| Archive Dates |
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Downtown Oshkosh
Environmental Citizenship
Great Taste Recipe Corner
Health and Fitness
Home Direct Sales
The Perk List
12/20/2008 - 01/03/2009
01/04/2009 - 01/18/2009
01/19/2009 - 02/02/2009
02/03/2009 - 02/17/2009
02/18/2009 - 03/04/2009
03/05/2009 - 03/19/2009
03/20/2009 - 04/03/2009
04/04/2009 - 04/18/2009
04/19/2009 - 05/03/2009
05/04/2009 - 05/18/2009
05/19/2009 - 06/02/2009
06/03/2009 - 06/17/2009
06/18/2009 - 07/02/2009
07/03/2009 - 07/17/2009
07/18/2009 - 08/01/2009
08/02/2009 - 08/16/2009
08/17/2009 - 08/31/2009
09/01/2009 - 09/15/2009
09/16/2009 - 09/30/2009
10/01/2009 - 10/15/2009
10/16/2009 - 10/30/2009
10/31/2009 - 11/14/2009
11/15/2009 - 11/29/2009
11/30/2009 - 12/14/2009
12/15/2009 - 12/29/2009
12/30/2009 - 01/13/2010
01/14/2010 - 01/28/2010
01/29/2010 - 02/12/2010
02/13/2010 - 02/27/2010
02/28/2010 - 03/14/2010
03/15/2010 - 03/29/2010
03/30/2010 - 04/13/2010
04/14/2010 - 04/28/2010
04/29/2010 - 05/13/2010
05/14/2010 - 05/28/2010
05/29/2010 - 06/12/2010
06/13/2010 - 06/27/2010
06/28/2010 - 07/12/2010
07/13/2010 - 07/27/2010
07/28/2010 - 08/11/2010
08/12/2010 - 08/26/2010
08/27/2010 - 09/10/2010
09/11/2010 - 09/25/2010
09/26/2010 - 10/10/2010
10/11/2010 - 10/25/2010
10/26/2010 - 11/09/2010
11/10/2010 - 11/24/2010
11/25/2010 - 12/09/2010
12/10/2010 - 12/24/2010
12/25/2010 - 01/08/2011
01/09/2011 - 01/23/2011
01/24/2011 - 02/07/2011
02/08/2011 - 02/22/2011
02/23/2011 - 03/09/2011
03/10/2011 - 03/24/2011
03/25/2011 - 04/08/2011
04/09/2011 - 04/23/2011
04/24/2011 - 05/08/2011
05/09/2011 - 05/23/2011
05/24/2011 - 06/07/2011
06/08/2011 - 06/22/2011
06/23/2011 - 07/07/2011
07/08/2011 - 07/22/2011
07/23/2011 - 08/06/2011
08/07/2011 - 08/21/2011
08/22/2011 - 09/05/2011
09/06/2011 - 09/20/2011
09/21/2011 - 10/05/2011
10/06/2011 - 10/20/2011
10/21/2011 - 11/04/2011
11/05/2011 - 11/19/2011
11/20/2011 - 12/04/2011
12/05/2011 - 12/19/2011
12/20/2011 - 01/03/2012
01/04/2012 - 01/18/2012
01/19/2012 - 02/02/2012
02/03/2012 - 02/17/2012
02/18/2012 - 03/03/2012
03/04/2012 - 03/18/2012
03/19/2012 - 04/02/2012
04/03/2012 - 04/17/2012
04/18/2012 - 05/02/2012
05/03/2012 - 05/17/2012
05/18/2012 - 06/01/2012
06/02/2012 - 06/16/2012
06/17/2012 - 07/01/2012
07/02/2012 - 07/16/2012
07/17/2012 - 07/31/2012
08/01/2012 - 08/15/2012
08/16/2012 - 08/30/2012
08/31/2012 - 09/14/2012
09/15/2012 - 09/29/2012
09/30/2012 - 10/14/2012
10/15/2012 - 10/29/2012
10/30/2012 - 11/13/2012
11/14/2012 - 11/28/2012
11/29/2012 - 12/13/2012
12/14/2012 - 12/28/2012
12/29/2012 - 01/12/2013
01/13/2013 - 01/27/2013
01/28/2013 - 02/11/2013
02/12/2013 - 02/26/2013
02/27/2013 - 03/13/2013
03/14/2013 - 03/28/2013
03/29/2013 - 04/12/2013
04/13/2013 - 04/27/2013
04/28/2013 - 05/12/2013
05/13/2013 - 05/27/2013
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| Letters From The Editor |
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| The Perk List v2 - James |
2/14/10
By Ken Osmond
Planet Perk News
This is supposed to be Jaimie's job. You know her well as the outstanding young woman that serves you coffee in the morning.
I am going to start pestering her into sharing the staff's recommendations for book, movies, music, and events.
Stay tuned as this could be tricky. If I bug her to much it could get dicey. I may be bigger than her, but she's quick and has a devastating right hook. |
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| Home Direct Sales v2 - Update |
2/14/10
By Ken Osmond
Planet Perk News
2009 was a great year for our patrons with Lia Sophia, Cookie Liee, Arbonne, Pampered Chef, and Tastefully Simple businesses.
Last year we hosted 25 events for sales reps at no charge, while providing a clean environment, shovled walks, ample parking, and terrific refreshments.
We even hosted three Quilting and Scrap Booking parties. We now even have a regular book club that gets the whole place to themselves.
If you would like to reserve our cafe from 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM Weekdays or 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM weekends, just let me know at ken@planetperkcafe.com or speak with my manager Jaimie. |
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| Health and Fitness v2 - New Years |
2/14/10
By Ken Osmond
Planet Perk News
Well the new year has come and gone and I have gotten fatter, flabbier and simply more exhausted. Oh crap!
Let's face it. It's hard to find time for exercise and eat right. I own a business, work a full time job, have two kids, volunteer, and then there's the dman laundry to cotend with. But in the end, they are all excuses and lame ones at that.
SO here is my Go Forward Plan so that I don't widow my wife, orphan my kids and make the person next to me on the airplane feel like Steve McQueen fighting off The Blob.
Number One - Eat Better. My lovely, intelligent and hard working staff have been educating me on the best way to avoid eating to much and eating better foods. Afterall, Planet Perk only serves fresh and healthy food so why not start there? I am only going to eat my food and gradually expand from there. Fruits and vegitables are part of it, but also eating the items that use whole wheat flours, laying off the sugar, and such are necessary parts as well. Hey, don't get me wrong, I will still have my delicious caramel latte as often as possible, but that will require exercise to earn it.
Number Two - Exercise. I have to stop making exuses about exercising. WE have two YMCA locations, Planet Fitness, King Fitness, U-Fit, 24-Hour Fitness, and host of other places to work out. Not to mention yoga studios, sidewalks to jog and walk on, and a bicycle in the garage that might like to see the light of day again.
Number Three - Get Some Sleep. This is a tough one. I only average 4 hours of sleep a night. That can't be good. Most experts agree that weight loss and fitness is about life changes and that includes organizing your day so that you can find time to get a good nights rest.
These three simple areas are what I am going to work on and share with you on a regular basis. In the word's of Bill Clinton, "I share your pain" (I'm bighting my lower lip and pointing my thumb for emphasis right now).
Although this will be challenge physically, I have to do it. I have a bad back and left ankle from injuries during military service. Painfull knees form all though years playing football and squatting behind home plate and I also have a family heart and blood pressur ehsitory that would make most doctors say, "What the @#$%?". Everyone in my family (mother, father, sisters, and grandparents) have had a heart attack or died from a heart attack or stroke. My father passed at 53! At 44 I better get my act together.
So the plan is to get started and share my experiences with you and pass along the advice I get from the health and fitness experts during my journey. I hope it helps you for me to share it.
So tomorrow morning at 5:00 AM I am off to work out!
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| Great Taste Corner v2 - Simple Cookies |
2/14/10
By Ken Osmond
Planet Perk News
Ken's Soft Hearted Simple Cookies
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup softened butter
2 eggs
3 cups flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups unsweetened organic chocolate chips
Mix all ingredients, stirring in chocoloate chips last. If dough is to dry, add a small amount of water. Roll into balls and place on cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10 to 12 minutes.
Now make sure the oven is up to temp before putting in the cookies - for most ovens that can take 10 to 20 minutes. Convestion ovens take less (and consume less energy as well). Don't forget to prep the pan properly.
Next time I will describe a glutten-free version that will be easier on the belly and your friends :) |
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| Environment v2 - NO PLASTIC! |
2/14/10
By Ken Osmond
Planet Perk News
You may have noticed some changes at Planet Perk over the past year. Moved all of our plastic products used for carry-out to corn starch products. These are great. They are fully conmpostable, non-toxic and they breakdown faster than a dsigraced politician.
We also migrated our paper consumables over to post consumer and 100% compostable products. Did you know that most paper soft drink cups are lined with a plastic that prevents them breaking downin the landfill? Yep.
SO while we have Read & Return books, magazines, and newspapers and even though we don't use plastic or non-recycled paper, and yes we did save over 420,000 gallons of fresh water last year - we can do more.
Perk is looking to compost! Beginning in February we will begin creating composting material for the Local Oshkosh Gardening Club and ohter groups. This is very exciting.
Right now our current recycling to garbage ratio in pounds is 50 to 1. That's 50 pounds of recycled material to 1 pound of garbage. WIth composting, we think we can get that ratio to 100 to 1.
By they way, if you ever whant coffe grounds for your garden, just ask and you will receive a bag free of charge. |
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| Downtown Oshkosh v2 - Helping Each Other |
2/14/10
By Ken Osmond
Planet Perk News
Well, it has been a while since I wrote down my thoughts regarding our downtown. It may have been the extra effort needed to run a business in a down economy or simply the fact that I did not have much to say. In any case, I am back on track and will be writing regularly.
It is certain that our city faces some challenges as do cities all over the world. However, I am very hopeful about Oshkosh's long term prospects. There are plenty of business owners joining the fray even with the economy being what it is. Murray's opened, McKnight & Carlson moved and expanded, Great Estates keeps rolling with the punches with resilience that would inspire even the unsinkable Molly Brown.
The one constant I see in the businesses making it through this, as well as the single greatest thing that gives me hope, is the way that some businesses and people reach out to each other to try and help one another. An example of this is in our own cafe where we recently added an antique fireplace mantle to our decor. It was provided by Laib Restoration and on consignment from Star Gallery.
I needed something to decorate the cafe, but I also wanted to figure out a way to promote other business people. In step Terry Laib and Luann Laib. They provided me a beautiful piece for the shop and in return I do my best to promote them. Terry, by the way, is one of the most generous, gracious, innovative and creative people I know. Not only do I believe in him, but I also believe in his business. His company has done more to preserve our architectural heritage of our community than anyone in the city of late. Luan keeps plugging away at her antique business which gives life to the old Star Theater, which was also the old home of Red's Pizza.
Anyway, Terry and Luan are just a few examples of how terrific some of the city's business people are. From time to time I think I will tell you about them. Let you know which businesses share the core values of Planet Perk life: community, charity, honesty, stewardship and independence.
I will leave you with one final thought. It is not Starbucks, Red Robin, or McDonald's that support LOCAL charities, youth programs and sports, churches, and community groups. It is Mike's Place, Stellar Vision, Aquarium Pets, Block Iron and yes, Planet Perk. For every dollar spent at a chain store or restaurant, that is one dollar less that stays in our community. Just think of the organizations that could have used that dollar: Place 2B, Christine Ann Center, Oshkosh Youth Baseball, Oshkosh Youth Soccer, Oshkosh YMCA, Paine Art Center & Gardens, The Grand Opera House, the Time Community Theater, Menominee Park Zoo, Oshkosh Public Museum, Oshkosh Public Library, Oshkosh Area Humane Society, and a host of many others. So before you send that hard earned dollar of yours to New York, Chicago or Seattle think about what kind of city you would like to live in and the neighbors you could be helping.
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