Week 1 Thursday (1/9/14)

Recipe Review

Today’s Recipe and Location:  Her Burgers

Found in: The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food From my Frontier

Pages 160 - 161     Copyright:  2012  Harper Collins

         My first choice for lunch at any restaurant is the cheeseburger.  I love them off the grill or pan or oven fried.  They have always been an American favorite and I think they are fabulous.  I would guess that there are millions of burgers sold in the USA alone each year. We Americans love our burgers. To me the burger is as important to Americans as baseball, hot dogs, apple pie, and Chevrolet.  Okay – that was totally a "commercial" memory moment from this Ole Gal.

Don't ya love blue cheese???

Today’s critics: 

         Since I only made two burgers I am the sole critic on this recipe. I did have to omit the mushrooms because I totally hate the texture of this little fungus.  Ree used pesto, blue cheese, mayo and onion on her burger. I thought I had died and gone to Heaven.  She always has the right amount of each ingredient to satisfy this picky eater.  I had to reread the recipe more than once to be sure I had read it correctly.  Among the spices and meat she added heavy cream to the meat mixture.  Who would have thought to add this ingredient?  Heavy cream is a common ingredient in Pioneer Woman’s recipes and I now know why.  It makes everything it touches better.  Her dishes are rich and extremely flavorful.  This is by far the best burger I have ever had in my life.  I do need to try the His Burger sometime in the near future. You really need to buy this book so you can recreate these masterpieces!

Random Reflections

         Today, I drove past a home that spurred a memory from my childhood. There is a wonderful home in St. Charles between 5^th and 6^th Avenues. The address is 309 S. 6^th Ave. STC. During my childhood, my church group visited the home because it was a retirement or nursing home.  My memory is a little foggy as to its use at the time – could this be a sign of aging??? I remember entering the home, which had two large front rooms and a beautiful staircase rising to the second floor. We spent time bringing holiday cheer to the residents. I remember the stone fence that surrounded the structure making it look regal and important, and the stately oak trees that sheltered the lawn. The home is now for sale and in poor shape. The paint is peeling, the fence and massive stone end posts removed, and it now stands alone on a treeless lot. The previous owner either sold part of the land or maybe just built a row of buildings right next to the driveway – which in my view ruined the look of this old beauty. The home is unique in style, but there is something about the design that makes me smile. I hope the next owner gives this old home some new life and restores it to its former beauty. In case you were wondering, in December of 2013, the going price for this in-town residence was $570,000. Do you need a challenge and have a little extra pocket change? This is a diamond in the rough.

Irksome Ideas and Images

         What is up with the stores and the holidays?  You would think that the stores never sold anything during the year and relied solely on holiday sales for their mere existence. Each year the stores open earlier and stay open later in order to make more money.  Is that true?  If they closed on holidays and stayed open only during regular hours wouldn’t we still have to go out and shop anyway? I will never understand why people would stand outside in the cold, to save a couple of dollars on an item. But the best part of this dilemma is – to each his own.  I have many friends who love Black Friday and shopping in a crazed environment. My answer is – go forth and shop till you drop. I will be home enjoying a warm cup of tea in front of a roaring fire thinking of all of you.  Enjoy!