breakfast... not just for "brinner."

brinner = breakfast + dinner; meaning, breakfast foods eaten at dinner time. that's about the only way us students can eat breakfast anymore, am i right?

here's the thing, breakfast (in the morning) is the most important meal of the day. at least that is what i hear, and i am sure you all have heard it too. the conundrum is: students are the ones who need breakfast the most to keep our brains reeling all through our [boring] classes and to kick start our metabolisms for the day, but we are the ones that have the least amount of time to spend to make breakfast! go figure.

i have taken it upon myself to come up with some quick breakfasts that provide the protein we need to keep us full until lunch, but that also take zip time to make. oh, and one better, you can totally eat these things on the go.

these are 2 recipes that use an english muffin as the base. you could use a piece of wheat toast instead if you detest english muffins but i promise you, english muffins will keep you fuller longer.

i am still using my thinking cap to come up with more recipes to solve our problems with consuming breakfast at its properly alloted time, so stay tuned.


"eggs on toast" (but it's rather an english muffin)

ingredients:

1 whole wheat english muffin

2 tablespoons of light cream cheese with chives (philadelphia cream cheese makes this with the chives already mixed in; they also make one that is chives and onions mixed in so if you want a stronger flavor, go with this)

1/2 cup Egg Beaters (this is an egg substitute that i like because it is already scrambled together; 1/2 cup is the equivalent of 2 eggs so if you want to use 2 eggs and then scramble them with a fork before you cook them that works too!!)

steps:

1) cut the english muffin in half so that it makes 2 flat, round pieces.
2) toast the english muffin halves until it is to your desired brown-ness.
3) let the pieces cool
4) pour the egg beaters (or break the eggs and stir them with a fork until the yolk and the white are all mixed together) in a microwave-safe bowl
4) add salt and pepper to taste, if desired
5) cook the eggs for 45 seconds in the microwave, take them out, scramble/fluff them with a fork, and put them back in the microwave for additional 30 seconds. Fluff them with a fork again, and if you like your eggs scrambled harder, put them back in the microwave in 15 second increments until they are the desired consistency.**
6) spread the cream cheese onto the english muffin, top with eggs, then top with the other english muffin half to make a tasty on-the-go breakfast sandwich!! enjoy!!

** If you have some on hand, you can throw some bacon bits into the cooked scrambled eggs to add a nice, salty bite. If you get the pre-cooked bacon in the grocery store, all you have to do is crumble it up and put it in the eggs after the first 45 seconds of cooking. the bacon will heat up while the eggs continue their cooking.

time breakdown:
toasting english muffin: 30-45 seconds
"scrambling" eggs: 1 min 15 secs - 2 mins
assembling sandwich: 60 seconds


peanut butter breakfast sandwich

ingredients:

1 whole wheat english muffin

peanut butter (i like crunchy) or almond butter (almond butter is healthier than peanut butter)

1 large banana OR 1 medium sized apple

steps:

1) cut the english muffin in half
2) toast the halves in the toaster
3) let the english muffin cool, then spread with peanut butter or almond butter
4) slice banana and place atop the peanut butter (OR, if you prefer apple, slice the apple into small slices and place atop the peanut butter**)
5) top with the remaining english muffin half for a yummy breakfast sandwich

** i know this may sound weird, but salty bacon is a great addition to the peanut butter/apple combination of this sandwich!!

time breakdown:
toasting the english muffin: 30-45 seconds
slicing fruit: 30-60 seconds
warming bacon (if desired): 60-80 seconds
assembling sandwich: 60 seconds


these breakfast sandwiches are PACKED with protein and fiber to keep your belly full and your brain focused all the way up to lunch!!

sugar cookie mania

so, the 4th of july is coming up.. what are you taking to the family picnic? i know, i know; you're taking summer classes and can't even think about making some long and involved recipe. i feel your pain, and i have no intentions of giving a long and involved recipe! in fact, you could throw this together the morning of the 4th. so bookmark this page, get back to your homework, and check this again just so you can get the cookie dough at the grocery store.

oh... the best thing? this all uses ready-made cookie dough. i am just giving you clever add-ins so that people can't tell that it is store bought cookie dough! (and trust me, without the flavor add-ins, people know its store bought.)

ingredients:

1 large package sugar cookie dough (it has to be the kind that comes in the roll, not the kind that is already cut into cookies)

any of the add-ins that are in the list that i give you of cookie ideas


steps:

1) allow the cookie dough to come to room temperature (this might take about an hour- you want it very soft so the ingredients will mix in easily!)
2) add in the extra ingredients and stir the mixture together until well blended (this might require your hands!) See the instructions that belong with each cookie for further direction. then continue to step 3
3) drop the dough by the spoonful on a cookie sheet (look at the instructions on the dough package for the recommended size and placement of the cookies on the pan)
4) bake according to the package instructions


ideas for types of cookies to make (plus some extra instructions for each individual cookie):

- 1/4 c. pineapple juice and 1/4 c. coconut milk (you may need to add up to 1/4 c. of flour to this mix if it gets too runny to be solid, spoonable cookies)
- 1 tsp almond extract; roll these cookies into balls and roll through granulated sugar before baking. when finished, immediate press one piece of orange slice candy into the top of the cookie (the edges will crack a bit when you add the orange and press into the cookie)
- 1 c. mini M&Ms and 1/2 c. caramel bits
- 1 c. white chocolate chips and 1 c. dried cranberries
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (mix this in completely before you add the rest of the ingredients), 1 c. chopped pecans; shape the dough into balls and roll in a mixture of 1TBS cinnamon and 1TBS sugar. (this is just like pecan pie in a cookie!)
- 1/4 c. key lime juice (add flour little bits at the time if the consistency gets too runny), 1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs; top with shredded coconut when the cookies have only 4-5 minutes left in the oven. after you have dropped them on the cookie sheet. the coconut will turn brown when it cooks! (this is just like a key lime pie!)
- 1/4 c. lemon juice, 1 TBS lemon zest (if you have it, if not it's okay), roll the cookies in powdered sugar before you bake


i hope these combinations help! and maybe with this as inspiration, you can come up with your own combinations, too! if you come up with something new, leave a comment and let me know how it turned out!!

smoothie addendum:

(yes, i looked that word up before i used it....)

i have discovered a wonderful secret to make smoothies even easier! are you ready?

FROZEN FRUIT!! if you use frozen fruit, it thickens the smoothie and you don't have to add ice! so all of you with mini freezers in your mini fridges and don't have ice, pack a bag of frozen fruit in there and you can use that instead! my favorite right now is a peach berry smoothie:

i use one carton (6 oz) of plain (non-flavored) yogurt, a large handful of frozen mixed berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries-- they come mixed together) and 2 large handfuls of frozen peaches, and a splash of apple juice. blend until smooth! YUM!

another great recipe, if you are feeling tropical:

one carton (6 oz) of pineapple coconut yogurt (danon light n fit has this flavor; this is the brand i use), one large banana, one handful of frozen peaches, and a splash of orange juice. blend until smooth, and imagine yourself on the beach! (even if you are stuck inside studying...)

enjoy; i know i do!!

smoothie queen :-)

i love smoothies. they are awesome for a quick breakfast to drink on the way to class, and they are a great nighttime study snack that is filling and sweet, but that doesn't have me crying for the gym. most smoothie recipes i have seen include more ingredients than needed to make for very complicated concoctions. so, here is a better way to make smoothies-- with less ingredients and with stuff you already have!

the secret: use flavored yogurt as one of your ingredients, rather than non-flavored yogurt and other sweeteners and fruits. flavored yogurt already has the fruit in it, as well as the sweetener. just don't go for the yogurts with tons of sugar in them, it defeats the purpose of this being healthy!

ingredients:

6 oz strawberry yogurt (dannon light and fit brand has the larger serving size yogurt (6 oz)-- it is the equivalent of 3/4 cup if you are using yogurt from a large container)

1 large banana

1/4 cup fresh blueberries

2 cups ice


steps:

1. Peel banana, spoon yogurt, and add blueberries to a blender
2. Add 2 cups ice and blend until smooth
3. If you like the smoothie thicker, add more ice (a few cubes at a time) and blend. If you like the smoothie more liquid-y, start with only 1 cup of ice and then add more ice (a few cubes at a time) if needed until you reach the consistency you like.


other combination ideas: (all with 2 cups ice)

- 6 oz strawberry yogurt, 1 large banana
- 6 oz blueberry yogurt, 1/4 cup raspberries, 1/4 cup strawberries
- 6 oz blueberry yogurt, 1/4 cup pineapple chunks, 1 large banana
- 6 oz peach yogurt, 1/4 cup strawberries
- 6 oz peach yogurt, 1/4 cup strawberries, 1 large banana
- To any of these combinations, you can try adding 1/4 cup orange juice or 1/4 cup apple juice or 1/4 cup pineapple juice to add some flavor! (For example, strawberry yogurt, banana, and orange juice is a good mix!)

*Hint: I don't recommend using banana flavored yogurt; it tends to be more tart than an actual banana. I would always recommend using real banana for that ingredient!!

*Don't be afraid to try different mixes of fruit! If you have ever had fruit salad, you know that you really can't go wrong with any different combination of fruit!!!

trail-mix clusters

have you even been studying or busy working on homework and then realized too late that you promised to take a dessert to a mixer, a club meeting, or another function? well, i have! and whenever i have that "oh crap! i was supposed to do that!" realization, i reach for these little gems. they take no time to make and people freak out over them!

here's what you do... now you can make 'em fast and get back to cramming for finals, and everyone is going to wonder how you can take a 17 hour course load and still manage to be super involved :-)

Ingredients:*

1/2 a package of milk chocolate almond bark (it comes in large bricks; half the package will be about 6 squares)

1/2 bag mini marshmallows

1/2 jar dry roasted peanuts (unsalted)

1/4 cup raisins

1/2 cup thin pretzel sticks, broken up into pieces (halves or thirds)


Steps:

1. Melt the chocolate in the microwave in a microwavable bowl according to package instructions**

2. Add the peanuts, raisins, and pretzels, and stir

3. Add the marshmallows and stir until everything is coated in chocolate (add the marshmallows last so the heat of the chocolate will not melt them)

4. Drop the clusters by the spoonful onto wax paper (you can make these as small or large as you want)

5. Let them cool (about 20 minutes) and then enjoy!

* The combination of ingredients in this recipe is definitely interchangeable; everything is good dipped in chocolate!
Some Ideas of ingredients you could use instead of the ones listed:
- dried fruit and peanuts into the chocolate
- banana chips, pretzel thins and marshmallows into the chocolate
- chocolate covered raisins and peanuts into white chocolate almond bark

** You have to work fast with the melted chocolate, because it will harden back up quickly! it might be a good idea to pre-measure the ingredients together in a smaller bowl so you can dump them in at one time. However, it is definitely doable to add the ingredients individually after the chocolate is melted, just pick up the pace!

Time Breakdown:
-Melting the chocolate: 45 seconds- 1 minute
- Adding the ingredients/ stirring: 30 seconds
- Dropping the clusters onto wax paper: 2-3 minutes

Chocolate Peanut Butter Krispies

this is a recipe for rice krispie treats with a kick... it's like reeces and rice krispie treats all rolled into one. these are great to make if you want something easy for a bake sale, a mixer, or even a grill-out at the fraternity house (boys love these)!!

my way of making rice krispie treats is the same as the classic recipe, so i can't take credit for it! i am just showing you how to jazz them up a bit ;-)

ingredients:

6 cups rice krispies (or store brand equivalent)

4 cups mini marshmallows

1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

1/3 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup butter (this is half of one stick)


steps:

1) on medium/high heat, melt the butter on the stove in a tall pot
2) add marshmallows, chocolate chips, and peanut butter to the butter and stir until the mixture is melted together
3) when everything is melted,turn the head OFF, add the rice krispies cereal and stir until contents are completely blended
4) pour the mixture out into a greased baking pan (13 x 9)
5) pat the top of the rice krispie mixture until it is flat in the pan
6) let the treats cool and then cut into squares


time breakdown:
butter melting: 2 minutes
marshmallow/chocolate/peanut butter melting: 3-4 minutes
rice krispie stirring: less than 1 minute
putting treats in the pan/flattening the treats: 2-3 minutes
waiting for the krispie treats to cool: 20-30 minutes

girls night in :-)

if there is one thing i love, it's a girls' night complete with pasta and a rom-com movie! but if there is one thing i do not love, it is having to be in the kitchen during the whole girls' night. not gonna happen. not with this recipe anyways!

ingredients

1 box penne pasta (16 oz or about that amount)

1 jar of pasta sauce (i like to use prego brand mini meatball, but you can use any sauce you like. if you use a tomato sauce then this will be one tasty vegetarian dish!)

2 tablespoons (T) of butter, melted

1 small (2 cup) bag mozzarella cheese

steps:

1) pour the whole box of penne pasta (uncooked) in a 13 x 9 inch baking dish
2) pour the entire jar of pasta sauce over the noodles
3) fill the pasta jar up with water and pour over the noodles.
4) stir the mixture together in the pan.
5) add the 2T melted butter; stir again
6) cover the top tightly with aluminum foil
7) bake for 30-35 minutes at 400 degrees. (You should open the oven and stir this about once every ten minutes. Also, REMOVE the aluminum foil when the timer has 10-15 minutes left to let it finish cooking uncovered).
8) top with 1-2 cups of mozzarella cheese (depending on how cheesy you like it!)
9) bake it in the oven again for 10 minutes or until cheese is nice and melty.
10) enjoy!


Note: enjoy this meal with a nice caesar salad and crusty french bread. you can easily get bagged lettuce and caesar dressing, and the bakery section of the grocery store always has french bread or some type of garlic bread.


time breakdown:
mixing up the pasta: 2 minutes
baking time (total): 40-45 minutes (use this time to get ready for the girls to come over! or make a fizzy cocktail, that's always a great option!)
cheese-ing time: 1 minute

sweet apple cinnamon tart

ok, so this is about as easy as cinnamon toast, but its cruchier, munchier, and all around better! and there are apples on it! yummm. clearly, this is great brainfood.

ingredients

1 burrito-sized tortilla shell (these should be a staple for making quesadillas anyways! i always keep these!)

1 large apple or 2 smaller apples

cinnamon- sugar mix (equal parts cinnamon and sugar; for this recipe i usually use 2 Tablespoons of each)

butter


steps:

1) spread a thin layer of butter on the tortilla shell
2) peel the apple and core it (you can just cut the sides off of it close to the core so you end up with 4 chunks of apple)
3) thinly slice the apple chunks (so that you make pieces that will lie flat on the tortilla)
4) lay the apple slices on the tortilla so that they cover the entire shell (they can overlap some, it's ok)
5) sprinkle liberally with the cinnamon sugar mixture
6) put a few little pieces of butter scattered on top of the cinnamon (you only need about 6 or so, just make sure they're evenly dispersed-- this will keep the apples from drying out)
7) bake in the oven at 400° for 10-12 minutes
8) cut into slices (like a pizza) and enjoy!


time breakdown
apple preparation: 3-5 minutes
buttering/apple-ing the tortilla: 1-2 minutes
baking: 10 minutes

i love making this to eat while i study; it is great comfort food!!

chinese take out... without the drive!

you know it, we all love chinese. it's the best and easiest thing to take out. so what would be even better than the convenience of yummy take-out?? making it, of course!

so, here is a nice and easy chinese takeout-esque dish that eliminates the need for driving to get it! awesome.

Ingredients:

1 pkg oriental style ramen noodles

3 medium-to-large sized raw chicken tenders (i buy a huge bag of chicken tenders-- not breaded-- in the freezer section; they don't take long to cook at all and they're always there when i want them for pasta or on top of a salad or anything random!)

1 small pkg frozen peas

1 pkg shredded carrots

soy sauce (optional)


Steps:
1) cook up the ramen noodles according to the directions on the package (including stirring in the package of oriental seasoning). set aside. **Note: you can make these in the microwave! i recommend it because it is less dishes to clean!**
2) drizzle some olive oil in the bottom of a saute pan. cook the chicken tenders (about 3 minutes on each side) until they are cooked through.
3) cut up the tenders into bite sized pieces (you can do this step while they are still in the pan)
4) get 1/2 cup of the oriental flavored soup from the ramen noodles (do not get the noodles from the pot yet) and pour it into the saute pan with the chicken
5) add in 1/2 package of frozen peas to the chicken
6) add in 1/2 package (about 2 big handfuls) of shredded carrots
7) allow the chicken, peas, carrots and soup to cook together for about 5 minutes (if it looks like the mixture is getting too dry, you can add the ramen noodle soup to the mixture-- 1/4 cup at a time. you do not want this to get too soupy though!!)
8) add in the noodles into the chicken and veggies mixture (do not pour in the noodles AND the soup, grab the noodles out with a fork or tongs)
9) if you would like to add extra soy sauce (some like it saucier than others!), then do so here
10) let this saute together for about 3-4 minutes, to let the noodles get hot again and incorporate with the veggies


time breakdown:
ramen noodle cooking: 2-3 minutes (if in microwave)-- do this during the chicken cooking time, it's more efficient!!
chicken cooking: 6-8 minutes
veggies & chicken cooking together: 5 minutes
final saute with chicken, veggies, and noodles: 3 minutes


if you would like to add to the effect, eat it with chopsticks. i, however, do not possess the finger coordination to use such utensils. so i will use my fork. either way you choose, enjoy!

there's always time for pizza

it's my immediate go-to dinner when i have a huge test the next day. it's easy, quick, and i always have the ingredients on hand because you can make pizza on anything! seriously.

i know you probably know how to make pizza, but i will give you the instructions anyways! first, some ideas that you can use for the crust of the pizza:
soft tortilla shells (the best for crispy pizza!)
bagel halves (regular or mini-- white, wheat, and garlic herb bagels are all really good options!)
hoagie/sub sandwich halves
pita bread rounds
flat sandwich rounds

other ingredients
1 bag shredded mozzarella cheese
1 pkg pepperoni slices
1 jar pizza sauce (or if you have a leftover jar of marinara sauce, you can use that too!)
olive oil
garlic salt (optional)
**any combination of veggies will work as toppings: peppers, onions, mushrooms, black olives, etc**

steps:
1) preheat oven to 400°
2) drizzle olive oil onto the bread
3) lightly sprinkle the bread with garlic salt, if desired. (it just adds extra flavor!)
4) spoon sauce onto your bread (if you're using a round bread like the tortilla shell, leave a little room at the edges for a crust
5) if you do leave a crust, brush some olive oil on the edges so that they won't burn
6) top with cheese, pepperonis and veggies (if desired)
7) cook on a cookie sheet for 5-7 minutes, until the cheese melts


** Note: if you would like to add sausage to these pizzas, brown the sausage first before you add it to the pizza to cook. Sage sausage is the most flavorful, so to brown it, turn the stove on medium high, drizzle olive oil into a saute pan, and add the sausage. sprinkle in some onion powder and garlic salt. when the sausage is browned, drain it and add it on top of your pizza before you put it in the oven.**

finding comfort in a classic...

i don't know where you are, but if you're in the south, you are experiencing a very cold and very rainy march day. i don't know about you, but come march i am at least ready for warm air with my rain!

however, because i unfortunately don't deal the weather, i can at least come up with something simple yet comforting to eat while i study on this cold, icky rainy day!

are you ready?

chicken noodle soup

1 box of low sodium chicken broth (the larger size-- i like swanson brand)

1 pkg of dried noodles (i like to use egg noodles but you can use any type: fettucini, spaghetti, angel hair and linguine all work too)

1 bag of baby cut carrots (i get them already peeled)

1 cooked rotisserie chicken (i like to get these from publix in the deli section, they have a great "regular" seasoned chicken, and i can use the leftovers to make chicken salad!)

** Note: don't get annoyed with me, but i dont measure anything for this recipe. mainly because the quantities really don't matter, it just depends on how much soup you want to make. for this recipe, i am making the full quantity so that i can heat up leftovers in the microwave later. so you can use less if you like.

steps:
1. bring the chicken broth to a boil (on high) in a tall pot. because you are using low sodium, add about a tablespoon of salt.
2. while you are waiting, cut up your baby carrots (i cut the little baby ones in half or thirds so they are good sized chunks).
3. when the broth is boiling, add in your box of noodles. if you are using egg noodles like me, about 2/3 of those big bags is the equivalent.
4. while you wait for the noodles to cook (about 8-10 minutes, depending on the noodle. the box will tell you recommended cooking times), cut up pieces of the rotisserie chicken. you want this small enough to eat with a spoon. (there isn't much rocket science to this, i take the skin off of the chicken and then just start tearing and cutting up the pieces i tear off. no biggie!)
5. add the carrots before the noodles are cooked (you want them to have about 4-5 of cook time with the noodles.) i loooove the carrots so i use about half of the bag, but you can use less or even more if you like.
6. as the noodles are finished cooking, add in your chicken pieces. again, you can make this as chicken-y or as non chicken-y as you like.
7. lower the heat to a about medium high and let the soup cook with everything in it for about 2 minutes. (the chicken doesn't need time to actually cook, just to incorporate with the broth)


time breakdown:
bringing the broth to a boil: 3-5 minutes
cutting up carrots (while it's boiling): 2 minutes
noodle cooking: 8-10 minutes
cutting up the chicken: 5-6 minutes (while the noodles are cooking)
final incorporative cooking: 2 minutes


so curl up with your nice hot bowl of soup and stay warm and dry!! enjoy!

the muffin doctor

muffins, muffins, muffins!

it's saturday morning, and what always sounds good for breakfast? muffins! but not your average boring muffins that you get from a box. we are getting inventive here! we deserve better. these are recipes that start with a box, but have creative add-ins to make the 100x tastier :-)

and just a hint: muffins will keep longer if you refrigerate them (just like any bread), so they are an easy breakfast to make on mornings when you have about 20 seconds to grab something before class. just grab one out of the fridge, pop it in the microwave for 15 seconds, and enjoy on the way to class! if you make them over the weekend, they will keep for the week.


bagged muffin mix is cheap. And if it's the store's own brand, they're even cheaper! (they're like 60 cents a piece, seriously!) so grab a bunch of those and away we go!**


Apple Bran Muffins

1 bag of bran muffin mix

milk or water (whatever the bag calls for)

cinnamon applesauce

Steps:
1) Make the muffins according to the package, except you're going to cut the amount of liquid in half, and fill in the missing half with applesauce. So, if the package calls for 1 cup of milk or water, only pour in 1/2 a cup of liquid, and add 1/2 a cup of applesauce. Whatever amount of liquid it calls for, just make sure your ratio is half-and-half.
2) Bake the muffins according to the instructions.
3) These are also really good with granola crumbled on top!


Lemon Blueberry Muffins

1 bag of blueberry muffin mix

water (even if the bag calls for milk, substitute water)

lemonade (i know you have this left over from the party the other night. vodka and lemonade is a staple. always have lemonade)

Steps:
1) make the muffins according to the package, except you're going to cut the amount of water in half, and fill in the missing half with lemonade. So, if the package calls for 1 cup of water (remember you are substituting the water even if it asks for milk), then you want to use 1/2 cup of water and 1/2 cup of lemonade.
2) bake according to the instructions on the package
3) Note: do NOT use lemon juice for this recipe. because you are not adding sugar, the lemon juice alone is too sour. use lemonade!


Banana Chocolate Chip muffins

1 bag of chocolate chip muffins

chocolate milk (to substitute for the liquid called for)

1 or 2 bananas, peeled and mashed (depending on your preference of how banana-y you want the muffins to taste; more bananas = more banana flavor

Steps:
1) make muffins according to the package, except substitute the milk or water with chocolate milk (use the entire amount of liquid called for)
2) break up banana(s) and put them in a bowl. mash with a back of a spoon until the lumps are gone/almost gone
**Note: you could be there all day trying to mash the bananas perfectly. Don't waste your time. If there are a few little chunks, its ok! they will soften in the oven.
3) fold mashed bananas into the muffin mixture
3) bake according to the instructions on the package



**Note- these recipes do not include muffin mix that comes in the boxes; the difference is sometimes those ask for oil and eggs. these recipes should still work if you leave the oil and eggs the same and just alter the liquids the same way as we did for the bags!

shephard's pie

ok, here it is.. be prepared for heaven in a one-dish meal!!

you'll need:

1lb of ground beef or sausage (or, if you want to be healthy, ground turkey works here too!)

1 package of frozen veggies (any variety works, just use whatever you have or whatever combination sounds good. i like the corn, green beans, and carrots mix)

4 oz of garlic and herb cream cheese (also yummy on a bagel but that will come later)

1 pkg of instant mashed potatoes

1 pkg brown gravy** (if you are using turkey, you might want to grab a lighter gravy mix but brown gravy still works)

8-10 oz sharp cheddar cheese --> optional

**You can also get the ready-made au jous as a substitute to gravy to eliminate the gravy making phase. You can find it on the same isle


to do:

For the filling:
1) preheat the oven to 375 and spray a saute pan with your cooking spray
2) brown the ground meat on medium high (dont forget your salt, pepper, garlic salt and onion powder!)
3) drain the meat when cooked in a strainer, or by tilting the pan and absorbing the excess juice with a paper towel
4) make up the gravy according to the package (you just add water), and pour it into the meat (or just pour in the au jous)
5) pour in package of frozen veggies and stir-- let this simmer on lower heat while you make the topping

For the topping:
1) make up your instant mashed potatoes according to the package instructions (usually you just add water and microwave)
2) stir in 4 oz of garlic herb cream cheese
3) stir in a handful of cheddar cheese, if desired

Putting it all together:
1) spray your 13 x 9 baking dish with cooking spray (or smaller pan if you half this recipe)
2) pour in the meat/veggie mixture
3) top with potato mixture and spread over the top to cover the meat and veggies
4) top with cheddar cheese (if desired)
5) bake for 25 mins until cheese is melted (see? you have time for your reading or homework while this cooks!)


Time breakdown (i think this will be helpful in the future for when you are trying to pick a meal that fits your schedule)
-meat browning: 5-7 minutes
-gravy making/veggie adding: 2 minutes
-potato mixture making (while veggies simmer): 5 minutes
-assembly: 1-2 minutes
-baking time (and study time for you!): 25 minutes



-- My roomate shared a similar recipe with me and i added a few tweaks for time efficiency, so thanks to her for my building block!

for a rainy day....

on a rainy day/night like tonight, i am craving shepherd's pie. bet you didn't know this could be an easy recipe did you??


the best part is: my recipe makes a huge amount (although you can cut it in half for less), so you can have this left over for lunch and dinner for days!! it nukes really well :-)


or, you could share with your roomates if you're feeling generous....


so, grab that pack of frozen veggies and some ground beef; recipe coming to you tomorrow!

mexican anyone?

made this for dinner last night, and it is my boyfriend's favorite so i figure i will share this one first!

grocery list:
1 lb of ground beef
1 can of enchilada sauce (small can-- i use mild)
1 can of rotel
1 small pkg of mexican/fiesta blend cheese
1 package of soft taco shells
13 x 9 inch baking pan (these are like 5 dollars at wal mart)


**note: this will require a grocery run. however, you will not use all of the cheese nor all of the shells, so with the leftover ingredients from this recipe you will also have the means to make a quick quesadilla for lunch for a few days!**


1) heat oven to 375
2) spray a saute/frying pan with cooking spray. heat it up on the stove to about medium/high
3) put ground beef in the saute pan. sprinkle on salt, pepper, and onion powder (eyeball this-- just a good 4 or 5 dashes)
4) brown the ground beef (about 7 minutes or so)
5) drain the beef in a strainer (or just tilt the pan and absorb the juices with a paper towel)
6) pour about 1/3 of the can of enchilada sauce and about a handful of cheese into the meat
7) simmer for a few minutes while you spray your 13 x 9 inch pan with cooking spray
8) fill your soft taco shells with a heaping spoonful or two of the meat mixture and roll them up like a soft taco
9) line the enchiladas in the pan close together so they wont unroll in the oven
10) spoon rotel into the enchilada sauce can until the can is full pour the sauce over the enchiladas
11) top with cheese (as much or as little as you like)
12) bake for 12-15 minutes (grab your reading for english class or calculus homework and knock that out of the way while it bakes! then you can watch the bachelor while you eat instead of doing homework. ha!)


If you are making a lot for a mexican fiesta, chop up some cilantro and put that on top! You can also make a great mexican dip, and conveniently i have a whole archive of dips for you to choose from!

these things should be in your pantry.

so, i was thinking that before i started putting up recipes, i would post some ingredients that should always be in the pantry to make your life easier. i suggest perhaps purchasing these things when you go on that grocery trip with mom and dad before you go back to school for the semester. or when mom and dad visit during parent's weekend and you conveniently all go to wal mart and load up on necessities.

These are mostly things that keep for a long time (ie- spices and sauces) and they add seemingly complex flavors to really simple dishes. there, that's secret number one :-)


-lemon juice (brings out fresh flavors and is great to marinate chicken to throw on the George Foreman. Also, it's great in rum and coke).

-garlic salt (keeps forever and comes in huge canisters so you only have to buy once)

- onion powder (i just solved the problem of adding perfect flavor to everything without buying/chopping/storing/or crying over onions)

-lime juice (for SoCo, sprite, and lime cocktails if not for tequila lime shrimp)

-Wine (red and white. for de-stress and for instant awesome pasta)

-butter (if you have baking to do on the fly, keep it so you don't have to go out and buy it)

-nonstick cooking spray (trust me)

-vegetable or canola oil (to put in pans if you're browning ground beef or to put on the George Foreman if you're grilling!)

-rice krispies (you never know when you want to make an easy variation of rice krispie treats... you may not believe me on this one but when you get tired of going to the grocery store at 11 o'clock at night over and over because you have to take them to an event the next day, you'll listen to me!)

-boxes of pasta noodles (even if you are down to the bare minimum of groceries, you can ALWAYS make a great pasta dish out of something)

-chicken broth (you use it more than you think!)

-package of frozen veggies


ome of these seem like you are already planning recipes, but trust me there is nothing better than thinking you have nothing that goes together to make anything edible, and then realizing you have frozen veggies and a pack of rice for a great vegetarian stir fry.

oh yeah, and if it's allowed and if it's in the budget, spring for a George Foreman little grill! They're not very expensive and you can say hello to healthy eating just like that! and let's face it, we don't want to get the freshman 15, do we? as least not due to food intake....

so go! buy! and get ready to cook! who knows, you might even enjoy this :-)

the cafeteria = ew.

let's be honest, the university caf sucks.

but when you come home from night class and see a can of chicken n stars condensed soup in the pantry and a pack of frozen peas in the freezer, a greasy fried (fake) fish patty melt, courtesy of the school cafeteria (caf), doesn't sound so bad, does it? please. we're beyond that.

i've read "college cookbooks" that claim to have recipes that are easy and fast for college kids. um, they lie. the authors must have forgotten all about what it is like to want good food but have no time to make it! who has hours to spend on dinner? not me, and i'm betting not you either.

here is where i come in. over the years i've come up with plenty of shortcuts and easy recipes that you can have made in the time it would take to walk to the caf (gross) anyways. and better yet-- the ingredients are more than likely things that you already have! yes, yes, you can thank me later. :-)

i can give you all kinds of recipes for various ingredients and even for various occasions. and if you have an occasion (ex- a sorority sister's engagement party) before i get the appropriate recipes up, just ask me and i will provide. you're welcome.

so consider me your cookbook. because i am guessing you already have enough oversized textbooks laying around anyways...

oh, and i'll bet you're wondering if i could make a recipe out of the chicken n stars and peas? yes, yes i can. stay tuned....