Hangovers and Finals Have Something In Common

The end of the college semester means two things: finals week stress, and lots of binge drinking. Both these things require a change of eating habits. While I tend to stay away from difficult recipes, finals week requires the simplest of simple recipes. The need for a quick, easy meal, and the persistent hangover I was greeted with upon awakening, led me to make my favorite grilled cheese. My love affair with this sandwich goes back about 15 years, and I am convinced it will never become a boring food. When I first moved off campus, my roommates had a toaster oven, which I never had until then. I make my grilled cheeses in the toaster oven because it's quicker, and I don't have to use any oil or butter; thus making it slightly healthier than its fried counterpart.

Over the years, I have experimented with many variations on this classic sandwich. But, my favorite version of it has also become my go-to hangover remedy. I put tomatoes, bacon, and basil in my grilled cheese, but if I'm in a vegetarian mood, I skip the bacon. Almost any ingredient can work in this sandwich; it all depends on your particular preference.

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Ingredients

• American cheese, 4 slices
• 2 slices of bread
• bacon, 4 slices
• tomato, 2 slices
• basil, 2-4 leaves

Directions

1. Cook the bacon and set aside on paper towels (to absorb extra grease).

2. Place both slices of bread next to each other on the rack in the toaster oven.

3. Put 2 slices of cheese on each slice of bread.

4. Lay 2 slices of bacon on top of the cheese.

5. Stack the tomato and the basil on top of the bacon

6. Toast for about 2 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Meatloaf: The Food, Not the Singer

Most people have had meatloaf before. My mom used to make it when I was younger, but honestly, it was never something I thought I would make for myself. But, meatloaf is a pretty simple dish to make, and it just about always leaves leftovers. I made up my own recipe, and I encourage others to do the same. Have some fun with it. Also, I don't have a bread pan, so I just use a Pyrex pie plate. The loaf will hold its shape, so sometimes I even make it into what appears to be a giant meatball. I'm such a non-conformist. This is another one of those recipes that aren't complicated enough to really mess up, and also make great sandwiches the next day.

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Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1 cup bread crumbs, or smashed crackers, or even dry oatmeal
  
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 onion, minced
• 1/2 green bell pepper, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/2 cup barbecue sauce

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 375
2. In a large bowl, mix everything except the barbecue sauce
3. In a bread pan, shape the mixture into a loaf
4. Glaze the top of the meatloaf with the barbecue sauce
5. Bake for 45-55 minutes

Ugh, The Way To His Heart Might Really Be Through His Stomach

Well, I might have to admit that this incredibly old-fashioned, boys will be boys type sentiment, might hold some truth. My boyfriend loves this buffalo chicken dip. Since hot sauce and I have never seen eye to eye, I am not a fan of buffalo chicken dip. However, I am writing about it because everyone else I know seems to really like it, and it is quick and easy to make. My kitchen-challenged boyfriend can make this, which speaks volumes about the simplicity of the recipe. If you like buffalo chicken, this will be a hit. Normally, when I make it, my roommates manage to devour it before it even gets down to room temperature. I'm making it today, because while I am trapped in the never-ending cycle of papers and studying for finals, my roommates have decided to celebrate 4/20. While I am not condoning this celebration, I think it is a nice gesture to give them something to snack on after their festivities.
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Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
• 1 package of cream cheese
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup hot sauce
• 1 cup blue cheese

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 425
2. In a glass pie plate, spread the cream cheese evenly and mix until it is soft.
3. Mix the rest of the ingredients into the cream cheese
4. Bake for 15 minutes

Stretching Definitions and My Patience

Recently, while skimming through the blog $5 Dinners, I found this post for "Chocolate Chip Cookies-Healthified." While mistakes in the kitchen don't bother me (it's getting in there and trying that counts) grammar really gets me going. It personally peeves me when people make up their own words, especially if those words are deceiving. "Healthified" is not a word, and this recipe is not healthy. Annoyance does not begin to describe my feeling about this recipe.

Like any good American, I am all for a good chocolate chip cookie; however, chocolate chip cookie recipes are a dime a dozen. I was genuinely intrigued when I saw the title of this one, since it is claiming to be healthy, as well as delicious. This recipe is a far cry from being sold at nutrition stores. It is essentially the same as any other chocolate chip cookie recipe, only instead of white flour, whole wheat flour is used, and some flaxseed is thrown in for good measure. Flaxseed, while full of nutrition, is expensive. I for one, am not about to go buy some just to make so-called healthy cookies. Let's hop off the health-nut bandwagon, and call a cookie a cookie.

Chickens Taste Better After They've Crossed the Road

The only real food (besides condiments) in my refrigerator is a package of chicken breasts. Guess what's for dinner? One of my favorite foods is simple breaded chicken. I can almost always find crackers to smash, or bread to throw in the food processor if I don't have bread crumbs. Most college students who have to start cooking for themselves have made this meal, because it is a great starting dish. There is no pressure, and it is pretty difficult to genuinely screw up. Also, if you have some pasta handy, serve it with the chicken. I usually do this, and I always make sure to cook enough for leftovers. Breaded chicken sandwiches are definitely underrated in today's cold-cut crazed society.
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Ingredients

• 4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 1/2 cups bread crumb, or smashed crackers
• 2 eggs

Directions
1. Crack the eggs into a bowl and scramble them.
2. Pour the bread crumbs into a separate bowl
3. Grease a large skillet and put in over medium heat
4. Dip the chicken breasts, one at a time, into the egg, coating completely
5. Dip the chicken breasts into the bread crumbs and place in the skillet
6. Cook on medium-high heat for about 3-4 minutes on each side, until golden brown

Pigs in a Blanket: Vegetarian Style

The wonderful world of Disney just keeps growing. Today, I discovered the Disney organization has a family food website. Since I am a firm believer than if you've grown up, you've given up, I decided to take a look at their recipes. I myself am not, nor have I ever been, a vegetarian; however, my mom is, and so are some of my roommates. So, I feel that this blog would be a disappointment if I neglected to include some vegetarian recipes. While this recipe for Asparagus in Blankets is not exactly a filling choice for a meal, it is easy and cheap to make, and it's a real treat for the vegetarian-or-not taste buds.

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Ingredients *

• 1/2 pound chilled, uncooked pizza dough
• 8 to 12 asparagus stalks, trimmed and cooked
• 1 small tomato cut into 1/4 in thick slices
• 2 ounces cheddar or mozzarella cheese

Directions *
1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Lightly flour a cutting board to work on; do not wipe flour off your hands
3. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces
4. Divide the asparagus into 4 bundles and cut in half
5. Place each bundle on a piece of dough
6. Sprinkle cheese on the asparagus and top with a slice of tomato
7. Roll dough around the bundle
8. On a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, place each bundle, seam side down
9. Let the asparagus blankets sit for about 15 minutes to reach room temperature
10. Bake for 10 minutes, or until golden brown

*Taken from the Disney website

I Just Like to Say the Word Jambalaya

While sifting through FoodNetwork.com, I stumbled upon this scrumptious, slow-cooker recipe for jambalaya. I have never been much of a spicy, kick you in the mouth going in and the stomach going out, kind of food lover. But, this past winter I was visiting my boyfriend's family, and his mother made jambalaya. Being the polite house guest that I am, I had to not only try it, but finish a full plate of it. However, it was not the horrifyingly spicy onslaught I was anticipating. It was delicious; I even took some back to school with me. Ever since then, jambalaya, which used to be something I only liked to say, has had a special place in my heart.

This recipe is a keeper. Although jambalaya remains near and dear to me, I do not like shrimp, so I did not put it my batch, as the recipe calls for. Yet, the freedom of jambalaya is unending (which is probably why I have developed such a fondness for it) and really, anything can be added or removed. Also, any slow-cooker recipe is a beautiful thing to a college student. When I get back home tonight, I will be greeted with the glorious smell of New Orleans, and the satisfaction of having dinner the second I walk in the door. Even better than this, tomorrow I will have leftovers!

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Ingredients *

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-in. cubes
• 1/2 pound andouille sausage, diced
• 1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons Cajun or Creole seasoning
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1 pound frozen, peeled shrimp
• 2 cups cooked rice

Directions *
1. Place the chicken, onion, pepper, celery, chicken broth, and seasonings into a slow cooker.
2. Cook on low for 7 hours, or on high for 3 hours
3. Add in the shrimp about 5-10 minutes before serving.
4. Serve over rice.

*Recipe taken from Food Network's website

Not-So- Independent Woman

One of my favorite things about being a college student is going home for holidays. Suddenly, all the pressures of supporting myself don't matter as much. Usually, when I get home on Friday nights, dinner is already made, just waiting for me. So, I did not have to plan any meals this weekend. In fact, I really did not have to do anything except take leftovers back to school with me. While tomorrow I will have to start making dinner again, tonight it's me and my mom's leftovers.

Blogging for Dummies

Since I am relatively new to the art of blogging, I have had some trouble figuring out all the kinks. I wanted to create a way to make clickable categories on the side of my blog, but I am now just about ready to admit defeat. But, just because I did not succeed in making clickable categories, does not mean I won't try and try again. So, I am going to try something different. A few times a week, I am going to post "how to" blogs with a different cooking technique in each one. So, without further ado, let's jump into today's technique; mincing.

Mincing is a pretty fancy word for a pretty easy technique. Basically, mincing is chopping something up into really small pieces (like shredding cheese, but you don't use a grater). To mince an onion, for example, start by cutting the onion in half, and cut the unedible ends off. Then, place the cut side (the big side that used to be the middle) down on a cutting board and slice horizontally into the onion, making thin slices, but stopping without going all the way through it. Then, when you reach the end of the onion, chop vertical slices into the onion until you have tiny onion squares. Do the same thing to the other half, and viola! You have a minced onion, ready to go.

It's Not Delivery It's Poor Pizza

I think one of the most underrated college meal is pizza. Don't get me wrong, I don't always have the cash to order in pizza, but I do know a great way to make your own cheap, less-fattening pizza. It's not delivery; it's poor pizza. The most important part of this recipe is that you don't have to follow it. Do whatever makes your taste buds tingle. If you have spaghetti sauce leftover, use it. If you have some leftover chicken, cut it up and throw it on. Also, if you like your crust crispier, just toast the tortillas in the oven with your broiler on low for 2 minutes. It is almost impossible to mess up this recipe. I like to think of it as more of a creative creation than a recipe because recipe sounds so strict.

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Ingredients

• 1 package of soft, flour tortillas (any kind)
• tomato sauce, or crushed tomatoes
  
• basil, either a few fresh leaves, or the dried and crushed kind
• 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese per tortilla (depends how many pizzas you can eat)
• any vegetables you want to put on pizza, chopped

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 375
2.Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil (for easy clean up).
3. Place 2 tortillas on each baking sheet.
4. Spread tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes over tortillas.
5.Sprinkle basil and mozzarella cheese on top of the tomato sauce.
6. Toss on any vegetables, chicken, or leftovers you want over the cheese to top it all off.
7. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until cheese is bubbling and golden brown.

Is A Menu Plan Like A Syllabus?

I was reading the $5 Dinner blog, and I found this entry. I know menu planning can be a great way to reduce cooking stress, but it might be too limiting for me. For one thing, my menu would not be as diverse as this one. I don't know many college students who can afford such a range of food, especially menus that include fish since it is a pretty expensive form of protein. I like the fact that this woman obviously loves her leftovers, and that she takes the time to plan the week's menu. Menu planning might be great for people who are looking for ways to organize and prepare for every aspect of every week, but I just don't think I am ready to give up the freedom of the unknown.

Sometimes, I find that the best meals can be made flying by the seat of your pants, and hoping you don't burn your house down.

Leftovers Are A College Student's Best Friend

There are nothing but leftovers in my refrigerator; I am a college student after all. But, that's fine because I love leftovers. Leftovers mean there is no worrying about what I could make for dinner, or wondering if I still have any groceries in the house. This morning, as I was figuring out what to make for dinner (I have to do this in the morning because I am generally on campus from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m.) I realized I have my favorite leftovers. I have grilled chicken from two days ago, and I have salsa that I made yesterday. So, tonight, I will make what I like to refer to as "Mexican Chicken".

Mexican Chicken is incredibly simple, and it has no origins in Mexico (that I know of). I simply reheat grilled chicken breasts in a frying pan, and pour salsa and cheddar cheese over them. After about 2 minutes in the frying pan, I have Mexican Chicken.