who says….

 

 

Who says …. that a college students can’t afford to make quick healthy meals?!

 

Life is busy. In college the typical student is crazy busy and has little time to spare, living off a (small) spending budget, and no time for mess/clean up

 

I was able to make this dinner in 5 minutes flat! It was quick, healthy, cost effective, easy clean up.. what else more could you want?

 

 

• Spring mix – from a bag.. no tearing or chopping needed. 
• Fuji apple chopped up
• 1 hard boiled egg
• Sprinkle of craisins
• Sprinkle of slice almonds
• Lemon poppyseed dressing

On the side a mini whole wheat bagel with a laughing cow wedge.

There ya have it. QUICK and SIMPLE.

What quick and healthy no mess meals do you make, when you are limited on time?

Ideas Needed

Tuesdays and Thursdays eats typically look like this.

 

Roll out of bed at 6, and need to be at campus by 7.

 

In the morning I drink a cup of coffee and a banana. I kind of force myself to eat the banana. My stomach doesn’t agree with food that early in the morning.

 

I can only eat something small for breakfast. The problem is sitting through my 2 hour class at 7am, I NEED something in my body to get me through.
Next up I have a 2 hour break where I spend in the library doing hw an studying for my next class at 11:30. By then I am STARVING.

Occasionally I need another little pick me up of coffee, and i pack something to snack on. It usually consists of this example of a baggie of dry cereal. This happens to be Barbara’s shredded oats. There are also some raw almonds hidden in there too.

 

Other Tuesdays and Thursdays I’ve also been relying on bars like Clif, Luna, and Odwalla.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t get me wrong, I love bars. But I hate relying on them all the time.

 

The problem is:

I spend this time in between class in the library where really no food or drink is allowed. I need something I could secretly eat without anyone seeing really.

 

Ideas needed:

This is where you guys come in

I need some snackage ideas!!!

Preferable guidelines:

• something quick and easy I can grab in the morning.
• something that will will me up to make it through my class until I get home for lunch at 1:30.
• Something that is not messy and can easily be eaten in the library (where there is a rule of no food allowed).
• Try and eat REAL food and not rely on processed packaged items.

 

Thanks for your help

Quick Chili

 

As a college student,  am always pressed for time balancing school, work, working out, friends, studying etc etc.

 

I live in an apartment with four different floors (we all became good friends!) and every week, we get together and have a family dinner. This week it was my time to cook!

 

As a Culinary Nutrition major I try to impress my other culinary friends that you can make a healthy nutritious meal and still make it taste great! Trying to get my friends who cook EVERYTHING in bacon fat (gross! .. I don’t like bacon at all!) to trust me in me cooking for them is always a challenge. When the found out I was making chili they were excited!.. Then when I told them I was making it with ground turkey then quickly became skeptical. They said how it would have no flavor.

My competitive spirit wanted to prove them wrong! I was short on time and needed to make something quick, healthy, and tasty!

 

I remember seeing Bobbi make her “dump chili” and used that as a base and put my own twist on it!

 

First I started dicing up a green pepper, onion, and a poblano pepper (with the seeds –  to keep it spicy!) I also took out already minced garlic.

 

Put oil in the bottom on a pot and sweat the onions, peppers, poblano pepper, and garlic together.

 

Then cook up the meat. I used ground turkey which is much leaner.

Add your spices when cooking the meat. I used garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, red pepper flakes, and of course salt and pepper!

 

Once the meat is all cooked up, literally dump in all of these cans, except the tomato paste which is 2 tablespoons. The cans are white beans, black beans, kidney beans, and peeled plum tomatoes.

Let this all cook together for 20 minutes. Taste to check if it needs anymore seasonings.

I also made cornbread (from a box – shhhh! ) to go with the chili.

Then enjoy!!!

 

I sprinkles a little cheese on top of mine!

 

 

Everyone loved it! They were really surprised how much they actually like it with ground turkey!

 

 

I will definitely be making this in the future. It was so quick and easy!

Create your own cookbook

 

This year for Christmas, I decided to create a cookbook for my mom of all the special Christmas recipes we make each year.

 

This is the website to make your own. I decided to make a Christmas cookbook because all of our recipes for the holidays are just little hand written things on paper, or article clippings. Now everything will be all together.

 

 

Here are the recipes I added to the Christmas cookbook:

 

Chocolate and Walnut Chocolate covered saltines

 

“forgotten” cookies

 

Russian Tea Cakes

 

Peanut Butter Cookies with a Hershey kiss

 

Homemade Fudge

 

Gingerbread cookies

 

Peppermint bark

 

White Chocolate pretzel peanut candies

 

Snickerdoodles

 

      Sugar Cookies

 

stuffed scungilli and spaghetti

 

Lemon Rosemary Tilapia with mushrooms

 

 Shrimp Fra Diavolo

This is a great gift idea or even for yourself! I don’t even remember where I saw this website, but it has been saved under my favorites forever!

 

I plan on creating a personal cookbook in the future of all the really great dishes I come up with and enjoy!

 

What is your favorite recipe you would feature in a cookbook??

healthy chili cheese fries

 

is there such a thing?

 

My roommates ordered delivery last night.. I decided to make my own take-out food!

 

Healthy Chili Cheese Fries!

 

I saw Meghann create them on her blog and I just had to try them. Instead of the greasy calorie overload like regular chili fries have, these satisfy that craving while still maintaining nutritional value.

 

 

 

+

 

Nutritional facts here

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=

 

Round out this meal with a side of steamed broccoli.

 

I REALLY like this! I’m not just saying that because I made them haha

It was a great meal, and didn’t leave me feeling weighed down after. I have a pretty sensitive stomach when it comes to greasy food. I really enjoy creating “healthy” versions of not so nutritionally sound meals.

 

What unhealthy dish have you created a healthy version of?

 

***** NEWS: I had to change my e-mail address for the blog, because I forgot the password! .. SORRY if you have e-mailed me .. I have not been able get into my account! I changed it in my contact information in the “chef in training” page.

new e-mail: cookingwithjulie08@hotmail.com

New Years Resolution!

Wow last post wasn’t since October.

I have been keeping up with all of your wonderful blog (even though I haven’t been commenting for some reason?), but I haven’t been keeping up with my own!

 

I started my new trimester in the beginning of December and school and work has taken up most of my time. I started my culinary nutrition classes! It is so much work but SO interesting. I want to use this blog as a way to share what I have learned too.

The classes I am taking this trimester are:

• Nutrition Assessment
• Food Science
• Organic Chemistry
• Food and Culture
• English

And I just signed up for my classes in the spring which are: Biochemistry, Lifespan Nutrition, Vegetarian Cuisine (cooking lab), Light and Healthy Desserts (cooking lab), and Management class.

There are so many interesting things !

 

 

So back to my new years resolutions!

1. BLOG! (at least once a week) about school stuff, recipes (just got a new cookbook! – I’ve already marked like 15 things i want to make), foodie things, etc.
2. Research and get an AWESOME nutrition internship for next year!
3. RUN – a half marathon ! (I have my eye on one in May)
4. incorporate more weight training in my workout routine.
5. keep above a 3.5 gpa

HOPE EVERYONE HAS A GREAT NEW YEARS!

I’ll be back (arnold schwarzenegger voice ) haha

I am in love…

I am in love with Trader Joes!!!! Now I really understand what all the hype is about in the blog world. At home there is not one near me but at school there is!!! It’s a 20 minute drive which will be taken often after the success I had yesterday

 

I had to follow the trend and picked up a couple of things I have seen people rave about!

 

Look at the loot:

I am obsessed with anything pumpkin flavored!

 

This is seriously like pumpkin pie in a jar. So far I have used it on toast and in oats! A-M-A-Z-I-N-G ! Now I know what everyone has been raving about.

Another pumpkin YUM! This is great on yogurt .. Now I just need to find that Stonyfield pumpkin pie flavor yogurt .. I can’t find it at any store near me.. boo!

Can’t go wrong with these! .. Heavenly snack

Nut Butter lovin’ ! Mmmm My favorite is AB with an apple. I have also tried AB with carrots on a wrap. At first I was a little hesitant .. but of course it was tasty

Perfect salad topper. I tend like sweeter salads with walnuts and craisins for example.. and this mixes well with it! Stir fry anyone? .. I’ve been adding this to my veggies all the time! MMMmmm!

 

 

What are your favorite finds at Trader Joes?

Also.. anyone know where I can find that Stonyfield pumpkin pie flavor yogurt .. I’m dying to try it!

Just Pictures!

 

I wish I had more time to devote to this blog! Right now I am working at my internship at Sid Wainer & Son which is taking up a lot of my time. They have a specialty outlet with AMAZING products. Definitely check out their website

 

These are some pictures of things I have been making !

 

 

  

Information Station: Sweet Potatoes

 

I found another great article from CookingLight.com

I really love their magazine and website!

 

A little trivia: Sweet potatoes are related to the morning glory family, not the potato. People in the northern United States seem to prefer sweet potatoes with a more mealy consistency, while those in the South like their sweet potatoes with a more moist, sweet texture.

 

What they look like: There are two main varieties of sweet potato that are available commercially. The pale sweet potato has a thin, light yellow skin and a pale yellow flesh. It’s not as sweet as its darker counterpart, which has a thick, dark orange skin and a bright orange flesh.

 

Selection tips: Look for sweet potatoes that are small to medium in size with few bruises and smooth skin.

 

Storage tips: For optimal storage for up to three or four weeks, keep your sweet potatoes in a dark, dry, and cool (around 55 degrees) environment. They keep best when not stored in the refrigerator, so if you can’t manage a naturally low temperature for them, try to use your stash within a week.

 

How to eat them: This versatile food may be used in a variety of ways, including boiling, baking, and sauteing. Some health food stores and restaurants are now making chips out of them as well.

 

Preparation tips: Sweet potatoes may be substituted for regular potatoes in almost any recipe. To peel a boiled sweet potato, just drain off the hot water and immediately submerge them in cold water.

 

Peak growing season: You should be able to find fresh sweet potatoes at any time during the year, though they may be more readily available in the cooler months. You may find canned and frozen sweet potatoes erroneously labeled as yams.

 

Health benefits: Sweet potatoes are a good source of vitamins A and C. They are more nutritious if cooked in their skins.

 

Here are come great recipes to utilize sweet potatoes !

White Chocolate & Sweet Potato Cake

 

Sweet Potato Fries

Sweet Potato Pie with Pecan Streusel

Sweet Potato Casserole

School is starting again !

 

I loveeeeeeee school! Just looking back on my first year at Johnson & Wales I really learned a lot!

This fall I am starting my paid internship and am so excited about it! I will be working a regular 9-5 type job 5 days a week in a test kitchen for the fall trimester.

It’s kind of a weird feeling to be back at school but not going to class. I will miss that first day of school excitement! (I know that may be weird ) haha

 

Here are some pictures of things I have made in class throughout the year