Breakfast of Champions...OATMEAL!!

You always hear that "breakfast is the most important meal of the day." I for one cannot start my day without some delicious food in my tummy, however I rarely have time to cook pancakes or eggs on a morning when I have class. While i do resort to a bowl of cereal or even a granola bar on mornings when I'm running late. I always try and carve out at least five minutes to fix myself a hearty healthy breakfast, plenty of time to fix a nice hot bowl of oatmeal. I don't know about you, but theres something about having something hot for breakfast that seems like a treat saved for the weekend. Not only is oatmeal really good for you, but also holds you over a lot longer than just a bowl of cereal.

Instead of buying the instant packets of oatmeal that can be loaded with sugar, I suggest buying a canister of instant plain oats. Not only is it cheaper, but you can also fix it exactly how you like it!

Oatmeal your way!
Just add boiling hot water (or warm milk) to  1/3-1/2 of a cup of instant oats until it reaches desired consistency (I like mine thick but still runny)
Sweeten with desired sweetener ( brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, calorie free sweetener etc.)
For extra flavor add...
a splash of milk (if cooked with water) or a pat of butter for a creamy texture
spices- cinnamon, nutmeg, apple pie or pumpkin pie spice
dried fruit-cranberries, raisins, apricots, etc. (I love dried cranberries in mine)
fresh fruit- blueberries, bananas, strawberries, raspberries, apples, etc.
Nuts- pecans, almonds, walnuts, etc.
or anything your heart desires!


(Emily's Perfect Oatmeal: brown sugar, cinnamon, splash of milk, apples, cranberries, and pecans...yum!)

A Basket Full of Eggs

 

  Let's talk about eggs, shall we? Let's talk about how cheap they are, how versatile they are and how delicious they are. A dozen eggs can go along way especially when you have run out of things to eat in your fridge. They can be the main part of your meal or you can use it to enhance a dish. Here are two of my favorite ways to prepare eggs.

Omelet It Up!

An easy way to use up neglected ingredients in your fridge. Great for breakfast, lunch or dinner!

Ingredients:

2-3 large eggs 

salt and pepper 

2 tsp cooking oil

1/2 cup of your favorite veggies (I like tomatoes and onions in mine), diced to bite-sized.

Cooking Instructions:

Crack the eggs into a bowl and add salt and pepper to taste (a couple small pinches), scramble. Heat up a medium sized skillet and add the oil, swirl to coat pan. Add the vegetables and cook for about 3 minutes, add a pinch of salt and shake of pepper to season. Add the eggs to the pan and rotate the pan until it is coated with egg. Cook on medium to low for about 5-7 minutes.

Eggs In Baskets

Super easy, cute, and delicious! Great for a weekend brunch with your friends.

Ingredients:

6 large eggs

6 slices bread

12 slices bacon

1 cup shredded cheese

salt and pepper

Cooking Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove crusts from bread slices and roll with a rolling pin until very thin. Cook bacon until chewy but not crisp (you could even use precooked bacon). Grease a jumbo sized muffin tin and press the bread slices into the cups. Lay the bacon slices in a cross inside the bread cups. Crack an egg into each cup and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top the baskets with cheese and bake for about 10 minutes or until bread is toasted and the eggs are cooked to your liking (I like the yolk a little runny) 

It's Almost Valentine's Day...

It's that time of year again...

No matter where you go, stores are stocking their shelves with Valentine's Day favorites. Whether it's giant red hearts full of mystery chocolates, mushy greeting cards, or even those little colorful hearts that taste like antacid tablets, it's hard to escape Valentine's day. Instead of buying the same old Valentine's day goodies from the store, why not make your own Valentine's Day treats for your friends or that special someone. The following recipe is super easy, super tasty, and has only four ingredients!

Chocolate Raspberry "Sweetheart" Bars

1 log of refrigerated sugar cookie dough

1/2 cup raspberry preserves

white and dark chocolate chips

Press sugar cookie dough into an 8x8 square pan and bake at 375 for about 15 minutes until firm and lightly brown.

Spread the raspberry preserves over the dough in an even layer and sprinkle evenly with white and dark chocolate chips.

Place back in the oven for about 5 minutes or until chips become melted and gooey. You can either swirl the chips into a pretty design or leave them as is. Let cool completely and cut into bars. You can either serve these bars on a plate for all to enjoy or you can even wrap the bars individually with little notes and give to your friends!

Enjoy! <3

Its Super Bowl Sunday...

Happy Super Bowl Sunday everyone! I myself don't care too much about football, but I always find myself wanting classic game day munchies on Super Bowl Sunday. 

Instead of going out to watch the game, or even ordering food in, try and create a dinner composed of snacks and appetizers for you and your friends. A few of my favorite game day munchies include:

Chips and Queso (or guacamole if you're willing to splurge a little more)

Pigs in a blanket (just wrap little smokies sausages in crescent roll dough and bake. Super yummy and cheap!)

And my personal favorite...wings!! Its also really easy to make wings at home that are much healthier and much cheaper.

Easy Baked Chicken Wings

chicken wings (enough to feed you and your friends)

buttermilk

hot sauce

salt and pepper (add to taste)

your favorite wing sauce

First, season wings and marinate them in enough buttermilk to coat them. Add a splash of hot sauce. Let the wings marinate anywhere from a couple hours to overnight. Remove wings from marinade and pat them dry. Bake on a greased baking sheet under a broiler (or above 450 degrees) for 20-30 minutes, or until done. Flip occasionally during cooking. When wings are done, toss in favorite wing sauce and serve with celery, carrots, and your favorite dipping sauce. Enjoy!

Back To Basics

If you think cooking real meals in a dorm is impossible, think again! If your dorm has a kitchen on your floor, stocking your room with some basic equipment will allow you to prepare delicious and gourmet meals that remind you of home. When choosing equipment, versatility is key. Never buy anything that only serves one purpose! Here are some necessities for any dorm room chef!

Pots and Pans:

-large saute pan 

-sauce pan (or small pot)

-large pot

-cookie sheet

-casserole dish (13x9x2 in pan works great)

Cooking utensils:

-chefs knife
-small paring knife
-can opener
-vegetable peeler
-cutting board
-wooden spoon

-rubber spatula

-ladle
-metal spatula

-mixing bowls
-tupperware 

 -Invest in a set of dishes and silverware instead of using disposables. While you may have to wash a few more dishes, your wallet and the environment will thank you!

-Electric tea kettle (Not only is it great for tea, but it also is great for oatmeal or couscous!)

-Plastic tub (for storing dirty dishes/ carrying items to the kitchen)

Storage:

-use plastic or metal shelf units to store dry groceries if there's no space in your room

-use plastic crates to store pots and pans

Hopefully you already have a few of these items in your room. If not, think about investing in these items to make your life much easier! 

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Smart Shopping

Thuy and I always have fun when we go grocery shopping, but it may seem daunting for those of you who have never bought groceries before. Here are a few tips on how to navigate the grocery store without emptying your wallet.

1. Make a List! 

It may seem pretty obvious, but making a list before you head to the store can save you time and money! Not only will you not forget important items, but having a well composed list will keep you from making too many impulse buys.

2. Stock up on the essentials

Grocery stores are always offering BOGO (buy 1, get 1) deals, use these to your advantage when stocking up on non-perishable items.

3. Shop the perimeter

Try and avoid the middle aisles of the grocery store. These aisles always contain processed foods that are not only really bad for you, but can also be really expensive. Buying fresh foods from the perimeter of the store offers healthier, tastier options, and can even save you money.

4. Beware of bulk items

While it may seem more economical to buy items in bulk, be reasonable about it. If you know you can't finish something before it expires and have nowhere to save it, you might as well buy the smaller package. It will save you money and create less waste.

5. Do NOT shop when hungry!
That is the worst thing you can do to your wallet. If you are hungry and going shopping, everything in the store will look delicious! Eat a snack or light meal before going to get your groceries, that way you will be thinking of what to eat in the coming days rather than what you can fit in your stomach now.

Hopefully these tips will make grocery shopping more enjoyable! Let us know any tips you have for shopping smart and make sure to subscribe!