My supportive family eats my burgers

Though Sutter Home did not pick me as a finalist in their Build a Better Burger competition, I'm pleased that my parents, sister, brother-in-law, niece and nephew joined Darling Husband, Baby Girl and I for a picnic to try my burgers. Sister Dear brought chips and fruit, my mom brought drinks and plates (etc) and we brought the aforementioned burgers and also sweet potato fries.

We picnicked at Presque Isle, near the boat launch/marina. Despite my vague directions, my sister managed to find the place, which overlooks the bay and the city while giving a great view of boats passing by. Keeping Baby Girl away from the water was another story. She's my water baby, born under the astrological sign cancer the crab, and has no fear. We went swimming this morning, actually. My little fish...

Burgers with lime zest, homemade jerk sauce (with rum), baby arrugula, sharp cheddar and a slaw made from jicama, carrots and golden raisins. I wanted to put sliced mango, but the only mangos I could find were rock hard. I bought the softest, and it was still way too underripe to use. Oh well. The burgers were well received. My brother-in-law was particularly taken with the lime in it, which I felt was quite sophisticated of his palate to notice. Everyone else just made yummy, appreciative noises and comments. I'm very pleased they liked them. I bet the Sutter Home people would have loved them, too. Probably they had some pretty amazing submissions.

Of course, it's possible I was disqualified because I did something silly like put an ingredient in the wrong order. The ingredient list and the narrative step by step must match exactly, you see. So if you have buns listed before butter and you write, "butter the buns," you're out. You'd need to put "coat the buns with butter," or some such.

I invite anyone who ate one of my burgers tonight to post a comment describing them, or just commenting in general on the picnic. I had a remarkably peaceful time, considering I was keeping track of a slightly clingy Baby Girl in addition to plating up burgers. In 90 some degrees. Darling Husband was a great help and marvy grill guy, and mom, sister and the kids ran interference nicely with Baby Girl. Plus, there was a lovely breeze and I got to sit in a camp chair with my little girl on my lap and watch the bay while she drank a bottle and lightly dozed. Surrounded by my family, with a full belly. I felt very blessed. It was blissful.