Why It's Ok To Cheat: In The Kitchen

With the end of the semester fast approaching there is simply not enough time in the day to do everything that needs to be done.

As luck would have it, this time of year also brings holiday potlucks. How do you bring a delicious dish when you have zero free time? Here are some fast, easy and delicious ways to still be part of the party.

1. Cut and Bake
Cut and bake cookies provide the best of both worlds. Delicious fresh baked cookies that you just have to open and put on a pan to bake.

This time of year is perfect for Pillsbury Peanut Butter Cookies with Hershey's Kisses. Just cut and roll the dough into 1 inch in diameter balls and roll in sugar till it gets a light coating. Put them in the oven to bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes and then pull them out to cool. As soon as they are out of the oven place one unwrapped Kiss in the center of each cookie. Let it cool and then enjoy.

2. Chips and Dip
Everyone loves chips and dip. The best part is it's super easy to make a "home made" dip with a little help from your pre-packaged food section.

Grab a bag of potato chips, a container of sour cream and a packet of french onion soup mix. Mix the french onion soup mix with the sour cream and stir. You now have the perfect holiday appetizer in under 2 minutes.

3. Chex Mix
Another great party appetizer is Chex Party Mix. You can buy it pre-made in small bags or for a more budget friendly option you can pick up a box of Chex cereal and make it at home.

One great recipe is Cinnamon Apple Chex Mix and takes less then 15 minutes to prepare.

4. Party Nut Mix
People crave salty snacks at parties, so grab a container of mixed nuts, a bag of mixed chocolate chips (white/milk/dark) and some dried cranberries and mix them in a fun holiday bowl. You will satisfy everyones salty craving in under 2 minutes.

No matter what recipe you choose, the most important thing to remember is that this is a time to relax and enjoy the season. Happy holidays!

-Olivia Fogarty

Nutrition Wise: The Best & The Worst of Campus Food

With all the dining options here on JMU's campus it's hard to decide what to eat.

Below is a list of some of the best and worst punches on campus. There are also a few easy tips on things to swap into your less healthy punches to bump up the nutrition and cut down the calories as well as a quick guide for getting your coffee fix without blowing your diet.

Worst Punches on Campus:

PC Dukes Beef Nachos 
These nachos pack a whopping 1592 calories. Ad a soda to that diaster and your looking at an additional 150 calories.  All the nachos are over 1,200 calories so the best advice is simply avoid at all costs.

Festival Madison Mac & Cheese
This dish of cheesy goodness comes in at 1307 calories and 48 grams of fat. It may be the perfect comfort food but it comes at a high price, if you absolutely have to have pasta go for the Penne Rosa it has only 484 calories and 25.8 grams of fat. Pair with a water and your looking at a healthy meal.


Best Punch on Campus:


Festival Salad
This is one of the biggest salads you can get on campus. It comes with as many vegetables as you want  and if you skip the cheese, croutons and crispy noodles and pick a vinaigrette, french or light italian dressing this is one of the most filling and healthiest punches you can get. Get it with a water or unsweetened iced tea.




PC Dukes Falafel Fanatic Pita
This pita is packed with nutrients, protein and is only 423 calories. It taste great and will fill you up without the extra calories.


 Easy Substitutions:


Water or unsweetened Iced Tea instead of Soda
These drinks have 0 calories and actually help your body stay hydrated. Unlike diet soda they do not slow your metabolism or contain artificial sweeteners.


Fruit instead of Chips or Fries
Fruits are god for you they are full of vitamins and fiber and unlike fries have no trans fat or salt.


Vinaigrettes, French and Light Italian instead of Creamy Salad Dressings
Everyone thinks salad is healthy no matter what, but when you load it up with ranch or creamy Caesar you mind as well have picked something else. These dressing contain between 150-200 calories per serving and  tons of fat.

Starbucks Coffee 

What to Avoid:
Whipped Cream-It ads extra calories, is full of fat and has no health benefits.


Regular Holiday Drinks-For a grande they are all over 300 calories and high in fat. Instead go for the non fat or skinny versions, same great taste just less calories.


Regular Frappuccino's- All are over 400 calories and high in fat. Instead pick the Frappuccino Light, same great taste, less calories.


Any of their Pastries/Breads/Cookies- Very calorie heavy, over 300 each, and loaded with sugar. They also do not keep you full.

Best Coffee Pick:
Regular coffee with non-fat milk and one or two sugars. Another great option is to get it with 2 pumps of light syrup instead of sugar, it ads great flavor for almost no calories.

You can get full nutritional information for all of your favorite dining options. Picking healthy options is easy once you know what to look for, so enjoy the great JMU food without worrying about the extra pounds.

Tweet @SMADfood411 with your favorite healthy punch options!
-Olivia Fogarty

Cheap Eats: Cozy Comfort Casserole

This weekend ushered in the final days of the warmish fall season. Winter is almost here, people!

I decided to curl up today with one of my favorite dishes while watching Elf on television with my roommates. My aunt created the recipe for an easy, cheap and delicious casserole, which she calls "cozy comfort." I call it the only thing I actually enjoy cooking.

This everything-but-the-kitchen-sink recipe is really simple, too. It takes less than 10 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to bake.

What you'll need
a glass baking dish, a frying pan and a strainer
vegetable oil spray
1/4 cup of milk
1/2 can of Cream of Mushroom soup
1/2 bag of mixed frozen vegetables
1 pkg. ground beef (or turkey, if you want to go leaner)
1 bag frozen tater tots
1/2 bag shredded cheddar cheese


Start by browning the ground beef in your frying pan on a medium setting.

Set the oven to preheat at 375 degrees and grease your baking dish so they will be ready when the meat is done.

Strain your meat and pour it into the glass dish. Then, pour in the milk and the can of soup and mix well.  You can also put a few tater tots on the bottom of the dish as a base.

After you've mixed your ingredients, pour on a layer of the mixed frozen vegetables. I used a Food Lion brand with carrots, peas, corn and green beans. On top of that, add the rest of the tater tots and top it all off with a layer of shredded cheddar.

Before it goes into the oven it looks like this:

Bake for 45 minutes and do some homework or something while you await the bliss. That's the hardest part.


But when time is up:

Enjoy the delicious warmth of the cozy comfort casserole!

In this pan, there's enough to save and eat it all week. Or bring it to a potluck! I brought it to one and it was gone in less than 10 minutes. At just $15, the deal is unmatchable.

--Amanda