More Backyard Dining + Avocado Ranch Burgers Recipe

Last month for Father's Day we hosted our dads and family for a backyard meal.  My goal for this meal was to make it less feminine than the norm.  It was far from masculine but I at least tried to tone down the pink!

If found some chevron napkins at TJ-Maxx that were a little fun and funky.  I changed up my recent go-to burlap runner with a blue and white one that matched with the blue stripped paper straws.  

I made these chocolate chip cookie, oreo, brownie bars and they were quite possibly the most amazingly sinful dessert I have ever had.  And so easy.  Oh my.  We topped it with some vanilla ice cream.

We put out some games to play with dad after the meal.

These Martha Stewart cake stands are my favorite.  They allow me to put the desserts out early so I have time to finish cooking and getting everything together.

I jumped on the bandwagon and bought the new limited edition Ball blue canning jars.  As you can see I have a vintage one on the left and the new one on the right.  The new ones are more blue than aqua but are still very pretty.  Since I use so much pink and many of the flowers I cut from our yard are pink, the blue adds a nice accent color.  You can find these jars anywhere canning jars are sold.  I found mine at Target.

We barbecued some good "man food" including avocado ranch burgers, corn on the cob, potato fries, and macaroni and cheese. 

The burgers are always a hit when we make them.  People say things like, "wow, these are REALLY good!!!"  And they couldn't be any easier than regular homemade burgers.  Just add ranch mix and barbecue sauce!  

Avocado Ranch Burgers (serves 4)

1-(1 oz.) package ranch dip mix
1-1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1/8 cup barbecue sauce
cheddar cheese
tomato slices
onion slices
avocado
hamburger buns
lettuce

Mix together ranch mix, ground beef, and barbecue sauce.  Form into 4 large flat patties and grill over medium heat for about 5-6 minutes per side until cooked through.  Serve on a bun with cheese, tomato, onion, lettuce, and avocado.