Politics

The first election I was eligible to vote in was the one Bush stole. As an 18 year old back then, I still wholeheartedly believed in the process and thought that it was actually "we the people" who decided who would be our president. This despite the fact that I had a much more than average knowledge of the political process here in the U.S. having taken advanced placement U.S. History (and scoring a perfect score, on the exam). But I still held out hope that the system still worked and that our elected officials were actually chosen by and representative of us. In college after having that first negative political experience, I became very active politically (more so after leaving the academically intense, stifling and frustrating 7-year B.S./M.D. program I was in), fighting to undo the wrongs and make them right. I was quick to participate in one demonstration or another, always loved to debate politics, loved the "Black conscious" poetry scene (and the corresponding persona of a Black conscious sista) and wrote for my school's newspaper. I stopped wearing my hair in braid extensions (I had long since given up on relaxers that just made my hair weak and caused massive breakage but I was still not comfortable with my own natural, highly textured hair) and started to wear it out in an afro. Eventually, I let my hair lock. I stopped wearing my bootie hugging jeans and shirts with plunging necklines and exchanged my "hoochie mama", South Bronx girl look for one that I thought was more befitting an African queen--long skirts, daishikis, and cowry shells. I stopped eating meat and eliminated all animal products from my diet after reading books like Nutricide and becoming convinced that the poisonous food-like substance Black people were eating were actually killing us. Eventually, my politics merged with my spirituality and I started down the path of RastafarI. I wore my headwrap high and could usually be seen with some kind of pin or button declaring my newfound overstanding (understanding) and consciousness. I wanted to repatriate to Africa as soon as possible and leave Babylon to burn.

I wore my politics on my sleeve. I was a rebel and happy to be. It suited me and annoyed and worried the hell out of my parents.

Since leaving college and especially since getting married and having children, I thought I'd become extremely apathetic to politics. I look back at all the posts to this blog and I realize that so very few posts tackle any political issues. When I got married almost five years ago and relocated, I didn't even bother to re-register to vote. Back in college, I may have looked down on this version of Chi-Chi who is not really doing anything to bring about revolution and instead wastes her time blogging. That Chi-Chi would ask, "What about the novel that was to be written by the age of 25 that would be as ground-breaking and provocative as Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart?" She'd ask, " What about repatriation? Shouldn't you already have had a free school built in some remote part of Africa single handedly healing the pain of slavery and colonization?" How is breastfeeding and cloth diapering revolutionary?" she'd sneer, looking down her self-righteous nose and wondering just how, just how did I fall so far out of the struggle? "You ain't even representin' right now . . . where's your headwrap? Where's your red, black and green flag and all your corresponding paraphernalia?" I'd wonder. "You look like an ordinary brainwashed Black person," I'd say, shaking my head in shame and disappointment.

Time (growing up) and the reality of living life has hit and hit hard. Very hard.

But I realize something that has made me feel a lot better about where I am. I'm still not significantly interested in election politics. I don't believe that my vote actually counts on the presidential level and I'm still undecided on if it counts locally. I wasn't registered to vote when my fellow townspeople twice voted down a school budget that would have increased property taxes 8% but that would have also kept interscholastic sports--I'm not sure my vote would have counted to pass the vote as it seems the overwhelming majority voted against it. I can't say I blame them for voting against it either because times are indeed hard and it seems like every day I see a newly boarded house. People are really struggling. What I did realize was that I am intensely interested in the politics that affect women and children, especially women and children of color, on a smaller, day-to-day scale. I've been fortunate to find a few blogs that inform me and and allow me to engage in dialog which as a stay-at-home mom is invaluable. It's often hard to stay current and intellectually sitimulated. when chasing around a 3 year old and a very active 7 month old (hey, the doctor just told me my heart rate is slow which is something they usually see in very athletic people--since I'm the antithesis of an athlete, I must be doing a heck of a lot of running around) and it's even harder to stay intellectually stimulated (I spent about 5 minutes the other day trying to convince Z1 that the orange popsicle was really just as good as the red one and another 2 minutes today trying to convince him to not put his pants on backwards which he did anyway). It's really great to read, learn and feel connected again even if I'm not a visible, outspoken Revolutionary and even if I'm in a sleep-deprived place where I cannot formulate heady, educated, thought-provoking responses to topics that are put forth.

I no longer feel that the revolution is going to be this grand scale event. It's going to happen on a very small scale and may even go unnoticed by those who have willfully blinded their third eye. Gil Scott Heron said it first: The Revolution will not be televised and I posit that you probably won't get an e-mail about it or find it posted about on your favorite message board/blog. The first and most important revolution, after all, begins inside. I feel like my work mothering and being a wife is indeed revolutionary. I'm grateful for these resources that support that.

Where you pee coming from?

So we went to the beach today which Z1 and Z2 absolutely loved. Z1 really enjoys playing with sand and once he got comfortable in the ocean, really enjoyed that too. We had a blast! So much so that both Z1 and Z2 passed out on the way home (around 5 o'clock in the evening) and stayed asleep till 7 AM the next day! Z1 didn't even get up to eat dinner! We were shocked! Now I know what to do if I need a break: wear the boys out by taking them to the beach!

Anyway, Z1 now realizes that he's a boy and is not ashamed to talk about his penis. In public. Luckily he pronounces it "peanuts" so most folks have no idea. He's still allowed in the bathroom with me when I'm showering or dressing and the other day he asked me where my penis was. I told him I don't have one. So we were getting ready to leave the beach and I took him with me so I could wash him up, let him pee and dress him and myself. I had to pee too and did so. He got the most quizzical look on his face and asked me "Where you pee pee coming from, Nam? You butt?" Oh my god . . . I almost fell over! He was so serious too and wanted an answer. I said, "No sweetheart, it comes from my urethra." "Uwetha?" "Yes, darling."

I love having children.

Robbed!

We had a great day. My friend and I took our sons to a new playground which we all liked. I had packed all the stuff into the car and strapped the boys in, ready to go. I went to look in my armrest to get my GPS so we could go home using the shortest route. It was gone. Along with my cell phone charger and Ipod adapter. I called the hubby to see if for some strange reason he had gone in my car and taken the items. He said no. I thought about where it could be and then I accepted that I had been robbed. Luckily, they didn't break any windows or anything. Maybe I forgot to lock the doors or maybe Z1 was messing with my keys and opened the car. Somebody either noticed that the car was opened and no one came out or he/she may have just been trying doors to see if any had been left open.

You know I hate to drive. The GPS gave me a whole lot more confidence. I was so angry and hurt. I've been trying hard not to curse. I'm trying to cure myself of growing up in the South Bronx. ;) But I cursed. I used every expletive known to man. I was so heated. And would you believe? This idiot who stole the dang GPS didn't take the cradle for it. You need the cradle to charge the dang thing!!!!!!!!! So now, unless the thief is going to go purchase a new cradle, he/she can't even use it!! What a waste! I've contemplated leaving the cradle on the hood of my car nightly to see if the person comes back to get it. At least then it will be useful to someone.

This is the second time I've been robbed while living in this town. The first was when I was pregnant with Z1 and it was just a blessing that with me having to pee every 15 seconds I didn't run into the thieves who broke in and stole our wallets, cell phones and keys.

Every time I tell folks that I was recently robbed, they blame it on the economy. I think that's a load of excrement. Good, hard-working, honest people don't automatically start robbing other good, hard-working, honest people when times are hard. Is it naive to believe that? Am I naive in that I hold out hope for the goodness and god-likeness of people to prevail over their base selves?

I sure miss my GPS.

Branching Out Scarf and a New Project

So I completed the Branching Out Scarf and it presented a bit of a challenge without driving me nuts. It was my first lace knitting pattern (I've crocheted lots of lace).




Specs:
2 skeins Classic Elite Wool BamBoo
Size 8 circular needles
Started June 27, 2008
Finished July 14, 2008
If you're on Ravelry, see more details here.

I learned the value of lifelines when you're knitting fairly complex patterns that would be difficult to frog back. The yarn is luscious and it came out really nicely although I can spot some errors.

I'm ready to move on to my next knitting challenge which are socks. I'm going to be working on Monkey, another Knitty pattern. The yarn is Regia Silk in Venezia (181). I bought 4 skeins thinking I was going to do Clessidra but I think since Clessidra is a cabled pattern, the variegated Regia Silk will just look too busy. But I still really want knee highs so I'm just going to do more repeats of the Monkey pattern to get a knee high sock. I have no idea when I'll cast on. I'm still working on the Placket sweater and I'm almost up to the sleeves. It's certainly no rush.

So they've cut athletics . . .

The town I live in is predominantly Black--mostly African-American and immigrants from the Caribbean. The school budget (which would have caused school taxes to go up) failed to pass last month so the school board passed an austerity budget which effectively eliminates all interscholastic sports (as well as over 100 teaching positions). No football, no basketball, no cross country, no soccer, no track and field, no cheerleading, no volleyball, no tennis, no swimming, no wrestling, no baseball, no softball, no golf. Nothing.

The big news last week was that someone got shot on the avenue which is the main shopping area aside from a Target complex.

I just wonder what the hell these folks think will happen when the kids return to school in September only to find that sports are no more. Idle hands, idle hands, idle hands.

I feel awful that my nephew, who's not a fan of school at all, finally sounded excited about the prospect of going to school even if the only reason was to play basketball. Playing would have given him a reason to take more of an interest since his being on the team would depend on his academic achievement.

I am set on homeschooling the boys (which my town is decidedly not very supportive of) but at the same time, I'd love the option of sending them to public school if I needed to. Every day, this town makes it harder and harder to see the public schools here as a viable option.

And to add to the mix, I realize living in this town is just a trip. On the one hand, many of the residents (on one side of town) are at or below poverty level yet a simple summer pleasure such as going to the pool will run you $5.75 each time (in addition to the $45 park pass for which you must pay cash) while on the other hand, free activities that would enrich the lives of our children are being thrown in the trash one by one. I dare you to find *one* accessible, safe, clean, new playground in this town. It's a shame. It makes you wonder. It makes you frustrated and angry. And then it makes you wonder what you can realistically do. It often makes you feel helpless.

It will take $950,000 to reinstate sports in this town. I wonder how this money will be raised when folks can't even really afford to drive anymore.

If you didn't think the economy was in a slump before . . .

This week alone

I have cut four locks, each one excruciatingly thin at the root. I have determined not to cut this set of locks but I am facing the possibility that like in previous go-rounds, I will end up with only a handful of locks. So I'm going to follow this set of locks to it's natural end and then I will probably start working seriously on reversing some of the traction alopecia I'm experiencing at my edges and growing out my loose hair.

I'd be lying to say this doesn't bother me. But surprisingly, I'm okay. It's kind of like the allergies and the myopia--two challenges I'm dealing with in this lifetime. I've accepted them and now the challenge is to not let these things conquer or discourage me. These things are not what make me Chi-Chi. They don't define I.

On another note . . .
I used to shop at Whole Foods (Whole Paycheck) which is 20 minutes away by car for our organic produce and groceries usually racking up a $250 bill each time. I have since stopped doing that and now purchase most of fruits and veggies at the local Korean owned fruit and vegetable store. So, the produce is not organic or even locally grown. I'm trying to sort out in my mind whether it is better to buy this produce that is close to me, i.e. I can walk to get it or should I be making the efforts to drive (which ya'll know I hate) to farmer's markets to get locally grown. The question is: burn gas to buy locally grown food or walk to buy food that's been grown all over the world and shipped in? In my ideal world, my town or even the town next door would have great farmer's markets, great options. But that's not the case. One things for sure, buying fruits and veggies from a store close-by encourages us to eat more varieties of fruits and vegetables and keeps things from spoiling since I don't feel the need/pressure to try to buy a weeks worth of fruits and vegetables at once.

Update on Z1's potty learning . . . he's doing fabulously. He misses number 1's here and there but everything goes in the toilet now. Everything. And he generally wakes up dry in morning. As soon as Z2 is sitting up on his own, it's his turn.

Z1 also is developing a strong affinity for doing puzzles. Coloring and painting, not so much. I'm trying my best to not run out and buy him a whole slew of puzzles. I have a couple of notebooks around here--I'm going to draw the lines for beginning hand-writers so that we can begin writing letters. People are already starting to ask when he's going to preschool. I'm currently hemming and hawing about it. I know I'm going to homeschool him. I don't want to answer too many questions though.

So indeed I finished my little hair net . . .

It came out quite nicely!

I used Patons Grace 100% mercerized cotton in black and an "E" crochet hook (my second most favorite hook after "F"). It took me about 2 days to complete it and it fits really well. I'm not entirely sure if the black will make me too hot if I'm in the sun but as I'm wearing it now, it feels light and airy. Man, how I love a quick project!

About to start some new projects!

I'm always excited about starting new projects. Sure, I have a blanket I've been crocheting since January that still needs a border. Okay, sure, I have a scarf that I've been knitting since before Z2 was born. But I'm tired of those projects and I want to start something new!

So, after looking on Ravelry ad nauseum, I've decided on the Child's Placket Sweater from Last Minute Gifts and Branching Out from Knitty. For the sweater, I'm going to be using two skeins of Auracania Nature Wool that my sister gifted me. It is a lovely blue-green color that I think will look really nice knitted up into a sweater for Z2. For Branching Out, I'm going to be using Classic Elite Wool BamBoo in a beautiful pumpkin. I think I purchased 3 skeins for $10 on Ebay which was a fabulous deal! I used it to make a Bainbridge Scarf not too long ago and the yarn is really a pleasure to work with. I thought I only had one skein left (not really enough to do much) but when I checked my stash to my happy surprise, I've got two!

I generally choose to do two projects at once. One is a little laid back and mindless while the other requires my concentration. The placket sweater is the "mindless" project that I can work on while the children are up and about. The scarf is the one I will work on after they've gone to bed.

I also want to crochet myself a small hairnet to cover my hair when I go out. Wrapping my hair (no matter how light the fabric) causes my scalp to get really itchy and irritated. I found some Patons Grace yarn (100% mercerized cotton) in my stash (I have some black, blue and a tiny bit of purple). I think I'll use the black because it's the most versatile. This is another "mindless" project, even more so than the sweater. I could be finished the hairnet in a day or so. I doubt that will happen though.

It's great to use up more yarn from my stash! I'm going to get started tonight.

Oh, P.S., the "absolute best homemade veggie burgers" I blogged about a while back are really the absolute best! ;)

Pizza Night

Nothing thrills Z1 more than PIZZA. He absolutely loves it. A few weeks ago, I read somewhere that Papa John's pizza crust and sauce is vegan so basically you can get a vegan pizza from Papa John's if you omit the cheese. Well, they probably thought I made a mistake when I asked for a pizza with every vegetable they had but without cheese or any other kind of animal product on it. So the first pie I got had cheese on it. They let me have that one for free and I gave it to my niece and nephews. Our vegan pizza was tiny and cost about $10--way too much. Z1 loved it although me and the hubby agreed that it was lackluster. (In fact, my niece and nephews weren't impressed either). So I decided to make a go of making my own pizza. Now, I had tried my hand at it before with less than stellar results: the crust was still raw and the pizza sauce was undercooked. But I'd learned from my mistakes, purchased a pizza stone and got to work. I made a delicious pasta sauce, sauteed some onions and green and red peppers, lightly steamed some broccoli, sliced some green olives, and made vegan sausage crumbles. I made the pizza dough (very simple now that I've been making my own bread for some months now) and added a tablespoon of Italian seasoning to the dough. I baked it lightly by itself on the pizza stone just to ensure that it was fully cooked and then piled the sauce and other toppings on top. Delicioso!

Fresh out of the oven:
Fifteen minutes later:

I also made some pumpkin bread. I cut down on the sugar and it was plenty sweet. It was a bit crumbly so I will definitely add an egg replacer next time. All in all, it was quite tasty and a great way to finish!

Agave Nectar . . . found only in the Health Food Store so it must be healthy, right?

Wrong.

Read this article.

You might say, "Oh, some raw foods fanatic wrote that" until you look at this Wikipedia article. Now, I ain't saying that if Wikipedia has an article on it, then it must be true but . . . dang, Wikipedia has an article on it that basically says that this stuff is glorified high fructose corn syrup: "There is significant concern about the health effects of fructose, since Agave has a fructose content much higher than high-fructose corn syrup." That means we should stay far, far away.

Well, there goes another "natural" food that I am nixing from our pantry.

So annoying. Raw doesn't mean raw and natural never means natural.

And don't get me started on tomatoes. Next year, for sure, I am growing some tomatoes.

Kinky Gazpacho

Okay, I didn't get through In Defense of Food. It was a two-week loan from the library and was on hold for someone else so I couldn't renew it. Luckily, I had put another book on hold at the library and as soon as I had to return In Defense of Food, it was ready to be picked up. The name of the book is Kinky Gazpacho.

It's a memoir by Lori Tharps, who was also the co-author of Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America. The book got a little whiny at times as the author tried to reconcile the differences between the Spain of her imaginations and the real Spain especially as it related to the treatment, ideas and attitudes of Black people. But I was completely on-board as she struggled to figure out her identity as a Black person. She grew up in an area that was predominantly White and was never really confident in her Blackness especially when dealing with other Black people. As a first generation Nigerian born and raised in the states, that has been something I too have struggled with. If you speak English properly, enjoy reading and the Opera, well, then, you are not really Black. We know that's not true but I think it's something that many young, upwardly mobile, intelligent Black people face. What does it mean to be truly Black? Ms. Tharps story is inspirational in that she finds her own way to be authentically Black. I felt like she glossed over some things (like her children's birth and her practice of the Ba'hai faith) but these, I suppose, were not the focus of her book. She is, however, refreshingly honest about herself and her feelings/emotions in her page-turning memoir. I think it's that candor that makes you want to continue reading because there is nothing overly exciting going on in the book. It's her story. And it's just life. The ups. The downs. And the in-betweens.

This book was a nice, easy, lightweight coming-of-age story. Great summer reading.

An old friend got married today

Actually, he was my first boyfriend, a really good guy and I'm just so happy for him and his new (beautiful, I must say) wife.

The wedding ceremony was very lovely in it's simplicity. It was quick and to the point but I loved it. It also made me sad and a little teary eyed. I guess I didn't realize just how much I would have loved to have a formal wedding. Yeah, the court house thing was cool and beautiful, in a "I love you so much I just have to be with you for real right now" kind of way but I feel cheated. It felt cheap--a bargain basement, clearance sale, everything-must-go wedding. We had always planned on doing a 10-year vow renewal ceremony but I don't feel like it anymore. I don't think there's any way to re-capture all that about-to-be newlywed energy. That energy is dewy fresh and full of hope at the possibility of what could be and it overflows with romance and passion. What me and the hubby have got going now is warm and comfortable and syrupy sweet but the energy is not so energetic. It's just real. We've got kids, for goodness sake and we usually pass out from exhaustion at the end of the day. We squeeze out moments to have time to ourselves and often don't get it. The 10-year vow renewal would be nice but it just wouldn't be the same. It's just not the same.

I guess you could say I made my bed so now I must lay in it. I say at the time I thought I wanted my bed made with flannel sheets. Now I realize I wouldn't have minded an upgrade to satin. :p

Finally . . . two FO's

I'm so happy to say that I've finally finished two knitting projects I'd been working on. Both are for Z2, who, unfortunately, has been dealing with some kind of rash. He's been miserable for the past two days but he's coming around.

Anyway, I'm quite pleased with both completed projects. First is the Baby Surprise Jacket:
Specs:
Started: 05/19/08
Completed: 06/08/08
Yarn used: Cascade 220 Hunter Green
Needles used: Size 9 24" circulars (Boye)
Purchased wood buttons at local fabric store
Cast on using provisional cast on for sleeve portions
Cast off using a crochet cast off and bordered with crab stitch
Challenges: Initially, the counting threw me off but once I understood what I was doing, it went much more smoothly. As always, seaming was a pain and I wish it could have been neater. Some small issues with the sleeve extension but otherwise . . . it was all good.
Status: Very Pleased

And secondly, just a simple wool soaker:
I used Cascade 220 again with some leftover green wool from some other project for the drawstring. It's a size medium. Rolled cuff legs. Quick, easy, and functional.
---------

I made General Tao's Tofu on Thursday. I know I've made this before but it's been quite a while--I don't even think I was married yet. I added green and red peppers and peanuts and served over brown rice. It was a total hit--such a hit, in fact, that we had it again tonight! The sauce for this dish is really delicious and you can really pack in a lot of veggies because it is so tasty. So tonight I lightly steamed a whole heap of broccoli and peppers. Everyone enjoyed.

No real good title . . . but lots of random topics

Okay, so before I went to bed last night I started to feel achy. I took some vitamin C to try to ward off what was coming but it hurt my stomach something awful. This morning I woke up feeling just terrible. I still managed to boil the the black eyed peas to make the savory sausage patties for breakfast and to bake the Like Starbucks Blueberry Scones (except I subbed raisins). I was even able to make . . . drum roll please . . . peanut butter chocolate chip cookies! I have been trying to get around to making these cookies for over a month now. I wanted to put them in a package I'm sending to one of my closest friends for her Earthlight (birthday), which was well over a month ago. Disappointing, though, because after I did all that, I felt awful. Pain took over. I felt it in my bones and my head was throbbing. I guess I did a bit too much. I tried to lay down but that did not alleviate anything and since kids don't get the concept of "mommy's sick", I had to suck it up and take two Advil. That helped me get through the day. I can feel it coming back on me right now though. I'm pretty sure this is the same bug Z1 was down with the other day. Luckily, Z2 is breastfed and most likely will not come down with this. Ah! The wonders of breastmilk. Breastmilk, breastmilk, how I love thee, let me count the ways . . . Anyway, I digress. I thought I'd share the recipe for the peanut butter cookies. I don't remember where I originally got the recipe from but these are a wholesome tasting, really delicious cookie especially if you love peanut butter. It's got oats. It's got peanut butter. It's got maple syrup. And to push it over the top, folks, I add vegan chocolate chips. Yum!
Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

1 1/2 cups finely ground oats or oat flour
1 c unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup natural peanut butter
2/3 cup. non-hydrogenated margarine
2 tbsp. water
1/2 c maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup granulated cane juice

Preheat oven to 350. In a bowl, sift together ground oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, beat together non-hydrogenated margarine and sugar. Add peanut butter, water, maple syrup and vanilla and continue to beat until well incorporated. Add dry ingredients to wet and mix until everything just comes together.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and drop batter one tablespoon at a time onto sheet. Make the traditional criss-cross pattern with a fork. Bake about 10-12 mins. until lightly browned. Cool on cooling racks.

Feel free to add vegan chocolate chips. Doing that sets these cookies off!

In other news, I am about 90% done with the Baby Surprise Jacket and it is turning out so well. I can't wait to post a picture when it's done. I'm also knitting another wool soaker for Z2--nothing fancy; just functional. I will post a picture of that as well.

I am a serious bibliophile. I.love.books. Always have, always will. I pray my children will develop a love of books the way I love books. I took a moment the other day to organize the children's book case and am quite proud of the little collection I have built for them. I have acquired books mainly at the thrift store and at library book sales. I am pretty sure I have not yet broken the $100 mark when it comes to buying books but their library is really quite extensive, in my opinion, at least as far as children's libraries go. We still go to the public library weekly but the boys have enough books on enough subjects that we really wouldn't feel too pinched if we missed a week or two. This is so pleasing to me especially since I'm 99% sure we will be homeschooling. I think good books will provide a solid foundation for some well-rounded home education. Anyway, I took a a shot of the freshly organized bookshelf. It rarely, rarely looks this way, thanks to Z1's penchant for pulling all the books out of the bookshelf onto the floor. For no particular reason except that he seems to love the motion.

Z1 is doing well at learning to use the toilet. We are still working on "number 2's". A sistren of mine gave me a head's up about boys and poop, i.e., they are not always willing to do it in the toilet. Z1 seems to have a serious aversion to doing it in the toilet. Patience. Patience. And more patience. Still, it is way better washing out undies than dealing with smashed grown man poop diapers. LoL. TMI? Well . . . so goes the life of a mom: always too much information and way too involved knowledge of bowel movements. I'm still celebrating, though, because my big baby boy is using the toilet. We even went to Whole Foods the other day and he didn't have one miss. Yay!!!

How was that for a super long post? :)

I'm reading another book . . .

I know, I know. Where the heck am I finding time to read? Well, today I was reading with Z2 on my back, rocking him to sleep walking around the house trying hard to get through just one more chapter.

I'm reading In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan who is also the author of The Omnivore's Dilemma (an excellent read, by the way). In Defense of Food is a book I think everyone should take a moment to read. It discusses the "over-scientification" of eating and enjoins us to "Eat Food, Not Too Much, Mostly Plants". In other words, get back to the root. Food is not the sum of its parts (vitamins and minerals) as science would have you believe. You can't substitute real food for foods created in the laboratory. Eating, as with everything else, should be a conscious endeavor. We ought to be thinking (but not too hard because it's just not that hard) and asking questions about what we put into our bodies. It's not rocket science. It should be a joyous (not stressful) experience. You and I both can figure it out. Eating is supposed to be fun.

The book is well-researched, witty and accessible, if not wordy at times. Well, you all know I don't mind wordiness in the least. ;) I'm enjoying it immensely.