WORD COUNT!

Well, I’m not sure if I think it should be lowered. I think it is do-able I just need to spend a lot more time working and organizing my thoughts. I didn’t reach the word count simply because I did not have the time available to put in the amount of work required to write a workable 2,000 word draft. But that is not to say that I ran out of things to say, my analysis could be better and all of my sources and points have not been used and there is still not introduction or conclusion. I’m not entirely sure even if I argued and wrote my paper well that it would reach 6,000 words but I think it could be in that ballpark at least.

Writing Strategy

One strategy I like to use is clustering, it helps me see where things relate and therefore can be formed into paragraphs and helps with organization of the essay in the sense that I can see where things can transition smoothly from one topic to another. It’s not organized like an outline so I don’t feel pressured to get things in just once place or the right place, clustering often serves as my outline or a preliminary step to an outline.

Progress, Progress

I have most of my the required sources for the research paper. I still need two book chapters and to decide on a recipe to use. I also need three more sources to make 12, although I may use a few more. I’ve read the sources I have and have taken down notes. After all my sources are read and I’ve taken notes on them I’m going to come up with a rough thesis so I know the direction of my argument ( I have a pretty good idea as of now, but the sources will make it solid). Then it will be time to start writing! I feel that I’m going to struggle with citing all of the sources throughout the paper and keeping track of what statement came from which source so I will need to spend some extra time on that.

Revisions Revisions

What has contributed to the success of the current gourmet cupcake trend? (Especially considering the current state of the economy.)

What about food?

1. What were the most popular fad diets in America? Why were they unsuccessful?

2. How does the popularity of fad diets compare in America to Europe? Or other industrialized nations.

3. What are the most successful fad diets and why?

List of the Past

Sources previously used:

• How stuff works
• The Italian Way:Food &Social Life
• ProQuest
• Harvard Magazing
• Ladies Who Launch
• Crazy About Cupcakes
• Orange County Register
• Success Magazine
• Blogs

What I find interesting:

• Culture and food (what certain foods mean to different ethnic and cultural groups)
• Cooking/Eating Fads throughout time (Diets, nutrition, common misconceptions)

Food Person Essay

I think I earned somewhere in the B- range, maybe even C+. I’m really not entirely sure. I feel like I did a good job describing Nelson’s approach and style, but maybe not as good as a job analyzing it. I tried to add analysis into parts of the biography paragraphs but I’m not sure if it was as fluid as I would have liked. I felt like my analysis seemed a little cheesy at times.

Food Evolution

I think the topics covered in the first part of the semester weren’t really a new concept to me. My High School focused on a lot of organically and locally grown foods. As the semester went on though my eyes were opened to things I hadn’t thought about before. The food and community topics changed my view of food. I never thought about the community ties food creates and the food preparation essay really made me analyze that facet. In an earlier blog post I said that I didn’t see how food had politics tied into it, but with the readings I have discovered that it is everywhere, whether it regards race, culture, or social life.

Cooking As Work

In the article, “Rethinking Work: Cooking as Labor” I understand that argument that preparing meals daily takes a lot of time and a lot of energy. I agree. However, I disagree that there is such a strong movement for women to be the only ones who have to cook meals at home. Men are just as capable as women when it comes to cooking. Therefore, if any man wants home-cooked meals daily and thinks a woman is the one to do it and that woman doesn’t want to do it…well that’s fine, she doesn’t have to. If people are complaining about the labor of work in cooking for themselves, all I have to say is tough luck. If you want healthy and satisfying food, it is going to take some work, and seeing as eating is necessary to survival it is just something that has to be done. I think Sarah Jaffe’s argument is to narrow, women are not forced to cook without compensation, at least not for others.

Draft Update

My essay needs a lot of shaping and refining. Not all my sources are cited 100% correct or at all, I need to work on drawing the line between the history of the person and relating their style with sufficient analysis. I just haven’t given this essay enough of my time yet for it to be close to ready.