You may have guessed from the title that I have a short boyfriend. He doesn’t like to be called “short,” but it can’t be denied—at 5’8”, he’s exactly the same height I am, and if I wear heels with even a little bit of height, he suddenly becomes a dwarf.

And yes, that’s OK with me. So I’m kind of perplexed as to why so many of you answered the CC poll question a few weeks back by saying that you’d never date a guy shorter than you are.

That seems awfully judgmental to me. Yeah, it’s fine to have preferences about the people you date—I do prefer taller guys, to be completely honest—but shutting a whole class of guys out of your dating pool is only doing you a disservice. Who knows? Maybe that gorgeous, funny, classy, considerate guy you’ve been secretly dreaming about all these years is actually that short guy standing over there in the corner at the bar. Maybe not… but you’ll never know unless you chat him up and find out.

Here’s my theory: short guys have had to put up with a lot of crap throughout their lives. Unless you’re a short guy living in China or somewhere else where a majority of the population is relatively diminutive, you’ve had to withstand a barrage of teasing about your size throughout your formative years. That builds a thick skin and also helps develop a healthy sense of humor. It’s unfair to a short guy when you name his size as a reason why you won’t date him—I mean, that’s just cruel.

And please don’t give me any crap about how you’d “have to lean down in order to kiss him, and that would be sooo awkward,” because how do you think tall guys kiss short girls? Yeah. If they can lean forward a little bit, so can you.

What do you think? Give short guys a chance?

[Image courtesy of russiablog.org.]

College classes are the perfect example of things that can be accurately judged from a first impression, no matter how fleeting. Let’s take a look at some of the most common experiences you might have on your first day and what they might mean about the class ahead.

What happens: Your prof shows up 10 minutes late, frazzled and smelling heavily of espresso.
What it means: Feel free to come to class in your PJs and contribute to class discussion with garbled comments that aren’t fully formed, since your prof will neither care nor be able to tell the difference.

What happens: A PowerPoint presentation is already up on the screen when you enter, and the prof has a writing implement in his or her breast pocket.
What it means: Watch out, sister! This prof isn’t going to take any shenanigans. S/he is likely to be a hard grader, so start assembling your study group pronto with the cute dudes who sit near you.

What happens: The prof hands out the syllabus, reads it word for word, asks if everyone has the textbook, and dismisses you early.
What it means: Don’t be fooled by the early dismissal. This is a by-the-book prof who isn’t too keen on original ideas and probably doesn’t want to hear yours. Learn to read and regurgitate what’s in the textbook, and fast.

What happens: You all meet at the coffee shop and the prof buys everyone drinks and pastries.
What it means: Count your blessings. Your prof is either really nice or really insecure—better hope it’s the former.

What happens: You do an icebreaker activity with the other students in your class.
What it means: Your prof used to be a corporate motivational speaker. Polish off your phrases of cynicism, because you’ll probably need them for the kind of crap you’re going to hear in this class.

Ready for the big time? Start studying your profs’ mannerisms, fashion sense (or lack thereof), and office decor (yes, that does require you to attend office hours). It might be a pain, but it’s not a waste of time. When you supplement your in-class comments with similar body language or slip in that “Far Side” reference that reflects a cartoon your prof has outside his office door, you can start welcoming those A+’s with open arms!

Like Reese’s? Yeah, me too. Honestly, I’m not sure I can ever trust someone who doesn’t. The problem is that a girl can’t subsist on peanut butter cups alone . . . but it’s fun to try.

No, seriously, the problem is more that those things are crazy unhealthy. Not only will they set you back more than 200 calories and 13 grams of fat for a pair, but they’re full of artificial flavors and preservatives. And that, my lady friends, is why I make my own. (Well, that and the fact that the CVS lady looks at me funny when I come in and buy, like, 12 Reese’s packs before 10am.)

Now, I need to be clear here—these homemade treats aren’t really much healthier, but they do taste better, they don’t contain any weird artificial stuff, and they are far more effective at impressing your friends. Plus, it’s a heck of a lot cheaper to make a dozen of these than it is to buy six packs of Reese’s. So what are you waiting for?

What You Need:
(The recipe is based on this charmer from AllRecipes, my go-to recipe source.)

• 1 (11.5-ounce) package semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup of all-natural peanut butter (you can use Jif, but I prefer the hippie stuff)
• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar (that’s the powdery stuff)
• 12 muffin-cup liners
• Muffin pan

What You Do:
1. Place the muffin liners in the muffin pan.

2. Put half the chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl, and zap the chips in the microwave for 1 minute on HIGH. Take them out and stir them, and continue to microwave them in 30-second increments on HIGH until you can stir them completely smooth.

3. Distribute the melted chocolate evenly among the 12 muffin-cup liners. Then use a flexible spatula or a spoon to creep the chocolate 1/2 inch or so up the sides of the liners so it’s not all stuck in the bottom (creating a little bowl for the PB).

4. Put the chocolate shell bottoms in the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes or until they are firm.

5. While those little cups of goodness are chillin’, use a whisk and a small bowl to combine the peanut butter and confectioners’ sugar. (This is where the natural PB comes in handy – it’s a lot thinner than the other stuff, making it easier to stir.) Leave it at room temperature until the chocolate shells have firmed.

6. Take the shells out of the fridge and distribute the peanut butter mixture evenly among them.

7. Melt the remaining chocolate chips in the microwave in the same way you melted the first half of them.

8. Spoon the melted chocolate over the top of the peanut butter cups, spreading the chocolate to the edges of the liners. Refrigerate the finished cups for 15 to 20 minutes or until they are firm.

And that’s all there is to it! Soon you’ll be chowing down on homemade peanut butter cups in your bedroom where none of your roommates can find them on the couch with your girls while you catch up on the first season of Glee. I know – total girls night perfection.

Besides indulging in Lent-withdrawn pleasures, one of other great things about Easter is Peeps. Honestly, they don’t even taste that good, but those little, tennis-ball-colored marshmallow chickies are endlessly fascinating to me. Put one in the microwave, and it balloons to the size of a basketball. Stick one to the wall, and it will still taste fine three years later. Now that’s something not every food can boast.

If you’re the DIY type, I guarantee that homemade marshmallows won’t let you down. They’re a tad involved, but they taste about one million times better than store-bought, and you can use them to make Peep shapes and cover them with colored sugar. Oh, and they are gorgeous. See what I mean? You will need a stand mixer or electric mixer for these, so if you’re on Spring Break, use your mother’s.

Ready to give it a try? Let’s go.

WHAT YOU NEED
• Cooking spray
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 3 1/2 envelopes unflavored gelatin (just over 2 tablespoons)
• 1 cup cold water
• 2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 egg whites
• 1 T. vanilla extract

WHAT YOU DO
1. Coat the inside of a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray, and sprinkle a light coating of confectioners’ sugar (not the whole half cup) in the dish.
2. Put half of the cold water in the stand mixer bowl, and pour the gelatin over it. Let it stand for 5 to 10 minutes.
3. Put the sugar, corn syrup, salt, and the rest of the cold water in a saucepan. Stir the mixture with a whisk, and cook it on low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. When that happens, ramp up the heat a little and boil the mixture. Don’t stir. Keep it at a full boil for just over 10 minutes. Then grab it off the stove and pour it over the gelatin mixture.
4. Turn on the stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or use your electric mixer), and stir gently until the gelatin dissolves.
5. Shift the mixer to high speed and beat the stuff for six to 10 minutes, or until it’s thick and almost tripled in volume.
6. In a separate bowl, beat the two egg whites until they hold stiff peaks. Don’t overbeat! Add the whites and the vanilla extract to the sugar batter, and beat on medium until everything is combined.
7. Use a spatula to transfer the mixture to the baking dish. Be careful because it is REALLY sticky. Sift about 1/4 cup of confectioners’ sugar on the top. Press plastic wrap over the top of the mixture, and refrigerate it for at least 3 hours.
8. Go over the edges of the pan with a knife, and invert the marshmallow blob onto a tray or cutting board. Spray a scissors (yes) with cooking spray, coat it with confectioners’ sugar, and use it to cut cubes of marshmallow. You can also spray cookie cutters to make fun Peep shapes.
9. Coat your marshmallows with colored yellow sprinkles, and add little chocolate pieces for Peep eyes.

Adorable, tasty, special and you did it all yourself!

But I’m also a self-confessed foodie, and I want my food to taste GOOD. If it doesn’t, it’s out. So I have been searching high and low for months now in an effort to find the perfect pancake recipe—one with both taste and health benefits. Most pancakes aren’t bad for you, sure, but I wanted a recipe that really packed in the good stuff and had a flavor that couldn’t be beat.

Well, you guys, I’ve finally found it. All Recipes saves the day once again! This time, though, I modified the recipe to make it even yummier by adding extra flavor to these bad boys. As if that wasn’t good enough, you can also whip up all twelve of these pancakes in just about 15 minutes. It may not look it, but this recipe is SUPER easy.

Sunday mornings never tasted so good.

What You Need
• 1 1/2 cups regular oats (NOT quick oats)
• 1 1/2 cups white whole-wheat flour
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/4 cup skim, 1%, or soy milk
• ¼ cup canola oil
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 6 tbsp chopped walnuts
• 2 bananas, sliced thin

What You Do
1. You’ll need a food processor for this. Put the oats into the processor, and pulse them several times until they’re ground like a coarse flour. Transfer them to a bowl, and mix them with the whole-wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

2. Use a second bowl to mix together the buttermilk, milk, canola oil, egg (whisk it slightly first), sugar, and vanilla until they’re smooth. You can use a whisk instead of an electric mixer as long as you put some power into your strokes.

3. Heat up your skillet. Coat it with a thin layer of butter, oil, or cooking spray. Let it get nice and hot before you pour on your pancakes.

4. Combine the wet and dry mixtures, and stir in the nuts and banana slices. Use a 1/3-cup measuring cup to scoop portions of batter onto the skillet.

5. Cook each pancake until it’s getting bubbly and dry at the edges. Then flip it and cook for another minute or so, until both sides are browned and the middle is no longer raw.

6. Keep pancakes warm in a 200-degree oven until you’re finished cooking the whole batch.

7. Eat up!

1. Those who turn anything edible into sheer brilliance just from their touch.

2. Those who can follow directions pretty well and make things that taste OK.

3. Those who are absolutely hopeless and are seriously challenged by even our “Intro to Cooking” series.

It’s you guys in the last category that I’m targeting with this post. That’s right! If you want to pull out some culinary skills for your sweetheart and totally wow him/her on V-Day but can’t seem to even make a box of mac and cheese without burning down the house, you can still make this fondue recipe. Really – it’s that easy. Plus, it’s chocolate. You can’t go wrong.

This recipe will make enough fondue for two people, with some left over (to do whatever you want with….)

What You Need:
• 5 ounces chocolate (chocolate chips will work)
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• Pinch of vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons hot water

What You Do:
1. Since I know you don’t have a double boiler, you’ll be making this with a saucepan and a bowl. Simmer an inch or two of water in the pan, and set a heatproof bowl over it. Don’t let the bowl touch the water (so small bowls are probably best).
2. Put the chocolate and cream in the bowl. The hot water boiling in the pot will heat the bowl from underneath. Stir the mixture constantly until it melts.
3. When the chocolate is melted, smooth, and blended with the cream, remove it from the heat and add the vanilla, sugar, and water.
4. Whisk until smooth.
5. Keep warm (perhaps on top of the saucepan with the heat turned to low) until you’re ready to serve.
6. Once your honey bunny on a farm (or your single girlfriends with a chocolate craving) are ready, grab that chocolate and serve it with your favorite dippers: fruit, marshmallows, cookies, graham crackers, pretzels, body parts….

Romance and impressing the one you love has never been so easy!

Hearing me out? Read on.

- If you want to go traditional, mix up the monotony. Candy and flowers are nice and don’t break the bank, but apparently they are not great for the planet, so why not choose something a bit different this year? A box of fair-trade, organic chocolates won’t run you more than 20 bucks, and they’re made with more care and better-quality ingredients than that Russell Stover collection.

- Does your boo like to spin the tunes? Make him a mix CD. I know, I know—that’s so sixth grade—but really, it’s a very thoughtful gift that can’t come from anyone except you. Go through your playlist and mountains of CDs to pick out songs that remind you of that special someone, burn ‘em off, and make a pretty liner and cover for the CD. Done!

- Are you the anti-Martha Stewart? That’s all the more reason for you to get down in the kitchen and cook up a meal and dessert that will have your lover falling at your feet (out of devotion rather than food poisoning, we hope). Dust off that cookbook, because you know he’ll appreciate your effort of putting together something special just for him (and staying home is way more romantic than attempting to snuggle in an overcrowded restaurant). Buy top-quality ingredients, and leave yourself plenty of time to prepare. And hey, if all goes south, take-out Chinese is way under $30.

- You crafters out there might enjoy making a scrapbook for the one you love. There are a few costs up front—the actual book and the craft materials—but the rewards are great if you happen to be dating someone who is a hopeless romantic at heart and will flip through the book over and over again. Toss in pictures, movie-ticket stubs, e-mails the two of you have sent each other… Whatever reminds you of your relationship in a happy way is a go.

- Finally, try giving the gift of yourself, since there’s clearly nothing hotter (or cheaper…not in that way!) out there. Grab a sexy lingerie set (there are tons of hot, cheap options out there), scatter some rose petals from your sweetie’s door all the way to his bed, light a few candles for ambiance, then give him something he’ll never forget. Could there be a better gift? We think not.

Bad for me (my wallet and my cracking skin), but great for you; I’ve made all the unfortunate purchasing decisions so you don’t have to.

Just in time for the bitter cold, I’m going to share my knowledge with you so you know which creams to slather on and which to leave on the shelves.

Aveeno “Intense Relief” Hand Cream
Let’s start with the worst of the worst, shall we? This cream is basically just a lie in every way. The Aveeno website claims that the cream forms “a protective glove against the elements.” If “protective glove” means “greasy paws,” then I’d say the claim is accurate. Seriously, you’re probably better off lathering up with a can of WD-40; at least that stuff is cheap. I can’t touch anything for at least 15 minutes after I put this lotion on because I’ll leave grease stains all over it. Also, if you care about moisturizing your hands and sealing up cracks, avoid this stuff like the H1N1 virus. It provides temporary relief, but that’s about it.
My advice: NOT recommended.

St. Ives Whipped Silk
The one big pro I can hand out to St. Ives is that their product naming department did a great job with this one. Who wouldn’t want to put that on their mitts?! The lotion also gets points for smelling great, which is more than I can say for Aveeno’s product. However, it’s almost as greasy as the Aveeno, and you’d need to apply it about 20 times a day for it to make any kind of noticeable difference in the hydration of your hands. Cream cheese and butter may be better whipped, but silk is clearly not.
My advice: PASS.

Neutrogena’s Norwegian Formula Hand Cream
This stuff is not bad, but it’s not great, either. If your hands don’t get terribly chapped and dry, you can probably use this product with good results. It has a pretty neutral scent and isn’t offensively greasy, although you should plan to keep your paws off your keyboard for a few minutes after applying it.
My advice: Slather with caution.

Eucerin’s Intensive Repair Hand Creme
Probably your best affordable option. The lotion doesn’t smell like much of anything, and the greasiness of it goes away quickly. You can also feel it really getting into your skin and doin’ its thang – not just sliding off the surface as soon as you wash your hands. Still, you need to be diligent about applying it and remember to put it on at least a few times a day if your hands are chapped often.
My advice: Good buy for the value-hunter.

Burt’s Bees Almond Milk Beeswax Hand Creme
The cream of the crop (tee hee).  I’ve lived in the Midwest all my life, and no hand cream has EVER done the trick of keeping my hands from cracking and bleeding in the subzero winters until I found this little jar. I feel like there are too many pros to name: it smells fantastic, the jar will last a long time, you only have to apply it once a day to get results, it’s not greasy, the consistency is divine… Really, this is the ultimate hand cream. The only drawback is the $9 price tag, but trust me, it’s worth every penny and will last you at least two to three months. If you’re not a fan of almonds, try the beeswax and banana cream, the the honey and grapeseed oil cream, or the waxier hand salve. That Burt guy really knows what he’s doing; I just want to shake his (well moisturized) hand.
My advice: buy, buy, buy!!

Any personal raves or warnings among you guys? Did I miss a favorite? Let me know!

It’s gift giving time and that means one thing: you’re finally gonna get that iPhone you’ve got a lot of wrapping to do. And if you’re anything like me, you’re way too cheap to spend money on holiday wrapping paper. Plus, is it really fair to our lovely planet to waste a tree on something that just gets thrown away? I don’t think so.

I realize some of you probably fold up your wrapping paper and reuse it, and more power to you. But for the rest of us, mostly those of us who tear through our presents without mercy, here’s a way to make your own unique, personal and beautiful wrapping paper without harming the planet or breaking the bank. (It also happens to be really, really pretty!)

What You Need:
- Newspaper sheets, brown paper bags (from the last time you went to the grocery store), or a roll of brown paper
- Catalogs, magazines or Sunday supplements
- Scissors, glitter, paint, fun shaped sponges, glue and ribbon (all optional)

What You Do:

First, you should decide what kind of design you want on your wrapping paper. If you enjoy looking at photos rather than creating art yourself, you can go for a collage-type style of wrapping. If you’d rather get down and dirty with the paint, grab yourself some brown paper and those colorful little cups of poster paint.

For a collage, lay out a big sheet of newsprint and cut out especially eye-catching and beautiful photos and words from your magazines. Place them approximately where you’d like them on the newspaper, then apply a thin layer of glue to their backs with a glue stick, and stick ‘em on. Your object is to cover the whole sheet of newsprint, so you might have to cut out a few smaller pics to fill in the blank spaces. This makes a really gorgeous sheet of wrapping, especially if you don’t go overboard on the glue. When you’re done, let it dry, and wrap that gift!

You can do painted paper one of several ways. Start with a base of brown from a long sheet of packaging paper or a paper bag that you’ve cut apart at the seams. You can use a template or stencil you make yourself to paint a design on the paper with a sponge, or create a potato stamp and use it to apply a pattern. If you’re really ambitious, you can actually draw pictures and do art on the paper, which is obviously the most special option… but also the most time-consuming. For my personal favorite alternative, dip those fingers into the paint and go crazy. Finger-painted wrapping looks really fancy and everyone will love it!

I like few things better than a big, fat cookie. Really, who doesn’t? So as you might imagine, I am a huge fan of the book Big Fat Cookies by Elinor Klivans. This book is mandatory, people. Find yourself a copy and get ready to dog-ear every single page in it, because it’s that good.

I’ve made almost every recipe in the book, but the one that has emerged as the clear favorite is the recipe for Super-Sized Ginger Chewies. I can’t even describe these cookies in words; I have to resort to muffled sounds instead—mmf. Yummm. Ermmmgobble.

No, but seriously, these cookies are the best. cookies. ever. and you should make them for the holidays. Even if you have barely passable skills in the kitchen, you can definitely make these, and people will be totes impressed.

Here’s the prized recipe, modified just slightly. It makes 12-14 giant cookies, which means 10 for you and 2-4 for the rest of the family to fight over.

Ingredients:
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 heaping tsp cinnamon
• 1 heaping tsp ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter, at room temp
• 1 cup brown sugar (not packed, just scooped)
• 1 egg
• 5 tbsp molasses
• 1/4 cup sugar in the raw

Bake It:
Preheat your oven to 350 F, and coat your baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Beat the brown sugar and butter together in a large bowl with an electric or hand mixer. Add the egg and molasses and beat for another minute. Ditch the mixer, pour in the flour mixture, and use a spatula or wooden spoon to stir until everything is combined. (Then stick your finger in there and taste that ish.)

Spread some of the sugar in the raw out on a plate. Form 2” balls of dough and roll them in the sugar until they’re completely coated, then put them on the parchment-paper baking sheets. Space the cookies 2” apart.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, until large cracks appear in the tops of the cookies. They won’t be brown, but they shouldn’t be raw, either. And that’s that.

You can store these cookies in Tupperware or Ziploc bags for three or four days, but don’t bother—they’re going to be gone within a few hours of taking them out of the oven, anyway.