Week Eight: The chocolate solution
So, even though I had a small setback last weekend with binging, this week I took seriously the prospect of getting back on ye olde wagon. My life is changing, and I feel like I am in the process of deciding which old parts to keep and which to throw out. I think that perhaps the binging is a sign that I am clinging to some old issues. Writing this column helps. It might have been a longer process towards equilibrium if I didn't have to account for my actions here every week.
In order to prevent another misstep like I had last weekend, I need to change my relationship with food. Sometimes I feel like I am all talk; I make these big claims and pretend I have so much self knowledge, but it is worthless unless I act on this knowledge. And sometimes this isn't so easy. It will be a long road, but I made a small advancement this week when I decided to learn to appreciate chocolate. (And, oh. It was such a hardship.)
| Something is better than nothing
Champaign County Health Care Consumers has been working for underprivileged consumers of health care in this community for over thirty years. It is no exaggeration to say that they have single-handedly helped to improve access to health care for thousands of local community members.
With the current final push to get health care legislation passed in the U.S. Congress, the CCHCC has been working hard on a local level to convince local citizens to support the bill. Later today, they will be passing out copies of their "Quick Guide to Health Reform" on the corner of First St. and Kirby Ave. (Florida) in Champaign and they have more actions planned as the week goes on. We recently had a chance to discuss the bill and the CCHCC's views with Executive Director Claudia Lennhoff.
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Regardless of your political orientation, whether you have children or not, the state of the local school district is an exceedingly important part of any community. And for a city the size of Champaign, the school system's operations can be complex enough to befuddle most unschooled observers. That's where Charles Schultz comes in. Schultz, author of the outstanding website A citizen's blog about Champaign Unit 4, wasn't always interested in the machinations of his local school district. "I was happy …
I'm not going to pretend like this whole thing is easy. I don't want to fall into a trap here of trying to gloss things over or to make them pretty for public consumption. This is intended to be a true documentation of my journey during The Yoga Experiment. And this week I fell off the wagon. I didn't just fall off, I jumped off and went flying into oblivion. It isn't the yoga, really. Yoga is awesome, and I …
You live near a major university and a community college. There are smart people that come here every week to talk to the general public about interesting topics. Perhaps you were not aware of this fact, or were overwhelmed by the sheer number of opportunities for possible enlightenment. If that's the case, Smile Politely understands and is here to help. Here are several events going on in town this week. Check out one or more of them if you have …
Since it began last fall, Innovators Improv has been going strong. In the group's own words, the mission of Innovators Improv is "Joining innovative thinkers at the intersection of the arts, sciences, business, and engineering to create unique and transformative ideas."
Plastic toys are like an infestation of bats. You don't even notice them biting you in your sleep. They hide in corners and when you finally stumble across one—a brown lump of fur on the wall or between the sheets—you wonder how it got there. I wish my collection of plastic was so unintentional. A case of mistaken indulgence, perhaps. For Christmas, my daughter received a Sleeping Beauty makeup desk from her grandparents. It is a three-foot tall, talking, singing, …
The towns of Champaign and Urbana can often feel a bit stifling to students, particularly as their world is contained to somewhere between the blocks of University and Kirby (oops, I mean Florida) and somewhere between the blocks of Lincoln and Neil. Given that this teeny tiny area is what most students view as Champaign-Urbana's boundaries, it's easy to just sit back in your cramped little (totally bitchin') apartment and count down the days until you get to leave "Southern …
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Vosges is pretty decent chocolate, but you should definitely try the locally-produced chocolate from Dan Schreiber, available (regularly?) at Amara, Caffe Paradiso, and Common Ground. I believe it is or will be at other places soon.
I read Kucinich flipped today. He must have read this and been convinced.
I really appreciated Ms. Lennhoff’s candid answers to the questions. I learned a lot about health care reform from this experience. Thanks CCHCC!
I found that cake thing about a year ago. It’s pretty amazing. Happily, it didn’t stick as a habit ‘cause I *still* made a mess with the flour and cocoa and all that ...
Dangit! Now I have to go home and try that cake. MMMmmMMMMmmmm looks goood. Cakey cakey cakey…
Amen. When I told people I’ve lost 18 pounds since early October the number one response I get from women is concern. 18 pounds in four months is not unhealthy, quite the opposite for me. But don’t give up on sugar, or become a vegan, or do…
The whole self-acceptance idea is tricky in itself too. Are we supposed to self-accept by sitting around like bumps on logs, doing nothing but just appreciating and accepting ourselves? Life doesn’t happen like that. I like your point about pushing ourselves to do something greater. Self-challenge and self-reflection…
lindsey - i certainly understand where you are coming from on that one. and i just wanted to state for the record that in no way did i mean to imply that i am not a feminist (or a liberal) just that i find that whole…
re: body image—i find it very hard to hear my own true voice in the midst of all the other ones - either the voices from the “beauty industry” demanding total perfection or the ones from the feminist community (which i am a part of, proudly) demanding…
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Dan Schreiber’s chocolate is simply the best I’ve ever had. It’s a whole different ball-game; closer to very high-end wine than anything out of Hershey PA.
That settles it… Im going.
Vosges is pretty decent chocolate, but you should definitely try the locally-produced chocolate from Dan Schreiber, available (regularly?) at Amara, Caffe Paradiso, and Common Ground. I believe it is or will be at other places soon.
I read Kucinich flipped today. He must have read this and been convinced.
Bread Company can do some fantastic vegan dinner dishes! Several of their pastas are vegan or could be made vegan and their pizzas can be ordered (and taste great) without the cheese. I also recommend their roasted potatoes and their roasted garlic head appetizer.
General Admission? Are we supposed to camp out the night before the game to get decent seats?
I wonder with Griffey if he’s not in game shape enough to play a significant number of minutes. If you look at his minutes played this year, he’s never played a starters minutes.
I really appreciated Ms. Lennhoff’s candid answers to the questions. I learned a lot about health care reform from this experience. Thanks CCHCC!
Glad you asked Stuart. In the 1950s (well before they were approved for human use) poultry producers began using subtherapeutic doses of quinolone antibiotics, specifically fluroquinolone, to reduce the incidence of respiratory disease in overcrowded production conditions. In humans, quinolones are a last line of defense antibiotic…
Hah! Good one, Joel. But my question was a serious one. I only buy eggs from a couple of local organic farmers, so I never thought about antibiotic-free eggs. I’m assuming that Anna meant the hen was not fed antibiotics, but am not wholly sure. I’m…
That sounds like a setup to a joke at a CSA’s annual banquet. Q: “How can you tell an antibiotic-free egg?“ A: “It just can’t seem to get rid of that cough.“ /shows self out
First off did you read the wired magazine article I posted? You should. Second, WAS!? HAhahaaha. What, we aren’t being spied on right now. Its not legal anymore? Obama didn’t just re-authorize the patriot act? Semi-mythical deep packet inspection devices. Semi-mythical deep packet inspection devices. Semi mythical…
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Kaiyo was decent for a sushi buffet, but it definitely isn’t as good as KO fusion. I thought it was better than any sushi I’ve ever had at a chinese buffet, but was not as good as my least favorite sushi item at KO fusion. However, I…
What is an antibiotic-free egg? And how can you tell?
Great article. I’ve always found that by making it in the blender, I can be my typical impatient self and pour tons of oil in at once. It’s very forgiving that way, though not fool proof.
I will be at Danu this evening. And seeing as tomorrow - St. Pat’s - is my birthday, I will be celebrating with tons of green and fun!
Big Blue will actually be on 6-9, despite what is posted elsewhere. Then, hightail it over to Bentley’s!
Ahh - good point - I will plug them in the appropriate sections.
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Dan Schreiber’s chocolate is simply the best I’ve ever had. It’s a whole different ball-game; closer to very high-end wine than anything out of Hershey PA.