A couple my friends have been tossing around comments on how much they like or absolutely detest macaroni and cheese, and how healthy or unhealthy it might be for our kids to eat it frequently. This lead to some research, where my friend Carlene found this article about a herculean athlete, who regularly consumes the food in question.
If you have a minute, go and read it. It will help the rest of my post make much more sense.
I’ll wait.
Did you get the same vibe from the description of this pasta and dairy junkie that I did?
As admirable as Austrian Alpine skier Hermann Maier sounds in the first couple of paragraphs, where he heroically recovers from a crushed leg, trains smartly and diligently and then goes on to win World Cups and Olympic medals, I don’t think we should look to him as a good reason to feed our kids macaroni and cheese on a frequent basis.
This man, who regularly demands mac n’ cheese after a hard day’s work out is an anti-social training machine who scares children and repeatedly subscribes to risky behaviour. He has no life aside from Mr. Bean episodes and Stallone-type movies. Doesn’t go out to dinner, listen to music, read books or even ski for fun with his girlfriend. Not only that, he refuses to marry someone who seems to be a wonderful, supportive woman with the patience of a kindergarten teacher.
He did, however, have the presence of mind to literally lift a finger to reassure his mom (who no doubt covered her eyes when he crashed spectacularly down a mountain while on international t.v.) that he’s “fine”.
This is not someone I need to shadow for my February Challenge. I wonder how different macaroni and cheese is in Austria than it is here in North America? Does he eat hot dogs or ketchup with it?
Oh wait, I did a little more hunting on our buddy Hermann – apparently in this more recent bio he has developed some hobbies after all – apparently he goes shark diving, and he has adopted an 8000 pound rhinocerous.
That’s it. I need to make a donation to the food bank. Pronto.
All Downhill From Here 
Nah just cause this guy is no hero is no reason for me to give up mac & cheese. I do however prefer the other flavors like mac & tomato. They have a spagetti one, that’s my fav but its hard to find.
By: Dawn (aka PInk Lady) on February 16, 2006
at 7:33 pm
Mr. Maier seems a little…. um, mentally different. Yeah.
By: Nancy Toby on February 16, 2006
at 9:53 pm
I have to admit, I never could get used to the American style mac ‘n cheese (being South African and all). I prefer making it from scratch and baking it till it has a hard crust and is less saucy.
By: Karin on February 17, 2006
at 1:23 am
[…] Yesterday was Family Day in Alberta, a holiday. Hubby works in retail and is short staffed at the moment, so had to work anyway. I took the kiddos to one of my favourite places lately, the Olympic Oval. In celebration of Family Day, admission was a food bank donation (how did those boxes of macaroni and cheese get in our bag?) and there was a big fair going on. […]
By: All Downhill From Here » Family Day at the Olympic Oval on February 21, 2006
at 9:49 am