Naked or fully dressed?

 That is the question.....
 

Yum, yum, yum.....

 Yes, I'm talking burgers.  

Waiting on her burger????

Do you eat your burgers NAKED or FULLY DRESSED?

Okay then......

I am not sure if you know this but yesterday was National Burger Day.  
If I would have had the time yesterday morning, I would have reminded you so that you could celebrate by getting your burger on.  But, after the storms of Tuesday night into yesterday morning and that ice cream that I ate directly out of the carton on Tuesday night during those wicked storms, I was pretty wrecked come morning.   

The proof.....

I thought you might like to see what the storms in Pittsburgh looked like on Tuesday night!  

 

And, for the record...here's my spoon in the ice cream carton that I ate out of....yes, I put chocolate sauce on it...because it was thundering and lightning really bad! 

If truth be told---it seems like everyday is dedicated to something anymore.  If it's not National Burger Day then it's National Donut Day or National Licorice Day.  These National Days are getting pretty hard to follow let alone celebrate.   Plus...let's be honest....if we celebrated every National Whatever Day, the applications for being a contestant on Biggest Loser would certainly escalate big time. 
Yet, there are still some things...like burgers and wine and margaritas and cheese and martinis....that I truly believe deserve their own days of recognition.  So...when I can....I try to recognize them in some way....which usually includes consuming them.   My partiality to libations and their ease in getting them past my Lap Band makes those alchohol-infused National Days easy to celebrate.  It's usually the day after those National Days that causes me some problem.......ifyaknowwhatimean.
Burgers are another story.   I really, really love a good burger.  But, they prove to be quite the challenge with my Lap Band...trust me, I have tried!   I haven't had a real burger on a bun dripping in goodness for close to 7 years.  (I have, on occasion, been able to eat a little slider two-biter at a place near my house.)   For the most part, I am completely fine with that.  I can live without them.  However, if I really, really, really need to bite into one and take in it's deliciousness, it's gotta be a good one.  So, I arrange for us to visit a local gourmet burger joint like Burgatory (which takes no encouraging whatsoever with my family!) or I announce that I am making my famous grilled burgers (using this amazing seasoning with a little extra  Worcestershire sauce!) and then I beg for a bite of someone's burger.  That usually does the trick.  I get the taste that I crave and my Lap Band tells me that I have had enough....
But, let's face it.
I am human.
Sometimes I want what I can't have. No matter what the consequence!
And, usually, when that happens....my wanting is so strong, I am consumed by it.  
Enter National Burger Day.
And, all of a sudden....I want a burger on a bun dripping in everything....sharp cheese, ketchup, mayo, onions, lettuce, pickles, tomato.....YES, I want it fully dressed. 
So, being the courageous, brave girl that I am, I decided to pull out all the stops last night. I was going to celebrate National Burger Day in style.   I purposefully drove by the market on my way home, I ordered top notch ground angus beef at the butcher counter, I picked up a beautiful bun at the bakery counter and a lovely tomato in the produce section and I raced home to fire up the grill and bask in the glory of making my beautiful hamburger while sipping on a lovely Malbec. 
When it was perfectly done, I carefully dressed it with the utmost precision.   And, then, in a moment of weakness (or maybe it was that full glass of Malbec I drank as I grilled), I plunged that baby into my waiting mouth.  
For one fleeting moment, I was in hamburger heaven.
Things went to HELL after that.

I guess celebrating National Burger Day for one amazing moment is better than nothing.....