Cooking Without a Kitchen

     I'm sure I've said this before, but I'll say it again: I absolutely hate not having a kitchen! We're not allowed to have anything in our room except a microwave and a mini fridge. This not being able to cook business has been particularly difficult for me, as a food snob who has had home-cooked meals with homemade, homegrown everything. I'm not a picky eater - I'll try new stuff - but I am a bit of a food snob. I expect my food to taste like something! (Ramen quickly begins to taste like salty cardboard.) This semester Isabelle and I are splitting a mini fridge, and golly gee has it been spectacular. My half of a shelf opens up a world of possibilities!
     Now I'm guessing most of you really don't care what I'm eating, but since this Saturday was Walmart day, I've been thinking about food a lot more than normal. And since this is a blog about my musings, I guess my grocery list is gonna' be the topic today. (And plus I haven't done anything besides homework for the past two weeks, and that's not nearly as interesting as my eating habits.)
   Anyway, I would like to share a few of my favorite things that I can make with only a fridge and a microwave. (I am embarrassed to admit that some of it is prepackaged, which I haven't eaten much of before.) Although I have lots of microwave recipes, they call for things like flour and sugar and baking soda...Too much hassle when there's no storage space. Which is why I use prepackaged.

1. Sweet potatoes. You just stick one in a bowl with water and microwave until soft. I've also read that you can wrap them in a wet paper towel instead, but I haven't tried that one yet.
2. Muffin mixes are delightful. Especially when oatmeal gets boring, which it does.
3. Yesterday I discovered Pillsbury rolls. Yum. The instructions say you shouldn't microwave them, but I did it anyway, and I'm glad I did. They were delicious. I did not realize, however, that the can is pressurized. Let's just say that the resounding pop when I opened the can came as a bit of a surprise...
4. Yoplait Whips! This one is just a new food that I have fallen in love with in the past few weeks.They're yogurt, but also mousse. Umm yeah, delicious! I don't know if I'll ever be able to go back to normal yogurt. (I still like Greek yogurt best, but what's better for a student: $0.50 or $1 per container?)

I also consume lots of hummus and pretzels from the cafe rather than paying $5 dollars for a questionable lunch from the Dining Hall. Carrots in my new fridge make it even better.
And there you go. I'm sure y'all wanted to know what I eat when I'm not paying for the Dining Hall. Or eating Ramen. But I will say this: as soon as I get home, I'm going to start making every recipe I have on Pinterest. It will be awesome!


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