Month: December 2021

5 of my Favorite Easy College Recipes that Taste Delicious!

Hello everyone, it’s me again! This semester was my first time living off-campus, and with that came having to cook my own meals. I’ve never cooked before this semester, so I definitely had low expectations! But, let me tell you: With these 5 easy recipes, you can convince yourself that you are a master chef! Think of this as a sort of guide on easy college dinners to cook for yourself! 

The cookbook that my Mom made me

Ground Turkey Taco Bowl  

This is my favorite healthy recipe because it certainly does not taste healthy! Ground turkey is a great healthy alternative to ground beef, and with this recipe, you cannot even taste the difference. The ingredients consist of:

• 1 pound of lean ground turkey
• 1 can of black beans (I prefer the reduced sodium beans)
• 1 package of taco seasoning (I prefer mild)
• 1 bag of shredded four cheese mexican mix

Directions:

Step 1: Place the ground turkey in a pan and cook on high. While cooking, cut the ground turkey into tiny pieces.

Step 2: Once the ground turkey is mostly cooked, pour out the excess water. Place the ground turkey back on the stove after this.

Step 3: Pour the taco seasoning onto the ground turkey and stir.

Step 4: Scoop the black beans out of the can with a spoon, and place them in the pan. (You don’t have to use the full can… use as many beans as you desire!)

Step 5: (Remember that this is all while cooking, so keep the heat on.) Sprinkle as much cheese as you would like into the pan. Once everything is mixed up and melted, remove the pan from the heat.

Step 6: Scoop it into a bowl, add guacamole, and enjoy!

Alfredo Pasta

This is probably the easiest recipe to exist, and is also the best pasta you’ll ever have!

Ingredients:

• 1 box of ziti pasta (you can use whichever type of pasta you like, I just prefer ziti with this recipe.)
• 1 jar of Ragu Alfredo Sauce
• Oregano
• Garlic powder
• Grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

Step 1: Boil water in a large pot, pour in the pasta and cook for about 10 minutes (or whichever time the directions say on the box.)

Step 2: Once the timer runs out, pour the pasta into a strainer. Place the pasta back into the pot and place back on the stove with low heat.

Step 3: Pour in the alfredo sauce and mix.

Step 4: Add desired amount of oregano and garlic powder.

Step 5: Add desired amount of parmesan cheese; I usually pour a layer over the top and then mix.

Step 6: Turn off the heat, place in a bowl and eat!

Chipotle Chicken Sausage and Cilantro Lime Rice Bowl

My roommate introduced me to chicken sausage, and I fell in love with it! Trust me, I know it sounds gross, but don’t knock it until you try it. The chipotle flavored chicken sausage has monterrey jack cheese inside of it– it is so tasty!

Ingredients:

• 1 pack of chipotle flavored chicken sausage
• 1 cup of minute white rice
• Cilantro
• 1 lime
• Garlic powder
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

Step 1: Cut up the chicken sausage into bite size pieces. Place in a pan and cook on medium-high heat for 6-8 minutes.

Step 2: Boil 1 cup of water in a pot, place the rice into the boiling water, cover the pot and remove it from the heat. Leave this covered for 5 minutes.

Step 3: Pour out any excess water in the rice– if there is any– and then mix in the chopped up cilantro, garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste.

Step 4: Cut up the lime and squeeze in as much lime juice as desired.

Step 5: Mix the rice and chicken sausage into a bowl and enjoy!

Chicken Stuffed with Ham and Cheese & Mashed Potatoes

I promise it’s easier than it sounds, and so very tasty! The chicken is my mother’s recipe, and the mashed potatoes are just a side I make with them… you could replace this with any side that you’d like!

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of chicken breasts
• ½ pound of ham– sliced very thin
• ½ pound of swiss cheese
• 2 eggs
• Italian style bread crumbs
• Reser’s Steakhouse Mashed Potatoes

Directions:

Step 1: Cut the chicken breasts in half

Step 2: Place a few slices of ham and about 2 slices of cheese on top of a chicken breast. Layer a second chicken breast on top of this to make a sort of “sandwich.”

Step 3: Mix two eggs in a bowl, pour the bread crumbs into a second bowl. Dip this “sandwich” into the eggs, and then into the bread crumbs.

Step 4: Pour a thin layer of oil in a baking dish. Place the chicken breasts in this baking dish. Put this in the oven at _______ for ___ minutes. Spoon oil over the chicken periodically.

Step 5: Follow the directions on the microwavable mashed potatoes. I personally put two cloves of garlic in the mashed potatoes after warming them up, and some salt and pepper!

Step 6: Put the mashed potatoes and the chicken on a plate and eat up!

Beef Stroganoff

My mother also wrote this recipe for me… in case you couldn’t tell by now, my mother made me a little recipe book! (Cutest mom ever). However, I came up with some of these recipes by myself! Anyways, I’ve never even heard of beef stroganoff until I read the recipe book, but I am OBSESSED with it!

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of boneless beef sirloin
• 2 tablespoons of oil
• 1 can of Cream of Mushroom Soup (Don’t shy away from this recipe because of the cream of mushroom soup!! I thought it would be disgusting too, because I hate mushrooms. Just trust me on this one, you won’t regret it!)

Beef Stroganoff that I made 🙂 

• 1 medium onion, chopped up
• ½ tablespoon of paprika
• ½ cup of sour cream
• 1 bag of egg noodles

Directions:

Step 1: Slice the beef into bite size pieces. Simultaneously, boil a pot of water and cook the egg noodles as instructed on the package.

Step 2: On medium high heat, place 1 tablespoon of oil in a different pan and brown the beef. Take the beef out of the pan and set it aside once this is complete.

Step 3: Leaving the pan there, reduce the heat to medium, add the second tablespoon of oil, add the onion, and cook until the onion is tender.

Step 4: Add the soup and paprika, heat to a boil, and stir in the sour cream.

Step 5: Add the beef back into the pan, heat through, and pour over the noodles. Now, try this wonderful creation that tastes like a million bucks!

I really hope that these quick, easy, and delicious recipes help anyone who struggles with cooking! If you try these recipes, you will definitely change your opinion on cooking, as it can actually be a fun activity 🙂

5 Ways To Stay Active Over Break!

With winter break now here, there are many things on our minds. Getting to see hometown friends & family and getting a true break from ‘work’ are at the forefront for me. One thing lingering in the back of my mind though is how will I stay active over break? As a student-athlete it is necessary for me to maintain my physical strength and endurance over break so that when we come back the whole team can hit the ground running. If I slack then not only will it be noticeable but it will also make the workouts in the spring that much harder to endure. So with that being said, my winter break training plan is something that I think of often. Even if you are not a student-athlete though, I think it is healthy to keep your mind and body active. This has proven to help with overall happiness and productivity.

To explain why these are some of the many benefits gained from working out I did a quick google search so I could provide the exact science behind it. Essentially, when you workout your body naturally increases certain chemicals like endorphins, dopamine, adrenaline, and endocannabinoid. All of these are associated with feeling happy and less anxiety and stress. As for productivity, according to an article titled Exercise Increases Productivity on Brookings.edu by Robert C. Pozen, “Physical exercise stimulates the development of new mitochondria within your cells, meaning that your body will be able to produce more ATP over time. That gives you more energy to exert yourself physically, but it also means more energy for your brain, boosting your mental output” (Pozen 2012). There are countless benefits to having regular physical activity in your life so it just depends on which benefits really resonate with you. 

Below are 5 ways to stay active this winter break that I personally enjoy and find fairly easy to do even with it being just a couple weeks of being at home.

Hot Yoga/Yoga membership

This has become one of my absolute favorite ways of working out. I have done yoga for years but in the past couple of years I have fallen in love with hot yoga. There are many different types, like Bikram with its 26 poses or Power flow yoga with the many up dog down dogs. I enjoy every type of yoga and think that they each can provide different benefits. To me yoga is a very peaceful meditative practice but it also is an incredibly good workout. With the room being so hot, I sweat a puddle every single time. I leave yoga with a relaxed mind but also a body that has been stretched and strengthened. Many yoga studios have great discounts for first time students so I encourage you to try different studios while using these special offers. Once you find a yoga studio you really like then you can buy a package of classes for just the couple of weeks that you are home.

Nature Trail Run/Hikes/Walks with dogs or friends

Another one of my favorite ways of being active is being in nature on beautiful hiking trails. I typically run the trails because I love how it feels on my knees and feet opposed to running on concrete or the treadmill. But if I have my dogs with me or I meet a friend to catch up with then walking the trails is always a good option as well. Something about being in the open air with nature just refreshes me, especially my lungs. 

Percy Warner Park. This is my favorite place to go on my nature walks/runs in Nashville.

Gym membership

Probably the most traditional way of working out would be to go to the gym. Some of you may already have gym memberships but for those of you who do not there are many gyms that will provide you with a student discount for a singular membership. I am sure that there are also places that will allow you to get a membership just for the month that you will be in town. The good thing about having access to a gym is that you have so much equipment to utilize. You can run, bike, swim, lift weights, and most importantly for me… erg! That is the main reason why I need to have access to a gym this break is because I need to be able to erg. If you do not know what this is, (it’s okay, many do not) it is the rowing machine. Since I am on the Women’s Rowing team here at Clemson it would probably be a good idea to do some rowing over this break. So with my gym membership I will be taking advantage of the erg machines but also all of the other various equipment that they provide in their facilities. Oh and also the sauna & steam room are nice features that I like to enjoy at the gym as well.

Here’s me on the erg machine at our boathouse here in Clemson.

Peloton/Biking

This one is very specific, because obviously not everyone has a Peloton at home. We do have a Peloton so I will be starting many of my days with a ride to get some cardio in. For those of you who do not have a Peloton, if someone in your family is considering getting one I do think it is a great investment in your health. But that being said it is indeed an investment and everyone has different places they would rather put their money into. So if you do not have a Peloton then just traditional biking is amazing. Going on bike rides around town is a great way to get fresh air in the lungs and get those legs pumping. 

Walking

This last way of exercise may be simple but it should not be overlooked. While all of the above listed ways are great for you, they can also be somewhat vigorous. So for someone who wants to be active but does not necessarily want to be dripping in sweat everyday then walking is a great option. Taking a morning walk to start your day or an evening stroll can do so much. Just getting your legs moving and also intentionally not being on your phone or glued to another device can be so relaxing for your overall mental. Try and fit a daily or weekly walk into your schedule and I’m sure it will quickly become something you look forward to. I noticed during covid when we did not have access to that many different ways of working out, many people started to walk more. While this is not something that I have included in my routine I definitely see the value and do not underestimate how beneficial these can be for overall health. 

Now while some of these include purchases of memberships or equipment, all of these various ways of working out can be done without purchases as well. There are so many YouTube videos for Yoga or at-home workouts that if you would rather stay in the convenience of your home then that is perfectly reasonable too. If you want to stay active this break, these are just a couple ideas to help encourage and inspire you to do so. I hope that everyone has a fun and relaxing break and for those of you that do workout, good job!