Sesame Street, motherHood and Hobo Hamburgers

  I have been extremely fortunate as a wife and mother to stay at home and take care of my babies. Well they used to be babies,  now they are 23 and 16. Choosing to become a stay at home mom was a difficult decision to make. What was I going to do all day? How would I deal with these little people all by myself? How was I going to make it through an entire day with no adult conversation? Could I possibly watch one more episode of Sesame Street without running down the street stark raving mad? Can WE financially make this decision fly? Can you tell I am an individual that is excessively concerned and questions everything? Not one of my better traits. 
  I have been a stay at home mom for 23 years now...there have been highs and lows...good days and bad. Let's face it, sometimes it can be a thankless job. But I look at my children now and see how blessed I have been to stay here and watch them learn and grow. Yes, it’s a tough and emotional job and words alone can’t express how rewarding and rough it can be. I would not trade all of my hugs, kisses and “I love yous” for any other job in the world.
  So what did I do to fill the void? Other than taking care of the kids, Cooking and Decorating became my passions. The early 1990's brought cooking and decorating shows to television...something other than Sesame Street, yea! I became an avid reader of design and cook books. I was truly in my element, I had found my niche. There were days I would spend hours in the kitchen, seriously, cooking an elaborate dinner. Over time things change and learning ways to cut time in the kitchen served my family well. The older our children became we began to find less and less time for dinner around the table. Seemed like we were always on the go and in different directions. I often thought a revolving door would have been appropriate for our home. I began keeping magazines, books and current newspapers in the car just so I would have something to do while I sat waiting on the kids.
  23 years. It has truly been a gift and my hope is that I will be able to share with all of you some of the things I have learned over time. What a joy it is to know that as my little birds leave the nest I still have things to contribute however small. God has truly blessed my little family of 4. For that I am eternally grateful.
  This recipe for Hobo Hamburgers is one of Paula Deen's recipes. It is quick and easy to prepare, you can even assemble these little foil packets the night before and pop them in the oven when you come in from work the following day. Easy Peasy! I pair this with a green salad, and my husband and kids LOVE this meal. It truly is the definition of comfort food. I will post Paula's original recipe followed by the changes I make to suit my family.

HOBO HAMBURGERS
Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef

1 cup cracker crumbs

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 cup grated cheese

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

2 teaspoons Lady's House Seasoning, recipe follows

4 medium red potatoes, sliced thin

1 large onion, sliced thin

4 carrots, peeled and cut into strips

4 slices bacon

Directions:
In a large bowl combine ground beef, cracker crumbs, egg, lemon juice, cheese, green pepper and House Seasoning. Mix well. Shape into 4 patties.

Place each patty onto 2 layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil (enough to cover and close). On each patty, place potato slices, onion slices, and carrots. Slice bacon in 1/2 and place both slices on top. Seal aluminum foil tightly and cook on campfire or in a preheated 350 degree F oven for approximately 45 minutes.

Lady's House Seasoning:
1 cup salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder

Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
  *I have used saltine cracker crumbs also dried bread crumbs. For the cheese I use Cabot extra-sharp cheddar cheese, but you can use whatever you've got. Once my foil packets are finished cooking I drain off any excess fat before serving. If you have little ones that won't eat a full portion you can cut this recipe down to 1 pound ground beef and measure other ingredients accordingly. When I cook this I do NOT add the green bell pepper...stomach issue alert! Also I only add 1 Tbsp of lemon juice. If you are not adverse to these things I encourage you to try the recipe as written. It's wonderful with the changes so it must be fantastic with all of the ingredients included. Give it a go and ENJOY!