Do you loooove breakfast, so much so that you often eat it again for lunch, and dinner? You could pull off the thrice-daily cereal routine -and yes, I’ve been a culprit – but as great as three servings of Frosted Flakes tastes, I’ve got a dish for you that is as wholesome as a hot breakfast, delicious as a quick lunch, and hearty as a home-cooked dinner. It’s easy, it’s quick, and it’s ethnic to boot.

It’s shakshouka!

Native to North Africa and the Middle East, shakshouka is a breakfast often served straight out of the skillet, with a side of pita bread in which to stuff the piping hot concoction. However, I am a celiac, which means I’m gluten-intolerant (can’t eat anything containing wheat, barley, or rye).  I’m also a distance runner, and I’m constantly looking for more protein to stay full and rebuild muscle. Hence, the following recipe, which reflects my own spin on the ethnic favorite. The chickpeas and black beans offer lean, healthy proteins and the rice, a staple in the celiac diet, allows this classic breakfast to transition easily to lunch or dinner.

Yeah, it might be hard to pronounce, but this stuff is easy to make.
See for yourself!  Read More »

My bartending style tends to run less towards the carefully measured, tried-and-true recipes and more towards the “What’s in my fridge right now?” trial-and-error method. I rarely use actual measures, because what is “good” depends on how many people are drinking, how liquored up they want to be, and how well they hold all that liquor.

That being said, I have a few favorite drinks that do really well in cold weather.

Peppermint Hot Chocolate:

This ain’t your grandma’s hot cocoa. (Or maybe it is…) I like to add a few drops (or shots) of Peppermint Schnapps to hot chocolate for an immediate warm-up. Make the cocoa with milk if you like it creamier.

Cinnamon Vanilla Cream:

One day my love of Starbucks and alcohol collided, and this drink was born. I just poured some Cinnamon Schnapps into my Vanilla Crème, and – voilà – an innocuous looking brew. Yes, I did keep it all in the Starbucks container. You can make your own Vanilla crème by warming up milk, adding a drop or two of vanilla extract, sugar to taste, and topping it off with whipped cream.

Hot (Spiked) Apple Cider:

First, you need to find some alcoholic apple cider. It’s probably somewhere between the beer and wine sections. Two bottles is a good amount to start with. On the stove, get it simmering with two cinnamon sticks, a tablespoon of cloves, a little bit of sugar and some nutmeg. What really makes it piping hot though, is the addition of either rum or apple brandy. Be generous, ladies – the apple cider has lost most of its alcoholic content in the heating process. Read More »

Though it’s getting a bit chillier these days, it’s still Fall, pumpkin-flavored anything is still awesome, and there’s basically nothing better than waking up and making yourself pancakes on a blustery morning, afternoon, or night.

Ok, so maybe having some hottie do it for you would be nice, but you’ll forget all about that once you bite into these badboys.

This recipe is slightly complicated, but it’s nothing a relatively cheap trip the neighborhood grocery store and 30 minutes in the kitchen won’t fix.

And, like that thick trainer at my gym always says, “no pain, no gain.” I’m pretty sure he’s talking about a 45-minute run on the treadmill, but I just think it means all that cooking will be worth it when you’re filled with 2 lbs of pumpkin pancake bliss. Read More »

If you’re looking for major brownie points from your tailgating crew, or if you just want to win over the hearts of every carnivorous, beer-chugging dude on campus (and who wouldn’t???) try these wings on for size!

Nothing brings a crowd together like a hearty plate of buffalo wings, especially a crowd of rowdy football fans looking to nosh on something hot and tangy. This all-time bar food favorite is easy to make, and fun to share, especially when double dipping comes into play. This recipe allows you to make your treats as spicy as you like, so either curb the fire breath or BRING ON THE HEAT!

Note: This recipe calls for 24 wings. Adjust as necessary Read More »

It’s simple: French fries are good but baked sweet potato fries are better! In every way, I might add. They satisfy junk food cravings without the grease and trans fat. And you can rest easy knowing they will be good to your shrinking Coach wallet at less than a dollar an order.

Plus they’re so. damn. good. I swear, I’m so addicted to these things I thought they had crack in them until I made them myself. Turns out, it’s just sweet potato goodness. And a bit of salt.

Stuff you need:

Sweet potatoes
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper

Let the salivating begin:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Scrub the potatoes clean.

3. Cut the potatoes. As you chop away like a veritable Martha Stewart, think about how good your fries are going to taste. I know, I know. These potatoes are like freaking carrots – I never expected them to be so hard either. But try to make them all the same size and thickness so they’ll cook the same. Also, the smaller you cut them, the less baking time you’ll need, which translates to less time you’ll have to wait before you can eat the deliciousness that will be your sweet potato fries. Oh, and leave the skin on – it has valuable nutrients and gives the fries texture. Your call though, obvi. Read More »

Mmmm beer cake.

I love drinking alcohol, but weekend after weekend of beer pong and vodka shots can get old. So I got to thinking…how can I spice up my weekly binge drinking sesh?

I hit the web in search of some “unique,” “fun” alcohol ideas, and out of these keywords came the most glorious idea I have ever heard.

Cake-tails.

It seemed so simple. Why had I never thought of this before? Why drink my calories when I can kill two birds with one stone? Gobble down baked goods from the snack table while still getting my drink on?

Within minutes I had an entire list of cocktail inspired recipes and alcohol based desserts that I knew my friends would be all over. (No seriously, if they tackled my kitchen table I wouldn’t be surprised).

So here are some of my favorites. Try them out for your next girls’ night or bring it to the house party on Saturday. (If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, make 20 mini bunt cakes for a delicious Beer Pong game.) You will most definitely be everyone’s favorite guest. Let’s be real, who is going to say no to alcohol-and-dessert-in-one? That’s right, absolutely no one.

Plus, our favorite girly cocktails can continue to live on despite the fact that the cutest thing we can drink in a beer-soaked-frat-house is a jello shot – and even that’s a luxury.

Read More »

So, it’s the beginning of a new school year, and you’ve got a hot prospect. How can you woo him (or her, as the case may be) and get those googly eyes to focus only on you?

Easy.

It’s like your mom always said: the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Even if you aren’t exactly Julia Child, you can still follow instructions, and that’s all you need to do to bust out a romantic dinner that’ll have him drooling for your food and bolting with you to the bedroom.

Trust me, it’s way better to make food for your dude than take him out. Anyone can whip out a credit card, but it makes you look extra-special if you can whip out a spatula and use it like you’re supposed to. Plus, it’s obviously sweeter to make dinner than to buy it, and it gives you the opportunity to tailor what you make to what your guy really likes. (And it might even inspire him to cook for you . . . swoon!)

Before you get carried away, don’t go all Bridget Jones and try to make super-fancy recipes for multiple courses. Keep it simple, especially if you don’t have a ton of cooking experience. Odds are, your guy loves the classics: what meat-eating man would deny a nicely grilled steak or a plate of spaghetti just like his mom used to make?

So set out that tablecloth, light those candles, put on some tunes, and give these two tried-and-true recipes a whirl. Read More »

You scream, I scream, we all scream for ice cream.

But I scream the loudest.

And my abs scream quite differently. That’s why I totally flipped out (in glee!) last weekend at Target while shopping for a blender. I wanted to buy one to make fruit smoothies and iced coffees instead of spending $5 a pop at Jamba Juice. When I dragged my friend along with me on my quest for smoothie heaven, she informed me that she also uses her blender religiously….for bananas.

WTF? That sh*t is bananas. B-A-N-A-N-A-S. (Sorry, couldn’t resist.)

But then she told me that if you first freeze the banana, then blend it until it’s completely fluffy, it tastes just like soft serve ice cream! And guess what yummy flavor it comes in? Needless to say, I had to try it out, so my Target bag included not only a new 10-speed blender, but also a nice giant bunch of bananas. And now all I can say is… YUM.

Stuff you need:

2-3 frozen bananas
A powerful blender
Your favorite toppings (May include: berries, dried fruit, hot fudge, syrup, chocolate sauce, cinnamon, sprinkles, granola, even more cut-up bananas.) Read More »

Remember those nasty instant-oatmeal packages you would toss in the microwave on those mornings when you were all hungover but starving? Yeah, forget them. This isn’t that. This is waaaaay, way better.

Oatmeal is the perfect breakfast to warm you on a cold winter morning, or to keep you full and alive in a long, boring lecture until lunch. It’s tasty, healthy and super versatile, meaning it’s pretty much the perfect college meal.

So how do you make it well? It’s simple.

First, you need to get yourself some rolled oats. Not the quick-cooking kind – the regular kind. The only other staples you’ll need are milk (any kind, even soy is OK) and salt. And we all have that stuff lying around, right? Once you’ve got that down, then you can lay out your own personal oatmeal sundae bar: nuts, dried fruit, cream, sugar, honey, fresh berries, yogurt, chocolate chips, etc.

So here’s how you make your oatmeal:

1. In a small saucepan, put 1 cup of milk (or 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup milk) and a sprinkle of salt. Set the saucepan on medium-high heat.
2. When the milk starts to bubble up and simmer, pour in 1/2 cup rolled oats. Reduce the heat to low.
3. Cook at a simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring every so often so the oatmeal doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
4. When the oatmeal is the consistency you like, scoop it out and serve it! Read More »

When it comes to snacking, it doesn’t get much easier than chips and salsa. But it definitely gets more interesting.

Chips and apple dip…now that’s what I’m talking about. This treat is kinda like eating a bunch of mini apple pies, except these babies will save you major calories and take you about two seconds flat to make. That means this is the perfect study snack, but it can also be used for just about any occasion: it’s unique enough for a fancy appetizer at a dinner party and definitely easy enough to bust out for a pre-game snack. And the dip is finger-licking good. Literally – I eat it with my fingers. Mmmm.

And there is no better time than right now – apple season – to whip up this little snack.  This dip actually lets you taste the fresh apples you use for it, so take advantage of the cooling weather and grab yourself some nice fat apples for this healthy and totes delicious recipe. Read More »