The boys have declared a salmon boycott and reserved their right to eat an alternate protein on salmon night.

Tonight, my younger son chose to exercise his boycott with a hot dog, organic turkey, of course; not to sound snobby, but I make quite certain that when my children eat animal products, they are from clean sources (no hormones, pesticides, antibiotics).

He sat staring at the hot dog on his plate for a moment, then looked up at me and said, “Mommy, can I have a piece of lettuce?” As I walked to the fridge I realized he had adopted my favorite “junk food” meal as his own. Here it is.

Dogs In a Garden
hot dogs
romaine lettuce
ketchup
dijon mustard
sauerkraut

1. Cook the hot dogs (either in boiling water, a hot skillet or on the grill)
2. Place a cooked dog in a piece of romaine lettuce
3. Smother with your favorite condiments
4. Devour

The phrase, “Dogs in a Garden,” was coined by my good friend Rhonda at our Matrix Memorial Day barbecue. This gluten-free, grain-free, low-carb method of eating hot dogs saves room for the good stuff (think dessert) at a summer barbecue.