Chowing on Chocolate

I've developed a recent fetish with certain chocolate candies--peppermint patties and hershey kisses. It's not that I'm constantly binging on these chocolate treats, but I do need at least one of each a day to keep me going strong. It's like my day isn't complete unless I've opened that drawer to my secret chocolate stash and allotted myself that portion. When I realized I was routinely performing this slightly strange daily ritual, I tried to put a stop to it. That is, I tried and failed. So here I am enslaved to the Hershey empire, as I continue to purchase and stash these savory sweets. They say that to break an addiction, you have to replace it with something else. Maybe I'll try to switch the patties and kisses with carrot sticks and celery. It's a nice thought anyway...

I scream, you scream.

Today as I was rushing to a class, my gloved hands stuck in my pockets and walking swiftly in an effort to keep from turning into a popsicle, I passed a girl eating an ice cream cone. I took a double take and observed her as she strolled along as if it were 70 degrees licking this frozen treat. At this point I wondered if I was in fact worthy of the "Icecream Queen" title or whether I should turn over my crown to her. I suppose I'm still adjusting to western weather.

Recently I discovered a new favorite kind of icecream. It's chocolate-rasberry swirl, and frozen yogurt, which means it's waistline friendly. It's great because you can grab it right at the quickie food place at the Wilk...I can't remember the name at the moment. Cosmo Connection is my best guess, but there are so many cutesy names at the Y that I can't keep them straight. Yesterday at the library my sister and I were in the midst of a conversation when we burst into laughter after hearing a guy on the phone tell his friend to meet him at the "Cougar and Spice." Apparently I'm not the only one who's a little confused. But anyway, aside from the wonderfully creamy, rich flavor of my newly found favorite, its also ultra convenient! It takes like two minutes to pick up even if the line is out the door, plus you can even pull the lever yourself like a big kid to get just the right amount! That way you don't have the girl behind the counter skimping on your fro-yo, especially when you're not feeling the need for portion control. When you pay, they just stick it on the scale and you get exactly what you pay for. Mine is usually only about a buck twenty five, and I'm no skimper!

Freshman Feeding

So I live in the dorms. Helaman Halls. Where the Cannon Center is the daily feeding trough of choice...or perhaps just of convenience for most hungry and somewhat lazy freshmen. It's smack-dab in the center of our little community and takes approximately 15 seconds by foot to reach from any given Hall. We like it most of the time.

We also welcome absolutely any excuse to escape it. My friend Natalie frequently accepts dates from a barely tolerable guy who hounds her almost weekly, lured by the prospect of an original meal. In essence, she takes the food and runs until the next week she gets a call. It works for her.

For us, Wendy's is eating out. We can buy fries and even drink real Coke. (The kind with caffeine)
The only set back is that it certainly does not take the Dining Plus of which we've become very fond. Many have defended the prospect that Dining Plus should be accepted anywhere from the good old Cannon to shopping malls, P.F Changs, and virtually anywhere in Provo.

It has been considered that the incredible excess on our cards account for a great chunk of the "freshman fifteen" predicament. For those of you less familiar with the wonders of Dining Plus, the money that you fail to spend builds up until it reaches a whopping 75 dollars before you lose it. Anything over 75 bucks goes straight into BYU's pocket. As kids, we hate the thought of our Dad's money, which is rightfully ours, taken away from us. It's that Gimmie Gimmie mentality coming back.

So what we do is go to Cosmo's, the little convenient store, and buy candy. Lots and lots of Candy. We raid the gummy worm bins and grab the Valentines Day chocolate boxes. We grab bags of cookies in case we need it for FHE and end up eating it ourselves. I find myself purchasing chocolate bars I would rarely buy back home, taking no thought whatsoever of the prices beforehand. After all with 60 plus dollars to spend on mostly snack and finger food, who takes thought to be frugal? Sometimes I wonder if BYU's dining plans are turning us into gluttons and spend-thrifts.

Bland Buffet

I used to love the Cannon Center. It felt like Golden Corral everyday.

Then I went home for Christmas. Everything changed. I remembered what real food tasted like.

My previous contentment switched to depression. I discovered that yesterdays supper was in fact a large part of todays lunch, only rearranged into clever salads and juiced into soups. As I traveled from bin to bin of uninspired concoctions food appeared mushy, bland, and just plain old. I feel abandoned. The Cannon is just letting me down.

I need some spice in my life.