Monday Munchies, Part 27: Fast Food & Pastries

This post is a continuation of the Monday Munchies series where I show everything I eat over the course of single day. These eats took place last Saturday (two days ago), a day that will go down as the most “sometimes” food-filled day in recent gustatory history.

Warning: What you see here may shock you. This dietitian wishes to assure the dear reader that she will not judge those who wish to avert their eyes at the spectacle below, and that, in fact, this day-of-eats does not mean she is a “bad person” or “dietitian on her day off”, but a regular person who will occasionally indulge in fast food and/or pastries without guilt (which the dear reader may do as well, if he or she wishes).

Breakfast, 8:00 am:

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Bircher muesli with 1/2 sliced banana and 1/2 chopped mango, topped with chia seeds. Gobbled with a mug of coffee.

Peter and I spent a good chunk of the day running errands. The first stop was the most important: Curtis Orchard (as featured in this post) to pick up some apple cider doughnuts.

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You can’t drive more than a few miles in Connecticut before you hit a farm stand selling apple cider doughnuts. Perhaps from a sense of deprivation, we bought one each of the glazed and cinnamon-sugar covered doughnuts. I tried a bite of each.

Reader, they were bad. I have high standards for apple cider doughnuts, and I’m afraid these didn’t come close to eliciting a “wow, these are danged good doughnuts!”.

So, how about some fast food? After a long morning spent gathering essentials (including a tense few minutes during which Peter agonized over thought deeply about how many bags of dried shrimp he could buy from the Asian grocery without drawing strange looks), we were a mighty distance from home and rather famished. When this happens, I’ll put in a plug for a sandwich shop, like a Panera or something. However, Peter’s tastes run a little … faster.

Thus, that’s how we ended up at Steak ‘n’ Shake.

Lunch, 12:30 pm:

To be fair, I didn’t put up much of a fight. We’ve been here once before, and I discovered I adore their peanut butter milkshakes. You know what’s even better? You can order a child’s size.

Although this is a bit much for a child.
Although this is a bit much for a child.

As for the main meal, well. I learned my lesson several months ago when Peter and I went to a Waffle House at his request. I wasn’t wild about the idea of waffles OR plastic-y-looking hamburgers at lunch, so I looked the waitress straight in the eye and said “I’d like the Avondale salad, please.”

The waitress looked at me like I’d pulled a club from my purse and offered to “rearrange” the waffle irons. I had to point to the menu to prove there were indeed salads on the menu. More than one, in fact. Our waitress (who was also preparing our food) said, “Wow, I don’t think anyone’s ordered one of those before. Let me just ask the manager how to make one.”

She disappeared into the back, from which I heard a long, drawn-out laugh. I think that’s around the time I regretted ordering salad at a waffle restaurant.

The Avondale salad did not disappoint. I’ve never seen such pale lettuce, nor such perfect miniature cubes of ham and cheese. It takes effort to do that, people.

Thus, at Steak ‘n’ Shake, I went straight for the steak burger with guacamole. Served with fries and the most neon orange cheese I’ve had the privilege of tasting (and I went to public school).

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You know what? This burger was delicious. I’m going to try guacamole on our own burgers. Bean burgers with guacamole, perhaps?

Dinner, 7:30 pm:

Seven hours without food, Jessie? Well, I never!

Lunch sat in my stomach with the weight of ten Maddies, and even at 7:30 pm I was still full. And not pleasantly so. Our fast food diversion was enjoyable, but it will be a long time before I set foot in another burger joint.

To stave off night time hunger, I mixed together leftover quinoa and beans, a tomato from our garden, corn, and fresh mint.

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Served with milk, this dinner was just what I needed.

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Earlier in the day, when I was still hungry, I bought a couple of my favorite pastries from the Asian grocery: dan tat and coconut pastries (lesson here? don’t shop hungry). I had a bite of each for dessert.

Why yes, that does say "lard" in the ingredient list.
Why yes, that does say “lard”.

Not bad!  I’d like to try making my own coconut pastries. After I digest lunch, of course.

Q: How was your weekend? What was the last fast food meal you had?

13 Comments

  1. Whoa, that is an eclectic mix of food indeed! I miss peanut butter, haven’t had it in way too long.

    I went to a lovely botanical garden yesterday. It had flowers and plants from all around the world, divided into sections like South African garden, Australian garden, Subtropical Fruit garden, etc and everything was gorgeous. Less crowded than the beach, too 😉

    I’ve read Wilkie Collins’ The Moonstone a few times, but now I can’t remember if I’ve read The Woman in White or not. I think I read it once but it was a long time ago so I’ve forgotten pretty much everything. So obviously I need to read it again 🙂 Thanks for the suggestion, Jessie 🙂

    1. That botanical garden sounds lovely!

  2. Interesting day of eats! That’s what I love about you! 🙂

    I actually had an In-N-Out burger, protein style, not too long ago.

  3. Baja salad at Wendy’s but instead of chili I had it with grilled chicken, with no cheese, extra guacamole instead of dressing and the regular nacho chips instead of the weird strip nachos they normally serve… Man fast food must hate to see me coming…

  4. A friend of Ben and I went to Waffle House and wanted an egg-white omelet. The waitress looked at her and said (in a Southern drawl of course) “What, you don’t want no yolk!?”

    1. We must have gone to the same Waffle House.

  5. Ha! Loved seeing all your eats…and I loved that you got that hamburger at Steak and Shake! I’ve made the same mistake (ordering a salad at a fast food joint) and I’ve lived to regret it! I will follow your lead from here on out! Thank you for sharing Jessie!

  6. I think we all have those days! The.Boy and i stopped at Dunkin Donuts on our way back from Boston two weekends ago and boy do I regret that donut that i had. So not good or worth it.

  7. Your breakfast looks gorgeous with the chia seeds and mango! I have never tried apple-cider donuts, does the bakery offer vegna options? If you ever go to Portland, check out Voodoo or Las Vegas, check out Ronald’s Donuts, they have the best vegan donuts ever! Oh my, I haven’t had that Chinese “dan tat” or years… it’s hard to veganize them! Right now, I’m traveling in Valencia, Spain (I’m on instagram@veganmiam), and the last food meal I had was (actually I’ll post the link in a new comment).

    1. Yum! Have a great time in Spain! Looking forward to checking out more of your awesome pics!

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