These Bacon + Ranch Cheeseburgers we’re EVERYTHING. & I’m walking away with a new ranch aioli recipe that I’m keeping in my back pocket for backyard burgers all through the summer.

One thing I write almost daily as a goal for the day is “be productive.” Be productive when it comes to my personal life - staying on top of my workout goals + house cleaning + writing in this blog every now & then. I admit there’s room for opportunity when it comes to being productive in my life, because truly this is my pattern - finding myself in position where I have so many small things I want to accomplish, and then analyzing which items are the most important, & questioning if the tasks I’m allocating time to really make a difference.

When summer hit, I have this constant dilemma of wanting to eat burgers like every weekend but also wanting to fit in my bikini. So burger bowls are my rescue! These Teriyaki Burger Bowls were perfect for weekend meal in the yard, and even better washed down with our favorite cider.

I have literally had the best birthday of my life.  Like all the feels + all the laughs + so much gratitude for the wonderful people I was lucky to surround myself with.  It was my 30th birthday, and there is just no denying that leaving my 20s behind definitely gave me mixed feelings.   Being in my 20s is my go to excuse for making poor decisions and choosing to be irresponsible at points…like I’m in my 20s so it’s ok to be young & dumb.  But 30s - that’s real adult territory,

Last Sunday I challenged myself to up my vegetarian game for the week ahead - be intentional about making super healthy meals & go totally meatless Sunday through Thursday. & to be clear, this was a challenge made solely to alleviate any guilt about going all in on over the top patty-melts as my Friday treat.

This May, I am feeling Mexican food like never before, and at least once a week something around here is getting a Mexican twist. Like we’re keeping those Cinco de Mayo vibes rolling all month long, and even burgers are getting a Mexican spin in the Zehner house. This week’s burger fix came in the form of Al Pastor Burgers with a Jicama Slaw, proving to me that al pastor goes beyond a tasty taco.

At the start of this year, I declared to Jordan that this was going to be our year.  To me, this was a profound resolution, and I think in making that promise it was heavily tied to a resolution to make this my year.  Not in the selfish sense that everything is going to be centered around me.  It's more of a re-commitment to be the best version of myself - protecting time for self love, conquering new goals, & through it all never selling myself short.  That last part has been so key for me, and I swear, not selling myself short has become my own personal anthem.  I find myself doodling it in my planner for that continuous reminder, & regularly repeating it to myself in times when I want to have a miniature temper tantrum because life seems hard. 

The Valentine's Day hoopla was totally overshadowed in the PNW by Snowpocalypse 2019.  We have been intermittently snowed in for the past 2 weeks, and it has been pretty glorious.  We're those people that totally embrace hunkering down any chance we get, and this was perfect stay-in conditions.  We dooms-day prepped and everything  to make sure we were ready for a fun few days at home.  I stocked up on all the food & booze needed to keep us happy & fed for like 10 days, so definitely enough supplies to conquer a weekends worth of snow days.  I'm pretty good at prepping for being housebound.  My motto is always buy enough so you have options & no desire  to venture out, even if it means spending the extra $75 bucks at the grocery store.   I mean hello - I'm from Arizona!  Snow is like a foreign concept to us, so I'm certainly not going to drive in it to go buy weekend snacks!  My husband and I both saw that snowy forecast and were excited to have an excuse to not go anywhere and embrace staying in, so I just did my part to make sure that's was exactly what we were set-up to do. 

September through December is a very, very special time in the Zehner house made personally noteworthy by one weekly event - Seahawks football bay-bee!!! Sunday’s are devoted to Russ, Pete, & the boys, & we ritually suit up in our BEST game day gear, embrace our true fan mentality, & prepare ourselves to yell at the TV & live in suspense for 4 hours.  We may or may not even be one of those extra couples who sport matching jerseys.  Jordan bought me a Wilson jersey probably 6 years ago in an effort to spark my inner Seahawks, & it was such a fun gift to receive.  Not growing up a Seahawks fan like my husband, & converting so we could maintain our relationship during the season, I was thrilled to get this jersey because I felt like I was getting accepted into the tribe.  I then bought one for him shortly there after, and then matching on game-day became a real thing for us.  I cringe & love it all at the same time.  

There is something sweet about being a little trapped in your own home. So we are reveling in our sequestered lifestyle and celebrating these exciting changes with a burger recipe that I am now whipping up for the 3rd summer in the row - Italian Burgers with Roasted Tomatoes + Herby Aioli.

Our first official holiday in our new home.  Our first holiday in the PNW!  Feels kinda special, but as we are still in the mode of staying busy while trying to settle in and manage home projects, we are headed into this year's holiday quite exhausted.  Where I am used to starting my day with a Bloody Mary and preparing to party poolside all day long, I'm kicking off this holiday with a workout and snuggling under a blanket in our living room.  I mean it goes without saying that a summer holiday in Washington looks much different than one in the desert.   I have become accustomed to celebrating the 4th of July with a poolside bbq, patriotic swimwear, & afternoon beers, and I can confidently say that some version of said combo has been the makings of my 4th for the passed decade.  But this year I'm trading in my bikini for a sweatshirt, a big party for a more intimate BBQ at home, and trading in the usual sparklers for a full on waterfront firework show.  So all around a new change of pace this 4th of July, & I'm prepped and ready for it with a truly American sweatshirt that will likely make an appearance on all patriotic holidays to come.  ​

Gahhh burger night is here!! & I am sooo excited!!  Our new place is right around the corner from a 50s inspired burger shack, and that place has been calling my name for days while also inspiring me to go hard on some at home Summer burgers.  So that is exactly what I am doing this Friday night - not holding back and cooking up some indulgent, cheesy & juicy burgers.  & truth be told - I have been eating pretty much one meal a day in preparation to really dive in to these amaze-balls  burgers.