It is another gloomy, gray cool day in Eugene Or.
The local paper this morning reported it has been one of the wettest gray May's in history. Everyone is feeling cheated out of spring we are still in winter mode. This was suppose to be our nice day!

It was nice to have a reprieve from cooking last night. Tonight we are having easy fare. Grilled cheese burgers, with baked beans and home fries. We will grill in the gray late afternoon unless the sun makes an appearance. I think I shall dance if that happens.

I am sure most everyone knows how to make and build a great burger so I will not actually do a recipe for one as there are millions. What I will do is offer some little hints on what makes a great burger.

First of all you want fat in your burger. I usually get the 15%fat. This makes for a juicier burger and the fat dripping from the meat add good smoke and char flavor.
Handle your meat as little as possible that will keep the burger from being tough. When you have your patty made make a thumb print indentation in the middle. The burger will not round up on top that way.
My guy likes minced garlic in his meat so that is what we do along with salt and pepper.
When you put your burgers on your hot grill do not turn until you have grill marks then flip. Try to avoid turning them as much as possible. Never poke, cut or flatten your burgers, they will lose their juice and will become tough and dry. For some reason men have a hard time with not messing with the meat when it is on the grill. Make them keep their hands in their apron pockets!
We prefer to put our burgers on sour dough bread which has been drizzled with olive and grilled along side the burgers. I usually add the bread about the same time as I put the cheese on the burgers.
We always have some sort of cheese and tonight we are having white American cheese from the deli. Munster is one or our faves as it melts so nicely. We have also used Gorgonzola and blue cheese as stuffing in the burger. Just make two thin burgers put the cheese in the middle of the two and crimp the edges to seal the cheese in.
Tonight we will have special sauce(mayo, ketchup,horseradish mixed together.) Mustard will be offered and we will load the cheese burgers with lettuce,tomatoes,sweet onion slices and my home made sweet dills.

Home fries are nothing more than making potato wedges or rounds. Put them in a bowl and drizzle some olive oil over them then salt and pepper. Mix with your hands and spread in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 425 degrees for about forty minutes or so till tender. I turn them over half through the cooking time.

I am not making beans from scratch this evening as hubby loves the Bush Grilling beans. I am not a big baked bean person so that works for me.

We will work in the garden this afternoon and I will also plant some flowers in pots. I bought a nice variety of colorful plants yesterday at the farms. The deck will look summery it will be an illusion.

Enjoy your day and maybe where you are the sun is shinning.