I love granola so much that it nearly borders on an unhealthy obsession. I buy my favorite kind, Bear Naked, by the bagful (the best flavor is peanut butter), and I normally go through an entire huge bag every week. This is certainly delicious, but at almost $5 a pop it’s pretty expensive, too.

Before you get so attached to Bear Naked that you also find yourself whittling away your life savings on it, let me turn you on to something even better: making your own granola.

Is that even possible? Yes, yes, it is, and it’s sooooo worth it.

This is a good starter recipe, but unfortunately it makes 30 servings and uses a full cup of vegetable oil. Luckily, I’ve done the work for you and am here to offer this scaled-down, simpler (yet still every bit as good) recipe:

You’ll need one cup of oats, two tablespoons of wheat germ (this is optional, but it adds great health value), three tablespoons of your favorite chopped nuts (I like walnuts and almonds), two tablespoons of flaked and unsweetened coconut, and a quarter of a teaspoon of cinnamon. You’ll also need a few wet ingredients: about one and a half tablespoons of brown sugar, one tablespoon of honey, and no more than two teaspoons of maple syrup or vegetable oil. Read More »

There is nothing I love more than a scone in the morning. Sometimes I’ll sit at my table and devour one while sipping a cup of tea, just to feel intensely proper and English.

The problem with most scones that you can purchase at Starbucks is that they’re absolutely packed with calories and fat–just one scone can run at least 400 calories. When you make your own, they taste just as good but they’re a lot healthier because you actually know what you’re putting in them.

I’ve tried a LOT of scone recipes over the years, but I’ve never, ever found one as good as the following. I imagine it’s pretty versatile, so if you don’t like craisins or almonds you can probably sub in raisins or dried apricots or chocolate chips or whatever else you like. It makes 14 scones, so you can either share with friends or freeze the extras and take one out whenever you need a quick, scrumptious, and pretty healthy breakfast.

Without further ado, here is what you need and how to make the best scones in the world: Read More »

Thanks to my dad making breakfast for me every morning until the day I left for college, I now feel incredibly weird and sick if I don’t eat it, like I’ve left my nose or my left leg at home.

But I know it’s not that way for everybody, and some of us struggle to find the time to even make breakfast. Is it worth it? Hell, yes! Eating a great, healthy breakfast will prevent mid-morning munchies and leave you feeling much more alert and energetic. Not a fan of oatmeal or cold cereal, though? No problem. Try these fab alternatives:

Breakfast Burrito: No, I’m not talking about that abomination they serve up at McDonald’s that’s stuffed with sausage, cheese, and trans fats. I’m talking about utter deliciousness. In a bowl, mix two tablespoons of peanut butter (crunchy or creamy, your choice) with one sliced banana, a generous dollop of honey, and a few walnuts or bits of crunchy granola. Spread the mix on a tortilla, pop it in the microwave for 10 seconds, and you have a tasty power breakfast to go.

Mighty Muffins: I’ve tasted a lot of muffins, and these are hands-down the best and healthiest I’ve ever tried. You’ll need one banana, 2/3 c of whole-wheat flour, ½ tsp baking soda, 3 tablespoons of shortening or butter, 1/3 c of sugar, one egg, 1 tablespoon of honey, ¼ tsp salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and ¼ c sour cream. Read More »

It sucks when it’s 8 p.m. and you have no clue what you’re having for dinner. No one’s going to make it for you, and you’re on the verge of going to the drive-thru or ordering take-out again.

Save the money and the calories by stocking these five magical ingredients. With them, you can whip up a quick and delicious dinner any night of the week.

1. Cooking wine. Though not really the kind of thing you want to drink straight-up, cooking wine is great for making amazing sauces, putting in some casseroles, or adding major flavor to meat dishes.

As with regular wine, white tends to go better with chicken and red with beef. If you like to drink wine, there’s also something to be said about keeping your cellar stocked with good drinking wines that can double as cooking wines.

2. Chicken broth. Every bit as useful as cooking wine, but for slightly different things. Chicken broth can help make a wonderful pasta sauce, is a fantastic base for soups with a lot of flavor, and will make rice and noodles taste a lot better (if you boil them in the broth instead of water). Read More »

We all know that girls love sweets.

The last thing any of us probably need is a new idea for a delicious blast of sugar…and something we need even LESS than that is a new idea for a blast of sugar that can be made without cooking.

That’s right…this one is for you dorm ridden girls. (Or just those of you who hate baking). My friends have titled this pie I make PCP=peanut butter cheese pie.

The boys I make it for swear that this treat might as well be a drug, so apparently, it’s aptly named.

I swear to you that this dessert is an automatic cure for depression. It’s simultaneously a cure for everything else out there, too. (IF you love peanut butter).

Here’s what you need: Read More »

So it’s Tuesday. I mean, what the hell is Tuesday? It’s better than Monday, obvs, but it’s certainly less fun than Thursday, and nowhere near the euphoria of Friday.

If you’re like me, and need a little something to get you through these looong, dreary January days, and that little something often means sugar of some kind, then by all means, keep reading.

Because I think I’ve just found the best sweetstuff recipe EVER.

No sh*t. It just doesn’t get any better than Frappucino flavored CUPCAKES (!!!)

Click here to go to my newest blog fave, and check out the amazing recipe

Sometimes the thought of eating at the dining hall is just too much, and the prospect of yet another Subway sandwich is just as unappetizing. What, then, is a girl to do?

Answer: small-batch cooking and baking.

Equipment and recipes, though generally designed for a crowd, can be scaled down to serve you and a friend (or even just you). Here are a few retailers and manufacturers that make it easy for those of us flying solo:

A 1-quart baking dish, like this one from Cookware.Com, can do wonders in your kitchen. It holds just enough casserole or salad for two, so you can either dig in with a pal or tuck an extra portion in the fridge to munch on later.

If you’d prefer to divide out your portions, try these casserole pans available from Rachael Ray. They’re perfect for oven-baked dishes, and are high-quality for the price. If you need something cheaper to do in a pinch, though, Hefty offers disposable oven-safe single-serving casserole pans as well. Read More »

Are you desperately searching for some last minute gifts? Really last minute, as in they’ll-probably-get-it-after-Christmas-but-whatever gifts? Or maybe you’re kind of thinking you’d like to reward yourself for being so good this holiday season…a way to say “good job keeping away from that holiday fudge, self!”?

Well, if either of those two things are true, than you need to check out the SpoonSisters.

Known only as “Little” and “Big” (“that’s based on age, not size” they assure), the SpoonSisters have come up with an awesome little website that caters to the funny, crafty, and thoughtful girl in all of us. Read More »

How fantabulous is that special time of the month when Auntie Flo comes to town? You know, the time where we cry over nothing, breakout like we are in 9th grade, look like we just got breast implants, and want to remove our uterus ourselves with the sharpest untensil we can find because it hurts so badly.

Oh, and we proceed to eat every fatty, salty, chocolaty, everything that is in our path no matter how hard we were working out the week before.

So, when searching for this week’s recipes- I thought, “IDEA! Why not give our faithful CC readers some easy recipes that will satisfy your PMS cravings and not pack on the pounds?“

So sit back with some Midol, a heating pad, a good ‘ol sappy movie and a big, huge fork and indulge — sans guilt!

Oven Baked French Fries

(with ketchup, and a little salt they will taste like the real deal- try sweet potatoes if your feeling crazy!)

What you need:

6 lg. russet or other baking potatoes, scrubbed

Vegetable spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Cut potatoes into 1/2 inch strips or leave thicker if you prefer more of a potato wedge. Lightly spray baking pan with vegetable spray. Lay potatoes in a single layer on baking sheet.

Spray strips with vegetable spray before placing pan in oven. Bake 15-20 minutes, turn them and continue baking until crisp and browned, approximately 15-20 minutes more. Read More »