Appetizing Adventures

Blogging is a unique form of writing.   I feel as though I am speaking with my audience rather than writing at them.   I appreciate that I can be forward with my blogging tone.   I can be conversational rather than academic.   Don’t get me wrong, there is a definite need for academic voice in the blogging world.   I just enjoyed stepping outside of that box for a time. Blogging about food has been an interest of mine for some time.   I was very excited when I was able to make that interest a reality.   I enjoyed every minute of this blogging experience.   It connected my passion for gathering recipes and cooking to my love of writing.   Blogging also incorporated an already established habit of regular journaling.   This form of journaling just happened to be about food and only occurred three times a week. I hope to continue this blog.   I may take a bit of a break during summer vacation, but plan to start up again du...

“Meal prep made easy.”   This headline leads hundreds of Pinterest viewers to health food blogs regarding the popular new trend.   With thoughts of clean, healthy eating on a budget in their heads, many college students decide to buckle down and get started with their own meal prep routine. Easier said than done, though. I personally decided that I was going to begin meal prepping.   This worked great for a while.   However, I soon found myself in the middle of an incredibly busy schedule.   Slowly, I began to say, “I’ll just eat out this once.”     “It would be easier if I just bought some Hot pockets.”   “I don’t have enough time to cook it this week.”   “I’ll start again next week.” And now here I am eating Taco John’s and knowing darn well I should be making a grocery list for this upcoming week.   The truth is.   Meal prep is hard.   It takes a lot of dedication, planning, and a passion f...

Wholesome, healthy options prepared and ready to go for the entire week may seem out of reach for a college student.   Don’t be fooled, meal-prepping can be taken on by anyone.   I’m here to share just how easy it is to get started. First things first, plan.   It’s a good idea to have an idea of meals you would like to prep.   Fellow bloggers, Pinterest, and Facebook are great places to start when searching for meal ideas to borrow.   If you’re not sure where to start, The EveryGirl has a great list of 20 lunches that can easily be prepped on Sunday. When planning meals for the week, it is important to think about what ingredients are going into each dish.   Begin with the staples – grains, fruits, vegetables, and protein.   Whole grains can be found in ingredients such as brown rice, quinoa, oats, and whole grain pasta.   Fruits and vegetables add color and vitamins to the meal.   According to Olivia Kasten, an avid health ...

We’ve all been there.   You wake up, shuffle into the kitchen, grab the cereal box, and begin to pour it into the bowl.   You are devastated to discover that there is not enough cereal for a full bowl, and there are a bunch of powdery clumps everywhere.   Seriously? Luckily, I recently uncovered some recipes that can use up that last bit of cereal in creative ways.   I have yet to try any but am determined to give these a go.   Cosmopolitan is known as a resource for anything from food to beauty.   This website popped up as a top contender for recipes involving cereal.   I have selected a few of my favorite from their list of top 20.   Those recipes can be found below. Fruity Pebble Pancakes Strawberry-Coconut Oatmeal Crunch Pie Puppy Chow Bars Cinnamon Toast Crunch French Toast Fruity Pebbles Granola Bars Nutella Cocoa Krispy Treats Apple Pie Muddy Buddies Peanut Butter-Blasted ...

Every good kitchen needs a little added spice.   Building a recipe box involves building up a bit of pantry inventory.   A huge part of every pantry involves seasonings and spices.   But there are so many different ones to choose from. Where do I start? Never fear, a budding cook is here to help determine the top 12 spices every beginner chef needs.   As my favorite culinary student, Hillary Harris, says, “Without spices, your food is bland, and bland food leads to a bland life in my opinion.   Everyone needs to know how to properly season their food.” 1. Salt and Pepper Salt and pepper are widely used in most recipes.   It is important to remember that salt comes in a variety of sizes and textures.   I would highly recommend choosing one brand of salt and using it continuously.   Not only will this keep flavor in your recipes consistent, but you will be able to know how much to apply by experience rather than measuring it ...

“There is absolutely nothing to eat!” Despite being broke college students, we all need to go out at some point.   Whether we haven’t been able to make it to the grocery store or just don’t have anything in the house that sounds good, eating out at times is inevitable.   In moments like these, we need to know of local eateries that have good food on a budget.   One of my favorite places to go when I eat out is The Mad Cow .   This downtown Greeley bar is famous for its delicious deli sandwiches, soups, and salads.   The prices are low, and the quality is incredibly high.   With sandwiches named The Moo Moo, The Nae Nae, and The Elvis, it’s easy to see that this is a place with a fun atmosphere and relaxed eating environment.   My personal favorite is Robyn’s BBBLT which is loaded with delicious, mouth-watering bacon.   I recommend this on sourdough bread with a fresh house salad.   Sandwiches range in price from $6-$1...

Friends (the TV show) is incredibly popular, and so are the little smokies I helped make for a family BBQ on Sunday.   The recipe itself is incredibly simple, uses very few ingredients, and is so popular that I didn’t have time to take a picture of the final dish before everyone’s hands were swarming the little wonders. Little smokies are traditionally known as BBQ food.   We revamped the recipe to become the perfect finger-food appetizer.   We made sure to display them in a decorative white bowl once they were removed from the oven.   This worked well, but I would highly recommend including toothpicks for larger events with more than just close friends and family. The entire recipe takes under an hour to make, and that includes cooking time.   This is one of my favorite recipes so far, and I cannot wait to try it again for a friend’s wedding reception this coming weekend. If you are interested in giving the little smokies a try for your next BBQ o...

“Cooking is not difficult. Everyone has taste, even if they don't realize it. Even if you're not a great chef, there's nothing to stop you [from] understanding the difference between what tastes good and what doesn't.”   Gerard Depardieu believes that everyone can be a chef.   I have compiled a list of 5 cooking skills that every young adult should know.   After working our way through the list, my hope is that we all feel a bit less like a kitchen newcomer and more like a great chef. 1. General Food Safety Before we begin any food endeavor, it is important to know and understand general food safety .   By understanding some general guidelines set by the FDA, you will keep your kitchen, and all food in it, safe for consumption. 2. Stay Sharp: Properly Using a Knife Believe it or not, a dull knife is much more dangerous than a sharp one.   Since you are now aware of how to keep your food safe, let’s make sure the hands preparing it a...

You’ve invited some friends over for a BBQ get-together on Friday night.  You get home from work Friday afternoon and begin to prep the burgers, pull the potato salad out of the refrigerator, and make sure all the chips and condiments are on the table.  You are mixing the lemonade when it hits you. You’ve forgotten about dessert. I personally experienced this dilemma last Friday.  I remembered a previous recipe that I had saved on Facebook for miniature lemon tarts.  There are very few ingredients involved and it took less than an hour to make. The original recipe used refrigerated cookie dough, lemon custard, and fruit for garnishes.  I changed the recipe slightly, which added a few ingredients.  Nonetheless, they were incredibly easy to make, tasted amazing, and will be going into my recipe box for future use. If you would like to make them yourself, the recipe is below.  Ingredients: 1 package Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie ...