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These cookies are not only tasty but fun to bake since you can use cookie cutters or design your own shape!  

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 cup margarine or butter, softened 

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 egg

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda 

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

granulated sugar (only if you are not going to use icing on top)

Mix powdered sugar, margarine, vanilla, almond extract, and egg. Stir in remaining ingredients except granulated sugar. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. 

Heat oven to 375. Grease cookie sheet lightly. Divide dough in half. Roll each half 1/4 inch thick on lightly floured surface. Cut into desired shapes with 2 to 2 1/2-inch cookie cutters. Sprinkle with granulated sugar (only if you are not going to use icing). Place on cookie sheet. Bake 7 to 8 minutes or until edges are light brown; cool. 

Enjoy! 

Icing Recipe: 

3 cups powdered sugar 

1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened 

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla 

1 to 2 tablespoons of milk 

In a medium bowl, mix powdered sugar and butter with a spoon or an electric mixer. Stir in vanilla and 1 tablespoon of milk.

Earlier this afternoon Romania formally lodged a civil lawsuit with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in Hague, Netherlands against Queen's University for use of the colours red, blue and gold in its visual identity.

Titus Corlatrean, Romania's Minister of Foreign Affairs defended the suit to media reporters earlier today noting that the country had trademarked those particular shades of red, blue and gold after Romania had achieved independence.

"Upon breaking free from the chains of the dictatorial powers of the Ottoman Empire and winning our independence in 1877, our forefathers went to great pains to preserve our national identity, our flag, our peoples and our culture," he said. "Our zeal in this regard never faltered. Our legacy, and her preservation has always been at the centre of the hearts of minds of Romanians. It is why, in 1991, when we completed the Constitution of Romania, our greatest statesman Gheorghe Finar formally trademarked our national colours. That another public institution has taken claim of them is unacceptable.'

Practicing Toronto lawyers and Intellectual property experts, Thomas Young and James Maxwell argue the state of Romania may have a case. "As bizarre as it sounds, corporations are in their capacity to formally trademark, license and sell under a particular colour", said Maxwell.

"Typically owning a particular hue is limited within a given industry or product category, as we know is the case for Cadbury's signature purple and UPS' brown. However, Queen's University, though a public research university, technically sold tuition to incoming students from around the globe with the exact same hues in their visual identity, which includes all formally distributed promotional materials and digital communications', added Young.  "This is uncharted territory legally speaking because it is a state that is filing the suit, but they do have a case. It's for the court to determine whether states can legally own colours", said Queen's law professor Donald Goldman.  When asked how much Romania may be entitled to, Goldman offered, "Again, its hard to say. It may be a combination of the revenues Queen's has earned through research funding and tuition since it branded itself formally with the tricolour since 1991, which is well over its $722 million endowment, in addition to the lost tourism experienced by Romania. I suspect Romania is also looking for punitive damages, so it may very well be in the billions". While this may be the first time a state has made claim to a particular colour, this is not the first time a non-corporate entity has licensed particular hues of colour. Paint giant, Dulux has partnered with UNICEF to sell over 16.7 million shades and hues at $2 a colour. Rapper Jay-Z has also officially trademarked and licensed 'Jay-Z Blue' - a silverfish colour, with tiny flecks of platinum. As the sole proprietor, Jay-Z owns the exclusive right to sales and distribution of the colour.  Principal Daniel Woolf was unavailable for comment. 

With St. Patrick's Day fast approaching here are quick and easy three drinks that are sure to keep you in the spirit all day long! 

Copycat McDonald's Shamrock Shake Recipe 

Ingredients:

2 cups vanilla ice cream

1 1/4 cups milk 

1/4 teaspoon 

8 drops green food colouring 

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. 

2. Pour into a glass and enjoy! 

Irish Coffee Recipe 

Ingredients: 

1 cup freshly brewed coffee

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 1/2 ounces (3 tablespoons) Irish Whiskey 

Heavy cream, slightly whipped 

Directions: 

1. Pour hot coffee into a mug until it is about 3/4 full 

2. Add the brown sugar and stir until dissolved

3. Blend in the whiskey and then top with the heavy cream by pouring gently over the back of a spoon

Green Beer Recipe (simple but fun)

Ingredients: 

1. Beer (light in colour such as a pilsner or a pale ale, darker beer uses more food colouring which leads to green teeth!)

2. Green Food colouring 

Directions: 

1. Squeeze 3-5 drops of food colouring into a glass, then pour in the beer and watch it change colour (if you pour in the beer before the colouring, you will have to stir it which will make the beer go flat.) 

I’ve been known to assume the best in bearded men.

Not only do I assume the best in them, I convince myself that I understand them. I have a hard time recognizing them as individual humans. In my mind, all bearded men share the same qualities and mannerisms.

I’ve created a stereotype that I believe applies to anyone I see walking around with a half-decent scruff.

This is how I imagine every bearded man to be:

He lives in a cabin, probably somewhere in rural Wisconsin.

He wakes up every morning at the crack of dawn feeling hot for life. He drinks his coffee black and makes art until the rest of the world wakes up.

There is exposed brick in his living room. His fireplace roars all day long, fuelled by the wood he spent his afternoon chopping.

He doesn’t talk much. Every word he says carries significant weight. You want to get to know him but it won’t be easy. He has a tortured past and doesn’t want to burden you with it. He doesn’t smile very often, either.

He’s a passionate lover. When he looks at you, he is always looking right into your soul.

He can fix anything and does so without a shirt on. He can also play guitar but he only knows songs you’ve never heard before.

He reads poetry in his spare time. If you’re lucky, he’ll pull out some Whitman or Frost on a rainy evening and read to you in his husky, bearded voice.

He’s a lover not a fighter but there are rippling muscles not to be messed with underneath that plaid shirt.

He does what he wants. He doesn’t care about convention. He isn’t interested in material goods, he wants for only the simple things in life.

He is stoic. He is steadfast. He is infinitely masculine.

  I blame Justin Vernon for all of the above. 

In the age of do-it-yourselfers, Lena Dunhams, and ping-pong ridden advertising agencies, our generation, the one that is about to make the leap into the professional world, is fascinated by the dream-like idea of taking our passions, and turning them into a professional reality, where we’re paid to have a beer whilst working around a collaborative Eames desk.

The dilemma, of course, that always wakes us from this euphoric dream, is that we don’t know what kind of new-age company will hire us, and we definitely don’t have the money to go it on our own, so sometimes these dreams can seem unattainable. But what if they weren’t?

Enter: Neil Martin, a Queen’s graduate, innovative businessman, and an advocate for entrepreneurs. Martin is the co-founder of two cooperative workspaces, Project: RHINO and Project: OWL, both located in the heart of Toronto, that are aimed at helping people cultivate their creative ideas in a professional setting.

Martin knows all too well the trials and tribulations of today’s workforce, and as a result of these hardships, knows that the growth in freelance work has left many a creative professionals in need of affordable workspace; Martin took this understanding and made coworking his niche, and thank goodness, because the only thing more affordable than renting shared workspace, is your parent’s basement…

So why are Project: RHINO and Project: OWL such a refreshing take on workspaces for creative professionals?

1. COST: Both coworking spaces offer entrepreneurs the ability to rent desk space for a price that they can afford. Another perk, is that desk space is paid per month, leaving you with more control over the possibility of changing locations at any time.

2. PROFESSIONALISM: By renting coworking space, your venture seems more professional. Pitching ideas to potential clients? Now you don’t have to do it in a Starbucks. Even something as simple as having a professional address to send and receive mail to, is a huge asset in the world of self-employment.

3. NETWORKING: By setting up professional camp in a coworking environment, you are more than likely to experience inter-office networking, as these kinds of spaces attract likeminded people. By having more than one company working under the same roof, creative ideas are bound to flow more readily and new partnerships are within reach.

4. ACCESS: One of the best things about Martin’s coworking spaces, are that they can be accessed at any time of day or night by their occupants, which means that creative minds aren’t restricted to being exercised from 9-5. Have a great idea at 3am? Now you can bring it to life.

5. ENVIRONMENT: Does anyone else feel nauseated just thinking about spending eight hours a day in a cubicle? Both Project: RHINO and Project: OWL have eliminated the dull, claustrophobic work box, as they believe that creativity demands communication, and therefore, open work spaces.

6. BALANCE: Any student knows that in order to be productive, we need a break, and any creative person knows that sometimes, having a beer or playing foosball can bring the best idea to fruition; Martin obviously identifies as both, because his coworking spaces encourage comfort and a healthy balance of work and play.

The merge into the professional world can be a scary one, especially if you’re a budding entrepreneur, but with a high demand for affordable workspaces, people like Neil Martin are opening the doors, both literally and figuratively, to an exciting generation of creative go-getters, who want to nurture their craft into their profession. By putting time and care into Project: RHINO and Project: OWL, Martin has kindly given us nontraditional types the ability to dust off our dreams, and bring them to life.

http://projectspac.es/owl

http://projectspac.es/rhino

Kitschy? Yes. 

Set to the kind of music that would be featured during a 100 meter sprint, in some inspiring film, that the underdog protagonist participates in, and when he comes second, he is still a winner in the audience's heart? Yes.

The kind of message that your grandmother tries to instill within you? Yes.

Starring a male character who looks suspiciously like Charlie from Girls? Yes.

Reeking of truth and beautiful cinematography? Yes.

Enjoy every day, Queen's!

Who doesn't want to finish their day off with a nice dessert? But sometimes you don't feel like leaving the house to find one. And baking, well it sometimes takes so much time and then you're left with so many cookies when all you really wanted was one! After searching the internet, I came across Buzzfeed's "18 Microwave Snacks You Can Cook In A Mug" and thought I'd give one a try.

Chocolate Chip Cookie in a Cup 

~Ingredients~ 

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon white sugar 

1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

3 drops of vanilla

a pinch of salt

1 egg yolk 

scant 1/4 cup of flour

2 heaping tablespoons chocolate chips

~Instructions~ 

1. Melt the butter in the microwave in desired mug. 

2. Add sugars, vanilla and salt. Stir to combine. 

3. Separate the egg and add the yolk to the mug. Stir to combine.

4. Add the, slightly less then a 1/4 cup, of  flour and stir together. 

5. Add the chocolate chips and give the mixture a final stir. 

6. Cook in the microwave for 40-60 seconds (mine took 40 seconds), and enjoy. 

Since graduation is coming at me fast, I recently realized that it’s about time I figured out what I’ll be doing with my summer and perhaps with the rest of my life. At first, I had no idea where to begin. However, I have gathered some awesome tips from a variety of grown-ups and commerce students that will help us all sort out our professional lives:

Step One: Where dem jobs at?

  Refer to job-hunting websites. There are so many of them out there and can be a great place to get started. Check out Talentegg.ca (which was created by a Queen’s alum!), Media Job Search, even the age-old Monster can be useful places to go and see some of your options.

Seek out companies you’d like to work for. There are a million unlisted opportunities out there for bright, talented individuals. If you spot your dream job, shoot the recruiter a quirky email with your resume and a killer cover letter attached. The worst they can do is say they aren’t hiring. Companies are always on the lookout for people with initiative who are passionate about what they do.

  Once it launches, Facebook Graph Search is going to be an essential networking tool. It will allow Facebook users to search things like “employed by Goldman & Sachs” and see which of their friends show up so you can go ahead and shoot them a personal message. This is a great way to learn about the company or even snag a recommendation.

  Make your own job. With the unemployment rates booming, a university degree doesn’t guarantee us entry-level positions anymore, so you might want to get creative. Starting your own business is no small feat, but there are collaborative work environments like Project: Owl offering reasonable rates for desk space in the heart of Toronto. There’s no better time than the present to build that app or write that book.

  Step Two: Interview Skillz

  Be aware of your personal skill set. Job interviewers will want to know exactly what you can do and how well you can do it. University teaches us how to think but it doesn’t necessarily mean we are graduating with a distinct set of skills. Make a list beforehand for your own reference. Are you good at writing? Do you excel in leadership positions? Are you confident in your public speaking abilities? Everything counts. Find ways to tailor these skills to the job you’re applying to so the company can see how you’ll be an asset to them.

  Prepare to ask intelligent and specific questions about the company. It makes you sound educated and it makes you look like you have an interest in them. This isn’t just another dreary job interview; you’ve taken the initiative to get to know more about what they do.

  Be the person you would hire. Likeability is a vital part of interview process. Be friendly but maintain your professionalism. Smile. Listen to what your interviewer is saying so you can respond genuinely. They want to hire someone who is going to enhance their workplace so radiate as much positivity as you can.

  Step Three: Post Interview

  Continue to follow-up until the bitter end. Be sure to send a friendly thank you email within a day or two of being interviewed. If they don't respond in a timely fashion, it’s fine to email again to ask when they’ll be making the decision. Especially if you have another offer on the table, in that case they might not want to keep you waiting.

  Patience and resilience are key words. My dad spoke to over one thousand potential employers before someone gave him his first real job. It’s important to remember that job hunting is like shopping; not everything you try is going to fit perfectly.

For the lucky ones, middies are wrapping up and spring break is so close you can almost smell the pina coladas! For anyone looking to grab a drink before taking off for vacation, or for those sticking around Kingston this break, below is a list of drinks you may not even know exist.

Snakesbites at QP – it’s a pint made of half Molsen Canadian, half Strongbow and a little grenadine on top to make it sweet and pretty. The only catch is that you have to order two at once so bring a friend unless you’re super thirsty.

  Pub Cider at The Brooklyn – choosing what to order at The Brooklyn can be quite an ordeal for anyone who can’t tell their ales from their lagers so it’s often best to stick with ciders. Spirit Tree Estate Cidery’s pub-style cider, available only at The Brooklyn, will not disappoint. It’s light, it’s bubbly, it’s sweet and it comes from a family-owned orchard in little town three hours from Kingston. The local food movement is a thing, people.

  Caesar from Tommy’s – everything about Tommy’s is exciting especially the Caesar because it is served with a strip of bacon IN the drink. Why can’t all Caesars be this perfect!?

  Spearhead’s Hawaiian Ale on tap at The Alibi - because as the weather gets colder sometimes we deserve to be treated to a taste of tropical paradise.

  Everything at Kingston Brewing Company – they brew several different draughts onsite including their signature Dragon’s Breath Pale Ale. They also cater to the sober crowd as well with homemade Ricky’s Old Fashioned Root Beer and white Cream Soda on tap.

  A pitcher of Turbo at Clark Hall Pub – for engineers, Turbo is a quintessential part of Queen’s culture and the reason many of them don’t make it out on Friday nights after Ritual. So this is for the students who weren’t aware that ordering a pitcher that brings Smirnoff Ice coolers and beer together guarantees a great story to tell the next morning.

  Bison grass vodka (available at LCBO) and apple juice – this combo tastes like a home-baked apple pie and can be enjoyed cheaply and from the comfort of your own home!

This year’s “Bell Let’s Talk” campaign flooded our social outlets, raising money and awareness for mental health. Although the campaign was a success, too often we see these kinds of projects come to our attention for a short period of time, only to leave our minds in their disappearance. In order to continue the conversation about mental health, I got together with my friend, Elizabeth* , to discuss her personal experience with a university health services counsellor.

Thanks for agreeing to open up this conversation with me! What made you reach out to your university counselling service three months ago?

I had spoken to a friend who had gone through similar things as myself and he had mentioned that he visited a counsellor and that it was really helpful. I feel like I had exercised all other options, so I thought, why not try it?

What were some of the things that you were going through?

Mainly anxiety. I hadn’t been feeling like myself and even though I had always struggled with anxiety, it had never been to the extent that it was during that point in time. I kind of figured that what I was going through wasn’t really normal for me, so I decided that maybe I should talk to someone about it.

And were you nervous when you decided to make an appointment?

Yeah, definitely nervous, because it was not something that I had done before. It was never something that I could previously have seen myself doing; it was totally out of my comfort zone and a totally new experience. I was nervous to reach out and ask for help.

Do you think there’s still a stigma surrounding mental health issues? If so, did that have anything to do with you being nervous?

There’s absolutely still a stigma around it, and people have opinions about it, and you don’t know what people are going to say or think about you if you’re someone who needs help. That definitely did play a factor. But I’ve only found support in my decision, from my friends, my family, and my school community.

Are campaigns like “Bell Let’s Talk” helping destroy the stigma in any way?

I’d say so. This year it was amazing to see how many people were participating and standing up for mental health. People are much more aware of it. Now that I’m dealing with it, and people I know are dealing with it, I think campaigns like that resonate with me a lot more.

So being open about mental health issues is important, then?

Absolutely, if you're comfortable doing so. That’s what was so great about the “Bell Let’s Talk” campaign; it created a space for people to talk about their own struggles and to support one another. One girl I know was using the hashtag in a tweet where she was also opening up about her own battle with depression and an eating disorder. It’s good that people are doing that. Why shouldn’t we be able to talk openly about something that affects so many of us? It shouldn’t be embarrassing.

You’re right, and I think a lot of people still get flack for voicing their personal struggles on the internet, but by personalizing our experiences with mental health online, we’re creating a really fantastic community for support.

I agree, and it's an important community to have.

So, what have been some benefits of visiting a counsellor?

It’s nice having someone to talk to. Obviously you have friends and family, but for me, it’s nice to have someone outside of that circle, who doesn’t know me in any previous context. My counsellor asks me things that other people wouldn’t normally ask me; he tries to get to the root of the things that I’m struggling with, and he makes me look at personal issues from multiple angles, so I can get an idea of why I feel the way I do. For me, it’s been amazing to walk away from each session with a set of tools that are specific to my needs.

Who would you recommend see a counsellor?

Anyone who wants to! We all have our own set of issues and things going on in our lives. You may not think that you’re the type of person who needs to see someone, or who wants to. I never thought I’d want or need to seek help from a professional. It’s so beneficial for me, and I’m sure anyone could find benefits in their own individual way.

So overall, reaching out to a counsellor has been a positive experience for you?

It’s going really well! Even if you’re just going once in a while, or even if you just go once in your life, I think it’s good. It’s so accessible to students and I know a lot of university students are under an immense amount of pressure, which can easily lead to a decline in mental health; anything that makes school or personal life more manageable is something I think people should take advantage of.

 *name has been changed.

-Emily Wraith

  Click here to go to “Bell Let’s Talk”

http://letstalk.bell.ca/en/

Click here to get more information about Queen’s counselling services

Do you have bread that is about to go stale? Why not turn it into a delicious breakfast for you and your housemates! 

Ingredients

5 cups of cubed bread

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

1/4 white sugar, divided 

1/4 teaspoon salt 

1 teaspoon vanilla 

1 tablespoon margarine

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter an 8 by 8 inch baking pan.

Line the bottom of the pan with the bread cubes.

In a large bowl, beat together eggs, milk, 2 tablespoons of the sugar, salt and vanilla. Pour the mixture over the bread and then dot the top with margarine. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar  with the cinnamon and sprinkle over the top of bread mixture. 

In typical #YOLO tradition, it is important for 2014 grads to realize that there are only three months left to take advantage of everything Queen’s and Kingston have to offer. BUT DON’T LET THAT STRESS YOU OUT. Below is an incomplete list of things that you must get around to before graduation.

Go skinny-dipping in the pier after a night out. Preferably with a hottie or several hotties. Preferably not until the lake thaws out a bit.

Go to Tommy’s for a full meal in the middle of the night, drunk or sober. Be sure to really take your time perusing the menu, there are cool options (like ‘The Italian Job’ which is a poutine made of deep-fried ravioli) and you don’t want to have food-FOMO when the meals arrive.

Do the Haunted Walk of Kingston. You won’t believe how many ghosts you have been coexisting with for all these years

Make conversation with someone in your classes whose opinions you always disagree with. You might make a new friend or you might begin a heated debate, either way the results will be entertaining.

Go to Ritual. For anyone hoping to snag an engineer to marry before their time at Queen’s is up, there’s no better place to look than Clark Hall Pub on a Friday. Also ideal for anyone at all who likes having an excuse to be wasted off Smirnoff Ices and beer by 2pm.

Next time you’re out on the town and you bump into a person you thought was super hot in your first year French class but haven’t seen since, instigate a DFMO* with them. Your first-year self will be proud and if it doesn’t go well, you’ll probably never have to see them again.

Visit The Brooklyn aka “Kingston’s greatest craft beer experience”. It’s great to see new bars doing well in the Hub area.

Make the trek down to Tir’Na’Nog on a Thursday night for karaoke. A cozy pub atmosphere combined with drunken students slurring their way through some of the best songs of all time? Yes please.

Try the Top Secret bagel at CoGro. Last chance to be in on the secret.

Take the time to get to know your favourite professor. Visit them during their office hours; not only will it earn you academic brownie points, but they’ll appreciate the company. Professors can be intimidating but they can have seriously wise advice about your post-grad potential.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE ARC BECAUSE IT’S THE LAST TIME YOUR GYM MEMBERSHIP WILL EVER BE FREE!

Take a photo of you and all your favourite friends wearing Tricolour and posing around the ‘Queen’s University’ brick at University and Union and make it your profile pic.

Tuck in your shirt, make sure your fly is tightly zipped and be that person who does a keg stand. In fact, be that person who does the longest keg stand because go big or go home right? The Queen’s ghetto is full of lame keggers just waiting for people like you who are willing to get rowdy.

Acquire the mythical ‘Tricolour Ban’, which means you do something so outrageously, legendarily inappropriate at Clark, Alfies or QP that you receive a lifelong ban from all three establishments.**

 *DFMO = dance floor make out

**Reserve this check mark for your final night out in Kingston, duh.

It’s beginning. Facebookers and Tweeters are taking to their social media devices to VOCALIZE THEIR DISTASTE for my most scared month, February. Yeah, yeah, everyone hates February; it’s usually slushy and cold and leaves us will little belief that summer will actually ever return. I scoff at this reasoning, however, because February holds the greatest day of the entire year, VALENTINE’S DAY.

Most people that I come across have a bone to pick with V-Day. Is it because they’re haunted by a past love? Are they bitter with their current romantic situation, which is most likely nonexistent? Did their crush in the third grade accidentally buy an incorrect amount of valentines, causing them to be the one person to miss out?

I’ve always been keen on V-Day, but when I drop this bomb on my counterparts, there’s usually some form of dramatic response that ends with questioning my sanity. So why, you may ask, do I hold the day of the sexiest saint in such high regard?

1. As a child, Valentine’s Day is the one day that you get a loving present from your secret crush, even if everyone else gets one too and it was mandatory for them to give it. Inclusiveness rules!!

2. The story of Saint Valentine is enough to make me swoon. Saint V believed in love and the right to marry so passionately, that he was imprisoned and eventually BEHEADED for illegally marrying Christian couples who were being prosecuted by Claudius. Not sure about you guys, but I think that’s top banana, especially because there's a huge fight for marriage equality happening in front of us today.

3. I feel like an asshole for even having to mention this one to all you love-day haterz, but chocolate is not only socially acceptable to eat in mass amounts on this day, it is highly encouraged.

4. Flowers! How can they not make you happy? Whether you’re giving or receiving, flowers are a great reminder of the summer season that will soon be upon us.

5. Valentine’s Day encourages love! Valentine’s Day is all like “hey guys, if you love someone, let them know!”, and all of you are like “yeah, well why do we need a holiday to remind us?”, and I’m all like “because life is fast and hard (probably the title of a Bruce Willis movie) and sometimes we get caught up in the mix of things, and forget to let the ones we love know just how much we love them”. Everyone needs a little reminder.

6. Imagine if someone did come forward and admit they had a huge crush on you? GASP. The prospect of it happening to someone, somewhere in the world, is enough to make me blush.

So how can you drop the Scrooge act and get on board the love boat this V-Day?

1. Send creepy, stalker-ish cards to your friends! Send normal, loving cards to your friends! Anonymity is required for both, to maintain ultimate humour/discomfort for the first option and to boost your friend’s ego with the second option.

2. Have a party! Get your friends together, drink pink beer, and groove to the playlist that I unloaded on ya'll.

3. Tell someone you fancy them!

4. Make dinner with your parents…because they can’t turn you down.

5. Get your marriage license and be responsible for a legal union of love….

So, for all you suckers who hate Valentine’s Day, just cause you're wiggin’ on your “lack of love” – look around, dummy! So many people love you, just maybe not the hottie that you’ve been visually undressing for the past two months. So what! My last real Valentine was this weirdo named Mark in the first grade, who gave me his silver chain necklace? MARK BABY IF UR READING THIS, I STILL HAVE IT. So, open yer eyes! Even if it isn’t romantic love you’re celebrating, there are plenty of other kinds.

- Emily Wraith, who is apparently a love blogger now...

Do you like The Canadian Grilling Company? Well why not try Michael Smith's recipe for Fettuccini Alfredo? 

Ingredients 

1 pound-box fettuccini

1/2 stick butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 

a sprinkle of salt and pepper

1/2 cup minced parsley 

1/2 cup minced chives, or green onions 

Instructions 

Cook fettuccini according to the package. 

Meanwhile in a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté until it softens and flavours the butter. 

Add the cream and bring to a simmer. Stir in the cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper and heat through. 

Toss in the cooked pasta along with the parsley, chives or green onions. Season with pepper and serve immediately. 

We aren't sure if you've noticed, but it has been awfully chilly as of late. On days when the temperature plummets to a dismal -30 degrees, you've got two options: stay inside wrapped up in your cozy wool sweaters and thigh highs socks OR go outside in your snowsuit and look like the abominable snowman. 

It's not easy to look cute when you feel like your fingers and toes are about to freeze off.

Until now!

Oil Thigh Designs would like to introduce their new line of fabulous winter looks available during their 2-day sale, taking place 10am-2pm on Thursday, January 30 at Goodes and Friday, January 31 at Mac Corry.

The new merchandise promises to keep you looking and feeling hot until the great Canadian winter puts us out of our misery. 

Queen's Beanie; hipsters keep warm for $16!

Looking dope in the fleece lined No.1 Crew Neck for $20

Staying cute despite the hangover for $18

If the burgundy beanie didn't float your boat, we've got the Tricolour variety also for $16

Limited edition Tricolour hand-knit headbands are going for $15, with profits being donated to Sick Kids Hospital.

And there's plenty more merchandise where that came from!

Check out the OTD Facebook page for more photos and information!