Spicy Ranch Sauce 1 cup mayonnaise 1 cup sour cream 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro 6 tablespoons fresh lime juice 4 green onions, finely chopped 2 tablespoons minced seeded jalapeño chile 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Burgers 2 pounds ground beef 1 small onion, chopped (about 1 1/4 cups) 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon chopped seeded jalapeño chile 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Worcestershire-Coffee Glaze 1/3 cup light corn syrup 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 2 tablespoons ketchup 1 teaspoon instant coffee crystals 2 teaspoons (packed) golden brown sugar 3 tablespoons butter 16 bacon slices Nonstick vegetable oil spray 8 hamburger buns or 3- to 4-inch square focaccia rolls, split horizontally 8 lettuce leaves 2 cups coarsely shredded sharp white cheddar cheese Assorted additional toppings (such as tomato and grilled onion slices)

For spicy ranch sauce: Whisk all ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Season sauce with salt and pepper.
For burgers: Gently mix all ingredients in large bowl. Form mixture into eight 1/2- to 3/4-inch-thick patties. Place on small baking sheet. Cover and chill at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.
For glaze: Stir first 5 ingredients in small saucepan over medium heat until coffee is dissolved. Remove from heat. Whisk in butter. Season glaze to taste with salt and pepper.

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Working in batches if necessary, cook bacon in large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp and brown. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Spray grill rack with nonstick spray. Toast buns until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer buns, cut side up, to plates. Place lettuce on each bun bottom. Grill burgers 5 minutes, basting with glaze. Turn burgers, baste with glaze, and grill until cooked to desired doneness, about 5 minutes longer for medium. Press cheese atop each burger and allow cheese to melt. Place some sauce, then 1 burger on each bun bottom. Top each with 2 slices bacon and desired additional toppings. Cover with bun top. Serve with remaining sauce. Makes 8 servings.

Do you have a favorite recipe you'd like to share? Email it to: OSSJournal@ossone.com. If your recipe is chosen you'll receive a Free "Thank You" gift so be sure to include your name and address!

How well you and your boss, client or co-workers listen is critical to effective communication. You probably spend more time using your listening skills than any other kind of skill. Like other skills, listening takes practice. Real listening is an active process that has three basic steps.

Hearing. Hearing is essentially listening just enough to catch what the speaker is saying. For instance, if a client says that he needs the project completed in two weeks and you can repeat that fact, you heard what was said.
Understanding. The next part of listening happens when you comprehend what was said. If you start thinking about how you’ll accomplish the project in two weeks, you have understood the message. Conversely, if you come back with a timeline that completes the project in four weeks, you didn’t understand the client’s request.
Judging. After you are sure you understand what the speaker has said, think about whether it makes sense. Is it feasible? You might think, “We can’t possibly accomplish this entire project in two weeks.”

Give your full attention to the person who is speaking. Don’t let yourself be distracted by looking out the window.

Focus. It can be easy to let your mind wander. Don’t think about your plans for the evening. Don’t anticipate the next thing the person might say. If you feel your mind wandering, change the position of your body and try to concentrate on the speaker's words.
Don’t interrupt. People appreciate having the chance to say everything they would like to say without being interrupted. When you interrupt, it looks like you aren't listening, even if you really are.

Pay attention to content, not delivery. Have you ever counted the number of times someone clears his or her throat? If so, you weren't focusing on content.
Maintain eye contact. Eye contact keeps you focused on the speaker and shows you are listening.
Finish listening before you speak. You can't really listen if you are busy thinking about what you are going to say next.

Ask questions. If you are not sure you understand what the speaker has said, just ask.
Give feedback. Sit up straight and look directly at the speaker. Now and then, nod to show that you understand. These are all ways to let the speaker know that you are really listening.
Follow these steps and you’ll find that your hearing will improve tremendously.

There are many points of interest in our beautiful country of which I could write. There are also many places I have yet to see. However, one destination always seems to beckon me, Death Valley National Park. I have visited Las Vegas 14 times and each time I visit there I always spend time in this place of incredible beauty and intensity. Yes, it is intense, and in more ways than you can imagine. Where else can you go and see such places as: Funeral Mountains, Coffin Peak, Hell's Gate, Starvation Canyon and Dead Man Pass, Stovepipe Wells, Scotty’s Castle, Furnace Creek and The Badlands only to mention a few.

It’s one of the hottest places on earth recording the second highest temperature ever recorded, 134 degrees. This temp has only been topped by the Libyan Desert of the Sahara with a temperature of 136 degrees. It comprises over 3.3 million acres of spectacular scenery, wildlife and complex geology and 550 square miles are below sea level. It contains the lowest point in the western hemisphere at -282 feet below sea level and towering peaks over 11,000 feet. On a clear winters day you can see the highest mountain in the contiguous U.S., Mount Whitney at 14,011 feet. There are Indian ruins, dozens of old ghost towns, deserted mines, and trails. I have walked on the floor of the salt flats in the 125 degree days of summer and marveled at the borax mines still in operation today. The vistas from the peaks are incredible and I cannot imagine what it was like in the days of the pioneers when they crossed the desert by foot in the mid 1800’s. The desert has been inhabited for over 9000 years by various cultures, the most recent being the Desert Shoshone people over 1000 years ago.

This isn’t a place you want to retire in. It’s HOT here and even though we in the south snicker about the whole humidity and dry-heat thing let me make this absolutely clear, 130 degrees in the desert is brutally scorching! Within moments of stepping onto the desert you can feel the ground burning your feet through your shoes because the floor of the desert approaches temperatures of 200 degrees. If you walk on the dunes the sand pours into your shoes and around your ankles burning your bare skin. Don’t try to pick up any rocks either as they will cause first degree burns on your hands. We have watched sand storms roll across the desert and marveled at the heat plumes wafting from the surface. As you gaze across the salt flats near Badwater, the lowest point in Death Valley, the ground appears like white sand. I decided to see how sandy it really was so I began walking onto the salt flats only to find the surface was hard and it sounded like you were walking on a floor covered in corn flakes. The top surface is about 3-4 inches thick and very crusty and the underside is rocky and hard. The colors of the desert vary from white to volcanic black, oranges and brown. There is far more than space permits me here to write about so let me encourage you to plan an adventure into Death Valley and the Mohave Desert.

Don’t be afraid of the summers, it is hot, no doubt, but the prepared traveler will enjoy the days and evenings in summer, spring or fall. Dehydration is very dangerous here so always carry plenty of water. Also remember gas stations are not numerous and the fuel is expensive, you can add about $2-$3 per gallon to what we are accustomed to paying at the pump. I’ve added more pictures on the Editor’s Page on our website of Death Valley so take a moment and peak inside. Thank you and happy traveling!

Appeal to your sweet tooth with this month's offer of Gimbal's Gourmet Jelly Beans! Ordering your supplies has never been easier. With just a few clicks your order is entered and submitted all from the convenience of your office. Once your order is submitted it becomes live in our system instantly. It's fast, easy and you can view your pricing and product information right on your screen. If you have multiple sites, departments, or locations we make it easy for you with administrator privileges. This allows you to approve orders before they are submitted! You can change quantities, delete items, change items or even set up a listing of allowed items for purchase giving you the ultimate control!

Online Ordering is the most convenient, time saving way you can place your orders and it gives you complete control. If you have never tried online ordering, call us and give it a try and in return we'll send you a bag of Gimbal's Gourmet Jelly Beans Free with your first online order of $50* or more, while supplies last! You can fill out our easy setup form online too! Just go to our website and look toward the bottom of the page and you will find our easy online form. Download and submit your form and we'll email your confirmation right away! Or email us at support@ossone.com and we will get you setup right away! This offer expires August 31, 2006 so don't wait!