This is the story of how growing your own organic food all day sometimes leads directly to eating dinner out of a paper sack in a parking lot. Balance.
I think the biggest misconception about anyone who eats well or grows their own food is that they ALWAYS, ONLY, FOREVER AND EVER eat well. That they would rather eat a fist full of scabs than let anything processed or unhealthy pass their lips. I’m here to tell you that is not true. I don’t think. God, I hope not it’s not true. Gross.
To quote a well known, almost 90 year old, world champion food eater (my mother, Betty),
“If a person can’t eat french fries whenever they want, then life just isn’t worth living.”
~ betty
Betty has a flare for the dramatic. I told her I was thinking of changing my brand of dish soap once. She gasped so hard she swallowed a tiny piece of lung and to this day you can read about the episode in the Ripley’s Believe it or Not museum in Niagara Falls.
Obviously I got my love of french fries from her. From my father I got my love of vegetable gardening.
So I’ve inherited two very different food philosophies:
- Grow your own.
- Life isn't worth living if you can't eat french fries whenever you want. (Which is always)
I live with a balance of both. Because growing and cooking your own healthy food really is satisfying. And so are french fries.
Every summer when I’m killing myself working up at my community garden, there’s always a day of weed pulling and sweating that’s so long, so tiring, so calorie depleting that I stop at my local McDonalds drive through on the way home for a Big Mac, large fries, 6 Chicken McNuggets and a drink.
I not only enjoy it, I love it and look forward to it. There’s no guilt from eating the crappy food because I’ve worked myself in the garden until I’m delirious. That delirium only adds to the deliciousness of the junk food.
Could I make fries? Yes. And I do. I even make my own frozen french fries.
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I really do love McDonalds – their french fries are the BEST – but I think the main reason I go there is because it’s a drive through. Can you imagine anything more luxurious than screaming at a metal box and then someone handing you a bag of food through your car window? I can’t. Every time I do it I feel like royalty.
It is the only drive through food in town unless you count Tim Hortons which I don’t because they don’t have special sauce (or McDonald’s french fries.) I also love Harvey’s hamburgers (I don’t think you have been blessed with Harvey’s in the United States) but that would require driving out of my way. Tacos? I don’t even know if there’s a Taco drive through around but again, I do like them. Submarines are delicious but I don’t get that McDonald’s satisfaction out of them. Plus there’s no sub drive through. Not here anyway.
So McDonald’s it is, every time I’m having a “Yeah, I grow all my own vegetables, but life isn’t worth living if you can’t eat french fries when you want” moment.
In fact I see one of those moments in my very near future.
We’ve become a society of absolutes. I blame social media. Everyone should blame social media. And the trolls lurking there, waiting to pounce like they’re on some kind of unpaid morality SWAT team.
Apparently, you’re either a beacon of virtue or human garbage with ketchup on your shirt.
But here’s the truth:
You can’t do the right thing all the time.
You don’t have to do the right thing all the time.
Sometimes, you get to do the wrong thing.
On purpose.
With fries. And maybe a milkshake if it’s been that kind of day.
Because perfection is exhausting. And frankly, a little 2020.
What about you? What’s your go-to fast food? And will you be going-to, this weekend? ;)
Have a good weekend!
Kasia
Omg, I love McD’s! I grew up on it and they will forever be my favorite fast food indulgence. The fries, especially! My hubs prefers Wendy’s, and they do have a good burger, but the fries just don’t compare. I blame the salt quantity. Similar to my love for a can of Campbell’s chicken noodle soup or Dinty Moore beef stew. Almost all of my friends think it’s odd (one even said “charming”) that I still look forward to my treat of McD’s when we travel up north. I only have it maybe a few times a year, but I really do look forward to it. I debate all day before we leave: will I have my fries with a hamburger or a filet-o-fish or maybe go all out for the quarter pounder? Balance is certainly key! Thanks for the reminder (and the validation… charming my ass)!
Patricia
I have to admit...I love McDonald's double filet-o-fish sandwiches. It's my guilty little pleasure.
Barb
Ice cream. That’s my fast food of choice. If one good thing came out of Covid this is it.
Deb from Maryland
Drive through Burger King Whopper, no onion and a chocolate shake hits "that" spot for me. :) BUT, will make a special trip to Micky D's just for large fries any day.
Sharon Avery
Karen.
My McDonalds fascination is their Diet Coke. No one does Dt Coke like the Golden Arches. Of course. I need fries with my frosty beverage! If I’m going to really go off the rails. I’m having some Jets pizza😜
Sharon
Babs
I agree with Betty but I would say a donut for me. This morning it crossed my mind. Haven't had one in ages.
Tamara
A & W Teenburger, no mustard, no pickle with sweet potato fries OR Firehouse subs with chips. If it's all about fries, a big shout out to Tony's in Richmond, ON.
Sandy Zelinsky
Hutch's fish & chips!! Mmmmm!! I know, I know. You either love em or hate em. My husband and I just happen to love em. Going there tonight. Getting a jump on the weekend. Came all the way from Florida to get some Hutch's...not really, been here for 6 weeks visiting family & friends. It's one of those "must go to" places when we come "home" for the summers to get away from that Florida heat. Mmmmm, Hutch's for dinner tonight. So good!!
Hollis
Oh, my. . . a fellow Zelinsky! With the correct spelling!!
Hollis Zelinsky. . . .
Karen
Well isn't this funny, because a good friend of mine is also ... a Zelinsky! ~ karen
Hollis
Karen -- Curious and curiouser! At this rate, it sounds as if TAofDS could support its own little Zelinsky Club.
Cara
About the french fries at McDonalds. Who could deny how divinely delicious they are? I wanted to say I've read what they do to the potatoes before they get cut and fried. It's an ugly story and so, I avoid them now. Sorry for the downer.
Kirsten
Im curious to know if your love of fries has brought you to Stans chip wagon in Brantford? We are a quick 20 -30 min drive from you and this chip wagon just had their 75th anniversary. My granddaughter who has just turned eight this past week has now deemed them #1, McD’s has fallen to second place in her standards. This is not a wagon that does all fast food and happens to have fries. It is simply fries , small or large, with or without malt vinegar is all you need decide. I have no affiliation with it, except to have loved them since I was a wee girl as well.
Jean C.
Chick fil a. We even have a drive through pizza place. And don’t even get me started on DoorDash.
Wendy
I regularly buy myself a Crispy Crunch bar at the grocery checkout. However, I make it last as long as (your) kale salad I make that day. Not sure which tastes better a few days later, the soggy salad or the last bite of crumbly chocolate bar.
Balance 🤷♀️
Amber
Spicy chicken tenders with ranch sauce. Though I have to admit, it’s not a drive through. I go to the Shaws in the next town and stock up on the Tyson brand: some I freeze and some I eat cold in the car on the way home while balancing a puddle of yogurt ranch sauce from a bottle. Yeah, it’s not exactly fries, but good tenders are sort of like fries. Thats to say, I can eat many of them mindlessly and feel happy about it. It’s been hit and miss at the drive through for fries out here: DQ, Wendy’s, KFC… I’ll have to keep trying.
Clara Ellis
Loved this!
Danni
Hot and dirty and stinky from yard work, Dairy Queen drive thru for a blizzard. Drop mic.
Darlene Elizabeth Meyers
Chick fil a peach milkshakes
CathyR
Our little burg of Green Valley has just one Mc D, and indeed their fries are the best. But if I’m out to lunch I will seek out a Patty melt. 1 or 2 thin patties ( yes, ground beef, & extra points for crispy edges ) topped with American cheese food surrounded by grilled rye or sourdough bread slices that are translucent from all the butter they’re grilled with.
More points if you need a bib or extra napkins. I love it with sweet potato fries from a cafe here in town that does a Patty melt justice.
I think I put on a pound or 2 writing this and I definitely just choked on some saliva build up.
Chris
I've recently won 2 boxes of chocolates. To counterbalance that, and the tiny amount of guilt I feel eating them, I'm making carrot soup today. I feel that's a fair yin and yang of good vs chocolate.
Karen
Agreed. ~ karen!
Terry Rutherford
Great, it’s 12:30 and now I want McDonald’s fries. Cruelty thy name is Karen. But tomorrow sounds good too. We put supports on the tomatoes today then hid inside. You’re a gardening hero if you were out at 94 degrees today (yes, Fahrenheit. I’m old, sue me.) Hug Philip for us. (Does he even like hugs? I never found our poodles liked hugs.) ‘Night.
Karen
He most definitely does not tolerate a hug for longer than a few seconds. But he is always beside me. He loves getting pet and scratched and especially deep tissue massage. But he's not a hugger. ~ karen!
Nina
OMG Karen! Stop! I'm laughing all the way to McDonald's.
Karen
This *may* be the weekend. I'm not sure. ~ karen!