Archive for 2010
Firecracker Burgers
Just thinking back to our delicious 4th of July Firecracker Burgers… the creamy pimento cheese, the thick salty bacon, the warm toasty bun…where are my manners! I shouldn’t just make you drool all over your computer, great recipes are meant for sharing.
I found this recipe on the Food Network and a made a little tweak here and there. For example, the original recipe called for chopped smoked ham to be combined with the ground beef in the hamburger patty. That just seemed a little over the top, so we decided to just stick with the beef.
Here’s what you need…
Firecracker Burger Ingredients
Pimento Cheese:
1 cup shredded extra-sharp Cheddar, room temperature
1/3 cup shredded Monterey jack, room temperature
3 tablespoons mayonnaise, room temperature
2 tablespoons cream cheese, room temperature
2 ounces jarred diced pimento peppers, drained
1 tablespoon bread and butter pickle juice
1/2 tablespoon horseradish sauce
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
Honey Slaw:
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon honey
1 1/4 cups shredded cabbage
Patties:
1 1/4 pounds ground chuck
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 potato hamburger buns, split
8 slices thick-cut applewood smoked bacon
1/2 cup crushed kettle-cooked plain potato chips
Oh yeah…get ready!
I am always looking for ways to save time (and sanity) the day of a party. For this dish, we made the pimento cheese spread and honey slaw the night before. This also gives the flavors time to meld. To prepare Pimento Cheese, in a medium mixing bowl, combine Cheddar and Jack cheeses, mayonnaise, cream cheese, pimento peppers, pickle juice, horseradish sauce, and mustard; mix until well combined. For the Honey Slaw, in a small mixing bowl combine mayonnaise, honey, and cabbage; mix until well combined. I also added just a dash of course ground black pepper.
For the bacon, heat a 12-inch nonstick grill pan over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook until the bacon is crispy, about 5 minutes, flipping once. Drain on paper towels.
To make the patties, combine the beef, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions and form into patties to fit the buns. (Size may vary depending on the size bun you choose.) Then throw those babies on a hot grill.
Grill baby grill! Of course you can’t have hamburgers without dogs! Throw on a spicy sausage dog or whatever else tickles your fancy.
Meanwhile, brush buns with a little bit of butter and place on a rack in the oven or open face on the grill.
When the burgers are just about done, remove them from the grill. (Tip: Don’t leave them on the grill until they are all the way cooked, or you will have nice meat rocks for lunch.) The heat will continue to cook the meat even after they have left the grill.
To assemble the burgers, spread a generous amount of Pimento Cheese on the cut sides of the buns. On each bun bottom (on top of the Pimento Cheese), place a thin layer of Honey Slaw. Top the slaw with a burger patty, 2 slices of bacon, and crushed potato chips. Add the bun tops.
Photos by: KHJ
Stick a fun pick in it and you’re done!
When you think of summer, do any recipes or foods jump into mind? What is that one dish that just screams summer to you? Leave a comment and we’ll relish in the sweet days of summer together!
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Happy Birthday America
This 4th of July, I have to admit, I had some mixed feelings about the holiday. It seems there is so much turmoil and corruption in our country right now. I feel lately we are often a nation divided more than united. With the current economic crisis, the wars in the Middle East, scandal after scandal surfacing with our leaders, you just don’t know what to believe and who to trust anymore.
I have caught myself thinking that I have lost faith in our country, causing me to feel a little less than patriotic. Then I realized something very important…it is not our country that I have lost faith in, but our government. I still have faith in the farmer plowing his fields, in the coal miner traveling into the dark day after day, in the teacher sharing knowledge and compassion…I have faith in the real America. They are the gears that keep this nation going; the gears that make America so diversely beautiful.
This 4th of July, I reminded myself, no matter what size of the aisle you fall on, whether you love our leaders or despise them, we are all still Americans. We all still owe a tremendous amount of gratitude and respect to those that fearlessly fight every day and those that have sacrificed their very lives for our freedom.
With this in mind, I decided to put on a cheery face and celebrate this holiday in true American fashion, conscious and thankful every minute that I live in a country where I am free to share my ideas and feelings, free to join with friends and family, free to walk down the street or travel throughout our land, free to enjoy the simple things in life.
Happy Birthday America!
We happily shared this 4th of July in Jacksonville Beach, FL, visiting my sister and her deliciously talented boyfriend, Opie. Opie is a chef at Roy’s (one of my favorite restaurants) and had lots of delicious little treats in store for the celebration. (Big thanks to Roy’s for letting us borrow these sweet chairs, complete with festive red bottoms.)
My mom and little sister Kameryn also made the trip. They loaded down their car with tons of cute 4th of July decorations: flags, ribbons, table cloths…you name it! Now don’t act surprised, you know “keep it simple” is not in our vocabulary.
A few mason jars filled with fresh lantana. It’s beginning to look like a party!
It wouldn’t be a true 4th of July celebration without patriotic ‘tattoos’ and blue & red hair of course! There’s a bit of a side story to these tattoos, a little stinker told me they would come off in the shower. Let’s just say my left hand is still sporting a big, fat American flag star. Haha!
Even Chico, the charming chihuahua, got in on the patriotic action.
Mmm, vegetables for my Aunt Gina’s portobello mushroom burgers. (And no, this photo is not over exposed, just wanted you to see how blazing bright the sun was outside by the grill. Thank you Mr. Blue Eyed Yonder for taking one for the team.)
Undoubtedly the hit of the party – Opie’s truffled sweet potato chips. There were literally moans and groans as this plate of chips quickly disappeared.
Hello summer! Mr. BEY whipped up some icy watermelon margaritas, total lifesaver in the scorching Florida sun.
Another chef special, white truffle parmesan fries and zucchini tempura served with an array of delicious dipping sauces. Drool.
Of course you can’t celebrate America without paying homage to the burger. Mr. BEY and I grilled ‘Fire Cracker Burgers’, complete with melted pimento cheese, honey slaw, a fat slice of bacon and a sprinkling of crushed kettle cooked potato chips. Lawd have mercy.
Adding a little sweet to our smathering of savory goodness, Savannah Jane brought a delicious bounty of homemade desserts: chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter brownies and chewy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.
What summer party would be complete without a rich, creamy churn of homemade ice cream? Opie made a delicious custard style vanilla bean ice cream. (Just for kicks and giggles, thought you might like to know this frozen concoction included 30 egg yolks! That’s right… 30, no typos here.)
Photos by: KHJ
Big thanks to all the amazing cooks and master party planners in my family for another delicious, roll-me-home party!
Just peachy
You know it’s summer when the intoxicating aroma of peaches fill your kitchen. These little gems were just perfect. Soft, fuzzy skin wrapping the sweetest, juiciest, totally Southern fruit.
Sometimes, you find peaches in the grocery store that look amazing. You step closer and closer, waiting for the smell to hit you in the face. You even press one right up under your nose…and still nothing. Often the product of an early harvest, they look great, just no smell and quite hard.
But not these fuzzy balls of summer. No, these little wonders were just perfect. Sweet perfume and slightly tender to the touch. I just knew they were coming home with me. I had a churn of vanilla bean ice cream to throw these suckers on.
Don’t worry, I was nice…I shared.
Handmade Hair Adornment
Hand crafted with creamy organza layers atop a frilly ruffle of tulle. Whimsical guinea and ostrich feathers peek out from beneath the plush layers of fabric and the center is adorned with a simple diamond-studded embellishment.
Little Maybelline journeyed from Atlanta to her new home in South Carolina, where she happily adorned the hair of the most beautiful bride. The bride chose to debut Maybelline at her wedding reception where I’m sure she turned lots of heads!
Photos by: KHJ and CMJ
Looking for your own Maybelline or another lovley bobbin? Let me know, I’d be happy to whip one up for you.
Jessica – You looked amazing sporting Miss Maybelline at your reception. Wishing you many happy years of sheer wedded bliss!
Muir Woods, oh how I love thee
Here man is no longer the center of the world, only a witness, but a witness who is also a partner in the silent life of nature, bound by secret affinities to the trees. – Dag Hammarskjold (UN Secretary General 1953-1961)
Ok, just go ahead and label me a full-fledged tree hugger! I love plants: trees, flowers, mosses, grass, you name it. Coming from someone who’s idea of a perfect day includes roaming Pike Nursery for hours on end, looking at plants, reading their tags and dreaming of a perfect yard, Muir Woods was pretty much one of the most magical places on Earth and a day I won’t soon forget.
We arrived in San Francisco very late on Friday night, so needless to say, we started Saturday off on a very relaxed schedule. We enjoyed a delicious home cooked breakfast with our dear west coast friends and their sweet little addition, Elle. This was our first time seeing their precious bundle and let me tell you, a 3-month-old with two big ol’ dimples… my heart was a puddle in my chest.
After breakfast, we packed up the car for a beautifully scenic drive to Muir Woods. We zipped through downtown San Francisco, over the Golden Gate Bridge, through the picturesque town of Sausalito on our way to Muir Woods. As we drove along the winding mountain roads, we let down the windows (more for a little white noise for a tired baby) and inhaled the most delicious scent imaginable! Waves of fresh pine and cedar filled the car. That smell, coupled with the crisp bay breeze made you want to bottle it up and bring it back to steamy Georgia.
We stopped off at Muir Beach for an oh-so-California picnic: delightful cheeses, crackers, pepperoni, turkey, olives and of course refreshing white wine. The quaint picnic table, the fresh ocean air, a reunion with old friends… these are what perfect days are made of.
After our finger food feast, we hopped back into the car and headed to Muir Woods National Monument. Now, a little note about these pictures: We arrived in the late afternoon when the sun was dipping lower and lower behind the hills. While this was very magical and quite enchanting, it didn’t make for the brightest photos. However, I hope you are able to sense the deep, dark beauty of the forest.
As the sun dipped down, gorgeous rays of soft golden light filtered to the ground. It was very quiet in the forest. I felt like I was miles away from civilization and for a moment I pretended that was true.
Beautiful clovers carpeted many areas of the forest floor. This gave the otherwise dark surroundings a burst of color. There were so many unique plant species along the paths. Mr. Blue Eyed Yonder especially loved these ‘chimney sweep pines’. That is not their real name, I have no idea what these whispy plants are actually called, but would love to find out.
Tucked away in the dim forest was this precious purple flower, hiding ever so sweetly behind a fallen limb. At first glance, the only thing you might notice in this forest would be the redwoods, so tall and imposing, however I love how just a little look closer reveals an entire community of blossoming variety.
There are some moments in life when you just feel so small. The soaring heights of this forest is almost impossible to depict in photos. Years upon years of growing, stretching and reaching, higher and higher.
You’re really able to get an idea of the tree’s magnitude when you see one that has crashed to the forest floor. If a tree falls in the woods and no one is hear to hear it, does it make a sound? I have to believe this one would.
These magnificent trees are often found in ‘families’ or ‘cathedrals’. Usually, this means the trees have grown up from the living remains of the stump of a fallen redwood, and since they grew out of the perimeter, they are organized in a circle. If one of the family ‘members’ should fall, the other family members will continue thriving off of the fallen tree’s established root system.
As we walked down the wooden walkway through the canopy of trees, we came upon this beautiful, brilliant green tree. It’s leaves set the forest ablaze in green light. It was absolutely breathtaking.
With all of their peace and noble beauty, it is hard to imagine that someone could cut them down. Something so old, so wise, destroyed at the hand of man. I couldn’t help but feel a little bit guilty walking through the trees, almost like I was sending out little silent apologies as I passed.
Another adorable plant for which I do not know the name. I have nicknamed it a ‘dandelion fern’, probably couldn’t be further from the truth. Would love to know it’s real name. Its little spindle, round blossoms were so cute.
Ok, so everyone is entitled to a few corny photos while meandering through the forest. No, we weren’t playing hide-n-seek, just being silly.
That’s my man, my big burly tree-hugger of a man.
We stumbled upon this interesting plaque in the forest, the Bicentennial Tree. So bewildering to think this trees was busy growing on the west coast while the American Revolution was being fought thousands of miles away.
We loved these feathery fields of ‘chimney sweep pines’. It really added to the allure of this magical place.
Another brilliant tiny detail in this towering forest, precious curly plant tendrils.
Check out the thickness of the bark on this fallen redwood. We were pretty impressed. We later read that the bark on some trees has been found to be more than a foot in thickness! I think the trees were laughing at us.
Oh and by the way, as if this scenery could be more serene… imagine the sounds of a beautiful babbling brook. Moss covered stones and crystal clear, ice cold water; it was truly like something out of a meditation video.
My green thumb was just too interested not to take a picture of the quaint habitat restoration display. Made me want to bust out my gardening gloves and make a permanent home here.
I have to admit, I was a little sad to leave Muir Woods. The sheer peace and serenity were beckoning to me. How can you look back at this intriguing, winding trail and be okay with heading home? When they say, “Let there be peace on Earth”, I am pretty sure they are referring to Muir Woods.
