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!