Cheeseburgers in the Summertime

Years before I became a "vegetarian" - I use that term loosely since I still eat fish every now and then - I distinctly remember telling my friend Alicia that I could probably be a vegetarian but I like cheeseburgers in the summertime. She thought it was hilarious that cheeseburgers in the summertime was the only thing keeping me from switching to the veggie side (this is coming from a girl who would eat sausage for breakfast, lunch, and dinner if she could).

But the truth is - when I catch a whiff of that glorious smell of hamburgers and hotdogs being cooked on a charcoal grill on a beautiful sunny day, it is all I can do to keep myself from running into that stranger's backyard and swiping a burger for myself!

So in an effort to trick my stomach and taste buds into thinking they were getting a cheeseburger summertime treat, I made Chris and I some bean burgers last night.

They were tasty. But they tasted like beans. My taste buds were not fooled in the least bit. They just weren't the same as that summertime cheeseburger I've grown to love over the years!

I've been meat free for a year and a half now, so I am afraid I would really be sick if I broke down and let my carnivorous side run wild and free....so I will continue to practice restraint. Maybe if I look around at Whole Foods or something I can find a soy hamburger that has a more meaty taste than my homemade bean burger.

I have tried tofu bratwurst before trying to satisfy my craving for a hotdog. And they tasted just about as appealing as they sound. Yuck!

So all this being said, be warned if you invite me to a cookout at your house -- you'll either find me drooling by your grill or hiding in a closet with a plate full of secret hamburgers and hot dogs because I finally couldn't take it anymore!