Ah, the Fourth of July. Hot dogs on the grill. Potato salad – heavy on the mayonnaise. Parades. Way too much beer. Red, white, and blue cupcakes. And the reckless abuse of fireworks.

On a day that’s all about indulging, it’s nice to lighten it up… just a little bit. Not too much, of course. Hot dogs and potato salad taste delicious, but that bloated feeling afterwards? Not so delicious, that’s for sure. Convince your crew to make some of this grilled chicken instead. Why?

One serving of chicken, about the size of the palm of your hand, contains 22 grams of protein. One serving only has between 100 and 130 calories, with very, very few of those coming from fat. Chicken is also a great source of iron, a nutrient that women tend to be deficient in.

So clear a little spot on the grill for a chicken breast or two.

Fourth of July Grilled Chicken

You’ll need… Read More »

Fourth of July Weekend is HERE!

Bring on the hot dogs, the sparklers, singing Bye Bye Miss American Pie on repeat and…the tacky American flag apparel.
But this year my friends, there is no need to don that over-sized American flag shirt from 1998. You can lose the red bandanna and pig tails because that looks good on no one (unless you’re 5 and even then I’m wary). This season is all about color, so you can safely do up the colors of our grand ol’ flag while still looking as fashionable as ever.

No matter what you’re up to this weekend- here are three outfits that should have you covered! Read More »

So tailgate season is upon us and the time has come to bring out our barbecues, lazily relax outside and revile in the sunshine with our friends while we’ve still got beautiful weather on our side.  Or desperately hot, sticky, and humid weather, depending on where you go to school.  Whatever. The point is, it’s tailgate season and that means hot dogs and hamburgers and various other things cooked on an open fire. You drooling yet? Wait. Before you indulge in that perfectly grilled hot dog, there are a few things you should know.

Note: to those of you who want to continue to consume burgers and hot dogs in ignorant bliss, stop reading now.  If you are intrigued to know what these patriotic foods do to your body, however, let’s keep truckin’.

For all you hot dog, hamburger, and bacon lovers reading this, I really wish I could ease the blow of what I am about to report, but there is really no other way to present the facts: processed meat consumption, even more so than other forms of meat, is correlated to an increased risk of all types of cancer.  Red meat and processed meats contain more totally repulsive saturated and trans fats than any other animal product.  These types of fats have received recent media attention for their harmfulness to the human body, yet the fat issue doesn’t quite tell the whole story of why eating hot dogs, hamburgers, bologna, sausage, and other processed meats is ultra bad for you.  Read More »

American Pride Doesn't Have to Look Like This

Fourth of July is here! Commence drinking, hot dogs, drinking, and singing “Bye Bye Miss American Pie” and maybe burning your hand on sparklers (which I don’t care how old I get, they will always be so freakin’ cool).

I’ve already given you recipes for the bbq you’ll be hitting, and now we have one more thing to tackle: the Fourth of July ‘fit.

You need to look somewhat festive (i.e. I don’t suggest your skull tank or vintage “I love Canada” tee) but you don’t want to look like a walking advertisement for the US of A. I’ve got you covered: from red, white and blue festive to festive without being decked in the colors of our homeland, you will look like those American Girls that all those foreign boys (and the Counting Crows) talk about. And you will be ready to pull a Miley and Party in the USA. Woot woot. Read More »

4th of July weekend is almost here! Can I get a woot woot? Anyone? No?

Well, you will be woot-wooting when you know how much easier I am about to make your life. Surely you are going to a BBQ of some sort this weekend and as if figuring out your outfit isn’t hard enough (something that says, ‘yeah I’m patriotic’ but doesn’t look like it came from your dad’s closet) you also have to figure out what to make for your friend’s/aunt’s/brother’s best friend’s girlfriend’s BBQ. You want to look like you tried (showing up with a bag of Tostitos and salsa, albeit tempting, is not on your radar) but you are NO Paula Deen.

Hell, you’re not even Rachael Ray.

Well, thank god you know about this article. Drinks and desserts, my friends. Drinks and desserts. These are the crowd pleasers. The attention getters. And I’ll be damned if I send you to a party and let some other chick’s dish get more attention.

So here you go: two easy to make – but delightful to look at  and delicious to eat/drink -  4th of July BBQ potluck showstoppers.

God Bless America. And cake. And vodka. Amen. Read More »

Ahh who doesn’t love a holiday where you get a three-day weekend? Is there anything better than waking up on a Monday and realizing you have absolutely nothing to do? Unless, of course, you’re one of the many who are trekking down to the beach, Florida, or anywhere awesome. Then you have the stress of traveling back home, getting probed by TSA, walking behind those slow people who take up the entire moving sidewalk, pay $45 to check your bag, all while your skin is radiating heat after doing the whole “It’s finally nice! I’m going to go with tanning oil today!”

Well, travelers, this list is not for you. This is for all my party peeps who are doing absolutely nothing this Memorial Day. Read More »

You are only a few hours away from a three day holiday weekend, ladies! Can I get a “what what”?! Memorial Day Weekend is the official kick-off to summer, which means only one thing: it’s time to get a bikini wax the inevitable family BBQ.

Truth: You love hot dogs off the grill.
Truth: Your family is ridiculous and you’d much rather spend the time with people who don’t make inappropriate jokes about hot dogs. Or at least people who make funny inappropriate jokes about hot dogs. And are under the age of 65.
Solution: CollegeCandy’s Memorial Day Family BBQ Drinking Game

Because Great Uncle Bert’s war stories (a war which he was not in) are easier to listen to when you’ve got Bud Light coursing through your veins. The best part? You can play alone and, being that you leave the BBQ with a killer buzz, you always end up the winner.

What you will need:
A case of domestic beer (we’re celebrating America, aren’t we?)
Various other alcoholic beverages
Your drinking hat Read More »

There’s a great many things to do and places to see in this world of ours.  As humans, our lives are pretty short (and if you party like I do, it’s probably going to be even shorter).  So we have to prioritize!  We have brains for a reason and that reason is…reasoning (well, at least some of us use them for that purpose: see comment about partying above).  Let me be your voice of reason as I show you all the things you should be doing right here, right now.

It’s hard to be sure of what to eat these days.  Health reports come out with a study against a certain food one day and for it the next.  Do I eat the egg yolk or do I stick with the whites?  Are pomegranates that good for me?  How many more vitamins do I really need to take?  It’s confusing.  And I don’t like being confused about food.  I just like eating it.

Everyone’s heard the old adage, “Everything in moderation.”  Sounds pretty obvious, right?  You can eat your egg yolk (as long as you don’t eat five eggs a day) and not feel guilty.  Even dessert isn’t off limits if you don’t gorge yourself.  So this is why I’m going to give a shout out to something that has gotten a lot of bad press lately: meat.  It seem everyone is jumping on the vegetarian wagon, what with all the new vegetarian options out there.  Hey, I don’t have anything against tofu (I actually love tofu, but that’s a different story), but I have to defend my meat.  It’s delicious, packed with nutrition, and can be used in a million different ways.  Here’s why you should eat more meat: Read More »

Ugh...

This summer is my last summer at home. While most of you can relate when I say that I’m ecstatic (believe me, I am), it may not be for the reason everyone expects. Read: living with the parents breathing down my neck.

You see, when I go home, I gain weight. Not just 3 or 4 pounds, but this summer I put on 10. freakin. pounds. Yes, I know this is my own fault, so don’t get on my case for knowing better, but I know I’m not alone. There is something about the summer that just means extra poundage. So how about we take a closer look at what goes on during the summer months so we can stop the madness?!?!

1) The campus gym is no longer 5 min away - Ok, this one hit me pretty hard. I love having a free gym at my disposal! No way am I going to pay buckets of money to use an elliptical in my hometown.

2) When it’s fifty million degrees outside, you want to stay in – I’m one of those people that no matter how far away my class is, I’d rather walk than take the campus shuttle. Well, with no class to go to, I have nowhere to walk. Also, I live in west Texas where it’s been over 100 degrees every day for the past month. Going on a walk for exercise is out of the question; I don’t want to burst into flames! Read More »

Ahhh, Fourth of July.

It’s not a holiday that carries the burden of gift exchange, and you don’t feel guilty if you don’t spend it with your family. Is that why it’s one of the best days to celebrate? People make plans for the Fourth months in advance, which is more than we can say for St. Patrick’s day, its celebratory-drunkfest cousin. So what is it that makes Independence Day so special? I mean… other than the fact that we have freedom of speech and right to assemble and such.

1. Fireworks.

They appeal to everyone. The rebels can light stuff on fire and blow things up. The artists can appreciate the colorful patterns of light against a midnight sky. And the lovers can tell themselves it’s okay if they just did it in a park on a blanket. Fireworks and Fourth of July are like Mistletoe and Christmas. They just aren’t as cool if you pick the wrong day. Read More »