Get Cookin'

I'm hungry. The constant plight of the college student is that ever present pang of hunger that seems to stick in our gullet. I am not sure if there's actual statistics out there but I believe hunger increases 99% from the transition to high school to our college years. Maybe our mother's encode a self activating DNA chip that begins to work the first day of our higher education. This ensures we will always be grateful for her cooking and never again will we grumble about having to eat leftovers for the third day in a row.

James Madison University is ranked number five in the nation as far as food goes, yet we still manage to brew an insatiable hunger in our bellies. I do not believe it is the quality of the food but the simple fact that after 2-3 meals a day for months on end, dishes get repetitive. We want choices that don't just include what sauce we would like with our nuggets. 

Healthy options can also become daunting. It seems that eating healthy boils down to which salad to choose or getting a nice big scoop of pre-frozen vegetables heaved on to our plates. Laziness is also an issue. Mrs. Greens is one of the healthiest dining facilities on campus with its all inclusive salad bar full of tantalizing tastiness. When there is snow up to my eyeballs and a windchill that makes Antarctica look like a summer retreat, I am simply not making the trek across campus.

I don't have any money. Who does? Sure we have some dining dollars and that opens up some doors like Chick-fil-A and Quiznos, but sometimes that can be just more of the same with a fancier name. When hunger strikes it is important to answer the call swiftly. Often you can be sitting at your dorm in the middle of a paper that is due in 32 minutes electronically, and BAM, it hits you. Caught unaware and with a pit in your stomach the only options are: resort to cannibalism and eat your troublesome roommate, or make something to snack on.

Whoa, whoa, whoa make something? I live in a dorm and am equipped with a microwave that survived the Disco era and stove that has grime on it that was splashed there by the freshman class of '67. Plus, the Food Network is something my mom watches to drive dad out of the room and to usurp remote control power.

Well before you start hyperventilating or pouring ranch dressing on your roommate, look at this unique list of recipes. All of these can be masterfully created in mere minutes, cheaply, and in the microwave. Before you ask, no I am not insane and yes I am telling the truth. mmm yum

Go ahead, give it a try. All you have to lose is a few minutes, but think of all you have to gain. Maybe a few pounds, but good food never came without sacrifices. There are some healthy options thrown in so be sure to try out those as well, just for appearance sake. Happy eating!

-KP