Money Tips #2

This one is a restaurant special!

I don't know about you, but I love going out to eat. I do enjoy cooking a lot, but there are people so much better than I am! I want to get what they make. However, I don't like the cost nor do I always get the healthiest things around.

So, today I'll go over how to be careful with money and stay healthy at the same time while going out.

Tip 1: What better place to start off with then with what you first order? Avoid drinks. Don't get tea, beer, or soda. Restaurants can charge a couple of dollars or more for a drink. Instead, get water. Water is free at most restaurants and is the healthiest choice on the menu. If you go for water you can knock three, five dollars, or maybe even more off of your bill. Not to mention avoid some extra calories.

Now, of course I am not saying to never have these things again. I'm a Texas girl. I have a huge weakness for sweet tea. And there are some times I just gotta have it with my meal. But I am aware that I am having an indulgence and is not something I should have often (though man, do I want to).

But, since it is hard to resist, I need to make it last.

Tip 2: Make your meal and/or drink last. Take time and enjoy what you are eating. Talk with the company you are with, chew your food slowly, and drink at a pace. You might find that you are walking out the door with half a drink in your hand and some leftovers. I've heard that if you eat slowly, you can get full faster. Instead of eating three slices of pizza, you might find you have one left-over because you didn't put all your concentration on the meal in front of you.

This might seem more of a health tip than a money one. However, by doing this you are getting an experience with your money. You get someone else to cook for you, you get the time to enjoy it, and you can leave with another meal in your hand for the price of one.

Tip 3: Don't eat all that is on your plate! If you are still a bit hungry (even after Tip 2) try to have half or a little less put into a to-go-box if you are heading anywhere with a fridge. You will have enough for lunch and now you got yourself some dinner. Leftovers are great, especially for college students.

However, this is not an excuse to get more. You still need to avoid spending money and loading up on extra calories. Don't go into a restaurant always thinking you are going to order more so you can have leftovers.

Tip 4: If possible, avoid combos. With this, I am typically thinking more of those drive-thrus than a sit-down restaurant. With most of the drive-thrus, what you are getting isn't enough for a leftover or will taste as good later (i.e. a burger). And sometimes the extra money just isn't worth the curly fries and the drink. Instead, get the main item, take it back to your dorm, and eat it with sides you already have; chips, carrots, fruits, etc.

By doing this, you will avoid spending money on something you don't need and can eat up things you already spent money on. And the same can be done with the sides. Not much of a burger fan but love those fries? Get them and have them as a side for a healthier meal you put together. Don't feel that if you walk into a restaurant, drive-thru or otherwise, you are obligated to get the whole combo package. 

Tip 5: Try to go to more self-serving dine-ins where you don't have to pay tip. There are plenty of places that are like this and offer some great healthy choices. And this doesn't mean it needs to be a fast-food joint. Do a bit of research around your campus. Poke your head in and look at the restaurants. Ask around and see if anyone knows if where there are places you don't have to tip.

I understand that those who are working at these places work hard and deserve tip. I am not saying not give a little extra to any place. This is simply about those going to find places that offer low-cost options.

If you are just aware of the menu and take the time to (that word again) study before your purchase, you will be better off. Take a few minutes, take out your phone, and do some math. How much will the meal be with tax? With a tip? With a drink? As a combo? Just think about how much you would want to spend and if the food is worth it.

Recipe 1: Garlic Potato "Hash"

Here is my first attempt at cooking in the dorm! Now, I learned a lot from this first attempt. And I will be honest and say this was a pretty bad failure.

The first thing that fell apart was that my original recipe. Originally I had planned to make a spaghetti sauce out of the potatoes and other items I had. Unfortunately, I overlooked one key item that I needed: a can-opener. Now, I was told the desk had one, however when I went down to cook it was no where to be found. Since I don't know that many people and am painfully shy I didn't ask to borrow one from anyone.

So, my tomato paste, tomato sauce, and pasta will have to be used another day. I still plan on making spaghetti real soon. The pasta-carbs are calling for me.

Afterwards, I made the mistake on over-seasoning. No matter how much you love a flavor, you need to consider what that flavor might be bring to the food. For me, you can't have enough garlic. However, you can have enough garlic salt. I made the dish way too salty to enjoy for very long.

What probably could've saved me from this terrible salty fate was if I had just approached someone to help me. I have a small jar of pre-cut garlic that would've added the garlic taste without the overwhelming amount of sodium. I couldn't open it myself but was far too shy to go up and ask someone for help.

It too will have to be used another day.

And finally, the last mistake I made: always make sure what you are cooking with is properly secured. I didn't use all of my chopped up onion in this recipe and placed it up. Sadly, when walking back to my room, a good portion of it dumped out onto the hallway floor.

Horrible and embarrassing. Ugh.

So in short, be aware of these few things:

1) Make 100% sure the dorm has the utensils that you need
2) Don't over-season
3) Be willing to approach people
4) Always have your food properly secured

But besides that, I think this is a recipe would be really tasty if made right. So I plan on giving it another shot in the future.

The following recipe is based on what I should've done. And unfortunately, neither the taste rating or leftover rating will be available this time due to my mistakes.

Price: (to be announced)

Ease to Make: If prepared for it, not hard at all. Just some minor preparation and mostly just letting the food sizzle in a pan.

Taste: Unable to determine

Time: Overall - about 40 minutes (20ish for prep and 20ish for cooking)

Leftovers: Unable to determine

Now don't be turned off by this. As said before, it was due to not being prepared that I fell short on a lot of things. The prep-time may also be determined based on each individual. I am not the best with cutting onions and I want them very fine so it took me a while to cut. Also, I recommend heating the potato in a microwave for about 7 to 10 minutes before hand so that it is cooked, you're just browning it and letting is absorb the flavor. And that is basically all it took for prep-time.

What you will need:

Utensils

1 Pan/Skillet

1 Big Spoon

1 Small Spoon

1 peeler or 1 knife

1 Cutting Board

1 Cutting Knife

2 to 3 small bowls (depending on your vegetables)

Kitchen Area

1 Stove top

Ingredients

1/2 White Onion: Unless you go to a Farmer's Market or a more top-notch grocery store (like Central Market or Market Street) you will typically have to purchase a larger size onion. Luckily, they don't get bad real fast. So you now have it for another recipe!

1 Potato: A pretty decent size Idaho one. However, if you prefer another flavor it should work just as well. Luckily, you can purchase potatoes individually.

Pam

Butter: Just a very small amount for the pan. This does add some creamy flavor and helps keep the vegetables from sticking, but don't get an unhealthy amount.

Garlic: At many grocery stores they have pre-chopped garlic in small jars. A great way to get that garlic flavor without getting it fresh and getting your hands smelly.

Garlic Salt: This is my seasoning of choice. I love garlic so many recipes I do will have garlic in it. However, you might want to substitute this for another spice of your choice.

Salt & Pepper: Market Pantry offers two nice size salt and pepper shakers (together) for under a dollar.

Spinach: This was my choice this time. It was the only one I really had in stock. However, you could put in any or many that you like. Now with spinach, be aware it shrinks a lot as it cooks. You will want to have at least a big handful for the recipe.

You can also add almost any meat into something like this recipe as well. The great thing about this "hash" is it is a great carrier for most any vegetable and meat product.

Prepping

You can start the cooking process in your dorm room if you don't want to take up too much space down in the kitchen area. If you have vegetables that need cutting (potatoes, onions, etc.) then you can do it up in your room.

1) Wash the vegetables you're using.

2) Wrap the potato in a damp wash-cloth or paper towel and put it in the microwave for 7 to 10 minutes.

3) While it is cooking, cut the onion in half. Make sure the wrap the other half-up and refrigerated until you need it again.

*Be careful as you cut!

4) Chop the onion to your preferred consistency (finely vs. thick)

5) Take one of your small bowls and fill it up with the onions.

6) Take the potato, peel it, then cut it up to bite-size pieces. (the potato was so well cooked, the skin came off without a need of a peeler)

Cooking

1) Spray the pan with Pam and put a little bit of butter in it. Let the pan get hot (use the water-drop test to see if it is hot enough)

2) Add the chopped onions and half a table-spoon of chopped garlic and let them saute (the time might vary depending on how hot the pan is and how well the stove works) for about 6 to 7 minutes.

* Remember to stir every so often so that the onions do no burn!

3) Add some of the salt and pepper (season to personal taste)

4) Add the potato bites in and stir in with the onions

5) Add in the rest of the seasoning (season to personal taste)

6) Once the potato is starting to brown and crisp up add in the Spinach (spinach takes only about a minute or two to cook so make sure it's last)

*Remember to stir every so often!

7) Take back up and enjoy!

Now, the great thing about this "hash" is that most everything can be replaced by something else. Potato too starchy for you? Put in squash or cauliflower as a replacement. The only things you should keep are the onions, pepper, and salt.

Recommended Add-ons:

Deli sliced turkey or ground turkey (if you choose ground, you will have to cook that with your onions and will add to the cook time)

Chicken breast (you can get a lot of bagged, pre-cooked chicken breast. But it will also add a few minutes to your cook time)

Bell peppers (will add to prep and cook time)

Carrots (will add to prep and cook time)

BTW: In the near future, I will be getting a camera so I can document the results.

So, while not the most successful of cooking adventures, I at least took the step to get out and make an attempt. It is very hard to cook in an unfamiliar place surrounded by unfamiliar people. It might take a while to get comfortable. So give yourself enough time and don't put too much pressure on yourself. If going out like this is hard for you, make sure you start off with something easy and simple to build yourself up.

Don't let a rough start get you down. Just step back and take a break for a bit before giving it another try. All of this is just a learning experience and will take a some time to get comfortable. Just as long as you keep going and don't give up on this, you will do great!

What I've Learned So Far

I've been doing this experiment and blog for about three weeks now and already have so much I've learned from it. Of course, I have been learning from my mistakes.

So, I thought I would take the time to share some of the things I've learned so maybe you can avoid them should you decide to take this challenge on as well. Because as you have probably already noticed, I have yet to upload any recipes. This is not out of shyness (not totally) nor of laziness. But because I was not 100% prepared for the task I took on. So, that starts off with the first bit.

1) Be prepared! This might be the most obvious thing in the world, but sometimes the most obvious can be the easiest thing to overlook. But you can't just randomly stock up your fridge and pantry and expect to be ready to cook. You must have a plan for the week. How often you want to cook, what you want to cook, or at the very least the style.

I did not set up a plan or think about even the style I would want to cook. It was because of this little moment that prevented me from cooking the first week I was at the dorm. I was simply not prepared for what I would be facing for the semester and with this blog. So, if you're going to attempt to cook on a busy schedule, put it in.

2) Make a schedule! Even if you're not one who likes schedules, just writing what you want to eat during the week down will help so much. Take about 20 minutes every Sunday and plan out your week. Of course this is not going to be mandatory, you can change your mind depending of your mood that day. But have an idea.

I would recommend picking out the days you think you want to cook. If you like the idea of cooking more than once, pick days that you don't have too much going on (unless cooking is a stress-reliever). And make sure that you are planning for the leftovers you might make. And the days you plan on cooking have a recipe or a main ingredient written in for that day.

Make room for changes or opportunities to go out. Friends could pop in with random meal invitations or you could get a big craving for the sushi-joint down the street. Don't feel constricted to the schedule.

By doing a few of these things you will be able to handle yourself throughout the week, get a healthy plan, and have an estimate on what you will be spending.

3) Have the basics! It might sound silly to have spices, butter, and eggs in a dorm room, but if you're planning on cooking you need to have the basic cooking ingredients. Is there a spice or two that you just have to taste in any food you have? Make sure you get them! This is to make sure you eat!

My recommendations are:

• Salt
• Pepper
• Any spice you love (mine is Garlic Salt)
• Eggs
• Butter/Margarine
• Pam/Olive Oil
• Bread (any kind)
• Pasta (any kind)
• Cheese (any kind)
• Vegetables/Fruits (many kinds)

I think if you always have these things at your disposal at all times, you will always be able to make something. And luckily, things like the spices, pam, and pasta can be shelved away for a while without worry about it going bad any time soon. But if you have these in your dorm room you will be able to cook, even if you have no idea what you want at the beginning of the week.

4) Have the basics (prt.2)! You can't cook with just food. You will need to have some equipment at your disposal. Always make sure you have

My recommendations are:

• 1 or 2 pots
• 1 pan
• 1 cutting board
• 1 cutting knife or chopper
• 1 strainer
• 1 large/stirring spoon
• 1 spatula
• 1 peeler

Once you have these basics, you should be covered for most all recipes you might want to try in a dorm. If you start to get more adventurous and have the money, start getting other lovely items to expand on your cooking.

HOWEVER before purchasing any of these, talk with your RA. It is a possibility that they have a lot of these items for you to use in the dorm-kitchen. Go and see what they have to offer before you go out and purchase anything.

5) Have recipes! Remember those 20 minutes I mentioned before? Well, not all of it will be writing down days you want to cook. Take the time to go on the Internet or sit with any books you might have and find recipes you will want to try.

Again, nothing is set in stone. But if you know what you want to make you will know what you will need to buy and how much time will be needed to be set aside to prep and cook.

Keep a lot of links of recipes you find online so when Sunday comes around you don't have to do a lot of searching later.

6) Check dorm schedule! Your dorm hall can be a very lively place. They can have parties and functions and all sorts of things that are scheduled in advanced. You really don't want to get all your stuff prepared and gathered, only to get down and find that the kitchen area is closed because of a Football Party.

If you planned to cook on a Wednesday, go down that morning and talk with someone who would know what is going on. Just make sure that there is nothing big happening that would distract you or prevent you from cooking.

These are some very simple pieces of advice that can really help anyone along who wants to start cooking meals at their dorm. And all of these have been reasons for my lack of recipe-updates. Just do your research and be prepared. You have a much better chance at getting something tasty made if you do!

Money Tips #1

Back at the dorm now! All settled in and now just slowly building up my courage to make my way down and heat up the stove. But until then, here are some tips I promised to share.

A good place to start for any college student is money. One of the biggest issues in maintaining a healthy diet is the cost. Let's face it, healthy fresh food can be pretty darn expensive. Not to mention if you're not lucky enough to be close to a farmer's market, you typically have to buy in bulk. And bulk offers the chance of spoiling. Then there is the fact that not every campus has a grocery store or market in walking or biking distance, so for those who have a car you're paying gas bills.

So the big question: With all of this cost, is the healthy route still worth it?

Yes. 110% YES.

This is about being healthy. What you do now can, and typically will, greatly affect your body in the future.

I have high cholesterol. It is from the poor choices and, sadly, genetics (curse you genetics). If I don't do something about this now, I could get very sick in the near future. There will be extra doctor's visits, medicine, and probably would have to visit a specialist. I think a little extra work and a little extra cost now can help greatly reduce cost in the future.

And the same can be said for anyone. So this comes to my first tip:

Tip 1: Don't be put off by the cost. Don't go for the fast-food burger just because it is cheap. That thing can start to cost you greatly later on. So work on saving a little so you can put a little extra in your healthy meals.

But not everyone has time or the talent to instantly drop the fast-food. And not everyone can stand a salad or the thought of getting fresh produce every day. But you don't have to. You just need to be conscious of what you are buying.

Tip 2: You don't have to buy expensive, fresh produce that spoils easily! Don't assume healthy instantly means you're limited to the fruits and veggies section in the store. There are many brands that make healthier alternatives to things you like. Progresso, my personal favorite, has delicious soups that are Light. You can stock up on those and they won't go bad if you don't crave one for a few weeks.

As I write Tip 2, I think back to those diet-frozen meals and it reminds me of the trouble I got into. They don't take up much space, they don't spoil easy, they're easy to cook, and some can taste pretty decent. But be careful. I thought it was going to help me lose weight, but my body reacted the opposite and gained instead. A bit of money was wasted on something I had thought would help my weight loss.

Tip 3: Don't instantly assume that you will lose weight or be healthy simply because "Healthy" is in the name of the product. To save on money, and pounds, start off slow with any healthy product, especially frozen meals. Everyone is different. Everyone has a different body type, metabolism, and reaction to certain things. Don't go and stock up on a certain brand or microwave meal without first checking their nutrition label and experimenting with how you react to it.

This does mean a little extra work when you shop. You will need to slowly learn about what you are buying and what is worth the cost, which takes time. And that will come to my final tip of the day.

Tip 4: I recommend don't go get your weekly or monthly groceries if you are in any sort of a rush. To be healthy will take some time at first. Until you know products really well, you will have do some homework. You will need to check and compare labels. Yes, I am saying you need to be one of the people who stand in an aisle holding two different cans of tomato paste reading them. Taking a few extra seconds per item might be annoying, but you can make sure you are getting your money's worth of something. "What? These cans are the exact same price, but this one has 2% less saturated fat!" It might sound silly, but I think it is worth it.

These are just a few little things, but after you start combining things together I think your money will be saved and, more importantly, your health will be protected. Start off slowly. I am still in the learning stages myself, I will be doing all of this with you. But these little steps can help over time and soon we will all be pro-money-saving-healthy-shoppers!

Dorm Room Cookin

The new term is starting. Time for books, friends, papers, and late nights of studying (or partying). When you're in college, whether you are a fish or about to graduate into the real world, a lot of time can be eaten up by so many things. It can be real hard to eat anything that isn't frozen or made by someone else behind a counter.

College students aren't well known for being healthy eaters. Nor are we well known for having a lot of cash in our pocket. Then there is the idea of actually having enough free time outside of class to cook anything. Add on to the hours of sitting for classes or the sleep (or lack of) it can be real hard to maintain a real healthy, inexpensive diet.

Is it possible to eat fresh, healthy, homemade meals often? Can it be done without taking up hours of time or money?

My prediction is YES. And in this final year of school I am going to make an attempt to do just that. I will try to cook healthy recipes in a college kitchen on a college budget.

The Plan

1) To use as healthy and cheap of items as I can. For now I can only travel to one store at a time, so I will research brands and compare store prices online for now.

2) Look for and share nutrition facts.

3) Attempt to do one recipe a week.

4) Share a rating system on the recipe based on:

• Price
• Ease to make
• Taste (by myself and eventually by others)
• Time
• Leftovers

5) Put alternatives for those who might not like some ingredients or are allergic.

6) Take pictures of what is cookin.

7) Use this blog also as a means to keep up and share my own weight loss.

This probably won't be a daily routine, at least not yet. This is a start of a big life-change. It also isn't the easiest to do a daily diary of it. But I will give it a try. Hope readers may forgive a novice blogger!

In between recipes, I will put up other items to help out anyone who reads. Tips about saving money, healthy choices outside of the dorm kitchen, learning to deal with the guilty days, and what is recommended when anyone wants to indulge a bit.

But before all of this really starts, I'll give a short introduction to who I am and why I feel like this is something worthwhile.

I'll start off to say I am not a professional anything. I am not a doctor, food specialist, trainer, or even a cook. My degree isn't even in the Culinary Arts. So this is about experience, research, and what has worked out well for myself. If it doesn't work for you, I am sorry and hope something in here can provide some help.

Why am I doing this? I have struggled with my weight all of my life. Due to poor choices, insecurities, and genetics I am overweight. Now in may final year in undergraduate school I am ready to push that image away and start something new. This past year I have done more than I ever have like join Weight Watchers and go to the school gym failing. Because of this I have already lost 30 pounds!

However, I am still about 40 pounds shy of my final goal of 140. So this blog can be my inspiration to do even more for my weight and my overwhelming shyness.

Throughout the time I have been at my dorm (since 2010), I have only used the kitchen about five to ten times. Not a lot when you think about it. And each time was only for soup or out-of-the-box noodles. Now, I plan on trying to break out of my shyness and leave my sanctuary of my room and actually cook in public. Something I have never done before.

So, I am writing this blog for myself. To document my cooking experience, my weight loss, and step outside my comfort zone. But I do hope that I won't be alone in this. Perhaps this can help inspire others to do the same. Whether you want to try to break out of your shyness, lose weight, or just try something new. This blog might have a little bit for everyone.

Now, there will be mess ups for sure. Probably will cook something way too complicated for a tiny space, make far too much, or, heaven forebid, burn something. But thesis why I want to do it. My mistakes can show others how NOT to do it.

This will be such a challenge. I am a full time student with six classes, president of a club, I want to hang out with friends, and I hope to get a job. Though I don't party or drink, I do have a busy college schedule. So if I can get healthy, anyone can do it.

School starts in a week! I'm so nervous about it but I'm excited too. Hope to have the first recipe up soon. Let's see what can come out of this little experiment!