Never one to venture into the day without provisions, I’ve tried and tested a grocery cart of snacks. Really, everything from fruit leather to 100 calorie packs–I. love. to. snack.

Snacks are vital on those days that seem to never end. To help all of you get through those long, 3 class days, let me introduce the best snack I know of…a little something I invented on a whim, caught between Geology and yoga class.

It’s the Yogurt Oatmeal Smash!

What you need: 1 container of Light and Fit yogurt (flavor of choice) and 1 regular (plain) oatmeal packet.

What you do: All you gotta do is make the oatmeal like usual, and then swirl the yogurt around.  It’s sweet, yummy, and (like your mom would say) sticks to those ribs!

Don’t forget the spoon–or you’ll be looking at your snack instead of devouring it.

Energy? Check. Filling? Check. Healthy? You know it.

I’m sure I am not the only one who knows how frustrating it is to find the perfect recipe, start making it, and then realize that I am out of a crucial ingredient. (What’s that? You don’t make recipes without double-checking that you have all the ingredients on hand? Well, aren’t you special.)

Because there is nothing more annoying than having to run to the grocery store and leave your raw cookie batter sitting on the counter, I took the liberty of putting together a handy-dandy substitution cheat sheet of things you can use when you find yourself without the genuine article.

For self-rising flour, substitute flour with baking powder and salt. Self-rising flour is really just a fancy name for flour that already has baking powder and salt added, so you can cheat the system by adding those things yourself. For each cup of flour, just throw in 1 ½ tsp baking powder and about ½ tsp salt.

For cream/half-and-half, substitute milk. Keep in mind that this will only work sometimes. Milk is a lot thinner than cream and has a lot less fat (added health bonus), but that also means that it doesn’t behave the same way. For a recipe in which you’re mixing everything together anyway (quiche), it will work fine, but it’s not going to get you anywhere if you pour it in a bowl and try to whip it into real fluffy cream. If you don’t have regular milk, try using buttermilk, yogurt, or sour cream. Read More »

You know how sometimes Friday rolls around, and your week has been really long, and some weird lady on the bus stared at you the whole way to work for no reason, and the guys in your office keep trying to get you to watch something you’re positive is gross and will scar you for life?

Yeah. It’s been one of those weeks.

So when we here at CC have one of those weeks, we sort of just talk about whatever we want — let it all hang out. Our filters have been corded by a week filled with strippers, bikini issues, porn, lists that piss people off, and of course, Guido dancing.

Read More »

Who doesn’t love Indian food? If you don’t—well, then, I guess this isn’t a post you really want to be reading. For all of you with sound taste buds, though, please read on.

If you would like to make an awesome curry in your own kitchen with simple ingredients that tastes just like it came from the masala lunch buffet, then look no further. Bread, main dish, AND drink are all outlined here for you—so break out your notepads and get ready!

Chapatis

There’s nothing better to eat with a curry than chapatis, those delicious little flatbreads that you can use like spoons to scoop up large amounts of what you’re eating. For a great recipe, go here. Even though it seems completely bizarre to fry something in a skillet that has no oil or butter in it, it works like a dream for these breads.

Added tip: if you stack them up nicely and wrap them in foil, chapatis can be reheated and eaten again for up to two days after you make them.

Cauliflower Curry

One of my proudest strokes of culinary genius was devising this curry. I feel like I could eat it every day and STILL love every bite. It makes a lot (4-5 medium-sized servings), so have a party when you make it. Read More »

I’m a huge fro-yo fan, and my dream job may be taste-testing at the Ben & Jerry’s factory in Vermont, but sometimes it’s good to keep your calories in check when you’re craving something chilly for the summer. You know…with bathing suits and super tight dresses, and all.

And so, I bring you a ridiculously easy Yogurt Mousse to curb that sweet tooth without giving up on the flava.

What you will need:
½ cup plain nonfat yogurt
½ cup light Cool Whip
1 capful flavored extract of your choice (Vanilla or almond are great, lemon and orange aren’t bad if you’re craving fruit)
Sprinkle of Sweet and Low to taste

How to do it:
Mix all ingredients in a bowl and add Sweet and Low as desired (if desired at all). Yeah, it’s that easy. Read More »

After several months of going through 1-2 large containers of yogurt per week at $3.69 each, I decided there had to be a better way to get good yogurt without forking over my life savings for it.

And there is: make your own.

Yogurt is one of those foods that you never really think about making—you just buy it automatically, like milk or cheese. Once you get the hang of making it, though, it’s very easy (and CHEAPER!) to make it ahead of time for yourself whenever you want it.

This site, though a little too scientific for me (“inoculated milk” and “sterilized jars”? ummm…), gives great photographs for a step-by-step introduction to the process. It makes a TON of yogurt, though, so here are simpler instructions for about 4 cup’s worth.

First, here’s what you need: a half-gallon of milk and 2-4 tablespoons of yogurt with live, active cultures in it (most yogurts have these cultures naturally). Read More »

To me, afternoons are like a barren wasteland. They last for hours that can feel like days, and there’s no relief in sight until dinner. To silence the grumbling stomach, it’s important to have a snack sometime in the middle of those wasteland hours.

While it might seem appealing to grab a triple-shot mocha at Starbucks, that’s really not the best thing for our minds or our bodies to have (or, in many cases, our wallets). If you want a snack that scores high on both nutrition and taste, consider one of the following:

Pita with Hummus. You can buy your hummus at the store (roasted red pepper is my favorite kind), or make your own for cheap using a scaled-down version of a recipe like this one. Cut a slit in the side of your pita, shovel in a few spoonfuls of hummus, and you’re good to go.

Yogurt with Topping. It’s really easy to take a container of yogurt with you wherever you need to go, and yogurt has the added advantage of meshing well with almost any topping choice. Try tossing a few chocolate chips on top of caramel yogurt, fresh blueberries atop a carton of strawberry, or a spoonful of toasted nuts and honey on top of plain vanilla. Read More »

So usually, I bring you a recipe or two each week that won’t cut into your tv time and will save that cash of yours to be spent on more important things (like Soko lime shots)

But, when the weekend rolls around and we spend our days hung-over and hungry on the couch, let’s be real, the last thing we are going to do is cook.

Enter… my favorite munchies I’ve discovered that are yummy and healthy(ish)

Better N Peanut Butter: This all natural treat is made out of peanuts, but has only 100 calories and 2.5 grams of fat per serving. While it doesn’t taste exactly like its cousin, PB, it’s close enough, and is a great alternative (also great in smoothies, or when cooking to get that PB flavor without the PB fat)

Trader Joe’s Flax Seed Chips. They look like tortilla chips, they taste even better and they come in different flavors. While they are higher in Calorie (140 per serving), they are full of complex carbs, are all natural and hits the salty-craving spot. Read More »