Matt and I stayed home this afternoon and worked on the house. Just basic cleaning and organizing. We installed our new wireless printer (so our old one can go to the bakery) and organized the basement.
And cleaned all the floors!
I had fun with my Steam Shark + Vac, which I am still LOVING! Partly because it’s a lightweight vacuum and I can do the whole house in a flash, and partly because there is no sloppy bucket.
I also removed my crappy manicure from last week. Not going back to that salon
And FINALLY cleaned my makeup brushes!
Karen came by to bring us some beans and say hello. She always is so chipper in her second week after chemo when she gest her energy back. She was glowing!
Tonight we made a recipe as a freelance project for the new Cheese & Burger Society, a spin-off from the Wisconsin Cheese Council.
Hello pepperjack!
Complete with the Wisconsin cheese logo!
For the occasion Matt made homemade pepperjack buns – mmmmmmmmmmmm!
And we piled Southern-style toppings onto Virginia Bison
We sipped
And flipped
And kept warm
While we waited for the cheese to melt
BEHOLD – my FIRST EVER bacon cheeseburger!!
Can you believe that!? I don’t really think one should top meat on meat. But there is a first for everything. And this burger was pretty darn good!! I don’t think I’m going to make bacon a regular topping of mine (I could barely even taste the bacon + cheese under all of those jalapenos!), but the few hints I did get of the charred goodness were….good.
Toppings included local bacon, jalapenos, greens, and pepperjack, plus standard ketchup and mustard
And a big pile of kale chips for good measure
What might appear to be a huge mug of beer…
Was actually just a 2 ounce taste of IPA. Water just doesn’t go well with dinner!
A rockin’ tasty meal. There’s a video to go along with this burger that you’ll get to see in May!
After dinner we went on a nice neighborhood walk (it was nice out but it was cold!) and then settled into the couch to watch the Charlottesville feature film: The Parking Lot Movie.
An hour-long documentary about a group of guys who work/worked as a parking lot attendant on The Corner here in Cville.
The movie was good, but I don’t think you’d love it if you have never been to Charlottesville before! I kept hoping to see more sights of the city, but really you just hear a lot of talking about how much people suck! Glad I watched it though : )
Goodnight!
{ 78 comments… read them below or add one }
I’d like to say I’ve never had a bacon cheese burger- there sure was a time in my life where I looked like I had one to many…lol! I sure do love Karen, she seems like such a great person with so much spirit it shows in her pictures. I hope her days with chemo are almost over and she high kicks cancer in the face.
i don’t like bacon on burgers/meat on meat either.
Great picture of Karen. Sending lots of good wishes her way!
I love the picture of you two trying to keep warm!
Too cute!
First ever?! Wow! lol I like bacon burgers now and then, but not often. I don’t like crispy bacon, I like it kind of chewy; not charred, which I think is more flavorful.
I’m lovin’ my new Shark vac then steam, too! It’s pretty awesome. I want the smaller one with the wand for cleaning other things now.
I like it chewy too…just like my cookies
That’s a burger! If your going to do it, do it right. And the home-made buns? Awesome.
That pic of the two of you in the cold is too cute!
I thought I was the only one who didn’t like to mix meat with meat! It always grossed me out…something really weird about it. I wouldn’t even eat two types of meat in one day! I don’t eat meat anymore, but the fact that you see it as a strange combo is still affirming for some reason, haha!
Karen looks amazing — can’t believe how gracefully she’s gone through the chemo journey; in all her pictures she really does glow. So glad to hear she’s getting some energy back!
haha that’s so funny becuase I never even thought about the fact that there were two meats being mixed! I used to love bacon cheeseburgers (pre-vegetarian days).
I don’t really get topping carbs with carbs… Like mac n cheese topped with breadcrumbs. I guess they’re good & add a texture element, but it seems kind of pointless! Not many people agree with me on this one though…
Your first bacon cheese burger! Congrats!
I am glad that Karen is feeling better – she is definitely glowing
Love the pic of you two keeping warm!
Bacon cheeseburgers are the best!
I saw the Sharkie at Costco the other day and kinda wanted to get it. I vacuum the kitchen almost every day but I don’t feel like it’s cleaning…just getting up the crumbs. Love the keeping warm photo
That burger looks so unbelievably delicious!!! I love pepperjack cheese. And those buns are the perfect shape!
We’ll be cleaning the house tomorrow, ugh…
my husband who works in documentaries saw that and said he couldn’t get past 10 min of it. i guess you’re right about folks who aren’t from cville not liking it!
This is the cutest picture of you and Matt!! I hope that you loved your bacon… it really does make everything better
wireless printer – have one. It’s a lifesaver b/c I dont want a printer in my small “office”, i.e. corner of my master and for the rare times I need to print, we have a guest room/hubs’ office which is where the printer is at.
Crappy mani’s/pedis annoy big time! Time + money = wasted.
Your burgers look great! So does that “keep warm” pic of you and Matt.
And Karen IS glowing. She looks wonderful!
What a productive Saturday! Karen looks incredible… what a strong woman! And you’re right that she truly is glowing.
Aww, that photo of you and Matt is adorable!!! I’ve never had bacon cheeseburgers before, and now I doubt I ever will since I’m a vegetarian haha.
But I’ll take your word for it that they are delicious!
I agree–meat on meat is very very rich, a luxury, and should be treated as so!
Karen looks great!
That picture of you and Matt is adorable! Karen looks great, and so high spirited.
I don’t eat meat, but I’m loving the kale chips
You two are so cute in the “keepin’ warm” pic!
That bacon cheese burger looks so good. I can’t believe it was your first one!
Kale chips. They’re going on the list of things to try.
Karen is really beautiful. That photo of hers is stunning. Her eyes have such a twinkle.
Wow that’s like a summer meal. The cheese and buns sound so good.
Gorgeous gorgeous photo of Karen – so pretty. Classy lady!
Bless Karen’s heart. Maybe you’ve mentioned this, but when is she scheduled to be finished with chemo. I can’t imagine how difficult this is for her and for you and Matt.
She’s halfway done – 3 more to go (6 weeks total)
Oh my god now I’m craving a hamburger! That looks so tasty!!
I don’t think I’ve ever had a bacon cheeseburger either!
You and Matt are too cute! And so industrious! I need to grab some inspiration from you guys.
I don’t usually eat a bacon cheeseburger either, but I do enjoy a good one with crispy bacon once in a while. That pepper jack looks really good!
Also, the pic of you & Matt keeping warm together is really sweet
Karen looks really, really good in that picture – so glad the treatments are going pretty well & she’s feeling good sometimes!
I gotta give it to Matt- he sure knows how to build a fabulous burger, from what I can see
And what wonderful fixings– love the kale chips on the side 
Every fast food joint in this world needs to read your blog, be ashamed, and then copycat you. The universe will be a better place
I generally agree with the whole meat on meat thing being unnecessary. However, nothing beats bacon or cheese so you have to have a bacon cheeseburger at least once in your life!
I’ve never really understood bacon on burgers either. Now a fried egg on the other hand…
I watched The Parking Lot Movie! I really liked it and I’m not from [nor have ever been to] Cville!
I thought about suggesting that movie to you after we saw it about a month ago but yeah, I thought the same thing about it. It might be fun for a local to watch and see a few familiar sights, especially if they went to the university, but it’s mostly just the parking lot dudes ranting and raving.
I’ve never had a bacon cheeseburger before either! I’m not a huge fan of beef burgers – but I don’t mind bacon! Maybe I’ll try a veggie burger with bacon?
I used to get veggie burgers with cheese and bacon. Got some strange looks, but at the time I wasnt’t eating much meat. I did, however, love bacon. Still do!
Hi Kath, I don’t comment, ever but, I just wanted to pop in and say Karen looks great. She really is glowing!
Thanks : ) And you should comment more!
Ooh I’ve been fancying a huge veggie burger for ages…seeing the delicious bun with all the toppings has made me put it on the meal plan for this week! Best wishes to Karen
pepper jack cheese is my favorite!!! next to cheddar (I am a very tortured vegan!) That looks SO tasty
That picture of Karen is beautiful! I hope she is doing well…
That burger looks delicious and Karen looks great!
Do you clean your brushes with nail polish remover?
Oh sorry – I guess it looked like that! No, I used a brush cleaner
Oh good! I was about to comment that I sincerely hope you don’t do that! Any mild shampoo works well, and is less costly than a specific brush cleaner. I also like to use my lingerie wash to clean my brushes.
baby shampoo works too! makes the brushes super soft!
Oh, baby shampoo is a good idea…I’m almost out of brush cleaner and I didn’t want to buy another expensive bottle!
So glad to hear Karen is feeling well!
Haha…the picture of you two keeping warm is adorable. Love it.
I’m glad Karen is feeling well!! She looks great!
We cleaned yesterday too. It felt like we had done so much by noon and then on my way back from the bank, the check engine light came on…let’s just say things went down hill from there. UGH, I hate having to have a car. Anyway, the burger looks delicious. I also wanted to say that Karen really truly looks radiant in that picture. I hope she is feeling well and my thoughts are definitely with her through this.
Congratulations! A girl doesn’t become a woman until she’s had a bacon cheeseburger!! It’s a rite of passage. Glad you’re enjoying the Shark. Wish you were here to do my floors this morning.
I haven’t had a bacon cheeseburger in so long! A local restaurant in New Hampshire used to make a black pepper encrusted burger with brie & bacon and that was always delicious to order on occasion. I guess you’re right though, the bacon and cheese do certainly get lost on burgers a lot of the time.
That sounds amazing….
What a productive little Saturday!
I’m weird about having two meats at one meal…or at least I was before I stopped eating it altogether
I spy bacon!!
I’m not a fan of bacon on burgers (or bacon in general!) either. But I definitely like to load on the cheese.
Karen looks fantastic. Glad to hear she’s doing well!
We *LOVE* our Shark Steam Vac. It’s the ONLY thing that will clean the grout between our tiles!
That movie sounds funny! I love documentaries….but I agree, if you know the place where it’s filmed it makes it 10 times better!
I love bison btw! SO much better than beef!
what a productive saturday!
that reminds me i need to clean my make up brushes!
I’m late but I had to comment. 1) I don’t like putting two meats together either, for any reason. 2) We watched that documentary too! It was funny for the first half an hour, then I got kind of annoyed at some of the more pretentious comments and by the end, I was just straight annoyed with the movie haha. I didn’t even finish it! I think we shut it off 15 minutes early. There was better shots of C’Ville in the 15 minute CBS special about DMB than there was in that documentary haha.
I’m not a big fan of burgers, but oh my that looked fabulous!! Is there a bun recipe that you could post, or is it a Great Havest secret?
I’ll defer to Matt on that one
haha that 2oz beer mug is hilarious!!! It is so funny how deceiving pictures can be.
LOL we watched that too (it was on NETFLIX – streaming) and it had its moments…but we zoned out a few times when all they were doing was complaining, too.
That is craziness – I also had my first bacon cheeseburger as an adult on Friday. It was good, but my stomach hurt the next day into today. I don’t think I’ll do it again.
I do like bacon cheeseburger pizza, but I pick off the bacon and let the fiance eat it. Maybe if I chopped it into the ground beef I’d like it better? I guess that’s an experiment for another day …after a couple weeks of clean eating!
Karen continues to amaze me! She is an incredible person, and I just love her spirit!
Random comment, but Kevin has that same shirt as Matt!
That dinner looked so yummy!
need bun recipe
Love that burger! Bacon here and there is the best… I only taste the bacon when there are no condiments involved!!!
Those burgers look awesome! Pepperjack cheese is my FAVORITE!
Those buns you made are awesome – are you going to share the recipe for that?
For your first bacon cheeseburger – yours looks absolutely fantastic -better that than your first one from McDonalds or Burger King!
wow- never had a bacon cheeseburger in my life either- glad you enjoyed it!
I LOVE burgers, and that burger looked awesome!!! Now I want to make a burger.
http://faithfulsolutions.blogspot.com/
huh, what an interesting-sounding documentary!! Oh, and what brand of printer do you have?? I am thinking of getting one…
PS. I’m so glad to hear that Karen is feeling better!!
It’s a Canon – I don’t remember the model because we just got it and i’m away. I think 495? It was $79
Awesome, thanks for the info! I’m gonna do my research
That burger looks AMAZING! And I’ve been meaning to watch that movie about the corner lot, I keep seeing it pop up on Netflix Instant. I’ll have to give it a try.