A Busy Weekend & Boudreau’s Burgers!

Good Morning!

I hope you all enjoyed your weekend! Our’s was an action packed weekend to say the very least. On Saturday, our friends Ryan & Erin and Pat & Jan threw us a beautiful baby shower in our own backyard! This baby shower included all of Ryan’s co-workers and close friends….what a perfect way to celebrate the “dad-to-be”….bocce, lawn golf, beersbie, and some cannon balls in the pool. Thank you, Spengler’s and Stabers!

By the time we were alone on Saturday night (about 830pm), I was exhausted and my newest pregnancy “symptom” was in full swing…sneezing and running nose! Rather than making dinner, we decided to “re-live” one of our high school date nights with a 9pm trip to Perkins. We laughed as we walked in…remembering what it felt like at 16 yrs old…vs what it feels like now! We ordered up our old-school favorite, mozzarella sticks and continued to laugh….they just weren’t as good as we had remembered! Oh…how our tastes have changed. 🙂

Sunday brought another action-packed day. First…we began tackling our “to-do” list…packing Ryan’s hospital bag, putting together baby items, writing thank-you’s, and finalizing the birth plan. In the midst of it all…a quick scare that sent us to the hospital. OH yes….our first (and hopefully ONLY), false alarm. I will spare you all the details…but say that we are happy to be home with a few more days (maybe weeks), to relax (or try to relax) before Baby B actually makes her arrival. A trial run was great….but I’m not going to lie, a little overwhelming!

Just as the results came back “negative”, the nurse said, “Just hang out here for a little bit and we will be back with your discharge paperwork.” I, very abruptly, said, “Actually, we really need to get going. I am hosting a baby shower in less than 2 hours!” With that, I threw my cloths back on….met her out at the desk…grabbed my paperwork…and we raced home to finish up the preparation for my dear friend, Bonnie’s, baby shower at Cedar Ridge Winery. The cupcakes were waiting for me on the counter…unfilled and unfrosted. Though I struggle to “skip corners”, I decided to forgo the lemon filling and get right to the frosting. While the preparation was a bit rushed in that last hour, it was so nice to get out to the Winery and celebrate the upcoming arrival of another baby girl and forget about my morning. A big congratulations to Bonnie! I hope you enjoyed your afternoon at the Winery with girlfriends.

Finally, as Sunday night rolled around….Ryan and I searched the refrigerator for something easy and delicious to whip up for dinner. With left over meat, buns and toppings in the frig from our Saturday Shower, we opted to make our favorite cheeseburgers…and of course, Balsamic Salad!

Ever get tired of dry, “hockey-puck”-esque burgers off the grill?! If so…give these burgers a try! Juicy. Flavorful. Delicious. (If we must say so ourselves.)

BOUDREAU’S BURGERS

Serves 4

1 lb 90/10 Ground Beef
~ 1/4 cup Milk
Seeded Hamburger Buns, 1 bun cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 tbsp Worcestershire
1 Tbsp “backyard grilling” seasoning (Choose your favorite burger seasoning)
1 Tbsp Hot Sauce (most any will do!)
4 Tbsp EVOO
A Dash or Two of Garlic Salt
1/4 stick of butter
Green Leaf Lettuce, rinsed & torn
1 Tomato, sliced
1/2 Onion, sliced and carmelized
Sliced Swiss Cheese
Ketchup, Mayo, Mustard

Start by prepping all of your toppings (lettuce, tomato, and onion). To carmelize your onion, melt butter in small pan and sautee the onion until tender and translucent. Remove from heat until ready to serve.

Preheat the grill to 400 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine milk and the one cubed hamburger bun. Using your hands, mix the milk and bun until fully saturated and paste-like. Add the ground beef and continue to mash together with your hands. Work in Worcestershire, seasoning, and hot sauce. Once combined, pat out 4 burgers. Grill the burgers for ~6 minutes per side or until your desired “done-ness”. We grill ours until just pink in the middle.

As you flip your burgers over for the final ~6 minutes, prep your buns! In a small prep bowl, combine 4 Tbsp EVOO and a dash or two of garlic salt. Brush the inside of each bun (top and bottom). Place on the top rack of the grill for ~30 seconds (or until grill lines form). While the buns are grilling, add the swiss cheese and let melt.

Remove buns and burgers and begin to build your sandwich! We build ours with a dab of mayo on the bottom bun, followed by the burger, tomato, lettuce, onion, ketchup, and mustard! Top with your bun and….INDULGE.