“Prince Charming” continues to say stupid sh*t

Plus size summer fashion, baby!

Um, don’t eat the tomatoes

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Jessica Simpson gets inpsired by her own boobs

Is your summer fling already dead in the water?

I’ve figured it out. Puff Daddy wants to be Sybile. You know, the woman who had 13 personalities?

Know your in season fruit, mamas!

You might be dating a criminal if: you’re Anne Hathaway

[photo of R. Everett from abc.net]

So a guy friend is hosting a barbecue this weekend on the terrace of his apartment building. In Manhattan. It’s not quite the same for me as a traditional backyard gathering, but these are the things we sacrifice to live in the city.

At least there will still be some classics in the way of burgers, hot dogs, and chicken. But the rule of being a dinner party or barbecue guest is you can’t show up empty handed. While ordinarily I prefer to contribute something of the beverage variety, or pre-washed-and-cut fruit from the nearest grocery store, I’ve decided it’s time to man up and cook something. I don’t want to be shown up by a bunch of boys, even though without question they can cook better than me.

Barbecue essentials that the boys will be providing consist of meat. I don’t cook meat, so I’m opting to make cole slaw.

You need:
1 small bag pre-chopped cabbage/cole slaw mix
Sprinkling of celery seed for garnish/flavor
Red grapes (as many/few as you like) Read More »

So, apparently ‘fruit salad’ on the east coast is literally just a bunch of chopped up fresh fruit, cohabitating in one bowl, possible even in a watermelon carved into a bowl shape. Sounds good to me, I love fresh fruit. I just hate buying it because if I don’t eat it all, I hate the guilt that goes along with it (not to mention the smell of fruit that’s gone bad…).

So a slightly less-healthy version of the fruit salad follows, because a) its ingredients are all canned or pre-packaged (which means you do not have to rinse or chop a damn thing) and b) it’s not THAT bad for you, and is a great summery treat. And also, this is what I grew up with, and why I am always confused when fruit salad does not come with marshmallows…

So here goes:

1 small can mandarin orange slices, drained
1 small can of pineapple chunks, drained
1 can chunky fruit cocktail (I hate the word chunk too, please go with it), drained
1 small jar maraschino cherries, drained
1 cup sour cream (again, I use low fat/no fat but please go with your gut)
½ bag shredded coconut
¾ bag of mini-marshmallows Read More »

Mmmm, brunch. Hands-down, this is the best part of my weekend. I love a diner as much as the next New Yorker, but I was raised in the Midwest on the kind of French toast that will have you longing for lazy Sunday afternoons in your kitchen. This is what I usually make for one person… but feel free to double if you’ve got company…

You’ll need:

3 slices of bread (switch up as you prefer, but it can be done with wheat, white, multigrain… up to you. Rye may not be the best choice here)

1 egg

milk (I prefer skim, but use whatever floats your boat)

ground cinnamon Read More »

How many of us really know what’s in our food?

Celebrities, campaigns, and informative guides have all tried to help alert the public to the dangers of additives and saturated fats, yet we’re still far from the natural and organic palate most of us are striving to achieve.

In particular, E-numbers have caused a stir for a good few years now. Despite the banning of some, there are still a great many present in our everyday favorite drinks and foodstuffs: candy bars, fizzy drinks, crackers, and more.

For example, E102 (also known as ‘Tartrazine’) is used to color jams, cereals and drinks. It also happens to be banned in Norway and Austria, as it has been linked to thyroid tumours, chromosomal damage and asthma. Worrying? I certainly think so. Read More »

Smoothies are the ultimate food. They’re packed with vitamins and nutrients, they give you energy, and they taste AWESOME. If you’re pressed for time, a big smoothie makes a great breakfast or lunch, and it really fills you up and keeps you full for a while.

You might think a blender is essential for successful smoothie making, but I’ve used my food processor on countless occasions and been just fine. Until recently, I believed that the Perfect Smoothie was strawberry-banana, with a thick (though not lumpy) texture and a little yogurt and milk thrown in for good measure.

Two days ago, though, I discovered a new Perfect Smoothie, and I am now convinced that nothing can beat it. It is criminal that I should keep this new recipe to myself, so I am sharing it with CC’s readership so that every one of you can also make yourselves delirious with enjoyment over this particular smoothie.

It’s easy: you just need one banana, half a mango (peeled and roughly chopped), a little over half a cup of milk, a tablespoon of heavy cream, half a teaspoon of sugar, and one ice cube. Read More »

Do you like brushing your teeth with toilet bowl water?

Because if like most people, you keep your tooth brush on the bathroom sink — that’s essentially what you’re doing.

Yummy.

After coming across the article “The 16 worse places to stash your stuff” in Prevention magazine, I felt enlightened and educated. But mostly I felt nauseas . Apparently, when you flush, the 3.2 million microbes per square inch of germy-gunk in your toilet bowl is propelled as far as 6 feet, settling on the floor, the sink… and your toothbrush.

Fix it: Keep your toothbrush in a cabinet

Some other tidbits to keep you healthier, slimmer and not so icky. Read More »

Even though I totally admire them, I could never be a vegan. At least not now. Not while most of my diet consists of string cheese and other such cheap, processed things.

But I have friends who are vegans. Friends who are vegans and great cooks. So one night, these great-cooking-vegan friends of mine made this tart. And it was freaking fabulous. And so I want to share it with you.

Here’s what you need:

INGREDIANTS:

Crust:
* 2 1/4 cups raw slivered almonds
* 3/4 cup of pitted medjool dates
* 1/4 teaspoon salt Read More »