"Four things support the world: the learning of the wise, the justice of the great, the prayers of the good, and the valor of the brave." ~Muhammad

Memorial Day is a day of remembering the brave men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. It also typically marks the start of the summer vacation season and therefore most of our Memorial Day weekends are peppered with cookouts and parades.

My boys and I are heading to a cookout over the weekend and will be bringing egg rolls. I really wanted to bring something else though-something that ties in summer and the colors of our country. No...not my usual fallback, a trifle. Instead I made burgers. I know what you're thinking. "Sure, burgers scream Summer, but the colors of our country? Not so much."

I get it, but stay with me...

Ground beef, red onion, Ranch dressing and Bleu cheese combine to make a nice tasty Memorial Day burger. Red. White. Blue. There we go!

Wherever you go this weekend, I hope that you have a wonderful time with friends and family. May we all give many thanks to the brave men and women who have sacrificed their lives for this great country.

Memorial Day Burgers

Ingredients

• 2 lbs lean ground beef
• 1 red onion, diced
• 1 1 oz pkg dry Ranch dressing mix
• 4 oz crumbled Bleu cheese
• Fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat grill for medium-high heat.
2. Lightly oil the grate.
3. Mix the ground beef, onion, Ranch dressing mix, pepper and Bleu cheese in a bowl.
4. Form into 6 patties.
5. Grill the burgers until medium (or however you like 'em).

These are great served on toasted onion rolls with a bit more cheese melted on top. No condiments necessary (in my opinion). If you like a stronger flavor double the Ranch dressing. Enjoy!

Happy Memorial Day to you and yours.