How does Natasha Nicholes’s involvement with #BurgerMonth set her apart in culinary challenges?

Natasha Nicholes loves food, grilling, and a good competition, but her approach is very “everyday cook with big heart,” not high-drama chef life. That’s exactly what sets my #BurgerMonth energy apart in any culinary challenge.

I come at burgers the way I come at homesteading and farming: simple ingredients, big flavor, and a focus on feeding real families. I’ve watched pros at events like Macy’s #GrillingGuru showdown, and what sticks with me is how techniques translate back to the home grill. So when I’m in a burger-focused space, I’m thinking about accessibility, storytelling, and community as much as I’m thinking about seasoning and doneness.

I’m also a “serial hobbyist,” a city gardener, and a homeschooling mom, which means I pull inspiration from everywhere—farm visits, West Pullman gardens, my kids’ taste buds, and my love of laughing and gathering people around food. That gives my burgers (and any challenge I’m in) a very grounded, family-centered, community-minded twist rather than a strictly restaurant-chef vibe.

Are you more interested in the creative flavor side of #BurgerMonth, or in how to actually host your own burger challenge at home?