Thursday, September 04, 2008

Fat-free picnic


My younger daughter and I just came from an all-school picnic at her new school. She's starting 8th grade on Monday. The picnic was massive--800 people milling around the school grounds on a humid, muggy night. It wasn't the kind of event where you meet and really get to talk to people, and that was OK.

What wasn't OK was the food. Oh, it tasted all right, but I noticed there was nary a speck of fat or sugar at the picnic. There were flame-grilled veggie burgers, grilled chicken breasts, and I believe some kind of hot dog (I don't eat meat, so I didn't notice). There was pasta salad in a vinaigrette that was all vinegar. There were grilled veggies, which were very tasty. There was a huge bowl of salad with an array of dressings, every one of which was fat-free. I asked one of the caterers if there was any salad dressing with oil in it, and she said, "Honey, they specifically told us to bring only fat-free dressings."

For dessert there were trays of watermelon, which happens to be the one fruit I dislike.

I just hope this isn't a sign of things to come.

Monday, September 01, 2008

Are you a woman in your 20s or 30s? Read this


This opinion piece is not on the topic of food or eating, but this is a crucial and compelling subject, and one that every woman (and man) in America today should read. Especially those of you who think feminism was what your parents and grandparents did, and you're the new post-feminist generation. :-) There is still work to be done, my friends.