There is something about Fall that makes me crave pasta. Maybe it’s the fact that temperatures are cooling down, I’m wearing more clothes that in the summer, and the holidays are coming up. Or maybe I just really love pasta. Either way, I’m always looking for ways to make pasta dishes healthier, and this is one I dreamed up after enjoying a delicious (but calorie-heavy) Chicken Florentine at a restaurant.

Spinach is one of the “superfoods” out there that is all benefit and no consequence. However, I’ll be the first to admit that spinach is also not the tastiest food I can think of! Sometimes, it can taste a little bit like dirt. To jazz it up, I like to wilt it down and add it to things – jarred spaghetti sauce, taco meat, pizza pockets… you name it, I can probably find a way to hide spinach in it. It instantly ups the healthiness factor without affecting calories and without having to choke down a bag of spinach.

The best part about this quick Chicken Florentine Pasta is that the cream sauce is not full of empty calories – there is no butter used here. By using the already flavorful Philadelphia Cooking Crème (a new product that I’m obsessed with), you save several steps of making your own sauce and calories by avoiding using half-and-half or heavy cream and lots of cheese. Read More »

It is my senior year in college.  I’m 22 years old.  I have never been to Mexico.  And the swimsuit wall in The Buckle makes me want to drool all over myself.  Basically, Spring Break are the two words in my personal college dictionary that make me so giddy, it is embarrassing.

And the fact that I’m not going this year?  I’m not a very good actor, but I could almost pinch out a few legitimate tears.  You mean I have to continue to struggle up mini-snow mountain regions, and continue to suffocate under the restraints of my wool scarf?

Clearly, there are plenty of reasons for me to be bitter about my lack o’ travels this Spring Break but, I am deciding to look the bright side for a change. Sweating poolside under the shade of an US Weekly magazine or not, I’m going to make the best out of my Spring Break, and  – turns out – it is easier than I thought because you can:

1. Finally catch up on all of those books you’ve been reading (or not reading).

College is so stressful, sometimes I find myself being stressed out about the weekly T.V. shows I am trying to catch up on.  It is time to sit down and freakin’ relax. I know I have about five books I’m currently trying to read at the same time, and nothing strains my stress greater than a quality read. So kick those feet back, flip on the fireplace switch, and get reading.

2. Think of all the moo-lah you are saving!? You can spend a (small) portion on a facial. Why not?

Deciding (or being forced against your will) to not attend Spring Break just made you ten times richer.  Don’t get me wrong, in the midst of running to class and cursing the cold-I would give my left leg to catch a flight to Margaritaville.  But on the other hand, you have a lot more breathing room when it comes to the dough. Go spend a little bit of it on a facial, or for the construction of a new iTunes playlist (whatever it may be). Read More »

You’re biting into a big juicy hamburger and what do you crave to go along with it? French Fries? Boring.

You know what would really spice that meal up? Onion rings! Unfortunately, those little rings of fried goodness are not always an option when you’re eating at your favorite hamburger joint. And you cry.

But wipe those tears, sister. Say TTFN to that restaurant and head home to whip up your own tasty onion rings. Why not? They’re delish, easy…and they involve beer! Read More »