Bacon Cheeseburger

Last night something unbelievable happened and I need to take a moment to brag about it. 

I ordered, ate, and enjoyed a bacon cheeseburger. 

Let me give you a little background information, so you, too, can understand why this is such a big deal for me. Three or four years ago, upon starting culinary school, I made the decision to become a vegetarian. This decision was made with an eating disordered mind; meat became one less thing that I had to worry about eating. When others questioned my decision to go veg, as an effort to cover up my disordered ways, I told them it was because I disagreed with the mass production of beef, the growth hormones and any other fake excuse I could come up with.

As a child, I grew up in a meat and potatoes kind of family, so it quickly became obvious that my new eating habits were not healthy.

A few years ago, while I was still working in the culinary world, we hired an intern who almost instantly became my best friend. At the time we had almost everything in common, except for one thing- she was a bacon fanatic. That girl can smell bacon cooking from three miles away and she never missed a chance to snag some from the kitchen.

So, needless to say, when she heard the news that I have given up my vegetarianism and am now a bacon lover, too, she took me out on a bacon cheeseburger date. For a good week ahead of time, I was dreading this date. I have eaten burgers and bacon since I have been in recovery, but never together and never a burger THIS big. 

Let me just say, it was probably the best thing I have eaten. I'm not sure if it was actually the burger or if it was the company or the thrill of eating such a scary food, but it doesn't matter. I was in heaven.

Today I am thankful for two things: best friends that I can go more than a year without seeing and nothing changes AND bacon cheeseburgers.

Last night I remember saying, "So this is how normal people eat, huh?" 

Progress.