Our blog is lonely

Please excuse the recent lack of posts. It's midterms and we have been unbelievably busy. We'll be up and running in no time!

xoxo,

Those Girls.

Life without sex might be safer but it would be unbearably dull.

I do apologize greatly for my lack of post last week. I was in a car most of last Friday.

This week, I am going to present to you some sex tips that I have learned. Although I'm no Tucker Max, I have learned a thing or two. ;)

1. No means no. Straight up. On either end, if the sex isn't consensual, the outcome will not be pretty.

2. Don't rush it. When the time is right, sex will happen. And it will be worth the wait.

3. Relax. The most incredible feelings flow over you when you're relaxed and enjoying the moment with your significant other.

4. Pace yourself. Sex isn't a foot race. But on the other hand, it's not about stamina either. It's about making sure both parties make it to the finish line.

5. Mix it up. Sex gets boring and routine if you never throw a new position in there once in a while. Even if it looks impossible, give it a shot! It'll be a good laugh if it doesn't work out.

6. Sensation. Using your tongue is a perfect go-to. Licking all over another's body will drive them crazy wanting more.

7. Be careful. The last thing you want is to end up with things in places you didn't expect them to show up. Yikes!

8. Have fun! What's the point of sex if it isn't enjoyable? Seriously.

9. If you want to try something new, ASK!

10. Use protection. Not only on the guy's side, but on the girl's side too. You can never be too careful.

Some of these things may seem like common sense, but more often than not they can be overlooked.

Have a great weekend!

Twilight, the next Harry Potter...um NO

Not gonna lie...I read Twilight. I watch the movies. I love Rob Pattinson. I like Twilight. However, nothing bothers me more than when people feel it necessary and appropriate to compare it to Harry Potter. Actually, it's quite offensive...more so to J.K. Rowling than to me because I can't take any credit for anything Harry Potter.

Those are not "Twi-hards" (die hard Twilight fans) don't understand the Twilight phenomenon that has hit the world. To be honest I don't really understand it either. I read the series yet I would not consider myself a "Twi-hard". I will, however, say loud and proud that I am most likely one of the biggest Harry Potter geeks you will ever know. Personally, I think the Twilight Saga is an interesting read. No, it's not a really a good story or good writing, but it is interesting.

Interesting is as far as I'll go. Something else I don't understand is when people in the media...and real life, I guess, feel it's necessary to compare it to Harry Potter. There are several reasons as to why Harry Potter is better, here are 3:

1. Harry Potter has a legit plot that J.K. Rowling put much thought into. Stephanie Meyer had a dream and woke up and thought she would turn into a story.

2. Harry Potter appeals to everybody...not just teenage girls.

3. J.K. Rowling is a better writer. Her story is brand new and imaginative. Her characters are well-rounded and well-thought out. Stephanie Meyer has sparkly vampires.

There's nothing wrong with being a Twilight fan, just stop trying to compare it to Harry Potter. :)

Also...

http://www.universalorlando.com/harrypotter/

This is definitely not my last post about my boy HP ;)

And that is your weekly dose of Pop Culture with Penelope.

"Asparagus inspires gentle thoughts" - Charles Lamb

I remember when I was young, I thought asparagus was horrible. It was one of the green vegetables - which everyone knows is evil - and it has these sort of spiky, angular scales to them. Gross. Little did I know then, in my single-digits, the pure joys that asparagus would bring in my adulthood. It's one of those surprise vegetables, in the fact that they are surprisingly delicious. Plus - they make your pee green! Bonus!!

I actually found this recipe for Asparagus Pasta on my last excursion to Indianapolis over Fall Break with one of my best friends. We set aside some time to hang out with her mom one night, and after a chaotic trip to the local grocery store, we settled in for an evening of cooking and movies. I believe my friend's mom had found this recipe in a pasta cookbook, and after one look at all the yummy ingredients, we all knew that it would be a winner even before it hit our plates.

So here I will attempt to reenact that epic meal with the savory pasta sauce, succulent asparagus (I wonder if anyone has ever described asparagus as succulent before...) and, of course, lots and lots of garlic!

Asparagus Pasta

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 1/8 lb asparagus
pinch of salt, pinch of sugar
9 oz pasta (any type - I've always used penne pasta, but you could use spaghetti or whatever you had on hand)
7/8 oz heavy whipping cream (about 1 and 1/2 half pint cartons)
vegetable bullion (6oz or 1 cup)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (I used pre-shredded this time, but last time we used fresh and it was much better)
1-2 tablespoons parsley (either dried or fresh
3-4 garlic cloves (the little sections inside a garlic bulb)

1. Take a saucepan, fill little more than halfway, and set on the stove to start boiling (this will save you time later). Put the pinch of salt and the pinch of sugar into the water in the saucepan.
2. Either finely chop or grate the fresh garlic.


3. Saute the garlic on low with some olive oil in a frying pan until light brown.

4. Wash the asparagus.

5. Snap the bottom ends off the asparagus (not the ends with the floral-like tips). Throw away the snapped-off ends.
6. Cut the tips off the asparagus and set aside.

7. Cut the asparagus "bodies" into 1 inch pieces.

8. Cook the asparagus "bodies" in the boiling water, 10-15 minutes.

9. Add the tips to the boiling water and cook for 5 more minutes.
10. Put the cooked asparagus in the frying pan with the garlic, but keep the water used for boiling in the saucepan.
11. Boil the pasta in the leftover water.
12. While the pasta is boiling, make the vegetable broth (to be honest, I didn't even put vegetable broth in this time, and it turned out just fine without).
13. Pour the whipping cream in the frying pan with the asparagus and garlic.
14. Add vegetable broth to the frying pan.
15. Bring to a boil for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

16. Add the drained pasta to the frying pan.
17. Top with the parmesan cheese and parsley.

This is amazingly good with french bread and garlic-olive oil. Match with a nice Caesar salad, and you've got yourself the ultimate meal. Bon appetite!

Snatched!

Hello Friends!! Hopefully your week is going well, and you are getting excited for the weekend to come. If not, maybe this small slice of commentary will help 'up your enthusiasm' for the many possibilities one weekend can hold.

Now, I am sure that many of you can attest to the

fact that people do weird/dumb/scary/random shit when they are drunk. Well this is completely true of the event I am about to tell you. It occurred at the very beginning of the school year, and I have yet to forget about it.

There I was, resting and relaxing in my hammock after a thrilling Friday night, including fraternity parties and taco bell runs. In my 'sober' mind, I thought, "Sure, let's just take a quick sit in the hammock and then go to bed". Little did I know I would be playing witness to one of the greatest 'Snatch' events ever. (Snatch is simply a fun way of saying stealing). Anyways, so as I am staring at the stars and cars passing by, I started to hear this obnoxious noise. It was a combination of clanking high heals on the

sidewalk, girls giggling, then laughing boisterously, and then lots of SHHHH!ing; playing on repeat. With that, I quickly sat up in the hammock to see what was going on.

I watched as the group of five or six girls walked towards my house, or so I imagined they were doing. My initial reaction was that it was some of my friends trying to scare me. I quickly realized that I had no clue who any of the girls were though, and almost felt relieved as they started walking towards a different house. Now, call me crazy, but at that moment nothing seemed weird about the situation. Five

or six girls walking up to an all-male house on a Friday night=a good time had by all. However, this was apparently not the plan the girls (or the house full of guys) intended upon, as I watched the girls creep up on the side of the house. It was at this moment that I was truly engaged.

Now, obviously the girls were hammered drunk, given the rate at which they would stumble, fall, then sway as they tried to get back up again--it was humorous to count the number of times it happened (7). And even though the girls were

drunk, and it did seem oddly strange that they were going to the house so late, I still figured nothing eventful was going to come of this. Wrong.

One girl, I suppose the ring leader, continued to creep up to the house (which mind you, leaves the front door wide open all the time). As she made her way to the porch, I heard the others saying things like, "Hey, that's not our house" or "What are you doing, we don't live there". In my mind, this chick was sadly confused. But,

no matter how much her friends attempted to stop h

er, she was head strong and made it to the top of the porch. For a second in time, everything went completely silent and still. I craned my neck out to see what exactly this psycho girl was doing. That's when it happened...

SHE SNATCHED THEIR LAWN GNOME!!

That's right, this crazy girl went up to a house full of strangers and snatched the front yard gnome off of the porch. I watched as she held it over her head, like it was a trophy, and then raced down the stairs. She quickly stuffed the gnome in her purse, and I could hear things like, "I did it!! I did it!" or "I have always wanted to take that gnome!!" being shouted as the girls high tailed it down the street and to their rightful house.

With that, I took it as my cue to go to bed. When I woke up the next morning, I literally thought it was a dream, and I told all of my roommates. We had a good laugh at my bizarre dreams and left it at that. But surprise, surprise: On my way to classes that Monday, when I walked past the house, I noticed the gnome was actually gone.

Good Lookin' Out,

Camille

"Donuts. Is there anything they can't do?" - Matt Groening

It was blistery and cold today, with icky, icky snow flurrying around outside, so I decided it was time to make something homey, warm, and comforting.

I looked around on the internet a little for recipes for which I had all the ingredients to (so I wouldn't have to go out into that weather unnecessarily for an emergency run to the grocery store). This recipe for Donut Muffins from Week of Menus (http://weekofmenus.blogspot.com/2009/04/donut-muffin-doffin.html), looked easy and intriguing, and best of all - I had all the ingredients!

The recipe said that this would make a good breakfast recipe, but I made these at 4pm…and ended up eating about five of them…instead of dinner. Yes, they were that good. And hey, the recipe also said that the point of the muffins was to create baked donuts, versus fried, so I was definitely saving myself (and my ass) a little bit there.

Donut Muffins (Doffins)

Ingredients:

(Makes 12)

3/4 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup milk (I used 2%)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tablespoon butter melted

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup of sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.


2. Lightly grease a muffin tin with cooking spray. Don't use liners! The oil from the cooking spray makes the sugar stick to the sides without extra butter, which is a plus.

3. In a large bowl, beat together sugar and egg.


4. Pour in vegetable oil, milk and vanilla extract. Mix.


5. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg.


6. Pour in egg mixture and stir to combine.


7. Divide batter evenly into 12 muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full (I used a 1/4 measuring cup, and the batter divided perfectly and evenly).


8. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

9. While muffins are baking, melt butter and pour remaining sugar and cinnamon into a separate, small bowl.

10. When muffins are done, lightly brush the top of each with some melted butter (I used the back of a soup spoon), remove from the pan and role in sugar and cinnamon.

11. Let cool. These make exactly 12 doffins.

They smelled amaaazing, kind of like a mix between real muffins and pumpkin bread. Which made me think…these would be really, really good with a little pumpkin and pumpkin spices in them. Something to consider next Thanksgiving?

Also, these took me less than a half hour to make. Talk about instant gratification!

"If God had really intended men to fly, he'd make it easier to get to the airport."

This week I will be addressing travel fashion. Don't get too excited, I'm not thinking "what to wear when you get there" but rather "what to wear while getting there." As any girl knows, it is important to look your best no matter where you are and this even includes sitting in a car or on a plane for hours on end. Most college students put in their fair share of travel time. Personally, I have flown from school to home and back so many times I could do it with my eyes closed. So here are some tips for how to be cute (and comfortable!) during your commute.

Travel by Air

Confession time- I have this fantasy of meeting the man of my dreams on an airplane. I'm not sure why, perhaps I've seen too many romantic comedies for my own good. This has obviously prompted me to attempt to look good each and every time I fly the friendly skies. Because of this and the overall public nature of flying I would opt to get slightly more dressed up for air-travel than you would for car-travel. A few factors to keep in mind- 1) When you go through security you have to take your shoes off. While this is sort of a "duh" in this post-9/11 world of ours, it kind of stresses me out. My problem is this: I hardly ever wear socks, even in winter. All of my go-to shoes (sperry's, toms, ballet flats, uggs, heels) do not require socks. SO when it comes time to go through security I am walking through barefoot. Honestly, this gives me the heeby-jeebies. My best solution is ankle boots in winter (you can wear socks, but the boots are easy to remove) and simple flats for summer (you can wear these with "no show" socks). 2) Mobility- be sure that your shoes, outfit, bag, etc. are all allowing you to walk distances quickly and get through security and baggage lines efficiently. And 3) Layering- winter or summer there is going to be much variation in temperature throughout your travel (hot stressful lines, running through the airport, walking onto the plane in freezing temperatures, the person next to you insists on turning their air vent right at you, ... you get my point). I would recommend a blazer for winter travel (not too bulky but will keep you pretty warm), and a moderately thick cardigan for summer.

Winter

(also, its always best to have brightly colored luggage that is easy to pick out at baggage claim)

Summer

Travel by Car

While it is still always important to look put together, traveling by car calls for a certain comfort level. Being stuck in a car is neither glamorous nor convenient but there are ways to not look like you're in your pajamas at three in the afternoon at a gas station on the side of the road. Admittedly, the chances of you meeting your future husband in said gas station are highly unlikely but you still shouldn't look like a slob! Personally, I'm a fan of the leggings-as-pants strategy (although I know many who aren't). Leggings are just as comfortable as sweatpants but effortlessly more chic. For the summer, modest shorts are a good choice as well. Flowy tops are a must for any season. And don't forget the shades!

Winter

Summer

"Don't knock masturbation, it's sex with someone I love." - Woody Allen

Happy Friday fellow bloggers! My name is Sophie and in case you couldn't tell from the quote above, my topic of choice is sex. I figured since the weekend is the time of the week that people usually engage in the most promiscuous of behaviors, that my posts should be on Fridays.

Sex. It's a scary word, isn't it? Well, it shouldn't be! Sex is simply "...emotion in motion." I believe that the easiest way to get past that "scary" notion is to give yourself a little "self-love." And since this week is about introductions, I figured to start with masturbation. This is usually a topic that is not talked about within a group of women. Thanks to Samantha from Sex and the City, it's much more "normalized" these days. That's where the Rabbit got it's first claim to fame. She even used one of those back massagers from Brookstone for Christ's sake!

If you have a free hour or so, don't be afraid to explore down there. Relax yourself and have a little fun with your dirtiest fantasies. You might enjoy what you find! :) Who knows, maybe this will even give you a little confidence boost for the weekend.

Dating tip for this weekend: If you're out at a bar and someone starts chatting you up, make sure he's looking at your eyes when the two of you are talking. If he's looking at your lips, all he's thinking about is kissing you. And if he's looking any lower, he's probably not worth your time.

Sex tip for this weekend: Wrap it, before you tap it. If you're period comes late, you're in trouble.

Happy Humping!

Sophie

What do you want to do before you die?

Live in London. Adopt a child. Travel the world. Visit every continent at least once. Sing on Broadway. Buy my dad a Cadillac. Go on a cruise with my entire family. Significantly improve the life of a stranger. Skydive. Go to an international rugby match in Europe. Go to Australia. Find my soulmate. Pay my parents back for all they've given me. Go to India. Ride a hot air balloon. Go to the Louvre in Paris. Fly a plane.

These are the answers I got when I surveyed a group of about 15 people via the ever popular method of mass texting. Well, those and my older sisters perfectly honest answer of, "Well...I want to give you a profound answer but I don't really have one."

MTV has been somewhat of a disappointment to me lately...but I'll elaborate on that at a later time. Today I'd like to focus on what they've done right. One of my new favorite shows is MTV's latest The Buried Life about a group of 4 (super cute) guys checking off a list of things to do before they die. Their list consists of a plethora of things such as: get a college degree, help someone build a house, start a dance in a public place, give a stranger $100, do a sketch with Will Ferrell, and start a television show. However, it's not just about them crossing off items on their list, they seem to be all about inspiration. For every item that they cross off, they want to help a stranger cross something off their list. That ranges from getting a new computer for a school in need, taking a girl on a rollercoaster ride, and reuniting a dad with his sun. I'm not sure I'll ever meet these guys (which I would love because I'm sure we'll be BFFs) and so I don't know what the chances of them helping me with my list is, but watching The Buried Life and watching them help others is enough help for me. I am inspired to write my list down and just go for it. I am very impressed by Ben, Dave, Duncan, and Jonnie (those are their names ;)) and their initiative. Don't think that this project was all about getting on MTV and fame, because according to their website (>>> http://www.theburiedlife.com/ <<< check it out!) this project started years before MTV got word of it.

I've never really given much thought to dying or what I want to do before I die. I guess I've always had a list of goals that I want to accomplished and as silly as it sounds, I've never really realized that these things need to happen before I die ;). So here are some things on my list...what's on yours?

Travel the world. Live in another country. Marry the man of my dreams. Adopt a child...or more! Buy my dad a Cadillac. Pay off my college debt...graduate from college. Build a house with my bare hands. Go to Peru (Summer 2010!) Meet JK Rowling. Visit Hogwarts (or at least the movie set). Learn to surf. Go skydiving. Learn how to cook like my mom. Have my own talk show. Roadtrip across the US using nothing but a map...and the compass in my car. Be happy :)(check)

I'm Penelope and I am, to say the least, obsessed with all things POP CULTURE. I'd like to take a little time every Thursday to share with you a little tidbit of my thoughts on all things pop culture.

Caught in the Act

Hello BlogWorld! My name is Camille and I should lay out one thing for you: I am obsessed with people watching. That being said, each Wednesday I plan on sharing a little bit of 'commentary' that I have witnessed throughout the week. Hopefully this will be a nice break in your stressful week!

Being that I had tons of work to get done before the week started, on Sunday I got the brilliant idea to go to the local coffee shop where the art students and poser hipsters spend their time. Although at first I was intimidated -- I was

wearing cut off sweats and a big hoodie, not skinny jeans and a scarf like the others -- I quickly lost my fears when the sweet girl behind the counter sat me at the coffee bar. This picture is just to show you my view of what happened next...

So there I was, distracted as ever by the gorgeous guy sitting three seats down. All of a sudden, a new guy walked through the door at an incredible speed. (Now, this guy was not your average college man, but rather he was dressed in all black from head to toe. Literally: black pants, black turtle neck, black hair, black shoes, and best of all, a brown leather jacket over that.) Anyways, given his apparel and the rate at which he ran to the back of the coffee shop, I thought something bad was definitely about to occur. However, apparently I was the only one that noticed this mystery man enter, as

everyone else acted as if this was completely normal. BUT, that isn't even the best part! As I strained my neck to see where the man went, I say exactly what I did not expect.

Yep, that's right! Creepy man pushed the sweet counter girl against the wall and began to make out with her! And I'm not talking sweet and innocent pecks, but full fledged ravishing and making out...It was honestly unlike anything I had ever seen in my life. To this day, I am unsure as to whether or not this oddball couple knew that they were directly in my eyesight; I'd like to say no, but at the same point, you never know how couples feel about PDA these days. Either way, for a solid five minutes I did nothing but look awkwardly at the couple, then to my computer, then to the other customers in a complete shock. I would have to say the ending was my favorite though, given that the weird man abruptly stopped kissing the girl, straightened his jacket, and fled the coffee shop. Literally, just left in mid-make out and ran out the door. The final vision I caught was the counter girl straightening up, and grabbing napkins to stock. . .

-Good Lookin' Out-

Camille

"Write comments on recipes so you can remember if people liked it or not and what you might change next time."

After living in college dorms for two years, I was more than ready to move into a house with a full kitchen and full-size refrigerator. I looked up recipes for months before I moved, anxious to come up with new and awesome foods to try once I was out on my own. Little did I know, however, how much of a reality check living off-campus would be. Basically, I discovered how little time I would have to devote to making the recipes I'd so carefully collected.

That's why my mission is to supply you all with easy and affordable recipes to try. There's nothing I hate more than to see a delicious recipe with ridiculous ingredients (what the hell is Swiss chard and why on earth would I keep dried prunes in my cupboard?). That's why I pride myself on college cuisine in small, cheap, and delicious portions.

My adventure this week involved company. I invited my little sister over for dinner and attempted to wow her with my mad cooking skills. Suffice it to say, she did not leave my house unimpressed.

Parmesan Chicken Breasts

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

3/4 cup dry breadcrumbs (you can buy these in the store or have your mother generously send you some in the mail)

1/4 cup grated (or shredded) parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 cup sour cream

1. Preheat the oven to 325o.

2. Flatten chicken to 1/2 inch thickness.

3. Combine breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, basil and garlic powder in shallow dish.

4. Dip chicken in sour cream.

5. Coat with crumb mixture.

6. Place in sprayed baking dish.

7. Bake uncovered for 50 to 60 minutes or until golden brown.

I served it with salad greens tossed with poppy seed dressing and topped with salted sunflower seeds; mashed potatoes; and fruit cocktail. Follow that up with leftover French Silk pie for dessert, and this sisterly meal was a bonafide hit!