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.)

Mix and serve:
1)    Put the frozen nanners into the blender.
2)    Blend on high for a few minutes, until the nanners get all light and fluffy and delicious-looking.

3)    Pour into a bowl and add desired toppings on top, as much as you can handle.

4)   Eat. it. up. And lots of it – this stuff is healthy, so who cares if you go back for seconds?

You know those people who screw up the brownies where all you have to do is add water? Yes, that’s me. I have screwed up popcorn, switched ingredient amounts, and frequently embarrassed my mother with my basic lack of culinary skill. However, one summer’s night when my sister and I had nothing to do I typed in “Cookie Recipes” to Google. After sifting through ladybug cookies, frosting cookies, and every variation of chocolate chip that you can imagine, I finally came across the god of all cookies:

The Peanut Butter Cup Cookie.

Taken from allrecipes.com, this cookie is not only easy to make, it is nearly impossible to screw up. The first time I made them I was ecstatic; the second time I made them, I had everyone at my aunt’s Father’s Day party telling me what a gem I was and how lucky it was that I had inherited my aunt’s natural cooking abilities. I don’t think I’ve ever been so proud of myself. To all of the peanut butter lovers out there who want to make something sweet, try these. I promise, you won’t be disappointed. Besides being easy to make, they’re totally fun, and taste…well, like heaven melting in your mouth.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk
40 miniature chocolate covered peanut butter cups, unwrapped

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda; set aside.
3. Using a mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, peanut butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla and milk. Add the flour mixture; mix well.
4. Shape into 40 balls and place each into an ungreased mini muffin pan.
5. Bake at 375 degrees for about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press a mini peanut butter cup into each ball (throwing a few of those goodies into your mouth as you go).
6. Cool and carefully remove from pan.

*Other Tips to Making These Cookies Fabulous

1. When you buy the mini Reeses Cups, stick them in the freezer. When they are hard, they are easier to stick into the middle of the cookies.
2. Most places do not sell unwrapped baby peanut butter cups, so unwrap them while your cookies are in the oven. Seriously, don’t forget to unwrap ‘em.
3. Don’t worry if the cookie balls look small – they will grow big time in the oven.
4. Microwave for 6-8 seconds when you’re ready to eat. It will make the first bite that much more orgasmic.

Merry cooking!

You could pack chips, sandwiches and candy to get you through those grueling hours of sunbathing, but why not bring along some yummy nutrition bars that help your figure and make your taste buds happy?

Here are my recommended top 5:

Gnu Flavor and Fiber Bars

Does your mouth water every time you smell the cinnabons at the mall? Do you have a hard time not finishing the whole bag of raisins once you start? If either of those apply to you, then you’ll love the Cinnamon Raisin bar. It’s only 130 calories and gives you 12g of fiber, already half of what you need per day! It is definitely my favorite, with Chocolate Brownie coming in second. The Banana Walnut is good for all you nut-lovers out there, and the Peanut Butter is a great substitute for everyone’s favorite (and surprisingly high calorie) PB&J sandwich. Plus, your heart will be thanking you for the lack of added sugar and artificial ingredients. All-natural, all the way.

Pros: flavor, fiber, and filling!

Cons: The price. And the Orange Cranberry bar. It was very… citrusy.

YouBar

If you like taking the lead and doing things yourself, this bar is perfect for you because you get to be the bar-creator! Just go to their website and pick out the ingredients you want, and voila! A pack of your very own specially-designed bars (or protein shakes too) will arrive on your doorstep. It seems to be the latest new trend in Hollywood, with celebrities like Fergie, AnnaLynne McCord, and even a G.W.W.E. spotted with ‘TheirBars’. Be careful, though, because the wrong mix of ingredients could be disastrous.

Pros: Customized to your own dietary needs, and you are able to pretend you’re a real chef for a few minutes.

Cons: Personalized anything gets pretty expensive. (But, with this CC Exclusive, for the entire month of March you can get 10% off when you enter “collegecandy” during checkout!)

Zone Perfect Bars

Getting your protein has never been easier with these bars, since one of them gives you 15 grams. That’s 30% of your RDI right there! Plus, they are chock full of other antioxidants and vitamins that I didn’t find as much in the other bars, and with more than a dozen different flavors, you’re sure to love at least one of them (I know I’ve found my match: Fudge Graham- mmm…). They’re all-natural too, and actually guarantee that you’ll love their bars; if you don’t, you can ask for a refund! They wouldn’t make that big of a promise if they weren’t really that good. And they are (the Dark Chocolate Strawberry speaks for itself).

Pros: Protein-packed, 19 vitamins & minerals, lots of yummy flavors.

Cons: Not the best choice for the calorie/carb-conscious.

Kashi TLC Bars

We love our friends over at Kashi. They’ve given us all sorts of must-have packaged foods, like their cereal (GoLean!) and dinner entrees. What I didn’t know was they’ve also given us a slew of snack bars! And just like their other products, these were both affordable AND amazingly-good (Pumpkin Pie = heaven). Too bad the bars on the small side; they are so tasty you will want to eat 10. The Crunchy! line (no, I didn’t add that ! there) is a little bigger and the calorie count it a little higher, but the Cinnamon Coffee Cake is so worth it.

Pros: Big in taste, small in price

Cons: Also small in size

Luna Bars

There’s a reason why almost every girl has eaten a Luna Bar at some point in her life. And why it’s sad if you haven’t yet. Because they are so…freaking…good…(*Ellipses required to simulate drooling effect.) These bars are made especially for us women and are tailored to our specificneeds. 35% calcium, 30% iron, and 100% vitamins C, E, AND B in my favorite Iced Oatmeal Raisin? What more could you ask for? Actually, I would ask for a more reduced calorie count, since some flavors are almost 200 calories. I do give them props for coming out with the Mini line, so we can at least try to limit ourselves (because trust me, once I let loose on those Lunas, there’s no turning back).

Pros: Every flavor is yummy plus calcium for stronger bones!

Cons: The calories.

I can’t believe we’ve never talked about them before on CC. Because Popchips are off. the. chain!

I had heard a lot about Popchips, but was a bit skeptical the first time I brought them home. That lasted about 2 seconds.

When I opened the bag, I could smell the deliciousness of the BBQ-flavored chips just waiting for me to devour them. And so I did. And they were awesome, down to the last finger-licking crumb. I found them to be light and airy, kind of like popcorn, but a lot more flavorful and crispy.

The best part is that they’re completely guilt-free! Since they’re not fried in oil, but rather “popped”  using heat and pressure (don’t worry, I don’t get it either) the chips have half the fat of a typical potato chip with no trans fat, no saturated fats, no cholesterol and no preservatives.

Here are the stats per ounce:

Potato Chips- 150 calories. 10g fat. 1g saturated fat.

Popchips- 120 calories. 4g fat. 0g saturated fat.

If that doesn’t make you wanna pop open a bag (teehee), maybe the 5 different and delicious flavors will lure you in. My favorites were the BBQ and the Sea Salt and Vinegar. But the Salt and Pepper, Parmesan Garlic, and, of course, Original were all great too (especially with some salsa on the Original – YUM).

Like they say: It was love. Without the handles. And that’s all the love I need.

I love October 28th.

In honor of this awesome (and, quite frankly, random) holiday, I decided to throw together some ridiculously good cookies. These little guys are the perfect way to celebrate my new favorite holiday. So, skip class and eat celebrate; it is a national holiday, after all.

Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies.

Whatcha Need:

1 cup organic unsalted peanut butter (doesn’t have to be organic, but, you know…it tastes better if it is)

¾ cup granulated cane sugar

1 large egg, slightly beaten

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

¾ cup dark chocolate, roughly chopped

½ cup roasted unsalted peanuts, chopped

Whatcha Do:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottoms of two 12-by-18-inch sheet pans with parchment paper (this is to prevent sticking. Greasing these flourless beauties won’t work as well, but it’s still an option)

2. In a bowl, stir the peanut butter, sugar, egg, baking soda and kosher salt until combined. Chop and then stir in the chocolate and peanuts.

3. Using a small ice cream scoop or spoon, measure out the dough into teaspoon sized balls. Place the dough on the prepared pans, spacing them so when they grow in the oven they don’t connect.

4. Bake on the middle shelves of the oven, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time, until lightly golden, about 12 to 14 minutes.

5. Eat while writing that paper you don’t want to write.

[recipe and photo from Dessert Magazine]

Fortunately, thanks to some recipes from Hungry Girl (nutritionist Lisa Lillen), I’ve compiled a few seriously good low-cal cocktails and other yummy drinks that won’t make you feel deprived, but won’t wreak havoc on your diet.

“Magical Low-Calorie Margarita”

Ingredients:

6 ounces diet lemon-lime soda

1 1/2 ounces of tequila

1 packet (two 5-cal) servings of sugar-free powdered lemonade drink mix (use half if you want your drink less sweet!)

2 tablespoons lime juice

5-8 ice cubes or 1 cup of crushed ice

Optional: lime wedge (for a cute garnish!)

Directions:

Stir all ingredients together, except for the ice. For a frozen drink, place mixture in a blender with the ice and blend until smooth. Or, you can just pour the mixture over ice and sip away!

Makes 1 serving

Per Serving: 115 calories, 0g fat, 55mg sodium, 2g carbs, 0g fiber, 0g protein

(Typical Margarita = 740 calories… ouch)

“Pina Colada Freeze”

Ingredients:

1 1/2 ounces coconut rum

1 1/2 ounces sugar-free coconut syrup

1/4 cup fat-free vanilla ice cream

1 tablespoon canned crushed pineapple in juice

1 no-calorie sweetener pack

5 to 8 ice cubes or 1 cup crushed ice

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend on high speed for about 30 seconds (until the mixture is completely blended). Pour out and enjoy!

Makes 1 serving

Per serving: 156 calories, less than 0.5g fat, 41mg sodium, 18g carbs, 0.5 g fiber, 12g sugars, 2g protein

(Typical Pina Colada = 650 calories)

“Kickin’ Cranberry Cosmo”

Ingredients:

5 ounces Diet Ocean Spray Cranberry Spray juice drink

1 1/2 ounces vodka

1 teaspoon lime juice

5-8 ice cubes

Optional: splash of diet lemon-lime soda, lime wedge (for garnish)

Directions:

Combine vodka, cranberry juice drink, and lime juice. Stir thoroughly. Combine mixture with ice, put it in a shaker (or a glass with a lid), cover tightly, and shake well. Strain drink into a large martini glass. If you’d like, top with a splash of soda and garnish with lime wedge.

Makes 1 serving

Per serving: 100 calories, 0g fat, 32 mg sodium, 2g carbs, 0g fiber, 1g sugars, 0g protein

(Typical Cosmo = 150 calories)

And here are a couple fun non-alcoholic ones (you can also subtract the alcohol from any of the above recipes, too)

“Freakishly Good Frozen Hot Chocolate”

Ingredients:

One 25-calorie packet of diet hot cocoa mix

3 ounces of hot water

1/4 cup light vanilla soymilk

1/2 ounce sugar-free calorie-free syrup (white chocolate or vanilla… you can get the vanilla at a local Starbucks, btw)

1 teaspoon sugar-free chocolate syrup

2 no-calorie sweetener packets

2 tablespoons Fat Free Reddi-Whip

5-8 ice cubes or 1 cup crushed ice

Directions:

Place hot cocoa mix, chocolate syrup, and sweetener in a glass, and stir in 3 ounces of hot water. Next, add soymilk and sugar-free syrup and stir again. Place mix in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes or until cool. Pour mix into a blender and add ice. Blend on highest speed for about 45 seconds or until well-blended. Pour into a tall mug. Finish off with whipped topping.

Makes 1 serving

Per serving: 58 calories, 0.5g fat, 184mg sodium, 10g carbs, 1g fiber, 5g sugars, 3g protein

(This recipe was inspired by the AMAZING frozen hot chocolate at NYC’s Serendipity3, which has 850 calories!)

“Mint Mocha Freeze”

1 ounce sugar-free calorie-free peppermint syrup

1 tablespoon sugar-free chocolate syrup

2 teaspoons Coffee-mate Fat Free French Vanilla powdered creamer, dissolved in 1 ounce of warm water

1 teaspoon instant coffee

5-8 ice cubes or 1 cup crushed ice

2 tablespoons Fat Free Reddi-wip

6 ounces water

Directions:

Place all of the ingredients in a blender, except for the Reddi-wip. Add 6 ounces of water. Blend on high speed for 30-45 seconds, or until completely blended. Pour into a tall glass and top with Reddi-wip.

Makes 1 serving

Per serving: 55 calories, less than 0.5g fat, 37mg sodium, 13g carbs, 0g fiber, 4g sugars, 0g protein

(Starbucks Mocha Mint Frap = 470 calories)

“Creamy Orange Dreamfloat”

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Cool Whip Free, frozen (good swap for ice cream!)

1 can diet orange soda (or you can substitute with diet root beer, too)

1 flexy straw

Directions:

Pour soda into glass. Top off with 1/2 scoop of the Cool Whip. Insert straw and enjoy!

Makes 1 serving

Per serving: 60 calories, 1g fat, 150 mg sodium, 12g carbs, 0g fiber, 4g sugars, 0g protein

I know some of the sugar-free ingredients may be out of the way to get, but they are well worth it because many are toppers and mix-ins! For example, sugar free chocolate syrup tastes delicious on your favorite fruit, lowfat ice-cream, or frozen yogurt. We all deserve a treat once in awhile, but definitely not one that we would regret!

[Picture from Hungry Girl and recipes from book Hungry Girl: Recipes and Survival Strategies for Guilt-Free Eating in the Real World]

And then…the morning sets in.

Hellooooo hangover.

What the hell? Why create something so great that turns into something so…painful? If only there were shots out there that would be totally delicious and wonderful but not cause my room to spin/head to pound/body to crave bacon the next morning.

Good news!

I know you won’t believe me when I tell you this, but there are! Just read on, little ladies.

Frosting shots, the newest wave to hit the bakery scene since the cupcake made its return, are here! Sure, they aren’t quite the same as your favorite barside beverages, but they are small, delicious and make you feel super-dee-duper the next morning. No hangovers here – just sugary bliss.

There IS a god.