Cafeteria Food or Life?

Although cafeteria food has much improved over the years, either finances or boredom often sends college students in search of more tasty meals. My one, college daughter claims that pizza is about the only 'healthy' item on her college's cafeteria list and she often eats to survive not to enjoy. She has asked me to post ideas and easy recipes as I think of them to help her through the coming school year and eat better.

Most dorms allow the students access to a kitchen area so fixing your own meals isn't quite the chore it might have been back in the olden days. From what I understand, the main problem is food theft from the communal fridge or cupboard. With that thought in mind, you might consider buying perishables on an as-needed basis and have a large, sealable container in your dorm to store dry goods. Why put temptation out there for the morally lax?!

An easy and fun way to test out your cooking skills would be with pancakes. This you could do on a Saturday morning and have a hot breakfast you won't have to wait in line to eat. It will be hot, too! In fact, if you can find a couple of other hungry friends, you can split the cost of the ingredients.

The all-purpose bisquit mix could be a staple in your culinary closet. With this box of stuff (generic or Bisquick), you can not only make pancakes, but bisquits, meat pies, dumplings, etc. Pick up a box at the market and check out the variety of food stuffs you can produce with this basic ingredient. The recipes are all on the box. Google for more recipes as you can accomplish cookies and coffee cakes, too.

Pancake syrup too expensive? Get a box of brown sugar. Put about a quarter cup of the brown sugar in a cup, slowly add drops of very hot water until it melts and forms a thickish liquid. Not exactly syrup but pretty good if you are hungry!

As you begin to cook your way through the semester, things get cheaper as you slowly accumulate ingredients that will last through several recipes. Just make sure you splurge on bags and containers that can be sealed. Ants happen even on dorm rooms/apartments on second or third floors!