College students are creatures of habit. We hang out with the same people. Got to the same bars. Buy the same types of clothes. Take the same classes. And you can’t blame us really. We know what we like. We know what works. So why change a good thing, right? Right. But not only does that apply to clothes and classes, it also applies to the kitchen. Because if there is one thing that has been made a college cliche, it’s college food. We’re known for our Red bull and Ramen noodles. But hey we’re creatures of habit, and we like what we like…

[Everyone’s got a vice, a bad habit, something they know they need to change. Unfortunately, everyone also has a million excuses why they just can’t do it. Not anymore. Every month we will be following a different CollegeCandy writer as she takes on a personal challenge. This month, Megan is gonna go 4 weeks without eating out. First, she learned her way around the kitchen, then she struggled through her normal routine. How did her month round out?

At last, the 4 weeks sans eating out have to come to an end!

Thankfully, this week was extra busy for me.  Between work and holiday shopping (I’m one of those last minute shoppers), I didn’t really have much time to even want fast food.  That being said, I can’t say I had much time to cook either. So I enjoyed lots of leftovers, made by my wonderful mama.  I did do a tiny bit of cooking though. This week I experimented with lots of quick, yummy, snacks. Has anyone ever tried the Velveeta and Rotel queso dip? It’s muy delicioso.

As proud of myself as I am for not caving in this week, I am quite excited for this entire experiment to come to an end. Hello, McDonalds! How I’ve missed you! (Have you guys learned I’m a little obsessed with McDonald’s yet? I think I’m the only person who ran out for some Chicken McNuggest after seeing Supersize Me.)  Regardless of if its McDonald’s or elsewhere though, I am more than ready to walk in somewhere, ORDER some food, and enjoy every last bit of it without having to cook it or clean it all up.

That brings me to what month has been as a whole:
AWESOME.
CHALLENING.
LONG. Read More »

[Everyone’s got a vice, a bad habit, something they know they need to change. Unfortunately, everyone also has a million excuses why they just can’t do it. Not anymore. Every month we will be following a different CollegeCandy writer as she takes on a personal challenge. This month, Megan is gonna go 4 weeks without eating out. She was learning her way around the kitchen last week, let's see how she handled herself this week.....]

At 3 weeks in, the “challenges” within this “I’m not eating any meals out this month” challenge are finally starting to show. Don’t get me wrong, I love some of the effects of this challenge; I am proud that I can cook some delicious and edible meals, and the effects it’s had on my wallet have been extraordinary. But there have been total negatives.

Dating is one. And it’s a biggie.

As a single gal, I like to get my date on. However, what’s every single male’s novel first date idea? DINNER! (And he’s not cookin’ it at home for me.) Which leads me to demanding a more creative date, spending an hour proving that I’m not a “challenging” girl, or trying to convince him that I don’t have an eating disorder.  And while some of these dates have been creative and fun, I can’t wait to accept dinner date offers again. Especially, when it is on his dime.

Another downside – this holiday season has been busy.  I didn’t really think about my timing on this challenge, but working 2 jobs, I’ve literally been working 7 days a week.  With so many hours at work and more hours studying for finals, the last thing I want to do is come home and cook.  I’m usually so tired and famished, I have dreams of McDonald’s fries. And not only can I not indulge in said fries, but being more tired, my cooking is getting a lot less tasty than it should be.

And by “less tasty” I mean “Easy Mac is back.” Read More »

[Every week, CC and John bring you some of the weirdest, funniest, saddest things he hears on his college campus. Join the Overheard revolution!Leave your own overheard convos in the comments or send ‘em over!]

(Guy, stalking around office, exasperated.)

Guy: And nobody here knows what a cloaca is? Seriously? You guys need to get out more.

(Two girls at a dining hall table.)

Girl 1: It’s not like that. If you put anything in a crust, it’s a pie. That’s a pie.

Girl 2: What about cheesecake? Cheesecake has a crust.

Girl 1: No it doesn’t.

Girl 2: Have you ever had cheesecake? Have you even seen a cheesecake? This is a problem, like, for us. For you and me. Read More »

I have a shopping problem: I cannot go to the mall and leave empty handed. So, I stopped going to the mall. Too bad I have the internet and don’t even need to leave the house to wipe out my bank account on shoes and bags. No matter how hard I try, I constantly find myself searching for new websites to shop on.And go broke on.

And then I found CutesyGirl.com. This site is a completely unique shopping experience, mostly due to the fact that everthing is really, really cheap! They have everything from shoes to dresses, and all if it is super cute, super trendy, and won’t leave you eating Easy Mac for the next 6 months.

The site also allows you to search in ways not possible in the mall: by size, by style, by price. Obviously that wasn’t an option when I was strolling through Nordstrom, passing the $1,000 bags along my way. On CutesyGirl I only have to type in what I want to spend and not be tempted by pricier items (which are impossible to find on this site, anyway).

This site is a definite must-have for every college fashionista on a budget, which is all of us.

The stock market is low. Really effing low. The lowest it’s been in a long ass time.

And people are freaking out.

So, in an effort to ease people’s minds, George Bush spoke. He interrupted my morning dose of Ellen Degeneres for about 7 minutes to explain what is going on and how the US Government is going to fix it. But that 7 minutes can be summed up in 2 simple sentences:

Things are bad – we caused the economy to decline worldwide – but they are going to get better. Just chill the eff out.

So, let’s relax, people. Forget about your money in the bank, your student loans, and the fact that you can’t afford your Easy Mac. Grab a bottle of your favorite (cheap) vodka, kick back on your couch and chillax.

Everything is gonna be ok!

I’m guilty—I have, on ravenous occasions, busted out a package of Easy Mac, thrust it in the microwave, and unceremoniously chowed down on its contents less than five minutes later. Did I feel good about it? No, especially given my current reputation for cooking actual food rather than food that looks fluorescent.

I am not above admitting that Easy Mac is sometimes necessary. After all, if you truly have only ten minutes with which to make and eat dinner, it’s better to eat Easy Mac than nothing at all. But if you have even five more spare minutes, you can make something tastier, healthier, and all-around better.

That’s right—I’m talking about homemade mac and cheese.

It doesn’t get any easier than this, folks:

INGREDIENTS

• cheese of your choice (I like a mix of cheddar and parmesan)

• milk

• flour

• pasta (any kind words, but elbow macaroni is nice for nostalgia’s sake) Read More »

The most elaborate meal most college students cook consists of adding water to some noodles and microwaving on high for 2 minutes. Except maybe the weird stuff we all put together after a long night of drinking (Cheez Wiz and frozen spinach? Mmmmm!).

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Eli and Max Sussman, two lovely boys who are as talented in the kitchen as they are witty, have recently published, Freshman in the Kitchen.

This cookbook is made for us – college students – and teaches everything we need to know about cooking, including making things that don’t require a flavor packet or a microwave.

Freshman in the Kitchen proves that cooking a real meal can be as easy as Easy Mac, with much better results. The boys will be sharing their expertise and recipes with us, so look out.

And buy their book. Your roommates will thank you.

My boyfriend is from India.

I say this not to brag about my exotic foreign catch, but rather to expound upon the humor that can come out of dating a non-native English speaker.

For instance, he doesn’t say “development,” he says “devil up mint.” Why this is so funny to me remains elusive to him, yet he insists he’s pronouncing the word correctly.

“One billion Indians can’t be wrong,” he says.

Well, OK, he may have a point. For me, at least, my international relationship is so much more engaging than dating, say, another American.

American guys? BO-RING! First of all, they pronounce every word the same way I do (unless they’re from the South, I guess, but that’s another story entirely). Secondly, they think drinking and video games are the be-all and end-all of existence. And finally, their cooking repertoire consists almost completely of Easy Mac and Hot Pockets. Yeah, that’s appealing. Read More »