When my husband and I eat meals together, I eat healthier. When he is out of town I tend to cut corners on my diet, reaching for whatever is closest based on the emotion I am feeling at the time. I'm a foodie (translation - someone who loves to eat vs. someone who eats to live) and I especially enjoy what I refer to as comfort food -- those menu items that remind us of a special time and place in our lives.

On the top of my list are two hot dog joints -- Yocco's and Weinerschnitzel. Because I can only have a Yocco's doggie when I go home to visit my parents, you better believe it's one of the first and last places I eat. (Actually, I enjoy their food sooooo much that I think I would even camp out in their parking lot if they let me.) Since I currently live in California, when Jim travels, my only option is Weinerschnitzel. I usually sneak off for my usual chili cheese dog with a side order of french fries and a 1/2 pepsi, 1/2 diet pepsi soft drink. (If I'm feeling really guilty, I'll have 100% diet.)

Like I said earlier, comfort food is the food that remind us of a special time and place in our lives. My mother didn't make much money as a nurse when we were kids. Every two weeks, on the Sunday after she ended her shift, she would take us to Weinerschnitzel for dinner and laughs. It was our special place.

When my grandmother was sick a few years ago, my sister would travel from Philadelphia and I would travel from New Jersey to visit her in the nursing home. One day, we were having a conversation about the trip in and I mentioned stopping by Weinerschnitzel on the way. (I had convinced myself that it was because it was off the Route 78 exit, but I don't know if that really made a difference.) She laughed and said she had done the same thing!

We all have places and events in our lives that evoke certain memories of which we are grateful. Comfort food is what helps me go back in time. What food memory brings back your biggest upside moment? Or the time when you were most grateful? I'm hungry just thinking about it!