Hot Dogs In Winter



The Niagara River in January. Pretty but cold.

By the time the end of January rolls around, many of us are ready for the end of winter.  Unless you're a skier or snowmobiler, or I suppose, a meteorologist transported from  Florida,  the snow, the ice, the just plain cold weather is getting tiresome by now.  I for one, don't need to see any more  anchormen and women (anchorpeople?) standing ankle or knee deep,  in snowdrifts reporting the conditions. "This cold front rolling down from Canada is making the drive home an adventure." they smile happily into the camera with an inch of snow crusted on their shoulders, icy earflaps dancing in the 25 mph wind. Film footage of cars sliding sideways down 190 off-ramps play behind them. "This wind is making it feel like -6 today! Brrrrrrrr! Don't drive too fast like these folks, and dress warm!" as if people would trudge out in their bathing suits without that advice. People start to be less friendly.  The lack of vitamin D  makes everyone cranky.

I spend too much time on the computer playing candy crush and liking things on facebook and I start being mean to my husband.  That's why he was relieved the other night when I looked up happily from the computer and said, "Look! There's a group on facebook called Hot Dog Nation!"   To me, nothing says summer more than hot dogs.  

This is a picture from a recent visit to Ted's

They're one of my favorite foods, and here is a group who agrees with me.  Hot Dog Nation is a group based on their mutual love of anything hot dog, from the NJ/NY/eastern PA area. They discuss anything hot dog.  They also charter a bus and do a hot dog tour every fall and some of it's members schedule weekly meetings at hot dog restaurants throughout the year.

The best thing about them is their sense of humor.  They post pictures of vending machine dogs, and taste test them for the group. They have friendly, tongue in cheek, discussions about the wrongness of ketchup on hot dogs, and discuss the merits of boiled, steamed, char-grilled or pan-grilled,  and they try hot dogs in the places they visit for work or vacations.  Anyone who loves hot dogs from anywhere is welcome to join.  Hot dogs, and friendly, fun people.  My favorite things.  It makes me feel warm and toasty.  It also makes me want to fly to New York or Newark and join them on their next tour.  I wonder if they'd mind if I snuck off for a slice or two of their other specialty, pizza.....