Ellie's Birthday Bacon Burgers

This is Ellie, a Princeton student from Tennessee. And here are her birthday friends (including my son, Tucker far right)











My husband was out of town, and I thought I'd be dining alone; but a 5pm call from my son changed all that. "Mom, a bunch of us are coming over in an hour. Ellie's dad gave her some great bacon for Valentine's Day and we want to cook it up tonight. It's her 21st birthday. Do you have any beer?"

Ellie's father's friend decided that he wanted to make the world's best cured bacon, and did just that. He called it Viola's Best Bacon (and Ham). Now, even though his website is not yet up, he and his bacon are flown to restaurants all over the country because everyone wants to eat the stuff; and here it was, coming to my doorstep with a party! (I don't know about you, but my 21st birthday didn't look anything like this.) I know she has many more friends, but they weren't yet twenty-one, so they couldn't have any beer.

So, the kids all showed up at dinnertime, and we set to work making the best dinnertime backdrop for an excellent bacon, BURGERS! We fired up the grill and threw on the meat. We made them extra-special by bringing pickled onions, crumbled buttermilk blue cheese, and slow-roasted tomatoes to the table. After an initial sampling of the bacon exquisitely alone, everyone assembled their own idea of 'The Perfect Burger'. Paired with some excellent beer, it was great time. And because it was finals week, it was over too soon.

Having a kitchen that is made for cooking, just down the street from a university, is my idea of heaven. So were the burgers. HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELLIE! Keep up the good work!

If you are interested in the Bacon, here is some contact information:


Viola's Best Bacon
ramseywt@gmail.com
Ramsey Farms
PO Box 5
Viola, TN
37394

931-635-2677

All hogs raised outdoors (not on concrete).
USDA killed and cured.