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Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Best Homemade Burgers!

My hubby has a serious weakness for a yummy hamburger! Especially when its been homemade. I'm also always trying to find ways to impress my hubby with my cooking abilities, so I set out on Pinterest for one I thought looked delicious! I found it, tried it, and it was delicious! So thank you to Ashley, from Little Miss Mama blog. I did have all the ingredients her burgers called for but I also have some of my own flavors that I really like, so I took her recipe and made it a little bit more fitting for my family.

Here is how I made the burgers...

First, you need the following ingredients:


  • 2 lbs ground beef (its best to use 85/15 so you have enough fat in the meat to hold it together)
  • 1/4 cup bbq sauce
  • 1/2 cup shredded Tillamook Mexican cheese (half pepper jack & medium cheddar cheese)
  • 2 Tablespoons of McCormick's Hamburger seasoning (seasoning includes: salt, black pepper, chili pepper, onion, red bell peppers, sugar, garlic and natural flavors.)
  • Sliced cheddar cheese
  • Hamburger buns
(Litte tip: You don't ever want to add an egg or bread crumbs to make your hamburgers... unless you like your burger to taste like meatloaf.)


Directions: Combine ground beef, bbq sauce, shredded cheese and Hamburger seasoning. Form into 1 inch thick (or more) patties. I like to make mine fairly large around because they shrink down when cooking. I throw the hamburger patties on my pancake griddle (yikes I know) because I don't have a grill. Use what you got is my motto. Keep in mind, these are hamburgers that are meant to be made inside, not on your bbq grill due to the fact that they will fall apart.

Make sure your griddle is nice and hot when you first put them on and then turn it down to about medium to medium high. It took about 4 minutes on each side. Just make sure you don't burn them.


While the burgers are grilling, whip up the yummy secret sauce to go with it. This recipe also comes from the Little Miss Mama blog. It taste pretty darn close to Inn & Outs sauce. Yum!


 Here's what you need: 
 1 teaspoon Johnny's seasoning salt (or your preferred brand)
3/4 cup Mayo
1/4 cup Ketchup
1/4 cup Relish (I used sweet relish)
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce

Mix it all together and taste it. If it needs a little more of something, add it. 



Another thing you should do while grilling the burgers is butter your hamburger buns and set them in the broiler to be toasted. It adds a little extra something to your hamburgers and keeps your bread from getting soggy.


Now the best part... add all the toppings you like.
I melted a slice of cheese on top with lettuce, tomato, and onion. If I had it, I would have added avocado and bacon. YUM! Put your own spin on it and enjoy!!! 



If you're looking for an all american meal, check out our Apple Crisp Pie for dessert!

I hope you enjoy the Burgers as much as we did!


Friday, July 19, 2013

Author Spotlight: Heidi Ashworth!


I love to read! My favorite books to read are from the Regency Era (clean books only).  I'm a huge fan of anything Jane Austen; movies, books, history... etc. So I was excited when I came across  Heidi Ashworth's books by looking up books in the Regency Era that I have already read and liked.  For tips on finding the next good book to read via Amazon and books you have already read, view my Tutorial:  HERE



I am definitely a fan of Heidi Ashworth’s writing style. If you like Pride and Prejudice, then you will love her (Miss Delacourt) books. There is a little bit of everything as far as intrigue, romance (the clean kind), and even humor. 



                     


Today I'm giving a review on her most recent book release: 

Lord Haversham Takes Command



This book is the 4th installment of her Miss Delacourt books, but if you have not read the previous books, in no way will you be lost (though I highly recommend them). This is a romantic story between Mira and Harry,  children from the main characters from the previous Miss Delacourt books. 

I laughed out loud at the character that Harry would portray (Bertie) in order to keep his status as a secret service agent under wraps. Everyone who knows him is confused and put out by his role as a dandy wearing too much lace. Even Mira, who hasn’t seen Harry in years is confused and disappointed. Harry is torn between the safety of those around him and loosing the good opinion of Mira and her parents for good. Mira, however, gets glimpses of the Harry she has always known and loved and has enough trust in him and his reasons for playing a dandy. Although there are times her trust is put to the test.

You can’t help but root for Harry and Mira to be together with the well described chemistry that they share. I won’t elaborate on the story anymore so as not to give anything away, however, there was a kissing scene that should go down in history for being the best kiss ever described in a book to make any woman's toes curl. I give mad props to Heidi Ashworth for her writing style and being able to describe a great kiss in the cleanest way. 

This book will make you fall in love with the Regency Era and make you want to buy the previous Miss Delacourt books just to know the history of some of the key characters. Thank you Heidi for a very entertaining read! I can’t wait to see what you come up with next!

** If you are interested in reading any of the above mentioned books, simply click on the picture and it will take you to the book on Amazon.


coming up on the blog... The best homemade Burgers!