College Cooking for the Poor and Inexperienced.

Spaghetti Squash

2010-08-17T12:33:00.000-07:00

Hello readers!

First off, I apologize for not having written in FOREVER. I am having major internet issues so the videos of how to make certain foods is not happening until the internet problems get sorted out, which might not be until October, so be patient.

Now onto the point of this blog:
Spaghetti Squash. Don't worry, I didn't know what it was either until this weekend. Basically, it is a big yellow squash (about the size of a football), and its pretty heavy. After you cook it and cut it open, the insides looks like angel hair pasta. When i bought mine, it was $1.29 a pound, so was much cheaper than buying pasta and made much more.
Here is how you cook it:
1) Use a large knife and poke a hole into the squash making sure to get at least to the center of it.
2) Place in the microwave, hole facing up, and cook for 15 minutes.
3) Take it out of the microwave (be careful, it is VERY hot) and cut it in half length-wise.
4) Use a fork to scrape out the seeds and the stringy meat the seeds are attached to. (there is a noticeable difference to the meat with seeds, and the good stuff on the inside. There shouldn't be many seeds but make sure you get them all) Again, be careful because it is VERY hot.
5) After disposing of the seeds, use the fork to scrape out the rest of the squash. Scrape it all into a bowl. The only part now that you wont eat is the thick skin.
6) Enjoy! When my friend and I cooked it, we mixed it with veggies we had grilled with garlic and sun-dried tomato pesto. You can find a similar recipe here: http://collegecookingfordummies.blogspot.com/2010/06/pesto-pasta.html

This is an extremely healthy and delicious alternative to pastas. If you don't add chicken into your pesto, this can also be vegetarian as well as gluten free.

Enjoy!

Until next time,
Lucy

Pesto Pasta

2010-06-14T17:24:00.000-07:00

So my dad and I made dinner the other day and it was simple, healthy, and delicious. Here it is!!

Ingredients:

Bow-tie or shell pasta (I used gluten-free pasta, but regular pasta is just fine)
Pesto (I used Sun Dried Tomato Pesto. Use whatever kind of pesto you prefer)
Vegetables (We used onion, broccoli, red and yellow bell pepper, and zucchini. you can use any vegetables you want.)
Chicken

Start the pasta cooking.
Cut the chicken into bite size pieces and cook. Sprinkle garlic salt on it while it cooks.
After the chicken cooks, drain the liquid and put it aside.
You can use the same pan for the vegetables.
Cut the vegetables unto strips or whatever size you want. Put olive oil in the pan and grill the vegetables. When they are just about cooked, add the vegetables and the DRAINED pasta.
Add the pesto to taste along with salt if you want it.

Serve in a bowl and enjoy!

Videos!

2010-05-29T18:20:00.000-07:00

Hey Readers!!

So starting in June, I am going to be doing videos of different recipes.
Keep an eye out for them and send me requests if there is some recipe I have put on my blog that you want to see done.

Thanks for reading!

~~Lucy

Keep Off the Freshman 15

2010-02-11T20:59:00.000-08:00

Although diet is a large part of avoiding putting on the dreaded Freshman 15, exercise is also a key component.
I am not the person to tell you to go for a run everyday, because I have a lot of trouble motivating MYSELF to go for a run, let along other people. Luckily, I have found some exercises that everyone can do daily and burn a few unwanted calories. These exercises are so easy to do, even I am able to do these easily everyday.

1) Heels up and down.
   - What: Stand with your feet in a comfortable position (parallel and somewhere between together and hip-width apart). Raise your heels so you are standing on your toes, then lower your heels. Repeat as many times as wanted.
   - When: This is easy to do while waiting in line, waiting for an elevator, while in an elevator, while waiting to cross the street, while cooking, and watching TV.

2) High knees
   - What: While standing, raise your knees as high as you can and replace back on the floor. Trade legs. Repeat.
   - When: This is easy to do while waiting in line, waiting for an elevator, while in an elevator, while waiting to cross the street, while cooking, and watching TV.

3) Jog in place
   - What: If you don't know what this means, then I don't know what to say.
   - When: Brushing your teeth, waiting for toast, waiting for an elevator, jog up stairs.

4) Park your car far away.
   - This is one that I do often. Instead of searching for the closest space to the store, I simply park in the first spot I come to, no matter how far away it is. While leaving the store with bags of stuff, it is another extra weight to help you burn more calories. (It also gives you a longer journey if you like to pretend your shopping cart is a race-car and make sound effects all the way from the store...)

5) Take the stairs instead of the elevator
   - I used this technique for one week. I never once used the stairs and I lost 5 pounds in a week. I didn't change my diet, I simply was more active for a week. Amazing.

More to come!

Smoothies Galore!

2009-12-04T19:35:00.000-08:00

In my last blog, I promised to write more. Well, I didn't exactly uphold that promise. But I REALLY am back now! Midterms just passed so my work load is not quite as heavy as it was. During my hiatus, I didn't just sit on my butt and forget about my readers! I was researching about RAW foods and VEGETARIAN eating. So here is the beginning of a new way of living for you and me!

Below are recipes for different smoothies. All of these are ones that I found on a raw food website. None of these have dairy in them (like milk or ice cream or yogurt) because my stomach has trouble digesting dairy and I know many people who are in the same boat as me. Let's face it, people, milk just isnt good for us anymore! Commercial milk is produced by cows that have been pumped full of hormones to get them producing an unnatural amount of milk in a short period of time. Most dairy farms do not give them adequate space to move and the cows are fed grains and corn. Since when are cows meant to be eating corn?? OK, thats enough of that rant. ONTO THE SMOOTHIES!!

This first one is very gentle on the stomach and contains a LOT of vitamins needed to keep you going throughout the day. My favorite part is the bananas because of their potassium.

Healing Smoothie:

1 firm kiwi fruit, peeled
1/4 cantaloupe, with skin
1 ripe banana

1. Push kiwi fruit and cantaloupe through the hopper.
2. Place juice and banana in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
3. Pour into a tall glass, drink immediately and enjoy!!

This next one contains a lot of Vitamin B and antioxidants to keep you energized all day long

1/2 Cup Filtered Water
1/4 of a Whole Pineapple, peeled and cut into pieces
10 Strawberries
1 Mango, peeled and cut into pieces
1 Banana
3 Ice Cubes

Process in a blender until creamy.

This next one is a little bit more complicated because it evolves a coconut: an ingredient that might not be available to everyone all year long.

You'll need:
2 large or three small bananas (no yellow ones! nice and ripe & spotted)
-one "young" or green coconut
-a blender & glass!

What to do:
1) crack open the coconut (find a good method that works for you- I haven't found mine yet! I just cut like hell till I finally get a hole in the top..)
2) our all the liquid right from the coco into the blender
3) add the bananas
4) liquify

Keep checking back for more vegetarian recipes!

Until next time!

~~Lucy

Apologies

2009-11-28T11:04:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone!

Sorry I haven't been blogging lately! I have had a VERY hectic few weeks at school and some things had to be pushed to the side. I also moved into a new apartment with a friend of mine and we don't have very good internet connection (luckily, our neighbors do and they don't have a password. shhhhhhh!).
I know some of you found me through the Twitter account I have (CollegeCooker). I have been getting a lot of feedback about the vegetarian and raw cooking links I posted so I am going to be accommodating your needs and putting more posts about eating raw and eating vegetarian.
Keep reading!

Until next time,
~~Lucy

The Diet Diaries: Entry #5

2009-10-21T15:11:00.000-07:00

So my diet is almost over. And I feel great! I have lost some weight, my immune system is back up and running, and I am finally able to digest food properly. Because of this great triumph, I have let myself slip a little bit on the diet. Which I know I shouldnt do, but I couldnt help it! I miss sanwhiches and cheese and butter and chocolate! (Note: I only had these things ONCE and in very small amounts).
I think the hardest thing about this diet was the wheat aspect. In my daily life I avoid dairy because my stomach does not like milk very much. But wheat is in practically everything that I eat! I never realized how much toast and sandwhiches and pasta I ate before I couldnt have it anymore! I would open my cuppord and my roommates English muffins would be begging me to eat them! I love english muffins, but I was able to say no and keep strict to the diet. The one time I ate bread was because for lunch I had a lot of fruit and sometimes my stomach gets upset with just fruit in it. So to counteract that, I got a slice of dry toast to go with it. I only ate half of it and it kept my stomach at bay.
I am hoping once I am released from the rules of this diet, I will not be so tempted to eat cookies instead of bell peppers. I want to be a healthy person and I want to be at a healthy weight and feel like the best I can feel. Right now I dont. I do not have a lot of extra fat. I do not have enough fat that my health is in the slightest affected, but I have enough that I sometimes do not feel good about myself. I know I can get to a weight that I love my eating healthy and exercising. I hope you will join me. This blog is not for me, its for my readers. (Going back to my High School Musical reference...) we are all in this together! So lets keep it that way.

Until next time
~~Lucy

The Diet Diaries: Entry #4

2009-10-16T14:14:00.000-07:00

So I have found through my one week of dieting, that the diet gets easier the longer you do it. Also, being determined to stick to it must help hahaha. My brother was eating some hostess, whipped air, disgusting yet delicious thing yesterday and although I desperately wanted a bite of it, I stuck to my guns and refused to take a bite. He even offered me a bite multiple times! I don't know about you all, but I am rather proud of myself!

Today I woke up at my dad's house, but my health powder was at my mom's house! Instead of giving into my hunger and cheating the diet, I waited until I was showered and dressed then went over to my mom's house to get breakfast. I am not supposed to have breakfast until I have had the powder, so I just combine breakfast and powder into one delicious and nutritious smoothie every morning. Before dinner I have the same thing, just in smaller proportions. The dinner smoothie is usually more power and less fruit than the breakfast smoothie.

I am just glad I can have chicken! If I had to cut out all meat from my life during these 3 weeks, I would go NUTS! I am not trying to say anything against vegetarians! I would love to be a vegetarian. In fact, I was a vegetarian for a while, but I didn't get enough nutrients that I needed so I actually was very depressed and just unhealthy for that time period. After just a few days of eating meat again, I was back to myself. I applaud people who have the will power and the ability to be a vegetarian! I wish I could be one of you, but I believe some people's bodies were meant to have meat and others can live without it.
I still try to avoid eating chicken though. I usually only have a little on a salad or on the side with dinner. Like the other night when me and my mom were making lima bean soup, we cooked up a bit of chicken sprinkled with a bit of garlic salt, and just dropped them into our soup! It was something we had never done before and it was delicious.

Until next time,
~~Lucy

Mom Tip of the Week

2009-10-14T21:18:00.000-07:00

This is a tip that my mom gave me while we were making lima bean soup (or green soup as it has been known to me my whole life).

READ THE ENTIRE RECIPE BEFORE BEGINNING TO COOK!!!

While making this soup, I only read the directions one step at a time. That left me almost adding ingredients too early, running around trying to find the right spices, and almost over cooking my lima beans. So please read the entire recipe BEFORE cooking. Make sure you have all the ingredients ready to go also. You do not want to get halfway into making pancakes and realize you do not have syrup!

Another good tip:
Wash dishes DURING the cooking process. If you are waiting for something to boil or something to bake, take that down time to put some hot water and soap in the sink and scrub a few pans. You are going to have to clean them anyway. Might as well do it while waiting for your masterpiece to finish.

Until next time!
~~Lucy

The Diet Diaries: Entry #3

2009-10-13T22:31:00.000-07:00

So far so good! My parents have been helping me out A LOT this past week. My mom made me a salad for lunch the other day. It was delicious! It had balsamic vinegar dressing and she cooked some eggplant for me. I am not supposed to have tomatoes, but she forgot until after she made me eggplant. She added a bunch of sun-dried tomatoes with the egg plant and grilled it all in some olive oil. I avoided eating the tomatoes, but the eggplant still had some of the taste and was very good. (Sprinkle the eggplant with salt about 10 minutes before you grill it and it sucks out some of the bitterness that eggplant sometimes has)
My dad made me another salad for dinner. He put teriyaki chicken in it and with the vinaigrette dressing, it was AMAZING. One of the best salads I have had in a while.
Today I moved onto having the healthy powder before breakfast AND dinner. There really is not much else to do with it except throw it in the blender with some fruit. So far I have been sticking to blueberry and banana smoothies. its really delicious! The powder has a light vanilla flavor and adds something to the smoothie. Its not the BEST tasting thing in the world, but its good for me and I have no trouble putting it down.
I'm thinking now that I should have been recording my weight since I started this diet.... But I do not have a scale at my apartment in LA so it would have been difficult to weigh myself up there!

Until next time,
~~Lucy

The Diet Diaries: Entry #2

2009-10-11T11:28:00.000-07:00

So far I am doing well today! I was craving Coffee Bean while in the shower, but i reminded myself of the small amount of money I actually have and decided to make a smoothie instead. It had bananas and blue berries, and mango juice and a little bit of plain yogurt. I also added my nutrition powder and it was delicious! and filling.
I think I'm going to have a salad for lunch. and tonight me and the family are going out to dinner so we shall see what is available for me where we go.

Until next time!
~~Lucy

The Diet Diaries: Entry #1

2009-10-10T16:17:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I was put on antibiotics for a throat infection. Some people don't realize this but antibiotics do not just knock out the bad bacteria in your body, it kills the good bacteria as well. and yes, you have good bacteria in you! The bacteria helps you fight off sickness and some even helps you digest your food. So after I finished my course of antibiotics, (and also finding out that I am allergic to penicillin...) I started having some stomach problems. I would get gassy and have stomach aches after I ate. NOTHING was digesting properly. So yesterday I started on a diet that will get my system back up to par. The diet involves eating mostly vegetables and every day having a spoonful of a powder that will help my immune system. Among the things I cannot eat is beef, dairy, eggs, and caffeine.
I have tried dieting before and its always been very difficult for for. So to make it easier, I am going to blog to you good people about my trials and tribulations during these next 3 weeks. So here you have it, the Diet Diaries.

______________________________________________________

Yesterday was the first official day of the diet. I woke up pretty late so it was easier to stick to the plan. I only drank water (minus the chocolate almond milk I mixed the powder in with). For dinner I had a chicken sandwich. I am not supposed to have a lot of bread, but i needed SOMETHING to put the chicken on!
I grilled a small piece of chicken and put it on the bread. After, I spread on a small amount of mayonnaise and mustard. I also sprinkled on a small amount of cajun spices so a bit of extra flavor. For the greens, I put on organic Spring Mix. It was delicious! For a side I had cut up bell peppers. I love bell peppers so it was the perfect side.

This morning I had my almond milk & health powder mix as well as an apple with peanut butter. I know that peanut butter is not exactly on my approved health foods, but it was very tasty and a little bit of peanut butter never killed anyone. You know, unless you're allergic. Then it really would kill you....

So thats how the diet is going so far! We shall see how it goes but I'm feeling good about it so far!! wish me luck!

Until next time,
~~Lucy

UPDATE: Cheated again. had corn chips and artichoke-jalapeno dip. not the WORST thing to cheat with, but still a cheat. I feel badly. I really want to lose some weight and I want to get my health back. I use to be the girl who was never sick. Never. My entire first year of college, I was sick ONCE. ONCE! that is amazing for a regular college person! I fought off every sickness that plagued our school INCLUDING the bout of Swine Flu that came through. I will be more diligent.
The reason I am putting on all my cheats here is to make it more public. So if I cheat, its not just ME who I am cheating, its also my readers. I would be rooting for you guys as I hope you are rooting for me. Tomorrow is a new day and a new will to live healthily.
Until tomorrow

Rice 101

2009-09-18T16:25:00.000-07:00

I got a comment on my Beef and Broccoli  post that read:

How do you cook rice??

And I was shocked when I realized that I haven't written about that yet! Making rice was difficult for me to do, so why wouldn't it be difficult for other people? So I apologize and here are the instructions on how to cook the perfect batch of rice. (I am giving you the basic instructions, then below that are tips to make this process as easy as pie)

What you will need:
- Rice (Brown or White. Super cheap at any grocery store)
- Water (from the faucet is fine)
- A Pot and a Stove (or a Rice Cooker. Instructions for that are in the "TIPS" section down below

1) Measure out the rice and pour into pot
   **RICE EXPANDS!!!! So if you are just making it for yourself, 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup will suffice**
2) Measure out the water - 2 parts water for every 1 part rice (ex: if you have 1/2 cups of rice, put in 1 cup of water)
3) Add in a few shakes of salt and a few drips of olive oil. (Do NOT put in too much salt! you can always add more later.)
4) Put the pot on the stove on HIGH. Once the water is boiling, turn the heat down to MEDIUM/LOW and let sit.
5) After about 20 minutes (Brown rice takes a bit longer), your rice will be ready.
6) Remove from stove immerdiatly and fluff with a fork to stop the bottom bits to stop cooking

**TIPS**
* Brown rice has more health value than white, but both are tasty and I eat them both
* For a rice cooker -
   - add the amounts of rice you desire and the amount of water needed to the cooker
   - plug in/ turn on.
   - let sit until your rice is ready
* If your water starts to boil over, take the pot off the stove IMMEDIATLY and wait for the bubbling to calm down. Then turn your heat down just a little bit and place the pot back over the heat.
* Rice is GREAT for putting in the fridge and eating later, so do not be afraid to make a little extra.
   - Sometimes rice gets a little dry in the fridge so when reheating, put about 1 teaspoon - 1 tablespoon (depending on the amount of rice) of water in a microwave safe container with your rice. Cover (This traps the steam and re-steams the rice), and heat in the microwave. Give the steam somewhere to go! So don't snap a tupperware lid on there. If you trap the heat, you will get a mini explosion that will make a big mess for everyone and possibly hurt your microwave.

And lastly, do not be discouraged if you do not get it right the first time! Rice is an art and for some is easier than others. Me personally, it took me a while to master it but now I have it down! For others, rice is second nature and the easiest thing in the world to make.
Don't be too hard on yourself.
Be patient.
Have fun.

Until next time,
~~Lucy

Mom Tip of the Week

2009-09-18T15:40:00.000-07:00

I know I have been a bit lax lately on my posts, but it's a prime example of how busy college life can get! I am doing my best to post as much as I can.

Here is the next Mom Tip of the Week! Straight from my mom, to you.

Smoothies are a wonderful quick snack or even a meal. And making them yourself is a lot cheaper than buying them from the local smoothie stand. Next time you go to the store, look at the fruits that are on sale. Think about the combinations of fruits you've got in smoothies in the past - try to remember to have something sweet balanced by something a little tart. For example, if you go for the traditional strawberry and banana, think about adding in a bit of an orange to increase the flavor (yes, you can get orange juice but that is not as good as the "real" thing). You can get a large tub of either plain or vanilla yogurt and add a generous portion to your smoothie. Throw in some ice cubes and blend.

Take a trip to your local whole foods store and ask about other wonderful smoothie additions, like protein powder, vitamins, probiotics etc. These can not only give you the energy and ability to concentrate that you need to get through the next few hours but can also help to boost your immune system as you overtax yourself during these very busy college years.

There you have it! Check back soon for more tips

Until next time,
~~Lucy

To Eat, or Not to Eat, That is the Question

2009-09-17T09:11:00.000-07:00

When you should eat:
- When you are hungry

When you should NOT eat:
- When you are bored

Take it from someone who is a bored eater. Every time I have nothing to do, I eat and it sucks. Not only does it pack on the pounds, I looked in the fridge the other day, and me and my roommate had eaten all of our food! We had bought food for (what we had hoped) would be the entire month. Luckily, her grandmother sent us a good helping of food in the mail.

I guess I am trying to make 2 points here:
1) do NOT eat when you are bored. If you are bored, go for a walk. go visit a friend. do some homework. do something besides eat your boredom away
2) be careful of how much you eat. You food supply is supposed to last you a certain amount of time and food is expensive! So do your best to make it last.

Until next time
~~Lucy

Beef and Broccoli

2009-09-16T21:38:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorites. and its so easy!
Do you remember how I mentioned that you can get packets of spices for stew in a crock pot? Well you can get the same thing for a LOT of different foods. Look for the one for BEEF AND BROCCOLI.

What you will need:
- a packet of beef and broccoli spices
- beef cut into strips (make the strips bite sized. not TINY, but about the size that you would get at Panda)
- Onion cut into chunks (I like my onion pieces to be big because I'm a fan of onion, but you can cut it into how ever big you want your chunks to be)
- Broccoli cut into bits (make the chunks kind of big. we don't want to be wimpy with our vegetables! just make sure you can put the chunks in your mouth)

Follow the directions on the back of the packet. I believe it says cook the meat first, then cook the vegetables, then add the seasoning, but I could be wrong so PLEASE check the directions first!!!

Before doing any of the cooking for the main course, put some rice on the stove to start cooking while you brown the meat. Spoon a good helping on your plate and top that with your Beef and Broccoli.

Enjoy!!

Until next time,
~~lucy

Ravioli Yummmmmm

2009-09-05T10:23:00.000-07:00

Pasta is probably the easiest thing to make. Spaghetti with sauce is delicious and filling. The only bad thing about pasta is that it has TONS of carbs which will eventually pack on the pounds. So eat pasta in moderation.

Ravioli is DELICIOUS and my favorite type of pasta. It comes in SOOO many different types (4 cheese, garlic and chicken, cheese and mushroom, etc) and you can enhance those flavors with the hundred of different kinds of sauce there are out there. Pick and choose your favorites and enjoy!

**Remember to make some kind of vegetable with it!!

Until next time,
~~Lucy

Toaster Treats

2009-09-01T19:20:00.000-07:00

Besides the obvious, toast, a toaster oven can be used to be a LOT of things. One that I really love to make (even at home!) is mini pizzas!

What you will need:

Bread (french bread works well, but the crust is flaky. Any thick cut bread will work)
Pizza Sauce (you can get pizza sauce at the grocery store, but simple pasta marinara sauce will be fine)
Cheese (shredded melts well but if you only have a block of cheese, slice it thin so it can melt properly)

Cut the french bread into desired thickness.

Spread on sauce

Sprinkle on the cheese

Put into toaster until cheese is melted. Be careful not to burn them!

ENJOY!

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Another great favorite in my house is Tuna Melts!!
If you have roommates, make sure you have windows open before you cook this or ask them if its ok. My friends roommate cooked some sort of fish over a month ago, and their room STILL smells like low tide at the pier. But luckily, we aren't actually going to be COOKING anything here.

What you will need:
A can of Tuna (in water is healthier and, in my opinion, tastier)
Mayonnaise
Onion (depends how how much you want. I usually use 1/4 to 1/2 a large onion)
Celery (yet again, the amount to use depends on how much you want. I usually go for 2-3 stalks)
Cheese (any kind you want!)
Sliced bread

Open the can of tuna and drain the water. Place it into a bowl
Cut up the onion and the celery into your desired sizes (make them small!) Put into bowl with tuna.
*Hint-- Don't be afraid to add too LITTLE! You can always go back and add more of any ingredient.
Spoon in a dollop on mayonnaise and stir until the mixture is fully combined.
Spread it generously onto a slice of bread and top with desired amount of cheese.
*Hint-- smaller amounts of cheese melts better
Place into toaster oven and set to light/medium (depending on your toaster's strength and how much you like your bread toasted and cheese melted)
ENJOY!!

Until next time,
~~Lucy

Vitamins

2009-08-31T00:00:00.000-07:00

The right multivitamin is the key to health and energy during college. I take Alive! multivitamin after every meal and there is a noticeable difference in my energy level when i take it verses not. Lately I have been slacking on my vitamins and I feel more worn down and (as odd as it sounds), less able to fight sickness.
Multivitamins give you an extra boost of the vitamins you might not be getting now that you are not being fed a regular, balanced meal by your parents. In college, salads and other raw veggies are substituted for French fries, milk is substituted for soda, and fruit by Sour Patch Kids.
I cannot stress enough the importance of a multivitamin. At least once a day. I take my vitamin after every meal because I need to take it that often for the vitamin to have a noticeable effect on me. But people who haven't taken vitamins their whole life, like I have, can see a difference with one pill a day.
Go to your local health food store (Whole Foods is a great place to get a large selection of vitamins) and ask the person working in the vitamin section which multivitamin they would recommend. (Vitamin B gives a GREAT energy boost so look for one with vitamin B)

Until next time,
~~Lucy

Coupons!

2009-08-29T00:18:00.000-07:00

Shopping tip #3

CUT COUPONS!

Here is a website to print off coupons in your area:
http://print.coupons.com/couponweb/offers.aspx?pid=13306&zid=iq37&nid=10

ALSO the local Pennysaver sometimes has coupons

but the best place to get coupons is the Sunday paper. There are so many coupons in there that i dont know what to do with them sometimes! you can save so much money long term with coupons.

Get an envelope and keep them in there and DONT forget to bring them to the store!

Until next time,
~~Lucy

Late Night Snackin'

2009-08-29T00:12:00.000-07:00

We all know that while we are up late "studying" - lets get real here, people. I KNOW you are on facebook and YouTube. but for the sake of this blog, lets pretend you're up studying - so, back to what i was saying. While up late studying, we get hungry and need something to calm our nerves or keep up up for some more YouTube clips math problems.
Instead of reaching for the oreos, here are some healthy alternatives for your late night snacks!

If you are stressing about your midterm tomorrow........
Try almonds. Chewing releases stress (hence why some people eat when they are stressed) and almonds have some great vitamins to get you through the night and fill you up

Cant sleep.......
Have some instant rice (nothing flavored), an english muffin, toast, or a potato (not chips. those are mostly grease. french fries -thick cut- are fine). Starchy foods may raise your blood sugar slightly, but it also raises the levels of tryptophan in your body, helping you fall asleep.

Just hungry.....
try a cheese stick or scrambled eggs. The protein keeps off hunger longer than sugary foods.

______________________________________________________

Basically what I am saying here is that sugary foods may be on hand, but they will not help you sleep and will eventually put on the pounds if you keep it up.

Keep up the studying but remember, SLEEP IS GOOD!! Your body heals itself while you sleep. Without the proper amount of sleep, your body has a difficult time fighting of sickness and your brain stops functioning as well as it might if you had gotten those extra hours of sleep you spent staying up watching movies with your roommate.

Be smart and be healthy.

Until next time

~~Lucy

**The tips for today came from http://food.yahoo.com**

Stew

2009-08-27T18:23:00.000-07:00

One thing that is smart to invest in is a crock-pot. In the morning, you throw in some beef (or whatever meat you like), vegetables, and some seasoning, set it to high, and when you are back for lunch, you have a whole meal waiting for you!

Here is a simple, tasty recipe for beef stew

1/2 lbs - 1 lbs of beef (you can get it already cut into "stew" chunks. But you can just go to the store and get the cheapest beef)
2 or 3 large potatoes
celery
large carrots
onion
beef stew seasoning (in most every grocery store, there is an aisle with packets of powder to make taco sauce and gravy and things like that. Mixed in there somewhere should be a packet of seasoning for beef stew. On the back it will tell you how much water to put into the pot -it wont be as much as you think- and a recommendations of vegetables. You can put in whatever vegetables you want, but the ones I have listed and the ones the packet will list are perfect for crock-pot cooking)

If you make this at night, set the temperature at LOW so that the stew wont overcook by morning or lunch. If you make it in the morning and want it for lunch, set the heat to HIGH. If you make the stew in the morning and want it for dinner, set the temperature at LOW. You can always start it on HIGH, then change your mind and put it back on LOW.

If you have any other questions, leave a comment or send me a message! I love making stew and it is ALWAYS delicious.

Have fun cooking!

Until next time

~~Lucy

My Favorite Snack

2009-08-25T17:18:00.000-07:00

Every time I go grocery shopping, I always buy the ingredients for this delicious snack.
Vanilla Yogurt
Granola
Fruit (it depends what is in season, but my favorites are strawberries, blueberries, peaches, and bananas)

I usually get the Nature's Valley granola bars. Then i just crush it up and its perfect for putting on yogurt!
Cut up your fruit into bite size pieces and combine with the granola and vanilla yogurt. I put a bit of honey on top to give it another layer of flavor. Its healthy, and fills you up.

Until next time
~~Lucy

Mom Tip of the Week

2009-08-23T12:19:00.000-07:00

Check back every weekend for my Mom Tip of the Week!!

This weeks tip comes from MY mom! and she has a few things to say.

"I'd like to suggest a weekly activity - shopping followed by prep to make your life easier for the rest of the week. For example, cooking up large amounts of chicken and rice and then (when cooled) putting meal sized portions into baggies and freezing them. You can then pull them out of the freezer when you get home after a long day at school and voila! you have a wonderful home cooked meal!
You can also chop up onions and freeze them in baggies for quick cooking.

Also, put together a big bowl of salad - make sure that the bowl had a lid!! Then you have fresh salad available whenever you come home hungry. And cut up fresh veggies (carrots into carrot stix, peppers into strips) so that when you want a snack you can reach for something healthy and that won't add those pounds. Make sure to have a supply of ranch dressing on hand to dip them. Also, when they are on sale, grab a BIG bag of cheese stix - again, quick and easy to either take with you to class or to have for a wonderful snack.

And when you do cook a meal, cook enough for at least 2 meals - if you are going to go to all that trouble you might as well spread it out over a few meals.

Oh, pancakes can be frozen!! So when you want some for breakfast make up a huge batch. Cool them and then freeze.
Love you!"

So there you have it! My mom tip of the week.

If you're a mom (or parent/guardian) and have a tip for us college kids, or you are a college kid with a tip from your parent, send it along and I will include it on the blog!

Until next time,
~~Lucy

Eat Before You Shop

2009-08-22T17:20:00.000-07:00

Shopping Tip #2
Eat BEFORE you shop.
If you go grocery shopping on an empty stomach, you WILL buy more food, and, most likely, more junk food.

I should mention the goals of this blog and now seems like a good enough time to do it.
Goal #1: Shop well on a budget
Goal #2: Learn quick and easy recipes
Goal #3: Learn how to cook
and the hidden goal....
Goal#4: avoid the freshman 15.
- This may be something common for freshman, but it is something that ALL college students are susceptible to during their ENTIRE time at college! The sugary, fatty food is the cheapest, and there are no parents to tell us "No". This is a place to try avoiding the temptations of 7/11 and learn to fend for ourselves in the real world.

I like to have crackers in my cabinet so that i can put some in a ziplock bag and nibble on them while shopping.

Until next time,
~~Lucy

Food That is Handy to Have

2009-08-22T16:56:00.000-07:00

This is a list of foods that are handy to have and easy to make.

1) Frozen Chicken Breasts ($10.00)*
- You can get them from any grocery store for a reasonable price. Keep them in the freezer and pull them out when needed. The large ones easily feed 2 people and are simple to prepare

Easy Chicken recipe #1

**Place the chicken breast on a microwavable plate and defrost it in the microwave. Make sure you hit the "defrost" button or else you will COOK your chicken instead of DEFROSTing it. Flip the breast about halfway through and check on it about every 3 minutes to make sure it doesn't start cooking.

**Once its defrosted, spice it up! I prefer to use Italian Spices. You can get a grinder of LOTS of different spices from the 99 cent store. Put some olive oil in a pan and heat up the pan. Sprinkle your spices on one side of the chicken and place that side DOWN on the pan. (smaller pieces of chicken cook faster and more evenly). Spice the other side of the chicken and turn the heat down to medium. Its an art cooking your chicken at the right temperature, but cutting your chicken into smaller pieces makes it easier. Flip your chicken every now and again to ensure it doesn't burn. The chicken SHOULD cook and brown up, but not turn black.

**WATCH FOR SMOKE! this could mean the oil is burning or your chicken is burning. turn down the heat IMMEDIATELY and remove the pan until the smoking stops. There IS a difference between steam and smoke. your chicken WILL steam.

**Cut open the larger pieces to check that it is cooked all the way through.

**Remove from heat and enjoy!

2) Rice ($3.00/ 2 lbs)*

- Rice is cheap. its tasty. there are HUNDREDS of different kinds.

- White is the most common, but brown rice is healthier (and i think, more tasty)

- I prefer rice pilaf. The brand Rice-A-Roni makes cheap, delicious rice pilaf as well as all kinds of different kinds of rice! In my cabinets I currently have rice pilaf and "Mexican Style". The Rice-A-Roni instructions are also easy to follow.

3) Frozen Vegetables ($3.00)*

- Yes, fresh vegetables are more tasty. But we are on a budget here, people! and there is NOTHING wrong with frozen veggies. In my freezer i currently have 2 bags of frozen veggies, a peas and carrots blend, and a something else blend with lima beans and string beans and peas and corn and something else.

I am going somewhere with this seemingly random list of food. You all have just read an entire meal.

**Start cooking the rice first. If it gets cold by the time you have finished cooking everything else, you can always heat it up

**Cook the chicken. Keep an eye on the rice

**Once the chicken is done or almost done, put your vegetables in the microwave. Pour the amount needed into a microwavable container. Place a cover on top. Make sure it has some sort of ventilation! Your container will explode if it doesn't! The way I solve this problem is by putting my vegetables in a coffee mug and simply placing a plate on top. The lid keeps the steam in and lets the steam aid in cooking the vegetables. The amount of vegetables determines the amount of time to leave them in the microwave. Start with no more than a minute and stir your vegetables after that amount of time. from there you can gauge the rest of the time they need to cook.

**Put everything onto a plate, and ENJOY!

Until next time,

~~Lucy

* indicates estimated cost of food from grocery store.

"Do I REALLY Need This?"

2009-08-22T15:06:00.000-07:00

As much as we HATE to admit it, our parents were right in telling us not to have sugary cereals and ice cream for breakfast. In fact, cutting down on your sugar intake is not only a healthy thing to do, its also better for your wallet. Sugar might fill you up for the moment, but it will only leave you hungry in a little while. You end up eating more and burning through your food.

So here is my blog's first tip:

When grocery shopping, ask yourself, "Do i REALLY need this?" and if your honest with yourself, you will find yourself saying "No" more often than you used to.

Once, when I was grocery shopping, I was about to check out when I did a final look over at my basket and at every item, I asked "Do I REALLY need this?" without realizing I had even picked up this much junk food, I put back:

2 boxes of brownie mix

1 six-pack of pudding cups

1 twelve-pack of ice cream sandwiches

half gallon of juice

and a twix bar

I was shocked! not only did I save about $20, but i saved myself a lot of calories and time running off all those calories! The "Do I REALLY Need This" technique has been a proven money saver time and time again.

Until next time,

~~Lucy

Welcome!!

2009-08-22T14:52:00.000-07:00

Hello readers!! And welcome to my blog, "College Cooking for the Poor and Inexperienced"! Written by a college student, for the college student.

Before we begin our delicious journey, here is a bit about me and what I hope to accomplish with this blog.

My name is Lucy. I am currently studying Musical Theater at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in Hollywood, California. I am in my 3rd semester and loving every minute of it. I am from Carlsbad, California, where my family still lives. I have two brothers, Mac and Sam, a dog, Joey, a rabbit, Stewert, and two wonderful parents, Merryn and David.

Before I came to college, I did not know how to cook. I was terrible at it. I had difficulties making rice! But, luckily, my school houses their students in rooms with full kitchens and no meal plans. I was forced to know how to successfully grocery shop and cook for me and my roommates. But I have friends who are 20 years old, and still cannot make a decent meal beyond Macaroni and Cheese (which is DELICIOUS, but not nutritious).

So one day, I was sitting on my bed and decided to help all the college students, who are on a tight budget and still need to eat. So congratulations for taking the first step toward a happy and healthy meal!

Please do not hesitate to contact me with specific questions or recipes and shopping tips. This is a place not only for me to help you, but for us all to help each other. I am not interested in stealing someone's ideas. If you send me a recipe, I will put it on my blog and credit you for it. We are all in this together! (Sorry for the accidental High School Musical reference....)

At least once a week I will post new recipes for cheap, healthy, and delicious meals as well as shopping tips! So keep checking back and I cant wait to hear from you!

Until next time,

~~Lucy