So…I’ve been thinking. About what will happen to my blog once I go to college (which is in less than 3 weeks…how time flies!). For awhile I considered temporarily closing down the blog, but Mari, Joanne, and Jen shot down the idea (thanks, guys).
And considering that there are so many bloggers out there who can juggle school, work, social life, and blogging, I have no excuse not to give it a try myself. Plus, I’ll be living in an on-campus apartment. I only have a partial meal plan, so I’ll have to cook for myself most of the time anyway. Also, by now I just cannot imagine life without blogging. Yes, I think I now define myself as a blogger.
But here’s the trouble:
- I don’t want to be taking boring pictures of cereal and Subway sandwiches and froyo all the time
- I’ll be having an teensy weensy kitchen, where I’m not even sure if I have an oven (oh PLEEEEAAAASEEE let there be one!)
- My classes are packed together so meals can’t be elaborate (Example: On Friday, classes are from 8am-4pm…WTH?)
- I can’t stock up on a lot of ingredients since I am cooking for one
- The grocery stores near my school are crappy and if I want to get to a decent one I’ll have to hitch a ride
- I’ll have a limited budget (living expenses in LA is crazy!)
- I really don’t think I’ll have that much time to blog daily (Gotta get my A’s xp)
And here’s my solution:
- In college, most of my recipes will be quick and easy and simple and cheap
- I’ll befriend someone who has a car and suck up to her/him
- I’ll be blogging less often, but at least 2-3 times a week (crosses fingers and toes)
- George Foreman grill, the microwave, and the rice-cooker shall be my new buddies (I might even be on name-terms with them)
- I might have to resort to (a-hem) borrowing some ingredients from the school dining hall
- Stay tuned for reviews on some restaurants around downtown LA!
- And maybe I’ll come up with some crazy creations using the food available in my dining hall
Hm. This will be quite a new adventure. I’m actually pretty excited to see how I’ll manage to come up with new recipes within these limitations. As for staying within my budget…That might just be my biggest weakness. In order to have good food…well, you’ve gotta have good ingredients. I might give up on a few luxuries just to eat well (and blog well). Ah, the sacrifices one must make as a foodie college student.
But here is my question to you: Do you have any tips/advices/suggestions for me? And what are you more willing to read from my blog? Recipes, reviews, or just my long-winded rambles?
Anyway, as a prelude to my simple life as a poor, stressed-out college student, here are two examples of meals I’ll most probably be having.
“Sushi” Roll-ups
- 1 whole-wheat flatbread
- 1/3 cup cream cheese
- 1/4 cup cucumbers, diced
- 1 tsp green tea powder
- 1 packet toasted nori sheets
- smoked salmon
First, mix together the cream cheese, cucumbers, and green tea powder:
Then spread it on top of the flatbread, lay down the nori sheets, layer the smoked salmon, and roll up. Cut.
Wow. Wasn’t that complicated?
Funny how they sort of…look like a gang. All riled up together, as if to say, “Wanna fight?”
PU-HAHAHA! This one looks like it’s sticking out its salmony-tongue! Cheeky fellow!
The nori I used was this:
Green tea flavored, and toasted in olive oil. Goes with the green tea-cucumber cream cheese spread!
Best thing about roll-ups is that they are so portable!
Now, on to my next profound recipe:
Poached Egg Ciabatta
- 1 ciabatta (from Costco)
- 2 tablespoons Trader Joe’s red pepper-artichoke tapenade
- basil leaves
- kabocha puree
- poached egg
- Parmesan cheese
- salt
Spread the tapenade onto the ciabatta, then microwave it for 3-5 seconds (makes it nice and warm and chewy). Layer the basil on one side, then spread the kabocha puree on the other side. Sprinkle with a bit of salt:
Gently set the poached egg on top of one side of the bread and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. 
My mom interfered by slipping a piece of avocado and grape tomato in there. In college, this will never happen. I apologize.
Stack it up:
Cut into it to let the yolk flow!
Messy, but oh-so-delicious. As I said, a poached egg makes everything taste better. And some extra cheese can’t hurt!
So, this is just a snapshot of what my recipes are gonna be like in college. Also, I’ll probably be continuing on with my “mix-it-up” bowl recipe series since the concept of that was for simple, fast, versatile meals anyway.
Question of the day: Well, you already know the questions, but in case you forgot…Do you have any tips/advices/suggestions for me? And what are you more willing to read from my blog? Recipes, reviews, or just my long-winded rambles?
Please discuss on the comment page! I’m sure many are in the same boat as me, so everybody can benefit! 
P.S. Check this post about why body fat doesn’t matter, and please be sure to contribute your input so I can see this guy’s reenactament!
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Sophia dear, first of all, YOU out of all people can definitely make this blogging + schooling + straight A’s up without a doubt! I love all the ideas you’ve worked out so far, but having been someone who lived in a dorm with NO kitchen, just a microwave, I can say that it was hard for me, but it’s possible! AND you have your own kitchen, so that’s a huge bonus! Don’t give yourself excuses to slack of when it comes to taking care of your body with GOOD food. You don’t have to photograph all of them or blog them, but make sure you eat well girlie!
Hmmm I like storing food in the freezer when they go on sale. Fish, chicken wrapped individually…I like marinade and lots of seasonings. You don’t need a ton of ingredients – just different flavors so you don’t get bored. (Soy sauce, oyster sauce, and chicken powder are my favorites!) Lots of yogurts in the fridge. Fruit in big bags like apples! High fiber cereal.
Both of these look like pretty darn good poor college student recipes to me. I’m loving that sandwich!
I think you should come up with lots of simple, fun, healthy college grub so that other students can have some good ideas for meals and snacks!
I know that whatever you’re given you will make the best of it! I don’t care what you write about! You could have subs every day and I’d find it interesting. Don’t worry about it. It’s all gonna work out!!
Mmm that sushi looks amazing!
<3 jess
xoxo
I didn’t cook at all in college because I lived on campus all four years. Eating really sucked, boo! I hope you come up with some tasty and creative ways to make do with your situation. In fact, I’m sure you will!
I admire that you are continuing with so much work on. Good luck with the cooking, if you have a stove top, I would recommend some easy pasta sauces… I enjoy reading both your recipes and your insightful writings as well. Good luck with college!!
First off.. those wraps have just won over my heart. Holy moly woman where do you come up with these amazing recipes!?!?!? lol. Seriously, they look so darn tasty!
I’m a college gal too and will only be bloggin 2-3 times a week when Fall semester starts. I think it’s neat to see how what other college peeps eat so definitely keep bloggin! <3
Your sushi roll-ups look amazing, I’ll have to try making them, I hope I’ll be able to find some of that amazing Nori at Assi the korean market by my house, all your food looks so good, I’m currently spending my last week at college now, and working food service, so I miss good food, since I don’t have a kitchen, only a microwave I’m living off baked sweet potatoes and amy’s burritoes. I know how hard it is to keep up a blog when at college, I have trouble doing it, but it also is a good stress reliever too:) enjoy your week/ weekend!!
Pasta and rice dishes are the way to go. Both have a nice, long shelf life and you can dress them up with just three or four fresh ingredients.
If you plan your meals and cooking carefully, you can stretch ingredients over several meals so you don’t buy too many different things. Don’t worry too much about the grocery stores – now is the time to explore minimalist cooking.
I started learning to cook when I was in college – no prior skills, and it was quite the journey!
Good luck to yoU!
Hmm, this is a tough one! I don’t think I’m really the right person to ask since I gained 40 pounds in my first two years of college
However, I think the best thing is to just try to keep your diet as consistent with what it is now as you can while at college. I think I’ll do much better this year with a kitchen, rather than eating in the buffet-style dining hall.
Hopefully I’ll be able to give you better advice once I’ve completed a couple weeks of cooking for one by myself this semester
Oh, your poached egg ciabatta looks SOOOOO GOOOOOOD!!!!
How exciting that you’ll start school in 3 weeks! My suggestion would be to just “go with the flow.” In other words, try not to plan too much!
Blog as often as you can; blogging should be fun, not stressful. During busy times in school, you may not be able to blog as much as you’d like to. And that’s okay. You’ll still show up in our readers when you do have time! 
And we’ll be there to read!
As far as the content of your blog goes, I love reading your stories and seeing your food, be it fancy or simple. You always take amazing pictures and describe the food in such a way that I want to eat it! Plus, your restaurant reviews are lots of fun! Share what you are comfortable sharing and what works with your new life! Again, I’m so excited for you!!!
Heyyyaaa
As for college…if you are oven-less you can also get a toaster oven…multipurpose and fabuloso and perhaps with some foods make enough so there are leftovers. And yes it might be nice to befriend someone for a Trader Joe’s haul every once in a while 
I think you should keep your blog to be whatever it is you feel like writing- it is your blog after all- some days this, some days that
I totally feel you on the school thing. Im going away to boarding school and will be solely relying on the dining hall. I am pretty sure I am going to go insane.
If you need a care package of goodies I can always send you one either before I go away in September or when I come home on long weekends (yes, I have classes on saturdays)
When I first started my blog, I was living in a tiny dorm room, living off a meal plan, so I can understand where you’re coming from. My advice would be to choose only the meals you think are worth mentioning. Also, something that I often did is take a dining hall meal, bring it back to my dorm, and add tasty/creative components to it to make it your own. I would love to see how you use your culinary sensibilities in that way.
See?! No one agrees to your proposal, and looks like all friends from the English, Korean, and Chinese communities included.
Please don’t kill your interest and passion, you need them to cope with life, and we are here to listen to you. You are not poor at all, 繼續努力,你做得到!
And thanks for dropping by.
Gahhh, there’s so many fun stuff in this post: yolk action, nori+cream cheese+matcha = crazy delicious. How do you come up with your combos?!
I buy tons of veggies even if I live alone so I am forced to eat have them in all my meals. Hahaha.
Always have your favorite pantry staples: soba, oats, nori, etc. If you’re allowed a rice cooker, that would greatly help you come up with simple but oh so yummy meals.
As for blogging, I’ll read anything you write girl. No pressure on how often you post. School’s priority, right?
You are so creative and thoughtful in the food you eat, it would be SUCH a shame if you shut down the blog. You can’t! Yours is one of my faves, anyway
Here’s what I’m thinking…maybe you could write your blog from a new point-of-view…something about eating healthy, with limited time, limited space, in a tiny apartment with limited funds, etc. What do you think? I honestly think it would be great to read and I’m sure many others would too. And, like I said, you seem like such a talented chef, I bet you could bust out ideas in no time!
I always like recipes. But, I would love some plate pix and reviews from LA restaurants!
I love it when you talk about your every day life, other than the food:) So make sure u do lots of that whenever u can, when school begins!!
Okay, the poached egg sandwich is killing me… it looks SO GOOD! I love the dripping yolk.
Stay with the blog – I’ll read anything you post…I am excited for you and your new adventures. I am confident you will do great and will continue to heal and grow.
dont worry one bit about not being able to blog every day…I will be in the same position with all my school work! And yes life on a budget at college plus having a small kitchen makes for difficulty in getting super creative in the kitchen but I know you will pull through and figure out little things that work for you. If anything its a great adventure you are about to embark on and you will find tons of fun places to try and enjoy! Its going to be an amazing year and despite any reservations, you have solutions for them all and I have faith that you will handle them with care and grace!
i love all your food pics! they are so excellent… did you ever think of going into food photog as a profession??
i’m thinking i’m going to have to make meself a poached egg sammie one day! and soon! i love poached eggs, but have never made them into a sandwich… i thikn tomorrow maybe the day
no tips, sorry, since when i moved away from home, thats when ED hit me. but i feel positive that that won’t be the same for you. you’ve learned, and you know what’s there, so you won’t be pulled back. as for what i’m willing to read on your blog, ANYTHING m’dear
your blog is your blog. you have to write what you want to write, otherwise, it won’t be your blog!! recipes, reviews, food porn, your ramblings… i’ll read it all 
Ramblings, recipes, your beautiful pics of gorgeous food – I’d take any and all
YUMMMM!!!
No dont stop blogging! I love to read your blog whether its your yummy recipes or anything about your life in general, it doesnt matter
. I`ll be reading no matter what.
Consider going to college as a little cookery challenge for yourself. I cook for myself so I make meals for one and understand it can be pretty difficult at times to cook for just one, but I`m sure you`ll manage.
As for time wise, well definately your school and normal life should come first but just whenever you have a moment pop on, dont feel as though you have to be blogging every day!
Like I said no matter what you write about, I`ll be reading!
i would be tres, tres sad if you left the blogsphere. even 2-3 updates a week is better than nothing from you! i always love readin’ about all your insightful thoughts & your relationship with god is inspiring to me.
it’ll be fun (kinda?) for you to eat well on a budget – sourcing out the good shop to find some cheap but tasty foods, bargain hunting. you’ll be able try out new combos (sometimes through pure necessity!) that you’d have never imagined together & discover little cheapo foodie gems.
plus, evolving the blog to a ‘healthy on a college budget’ theme with snaps of your new burgeoning life overcoming ed will be awesome.
i’ll be reading whatever! whilst the food is a nice addition, i come to read about YOU!
L. x
I didn’t eat healthy when I lived in a dorm so I’m not much help, lol. But I’m quite sure you’ll think of some WONDERFUL and delicious things to make!!
Mmmm, I love runny egg yolks! And using bread to sop them up.
I think trying to post while you’re in college is a great idea. It’ll be interesting to read about the challenges you face trying to cook the meals you enjoy while having a small kitchen and limited ingredients. Almost like a reverse iron chef!
Please do keep blogging!
sophia,
)
your musings on life and recovery are so well written — please keep posting them, even if only a couple times a week is all that your schedule allows! keep on keepin’ on.
-sofia (with an F
hi hun
whatever you write around, il read
mmm that egg ciabata looks delicious!
enjoy your weekend girlie
xxx
Keep blogging at school. Eating is a part of life! Show the world how it’s possible to eat well and be healthy with limited means!
I think you’ll do fine blogging at college because you have passion about it. I don’t have tips for college life because I’ve never had one… but I think keep your healthy lifestyle depends on you and not where you are. I love reading your ramblings and amazing recipes like this sandwich!!!
When I was in college (many moons ago:), I ate REALLY bad and of course put on the freshman 15. At that time, I didn’t know I had food allergies and didn’t care about nutrition. So, I don’t really have any tips or advice. But, you are very creative and I’m sure you will figure out things that work once you get a routine going. Hope to see you still blogging too:)
Seriosuly, whatever you write I’ll read! I love your writing style so you could probably blog the phoen book and I’d be interested
awesome recipes!
I say do whatever works for you with your schedule and your sanity once you start classes
I’ll still be reading no matter what you’re posting!
Ah I start college soon too! We shall see what happens..
I visit certain blogs for the person behind the food! I mean, I obviously love all your inspiring creations, but there’s no way you’re going to lose your unique flare for approaching food, even if you have to use cheap ingredients
I actually have the same income now as I did as a student, except my dad doesn’t bail me out anymore
My advice is to make what you can. Don’t throw down a bunch of money for a packaged good if you can make it cheaper at home. Or, you can do what I did and live suuuuper cheap in all other aspects of your life so you can spoil yourself with food 
Glad to hear you will continue blogging. I really enjoy reading your posts!
If that’s an idea of what your eats will be like in college, then you are waaaaaay better off than I was! Here’s a snapshot of my college eats:
1. beer
2. beer
3. peach schnappes
4. Marlboro Lights
5. ramen noodles
6. easy mac
7. sprite mixed with cranberry juice to chase away the hangover
Repeat x 4 years and that about sums it up
I’ll absolutely be interested to read anything you care to share while you’re in school…I’m excited for ya!
Good call on the workaround!
And trust me, there’s not much more free time once you graduate and have a job, go to the gym and have a relationship!
I usually do most of my blogging super late for that reason…now if only I dind’t have to sleep, I’d be all set!
I think it will be exciting to see how resourceful you will be with food preparation. it will be a powerful reminder to the resut of us that we can do a whole lot with very little.
A) I LOVE LOVE LOVE poached eggs (just had to get that outta my system)
B) That take on sushi is awesome!
C) Having been doing the blogging thing while going to university for the past year and a half, my advice is that on weekends prepare your meals. Make blog posts a little shorter when things get hectic (or cut down on the number of posts you do each week). George Foreman is freakin’ fantastic and definitely try to take advantage of “borrowing” ingredients!
D) good luck
egg + ciabatta = drool.
I think I’m becoming more curious with what you make. I am sure you can make simple and delicious meal. Good luck my dear.
Hey I’m not just here for the food! Haha, I want to hear about how you’re doing in your new school! LA is so exciting
Besides, with a grill you’ll be able to make plenty of paninis. Yummmm.
Good luck with everything! And also, artichoke tappenade?! I’ve died and gone to heaven!
I’m so glad you are keeping your blog going because I totally think you can do it! I would really look forward to reading how your classes are going, how you’re maintaining your sanity with that crazy schedule, and various yummy eats on a budget! I hated our DC food, so I managed to eat mostly out of a little mini fridge, toaster and microwave haha I love poached egg and how it runs all over, looks wonderful! If you’ll cook like that, that’s great!
I was worried about balencing blogging and college as well, but I think I’m going to try and see how it works out. Looking at that poached egg sandwich seriously made me drool!
Yay!! Keep it going! Even if you can only write here and there, we will all be anxious to read of your college times!
Um, I am drooling over that poached egg ciabatta….looks soo good!!!
Love your roll-ups, they look so flavorful!
I hope you have time to continue to post a few times a week, I would love to see what you make with “borrowed” dining hall items
Crock pot + beans = endless opportunities for healthy goodness!
I’ll be reading no matter what you’re eating/posting
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