Hello Blogging World!!

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 guinea pig in my cooking endeavors. I also live with a guy on the basketball team so he is subjected to my concoctions on a regular basis as well.

To be completely honest, I am a total novice to this whole kitchen thing. My younger sister is the real chef. I never had to learn to really cook anything because she was always there to take care of it. During my first two years in college I pretty much relied on the dining commons for sustenance. I did try a couple things (usually complements of the George Foreman grill I was gifted for graduation--best gift for a grad ever btw). When I moved off campus last year I thought I would be able to cook a lot more, but I ended up just sticking with some of the same recipes over and over, maybe with a couple tweaks. Over the summer I got a little more creative, and luckily, so far this year I have been able to try some really great things in the kitchen. I started with some recipes over the summer, but now that I have a kitchen pretty much to myself (my roommate pretty much sticks to the microwave.. unless he is making pasta, so it is pretty much my domain). My goal for this blog is to share some of the great--and not so great--endeavors I take on this year. As a college student I am definitely aware of the importance of being able to whip up a quick meal. I don't have all day to spend in the kitchen, and to be honest, I kind of get bored in there if I stay too long.  My lack of patience has been a bit of an issue in some of my past recipe attempts.  But to be honest, in a lot of cases I have been surprised at how easy it is to cook--Thank you Pinterest--all I really have to do is follow the recipes, but I have not been without the occasional snaffoo....... not a word I know, but you get what I mean.  Hopefully I will be able to share some tasty, (mostly) healthy recipes while sharing some of my issues and successes.

I made some really cool cupcakes this weekend for the boyfriend's birthday, but those deserve a little more extensive explanation. I'll save them for another day when I have a little more time, instead I will share my dinner tonight! I found this recipe for microwave mac and cheese on Pinterest and had been craving it ever since. Thanks to TheNaptimeChef for her Instant Mug o' Mac & Cheese in the Microwave Recipe.

I know I am not on the professional level of photography that a lot of this blogging moms are. but it will have to do... Iphone pics FTW ;)

Instant Mug o� Mac & Cheese in the Microwave

1/3 cup pasta

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup 1% milk

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Combine the pasta and water in a large mug or bowl. Microwave on high for two minutes, then stir. 

The original recipe said the water would overflow while it heats up, so I just used a glass cereal bowl instead of a mug.  Just be careful if you try to take it out of the microwave to stir, my fingers are still stinging a little bit...

Repeat this for at least 2 to 4 more minutes, stirring at each 2-minute interval. The water should absorb completely and the pasta will be cooked through. If the pasta needs another minute it is okay to add one more teaspoon of water and microwave for another minute. My pasta was still a little bit hard (just a little!), but I went on with the recipe and it ended up turning out perfect after putting in the milk and cheese.

Remove pasta from the microwave and stir in the milk and cheese. Microwave for another minute. Stir the cheese thoroughly into the pasta. I put it in for an extra 30 seconds after stirring because it was still a little milky. It turned out perfectly :)

I added a sprinkle of cayenne pepper (I might have gone a little overboard, I couldn't tell if the heat was from the pasta or the pepper), and then a dash of salt and black pepper... I really liked the added spice and flavor.

I'll be back soon with those cupcake recipes! Good luck on your endeavors!