Stuck inside this weekend because of an(other) excess of snow or lack of money? If you’re already missing all of that free wonderful food from home, practice your improvisatory skills with DIY Thai!

Featured Ingredient: Coconut

Coconut is rich in protein. It’s a favorite among fitness freaks (and CollegeCandy writers) for its ability to promote muscle growth. Coconut is also rich in Calcium, Vitamin A, and (good) fats. Studies show that it also helps maintain proper thyroid and kidney function. That makes it the perfect ingredient for a satisfying, tasty, easy, healthy meal!

You Will Need:

2 TBS coconut or sesame oil (or cooking oil of choice)
¼ cup shredded coconut
1 small onion
1/2 cup broccoli
1/2 cup carrots
1 Package firm tofu
4 TBS peanut butter (or tahini sauce)
1 TBS soy sauce (optional)
Ginger or coriander to taste (optional) Read More »

[Got something awesome everyone needs to know about? A really rad singer? A wicked new book? The best makeup of all time? 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!]

I love peanut butter. As in, please don’t judge me but I could sit in front of the TV with a spoon (or my finger?) and eat it like a bowl of ice cream. Or strawberries. If only peanut butter had the same fat and calories as strawberries. Then I’m certain all of life’s biggest problems would be solved.

If I am going to indulge in my beloved PB I want it to be GOOD. We should all know by now that the stuff we grew up with (read: peanut butter made with hydrogenated oils, unnatural products, etc.) is so bad for us. And in my (not so humble) opinion, why eat a higher calorie food that’s bad for you when you can eat a version that is actually good for your body?

….And, might I add, tastes a hell of a lot better.

If you don’t know it yet, all-natural peanut butter is good for you (in portion control, as I’ve learned the hard way). It’s packed with protein and healthy fats, and it makes for a great snack! I’m a fan. A big fan. Quite possibly a bigger PB fan than a Badgers fan…but don’t tell anyone. I consider myself a Peanut Butter aficionado if you will. A connoisseur. Truth be told, if there was a talk show about Peanut Butter, I would be the Oprah Winfrey. Or at least Ryan Seacrest. And ladies and gentleman, I believe I’ve found the Mona Lisa of the natural peanut butter world: Read More »

Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston may be ancient history, but there’s one American super-couple that isn’t going anywhere anytime soon: peanut butter and banana. Today’s recipe takes the classic sandwich and, well, turns it inside out to create a savory snack or a meal on the go.

The Ingredients: Everyone knows bananas are high in potassium, but their high fiber content and the variety of sugars they offer (glucose, fructose, and sucrose) make them ideal sources for extended energy. They are also high in iron. Besides being the one of the tastiest snacks, peanut butter is also one of the healthiest: it’s high in monosaturated (good!) fats that help prevent bad cholesterol from building up. PB also contains nutrients like niacin and calcium.

The Recipe:

3 large, very ripe (read: disgusting and brown) bananas

2 eggs

1/2 cup butter or substitute (my fave for baking is Earth Balance)

1 1/2 TBS sour cream or buttermilk

1 tsp lemon juice

1 cup sugar

1 cup natural peanut butter

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 cups flour

Note: For a real peanutty punch, replace 1/2 cup of flour with peanut flour

Read More »

Since we all snacked so healthily last week, I think we deserve a treat. And there is no better treat than cheesecake. Unless, of course, that cheesecake also involves peanut butter cookie dough. I know, right?

Hello, lover.

This recipe is not only super simple, but it will be the one that will make you famous among your friends. Like, “I want to hug you and buy you presents” famous.

Ladies, I present you with my most coveted recipe: Peanut Butter Cheesecake Bars. No, it’s not New Year’s Resolution friendly, but whatever. These things are so good, you won’t even care about the calories.

Ingredients:
1 8-oz package of cream cheese
½ cup sugar
1 egg
1 18-oz package of your favorite store-bought peanut butter cookie dough Read More »

[Got something awesome everyone needs to know about? A really rad singer? A wicked new book? A new way to discover music? 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!]

To the man (actually, I have a feeling it was probably a woman with PMS) who first decided to mix salty and sweet all in the same bite, I tip my fedora to you. Why we don’t have a chapter dedicated to you in our history books (between the first space expedition and the Civil Rights movement), I’ll never know. Because you were a revolutionary. A game changer.

You saw a gap and you filled it with sweet and salty goodness (and if you’ve ever had caramel popcorn or a chocolate covered potato chip then you know JUST what I’m talking about).

You REALLY understood what it means to be a w-o-m-a-n and our inability to make up our minds. First we want salty, then sweet, then a tuna sandwich (or is that just me?), then the whole cycle repeats itself.

But you went ahead and put it all together into one perfect little package and all was good in the world. And in my belly. Thanks to you, these 5 delectable sweet/salty treats were made possible. And thanks to me, everyone can know about and indulge in them. Read More »

Summer is winding down, school is starting up, alumni are still doing the same-sh*t-different-day dance. In summary, the end of August kind of blows. Which is why this week’s Intro to Cooking is throwing nutrition to the wind (sort of), because it’s time for something indulgent!

The Ingredient: Dark Chocolate

In truth, dark chocolate IS good for you. In small servings, it can lower blood pressure, due to its richness in antioxidants. Why the dark stuff, over its milk- and white-chocolate sisters? Researchers think that the milk found in the latter two varieties may temper with the body’s absorption of the healthful nutrients found in pure chocolate.

Easy recipes (do you really need an excuse?)

* Pair a few pieces with a glass of red wine (more antioxidants!) for a refined evening snack.
* Mix 2 tablespoons agave nectar with 1 tablespoon dark cocoa powder for a healthier alternative to chocolate dip, and serve over pieces of apples, raspberries, and bananas.
* Toss some dark chocolate pieces in a baggie with almonds, goji berries, walnuts, and peanuts for an upscale, super-tasty trail mix for those really hectic days.

The Recipe: Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes
Whoever discovered the combination of chocolate and peanut butter should be given the Nobel Prize, for their contribution to countless moments of decadent dessert bliss. So if you want a cupcake that is truly a religious experience (seriously, just look at that photo), pull out this recipe from Food & Wine, and you’ll be praying to the chocolate gods in no time. Read More »

After pulling on your Nikes and adding that new Jason Derulo song to your iPod, you drag yourself to the gym for an hour. It’s hard to get started, you’re just so tired, but twenty minutes later the endorphins are kicking in and you’re feeling great. You finish your workout, do a little stretch, and walk home feeling happy as a clam.

But that happy feeling won’t last if you don’t eat a little something after all that exercise. You need something to replenish your body, girlfriend! You want to get stronger, not burn yourself out. Your friends have suggested everything from protein shakes to lemon juice.What should you really eat after you workout? I’ll give you a hint: it’s not lemon juice.

Let’s start out simple. First, drinking water is essential for replacing what you  lost in that intense cardio sesh! Everyone knows you should drink 8 glasses of water a day, but you should increase that to 10-12 on days you’re working out.

Now for food: when it comes to eating after a workout, the key is getting a snack in within 45 minutes of finishing. But that doesn’t mean chowing down on a piece of cake or snacking on a few celery sticks. Post-workout snacks should have both carbs and protein in them. The carbs help replenish glycogen, and the protein helps rebuild and rehydrate muscle tissue, as well as stimulate your immune system to keep you healthy. Read More »

Yonge & Dundas Intersection in Toronto after Team Canada Win

This week’s Weekly Ten, Why Canada Deserves Silver, stirred up quite the controversy yesterday. Seriously, I didn’t see this much hate on CollegeCandy since one writer expressed her disdain for Taylor Swift. And rightfully so. Yes it was meant to be a joke, but we in Canada aren’t entirely laughing with you.  While we know for a fact CollegeCandy loves their Canadian readers, and even has a few Canadian writers (myself included), this post pissed a lot of people off.

But instead of get angry and insult the intelligence of the writer, editor or Americans in general, I decided to take the high road and just show why Canada deserves more than just a gold medal in Olympic hockey. So here is my condensed version (there are way too many reasons for one post!) of all the reasons Canada rocks that they forgot to teach you in high school. Read More »

Do you need a super-quick and easy dessert recipe to take to a last-minute holiday party help ease the pain of a break up? Do you love peanut butter? Do you love desserts that are indulgent and–gasp!–healthy?

Read on, my friend.

This recipe for pumpkin peanut butter mousse (adapted from The Peanut Butter Boy‘s formula) is about as close to Food Pyramid-certified as you’re going to get. The only fat in this dessert is in the peanut butter (which is loaded with “good” monounsaturated fats, as well as protein), and hey, pumpkin is a fruit!  Best of all, this recipe is multi-functional (see below) and takes less than five minutes to make.

If there were ever a sign that god exists, it is here. And it is tasty. Read More »

Mmmm. Caffeine. And wrinkles.

College is stressful. And stress makes us do some pretty crazy things for the sake of a good grade, such as harming our bodies without even knowing it.

Don’t know what I’m talking about?
Let me break it down.

Do you ever finish a decently long paper around 2 a.m. saying, “I am so ready for bed,” then lying there staring at the ceiling for the next three hours wide awake?  Yeah, me too.

You know you should be tired, but somehow your brain just doesn’t want to turn off. Could it be anxiety…or could it be those 2 Red Bulls and venti latte you pounded between the hours of 11 am and 9 pm?

You know you needed them to get through the day, but do you have any idea what all that caffeine is doing to your body? Even more, do you even have any clue how much caffeine you even ingested?

According to the LA Times, most people have no idea how much caffeine we’re really consuming each day.  “Caffeine turns up in expected places, in unexpected amounts. And recent years have seen an explosion in the number of caffeinated products on the market: energy drinks, of course, but also chewing gum, candy bars and (for a brief while) potato chips.” Not only that, but none of these products tell us how much caffeine they contain, so most of us are getting more than we think and way more than we should be.

Now, as a college student like most of you, I don’t really have time to give a flying fudgesicle bar about how much caffeine I’m taking in. If it helps me get through that essay (or perks me up before that big party), I’ll drink it. And then I’ll get a refill. But after doing some research, it seems that maybe I should care. Just look what caffeine does to your body: Read More »