Le Cafe a Mon Emploi

French makes everything sound so fancy doesn't it?  The title of this blog is simply, "The Cafe at my Job," but the language certainly lends a bit of class to the potentially mundane.

Here comes the pun, Cinnamon Raisin French Toast at the Cafe.  French Toast, ha!  No, seriously, this was a special made to order 3 slice serving of raisin bread dipped in egg mix and thoroughly dusted with cinnamon.  I usually don't eat 3 slices of french toast, but, I have to admit I was able to finish this without incident.

Same day and I return for "Hello Deli."  Please don't groan, but that is what our cafeteria has nicknamed sandwich-made-to-order day.  One of my favorite aspects is the Ciabatta rolls!

Other choices include typical breads as well as New York style hard rolls from a local bakery.

In addition to traditional deli meats, a choice of chicken cutlets are available; grilled with red pepper flake or fried.  A selection of cheeses, lettuce, tomato and spreads are offered as well.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

I love the crispy chicken on Ciabatta.  If a sandwich were named for me, this would be it!  In fact, the dill pickle spear, bag of classic chips, bottle of water and the sandwich should all be bundled together and sold as the Fed Well lunch special.  Or some other more magical name.  Of course it wouldn't be wrong to take it to the next level and add a slice or two of bacon!  Ah the plus side of the cafe at my job!

McOptions

How many menu options are on the board at the Golden Arches?  They have added salads and revamped the Happy Meal to include apple slices instead of fries, filet-o-fish, chicken nuggets, but, where is the veggie burger?

The first time I went to McDonald's with my vegetarian friends I was more than curious about what she would eat.  I assumed a salad.  No, she orders a cheeseburger, no meat.  So, a pseudo cheese sandwich.  Dear McDonald's, Can't you do better?  Sincerely, Supportive Friend who also enjoys a good alternative now and then.

I know, I know, when I go to McDonald's I am mostly about the Big Mac and I have confessed I am quite aware of what I am getting myself into but if apple slices can replace fries (the most holy of fast food holy foods) than certainly some kind of veggie can be whipped into a suitable patty.  Right?

To further stretch her culinary creativity, my friend pulled the roll apart and placed some fries on her cheeseburger no meat.   Fabulous!

We ate together in the conference room in our department and though we had already more than indulged ourselves in our daily caloric intake, maybe a sweet treat is needed. 

COOKIES!  The perfect individual baked good.  Chocolate chip, oatmeal or white chocolate chip.  I am a sucker for the classics so the chocolate chip was my choice.  It was the right blend between chewy and firm, sweet without being nauseating.  Tomorrow, peanut butter and jelly with a small carton of whole milk.  No joke.  A bit of creativity, fun and food whimsy with limits and I am Fed Well.

Carrot Cake is Fine for Breakfast

For me, eating begins not at home but at work.  I take medication in the morning that requires an empty stomach and so with just under an hour commute it works out perfectly to eat once I am here.  However, my  food choices are my own and of course some days I make healthier selections than others.  I do want to point out, I feel helpless to say no to the endless supply of goodies we are constantly surrounded with as I have explained in the past:

Link to previous post regarding food at work

Also, part of our office culture is birthday snacks.  If it is your birthday and you would like to celebrate with a treat, it is up to you to bring it in for the group.  This method is so no one feels left out when someone forgets to bring in cake for their birthday.  Yes, it happened once to someone I work with and though we are all adults, she was quite upset.  This rule also helps if you decide you do not want to celebrate or do not recognize your birthday as a cause for celebration - whether it is an age or religious reason, doesn't matter.

When birthdays collide as in the the case of myself and another in our department (she is the day before) we work it out and last year we both split the cost of a few pizzas for our group.

One of my coworkers was away on vacation for her birthday a few weeks ago and so she brought in an amazing, slamming, king of the hill carrot cake from Jones Farm (click for their website).  This gorgeous and exquisite baked good should be in a hall of fame.  The cake itself is moist and you can see the finely diced carrot, raisins and nuts.  The icing is sweet heaven.  Reading the ingredient listing and discovering pineapple makes one's tongue say, "hmmm?"  So wonderful.  And, yes, the breakfast of champions.

The photo above is from a visit I made to Jones Farm to do research for an article in Hudson Valley Parent magazine.

In the afternoon, more snacks were placed in our common area and I overheard someone remark, "It is so strange to see healthy snacks here.  I am so used to seeing chocolate and goodies."  Is that sad or just honest?

The healthy snacks were left overs from a group pot luck Super Bowl party.  So does that mean we only housed the rejected goodies?

Honestly, which would you prefer?  I confess, I had two slices of carrot cake.  One for breakfast and a second later on as a snack.  I am gloriously Fed Well.