Hows About a Burger Bar?

Today, May 28th, is National Hamburger Day. You know what that means....BURGERS FOR DINNER!

One of the things that feels like a total waste of brain energy is the continual debate about what to have for dinner. Ugh! Seriously makes me CRAZY!

I used to keep a menu, but I really do have this rebellious streak in me. I can follow it for a little while, but even though it makes life easier, one missing ingredient and you might as well toss it into the trash. Wish I was more disciplined, but ah well....Will that day ever come? Nope. I have some serious doubts about that. I figure I'm halfway done with my life, and it hasn't happened yet. Yah, it ain't gonna happen.

For today, though, I'm very happy to announce that I bought burgers at the grocery store yesterday.

The Hess kids LOVE burgers. Every year, for their birthdays, they get to choose a special dinner. It's not uncommon for them to follow each other in their choices--there was the year everybody wanted a Build-a-Bear as a birthday gift. Then a couple years ago, they all wanted a Costco-sized container of Jelly Bellys. Last year, for birthday dinners, they all wanted burgers, fries, and milkshakes. The kids' birthdays run from September to January, and then #7 is all alone in June, but we were making burgers each month.

In short, I'm sure they won't be disappointed that today is National Burger Day, and as such, we MUST eat burgers....A moral imperative.

I know what I like on burgers, but I really want to throw a bunch of choices on the table for everyone, so I turned to my friends for their favorite toppings. Here are some ideas just in case you're planning on celebrating this momentous holiday too:

Burger choices:

• regular burgers (I bought the frozen sirloin variety yesterday)
• veggie burgers
• half ground beef and half ground pork mixed with barbecue sauce, minced onions, salt and pepper and enough bread crumbs to help it hold its shape (recommended by my friend, Catherine. Sounds AMAZING!)

Bun choices:

• I bought the plain ol' white buns because they were cheap, and I know my kids'll eat them, but there are so many other choices.
• whole wheat buns
• onion buns
• sesame seed buns
• pretzel buns -- another friend suggested these. I may go get some today.

Cheese choices:

• cheddar (we're Tillamook fans at our house)
• pepperjack -- my kids' favorite
• Swiss 
• Blue 
• Feta

Sauce choices:

• fry sauce 
• salsa
• pico de gallo
• peanut butter (I'm not joking. Two friends have heard of this craze....I might just give it a try)
• jelly (see note to peanut butter--I like a little sweet with serious protein like this)
• Miracle Whip
• mayonnaise
• barbecue sauce
• tzaziki
• teriyaki

Toppings (okay, here we go...):

• lettuce
• spinach
• ketchup
• mustard
• grilled peppers
• bacon
• avocado
• guacamole
• onion
• red onion
• sauteed onions
• onion rings
• onion straws
• mushrooms
• sauteed mushrooms
• pickles
• tomato 
• cucumber
• jalepenos
• jalepeno poppers (my friend Tonya's dad owns a pub, and they carry a burger that has poppers on top--YUM!)
• pineapple
• fried egg

There was one other suggestion....
Claudia, who is from Wisconsin shared that when the burger is fresh off the grill, they melt a pat of butter (about 1/2 Tbsp) on it. Sounds DELICIOUS!

So, there you have it. Enjoy National Hamburger Day! 

If you have additional ideas, I'd love to hear them. Please feel free to leave a comment or send me a message on Facebook.

Elder Noah?

You've GOT to check this out! My son is not a big animal person, or at least, I've never thought of him as one. Considering that he calls our dog Maggie, "Food," yah, I'd say he's not much of an animal person.

Here's the deal, though. Every week since he left the MTC and has been out serving his mission, there have been new photos of animals. It's almost bizarre. I'm sure he doesn't do it on purpose. It's become something I laugh about every week.

Here's the rundown....along with captions when I can find one:

Week #1

"The duck looking thing is weird...it walks like a dinosaur and is really weird"

"There's a community of trailer houses  and they have weird animals like grackles (crows but sound like whoooooOOOOOOPPPP), alligator gar(picture an evil fish had a baby with an alligator that doesn't like people) and peacocks (there's a picture in there but it's tough to see)"

Week #2

"The dogs followed us through the entire neighborhood"

"The cockroach was on the wall of the church"

"Who knew crabs would be chillin in the middle of texas?"

Week #3
He sent me the entire kill, pluck, gut, and cook a chicken process in picture form. I will spare you the details.

"We had dinner with a family who owns a farm and Elder P killed a chicken"

Week #4
There was only one photo this week. It was his toughest week so far, but no worries. He makes up for the lack of animal life the following week....


Week #5
Okay, I'm not even kidding here....He actually sent me EVERY one of these photos. I'm guessing he wanted to take his family along on the trip. At least, that's how I felt after viewing the photos...I had BEEN there. Here, you can come along too....You're welcome!

No captions necessary. But wait....There's more....

Altogether, there were 39 photos of animals of some kind or other in that one email.


Week #6

"A possum we found while mowing the lawn"

And...this week. Week #7
Does this look say, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good" to anyone else but me?

"Today we found a turtle and brought it to district meeting."

I mean, seriously, a turtle? How random is that?!

"Named it flamoorgathyn."

So, there you have it....Seven mission weeks worth of Texas wildlife.

I've gotten to the point where if some little beasty didn't show up among his weekly photos, I'd be sorely disappointed.

So Many Sites. So Little Time

I have this really BAD habit....I tend to be the tab queen when I'm on my computer, and it's really no better when I'm on my phone. I have so many internet windows opened up you wouldn't believe it. I keep them there in hopes that I'll have a few spare minutes to give them a gander. 

Wellllll, lately, that just hasn't happened. I REALLY want to read them ALL. I decided today that I'd just create a big ol' list here so that I can come back and read them when there's time. That way my phone doesn't have to hold them until that time. 

You might think that adding to my reading list might help, but umm....I don't even dare tell you how many things are already listed there probably never to be looked at again.

As I looked at the open windows, I realize how much these sites reflect what's on my mind.

Just in case you have similar interests, here's the crazy queue of random sites that are now no longer open on my phone thanks to this list....

This is the site that's been open the longest. I'm totally going to do this--

http://www.un-fancy.com/category/capsule-wardrobe-101/

I was so intrigued by the idea of a capsule wardrobe, that I really want to spend some time perusing the entire site--

http://www.un-fancy.com/


I believe I ran across un-fancy because of this--
http://www.today.com/home/life-changing-magic-tidying-testing-marie-kondos-method-t21356


This was send to me via email on Mother's Day. Tells you how long things stay open, huh? I thought this would be fun for a series of blog posts--
https://familysearch.org/blog/en/52-questions-52-weeks/


This has been a topic between my husband and me for MONTHS. One morning, I randomly came across this one...Really. It found me--
http://www.makeit-loveit.com/2015/01/how-to-stain-oak-cabinets-the-simple-method-without-sanding.html


This is just part of an evil plot. My husband has three things that I would call his "dai-kirai" (Japanese for "big hate)...Barbies, cheerleaders, and BYU. What can I say? #7's birthday is right around the corner--
http://www.amazon.com/Barbie-BYU-University-Cheerleader/dp/B0012KL6SC


Don't even really know what this is all about, but I have a good guess, and it's definitely something I need to take care of--
http://fivegallonideas.com/emergency-kit/


Then I have this whole set of browsers open about household management:
http://www.household-management-101.com/weekly-house-cleaning-schedules.html

http://www.home-storage-solutions-101.com/bathroom-organization.html

http://www.home-storage-solutions-101.com/house-cleaning-schedule.html

http://www.household-management-101.com/house-cleaning-schedule.html

http://www.household-management-101.com/spring-cleaning-checklist.html

http://www.household-management-101.com/fall-cleaning.html

http://www.cleanmama.net/2015/01/six-things-i-do-every-day-to-keep-the-house-clean.html

This was for a lesson I taught a couple weeks ago--
http://emp.byui.edu/marrottr/ETB%26BoM.PDF


Then, there's the TED thing I have going on....
http://blog.ted.com/body-language-survey-points-to-5-nonverbal-features-that-make-ted-talks-take-off/


Which reminds me of another TED talk that has left a mark (this TED talk wasn't in my browser)--
http://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are?language=en


I have this new habit of watching TED talks when I have insomnia. There have been some really good ones lately. Here are the two that I've been pondering on more than anything else (again, not open in my browser right now, but I've gotta save 'em somewhere):






Then there's the money making and saving ideas--
http://www.livingwellspendingless.com/2015/04/04/how-to-make-money-blogging/

http://www.thepennyhoarder.com/ways-to-make-money-at-home/

http://moneysavingmom.com/2015/04/6-ways-were-keeping-our-grocery-budget-low-without-using-coupons.html


A summer idea. Would LOVE to do this--
http://www.impatientoptimists.org/Posts/2013/07/Five-Tips-for-Family-Summer-Volunteering


A recipe I'm going to try--
http://www.alexandracooks.com/2012/11/07/my-mothers-peasant-bread-the-best-easiest-bread-you-will-ever-make/


Need I say more on this one?
http://kojo-designs.com/2012/04/getting-organized-a-whole-months-worth-of-meals-via-crockpot-freezer-cooking/


Then there's the family relationship articles that intrigue me--
http://familyshare.com/marriage/20-things-you-should-be-doing-for-hubby-on-a-regular-basis

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=34714089

http://www.mnn.com/family/family-activities/blogs/8-things-happy-couples-do-every-day



Oh, wait! We interrupt this list for a TED talk. Yes, this one was open in the browser:




Scary, and definitely worth a look. Gotta protect my kids--
http://pornproofkids.com/


Dealing with HUGE eczema problems for one of the kids right now. I think we're heading to the doctor tomorrow. Gotta take some extreme measures--
http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/eczema/understanding-eczema-treatment


So, there you go....All that's on my mind and then some. Any of these resonate with you?

A New Collection

#3 left for her choir Disneyland trip early this morning. The last thing she needed to collect before leaving was some money for food and mementos. Both my husband and I told her not to buy us anything.

In jest, I asked her to pick me up a napkin and straw from every restaurant where she eats while in California.

Well….it expanded from there….She has agreed to write where she was, who she was with, and what she ate on each napkin.

Silly, but I'm really looking forward to what she brings home on Tuesday…


Gotta confess....If I found a cookie wrapped up in one, I wouldn't be disappointed.