Mid-Week is Always Fun

While the weekend is behind us, its sweet pleasures still linger in our minds. As we look ahead, another beautiful weekend is just over the next horrizon. How can we speak ill of Wednesday in that context? Wedneday is a good day.

Every day is special simply because it’s a day the Lord has made. It’s also National Brisket Day and Hamburger Day. When it comes to our food source, we are so blessed to live sandwiched between the fertile farmlands along the San Joaquin River and the rolling hills of cattle country.

There’s a family ranch in eastern Oakdale, two towns over as the crow flies that has some of the best beef around. The Ardis family began farming in the area in 1873 as wheat and grain farmers. During the Great Depression they began to raise beef on their land and have done so ever since. Theirs wasn’t a small operation. The animals were sold to large commercial feedlots and eventually made their way to grocery stores around the country. Then, in 2012 the family made a decision to change their operation. While some might say they scaled back, I personally think it was a choice of continuing as a faceless entity in the food chain or becoming a true family run cattle ranch. The steer on their property now spend their days grazing on open rangelands until they reach about 800 pounds. They are then hand selected by the Ardis’ to be grain finished. The cattle is no longer carted up and shipped off to slaughter. They work in partnership with a local mobile butcher who comes directly to the ranch, greatly reducing the stress on the animals. They are harvested in the most humane ways possible. While the bulk of their beef is sold as hold, half or split quarter sections, the Ardis family also sets up a booth at the local farmer’s market to sell ground beef by the pound, burger patties and special cuts such as short ribs or steaks to the general public. While I wish we could buy all our meat this way, for us it’s not very practial. Oh but for special occasions it’s worth the extra investment, even if it’s just for some amazing burgers on National Hamburger Day.

Hubby and I are strong believers in a few basic principals. Support your local community. Put down roots wherever you are for as long as you can. Offer up each new day to the Lord and life is bound to be good. Stress free? Probably not. Perfect? Far from it. But even in the most difficult of times, we know we are not alone. So whatever the day may bring, it’s a blessing even if we don’t understand it yet.

Third-Pound A-1 Best Burgers
1/2 Red Onion
4 Green Leaf Lettuce Leaves
1 large Beefsteak Tomato
2 tablespoons A-1 Sauce
1 tablespoon Miracle Whip
4 tablespoons Ketchup
1 tablespoon Yellow Mustard
4 Third-Pound Quality Burger Patties
Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
4 Quality Hamburger Buns
2 tablespoons Butter

Cut onion in half. Reserve half for another purpose, peel and thinly slice remaining half. Break lettuce leaves from a head. Rinse and pat dry. Slice tomato into nice rounds. In a small bowl mix A-1 Sauce, Miracle Whip, Ketchup and mustard. Mix well, set aside until ready to use.

Place in a skillet over medium heat with just a hint of butter. Sauté onions until golden. Keep warm.

Warm a grill to medium-high heat. Season frozen burgers with a little salt and pepper, set aside until grill has reached temperature. Place patties on the grill; cook about 4 or 5 minutes per side, just until beads of blood begin to coagulate on top.

(The burgers come frozen in packages of 4. Hubby and Kiddo split one, hence the half burgers. That way Hubby’s is plain, Kiddo’s is finished with cheese)

While the burgers are grilling, lightly butter the split side of the hamburger buns. Toast on a flat griddle until golden, keep warm.

When ready spread the A-1 sauce mixture on the toasted side of the buns both top and bottom. Drape a lettuce leave over the bottom bun topped with a slice of tomato. Scatter grilled onions over the tomato. Place the burger on top and close with the top bun. Serve with Tots and enjoy.

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Jesus said to His disciples:
“I have yet many things to say to you
But you cannot bear them now.
But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes
He will teach you all truths.”
John 16:12-13