Guilt-Free Restaurant Meal

Today, I went to my favorite restaurant chain for breakfast. Cracker Barrel is my favorite place to eat, hands down. I was born and raised in the south, and even though I don't agree with most Southern sentiments, the food is to DIE FOR.

I usually get one of two things: the country vegetable plate or mama's french toast breakfast. Today, I got the french toast. Here are the things that made the meal heavenly, satisfying, and guilt-free:

1) I was with my beloved younger brother. He and I are best friends, and we try and spend as much time together as possible during the summer. He and I have made it a tradition to eat at Cracker Barrel together. We order extravagant, calorie-laden meals because our parents aren't around to tell us we can't. We talk about everything and catch up and spend a great deal of the conversation talking about HOW GOOD CB food is. Plus, being a big ol' 6'5'', he'll eat whatever I don't want to finish, including two of the four slices of french toast.

2) I knew the meal wouldn't ruin me. For one thing, I've been exercising and eating well consistently, so this treat meal wouldn't undo all I'd worked for. The concept of the "treat" makes more sense when it really IS occasional and not the norm.

3) As weird as it might sound, the lighting made it a fabulous meal. By sheer luck our table was close to a big ceiling light which shined on my food and made it look like the cover of a magazine. The fluffy yellow eggs and crisp, salty bacon complimented the glistening blackberry topping and white puffs of whipped cream on my perfectly browned french toast. *drool*

4) I engaged all my senses to enjoy the food. I don't get to eat it often, so I didn't want to wolf it down. I chewed eat bite slowly, listened to the bacon crackle in my mouth, smelled the flavors wafting off the plate. It was heavenly.

I think it was the best meal I've ever had at CB. I enjoyed it while treating myself with respect. Hooray!