Collegiate Times

I spent most of my summer reading cooking blogs that are updated every other day by people who have eons more time than me.

This summer I attempted to be one of those people, sans-blog, and failed miserably. I started strong though, making dinners, deserts, at least one thing every other day, until I actually started summer — working, seeing friends and going to horrible summer movies.

Suddenly I didn’t have time for homemade croissants, loaves of babka bread or pita bread from scratch — with freshly-made hummus. None of those are difficult to make. In fact, the worst part of the whole process was waiting — making croissants is a time trap, but deliciously rewarding.

Now that summer is over, the only thing stopping me from actually eating well is the ridiculous course load I signed myself up for.

I would imagine that I’m not the only student with more work than time, and unfortunately when push comes to shove our food is what gets burned. Perhaps this is why the importance of actually eating well — not McDonald’s or Burger King or anything else you immediately associate with college diets — is often completely lost on college students.

What bothers me most is the abundance of easy recipes — and I don’t mean the Rachel Ray version of easy — I mean the macaroni and cheese version of easy, but better, in both taste and health.

Make no mistake, I love macaroni and cheese — but why not step it up? We’re all adults here, we shouldn’t be eating from the kids’ table.

Why not try some Parmesan, Swiss, or maybe some Gouda? Just mix it with plain macaroni, butter, cream. You’ve seen it before, but I guarantee you that this version tastes better than the blue-boxed macaroni of your childhood. Not only is it comparable in time to prepare, but it’s also a step in the right direction healthwise.

Another prime example: Spaghetti sauce.

Do you use Prego? I certainly hope not, for the sake of your taste buds.

I suppose it’s all right if you like it, but it could be so much better and so much richer. The taste could be intoxicating rather than bland, almost a meal in itself rather than a soupy substitute for real sauce.

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