BREAKING NEWS HERE. I don’t know what the heck you wanted from Santa for Christmas this year, but this is a gift that’s way better late than never. Drop your diet plans, dust off your checkbooks and dial up the Girl Scout in your life, because the troops have announced a brand new cookie flavor.

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For some reason, sugar cookies make me think of Spring. Maybe because they’re light, sweet, and I could eat about seven. Alright. So that last thing has no coloration to Spring, but I can eat my own weight in sugar cookies.

So imagine my delight when I saw a recipe for them that was simple enough to do in a dorm kitchen!

What You Need:

* 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
* 1 cup butter, softened
* 1 1/2 cups white sugar
* 1 egg
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Read More »

So, Valentine’s Day is 2 days away. Those who are part of a steady relationship have at least been dwelling on what to do for the holiday for a little while now, but what if you’re one of the people who thought you’d be spending the holiday alone and then, miraculously, you met someone, hit it off, and now you suddenly have a last-minute Valentine?

Shopping for V-day gifts can always be hard, but when it’s a brand new situation, it’s even harder. You need something fun, simple, and cute, but nothing too much – or too little. You need to show you care and are thinking of that special someone, but don’t want to make them think things are moving too fast.

To help you out, here are some suggestions of gifts to give, and – as a bonus – gifts to avoid. Read More »

All the cookie dough you can eat and none of the Salmonella? Hell to the yes.

Any type of cookie dough is a good type of cookie dough in my book. Cookie dough ice cream, homemade cookie dough, even store-bought Nestle cookie dough is delicious. Especially when eaten directly from the plastic tube with your fingers while watching old episodes of Sex and the City.

You know what’s not good in my book (or stomach), though? Salmonella. Which is exactly what I’ll get if I keep on keepin’ on with my cookie dough habits. Sometimes – like when I’m chowing down on some dough to prevent a mid-finals meltdown – I try not to care about the havoc those raw eggs are wreaking on my body, but it’s there. And it’s wreaking. So you can imagine my excitement when I found this faux cookie dough recipe in Glamour magazine; it’s a lot healthier for your bod than the real stuff (there’s even wheat germ!) and even has an added peanut butter flavor, which just makes it even more scrumptious (not to mention totally safe to eat).

Trust me: this stuff is as tasty as it is easy to make.
And it’s really easy. Deliciously easy. Read More »

Whether you leave cookies out for Santa or just like the excuse to indulge in the sweets this time of year, it’s time to stop making the slice-and-bake BS and get a little fancy.

Stained Glass cookies are super adorable and totally versatile: you can hang these on a wreath, on your tree, by the window…or just eat them. That last option is definitely #1 for me. I’m not wasting perfectly good baked goods on a tree or, worse, a fat man with a beard.

They may seem difficult to make, but they’re super easy. And a fun activity on a cold Saturday with the roomies. Oh, and did I mention they’re only 90 calories each? YES. Because there should never be a positive correlation between holiday season and your waistline.

Materials:
* 3 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup sugar
* 1/2 cup margarine, or 1 stick of butter, softened
* 1/2 cup shortening
* 2 large eggs
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 1 package (10 to 12 ounces) of hard candy, such as jolly ranchers
* Festive-colored ribbon
* Plastic wrap
* Hand mixer
* Ziploc bags
* Cookie cutters, regular and mini-sized
* Nonstick baking pan
* Drinking straw
* Rolling pin

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Ok, so maybe it doesn’t snow here in Texas, but it’s finally gotten to the point where I have to turn the heater on in my apartment! And while I’m really not a fan of snotsicles, I am a huge fan of staying indoors in the winter-time and cuddling up with the boyfriend.

There are so many fun couple-activities to do when the cold sets in, besides the obvious sexy time. I mean, that’s always fun but who wants to get naked when its ch-ch-chilly out?

Here are some other great ideas to stay warm with your sweetie.

1. Make hot chocolate together – I’m not talking about the “microwave the water then empty a packet into the mug” hot chocolate. Spend some time together in the kitchen and make true homemade hot chocolate. It’s a great way to bond and you’ll have a delicious treat when you’re done! Or if you’re not into hot drinks, bake some Christmas cookies or something. Pretty much anything that uses the oven/stove will work to get nice and warm.

2. Pick a Fight – There’s nothing wrong with a little play fighting every now and then, especially because it will warm you up… and it involves a lot of touching. For those of you who DO want sexy time in the middle of winter, you can spice things up by initiating a little couch-to-bed wrestling match. Read More »

Yum!

I don’t know about you, but this year I’m in serious money-saving mode.  As much as I’d love to go buy my biffies matching pairs of Alexander McQueen’s 10-inch Alien Heels (if you don’t know what these are, you obviously haven’t seen Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance video), college girls don’t have tons of moolah to buy the most fabulous gifts out there.

Besides, gifts are most meaningful when they require time and thought. And they’re even better when people know that you put blood, sweat and tears (and maybe even a little pee pee if looking through old pictures really makes you laugh) into them.

So if you’ve got tons of people to give to but not tons of money to do it, try some of these DIY gifts on for size. They’ll work for absolutely everyone on your list and you won’t have to drop serious cash or serious elbows at your neighborhood holiday sale.

1. Photo Collages
Photo collages are meaningful gifts that can be given to anyone – family, friends, boyfriends.  Now, I don’t mean just some poster with photos erratically hacked with cheap scissors and doused in Elmer’s glue. Get a cigar box and some Mod-Podge (a specific glue excellent for collages) from a craft store, plan the arrangements of photos before you start cutting, and use a paintbrush to glue them down. Then paint a thin layer of Mod-Podge on top of the pictures,  let it dry and – Voila! – you’ve got a super cute jewelry box full of your favorite pics and memories. You can even get some cute puff paint and embellish.  Cheap, cute, and sure to impress! (This also works with frames, mirrors, boxes, or anything else that you’d wanna personalize!)

Not an artsy fartsy? Don’t worry! You can do it all online, too! Read More »

Ugh. I'd much rather be catching up on Glee than doin' this ish.

Thanksgiving. Sigh.

After being more stuffed than the holiday turkey, it’s time to come to terms with the fact that the holiday season has begun. Whether you celebrate Hannukah, Christmas, Kwanzaa or none of the above, it’s a given that you will be inundated with all kinds of holiday-ness over the next 6 weeks.

Whether you love it or hate it, every aspect of the holidays comes with some pros and cons. Yes, even getting lots and lots of presents. Have you ever had to do the fake “OMG I LOVE IT?!” upon opening the most awful gift ever followed by months of excuses when grandma doesn’t see you wearing those giant, sparkly cross earrings she got you? It sucks.

So, this week I’m gonna break down the ten best/worst things about the holidays. Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Season

10. Christmas music
Jingle Bell Rock? Loathe it. “Yule Shoot Your Eye Out” by FOB? Love it.

9. Cookies
And Candy. And Gingerbread houses. And fruit cake (ew!). So many calories – yuck. However, like my mom says, calories don’t count on Xmas! Work it off before Spring Break and you’re in the clear.

8. Shopping
Shopping can be a bitch, especially if you hate mass crowds and fighting for a coveted Burberry coat. Skirt the crowds and the lines and shop online. Read More »

There’s nothing like fresh-baked cookies (or even just the dough!) to make your day worth living, and this recipe for white chocolate macadamia nut cookies is pure deliciousness. Sure, you may think you’ve had good white chocolate macadamia nut cookies before, but you ain’t tried nothing yet.  Using vanilla and almond extract gives these cookies extra special flavor and they’re melt-in-your-mouth tasty.

I made them for my BF’s family (gotta try to impress them, right?) and they went absolutely nuts (tee hee) for them. They were actually trying to barter with one another for just one more cookie. If that’s not a good sign, I don’t know what is.

You may want to make a few extra if you plan on sharing them. Or prepare to break up some fist fights.

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (about 1 jar) coarsely chopped macadamia nuts
1 cup coarsely chopped white chocolate or white chocolate chips Read More »

I’ve always known that eating cookies could make my ass a little bigger (just ask my favorite pair of Joe’s), but now it looks like they can do the same thing for my tatas.

There is a new cookie on the market in Japan that promises to increase your breast size. Aptly called F-Cups, the cookies contain Pueraria Mirifica, a natural breast enhancer. Just eat two cookies a day and (allegedly) you’re on your way to a bigger bra size.

I’m not really sure these would taste all that good, but a midnight snack that can increase my cleavage? Looks like it’s time to get rid of my Double Stuffed and get me some Double Ds.