CUPCAKE BAN

This one may hit a little too close to home for someone I know (hint: fellow blogger known for her search, high and low, for the perfect cupcake on her blog Coup de Cake). Although I am a staunch cupcake-hater, I found myself rolling my eyes in disgust while reading the article in the Detroit News about schools banning children from bringing in cupcakes on their birthdays. It is an interesting concept, especially since in exchange they are celebrating birthdays by extending recess time, but I cannot imagine that kids are eating less junk food or, in the bigger picture, becoming less obese. We should not be barring our children from tasty sweets, especially those that are homemade, as people have been celebrating special occasions with delicious food since biblical times. We SHOULD be teaching them to enjoy small amounts of sweets sporadically, allowing them to learn for themselves that they will taste much better that way! The first bite is always the best...

http://www.detnews.com/article/20101115/SCHOOLS/11150353/1026/Some-Michigan-schools-even-ban-cupcakes-to-fight-obesity

Remember: Enjoy what you love in moderation--even whole grains, running, and scrubbing the kitchen counters, in my case--and you will never have to give up what you love.