetarian, the meat portion of the meal could very well make up the majority of your grocery budget (thus, it also follows that you can make the most out of your food budget by switching to a flexitarian diet or just eating a meat-less meal every once in a while).
Learning a few cooking techniques to enhance even cheap cuts of meat can help you turn a $5 steak into a $50 steak, so to speak:

The Burger Lab's Top Ten Tips for Making Better Burgers -Part 10

May 20th @ 4:00am EDT

The Burger Lab's Top Ten Tips for Making Better Burgers -Part 10

10. Don't Let Anyone Tell You What to Put on It

A standard selection of Fake Shack ingredients.
I like American cheese, raw yellow onions, pickles, special sauce when applicable (mayo when not), and tomatoes, but only when they are very very good. My wife likes American cheese, grilled onions, and a ketchup/mayo blend.
Am I right? Of course I am.
Is she right? Well, of course she is.**
**At least this time.
The point is, don't let anyone tell you what should and shouldn't go on your burger. If you want to go commando, do it with gusto. Do you like pecorino, pimentos, and peanut butter on your patties? Yes? Well, pile it on.
Then get your head checked. Really.
The 2009 Burger of The Year.
Obviously, this is only the tip of the iceberg. Burgers are an endlessly fascinating subject, and there's always more to learn. At least I hope so, if only for my column's sake.

____
"Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark in the hopeless swaps of the not-quite, the not-yet, and the not-at-all. Do not let the hero in your soul perish in lonely frustration for the life you deserved and have never been able to reach. The world you desire can be won. It exists.. it is real.. it is possible.. it's yours."
― Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged

The Burger Lab's Top Ten Tips for Making Better Burgers -Part 9

May 20th @ 12:00am EDT

The Burger Lab's Top Ten Tips for Making Better Burgers -Part 9

9. Choose Your Bun Wisely

A grilled Martin's Potato Roll.
Buns come in all shapes, sizes, densities, and flavors. Make sure you've got the right one for the job at hand.
For smaller, thinner patties, like a good Shake Shack-style griddled burger or small Error! Hyperlink reference not valid., soft, sturdy, and slightly sweet Martin's Potato Rolls set the benchmark, although any soft, squishy, standard-issue supermarket bun will do.
A bigger, pub-style burger can overwhelm a soft bun with juices, soaking through and dissolving the base before the burger even hits your table. Toasting the bun can mitigate some of these effects, but for the most part, you're better off selecting a sturdier roll, or if you've got one nearby, a custom burger bun from an artisan bakery. Brioche has its adherents, but I prefer my buns to be a little more bland, so as not to compete with the flavor of the beef.
Do avoid anything with an overly chewy crumb or a tough crust, unless you want your burger to suffer from the dreaded backslide.

10. Don't Let Anyone Tell You What to Put on It

A standard selection of Fake Shack ingredients.
I like American cheese, raw yellow onions, pickles

The Burger Lab's Top Ten Tips for Making Better Burgers -Part 8

May 19th @ 9:54pm EDT

The Burger Lab's Top Ten Tips for Making Better Burgers -Part 8

8. Don't Futz With Your Meat
Working the meat unduly will cause proteins to cross-link with each other
Despite outward appearances, ground meat is not dead. From the moment you lay your hands on it, it is changing dynamically, reacting to every knead, every sprinkle of salt, and every change in temperature. Working the meat unduly will cause proteins to cross-link with each other like tiny strips of velcro, making your finished burgers denser and tighter with every manhandling of the grind.
For the most tender burgers, grind your meat fresh, and form your patties as tenderly as possible. For griddled patties with superior nooks and crannies for cheese-catching, I sometimes like to grind my meat directly onto a sheet tray and gently coax it into patties without ever picking it up until just before I cook it. Superb.
There's a corollary point here: adding junk like onions, herbs, eggs, breadcrumbs, anything to your ground meat not only forces your to over-handle the mix, but it instantly relegates your burgers into the "meatloaf sandwich" category. If you absolutely must add junk to your burgers--and with a good, well-selected meat blend, there's really no need to--mix it with the cubes of beef prior to grinding (but don't add the salt yet!), so that it can be evenly distributed without the need to overwork the beef afterward.