Anticipate the Launch: Sept. 2010

*Update: The magazine will not be out until Nov. 1, 2010

Say No to Rice Kitchen!

As many of us leave the comforts of home for rented houses or apartments along the streets of East Lansing, one of the scariest aspects of this newfound independence is the kitchen. While some of you may be an Emeril or Paula Deen in the making, most of us are lazy college students whose closest encounter with Bobby Flay is flipping through the TV channels on a lazy summer day.

If inexperience or fear isn’t your excuse to avoid cooking, then what is? Since we will all be busy come fall with classes and extracurriculars, time is not to our advantage. If you have time to call up Rice Kitchen or Pizzahouse and sit around waiting for the bell to ring like one of Pavlov’s dogs, you certainly have time to cook a homemade meal. Not only does homecooking cut the time and cost of food, it is a lot healthier. The list of health problems that come as side order to restaurant food is scary and depressing: high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, and heart disease are only a few. The high amount of calories, trans fat and cholesteral in these foods is alarming and certainly not friendly to any diet. Cooking for yourself will improve your health and bulk up your wallet, not your waistline.

Here are some recipes that will take less than 30 minutes, are less than 400 calories per serving, and are easy no matter your experience in the kitchen!

Loaded Pizza

You’ll Need:

12” Boboli whole-wheat thin pizza crust

1 cup tomato-basil pasta sauce (Try Muir Glen)

2 cups shredded part-skim mozzerella

15 slices turkey pepperoini

½ cup chopped roasted red peppers

½ cup chopped green olives

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 jar (6 oz) artichoke hearts, drained

How to Make It:

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cover the crust with sauce and then cheese. Sprinkle with the pepperoni, peppers, olive, garlic, pepper flakes, and artichokes.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings/ Cost per serving $3.00/ 300 calories per serving

Chicken Fried Rice

You’ll Need:

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

4 scallions, green and whites separated, chopped (Scallion greens are best used for garnish at the end, whereas the white should be used as onions to built the flavor)

1 Tbsp fresh ginger

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium zucchini, diced

2 carrots, diced

2 cups bite sized broccoli florets

2 cups mushrooms, stems removed, sliced

½ lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, sliced into thin bite-size pieces

4 cups cooked brown rice

2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce

2 eggs, lightly beaten

How to Make It:

In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is lightly smoking, add the scallion whites, ginger and garlic and cook for 30 to 45 seconds. Add the zucchini, carrots, broccoli, and mushrooms and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, using a spatula to stir the vegetables throughout. Add the chicken and continue cooking for 2 to 3 minutes, until the pieces are no longer pink.

Stir in the rice and soy sauce and cook for another 5 minutes, allowing the rice to get crispy on the bottom. Create and empty space in the middle of the pan and add the eggs. Use a spoon or the spatula to quickly scramble the eggs until light and fluffy, then stir them into rest of the ingredients. Serve garnished with the scallion greens.

Makes 4 servings/ Cost per serving: $ 3.57/ 390 Calories per serving

Recipes are from Eat This, Not That! Available in bookstores nationwide.

Monday's Show: Fat in the Media

On Monday July 12th we’re discussing fat – in particular, reality TV programs about fat people, celebrities that deal with weight gain in the public eye, and the pressure that every-day women feel to maintain a slim body.



In recent years there has been a huge influx of reality TV programs about fat people trying to lose weight, fat families, kids at fat camp, and much more. How do these programs affect the viewers – especially viewers who identify as fat? How do the programs affect the people who participate in them? Is reality television exploiting obesity?



Just like us regular folk, celebrities also deal with fat. The only difference is that when they gain a few pounds, it becomes a massive media frenzy. In 2009 Jessica Simpson gained 10 pounds and it was splattered over the tabloid covers for the ENTIRE YEAR. People are STILL talking about it. For shame! A few other celebs we’ll be discussing who have dealt with very public weight gain are Kirstie Alley, Oprah and Jennifer Love Hewitt.

Images of "Fat" Celebrities

(Wow, "fat" celebrities look pretty regular to me...)

These pictures of Jennifer Love Hewitt were all over the media. She was slammed for her saggy ass and cellulite on her thighs.

Jessica Simpson's infamous "Mom jeans incident" which graced tabloid covers throughout 2009.

This is a clip from Jessica Simpson's recent reality series, The Price of Beauty, where Jessica and two friends travel around the world to see the extremes that women go to for "beauty."





Related articles/websites:

Biggest Loser finalist says the show gave her an eating disorder

Oprah and her weight

Jessica Simpson talks about her weight gain on Oprah

Kirstie Alley’s weight struggle

Something Fishy - website about eating disorders

How to have the perfect picnic

With summer in full swing, now is the perfect time to have a picnic. Here's all the essentials that you will need to have a memorable picnic.

• The perfect picnic basket. The picnic basket pictured above includes everything you'll need to have your perfect picnic for two.
  
• A large, over-sized blanket to lay on the grass.
• A Frisbee or other easily portable games to play.
• An easy menu consisting of already prepared food. Check out Whole Foods for a large selection of artisanal cheeses. Make sure to get crackers or a loaf of french bread to go along with the cheese you choose. Also, pick up fruits such as apples, figs and grapes to pair with your cheese and crackers. Whole Foods also has a great olive bar, so be sure to check that out as well.
  
• A good bottle of wine. Don't forget a bottle opener

So, grab all of these picnic essentials and enjoy a summer breeze with your main squeeze.

Movie Review: Knight and Day

This film was so much more than the rom-com we somewhat expected it to end up being, with a lot more action. The two main reasons for this pleasant surprise? Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz. There is no denying that this duo is made to light up the silver screen, especially since they do it swimmingly all by their lonesome, making them a brilliant pair together. Knight and Day follows secret agent Roy Miller (Cruise) on his quest to complete a mission he was never meant to. June (Diaz) gets wrapped up within and the result is a constant web of lies, romance and guns... lots of guns. There is no denying that whoever wrote this screenplay borrowed a thing or two from similar Cary Grant movies of the 1950s and 60s, like the classic Charade (alongside Audrey Hepburn). That said, we like his style.

Best on-screen moment: A scene near the film's beginning involving Miller kicking some butt while June chats herself up in the airplane bathroom, totally oblivious to the happenings in the aisle.

True or Falsies

In 1971, Maybelline revolutionized limp eyelashes with the creation of Great Lash Mascara, the first mascara to provide colossal volume and ample length. With its bright green and pink packaging, Great Lash became a staple in women’s makeup bags. Great Lash remains the best selling mascara ever created, selling 20 million tubes annually and winning countless beauty awards every year. If you aren’t a Great Lash user, someone you know is. Well, my friends and fellow Great Lash devotees, Maybelline has done it again.

In an attempt to dispel the tedious task of applying fake eyelashes, Maybelline created The Falsies Volum’ Express Mascara. It is a kera-fiber mascara that instantly builds lashes up to eight times the volume to give a false eyelash look. The brush has a spoon-style curve, which allows better access to every lash across your upper lid. The brush lifts lashes upwards and out, which gives a perfect curl, great volume and substantial length. Die-hard Great Lash fans, welcome to the future of mascara!

Maybelline, The Falsies Volum' Express Mascara, $8.99 at drugstores nationwide in July.

Matt and Nat

Socially responsible companies have always been of great interest to me. It is so important for us to think about the way that we shop. We have to be aware that what we buy doesn’t just effect us. It is greater than that and being eco and animal friendly can be just as important as looking good. The way we dress reflects who we are and there isn’t a better feeling than wearing purchases you not only love the look of, but love the making of as well. Matt and Nat is an accessory company that uses vegan leather for all of their bags. They also use recycled plastic bottles as the liners inside their bags. Each bag even tells you how many bottles were recycled to make the lining in the bag you buy. What started as a pledge by one of the co-owners to go vegetarian for thirty days, turned into this company’s idea that has grown into not only a smart buy, but also super edgy and chic designs. From wallets to satchels to rings, their current products have bold colors and designs with studs and zippers that add to this ever growing trend. Even Glee’s Dianna Agron’s (Quinn Fabray) is a fan of Matt and Nat. The bag she is carrying here is one of my favorites, along with the other products shown.



Dianna Agron Matt & Nat Yacht Nappa Bag $205



Matt & Nat Laroux - Nappa Handbag, $185


Matt & Nat Djuma Bracelet, $43



Matt & Nat Axel - Nappa Handbag, $285