We took a nice trip to Avila Beach over the 4th of July weekend. Melissa found a killer place to rent right on the beach, which just happened to have a perfect dual kitchen set up for the impending Burger-Off™. The girls had a nice time overall, but definitely preferred to hang out in the house or at the park rather than at the beach. They had a big problem with walking around in the sand for some reason.

The night of the 4th was the big Burger-Off™ showdown between me and Kathy. I offered my twist on the classic American cheeseburger with patriotic bun treatment and Captain Morgan chocolate shooters while Kathy countered with her Napa Valley Basil Burgers. Due to a grill malfunction we both had to share a grill, which didn’t affect the competition too much even though Kathy used a grill pan (the grilling equivalent of training wheels). In the end, both burgers turned out great but there could only be one winner. See if you can guess who won…