Turkey dogs...

I learned an important life lesson yesterday. Turkey hot dogs do not grill well.

My kids are big fans of hot dogs. Against my better judgment, they are a staple in my kids' diets. I try not to think about exactly what hot dogs are made of....sometimes ignorance in bliss. I do, however, try to purchase hot dogs that are a tad bit healthier than the plain old Oscar Meyer wiener...despite my kids' objections. For a while, I bought nitrate-free hot dogs. Aside from being expensive, they were 100% beef. And really...how much beef should I let my kids ingest? I could practically see their tiny little arteries clogging with every bite. I tried buying kosher hot dogs...really quite delicious. However, we're not Jewish...and they were beef, too. I then switched to turkey hot dogs. A tad healthier...maybe? Maybe not?

Last night, we dusted off the old gas grill. It was a hamburger night. The weather was beautiful. The kids were playing in the back yard. While Sophie and I made a quick trip to the liquor store (beer is a prerequisite when grilling, right?), Ruanita pulled the grill out of the garage. My kids will not eat hamburgers, so I threw three turkey hot dogs on the grill. They appeared to be grilling ok. They plumped up...got some nice grill lines on them. They looked quite delicious, actually. However, the minute I took them off the grill, they proceeded to de-plump...imagine letting all of the air out of a balloon. They became these brown skinny little wrinkly...things. Quite hideously ugly, really. The looks of disgust on the kids' faces when I put the hot dogs in front of them were priceless. Lucas poked at his, half expecting it to jump off of his plate. I am sure. Sophie loudly announced that she did not like hot dogs....though she eats them at least twice a week, if not more. Nicholas just stared at his in a trance-like state....as if he were mesmerized by its multitude of wrinkles. In the end, the kids were troopers and ate the hot dogs....very odd and out of character for them. Of course, they could have been motivated by the chocolate chip ice cream we had for dessert. Regardless, I don't think I'll be grilling turkey dogs again. I'm caving. I'm throwing in the towel. I'm admitting defeat and buying Oscar Meyer wieners. I just won't read the ingredient list.....