I think she just wants some attention

[Jenise]

From Eater.com:


Seattle citizen Beautiful Existence (her legal name) "designs year-long challenges for herself." As in, one year she only bought stuff from Goodwill, and this year she is only eating food from Starbucks (as well as their numerous recent acquisitions like Tazo Tea and Evolution Fresh). Sounds...actually not that hard, but maybe a little boring? Which is actually why she's doing it, to limit the variety of her diet.

Anyway, Existence tells MyNorthwest.com she's doing it to experience the plight of those less fortunate than Americans:

"We're really lucky and I would say actually spoiled as Americans because we have all these different eating options...You go to all these other countries and they don't have these luxuries. Really? Is it really going to be that hard for one year of my life to limit my menu? We'll find out."

She's also doing it because women are important. Citing Jared the Subway Guy and Super Size Me, Existence asks on her blog, "But when I watched those guys doing their thing I asked myself 'where are the WOMEN challenging themselves in the world?'" Indeed, where are all the women challenging themselves to eat Starbucks oatmeal every day for breakfast?

The daily cost for Existence to "limit her menu" to Starbucks food has been approximately $18.79/day so far. Thus, over the course of the year, she can expect to spend almost $7,000 eating at the coffee shop. According to the USDA, the average adult woman spends about $3,000 a year on groceries.

Anyway, Existence is trying to get one of her chef buddies to tell her how to make sushi from stuff at Evolution Fresh. And, duh, she's blogging about her experience.

[David M. Bueker]

So she is challenging herself by eating expensive, bad food?

America - it takes all types.

Gads, what a bore. Personally, I can't fathom doing anything like that. I'm amazed at the people who cook from a single cookbook for one year straight, or eat at a certain place for one year. I have too many interests and am constantly delving into new ones. Life is too short to restrict oneself to such nonsense. There is too much to learn, see, and eat!

At my court, in the 1980s, a woman wanted to change her name to "Queen of this Whole World". Her request was denied and her $45 filing fee returned - all in the name of public interest. Sounds like the same thing should have happened to good ol' B. E..

From Eater.com:

only eating food from Starbucks .

I'm not a great expert on Starbucks but I only recall cold snack food, cakes etc when I went there*.

She's having breakfast, lunch AND dinner all from Starbucks?

Funny she's going to patronise Starbucks because over here many peoples new year resolution is the opposite. Seems Starbucks been here for many years, opened hundreds of shops all over the country, have sales of more than £400 million annually, and yet have never once made a profit, thus they pay no tax.




*And, my dear, I won't even mention their wine list...

I'm not a great expert on Starbucks but I only recall cold snack food, cakes etc when I went there*.

She's having breakfast, lunch AND dinner all from Starbucks?

They have a few 'breakfast sandwiches' in addition to the cakes, scones, cookies, etc.

They have a few lunch-type sandwiches (e.g., chicken salad) as well as some fruit+cheese plates.

Nothing that I would call dinner and very limited selection of fruit and vegetables. Plenty of starch and sugar, of course.

*And, my dear, I won't even mention their wine list...

No alcohol on the list at all, I believe.

[Jenise]

No alcohol on the list at all, I believe.

I believe some wine is now available in some Starbucks in the Seattle area--probably just a pilot program at this point, though Ms. Existence might know where they are. And if she doesn't already in a few months she'll probably need to know, if you know what I mean.

*And, my dear, I won't even mention their wine list...

No alcohol on the list at all, I believe.

That was my point - so why on earth go there for dinner?

How can you possibly make the unwarranted assumption that a woman who legally changed her name to "Beautiful Existence" wants attention?

[Jenise]

How can you possibly make the unwarranted assumption that a woman who legally changed her name to "Beautiful Existence" wants attention?

Just a hunch?

Starbucks has small plates offerings in their "evenings" menu in some of their Seattle, Portland, LA, Chicago and Atlanta locations (plus Dulles Airport). The wine list seems uninspiring, not sure what beers are available as they aren't listed. http://www.starbucks.com/coffeehouse/st ... nings/menu

Gosh. Well, they are expanding.

On Christmas day, we received an invitation from my brother-in-law to come over to his house after attending mass with parents--in-law. We showed up at house at 11:40 or so, opened presents and Andrew got to play with his three cousins. My sister-in-law was busy laboring in the kitchen, with dishes on the stove and in the oven. By 1, Andrew was getting hungry and I was on the verge of starvation, at which point I discovered that my sis-in-law was preparing dinner for us and it wouldn't be served until late afternoon! Not wanting to interfere with dinner preparations at their household (and, frankly, it wasn't clear that they had anything on hand that our still-picky eater would eat), we set out to find lunch in the nearby community of Sarasota, FL. Mickey D's was open, which worked for Andrew, but not for either my gluten-free wife nor my never-having-eaten-at-McDonald's-and-don't-intend-to-change-that-now self . Looking around, not even Taco Bell or Subway was open on Christmas day, but the sole business open in that area was Starbuck's. Holding out no great hope for anything resembling a real meal there, I was pleasantly surprised to see that they offered paninis on their menu, so I got a passable tomato/mozzarella/basil panini and Jean got a salad and yogurt parfait. I won't make a regular habit of eating at Starbuck's but it definitely offered the best option in a difficult time.

Mark Lipton

I won't make a regular habit of eating at Starbuck's but it definitely offered the best option in a difficult time.

As a consultant, I often travel for work. Places like Starbuck's provide a baseline of decent food and drink and sometimes that is all one can find / has time for.

my never-having-eaten-at-McDonald's-and-don't-intend-to-change-that-now self . Looking around, not even Taco Bell or Subway was open on Christmas day...

If you've never been to McDonalds you might consider trying it. Think of it as an anthropological study? I too go to great lengths to avoid these horrid stomach-destroying meals, but sometimes they are unavoidable and can offer good value for the social observations or even for making you appreciate your own food that much more!

Starbucks has small plates offerings in their "evenings" menu in some of their Seattle, Portland, LA, Chicago and Atlanta locations (plus Dulles Airport). The wine list seems uninspiring, not sure what beers are available as they aren't listed. http://www.starbucks.com/coffeehouse/st ... nings/menu

News to me. Makes me wonder whether Ms. Existence is being compensated for her efforts.

my never-having-eaten-at-McDonald's-and-don't-intend-to-change-that-now self . Looking around, not even Taco Bell or Subway was open on Christmas day...

If you've never been to McDonalds you might consider trying it. Think of it as an anthropological study? I too go to great lengths to avoid these horrid stomach-destroying meals, but sometimes they are unavoidable and can offer good value for the social observations or even for making you appreciate your own food that much more!

Good Prof. Maxwell,
I do my anthropological field work in Mickey D's while buying food for the little one. No need to trouble my own digestive system. Beyond the shock value of being able to tell people that I've never eaten at McDonald's or BK or drunk Coke, Pepsi or any of their ilk (an observation that only furthers people's belief that Berkeley exists outside of the space-time continuum), I don't eat hamburgers as a rule, so those fast food outlets hold limited appeal.

Mark Lipton

Beyond the shock value of being able to tell people that I've never eaten at McDonald's or BK or drunk Coke, Pepsi or any of their ilk (an observation that only furthers people's belief that Berkeley exists outside of the space-time continuum)...

Impressive!

I too don't eat hamburgers and have very little use for these outlets. Recently it's probably been once every couple of years when forced into it during some travel situation.

But you've got me beat!

Starbucks has small plates offerings in their "evenings" menu in some of their Seattle, Portland, LA, Chicago and Atlanta locations (plus Dulles Airport). The wine list seems uninspiring, not sure what beers are available as they aren't listed. http://www.starbucks.com/coffeehouse/st ... nings/menu

News to me. Makes me wonder whether Ms. Existence is being compensated for her efforts.

Maybe she should change her name again. "Ms. Cheaply Available"