Small Kitchen College Repost: The Perfect Fourth of July Dessert

I like holidays. A lot. Most people just have an extra bit of pep in their step and easiness in their voice. But me? Well, I get crazy. (But you already knew that.) So naturally, you would understand that I’m just a tad excited borderline beside myself with enthusiasm about spending the Fourth of July in the heart of the nation itself.

Red, white, and blue everything. Firecracker popsicles. Barbecues in the name of independence. Star-spangled nail polish. The national anthem…and plenty of pop dance anthems too. Fireworks? Fireworks! Uncle Sam costumes. And of course, AMURRICA!

You know— just the usual.

But despite my overenthusiastic patriotism, I feel a little guilty. The thing is, I have a little secret. Okay okay, a terrifyingly big secret. I don’t like the most all-American thing of all.

I don’t like apple pie.

Now before you go shouting, “The horror! The horror!” and registering me as public enemy #1, allow me to explain. Pie and I are just friends who were never quite meant to be. I don’t like apples when they’re cooked and mushy. Ick. Pie crust, for all its flaky tenderness, is just a tad too buttery and plain for my liking. I love making pie, but eating it just doesn’t have the same appeal. However, spending my summer in Washington D.C. without a patriotic alternative is quite simply crazy talk. And speaking of crazy talk, I’m prepared to make a bold statement.

What would you say if I told you that these summer shortcakes rock the red, white, and blue like a boss?

If I told you that they use local, in-season produce?

If I told you that they take less than 30 minutes to make?

If I told you that these Red, White, And Blue(berry) Shortcakes trump silly ‘ole apple pie any day?

You would say that I’m crazy.

Crazy awesome, that is.

**Recipe**

See more, HERE!!! 

SKC Repost: How to Make Fitness Fun

I remember being 8 years old and playing “Tag” late into a warm, summer evening. Barefoot, I padded through the dewy, emerald glades of my neighbor’s lawn, as I prepared to sprint for the designated safe area.  My heart pounded to the breathless countdown in my head.

Three. Thud. Two. Thud, thud. One. And…GO!

My limbs roared to life, gathering speed beneath me with every stride. I took off flying around the corner, aware that my brother would be in hot pursuit within seconds. The wind whipped through my hair, and I heard the tell-tale rhythm of my brother’s gait close behind me. I urged my feet on faster, faster, faster. And then, as if in slow motion, I dove through the air and tumbled into the grass. SAFE. My limbs and lungs both burned with exertion, but I laughed. It was fun—pure and simple.

Fast forward 11 years, and it feels like I live in different world. That fun of my childhood days is now called ‘working out.’ But for many more, it is a chore, a personal obligation, or even a societal necessitation. As we grow older, it seems that fitness becomes valued for what it produces rather than the act itself. It is equated with calories or a weight loss target; six pack abs or buns of steel; number of miles run or pounds lifted.

As insecurity and aesthetics come into play, fitness loses its prior simplicity and becomes quite complicated. We exercise to fit into wedding dresses or to achieve the perfect summer beach bod. It becomes a way to negate the guilt we feel for something else—our body’s natural imperfections or mind’s mistakes. Quite frequently, we use fitness with the sole intent of justifying what we eat, whether that means a Thanksgiving feast or a dessert indulgence. Regardless of the reason, we often exercise with “fun” far from the mind. Honestly but no less hesitantly, I can admit that I am guilty of this. And maybe, you have the courage to admit that you are, too.

But perhaps we as foodies, college kids, man or woman can make true fitness a goal together. We can make it a goal to find a form of fitness we love, without dwelling on its latent effects. We can exercise our ability to challenge our bodies both mentally and physically. We can remember that there exists such a thing as exercise for the sake of exercise itself. Not to lose weight; to make amends for what we eat; or to beautify our bodies. But rather, just because—just because at the end of the day, fitness need only be one thing:

Fun.

**4 Tips for Making Fitness Fun**

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!

SKC Repost: The 5 Best Cool Things to Grill

With Memorial Day announcing the beginning of beach days and the official start of summer right around the corner, it’s finally time to dust off the grill for barbecue season. Now admittedly, it’s easy to get stuck in BBQ chicken and grilled steak ruts. But hey, life’s too short. Not you. Not this summer.

Put your game grill face on. Turn up the heat (and the music.) Dance like nobody’s watching.

And show me your grillz…because things are about to get hot in here.

**The 5 Best Cool Foods to Grill**

But wait, there’s more! Wanna find out the best five best awesome barbeque-ables? Head on over to THIS CRAZY COOL PLACE, and check it out!

Small Kitchen College Re-Post: The 5 Best Birthday Breakfasts

<<Note: This is my latest post for Small Kitchen College. For the full post and other fun tidbits, head over to http://college.biggirlssmallkitchen.com/2012/05/the-5-best-birthday-breakfasts.html!>>

The 5 Best Birthday Breakfasts

by Lexi Cotcamp

When it comes to food (and hey, just about everything else), holidays are kind of a big deal.

However, the truth is, not all holidays are created equal. Christmas may be the main squeeze, but I can guarantee you that few people know the date of Columbus Day or the story behind it (#occupyNorthAmerica?).

But there exists one holiday that each individual holds in higher regard than Santa Claus himself.

Birthdays.

Birthdays are the icing on the cake of a year—an ingenious moral holiday of shameless self-promotion celebrating the one and only Y-O-U. From candles and cakes to singing and toasts, birthdays are the crème de la crème for a foodie in particular.

Posh lunch date? Sure thang.

Classy dinner bash with a friend group the size of Jamaica? Obviously.

Dessert? Is that even a question?

Amidst the delicious food coma that is a birthday though, the best meal of the day is often mercilessly thrown to the wayside. Breakfast gets relegated to the birthday backseat—smushed somewhere in between “whatever” and “ehhh.” Eager to begin the day’s festivities, one often forgets about the humble mindblowingness of breakfast.

But worry not. I’m here to tell you that breakfast can still be part of your own little individual anniversary. I’m here to tell you that a glorious breakfast is like the trailer of a great movie—just a peek of what is to come. I’m here to tell you that breakfast is one birthday present to which you shouldn’t forget to write a thank-you note.  So close your eyes; make a wish; and get ready to celebrate your birthday, a friend’s birthday, or any birthday…with breakfast shenanigans. Because you really can have your (pan)cake(s) and eat it too.

**5 Best Birthday Breakfasts**

1. Pancakes. I am wholly convinced that there is no better birthday present in this world than a heaping stack of buttermilk pancakes with warm maple syrup. To jazz up your hotcakes for a birthday, simply get creative with mix-ins. Treat your ‘cakes like a real birthday cake, and find your favorite flavor. Try adding nutella and  strawberries for a Parisian flair or apples and cinnamon for an all-American twist. And if some cake batter happens to get thrown in the mix? Well, I won’t tell. Don’t forget a candle in the middle for a true birthday (pan)cake experience!

But wait, there’s more….!

The Five Trendiest Foods of College Living

<<Hiiii all, I'm in accounting heaven (or hell), depending on the way you see look it. While I'm studying like a busy bee, check out my full post at Small Kitchen College (http://college.biggirlssmallkitchen.com/2012/04/the-5-trendiest-foods-of-college-living.html)>>

When it comes to food, style is kind of a big deal.

For a generation that is often driven by refined aesthetics, the way food looks isn’t a mere minor detail. As any chef will tell you, the presentation of a food can make or break the overall execution. That brings us to the world of food trends. From sushi to açai, from gourmet burgers to cupcakes.

We’ve always cared about the taste of food, but now we care that it’s tasteful too.

So without further ado, I’d like to introduce you to the uber stylish, the très chic, the staples and the newcomers of the collegiate food scene.

Ooh la-la, work it. Now this is what I call haute couture.

...BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE! 

http://college.biggirlssmallkitchen.com/2012/04/the-5-trendiest-foods-of-college-living.html

Recipe: Triple Chocolate Fudge Brownie Batter Truffle Balls

Yes, you read that right.

Second SKC repost!

It is very possible that this post will change your life. That you may have an epiphany. That you may discover God’s gift to man. It takes some serious balls to back up a claim like that. But believe me, you’re about to get just that.

I’d like to introduce you to Triple Chocolate Fudge Brownie Batter Truffle Balls.

Wow, those balls sound like a mouthful.

That’s what she said.

Or maybe that’s what I said, right as my maturity launched itself out the window. Chocolate³ will do that to a girl. But I digress. Let’s stop trifling and talk about truffles.

Head over to http://college.biggirlssmallkitchen.com/2012/04/triple-chocolate-fudge-brownie-batter-truffle-balls.html for the rest. And for the love of all things good and chocolatey, comment and tell your friends—college student or not, they will fall in love with this orgasmic creation