Ode to a Cheese Burger!

Confession: I had a cheeseburger last night. My very first cheeseburger in over four years. Yes, you read that right--over four years. And oh my goodness gracious--it was sinfully delicious!

You see, for the past three (plus) weeks I have been dreaming of cheeseburgers. Literally--at night, I would go to bed and have very vivid dreams about cheeseburgers; you know; big, thick beef burgers with thick cut bacon (four strips), tons of melted (cheddar) cheese, lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles, mayonnaise, mustard--the works. A big fat beautiful burger with all the fixin's......

And last night, well, my really came true!

Colin and I went to the Clark County Museum (totally awesome little place, so much fun--more of that at a later date, though!) and then stopped at this little tiny hole in the wall of a casino (in Henderson) and won two free cheeseburger meals. I asked God (seriously) before we spun the wheel to let me win a free cheeseburger and then to let me eat in peace, without getting sick beyond belief. We won the cheeseburgers; I took it as a sign that it was okay to eat one.

Now, let me be clear, I didn't become a vegetarian when I did because I'm such a lover of animals. I am, I'm never for their abuse or mistreatment, and up until three weeks ago, every time I'd even THINK about beef, I'd cringe. Like, why would I want to eat ground up cow? Pretty gross, right? Well, it wasn't so gross last night, in fact, it wasn't gross at all! But, back to my story--when I became a vegetarian over four years ago it was due to the fact that WHENEVER I ate meat, it sort of ate me back. I liked it, but it hated me; that said, I was never a big beef eater--and I could always take or leave it, even prior to my going vegetarian. In the years since I have been one, I've studied it and come to realize that I'm doing it now for a much bigger reason--it's healthier, you smell nicer, you're not so damn tired all the time, it's easier on the planet and of course, kinder to the animals one eats when they're not a vegetarian. But I've never been one of "those" vegetarians where I JUDGE people for eating meat--because I truly never did, and I still don't. I understand why people eat meat, and I understand why they don't. For me, it was a very personal decision that was made to improve my overall health. The thing is, whenever I would eat meat, it would make me deliriously sick, tired, gassy, nauseous and on and on and on. To put it bluntly; it was not a pretty picture--especially beef. So I simply stopped eating it. It just wasn't worth it to feel like crap.

But like I said, the last three weeks I've been CRAVING cheeseburgers with a vegeance--every time I passed an In N' Out Burger--I'd sigh and repeat this mantra 'just keep driving, just keep driving,' and I would.

But last night, I said "screw it, bring on the burger!"

This burger was truly amazing!

It was one of those big fat thick burgers that I'd been dreaming out--with lots of cheddar cheese in all of its melted glory--with freshly sliced tomatoes, crisp lettuce, tangy dill pickles (my favorite kind of pickle!) and a spicy kick from an onion; okay, minus the bacon, mayo and mustard; but you know what, it didn't need it! It was perfectly seasoned: salt, pepper and a hint of garlic powder, the way really good quality beef should be seasoned. (Nothing to get in the way of it) I cut that monster burger in half (I knew ahead of time, I would only eat half of it)and devoured it as if it was my last meal.

I think I embarrassed Colin a little because anyone looking at me would've thought "Has this girl ever seen a burger before? Does she even know what one is?" Yeah, it was that kind of delicious! I feel a bit guilty, and totally pathetic having this much joy about a cheeseburger--but on the other hand, I don't care.

It was bar none one of the best burgers I've ever had in my entire life--and don't just take my word for it, I asked Colin as we were eating our cheeseburgers "is it just me, and the fact that I haven't one of these is over four years, or is this really an exceptionally good burger?" His response was, "No, it's not just you, it is really, really good. Unbelievable!" And that's when I knew, it wasn't just me. Colin and I have been together long enough (3 years TODAY!) that we KNOW if the other is enjoying their food--we have our own "leave me alone, I'm eating" expressions...and last night, we both were wearing those expressions as we ate our yummy cheeseburgers!

After we ate, I said a little prayer that I wouldn't get so sick that I'd want to die; and that all of my healthy eating lately would balance out my cheeseburger madness! And this is what I thought about: a cheeseburger, every now and then (even more than once every four years), isn't that horrible of a meal. The beef has iron, minerals and other vitamins we need; the bun has fiber and carbs (which we also need) and the toppings (lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles) are vegetables, and being the (sort of) vegetarian that I am, Lord knows my burger had extra portions of those on it. So, all and all, it wasn't that bad.

It was kind of like this: even though I have NEVER smoked a single cigarette my entire life, I kind of equated my burger enjoyment last night to a smoker who is craving a cigarette something fierce; and when they light up and take that first drag, their whole body calms down and feels immediately satisfied. That is what I felt last night. After I stopped (I actually left about three bites of a half on the plate, and took the other half home with me as I cannot stand wasting food of any kind!), I didn't feel sick, I felt RELIEVED. I felt satisfied and good and full--like I gave my body what it needed, and for some very odd reason, it needed a cheeseburger.

I just feel so lucky, no thankful, that it was beyond delicious, that it was FREE (because me and free food--a forever match), and most of all, it didn't make me sick! It was a truly awesome experience and one that I'll remember forever! I know, that sounds incredibly weird that a simple little (or rather, not so little) cheeseburger could make a girl this happy, but it did. It really is the simple, small things in life--and anyone who knows me knows that there are few things in this life that I enjoy more than great food! I am a foodie, a food snob and a health nut--but hey, even a snobby health nut has to break her own rules once in a while!

I no longer want a cheeseburger, by the way, my craving was fulfilled. But I learned an important lesson--even if it's out of the ordinary for you, your body will tell you what it needs, and it's amazing what happens when you listen to it, and follow it!

So, here's to great cheeseburgers, fabulous food and simple pleasures everywhere!

Thank you, Lord, for a fabulous night last night--the amazingly delicious cheeseburger, a great night with Colin and three years of togetherness today! It is all because of You, and I am most grateful for it all!

In Light N' Love,
-Sarah Liz :)