Forget the cupcake, 2011 was the year of the cake ball. The little tiny ball packed with cake and frosting and covered in chocolate. It was like heaven came to earth and decided to rest in my mouth. Seriously they’re that good. And now, you can make them at home. We came across this awesome recipe on our Pinterest (hint hint: follow us) and wanted to share it.

Need some motivation? Check out all these amazing cake balls, just be sure to wipe the drool off your face before you start cooking.

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Say whaaaat? Look, my “healthy” snacks barely make it under a hundred calories. How in the world can my dinner top that?

Introducing one of my absolute favorite foods – spaghetti squash. Now, this gourd was introduced to me about a year ago, but I never actually bought into it. I thought it was just another one of those healthy food items that tasted really bland and would just be a phase. Boy, was I wrong!

It’s called spaghetti squash because it is the perfect substitute for pasta. It has a medium-heavy texture that looks like spaghetti and tastes a little sweet. Want to know the best part? Here are the nutrition facts for one cup of this delicious squash:

42 calories, 0g fat, 10g carbs, 2g fiber, and 1g protein

Ummm, amazing! It tastes great paired with marinara sauce and turkey meatballs. Due to my crazy work out schedule, I have to eat more than one cup (which is a huge splurge, I know) but it’s so fulfilling. If you ever have a food cheat day, this will easily put you back on track.

I’m not a homemaker, so anything that involves lots of preparing and waiting is not my thing. Fortunately, it’s super easy to make this. Here’s the quick and easy!

1. Purchase spaghetti squash. It’s only $2.99 at Trader Joe’s and I think it turns out to be a similar price at other supermarkets.

2. Cut the squash in half or poke 10 holes in it. If you can get it to cut open, it will look like a pumpkin inside. Simply pull out all of the seeds.

3. MICROWAVE it! I know, right? It’s like making cup of noodles. Microwave the whole squash on high for about 15-17 minutes (depending on how big the squash is). You can also steam or bake it, but it takes much longer.

4. Take it out of the microwave. Use a fork to scrape the inside of the squash. It will come out in strands, just like spaghetti! So fun. It’ll be extremely hot, so just be careful.

5. Serve with marinara sauce, meatballs or sauce up your own creation.

So easy, right? I’m not skipping any steps – I promise! Try your miracle 100-calorie dinner and let me know what you think. I’m so addicted to it and I hope you love it too. Remember, a healthy body is comprised of 80% nutrition and 20% fitness. Fill your body with only the best.

[There are over 100 million sites on the Internet. 100 million! You might think you know about all the important ones (CollegeCandy, Gmail, Google, Facebook…), but there are thousands of other sweet sites out there (like Fellow Up, Swap.com and LiveProfile) and more showing up every day! We get it – it’s not easy or fun sifting through the crap and porn to find those gems, so we’re gonna bring the gems to you. Just sit back, kick up those feet and allow us to introduce you to the diamonds in the internet rough.]

I’ve always been a food lover, but it wasn’t until I moved out on my own that I really developed a fondness for cooking. I’m still only a beginner, so I love trying out new recipes to practice my technique. Lucky for be, the internet is a wealth of information and I’ve discovered tons of great recipe sites on the web — but recently, I discovered one that puts all the others to shame: Foodily.

Foodily (the “-ily” stands for “I love you”) is, according to the site, the largest recipe network on the web. You can access all these recipes by searching for recipes themselves or simply by typing in certain ingredients you like (and/or excluding ingredients you don’t like). From there, Foodily will pull recipes from food blogs and food sites like FoodNetwork.com, FineCooking.com, and Martha Stewart and display them in a side-by-side gallery where you can compare recipes by  glancing at the ingredients and prep times. Read More »

[I love food. I knew when I started writing for CollegeCandy, I would inevitably write about yummy, delicious food. So when I heard CC was on the lookout for a new cooking columnist, I was all "ME ME ME!" I'll be bringing you latest and greatest college-friendly recipes every Sunday. Now let's nom nom.]

Eating food is an important part of everyone’s life. But for college students, it can really be a challenge considering we are working with some serious restrictions: time, money, and materials. This week, I’m going to introduce you to one of my staples of college life: canned white beans. I first discovered them about two years ago when I was looking for an easy way to get more protein in my diet. Since then, I have found a million and one ways to use them. Really, you can add these guys to anything. My favorites? Leftover spaghetti and salads. Mmm.

White beans are high in calcium and iron, as well as a great source of protein. They are also super cheap (score!); a can of white beans costs about 85 cents.

The recipe I’ve decided to feature is one that you can really change to include whatever you like. It provides a great stand in when you are craving bean dip… or if you just feel like dipping a salty, delicious tortilla chip in something. It is also super easy to mix up in a dorm room.

Read More »

If you’re enjoying a three-day weekend right now, you have your favorite Italian to thank for that. No, not The Situation – Cristoforo Colombo! (Ok. It’s not St. Patrick’s Day or Cinco de Mayo, but for us real-life Italian Stallions, Columbus Day is as legit of a holiday as we’re going to get). So, besides an extra night of shots at the bar, why not celebrate with an easy twist on an Italian favorite–sausage and peppers!

The Ingredient: Sweet Peppers

These are one of the most versatile vegetables in any pantry. Sliced, they make a great pair with carrot sticks to dip in hummus or ranch for a snack. They’re spectacular when grilled with a lick of butter or olive oil and slapped on a sandwich. And toss ‘em in any stir fry or omelet for extra crunch. What makes the pepper so nutritious? With more than a full day’s worth of vitamins A and C, they’re poppin’ with free-radical fighting antioxidants. Read More »

Though we’ve certainly celebrated our fair share of cupcake recipes here on Intro to Cooking, I hope the foodies out there can forgive me for serving up another cupcake creation. Hell, you should, because these babies combine the two most important culinary elements of college in one mind-blowing, gut-busting dessert:

BEER. CUPCAKES.

Did I know you could make cupcakes from beer? Would I have without-a-doubt gained the Freshman 500 had I known about this back then? I mean, is the freakin’ pope Catholic?

To be fair, the baking process will dilute the alcohol, so you won’t be able to get drunk off of these babies, but there are many health benefits to beer so these are basically like eating a vegetable.

Please consult the following recipe by Big City Little Kitchen, who recommends adding more Guinness to the icing for an extra kick, for the ultimate collegiate culinary bliss. 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 »

If you’ve been a CollegeCandy reader for some time, you know we run our Intro to Cooking series every week, where even the most kitchen-shy co-ed can find easy, yummy recipes to please her suitemates (and sweet tooth!). Well, we’ve changed up the syllabus for Intro to Cooking: you’ll still get the fabulous recipes you love, but we’ll be including background nutritional info on specific ingredients that are must-haves in every college girl’s pantry.

This Week’s Ingredient: Sugar Snap Peas

It’s well known that a surefire way to rev your metabolism and curb hunger is to have a healthy snack on hand for a quick nibble between meals. But have you ever noticed that most of the go-to snacks (raisins, granola bars, apples) we pack to stabilize blood sugar are really just…sugar? Although many of these items are perfectly healthy and have naturally-occurring (rather than added) sugars, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. So if you’ve been looking for a tasty, portable snack that won’t give you a sugar crash, look for a different kind of sugar: sugar snap peas!

For a one cup serving size, these little babies (a hybrid between the green and snow pea) weigh in at just 41 calories, packed with riboflavin and dietary fiber. And while most of their calories do, in fact, come from natural sugars, consider that a single serving contains but 4 grams, while just one small box of raisins contains a whopping 25 grams.

Easy Snacks

1. Toss a handful in a sandwich bag with some sea salt and/or some parmesan cheese.
2. Serve with hummus and carrot sticks as a side.
3. Serve with cold pasta as a light and summery meal or warm with a little olive oil, basil, and chicken for a complete dinner. Read More »

The summer solstice has passed, school is out, and if you’re like me, you’re probably sitting in a pool right now. A pool of your own sweat, that is. Yes, it’s that time of year when it’s just too hot to even think about cooking, let alone come up with a recipe. But if the thought of another freeze-pop dinner makes you gag (I’ve totally been there), never fear—CollegeCandy is here!

This week’s ingredient: Blueberries!

Not only are blueberries in season, but they are an inexpensive and low-calorie (84 calories per cup!) snack. They’re loaded with elleagic acid, which prevents cell damage, as well as vitamins C and E, manganese, and both soluble and insoluble fiber. Still, be sure to wash them before eating, because they are among the foods upon which pesticides are most frequently found.

Easy Meal Ideas

1. Toss with a salad, oatmeal, or yogurt for a sweet boost to mealtime standards.
2. Serve with cool-whip or other crème for a refreshing dessert (hold me back…!)
3. Did you know many health stores sell dried blueberries? If you’re tired of raisins or thought craisins too sugary-sweet, these babies might be the perfect portable snack. Read More »

Got something awesome everyone needs to know about? A really rad singer? A wicked new book? A fro yo pie that will delight your belly without making it bigger?? 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!

We all know that in college our muffin tops don’t actually come from muffins but from vodka. And beer. And cocktails. And hangovers that cause to eat all sorts of muffins the next day: Chocolate, Egg Mc…you get the drill.

But thanks to culinary genius, Hungry Girl, who has given us healthy versions of just about all of our favorite foods, and her new book, Hungry Girl Happy Hour you can now have your favorite party foods and cocktails guilt free. This little “cookbook” is chock full of delicious cocktail recipes that are hundreds of calories less than the originals.

Sip on the Mango MMM-tini for just 102 calories (or 2 WW points) or a Pumpkin Pie-tini for only 144 calories.

Martinis not your thang? The book has all your favorite classics like Mai-Tais and Bloody Mary’s along with Margaritas (already made em…. SO GOOD), Sangria and wait for it… Jello Shots. (There are also fun blender drinks too!) And the De-Pudged Pigs in a Blanket and Jalapeno Swappers are just some of the yummy party food you can chow down on (guilt free) after a few of these delectable drinks. Read More »