Ever have a red hot dog?  It’s kinda a tradition up in Maine where my husband grew up.  I’m not really sure what the appeal is but if you happen to be in Maine, especially in the summer, check it out (but don’t eat any…).  From Wikipedia - The most popular variety of hot dog in Maine is made with natural casing.  The casing is colored red, and one company refers to their red variety as red snappers.  I'm pretty sure that red dye isn't adding any health benefits but it sure is unique.  

Hot Dogs and burgers on the grill on the fourth of July - it’s an American tradition right?  We still cook burgers on the grill using one of the many wonderful veggie burgers recipes available.  And they're great!  But Hot Dogs are a challenge.

Did you know that Hot Dogs, along with other processed meat, are classified as a class 1 carcinogen by the WHO (World Health Organization)?  In others words, hot dogs are known to cause cancer in humans.   My husband loves processed meats like ham, bacon, and hot dogs but has given them up in the interest of avoiding carcinogenic foods.  It wasn’t easy for him to do this so I’m really proud of him.  But he misses his hot dogs. 

Last Fourth of July holiday, we decided to try a homemade vegan hot dog recipe that was making a buzz in the plant-based food world.  It’s a pretty simple recipe that uses marinated carrots to make hot dogs.  Here is a link to the recipe we used.  I wanted to share this with you as an easy, healthy alternative to traditional (carcinogenic) hot dogs.   

I gave them a thumbs up.  I was never a fan of hot dogs before I gave up meat but I thought these carrot dogs were rather tasty.  Unfortunately, the hubby gave them a thumbs down but at least he was a good sport about trying them.   Maybe I shouldn't have told him they were carrots until after he tried them...

Do you have a vegan hot dog that you like?  Let me know in the comments below.

Have a safe and healthy July 4th weekend!!

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