Hot Dog Party

The other night I went to a hot dog party.  You're probably asking yourself what a hot dog party is.  Imagine a sundae bar or a make your own pizza party but with hot dogs instead.  Two of my very dear friends, J and E, saw something about all these different types of hot dogs and decided it was the perfect theme for a dinner party.  And it was.  I had no idea there were so many types of dogs or toppings for hot dogs.  Toppings included, but were not limited to, several types of mustard, ketchup, hot sauce, pickle relish, raw onion, sauteed onion, jalapeno, chili, cheese, sliced pickles, and cream cheese.  Yes, cream cheese.  J is one of the best hostesses whose home I've ever had the pleasure of being invited to for a party.  She had all the toppings in their individual dishes, three types of hot dogs, coleslaw, tater tots, sweet potato fries, and sweet potato tater tots.  Yum!  Did I mention the mango martinis or the watermelon and vodka concoction?  Having one of each on a Tuesday night wasn't the best idea I've ever had (especially considering I later found out the mango martini was three shots of alcohol and Lord only knows how much was in the watermelon treat) but it certainly wasn't the worst. 

Everyone else was quite adventurous, adding all kinds of toppings that I'm still not convinced belong on a hot dog.  I, on the other hand, stuck to my vegan dog (thank you, J, for getting the special dogs for me - BTW, only 50 calories) with lots of mustard, a little bit of ketchup, and dill pickle relish.  In that order.  They're always in that order.  As in, I remember getting very upset when I was about 7 that my mother would even consider the possibility of putting the toppings in another order.  I eat my hamburgers (sans meat) the same way but with pickles instead of relish and every now and then I throw on a tomato before the pickles.  It's delicious and I love it

The morals of the story?  1)  Hot dog party.  Throw one.  So easy, fabulous, and fun, not to mention perfect for summer.  2)  Anytime you wonder if I'm a little OCD about silly things, the answer is "Yes, I really am that crazy; yes, I know it's crazy; and yes, I really have always been like this."  At least I own my neurosis.