Food tricks

I find a lot of chicken recipes on Pinterest, but usually the time it takes to bake really turns me off. When I finally get home after a long day I am usually starving and I do not want to wait another 45 minutes to an hour to finally have something ready to eat. Usually this means a stop at the dining hall or something involving pasta.... or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich (gourmet, I know). But I think time is the biggest enemy to making a real, tasty, healthy(-er) meal at any point in life, especially college. The other night I had some extra time because I got out of a class early and was able to get a real lunch, so I wasn't as hungry right away. Dave had class, so I decided to make him something for when he got out and I had a little time to kill... not that that stopped me from snacking on grapes and slices of bell pepper as I cooked. Balsamic Chicken Original Recipe:  Frugal Follies Ingredients: 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts 1 large onion, cut into eighths (I sl...

This is my favorite thing to get for breakfast at the local family diner down the street from my apartment. Before noon its only $2.95, and it is the BEST ... not to mention the best hangover cure ever. I got the idea to make it myself when I was Skyping my best friend Ethan last year.  Not that it is a complicated idea, I just never thought about getting the frozen hashbrowns. Now I keep a bag in my freezer at all times for those rough mornings after a night out, or even when I just have some extra time to enjoy a tasty breakfast like I did this morning. This is for a single serving, but it could be made for more... Cooking over-easy eggs is (as I hear every time I ask my mom to make them for me) one of the more difficult techniques, but it is definitely my favorite because the yolks are tasty when they mix with the hashbrowns. If you like a little more ease, a different type of egg-cooking would probably be just as tasty. The Best College Breakfast Ingredients: Frozen Hashbrowns...

Tooling around the kitchen is decidedly more difficult on crutches... the lack of hand availability really thwarts most kitchen efforts. Luckily I will be off of them by the end of the weekend, but for now I am dependent for everything from getting rides to getting dinner. I am so blessed that my beautiful mother could take a week and a half and travel across the country to take care of me. Thankfully the recovery from surgery was a million times easier than my last knee, but it was still great to have her here to take care of me. She also whipped up some food for my freezer for an easy meal  when I don't have much time. She didn't want me taking her picture, but she brought out each stage of the process to where I was sitting on the couch so I could take pictures for this post. This  Chicken Rollatini with Spinach alla Parmigiana  recipe is from  Skinnytaste.com  which is a great resource for really great, really healthy meals if you are in the market. Some of ...

My dad is home alone for the week while my mom is here taking care of me, and he requested I post something that he can actually eat (besides cupcakes)...  So here is my first "original" recipe... I guess it isn't technically original, but it is my adaptation of my favorite Fettucini Alfredo recipe from a really great Italian restaurant in my home town. I'm sure you could totally find a healthier alfredo recipe online, but I got a canned version because it was quicker and easier. Basically this is just a super EASY way to add some flavor to an old favorite. Totally delicious comfort food for yourself, or a great way to impress guests. Ingredients: 1 lb. Pasta 1 jar Alfredo Sauce 1 large onion Chicken Breast or Frozen Meatballs (optional) Directions: Prepare the pasta according to directions on the package. I used Angel Hair because it is a personal favorite, but fettucini noodles would be perfect too.  In a large skillet or saucepan heat a few tablespoons of olive oil...

After a few days laid up in a post-surgery haze, I am already ready to get back up and around.  I am definitely thankful for the fact that so far, this recovery has been a million times easier than last time. The brace makes moving around a lot less painful, and I am even able to get in and out of bed and move around by myself. I've barely even had to take pain meds--thankfully. I do not do well with pain meds--and I even got to wash my hair today.... well my mom washed it in the kitchen sink, but it is better than nothing, and I have to celebrate the small victories at this point. On a brighter note, I want to share my experience making these AWESOME cupcakes from Annie's Eats . These are the second type of cupcakes I made for the boyfriend's birthday last week. Even though it was a tough choice, I think he finally admitted these were his favorite because of the creamy filling. I loved them because they tasted great and the fact that they were filled made me feel like a Ma...

Back already! Thanks everyone for the positive feedback, I can't wait to share some more of my kitchen adventures. I noticed I got a little chatty in my last post so I will try to keep the babble to a minimum in this one. Special shout-out to my Dad though, who complained after reading my first post that he use to not even be able to get me to make him a sandwich. Living on your own makes you grow up a little bit when you don't like eating Ramen! Thanks for the comment though, I Love You Daddy :) So, as promised, I am going to share one of the cupcake recipes I found on Pinterest and tried out  for the boyfriend's birthday (which is today, Happy Birthday Old Man!). Check out the original recipe at  Annie's Eats ... Her pictures are a lot better than mine though so don't judge.  Both recipes were a hit with all of our friends, I still can't decide which is my favorite. I'll share this one first though because the most recent person to put in his vote for favo...

So I have been debating starting this blog for a while now, but I think I am finally going to take the plunge and try it out. In true collegiate style, I am doing this instead of working on the piles of work I actually need to do--especially with my surgery coming up in a few days. My second ACL reconstruction (if you were wondering)... I blew out my right knee in the first match I was back after spending the year prior rehab-ing from surgery repairing the ACL and meniscus in my left knee. So I will probably have a ton more free time than I would have if I was still able to play. A little background on myself: I am the captain of the varsity volleyball team at a small college in upstate New York, it is my fourth year out here (a big change after growing up in Nevada). I have a really great boyfriend. I tell everyone we are a power couple because he is the captain of the lacrosse team here, but really he is just the sweetest guy I have ever met. He loves to eat, so he is my most common ...