Wednesday WOW: Crazy Hot Dogs, Family Game Night and A Beautiful Hairy Donation

This week we’ve been playing games every single night after dinner. It’s not easy finding games to entertain a 6-year-old, 17-year-old and 20-year-old, but we found one we can all love…Uno! Last night, it got a little dicey. Zoie’s really competitive and we had no idea she would go after us with such vengeance. She had won a total of seven times, and when I finally won the last game of the night she was so mad at me for winning, she stomped off to her room and said tearfully, “I wanted to be the winner.” 

I felt a little defeated! I had cheered on the family and when it was finally my big win, my little was mad at me. I was thankful for this learning opportunity and I could hear the conversation between Zoie and her dad. I waited for a few minutes before going in her room for a goodnight kiss, and when I leaned over she said, “Congratulations, mommy for winning!” I was so proud of her little spirit for wrapping her heart around the understanding that we can’t always win and being happy for the winner.

What is your favorite game to play as a family?

All American Burger Dog by Chef John

“The tastiness of a burger in the shape of a hot dog makes the burger dog the best of both worlds for your next summer cookout.”

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound ground beef (80% lean) salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 2 slices Cheddar cheese

2 extra-long hot dog buns 4 teaspoons mayonnaise 2 tablespoons ketchup

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Place half the ground beef on a sheet of plastic wrap. Pat it into a rectangular shape, about 1/2 inch thick, 8 1/2 inches long, and 4 inches wide. Season with salt and pepper. Roll the beef into a log, using the plastic wrap as a guide. Season with more salt and pepper. Wrap the plastic tightly around the log and twist both ends tight. Pat gently to slightly flatten. Repeat with remaining ground beef.
2.	Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate. Remove the burger dogs from the plastic wrap and place on the grill, perpendicular to the grates. Cook until burgers are browned but still pink inside, 4 to 5 minutes, flip, and cook another 2 to 3 minutes. Place a slice of cheese on each burger dog and grill to medium doneness (an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 140 degrees F/60 degrees C). Remove and rest 3 to 4 minutes.
3.	Toast hot dog buns on the grill and spread each with 2 teaspoons mayonnaise. Place burger dog on each bun and squirt 1 tablespoon of ketchup on top.

Hannah did something really special today and I loved her Instagram message: “It’s not as scary getting 9 inches cut off when you’re giving it away to someone so brave.” Hannah’s lopped off 9 inches of her hair today to donate for Pantene’s Beautiful Lengths! She had crazy, long hair and nervously watched her hairstylist measure off and band the hair in sections! What a beautiful gift to give someone who is fighting for life. If you are interested in donating your hair, check out this site.

Beautiful Lengths is a partnership between Pantene^® and the American Cancer Society^®, the largest nonprofit health organization committed to saving lives from every cancer and improving the quality of life for people facing the disease. The role of Pantene is to help women grow long, strong*, beautiful hair and provide the funds to turn this hair into free, real-hair wigs for women with cancer.