Move over, Danica Patrick!

Have you heard? Everyone’s favorite Guidette has got herself a new career!

According to out friends over at PopEater, Snooki will be facing off against WWE’s Michelle McCool and Layla in Wrestlemania XXVII. (Watch her wrestling warm-up here.)

Everyone knows Snooki can hold her own in a fight. Her Jersey Shore showdowns have proven that much, but this is a whole new level of smackdown for our Snooki. Can she handle it? Maybe. But that doesn’t mean she should.  If I’m being  honest, this is not her best idea. (And that includes the whole NYE ball drop disaster.) Snooki may be cut out for bar brawls but not for wrestlemania. But if she is really looking for a “career change”, you know away from the blossoming career she’s had as a reality TV star, I’ve got a few other options for her.

1. A race car driver. Does Snooki even have a driver’s license? I’m not sure. But if she doesn’t she can get one. If only so she can wear one of those racing outfits. In leopard print. I’d just really like to see nothing but that poof popping up over top of the steering wheel.

2. A cleaning lady. Not the most glamorous job, sure. But after that episode a few weeks ago when she tackled that toilet with liquid soap I just know that Snooki has a knack for house cleaning. The faces she makes, the sound of her screeches, and her attempts to tell the difference between Lysol and Clorox Cleanup would just be a plus.

3. A bouncer. Now that we know Snooki can handle herself in a fight, I think a bouncer would be great job for her. She’d get to work in a club, wear the same outfits,  and listen to the same music.  I mean, she could work at Karma. And when the night is over she could grab one of the guys she kicked out and take him home to get it in.

I have a confession: I cannot cook to save my life.  If someone was to ask me what my specialty dishes were, my answer would be cereal and half-burnt toast.  I know I’m not the only one out there who suffers from “I’d rather just call for take out” disease.  But despite my kitchen (er….top-of-my-mini-fridge) shortcomings, I’m 100% obsessed with The Food Network.

Some people say it’s because it’s edited like porn (which makes me feel a bit dirty), but I just can’t get enough. There’s just always something to watch and drool over. And you never have to know what happened on a previous episode of Giada to enjoy whatever she’s cooking up this time (like homemade churros? OMG.) Whether its an episode of Mario Batali and his perfect gnocchi between classes, or a full day Food Network Challenge marathon – sugar showpieces, anyone? – The Food Network is my TV go-to. And now that it’s summer and all my favorite network TV shows are over for the year (until Jersey Shore starts in July…), I’m ever so grateful for my BFFs at TFN. They’re cooking up some delicious summer TV, which means I’ll have plenty to do on rainy days and too-sunburnt-t0-move nights. Read More »

I remember the day I discovered my first girl crush: I must have been 8 or 9 years old, and I had just embarked on a rite of passage that would help to define my teeny-bopping years. I had been to my first Spice Girls concert, and in addition to falling in love with the classics like “Wannabe” and “Say You’ll Be There,” I fell in love with Victoria Adams. Yes, Adams; she was not yet Mrs. Beckham and still had some meat on her bones. These days she won’t even eat a cookie.

I continued to hone in on my celebrity girl crushes, admiring them from afar; I went through a Britney Spears phase (who didn’t?), fell in love with a random contestant on MTV’s Real World/Road Rules Challenge, declared my love for Jessica Alba, Sloan from Entourage, Kristin Cavalleri from Laguna Beach, Charlize Theron, and the entire female cast of Gossip Girl, and obsessed over Giada de Laurentiis from The Food Network. Anyone that can whip up eggplant parmigiana and chocolate hazelnut brownies five days a week and still wear a size two is totally hot in my book.

The one girl (or woman, I should say) that continually I refused to crush on was Penelope Cruz. Maybe it’s because my first serious boyfriend was in love with her and I was jealous, or maybe it’s because she speaks English with a sexy Spanish accent that I have always coveted. Either way, I always argued with people who insisted that she was the hottest celebrity. That is, until I had a revelation just a couple of weeks ago. Read More »

I am absolutely obsessed with the Food Network. My friend Rachael even goes so far as to refer to their cooking shows as “my porn.” Ironic, considering that some say that the Food Network uses angles and editing similar to that of pornography to make it more appealing. I don’t know if it’s the food, the angles, or the fact that my parents refuse to buy the full cable package, but I just can’t get enough of the Food Network. Here are some of my favorite shows/top reasons to check out the most addicting of television networks. What’s your excuse?

Paula Deen’s Home Cooking: You see, I’m a nutrition major. This (in theory) means that I should be a pretty healthy eater. The thing I love about Paula Deen’s cooking is that she makes the unhealthiest food possible. I have yet to see one of her southern dishes prepared without butter, mayonnaise, shortening, or some combination of the three. Watching her make disgustingly delicious food makes me feel like I’m indulging without actually consuming and subsequently gaining ten pounds of lard.

Sandra Lee’s Semi-Homemade: Sandra Lee basically embodies who I want to be when I’m in my 30s. Why? Because she’s hot, knows how to enjoy a good cocktail (or five), and can whip up an amazing meal without actually doing any of the dirty work herself. Plus, she makes the cutest little “tablescapes” out of practically nothing. Basically, watching her show gives you hope that you can be old and still have a life (and good looks to boot). Read More »

Rachael Ray is one of my heroes, I’m a huge fan and I’m not afraid to admit it.

I am ashamed to admit however, that I’m now a fan of Robin McGraw — well, her cooking, anyway. She made an appearance on Rachael Ray’s talk show and revealed this *gem* of a family recipe, so I’d like pay it forward and share it with you!

ALMOND COOKIES:

Ingredients

1 pound (4 sticks) margarine, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

3 to 4 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup blanched sliced almonds, finely chopped

3 1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 250°F.

In a mixing bowl, thoroughly combine margarine, sugar, vanilla extract and chopped almonds using a rubber spatula. Fold in the flour – you want the dough to be dense enough to handle with your hands. Sometimes it will take more flour to make this happen, so start with 3 1/2 cups and add flour as necessary. Read More »

I am in love.

Well, sort of. This whole “love” thing tends to be a lusty daily occurrence anytime I see a man who is taller than me, has dark brooding eyes, sings, plays anything, or…cooks.

What can I say, I’m a lover.

Naturally when I stumbled upon The Amateur Gourmet’s site, the blogger turned FoodNetwork TV star, I was bitten by the smitten bug. To add to my profound love for this man, he created How-To’s like these:

How To Open A Wine When You Don’t Have A Corkscrew

How To Make Rice Pudding From Left Over Rice

How To Cure Hiccups

Obviously, he’s a man after my heart. Not to mention he’s full of wit, interesting blog posts AND RECIPES! (yippee)

Here’s one of my favorites for you all and I urge you to check him out!

PENNE WITH SPICY GOAT CHEESE AND HAZELNUT PESTO

(pasta is generally a food of choice for me because it’s simple): Read More »

I’ve decided to make my Nana a “blogstar” by sharing two of my very favorite recipes with all of my most near and dear blog friends.

Though I truly love everything that the divas like Paula Dean and Rachael Ray do on The Food Network, my Nana still wins. Hands down.

Sitting down and enjoying a recipe that you know your Dad or Mom devoured as a kid makes the meal taste even better–provided it isn’t some strangely cooked SPAM, which isn’t so delicious (though I’m sure some of you would argue about this.)

I could have kept this special meal in my recipe book, but why not share the love, right? Plus, you can make it on a relatively low budget and it’s filling!

So have at it!

CHICKEN DINNER CASSEROLE Read More »