Monday, September 30, 2013

Personal Irritations


I was in the grocery store waiting for a friend. I wandered over to a large bulletin board covered with comment cards.  These cards had been laid out so that there was a block for comment & a block for the store manager to respond in some way.

Most were requests for a specific product to be carried or wondering why a product they had could no longer be found, but the one that made me think….. "Are-You-Kidding-Me?"... was the one that commented on the shape of the hamburger patties made fresh at the store.

“What is with oval shaped hamburger patties it asked?  When it is on the bun, I have gaps in my sandwich.” 

I found myself wondering if this person looked for little irritations in life to focus on & complain about.  I wondered if there was gratitude that they could even afford to buy a hamburger patty-oval or round.  I wondered if they realized the time they spent writing that comment card complaining was time spent in the negative, & could never be retrieved for something worthwhile.

I wondered if they realized an uncooked hamburger patty can be simply reshaped into a round with gentle pressure or that one could trim off the ends of the oval & place them in the gappy areas of the bun.  Problem solved.

I wondered if the mindset of the person who wrote the comment card tended to focus on the negative aspects of life that personally irritated.  If so, then I imagine they were so fun to be around…not!

Life will never always conform to our personal preference, in fact it rarely will, but it is when I willingly place all circumstances in the hands of the Lord God that I can deal with whatever He brings my way.  Attitudes of the heart matter to Him, and make a difference in our response when life doesn’t go our way.


Since I mentioned gaps earlier, I was reminded of those whose wonderful friends who stood in the gap for me when my husband died suddenly in 2009.  I am planning a casual dinner party because they are a definite positive in my life. I plan to serve these burgers.  Maybe I will even make them OVAL SHAPED to fit my homemade rolls.  :-)

JUICY BURGERS

1 lb. lean ground beef                      dash garlic powder, or to                                                                        taste
1/4 c. dried bread crumbs                1 egg
1/4 c. ketchup                                  1 pkg. Au Jus gravy mix
1/2 c. onions, finely minced              salt and pepper, to taste

Mix beef with rest of ingredients, except Au Jus mix. Form into 4-5 patties, but don't
over handle the meat, as this toughens it. Grill until done, about 5-minutes on each
side or until meat thermometer registers 160°. 

If not serving immediately, mix gravy mix with just enough water so that it still tastes a bit concentrated. Reheat burgers in juice when ready to serve. Save gravy for homemade soup or another recipe. Serve on buns with all the fixin's.

Note: I grilled 200 burgers in advance for a school event and reheated them, basting in
the juices. They were tender and juicy and one lady told me it was the best burger she
ever had! I also use this mix as meatloaf, omitting the gravy mix, shaping in a loaf
pan and topping with bacon and ketchup.

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