Happy 4th of July!

I hope everyone has had a great day today and that you've been able to enjoy your time off (if you had it). I've essentially had the past 5 days off (including the weekend), and I don't look forward to going back to work tomorrow. I've had a very good time these past few days and would like it to continue; although, I have missed Koba throughout the weekend. I, as usual, didn't accomplish all I would have liked to accomplish this weekend, but I did do a lot. The garden's looking better and better, but there's still a ton of work to be done. With the amount of rain we've had thus far, it's a never ending cycle of weeding.

Have I mentioned that my husband and I have decided to move to another apartment at the end of our current lease? We like the house we're living in a lot, but the well water is just too bad to continue living here. Our lease is up on August 17th or so, and we haven't yet found another place. We're hoping to move closer to downtown, so the number of options is smaller. And, a lot of what's downtown is rather old, early 1800s or so, and being rentals, they're typically not too well taken care of. And, while I'll admit I've been spoiled with where we've been able to live, I just can't imagine moving into a ratty, dirty, smelly apartment and paying $1000/month for it! Yes, I know, it's a lot cheaper than anything I'd find in NYC, San Francisco or any other major city for that matter, but this is the middle of cow country, for crying out loud, not some major metropolitan area! It just so happens to be a university town, though, so we're paying a premium. And, well, without the university, neither my husband nor I would have jobs, so I guess we can't complain too much.

In honor of the 4th of July, I made the following burgers both yesterday and today (b/c my husband liked them so much!). If you like a kick to your burgers, you're going to love these!

Firecracker Burgers

1 lb. 95% lean ground beef
1 4oz. can hot diced green chilies
2 tbsp. chopped garlic
1/2 tsp. granulated beef bouillon
2 tbsp. Worchestershire Sauce
4 slices of Jalapeno cheddar cheese

Mix the ground beef, chilies, garlic, beef bouillon and Worchestershire together. Let the mixture sit for about an hour to allow the beef to take up the chili and garlic flavor. Form four equal sized patties. Pre-heat the grill to at least 350 degrees. Lightly oil the grill grate then place the burgers on the grill. Cook for about 5 minutes on each side adding the slices of cheese to the burgers about 2 minutes before removing the burgers from the grill. Serve on a bun with your favorite condiments.

Enjoy!