The Way to a Man's Heart~ Juicy Lucys #recipe #goodeats

The Way to a Man's ♥~

Juicy Lucys

This is one of the easiest recipes and one we took note of because of one of those Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives or Man Vs. Food episodes. In all actuality, it's not even much of a "recipe" per se-

I pat out 8 "thin" patties (I use a rolling pin and plastic wrap to get them approximately all the same size)


Make sure they're big enough for the slice(s) of cheese to fit. If you notice, my front flat top burner (not turned on) makes a good measurement for the size of each patty.

Place the cheese slices (your favorite- doesn't have to be American, though that's what I used)
 Sandwich the cheese between two patties and press edges together to form a seal.

I tend to "bake" my burgers these days on a lightly greased broiler pan rather than in the skillet where it tends to hold a lot of the greasiness.

I preheat my oven to between 400º and 425º and simply pepper the tops of the burgers, bake for approximately 10 minutes, flip/pepper them & bake another 10, flip again. With a plain burger, I can usually cook them within 30 minutes and add cheese slices at the very end. With the Juicy Lucys, I'd say it would be wise to go at least 40-45 minutes, to be sure the patties on both sides are fully cooked.

Top with another slice of cheese just before removing from oven and then whatever your favorite burger toppings after that.

Also wise is to give the burgers 5-10 minutes rest before biting/slicing into, as evidenced by my top picture- When I sliced into mine, it oozed EVERYWHERE! What a mess, but it was delicious!

November 1st- NaNoWriMo Begins- Essentials

One of the essentials I've always had on hand during NaNo is snacky things, especially AFTER I quit smoking 3 years ago. Usually it was gum, mini candy bars, especially Reeses cups and chocolate in most any other form, etc. I mean, really, the day after Trick-or-Treat- who doesn't have some candy just lying about all over the house? I have kids and even if they hide it, I'm like a bloodhound, with a nose for the sweets. I can sniff it out, Sherlock Holmes style.

This time around though, I thought I'd curb the chocolate, which I could probably demolish in the first few DAYS of NaNo and instead opted for some old-fashion candies- Chick-O-Stick, Bit O'Honey and Mary Janes. I also snagged some Laffy Taffy because I can suck on a piece of that for quite some time and be happily typing away without realizing it.

But I also grabbed some Brach's Maple Nut Goodies, Trolli's Peachie O's, my all-time favorite chewy Twizzlers and Gummi Bears. Now mind you, I've come to realize that I prefer Gummi Worms to Gummi Bears and you might ask why- well, the bears seem tougher to me and after a while, I just kind of get tired of picking arms and legs out of my teeth. I don't have that problem with worms, as they have no arms or legs to speak of. ;)

On top of the sweet treats, I've also got honey roasted peanuts and this weekend's grocery day, I intend to find some Chex Mix to add those into cause occasionally I do need something salty. I've also got some knock-off Teddy Grahams as well. In the fridge we have fruit cups and string cheese, and I'm pretty sure I have some microwave popcorn, too, so I don't think I'll be at a loss for things to nibble on.

Truth is, the supply is great and I will eat some of it, but often times I find myself so deep into the writing, once I really get going, that I forget I even have the snacky foods around. In the meantime, I guess my bedroom will just have to smell of all the sweet treats and old-fashion aromas of a candy shoppe as I step on the gas pedal and gun it down this writing highway.

I probably won't be around much today as I hope (fingers & toes crossed) that I will blow my word count out of the water and get a LOT written but I will try to update word count on my Widget in the side bar each day. Hope you get off to a great start if you're participating in NaNo as well!

What snacky items, if any, do you like to keep on hand as you write- during NaNo or any other time? Would love to hear from you! Leave a comment below and tell me about your favorites!