Milkshakes -- tasty but hardly low carb!

written by Claudia McCants



January flew by and it wasn't really a month of dining out, hence the lack of blog postings for that month. I began the year by trying the first level of the South Beach Diet. I quickly lost the 5-6 lbs. that I'd gained over the holidays by deleting bread, rice, pasta and white potatoes from my diet. But I'm a diabetic and my doctor cautioned me not to step back on carbs so severely, so I added them back in but at controlled levels. Actually, we're eating the way we've been eating for several years. Sandwiches are made on double fiber whole grain bread and we eat wheat pasta when we simply must have spaghetti. We've stocked up on fruits and vegetables, and I tried out Progresso's new lite soups (pretty good, but I still prefer homemade soup). Still, I find myself back at that same plateau I've been stuck on for months. I guess that's better than gaining weight, so I won't complain.

I will admit indulging one weekend. The Saturday before I began my South Beach experiment we went to a new burger joint called Cheeburger Cheeburger. The burgers were thick, juicy and delicious, but their thick homemade milkshakes were even more incredible and worthy of a mention on the Florida Foodies blog. Lucky for me, the restaurant isn't located near our house but I'd honestly drive the twenty minutes to this 50's themed restaurant just for a milkshake. You can have something simple like the chocolate milkshake I still dream about, or you can dream up your own concoction to create your own designer milkshake or malt.

Cheeburger Cheeburger is great for an informal family lunch or dinner, and for our 14-year-old son it was the perfect place to take his girlfriend before a trip to the beach. He had one of their Serious 1/2 lb. burgers while she ordered a chicken sandwich, and they shared a "Best of Both" basket of homemade french fries and onion rings. My husband and I had the Semi-serious 1/4 lb. burgers (very filling!) witha shared basket of fries and rings, and two milkshakes. Next time, I may indulge in another sinful milkshake but I'm thinking I may try out their Cheeburger salad. My mom can't wait to taste their chocolate ice cream sodas.

You can sit at the soda fountain counter or at an old-fashioned diner-type table in a room decorated with neon lights and memorabilia from the 50's and 60's. A trip to Cheeburger Cheeburger is a definite blast into the past.