Finally — summer’s over! It’s time for sweaters, boots, Starbucks’ signature fall drinks, and for those leaves to start falling. You could spend all fall hunched over your computer worrying about mid-terms, or you can get in touch with your seven-year-old self that took time to relish the changing leaf colors, the local pumpkin patches, and of course, the cooler weather.

Here are five things that you probably enjoyed during your childhood that you can still enjoy this fall. (Editor’s Note: especially if you add a little spiked apple cider.):

1. Go Apple Picking: Throw on some jeans, find a cardigan, and head to the nearest apple orchard. Now that fall is here, apple orchards should be open to the public. Not sure where the closest apple orchard is? Check out Pick Your Own for all the details of the farms and orchards near you. Not only will this get you outside to enjoy the nice fall weather, it will give you a reason to bake. Once you pick out those perfect apples, call your mom and ask for her apple pie recipe, make some caramel apples, or brew cider (feel free to add alcohol, of course). Baking isn’t your thing? Well, you know what they say: “An apple a day keeps the doctor away,” and that can’t hurt either. 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 »

Happy Halloween, CollegeCandies! We hope you started your morning off right: with a Pumpkin Spice Latte and a bowl of candy corn pumpkins. Mmmmm.

We know that most people count down to birthdays and Christmas, but Halloween is our favorite holiday of the year by far. I mean, there are costumes! And candy! And scary movies! And candy!

Oh wait…we said that one already.

Since we love this day so much, this week we asked our writers to weigh in on their favorite Halloween traditions. Some are old, some are new, but all are reasons to make this our #1 holiday.

Olua: Since my family never let me celebrate Halloween, I used to love watching all the cartoon specials they showed Halloween week. They also used to give us candy in class. Good times.

Kathryn S.: Getting wasted in a vinyl dress. Spill all the beer you want on me, it’ll slide right off!

Erica – Kent State: Carving pumpkins. This year my roommates and I did it surrounded by Carlo Rossi, pumpkin shaped cookies and our kittens. Then we baked the seeds. Delicious!

Carly – Grinnell: I love handing out candy to kids at the door. I just think it’s so fun to look at their costumes. Oh, and watching scary movies. Yessss.

Kelly – UMass: Keg stands in a slutty costume Read More »

The New York Times recently came out with a list of the top 11 easily accessible foods of which people should really be eating more. While I can’t say there are any real shockers on the list, I am pretty happy with my diet where it stands.

It’s definitely nice to know that the Times was thinking about regular people and regular grocery stores when they made this list (for example, you won’t find any pleas to track down and eat foods like arrowroot or Cornish game hens), but honestly, who is going to read this list and think, “Swiss chard and fresh beets! Now that I know this, I’d better get a move on to the grocery store!”?

Without further ado, I present to you the list and my own personal commentary on each food:

1. Beets. I’m not going to lie; I actually kind of like beets, but I haven’t eaten them for years, not since they were prepared for me from a can in my school’s cafeteria. Actually, that’s not true—I did buy some actual fresh beets a few weeks ago and try to cook them in the oven, but it was a disaster. They ended up not softening enough and dyeing those hard-to-reach spots between my fingernails fuchsia for two days. Read More »