Like Cara, I’m not really good at surprises. Actually, I take that back. I’m good at surprises; I’m just not good at being surprised. Every year I hint to my friends that they should throw me a surprise party, but I’m still waiting for that moment of shock and awe that my friends were able to successfully keep something without me suspecting a thing.

That right there is the problem. I like to say that my inner journalist leads me to discover lots of things I shouldn’t, including uncovering secrets. Keeping secrets, however, is also…

Its the end of the year and time to celebrate summer. Congratulate your graduating friends with these summery icy treats from around the web!

Every week we give you the latest in college news, trends, and lifestyle tips. If you have anything juicy, make sure to post it here on the Small Kitchen College facebook page, and we’ll include it in next week’s edition.

Regular exercise is all about motivation. All. About. It. It’s more than just getting your butt to the gym. You actually have to induce your heart rate to an above average level and sustain that fervor for a good hour to see the results you’ve long been dreaming of.

Now, I don’t know about you, but I myself am no fitness guru. Sure I pick up a magazine here and there to see what the celebs are doing, and I know how to operate a treadmill, but aside from the obvious, I’m clueless. Sadly ellipticals and stair…

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.…

If you were to create a drink in honor of your mother, what would you call it? What ingredients would be in it, and why?

This is the challenge I set for myself last weekend, for Mother’s Day. Unfortunately, for the past three years I have been hundreds of miles away at college, leaving the clumsily cut fruit, scrambled eggs, and slightly burnt toast (the hallmark of Mother’s Day breakfasts-in-bed) to my 12-year-old brother. Sometimes I remember to mail a card, I usually end up calling, and to cut this story short: I thought my good…

My parents are moving and my mom has been asking me for months to help her sort through a few boxes in the garage. I have been procrastinating going home and sorting through math tests from the second grade and photo albums from high school. But this Sunday I ventured home for Mother’s Day brunch and couldn’t refuse my mom’s appeal to help her clean the garage.

There I was on a 65 degree sunny Sunday afternoon, sitting amongst boxes, dust, and several of my mom’s old kitchen appliances. (Does any one else getting excited when they…

Recently, I’ve been in a bit of a food rut. Generally feeling uninspired cuisine wise, I’d grab a bagel on my way to work so I could sleep an extra 15 minutes instead of make breakfast. I’d through together haphazard sandwich dinners that generally fell flat minutes after getting home. Or worse…I’d bypass the kitchen all together and running around the corner for take-out. You know the routine, and it’s bland.

And if there’s one ingredient I can count on to pull me out of my rut, it’s the egg. I don’t really…

My kitchen is a sad place right now. The dinner table shakes under the weight of heavy textbooks and flashcards for Arabic conjugations. The floor has not been Swiffered for longer than I care to take responsibility for and the dishes in the sink threaten to topple over, covering any innocent bystanders in a volatile combination of ketchup, yogurt, and soggy tea leaves. However, the most depressing part of my kitchen is the refrigerator, which currently houses one applesauce cup, half an avocado, four packets of tuna fish, and apple butter. I know, I know; prisoners have…

Dish: Lavender Lemon Cupcake
Venue: Wildflour Bakery
Price: $2.95

Vegan treats…what?

You might wonder: how do you bake dessert if it doesn’t include eggs and butter? Well, there are many different substitutions in the vegan world. Some people use apple sauce as a binding agent and there are many vegan butter options, such as olive oil and earth balance. Check out these vegan cupcakes! And guess what? Vegan treats can taste just as good as normal baked goods!

Wildflour Vegan Bakery Cafe ensures that all the vegans in and…

My favorite thing to drink when it’s cold out is always red wine. I don’t know if it’s because of the time I spent in Italy, but ever since I got back from being abroad, red wine always seems like the perfect drink, whether it’s over a long meal, after a long day, before bed…

But when it’s warm out, I can’t even think about having red wine without getting sleepy and what I really want is a cool and refreshing cocktail. Give me an icy glass of muddled mint in a mojito and I’ll love you forever.

So…

How do I love food blogging? Let me count the ways. You have the pleasure of experimenting with new recipes, writing about your adventures in the kitchen, and of course, eating the masterpieces you have created. But what about photographing the food? You can literally end up writing a book about the food, but it’s the pictures that are truly worth a thousand words. To me, it’s the best way to capture the experience of making and enjoying the final product.

My friends often ask me what kind of camera I have when I post my food…

Thanks to everyone who entered our Edible Cocktails:From Garden to Glass—Seasonal Cocktails with a Fresh Twist giveaway! We loved hearing about all your creative cocktail flavors, and you've definitely inspired us. But there can only be one winner...

As we get into the beginning of May and summer is just within reach, the season for barbequing in the US is quickly getting closer. In the US, big holidays such as Memorial and Independence Day involve big BBQs with family and friends, and I was a little surprised to find that even halfway around the world in a different culture, Israelis share this tradition.

Unlike the U.S., however, Israeli Memorial and Independence Day are one day apart. Memorial Day is an incredibly serious holiday, with the sounding of a siren at…

One year ago, I invited my not-yet-close friend over to my apartment for the first time. We had one thing in common: French. And the fact that we were both moving to Paris.

Photo by Chance Huskey

We were incredibly awkward together. That is, until we discovered another common interest: food. Looking for something French, but manageable, we turned to David Lebovitz. Finding comfort in his status as an American in Paris – a description that would soon describe our situation – we racked his recipe collection and found the perfect…

Ah, the notorious dorm-dwelling Ice Cream Thief. Just as your brain, depleted of all its juice from final papers and exams, starts craving that rum raisin Haagen Dazs and your hand starts its attempt to rescue it out of the depths of the communal fridge, the Ice Cream Thief strikes again, leaving you empty handed. As fellow victims we feel your pain.

In times like these, we turn to our trusty dining halls for comfort in the form of cookies, cereal, and good ol’ soft serve vanilla ice cream. Seasonal fruit adds some…

This meal is great for nights you have unexpected guests, especially those with a masculine appetite. I made up the recipe one night when my husband complained about eating healthy all the time. He wanted something of substance, something that didn’t have five kinds of vegetables. So I chopped up some peppers and onions, bought some chicken sausage and disguised it as guy food.

Sometimes I cook the sausages whole and serve them in small sub rolls. Or I go carb-free, chop up the sausages and eat it like a stew. There are lots of…

Even though I don’t technically get a summer vacation anymore (major bummer of grown-up life), there’s still something about those hazy days from June to August that beckons me. Ice cream trucks frequent every city corner, buildings glisten in the midday heat, and me? Well, I’m trying to figure out how to make the best use of my precious few vacation days.

Summer getaways may feel like a luxury you have to forgo, but squeezing in some fun in the sun can be part of your budget! Read on for a few vacation ideas that are fabulous…

This post is part of the Food Matters Project, a cooking collaboration among participating bloggers. Each week, we will cook a recipe from Mark Bittman’s Food Matters Cookbook, which places an emphasis on mindful and sustainable eating. Follow along with us!

It’s strawberry season ya’ll! As I browsed my local greenmarket the other day, I was both surprised and delighted to see this bright red and juicy fruit appear around the market. And then I thought…strawberry season already? Really? It can’t be—last time it was strawberry season I was…crossing off the last items…