Once upon a time, man survived by cooking his dinner over a fire. Then someone came along and invented The George Foreman Grill (I guess that someone would be George himself). And now? Now we don’t know how we could live without it.

But Georgie isn’t the only brilliant inventor out there; there are tons of kitchen thingies that will change your life.

I’ve compiled a list of cooking gadgets you don’t realize you need, but that is only because you haven’t used them yet. Forget DVR; these things are the best inventions since sliced bread.

1) I love corn on the cob, but I absolutely refuse to eat it unless someone cuts it off the cob for me. And since the only person who loves me enough to cut the corn off the cob for me is my dad, I don’t often get to enjoy it. But now that this gadget has been introduced into my life, I’m going to start eating it at every single chance I get! The corn on the cob stripper is the perfect dad replacement. If only it also gave me money… Read More »

Okay, now that you’re going back to school, it’s time to focus on the most important thing for having a good school day: breakfast.

No, seriously. Breakfast is delicious. I know a lot of college students skip breakfast to save time in the morning (I myself was often guilty of this), but why skip the most awesome meal of the day?

With this easy recipe, you can make 10 banana muffins at once–that’ll get you through 10 days, no muss, no fuss. Plus, you can eat ‘em on the go! And, hey, at least they have bananas.

And if you don’t eat breakfast, you’ll be starving later (low blood sugar, sugar) and quite possibly wolf down everything in sight. Not cute.

So munch away, my collegey friends. Remember, you can’t spell “breakfast” without “eat” (I mean…if you take out some letters in between…whatever, it’s muffins!!). Read More »

All of my life, finding food has never been a problem. My mom buys it, my college cafeteria supplies it, and there are always easy-to-make snacks in my fridge. So imagine the huge reality check I get when I move into an apartment style dorm for part of the summer. The cafeteria isn’t open until fall and I am off to fend for myself in the food department. While I am armed with a kitchen full of essentials (microwave, refrigerator, stove, etc.) there is one tiny problem; I have never cooked for myself.

Now when I say I have never cooked for myself I mean that I have never bought groceries for myself and the only thing I have used an oven for is baking brownies. If I want scrambled eggs for breakfast, I make them in the microwave. Mashed potatoes? Screw the stove; I use the microwave. Basically I am skilled with the microwave and nothing else. But since a summer full of microwavable foods did not sound that enticing, I have found a few tips for all those who are cooking in a small kitchen.

Establish food ownership: This is only needed if you are sharing kitchen space with other people. I know many roommates who have fought over ownership of a jar of salsa or accused their friends of eating their whole bag of pretzels. These situations could have easily been avoided had everyone sharing a fridge talked over how they wanted to share the kitchen. Read More »

While you may be tempted to fill that dormroom mini fridge with beer and only beer, there are going to be times in college (like breakfast) when Miller Lite just won’t suffice. So, you may want to stock that fridge with other necessities to get you through the day. You don’t have much room in that shoebox they call a fridge so you must choose your items wisely.

Below is my list of the five MUST HAVES that got me through those hungry, fun and crazy college days. And don’t worry; there is still plenty of room for the beer.

1. Ramen noodles. While not the best food for your figure (sodium overload and absolutely no nutritional value), it’s great on a budget (you can get something like 10 boxes for $1.99). Throw in some veggies and you can have a quick and cheap stir-fry.

2. Salsa. This condiment spices up casseroles, nachos (which are a PERFECT drunk time/late night snack) and even omelets and eggs.

3. Velveeta. Great for sandwiches, mac & cheese (an essential college meal) and melting into a bowl for dipping animal crackers (You think I’m nuts, but just TRY it!).

4. Brita. I never thought this was necessary until I got to college and realized that natural tap water is filled with some seriously nasty gunk. Nothin’ that’ll kill ya or anything, but still, not the best stuff to put into your body (as I’m currently slugging back a vodka/seltzer – ha!). You can get an easy maintenance one at Target, Walmart and other similar stores.

5. Red Bull. Everyone has those nights where they need to pump up and rally. Red Bull, otherwise known as speed in a can, will do the trick. Chug one of these guys for a night at the library, or a night on the town; it will get you through and leave you feeling fantastic.

Those are my five little must-haves. What are yours?

Last December, The Journal of the American Medical Association reported that over the last twelve years, death rates among 2,600 adults 60 and older were slightly lower in overweight individuals than in normal weight adults.

Wait, what? Isn’t obesity a major health concern?

Actually, the New York Times reports that “despite concerns about an obesity epidemic, there is growing evidence that our obsession about weight as a primary measure of health may be misguided.”

It seems that medical research is taking a different path down the road of health, obesity, and weight loss studies. In fact, the Archives of Internal Medicine, as referenced in the Times suggests that half of overweight people and one third of obese people are actually “metabolically healthy.”

America’s obsession with beauty and looks has long stereotyped overweight people in a negative light. However, studies such as those mentioned above are proving that in many cases, thin or underweight people are in poorer health than those with a few excess pounds. The Journal of the American Medical Association conducted fitness tests and observed mortality rates of their subjects, and discovered that “fitness level, regardless of body mass index, was the strongest predictor of mortality risk.” Therefore, skinny people blessed with a fast metabolism will still find working out to be advantageous to their health, and “big boned” individuals should not be written off as being “lazy” or “sluggish,” as stereotypes suggest. Read More »

I Love pizza. With a capital “L”.

There is nothing better than a crispy crust smothered in hot, gooey cheese. Add some grilled onions and mushrooms and I am dunzo.

The only thing better than a slice of pizza, actually, is an entire pie a slice of pizza after a night of drinking.

Yes, like unattractive guys and all songs written and produced in the 80’s, my love for pizza grows immensely when alcohol is involved.

It is like I am one of Pavlov’s dogs; the minute I taste beer, I start drooling for a slice of pie.

My cravings only grow more severe as the night progresses. With every downed shot I imagine my date with my precious pizza pie. So, when the opportunity finally presents itself, I go to town without any thought given to potential collateral damage.

Like my tongue, for instance.
Or the roof of my mouth.

What? Like you could wait the 20 minutes it takes to get home, the 10 minutes it takes to decide what delectable toppings/debate the need for a side of cheesy breadsticks, and the 35 minutes to actually get the pizza and NOT dive right in the minute it arrives? Read More »

Okay, picture this:

Your crush just called and said he/she would like to come over and hang out, and, for reasons unknown or maybe because life hates you, you blurted out, “Great! I was just making dinner!”

So now you have 15 minutes to make a tasty full-blown meal that will impress your crush–but without looking like you tried too hard. F*ck the mac ‘n’ cheese; make parmesan tilapia!

Parmesan Tilapia
serves 2

Stuffs Yous Needs:
2 filets of tilapia, 1/4 pound each
2 tbsp of parmesan cheese
1 1/2 tsp of lemon juice
1 tbsp of softened butter
1/8 tsp of basil (dried)
2 1/4 tsp of mayonnaise
1/8 tsp of black pepper (ground)
1/8 tsp of salt
1/8 tsp of onion powder Read More »

Hi, my name is Lauren and I’m a cupcake-aholic.

My addiction has taken over my life. Sometimes, when I am driving home from anywhere, I suddenly find myself at the local bakery or grocery store, frosting all over my chin, and have no idea how I got there. There was even that one drunken night when I woke up with half a cupcake in my bed.

And I finished it.

I cannot walk past a cupcake shop without stopping in and trying a few, and I have been known to spend Saturday nights at home with a box of Dunkin Hines cupcake mix, my oven and a jar of icing.

I have been battling this addiction for years and it is tearing my life (and pants) apart. I am working to kick the habit, but I am not strong enough to do it cold turkey. I now consciously avoid streets that house any sort of mini cake delight and have in turn turned to the internet to feed (or not so much) my urges.

Yes, I am now a subscriber to cupcake porn. Read More »

Moving, the actual process, is a less-than-awesome experience, the necessary evil to get your entire life from point A to point B in as little time as possible.

The process itself requires weeks of planning, stressing, throwing things away, trying to pawn things you can’t justify throwing out off on your friends, scrounging for money to pay for movers, and of course, that whole packing situation. Findind a new place is only the beginning.

Things to bear in mind while you’re moving:

1. Your movers will always cost more than they quote you for. Even if you like them, even if they’re good, you will still be bitter about this. New Yorkers: Take whatever they tell you and keep approximately an extra hundred on-hand just in case. Most movers require cash, some do cash or credit, so be warned.

2. That being said, if you have a friend with a truck of sorts, bribe them with hugs, high-fives, food, alcohol, whatever it takes to trick them into helping you move. This will save you a huge moving company fee.

3. Remember how your parents used to (or still) nag that you had too many clothes? You probably have too many clothes. You probably wear only half of them, and you really need to be honest with yourself about the wardrobe when you’re schlepping it to a new establishment. Weed out what you don’t wear and donate it to an organization like Goodwill or to a shelter/clothing drive in your area. Read More »

Um, I’m really not into the Olympics. Sorry.

Yeah, I get it, nations get together and compete to show that their differences aren’t all that big after all, blah blah blah. The truth of the matter is, sports has never brought nations together. Maybe they can put their differences aside for a few minutes for the sake of the cameras (and to try for that gold medal), but the moment they leave the venue, the world is back to the way it was.

But, hey, I do like dessert. So, to honor the Beijing Olympics in the only way I know how, I propose a making delicious Chinese dessert: deep fried watermelon. Yes, it’s fried, but, hey, at least it’s fruit!

Happy sporting!

What You’ll Need

1 10 pound watermelon
2 beaten egg whites
11 tablespoons of flour
7 tablespoons of cornstarch
3 cups of vegetable oil Read More »