It’s that time of year again: cold season.

Ew.

I’ve been noticing more people sneezing, which is why sanitizer is my new BFF. Unfortunately, thanks to all the common surfaces in college – computers, desks, ice luges – no matter how hard we all try we are gonna catch a cold. Pretty much everybody does. Even if they can avoid the germy keyboards and doorknobs on campus, the change in weather usually has them sniffling before too long.

But I have the cure for what ails us all: the best chicken soup EVER. Don’t use that canned stuff; the time and effort to make this soup is totally worth it. It will fill you up and make you feel all warm and toasty inside, no matter how chilly and snowy it is outside.

What you’ll need:

A pretty big pot

1 whole chicken

2 onions

3 carrots

About 6 small red potatoes

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon basil

1 1/2 teaspoons cracked black pepper

Salt to taste

1 bag egg noodles

Time to Cook:

1. First, you better clean the chicken. If you’ve never been witness to this before, the stores don’t take all their, um, insides out before they sell it. So you have to pull out the gizzard and everything else. Once you get the chicken cleaned out from the inside, give it a good wash inside and out. Just rinse the bird a couple of times in cold water. If you want to take the skin off or trim the fat, feel free to, but I usually leave them on. It enhances the flavor.

2. Cut both onions into quarters. Stuff one onion inside the chicken and salt and pepper the inside also. While you’re at it, peel the carrots and cut them into good size chunks and set them off to the side. Go ahead and wash the potatoes too, and cut them into even sized chunks.

3. Take the pot and fill it 3/4 of the way with water. It needs to be big enough that the chicken can soak and the water can boil but not boil over.

4. Add the other onion, the carrots, and the potatoes to the water. Add the garlic, oregano, basil, and pepper to the water. Add a little salt, but not too much (you can add more later).

5. Add the bird (carefully!) and crank the stove to medium heat. Bring the soup to a boil and then turn the heat to low.

6. Here’s where the waiting comes in: it’s going to take roughly six hours for the soup to get nice and yummy. Every hour, flip the chicken over in the pot (carefully!) so that it cooks evenly. Around the sixth time you flip it, the chicken should begin to fall apart.

7. Once the chicken starts falling off the bone, take it out of the pot. Leave heat on low to keep soup warm. Debone the chicken, making sure to strip the meat carefully. Once you’ve finished that, set that juicy chicken aside.

8. Take some standard egg noodles and add them to your broth. Turn heat back up to medium. Cook them for roughly fifteen minutes, then add the chicken back to the pot. Once you add the chicken back to the pot, turn the heat off.

You can store this soup easily and reheat it on the stove or in the microwave. It’s awesome with saltine crackers or some nice buttery ones. It seems kind of intensive, but trust me, this soup beats any canned chicken noodle any day.

(Photo courtesy flickr via edestlin)

And dressed in leather.

$400 of makeup products for free? Sign me up!

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Mac teams up with Hello Kitty. So cute.

Note to self: keep potatoes away from butt.

I don’t want anyone else to have to live like that. Looking fabulous is everyone’s right no matter what size! So here are some shops (online and at the mall) to visit to find that inner-whatever-your-personal-style diva.

Remember ladies: Don’t be afraid to mix and match. Just because you can’t find a top to those jeans at that store doesn’t mean there’s not one for you at the next. And if it doesn’t make you feel fabulous, it’s not worth buying.

1) Lane Brynt

Yeah, this is a no brainer. I didn’t start this list off with Lane Bryant because it’s the most fab place, but because it does have something that every girl needs. A good bra. Vicky’s (Victoria Secret) can get kind of pricy for us larger busted ladies and I found that LB had a good quality product for an excellent price. But don’t discount them too quickly. They have some cute separates and are a good place to get old standbys (i.e., black pants, solid colored tees, dresses) to outfit your wardrobe. The prices are a little more on the high end but the clothes are well made and well worth it.

2) Macys

Believe or not they have a really good selection of very cute things for plus sized girls. It’s not all your mama’s clothes. I personally only shop the clearance racks at Macys. They have some excellent deals. You can get plenty of items to augment your look from here as long as you buy off season. For example, swimsuits are super cheap right now. Getting ready for next summer, anyone?

3) Mechanical Bunny

The internet is a place full of wonder and majesty. And also clothes. So for our more punky/goth/just alternative ladies out there (of which I am clearly one!) Mechanical Bunny has what you’re looking for. Their stock is rather small but it does have diversity. They also add new items constantly, so check back often to see what they’ve put up.

4) Torrid

Their stock is awesome! Little school-girl skirts, drop dead sexy dresses, sultry shirts and tops. And the clothing quality is good, as well. They have a different sizing system (instead of 18, 20 it’s 1, 2, 3) but there is a comparison chart on their site. There’s a range of prices, but it’s all still pretty reasonable.

5) Dots

This is a chain store that carries plus sizes as well as junior miss. The clothes aren’t the best quality, but they’re cute and cheap. It also caters to a variety of styles, so it’s a sure shot that you’ll find something you like there if you dig. There’s no online shop so you’ll have to look for a location near you. Well worth it; a little bit of cash goes a long way there.

6) Fashion Bug

This is another chain store. Same do as Dots for the most part, just a little more well-known. The store is stocked with very cute things and has a little more to offer if you are looking for more professional attire. You will have to pick through some ugly stuff, but the deals you will find are well worth the time.

7) Target

Probably the easiest place to shop. It’s darn near everywhere, including the web! The clothes are super cute and nicely priced. Once again, STALK the clearance rack! Tons of styles for work and play. The clothes are of pretty good make and everything is reasonably priced. A great stop no matter what your style is!

So I hope this little list helps you out. There are a ton of other places to go to as well. Old Navy, Forman Mills, not to mention the slew of little boutiques that can be found all over the place if you look hard enough. Chime in if you have any other goodies!

Happy shopping, lovelies!

[Photo courtesy of dapperdiva.com]

The Top Three are the very three foods I would choose if I were given only that many to eat for the rest of my life with no detrimental effects on my health or waistline. Yes, I hypothesize random things like this on a semi-regular basis. Judge away. You can justify yours however you want, but here are mine and why I love them so:

1) Movie theater popcorn. I can’t say no. If I go to a movie and don’t overpay for that greasy, glorious popcorn, it’s not a real theater experience for me. I would substitute it for a meal. Clearly this is horrible for you, so my fix when I’m being calorie-conscious is to make 94% fat free and douse it in I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Spray. If this doesn’t do the trick, and I’m really craving the grease, I’ll sometimes melt light butter/something to the effect of the low fat buttery spreads in a bowl and drizzle over my popcorn. Yes, I’m adding unnecessary fat, but at least I know how much I’m putting in and I’m controlling it. I don’t have one of the oil dispensers in my apartment, and therefore have to behave a little bit.

2) Ice cream. I could probably eat myself sick on Moose Tracks or anything Ben and Jerry’s. But I can’t eat ice cream without guilt, and so have made an easy transition to frozen yogurt. For one, it’s ridiculously easy to find, in Manhattan alone there are at least three or four chains off the top of my head, not to mention stand-alone shops. For two, it does the trick. It’s light, cool, creamy, sweet, and satisfying. If I need something richer, I go for gelato, which is portioned smaller for you. If I need something fruity, I’ll go for sorbet, which is a healthier bet yet. Fruit clearly is better for you than anything tasting like fudge or caramel, but I can only be so strong.

3) Potatoes. Mash them, fry them, bake them, do what you will, but I could live off of potatoes. If, you know, I didn’t really need protein or anything. The best part of these guys is you can incorporate them in any meal without being detrimental to your waistline. In case there was any question, yes, fries are terrible for you. But a baked potato, or the little red ones (sometimes called “new potatoes”) boiled and served with butter/spray butter and light sour cream, a little salt and pepper, are delicious.

You can also cook potatoes with onion in non-stick cooking spray in a frying pan and eat with ketchup for a great breakfast or brunch side, or add them to your plate if you’re grilling. My dad’s trick is to grill potatoes along with whatever meat he’s cooking. Take a sheet of tinfoil and grease it (Pops has no concern for his health and uses straight-up butter, but you can use nonstick cooking spray and light butter/buttery spread), then adding cleaned, chopped potatoes and chunks of onion with a few dabs of butter/buttery spread to keep them from charring. When they’re done, they’re just roasted deliciousness that sometimes doesn’t even need ketchup.

How does my list size up? What couldn’t you live without?

For those of you who have moved onto bigger and better things – mainly, an apartment or house on campus – a can of Spaghetti-O’s also makes quite a handy dinner. But, let’s be honest, there are only so many nights that you can handle the sound of the noodle/sauce combo loosening its grip on the inside of a Chef Boyardee can and plopping (still shaped like said can, mind you) into your microwave-safe bowl.

Not to mention the awful nutritional information.

Being that you are finally grown up enough to live in the college equivalent to a big girl bed (a house/apartment on your own!) it is time to step away from the microwavable meals of your past and move onto something far superior…without much extra work.

Below is a list of some super easy, super tasty and even super healthy alternatives to the microwavable meal. Step away from the Easy Mac, ladies; it is time to fire up the stove for a dinner your mother would be proud of, without cutting into your bar….er….study time. Just mix and match some of these tasty ideas and you have yourself a real dinner.

Steak – A nice juicy steak seems far more daunting then it really is. Just buy your favorite cut, marinate it in some teriyaki sauce for 30 minutes and throw it in a pan sprayed with cooking spray or with a bit of olive oil. Cook it on the stove on medium to high heat until it is ready for your liking. And don’t be afraid to cut it open to check; you aren’t Mario Batali, after all.

Italian Chicken: Put a chicken breast in a Ziploc baggie with some Italian dressing (I prefer the light kind) and let it marinate for 30 minutes. Then, put it on a baking sheet sprayed with some cooking spray and bake it at 375 for 12 minutes. Check it and if its not ready (or its still pink/gooey inside), put it back in for a few more minutes. Note: You can do this with any sauce or dressing.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes: Cut up a potato and put it in a pot of water on the stove. Cook until tender to touch, or about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, take half a cup of milk and boil it on the stove with a tablespoon (or more, if you like stuff garlic-y) of minced Garlic. Once the milk starts smelling like garlic, remove it from the heat and strain out the bits of garlic. Strain the potatoes, mash em with a fork, pour in the strained garlic milk and you have yourself some creamy garlic mash.

Grilled Vegetables: Cut up your favorite veggies and grill em on your trust George Forman. Don’t have a GF? Just put em on a baking sheet (again, sprayed with some cooking spray), throw a little salt on there and roast them in the oven at 400 degrees.

Stir Fry: Grab your favorite vegetables and protein (chicken, shrimp, tofu), cut them up and throw them in a pan with some olive oil. Once they are looking nice and done, throw a little soy/teriyaki sauce over top and let it heat up a little longer. You can even make some minute rice (instructions on the box) and throw it in the pan towards the end for a delicious and healthy version of your late-night takeout favorite.

Easy Chili: Get two cans of beans, two cans of diced tomatoes, a can of tomato juice, a chopped onion and a packet of taco seasoning. Dump it all in a pot. Add some beef crumbles (or the fake stuff if you are a vegetarian) and let it cook on the stove for 20 – 30 minutes. This will last you all week and is the perfect meal to get you through the winter.

Oven Baked Fries: Take a potato and cut it into thin slices. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray, lay the potato slices on there, spray the tops with cooking spray and dust with your favorite seasonings. Bake em for 10 minutes on 400 (or until crisp). The perfect side-dish for a nice steak.

Got any other easy recipes? Let us know!

• Note: Using a traffic cone as a wizard hat isn’t cute…even when you’re 3. (Daily Mail)

• The average person in the UK drinks 189 bottles of wine, 37 bottles of whiskey or 1,137 pints of beer per year…which is roughly half of what the average American going to a state school consumes. (Daily Mail)

• Top Story! Theives steal potatoes!! In the UK (of course). (thisislincolnshire.co.uk)

• Hey guys, smoking is bad for you! Now you know. Oh! And it doesn’t help you lose weight either, so just quit already! (news.com.au)

• Barack vs Hilary vs Colbert? You decide…on Facebook! (COED Magazine)