World's Best Burgers

You might have noticed a very important date coming up on your calendar. Monday, May 28 is Memorial Day! On the last Monday of May every year we honor the brave men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice to defend our freedom while serving in the military. The holiday was originally known as Decoration Day, and while it didn’t become an official United States holiday until 1971, it’s been observed since shortly after the end of the Civil War. Considering most of the Gulf Coast of Florida was settled as a result of military men and women homesteading here after the Civil War, that gives Memorial Day a little more significance for us locally. Many veterans and their families will visit gravesites, plant flags, and even hold parades to honor their fallen brethren. And for most families, even those without military ties, one of the big traditional events is to have a cook-out. In fact, for most of the country, Memorial Day means the beginning of summer grilling season. So, while we hope you’ll take a moment to remember the men and women who died while serving in the military, we wanted to also share a recipe for the best burgers we’ve found – and give you a few tips for keeping the mosquitoes away this weekend and all summer long. First – the hamburgers:

Glazed Bacon-and-Cheese-Filled Burgers

Wow! Just the name has your mouth watering, right? First, get your grill started, light up the charcoal or ignite the gas and set it at medium. This recipe makes 4 really plump, juicy, and tantalizing hamburgers.

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp. dark brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp. chipotle powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. fresh-ground pepper
• 1 lb. ground beef or chuck
• 1/2 c. shredded sharp Cheddar cheese or use a mixed blend for more variety of taste
• 6 slices of cooked bacon (or turkey bacon, if you’re watching your cholesterol)
• 4 buns or ciabatta rolls

Preparation:

1. While the grill starts warming up, combine the sugar, spices, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and set aside.
2. In a larger bowl, crumble up the bacon and mix it with the cheese.
3. Now separate out your pound of ground beef or chuck into 8 evenly distributed patties. Yes, eight. Now take 4 of them and sprinkle on a generous, but even portion of the cheese and bacon mixture.
4. Take the four remaining beef patties and press them down gently overtop the cheese and bacon mixture, pinching the edges to form a seal.
5. Carefully pat each double sized burger with the mixed spices.
6. Slide them onto the grill and cook to desired done-ness. Because of the size, it will take slightly longer to cook than you may be used to - it’ll take 5 minutes per side to hit medium, a little longer for medium well or well done.

A lot of folks like to use the last minute of the burgers cooking to crisp the bun or roll for an extra dollop of flavor. We promise, these will be a wonderful treat!

The Bane of the Picnic

Of course, anytime you’re outside from now until at least October, you’re almost guaranteed to run into mosquitoes, Florida’s favorite insect, especially this year. But the annoyance of being bitten is a small inconvenience when you consider the likelihood of mosquitoes spreading Zika virus and yellow fever. Experts say to always cover up if you can, wear lighter colors, use a mosquito net and a mosquito repellent containing DEET. But our Anytime Lotion is even better because it works without the DEET and we include your first family pack when you initiate our Mosquito Protection Program (MPP). There are also several plants and herbs you can invest in to limit mosquitoes in certain areas, especially lemon grass. But by far the best answer is Good News Pest Solutions' exclusive MPP using No Bite Zones. And not just because it’s ours. We believe in employing the safest pest control solutions available – safe for you, your family, and the ecosystem. No Bite Zones turns the biting momma mosquitoes into vegans. That means they don’t bite you or your four-legged family members. They pass the vegan-ness on to their offspring, adding more generations to the mix, and they still perform their God-designed function of pollinating. Ask our customers from Punta Gorda to Parrish who have tried it, they’ll tell you it is far safer and more effective than the spraying that we get from the Mosquito Control people. If you’d like to give it a try, just give us a call and one of our highly trained staff will get you started!