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We all know that in college our muffin tops don’t actually come from muffins but from vodka. And beer. And cocktails. And hangovers that cause to eat all sorts of muffins the next day: Chocolate, Egg Mc…you get the drill.

But thanks to culinary genius, Hungry Girl, who has given us healthy versions of just about all of our favorite foods, and her new book, Hungry Girl Happy Hour you can now have your favorite party foods and cocktails guilt free. This little “cookbook” is chock full of delicious cocktail recipes that are hundreds of calories less than the originals.

Sip on the Mango MMM-tini for just 102 calories (or 2 WW points) or a Pumpkin Pie-tini for only 144 calories.

Martinis not your thang? The book has all your favorite classics like Mai-Tais and Bloody Mary’s along with Margaritas (already made em…. SO GOOD), Sangria and wait for it… Jello Shots. (There are also fun blender drinks too!) And the De-Pudged Pigs in a Blanket and Jalapeno Swappers are just some of the yummy party food you can chow down on (guilt free) after a few of these delectable drinks. Read More »

Special K. That's about as gourmet as it gets.

I’m a little cocky in the kitchen. But that’s probably because I’m the best short order cook that I’ve ever met (and that’s including the time I met Ratatouille). I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I sat in my college kitchen and re-enacted stressful scenes from Top Chef. I played all the contestants and my broom played Padma (pre-pregnancy). And spoiler alert, I ALWAYS won.

So obviously, when I moved into NYC I had grandiose visions of whipping up gourmet meals (as well as incorporating more 3 syllable words like grandiose into my vocabulary). I would spend my days running all over the city getting the finest cheeses, the freshest fish, and the ripest fruit. And to top it all off, I would carry it all on a hat, Chiquita-banana-lady style. Not only would I be the Julia Child of my building, but I would also be a fashion icon for fruit mascots around the world. Talk about killing two bucket list items with one stone.

And then I went to a real live NYC supermarket and found out that I would be paying $25 for non-name brand cold cuts and $1000 for organic eggs. How could I whip up exotic dishes like baked macaroni and cheese and chicken parm when it cost me an entire paycheck just to purchase drink mixers? And most importantly, what the hell was I going to do with my new cookbooks that I insisted I have? I immediately regretted demanding that my mom buy me the famous cookbook “very expensive meals that have so many rare ingredients that it’s better off that you just got a restaurant and order it. Seriously, these recipes aren’t worth the time, the money, or the frustration you’ll have looking for quail eggs.” Read More »

If you’re heading off to college in the fall, you might already be thinking about what you need to buy before you get there. And if you’re already there, there are things you must have but definitely don’t know about yet.

I’ve done some of the work for you and picked out the top five things that every college student needs.

1. Alarm Clock – This is an absolute necessity, although an annoying one. With all the fun stuff that you’ll do in college, it’s sometimes easy to forget why you’re actually there in the first place: CLASS! To make sure you’re getting your tuition’s worth by actually going to class, you’re going to need a reliable alarm clock. Of course, any old alarm clock or clock radio will do, but there are definitely better options out there. With the iHome iH4B, you can fall asleep and wake up to your favorite music. Plus, it charges your iPod, so you’re never stuck with a drained battery. I also really like the Clocky ® alarm clock, designed for people like me who turn off their alarm clocks without getting out of bed. I used to have to put my alarm clock across the room and run to the other side to shut it off, much to the annoyance of my roommates. This one, which has wheels and rolls around the room, probably would have annoyed them even more, but it definitely would have stopped me from going back to sleep and missing class for the umpteenth time. Read More »

A new cookbook just came out called…*ahem* Natural Harvest: A Collection of Semen-Based Recipes.

Go ahead, do a doubletake. You will find that the title does indeed include the word semen…and yes, it is about concockting (teeheehee) recipes using bodily fluids.

I’m all about the whole “Don’t knock it ’til you try it” thing, but I might have to reconsider that notion in this case.

Lulu.com is selling the book for a mere $24.95 if you are interested in adding a little twist to this years Thanksgiving dinner, and I think their description of the book is absolutely disturbing…and borderline hysterical:

“Semen is not only nutritious, but it also has a wonderful texture and amazing cooking properties. Like fine wine and cheeses, the taste of semen is complex and dynamic. Semen is inexpensive to produce and is commonly available in many, if not most, homes and restaurants. Despite all of these positive qualities, semen remains neglected as a food. This book hopes to change that. Once you overcome any initial hesitation, you will be surprised to learn how wonderful semen is in the kitchen. Semen is an exciting ingredient that can give every dish you make an interesting twist. If you are a passionate cook and are not afraid to experiment with new ingredients – you will love this cook book!”

What do you think CCers…Would you take the plunge and try a Strawberry Splasharita with one heaping tablespoon of fresh semen?

I have posted what seems like a million small-batch recipes here at CC, and I’ve adapted the vast majority of them from this book. If you live by yourself or with only one other person, you like good food, you don’t mind cooking, and you can only have one cookbook, buy this one. You will NOT regret it.

There’s absolutely everything in here, from general small-batch advice to a lowdown on ingredients to winning recipes of all kinds. And every recipe in here is truly excellent. I can’t stand fat cookbooks full of thousands of recipes that obviously were never tested, meaning you have to dig through the whole book to handpick the recipes that may have the potential to be edible.

Not so with Cooking for Two. The authors, Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough, have really tweaked every recipe, and it’s obvious. The ingredient amounts are right on, and you can expect fantastic taste with everything you make from here.

I can’t say anything specific about the seafood section since I don’t eat seafood, but the casserole and poultry sections really shine. Also, many of the recipes can be adapted for slow cookers to make them even easier! Read More »

Ramen is tired of all the taunting – it’s fed up with being called cheap, sick of people wastin’ its flava. But finally Ramen gets its revenge. The staple of every college student’s diet now has its very own eponymous cookbook!

101 Things To Do With Ramen Noodles lets you keep the dime delicacy in your diet without boring your taste buds. From the inside flap: “From creamy mushroom soup and fajitas to cheeseburgers ramen and chocolate chinos—you’ll discover even more delicious reasons to love this tasty, versatile pantry staple.”

And the cookbook is only $4.95. Apparently, all things Ramen can be bought with couch cushion change. Deeeelish.