Got something awesome everyone needs to know about? A really rad singer? A wicked new book? A fro yo pie that will delight your belly without making it bigger?? Email your “The Know” ideas to Jill@collegecandy.com or tweet me and I’ll pass them along to everyone right here, every week. Make your kindergarten teacher proud and share!

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 »

We talk about pumpkin around here a LOT. A lot, a lot. But we can’t help it; the stores and restaurants only bring out their pumpkin goodness for a few months every year and we’re trying to soak up as much of the tasty goodness as we can before it goes away. And we’re left with nothing. Except winter-induced Seasonal Affect Disorder. Sigh.

But there’s another reason to be obsessed with pumpkin; beyond tasting amazing (especially in Hershey’s Kiss form), pumpkin is GREAT for you. It’s full of antioxidants, nutrients and a bunch of other great stuff your body needs. If the only pumpkin you’re enjoying comes in a pie crust, you’re doing your body a disservice. Look at these facts, grab yourself some pumpkin, cut a funny little face into it, then eat the rest.

Pumpkin is full of Vitamin A, most in the form of beta carotene, an antioxidant that helps to neutralize free radicals in the body! Sounds confusing, but believe us, it’s a good thing! Studies have shown that people who eat a diet rich in beta carotene are less likely to develop certain forms of cancer than those who don’t get enough beta-carotene in their diet. Nice.

“Is canned okay?” – YES! Plain canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling) is still full of beta-carotene and great to use in recipes! One serving of canned pumpkin contains 300% of your Recommended Daily Intake for Vitamin A! One serving also counts as a serving of vegetables (look mom – I’m eating my vegetables at college!) and contains five grams of keep-you-full fiber. Canned pumpkin is faster than scooping out a pumpkin and preparing the flesh for use, and at only 40 calories per half-cup serving canned, it’s good for your insides and your outsides (AKA hips). Read More »

I love to have a big, hunka meat right in my face, teasing and seducing me.

I’m talking about dinner, you dirty birdies!

My fave plate of anti-vegetarianism is without a doubt the beloved meatloaf. But that’s one meal that can easily turn bland and pack in the saturated fat like Brit Brit on a junk food binge. Luckily, I came across an amazing recipe that’s gonna knock your flip flops off (if you still have them on; damn you, end of summer weather!).

This ain’t yo mama’s dry, crumbly meatloaf with mysteriously colored ingredients! Not only is this recipe simple and healthy (if you’re trying to maintain that bangin’ bikini bod), you can dress it up with your favorite flavors. In this recipe from Hungry Girl, we take taco night to the next level…the meatloaf level!

Ingredients:
1 pound raw extra-lean ground turkey
2 slices fat-free cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded fat-free cheddar cheese
1/2 cup canned sweet corn kernels
1/4 cup chopped green bell peppers
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 packet of taco seasoning mix (I use the entire packet…kicks it up a notch)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Cook peppers and onions for 3 minutes over medium heat in a nonstick pan sprayed with Pam.

3. In a large bowl, combine onions and peppers with turkey, corn, and seasoning mix.

4. Spread half the mixture evenly into the bottom of a loaf pan (about 9″ by 5″) sprayed with Pam.

5. Layer the two slices of fat-free cheese on top of the mixture. Evenly top with the remaining meat mixture and pour the salsa over the top of the loaf (by now you should be craving a strawberry margarita).

6. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Top loaf with shredded cheese and return to the oven for another 15 minutes (or until the gooey goodness has melted).

Now that your taco meatloaf is ready to feed you and 5 friends, whip up your favorite margarita and turn up the Ricky Martin playlist on your Ipod (What? You don’t have one too?). Livin’ La Vida Loca!

Welcome to July. After the 4th (chock full of parties, fireworks, barbecues, and every imaginable type of food on a stick) the rest of the month is sorta meh. It’s the middle of the summer, there is not much to do and you’re counting down the days until you’re back on campus.

Well stop counting. July just might be the most underrated month of the year. There are tons of things to celebrate besides our independence, namely the fact that it’s National Ice Cream Month. So grab a tub of Edy’s and let’s rock out with our…er…well, let’s enjoy the month of July.

July 4th- DUH.

Celebrate it with your favorite dogs – corn dogs and hot dogs, I mean. Enjoy the fireworks, but be careful because (not ironically) it’s Fireworks Safety Month. Not that it needs to be – the fear of blowing your hand off should be enough to keep you away from those shady shacks hawking cherry bombs on the side of a dirt road.

July 8th – Video Games Day

For my brother, every day is video games day, but at least today he has an excuse. Pick up the Xbox, Wii, or old-school Nintendo controller and unleash your inner child. Duck Hunt, anyone? Read More »

Friday is back at last. And we are happy. Why? Because we have no life until school starts again and for once – thanks to the Olympic games – it is totally acceptable to sit home on a Friday night. Eating Moo Shu. With our hands.

We do have a lot in store for the weekend. First up, a shopping trip to pick up the essentials: a sex machine, some not-so-slutty party clothes, some ingredients to woo that dude we met at Yoga (yes, he is a bit shorter than us, but he looks so good in Child’s Pose) and a little trip for Botox to fill in all those trouble spots from that trip to Vegas. (It was siiiiick.)

Then we have to plan that Welcome Week party and, seriously, just making the guest-list is a pain. Let’s just hope our ex doesn’t show up, cuz you know once that margarita hits our lips we won’t be able to keep our hands off him. (And we have to cuz according to Facebook, he’s got a new bitch.)

After that, it’s a Sunday filled with Disney movies, election coverage and, of course, scoping out the hotties at the Olympics.

TGIF. Enjoy it, ladies.

It’s no secret that the infamous “freshman fifteen” weight gain is often attributed to the increased consumption of alcohol that comes with newfound freedom in college, especially if the alcohol is accompanied by high-calorie mixers. In general, drinking some of the “tastier” beverages out there, whether they are alcoholic or non-alcoholic, can slip some unwanted floods of extra calories into your diet (Did you know that the average Long Island Iced Tea has 780 calories? Eek.).

Fortunately, thanks to some recipes from Hungry Girl (nutritionist Lisa Lillen), I’ve compiled a few seriously good low-cal cocktails and other yummy drinks that won’t make you feel deprived, but won’t wreak havoc on your diet.

“Magical Low-Calorie Margarita”

Ingredients:

6 ounces diet lemon-lime soda

1 1/2 ounces of tequila

1 packet (two 5-cal) servings of sugar-free powdered lemonade drink mix (use half if you want your drink less sweet!)

2 tablespoons lime juice

5-8 ice cubes or 1 cup of crushed ice

Optional: lime wedge (for a cute garnish!) Read More »

We are kicking off CollegeCandy’s expert series in a huge way. Today’s guest blogger is the one and only Hungry Girl, the expert in making fatty foods in a not so fatty way. We love this woman and are super excited to bring her awesome ideas to you.

She’ll be posting later today, so look out!

Looks like Ms. Spears has taken her pap bf (with the narly chin hair) back. It’s so cute! They both love hats!

I’d like to see someone try this and come out unscathed.

The more men that look like Zach Braff, the better chance I have of falling in love.

If your man is suddenly eating lots of watermelon, it’s probably not because he thinks its tasty.

A faster way to eat fast food.

Because this comes as a shock to….nobody.

Alternative breakfast ideas (that aren’t 8 gillion calories)

Talk about sibling rivalry….

I can’t believe 2008 is only a week away. It feels like just yesterday that I was sitting in my brother’s garage shot-gunning beers and watching the ball drop with his good looking friends (when, in fact, yesterday did look like that minus the ball-drop). I am amazed by how quickly this year flew by. Yet, at the same time, looking back at the many experiences that I had in ’07 it couldn’t have been that fast, after all.

2007 was chock full of so many things: dates, life changes, moves, trips, career changes and the arduous task of staying in touch with my friends across the country and around the world. It was also filled with celebrations, good food, reuniting with old friends, some truly hilarious experiences and tons of fun new things.

Through my experiences, my writing and the endless internet surfing I do at work, I discovered some incredible things this year. Everything from new foods (thank you, HungryGirl!) to new music (who knew a girl with a beehive and a serious drug addiction could create such great music?). And I will share my Five Most Awesome Discoveries of 2007 with you:

1. Holey Donuts: I have a love/hate relationships with donuts. I love, love, love, them, but they do not feel the same way about me or my thighs. Until the Holey Donut came along. Not only are these things maaaaad tasty, but they contain 1/3 of the fat and calories of their full fat brethren. You can get ‘em hot if you live in the NYC, or you can order them (tons of flavors or a delicious low fat cinnamon bun!) online. I am not kidding; these thing will change your life.

2. The iPhone: I am sure everyone is sick of hearing about this super-hyped mega-phone, but I can’t help but thank the lord of technology (Steve Jobs) for bringing this wondrous invention to me. I recently acquired an iPhone and in the 7 days I have had it, my life has changed. This phone really does everything. I can even download new music from iTunes whenver I want. People can hate all they want, but the minute they play with one of these they too will realize how amazing it is. Read More »

Bar food: So fabulously yummy, yet so tragically fattening. I swear, if I even look at a plate of mozzarella sticks or fried zucchini I immediately gain 5 pounds. So imagine my delight when I came across these healthier versions of some of our unhealthiest weaknesses.

It is no secret that Hungrygirl.com is a godsend to those looking to indulge sans guilt. Now, I think I may just have another reason to love them. So whip up these bad boys, grab your gal pals, pull out some light beer and watch some football (Girls Just Want To Have Fun works too…hey, dancing is a sport!)

Mozzarella Fix

Ingredients:

2 light mozzarella sticks (50-60 calories and 2.5g fat per stick)

1/4 cup Fiber One bran cereal (original)

2 tbsp. fat-free liquid egg substitute

salt, pepper & Italian seasonings; to taste

Optional: low-fat marinara sauce (for dipping)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a food processor or blender, grind Fiber One to a breadcrumb-like consistency. Place crumbs in a small plastic container with a lid. Season crumbs with as much salt, pepper and Italian seasonings as you like. Set aside. Cut cheese sticks in half, so that you have 4 sticks. Place sticks in a small bowl, and pour egg substitute over the top of the sticks. Swirl egg substitute around so that it thoroughly coats the sticks. One by one, transfer sticks to the container with the crumbs. Cover container, and give it a shake to coat the sticks in the crumbs. Carefully return sticks to the dish with the egg substitute, and coat them again. Read More »