Geneva, Switzerland was one of our first destinations in our three-week, whirlwind European holiday. We flew into Geneva from Manchester, UK (A VERY lovely airport, I was impressed by it’s décor, calm atmosphere, and cleanliness) via EasyJet. It had been about five and a half years since I had flown on EasyJet, one of Europe’s most economical airlines. The are the Southwest or JetBlue of Europe, offering fares at amazing prices, with most being somewhere in the double digits. I often advise that if you are travelling to multiple cities in Europe, first check if EasyJet (or RyanAir, another discount airline) flies between the two cities. It’s amazing how often taking a plane is actually cheaper than taking the train. EasyJet does tend to nickel and dime, but in the way almost all airlines are now: checked baggage is extra, more legroom is extra, etc. But, unlike RyanAir, use of their bathroom is complimentary (seriously). I have to say, this flight on EasyJet was much more pleasant than the last, and much more pleasant than most of my Southwest flights as well. The plane was clean, well maintained. The staff was quite lovely and helpful. And I didn’t feel like a stuffed sardine. While the flight was short, as most within Europe are, for being so inexpensive it was very pleasant. If you have the choice between RyanAir and EasyJet for flying in Europe, I would pick EasyJet any day. Once we landed in Geneva, we were shuttled to the main terminal and waited to go through customs. The line was long, but honestly, I was just really happy to get my passport stamped in Switzerland. Traveling by train is wonderfully picturesque, but you do not get any passport stamps when moving from country...

The ancient Spartans saw food purely as fuel, and both royalty and peasants alike ate black bread with a blood and vinegar soup. The Romans, on the other hand, luxuriated in food as a symbol of wealth, and are famous for their exorbitant banquets of rare ingredients eaten lying down and punctuated by trips to the vomitorium. These are the age-old equivalents of living on a spelt and seaweed diet or dining exclusively on truffles and hand fed lobster. Today some people still run to these extremes, but for me, and many others I suspect, food is not purely fuel or status symbol, but comfort. It is no big secret that comfort food is rarely meaty or green. Starch is king in the land of comfort food: sugary donuts, buttery mashed potatoes, chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, pancakes with syrup, cherry pie ala-mode, French fries, fresh bread with sweet butter, tater tots, or my personal favorite: white rice, with anything.  Why doesn’t kale or a chicken leg give you the same buzz? You could argue that sugars and starches cause the brain to release the neurotransmitter serotonin, which is responsible for producing a sense of wellbeing and calm. This is the brain chemical that drugs like Prozac and Paxil work to elevate. You could also argue that when you were a kid, and you fell and scraped your knee, your mom handed you a cookie, and not a plate of steamed spinach to cheer you up. So in the spirit of comfort and good cheer, I give you this recipe for baked ziti, or lazy lasagna.  It all get mixed up in your tummy any way right? BAKED ZITI (Courtesy of Simplyrecipes.com) Ingredients 1 pound ziti (can sub penne) pasta Olive oil 1 pound bulk Italian sausage or ground...

Schweddy Balls – the newest Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavor based on the Saturday Night Live skit has finally made it to your grocer’s freezer. The name is as hilarious as the skit, but while only available for a limited time, some shoppers are being forbidden from buying it. Schweddy Balls gets its name from the popular “Delicious Dish” sketch that originally aired on Saturday, December 12, 1998. The five minute sketch, starring Ana Gasteyer, Molly Shannon, and guest host Alec Baldwin was a parody of two DJ’s hosting a National Public Radio (NPR) show.  The two clueless hosts are sampling holiday recipes, when they are joined by Pete Schweddy, who runs a local bakery selling Christmas cookies. The sketch is a play on words, giving a sexual double meaning to his holiday treats. The joke at the heart of the bit is when Pete Schweddy says: “There are lots of great treats this time of year. Zucchini bread – fruitcake. But, the thing I like to bring out most at this time of year are my balls.” It’s brilliant writing and is absolutely hilarious. The skit now airs every holiday season on various Saturday Night Live Christmas specials. The Ben & Jerry’s ice cream company of South Burlington, Vermont is always on the lookout to create new and unusual ice cream flavors. To cash in on the popularity of the skit, they created the official Schweddy Balls ice cream. The ice cream is available only for a limited run, and after months of searching, it finally has made its way to my local grocery store. Ben & Jerry’s has been responsible for a number of novelty ice cream flavors over the years. Sold in small pints, the flavor joins a long line of flavors such...

I’ve been trying to get in the habit of exercising. This may sound banal to you, but in reality this is like trying to get a feral cat used to full body shampoos.  It’s a process.  After I do my time on the treadmill I want a treat, but the last thing I want to do is eat something that will ruin all my hard work.  But neither do I want to waste calories on some diet dessert that bears more resemblance to wet packing material than food. Hence my search for cake that is both yummy and not made with butter, something I wasn’t even sure existed.  But luckily I have not been alone in this quest, as proven by the following recipe.  It  may help to get you through the dark days of winter without necessitating a shopping trip for larger pants. Dark Chocolate Yogurt Cake Courtesy of Food.com and from Little Corner of Mine.com blog Prep Time: 15 mins Total Time: 1 hrs 5 mins Serves: 4-8, Yield: 1.0 loaf cake Ingredients 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup cocoa powder 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup white sugar 1 cup plain or vanilla yogurt 3 large eggs, lightly whisked 1 tablespoon strong brew coffee 1/2 cup canola oil Directions 1. Preheat oven to 350’F. Grease a 8.5×3.5 loaf pan. 2. In a large bowl, sift in flour, cocoa powder and baking powder. Add in salt, sugar. Stir to mix well. 3. Then add in all wet ingredients: yogurt, eggs, coffee and oil.  Whisk everything together until blended. 4. Pour into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes before taking out to cool completely...

Dear Dr. Miro, Is it really weird that I got all crazy horny during all the excitement about the hurricane? I think there is something really wrong with me because I keep trying to figure out what to put in my emergency kit in case I want to hook up with someone? I want to be prepared but I’m not sure what the essentials should include. Sincerely, Potential Girl Scout Dear PGS, It is not “weird” to become turned on by danger and potentially life altering situations. In fact, after the tragic events of 9/11, there was a surge in what the media called “Terror Sex”. The idea, that all may be gone tomorrow so why not have lots of slutty-delicious adventures and live a little, is a natural phenomenon that many humans become wrapped up in. When we are told that the world we live in is about to end in some extreme way, our adrenalin starts to surge. This creates miscellaneous coping mechanisms. Everyone handles things differently. Whelming sexual urges is just one way. With all the hype over Hurricane Irene, it is no wonder you were turned on! As for putting together an emergency kit, whether it is for hurricanes, earthquakes or monthly ovulation time, there are a few ways to go about it. After making sure you have things like an extra battery for your wireless devices, CASH, tampons, medications, water, food, candles and matches, you can get to the fun stuff. Here’s a handy starter list: – charged vibrator (because you need to be clear headed) – head lamp (to keep your hands free) – chocolate – condoms – lube – blindfold (also helps you sleep) I would love to hear what other essentials FaN readers have for their...