Diet Coke – My One True Love

Since I began my “no-soda” journey these past few months, I’ve been reminiscing my memories with my favorite soda, Diet Coke or, as the cool kids call it, “DC.” Those who are in the DC family understand what I’m talking about: Diet Coke is not merely a “drink,” it’s, as TheFrisky.com points out, a lifestyle. By drinking this soda, you are opening yourself to another portal of life, another form of heaven.

Yes, I am an addict. That’s the first thing DC lovers must admit. We are stubborn and angsty without our Diet Cokes and nothing, I mean nothing, will kill our craving unless it’s one of those pretty silver cans sweating in front of us. Or, even better, a giant cardboard cup filled with the heaven that is a Fountain Diet Coke. Is there anything better? I think not, and anyone who tells you otherwise is either a  A) Coke head (Note: not the same thing as a Lindsay Lohan coke head) B) a Pepsi Whore (EW) or C) stupid.

I’ll be honest and confess that I hated Diet Coke in the beginning. I thought it was “fake” and “disgusting.” My friend loved to order it with every meal and I just scowled at her with disgust. “Why do you even drink that,” I would say over my giant glass of water. “You know, it might kill you.” Her answer was always the same: “Honestly, I just can’t stop. And you won’t know until you try.”

So I did. The first sip, I spat out the coke and said it tasted like cough syrup. And then another sip and another. Then I started ordering DC when I had a salad, or just when I was out with friends. Then I was buying it on the way to class. And soon after, the cravings began. I started to suffer from light headaches, my fingers started shaking. My fridge was filled with nothing but cans of DC and a jar of pickles. I was hooked. Read More »


Save The Planet, One Snack at a Time

As I was researching for what was supposed to be a post on green snack foods, I realized just how eco-harmful the food industry can be.  Looking at Newsweek’s Green Rankings for 2009, only 28 of the top 500 companies are from the food and beverage industry. Yes, a measly 5%.  Plus, the best ranking food company (Brown and Forman) ranks in 374th place overall!  In other words, the large-scale food industry blows.

I knew I just couldn’t lie to the intelligent ladies that you are, so I scrapped the article and came up with this.

Here are some of the worst snack options and their greener replacements to reduce your environmental impact… and your waistline. Seriously, think about this next time you go shopping; we’re all probably doing more harm than we even know.

Culprit #1: Tyson
Why it sucks: Tyson is one of the largest companies in the meat industry.  According to the movie Food, Inc. (which you all should see!), such large scale farming contributes to pollution, greenhouse gases, depletion of resources, antibiotic resistance and illness in workers and consumers, and poor employee treatment.
Don’t eat: Tyson’s fried chicken fillet sandwich. For so many reasons. Gross.
Eat instead: Gardenburger’s Original Veggie Burgers Read More »


Douchebaggery: There’s an App for That

If you’re an addicted iPhone user like myself, you might like to keep up on all the hot goss on new apps. No? Just me? Super dorky? Fine. But even if you don’t own an iPhone, you should still check out this new app that Pepsi has launched for their energy drink, Amp.

This “Before You Score” app is geared towards guys who are interested in picking up chicks. And suck at it. The app breaks women down into 24 different types, including: the sorority girl, the rebound, the punk etc… “Before You Score” dispenses pickup lines, hot spots to take your type of girl (example: local Vegan restaurants for the tree hugger) and even a translator for Greek letters on the sorority girl. And if you somehow “score with Amp” there’s a quick way to brag about it through email, Facebook and Twitter.

Ta-da! Social media for the player, or, you know, douche bag. Nice work, Pepsi. Read More »


Candy Dish: Carrie Prejean is Back In The Headlines

ms-california_introDonald Trump gives Miss California the heave ho.

Dating red flags men look for.

Megan Fox loves the pot.

Yummy iced tea cocktails!

Pepsi attempts green vending machines.

This is what Heidi Montag really sounds like.


Mmmm. Cow Pee!

20070528_cow.jpgYou know the feeling: you wake up in the morning after a long night of getting your drink on and you are thirsty. Like, trekking through a desert for 3 months without a Nalgene thirsty. You crawl out of bed and reach for the first beverage you can get your hands on, be it Powerade, water, or a 2 liter of Diet Coke.

And it feels good goin’ down.

What if I told you there was an even more refreshing alternative? A drink that has the power to heal you and nourish your body. No, it’s not beer – that whole “hair of the dog that bit ya” theory is whack. It’s better than beer.

Though it may taste a bit like it.

It’s….cow urine.

Yes, it’s true. Look out Coke and Pepsi, Gau Jal, or cow water, is coming. The drink, which is made mostly of cow pee pee mixed with herbal supplements, is being touted as a healthy alternative to soft drinks. While it doesn’t sound very appealing (or hygienic), Gau Jal’s creator, Om Prakash, promises that ” it won’t smell like urine and will be tasty too.” Read More »


The Love List: Super Bowl Sunday Funday Edition

chips_and_dip.jpg[Welcome to my Weekly Love List, a list on all things I love. Because if I love them, well, obviously you should love them too. As the Backstreet Boys song says (and yes, I am actually quoting them) “My Love is All I Have To Give.” So with that throwback, here are this week’s list-worthy things…]

I’ll be the first to admit it. I love Superbowl Sunday for three reasons and three reasons only:

1.The food

2. The advertisements (Remember Britney Spears’ Pepsi commercial/music vid that debuted during the Superbowl? Sigh. Those were the days)

3. The food

There used to be 4 but then Justin showed Janet’s boobs, the FCC went crazy, and the halftime shows became lamer than my past few Saturday nights, which included watching Little Einsteins with my nephew (need I say more?).

Anyways, here is my Super Bowl inspired Love List. Because with the biggest sporting event of the year comes a lot of food things to love. Read More »


I Do the Dew: Do You?

nullAlright, I have a confession. My name is Jen, and I’m a Mountain Dew addict. It’s my drug. It’s my euphoria. It’s my baby blanket of comfort and warmth and all-is-well-in-the-world. And right now, I’m sitting with a two-liter bottle cradled in my lap like a lime-green toddler.

I know what you must be thinking. EVERYONE has their weaknesses. But mine’s a little out of control. Sure, some people cross the street for Starbucks instead of Dunkin’ Donuts. Sure, some people can’t make it through a bad day without a pint of the gooiest, most-fattening Ben and Jerry’s flavor (uh, did you know our favorite boys now make Cake Batter? Yeah, I know. Look out waist-line, plus-size ahoy).

But do they base their entire college existences around their indulgences? I think not. Read More »


Quickie: Justin Timberlake + Pepsi = Funny

I admit, I’m one of those people who watch the Super Bowl mostly for the commercials (although this year, I almost shed a tear when my New England Pats choked at the end…NH pride, baby!), and while advertisers were mildly funny yesterday, there were really only a few commercials stood out for me.

One featured Justin Timberlake getting his ass kicked. Now, I’ve never really been JT’s biggest fan; I don’t find him that attractive, I’m not really into his music, and sometimes I think he comes off kinda self-involved…but I gotta hand it to the guy: the more he acts, the better I like him.

Also, who isn’t into watching someone getting hit in the nuts not once, not twice, but three times?!


Britney Inspires True Art…Well, Hipster Art

britney spears babyAt least Britney Spears is an inspiration to someone.

TMZ has posted a video of artist Ryan Crotty’s alarming “installation” which was based off of the life of everyone’s favorite trainwreck.

Basically a baby doll being force-fed a Pepsi with it’s hand shoved into a bag of Cheetos, Crotty’s art was paraded down the streets of Los Angeles and –thank God– it was all captured by TMZ.

I want to hate on this “artist” so badly, you guys. You have no idea. With his dated “trendy” neckerchief and stupid oversized glasses, he looks no different than any East Village hipster (what’s the LA equivalent? Anyone?).

You know he’s a Perez-reading, VH1-watching, beer guzzling (probably only Pabst, though) dude…except he’s a “creative”-type.

You know what I mean. He shops at H&M and answers to no one!

Ugh. Spare me. This is art? This is what inspires the masses? This is the best we can do?

Either way, can we all agree that with this mockery of art, Britney has officially jumped the shark? Okay, so she’s a bad mother. Kevin Federline is suing her. She’s a crack-pot with bad taste in…everything. Read More »


Is That Gross Energy Drink Really Better Than Coffee?

red bull

Energy drinks.

Most of us have tried them, and some of us have tried them all. Every week another choice seems to pop up, promising everything from a little “oomph” enhancement to a metabolism increase to an “illegal” amount of taste.We swallow them down because we want the boost, not because they taste anything near good, many of us foregoing coffee for a chemical concoction because of it’s supposed higher caffeine content.

Not to disappoint you, but the amount of stimulant in that sugar-and-piss liquid may be lower than its advertisers would have you believe. Read More »