The common hamburger. It’s an Americana staple, and probably the most iconic sandwich known around the world. It’s permeated the hearts of food-lovers across the globe much the same way as pizza or sushi. And yet, there are a million different variations on the classic, with additions like foie gras, peanut butter, bacon and beyond. The greatest chefs in the world have tackled the hamburger with amazing and/or amusing results, and yet, many of us still prefer to head down to the nearest greasy spoon for a $2.99 special that hits the spot like a bullet vibrator with new batteries. Read more

As many of you know, I’m participating in the United Way Hunger Action challenge this week.  What does this mean? Well, since I have a family of three, in Washington State we would qualify for $18 per day in food stamps.  The goal of the challenge is to try and live on that amount for five full days, so my weekly budget is $90.  Throw in the fact that Wednesday is my husband’s birthday and I’m trying to make it special for him, which usually equates to an off-the-hook feast, and I’ve got quite the challenge.  I also plan to stick to my usual habit of buying mostly organic ingredients if at all possible; let’s see if it can be done.  You may think I’m lucky in that I can count three people yet Bentley is merely a toddler.  Not so, because he knocks back three gallons of milk a week, and at $5.00 a gallon (for organic) that drops my budget down to $75 right off the bat, not to mention the fact that he eats bananas like a monkey on crack- thank god they’re cheap! 

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