More than just mac

Once again I have stumbled upon another box in that same fateful aisle. While shopping this caught my eye because of the brand, the picture, and the easiness. Kraft is a very trusted brand, in my opinion, and is something I know I can count on to have great results.

After opening the box I saw that it contained dried pasta, a small package of sundried tomatoes, and a package of sauce mix. The steps were about the same as you would follow to make the Kraft macaroni and cheese, except no other ingredients like milk and butter were needed which makes this recipe great for a college student like myself.

After boiling the pasta for the directed amount of time, it asked me to put the sundried tomatoes into the pasta and boiling them together for about two minutes, then drain both in a colander. The only problem I saw with this process was when I went to strain the boiled mixture, the sundried tomatoes fell through the slots in the colander which created a mess in the sink.

The next step was to open the package of sauce and put it on the pasta mix in the pot. Another problem arose with this process. The package says "tear here", but I was not able to open it by tearing and used a pair of scissors. When putting the sauce of the pasta, it was incredibly hard to squeeze out and also resembled human body excrement, which was not something I wanted to see just before eating it. I stirred it all together but was having trouble dissolving the sauce to make it thinner. I placed it back on the burner and the mixing became easier and the sauce was distributing better.

The taste of the final product was merely okay. I'm not a huge fan of parmesan cheese, but if you like the flavor then I think you would have enjoyed this recipe more. This box holds three servings, but if served alone with no side dishes would probably only feed two people, which was the case when I made it.

Overall I think this is a good product, and I would possibly buy it again but in a different flavor. The cost is low and it requires no other ingredients which is sometimes hard to find in these type of dinners. I believe that college students would like this product because it is a familiar brand and takes the same amount of time as another one of their Kraft favorites.

For more information regarding this product, and other Kraft dinner products please click here.

Idaho Grown

Mashed potatoes are not an easy dish to fix, especially for a novice chef like a college student. Recently, I discovered a way to make them that only involves adding boiling water: Idahoan Potatoes. They come in a dry mix, and taste like the real thing! What drew me to this product was my undying love for mashed potatoes, and cheap and easy food. The cost for this item is under one dollar! I was skeptical at first, but the finished product proved to be outstanding! This brand also boasts the "Best Taste Award" by ChefsBest in 2007, as well as the use of 100% Idaho potatoes - so you know you are getting the real deal!

Among the different flavors of potatoes are four cheese, butter and herb, and garlic mashed potatoes. Your average grocer should provide at least five of the different flavors listed on the website, here. What I like most about this product besides the easiness of it is the flavor. Some products say their flavor resembles the homemade item, but I feel like this is one of the best representatives when it comes to mashed potatoes! They were moist and flaky, and required little seasoning other than what it came with.

I believe this is a product that college students will like because it is cheap, time efficient, easy to make, and gives students a comfort from home! I will definitely try this product again and explore the different flavors offered by this company!

Italy in your apartment

There is a certain aisle in the grocery store I have come to know well. It's the one with boxed dinners like macaroni and cheese, spaghetti, and ramen noodles. A few weeks ago I was searching for a meal to try for my blog, and found this one- Pasta Roni. I'm sure many of you are familiar with it's sister brand; Rice-a- Roni. This brand is known for having easy, family friendly, and affordable selections. These adaptations come with a few pasta choices to choose from, but butter and herb italiano caught my eye.

After opening the package I found similar contents to a mac and cheese dinner. It contains a package of dried seasonings, as well as uncooked pasta. The instructions were to boil water, milk, butter, and seasonings then add the pasta. Next you cook the pasta for around eight minutes and that's it! Definitely a do-able thing for 20 year old to do!

The seasonings you added from the packet were prevalent when tasting the food, and added a lot to the dish. It was enough for two people. Although, I would suggest adding a salad or a protein to it if you are feeling a little more hungry than we were.

My only criticism of this dish was that once completed, the sauce was a little runny. The package had warned me about this and said it would thicken upon standing. I felt like this process took a little longer than necessary, so I dumped out some of the sauce and it worked fine. When I re-heated it a few hours later, the sauce was the perfect thickness.

I felt like this dish is an affordable and easy to follow recipe for college students. It's available in all grocery stores, and the brand offers more flavors and well as rice versions to suit your taste buds. I will most likely buy it again for a night in the apartment, and recommend to my fellow students for a great dinner costing less than five dollars.

Food for the carnivore in you

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As some of you may or may not know, the town of Edmond was founded because there were many train tracks running though it and thus, people wanted to live close to transportation.  This week I tried the restaurant called Oklahoma Station BBQ. I attended this restaurant as part of my social service club's fall banquet, but was in for some great BBQ!

This was my first introduction to Oklahoma BBQ, however I am sure it will not be my last. My experience at this restaurant was fantastic, to put it lightly. 

Because this event was considered a catered we only had a choice of three meats; pork tenderloin, chopped beef and sliced beef.  My date and I chose pork tenderloin. The meat tasted smoked and had wonderful flavor, and resembled turkey in taste. 

At Oklahoma Station, there are many choices for side items (almost too many!). Overall, there were about 10 to chose from on the buffet. Out of all of them I chose fried okra, macaroni and cheese, and coleslaw. All of the sides were great tasting, home style items that tasted like family recipes. For more menu options available, please click here. 

The cost I felt was reasonable. For our meals at the banquet which included; a drink, as many sides as we wanted, a piece of Texas toast and a choice of meat, was around $10. While I was there I looked at their menu and things like beef sandwiches were around five dollars. They also offer desserts, take home menu options, as well as a few "healthy choice" selections.

My experience at Oklahoma Station was wonderful and filled with great southern BBQ! I would definitely eat there again and tell my friends about it! For any information regarding locations, catering or franchising click here. 

Italian favorites made by Oklahoman's

Othello's Italian Restaurant of Edmond, OK is a family owned restaurant offering casual and affordable dining. The atmosphere while dining is relaxed, and incorporates traditional Italian decor.

What drew me to this restaurant initially was it's reputation. Around campus and to locals, Othello's is described to have great Italian food and reasonable prices. One thing I have learned in my days as a college student is that if it is approved by that demographic, then you should probably give it a try.

There are many great coupons and special offers given by the restaurant, some listed on their website. Of all of them listed, the best deal I found was 1/2 price pizza on Sunday evenings! To a college student, this means you can get 2 large pizzas, split it with about 6 people and go away only spending about $5! What a great deal! Many of my friends on the Oklahoma Christian campus have made it a tradition of going most Sunday evenings, and taking advantage of their best offer.

Their pizza has a homemade quality about it. It tastes like something your grandma would make that has been passed down for generations in your family. They use many herbs, and offer a great variety of toppings to be added if you would like them.

Another way they set themselves apart from your typical restaurant is the homemade bread given before each meal. It is not your typical bread stick, but a loaf which also tastes like a family favorite.

There are many other Italian favorites, as well as local-inspired meals offered at Othello's, but those I have yet to try. If they taste as wonderful as their pizza did, I'm sure I will be back there to give it a try someday. This restaurant is greatly loved by those whom have tried it, and will continue to be a staple of Edmond restaurant favorites. Recently, their brand has expanded to include a location in downtown Oklahoma City, as well as their first location in Norman.

For more information regarding their menu, coupons and hours of operation, please click here.

Cold weather comfort food

The time of year is approaching when we crave certain foods. Chili, soup and other seasonal favorites pop back in our minds after a year of hibernation. During this time I crave nothing more than a bowl of soup and a grilled cheese. This week, I have decided to write about a soup I have recently re-discovered; Creamy Potato by Bear Creek.

I originally tried this soup a little over a year ago after having my wisdom teeth removed, and remembered it again once the weather started to get cooler (it works great for both occasions, though).

This soup comes dried in a small bag, and claimed to make a half-gallon of soup! The instructions were very simple; boil 8 cups of water, whisk in the mix and let simmer for 15 minutes. So easy I bet a child in middle school could do it, as well as any stove-weary college students!

Another thing college students will be attracted to is the price. To make this half-gallon of soup only costs around 3.50 (less than a trip to the cafeteria).

The taste and portion of the soup well worth the price I paid. I had 5 people at my apartment when I made it and we still had a bowl left over for the next day. However, if you wanted to make it on a Sunday you could probably eat it for lunch the rest of the work week. The taste of the soup is very creamy, with some onions and parsley for flavor which would appeal to a variety of taste palates.

Bear Creek, the makers of this soup, have around ten other kinds of soup including chili, chicken noodle soup and clam chowder. These soups can be found in your local grocery stores soup aisle, along with the canned stuff. To find more information about Bear Creek, or to read about their other products, please click here.

Overall, the soup was delicious, and I would absolutely try it again, as well as other flavors offered by Bear Creek. The easiness of this recipe would be ideal for a holiday party, or if you are craving comfort food on a small budget.

Krusteaz Cinnamon Crumb Cake

I'm sure many of you have seen this in your local grocers baking aisle, and wondered what it would be like to try. This brand's selections are a little different than the average Betty Crocker box recipes. Krusteaz has a variety of muffins and cakes, as well as lemon bars. All of which can be seen on their website, here.

I picked the cinnamon crumb cake because I assumed you cannot really go wrong with cinnamon!

The cost factored into my choice as well. Around 2 dollars for this box. Another great feature about this mix is that the only thing you really need that is out of the ordinary is 1 egg. The other ingredient is water which of course, costs nothing (essentially)!

My only complaint is one that many college student would have regarding this recipe: time. Not time in baking, but time in prep. You see, in the box contains 2 different packets, one for the mix, the other the cinnamon topping. You have to alternate the layers at least two times. And when making muffins like I did instead of a cake, this got a little messy and time consuming! However, I do have to say it was worth it in the end result!

Overall, I would recommend this to college students as an alternative to brownies or cookies when baking. The price is a little more expensive than a cake mix, but when factoring in the icing, eggs and oil you would need in those recipes, the cost almost evens out. This cake could also make a great breakfast on your way out the door for class! So next time you are down your local baking aisle, don't be afraid to pick up an unknown box. You never know what you might find!

South of the border - On a budget

This week, I decided to try my hand at cooking a low cost meal in my apartment. When looking through the grocery story I stumbled up "Complete Meals", by Betty Crocker. What first attracted me to this product was the price. It was only three dollars! - If I could get a whole meal for five, for less than a value meal at McDonald's, then I was sold!

The second thing I was attracted to about this meal was the easiness of it. Everything I needed to prepare the whole meal was in the box, with the exception of two cups of water, and a little bit of milk. There are more variaties than just this one available, but Mexican food sounded good at the moment.

Upon opening the packaging, I came across 4 different, distinguishable items to incorporate into the dish. The instructions were very easy to follow. You essentially dump all of them into a casserole dish with the water and bake for around 35 minutes.

Around five minutes before the end of the cook time, the recipes calls to start mixing the "cheese sauce" with the milk. After removing the dish from the oven and letting it sit a minute, it tells us to pour the mixture over the meal.

Here was the final product:

I'll admit, it is not very visually stimulating, nor did it resemble the box, but in its defense its taste was great! My only complaint over this meal was that it was not really satisfying as a main dish, and served more of a "side dish" role. One idea I had to make it a little more hearty was to put the cooked ingredients in a tortilla, or a green pepper to stuff.

Overall, this product was a wonderful find! I am still eating the remnants of it today, and it has been 2 days since I cooked the meal. It is wonderful for college students since it lasts long, but it would also feed up to five people if you had a few friends over for a meal at your apartment. Since the cost is low, it would be easy to add a few items to spice it up some, and make it look more expensive than it really was. I would definitely try this item again in the future. For more information regarding this product, and others like it, please click here.

The Panda Invades Edmond

For the next 10 weeks, I will be blogging about budget friendly ways to eat as a college student. I will be trying both new restaurants, as well as meals you can make in your own apartment. After they are tested, I will write a report letting you know if it is worth trying in the future. 

This week, I went to Panda Express. A new one has opened in Edmond and some friends and I decided to go. I had never been there before, but many people have told me great things about it! Many who I had mentioned it to told me to try the orange chicken, which ended up being delicious. 

Here is my evaluation of Panda Express:

• Price - I paid 5.75 (excluding tax and a drink) for 2 entrees, and a choice of chow mein, or rice. This price is fair compared to the other Asian restaurants near the area such as Pei Wei which can cost up to 10 dollars. 
• Variety of foods - I felt that there was a good variety of entrees, a total of about 10 to choose from.  There were many different variations of chicken and beef, as well as more unusual items like pot stickers. 
• Serving sizes - Like many other Chinese restaurants, they have heaping portions. This is not a place you would want to go to if you were on a diet, however they do offer a children's meal (which happens to be cheaper). I felt satisfied when I left, and had just enough room to manage to eat my complementary fortune cookie. 
• Atmosphere - It was nicely decorated and had a variety of seating options. The pictures on the walls were interesting, and not generic restaurant art like you see in many places today. 
• Service - When I walked in, I was greeted warmly.  However, when I was asked for my order, I felt rushed. Since I had never been there before, I wanted to scope things out, but I felt like the employee helping me wasn't giving me much slack. However, on the up side, they readily answered any questions a customer might have. 
• Cleanliness - The counters and table tops were both clean, but I did notice the trashcans were overflowing some. I think this may be due to the dinner rush hour, and not to sub-par employees.     

Overall, I had a great experience at Panda Express and would definitely return there in the future to eat. I felt like the price I paid was great in comparison to the amount of food I received, and at the end I felt satisfied. I would recommend this place for college students, because you get more food than you would at other restaurants for the same price. To find a Panda Express in your area, please click this link. Hopefully your experience will be a great as mine was!

Love Never Fails

I stumbled upon this song by Brandon Heath a few weeks ago, and something told me to share it with everyone. The lyrics are based on the famous love chapter in the Bible, 1 Corinthians 13, which happens to be one of my favorites. I used to think the Love they were describing was in reference to an Earthly kind of Love, because I guess I didn't completely grasp the greatness of it, but this Love is so much bigger!- God's Love!

The Bible also tells us that "God is Love". One thing I like to do when I listen to this song is when the word "love" is being sang, insert the word "God". It's totally comforting to hear that He will always be there for me.

Love is not proud
Love does not boast
Love after all Matters the most
Love does not runLove does not hide
Love does not keepLocked inside

Love is the river that flows through
Love never fails you
Love will sustain
Love will provide
Love will not cease
At the end of time

Love will protect
Love always hopes
Love still believes
When you don’t

Love is the arms that are holding you
Love never fails you

When my heart won’t make a sound
When I can’t turn back around
When the sky is falling down
Nothing is greater than this
Greater than this

Love is right here
Love is alive
Love is the way
The truth the life

Love is the river than flows through
Love is the arms that are holding you
Love is the place you will fly to
Love never fails you

The Family I Never Knew I Had

The back story of this whole thing, is long and complicated, and to protect my family, I won't reveal all the details. Basically, my mom has known for years about her half -brothers (Mark & Ben), and her Biological father (J.B) but did not want to contact them until Mark & Ben's Mother had passed, for the sake of her feelings. My mom contacted Ben somewhere in the Mid- 1980's and they exchanged letters off and on, but Mark still had no clue about my Mom, until Ben had passed away - from an infection he had gotten after he became paraplegic when he was 16 from a car accident - (but he dodged death and lived for many years after that.) After Ben passed, Mark found the letters my Mom and He had exchanged, and then a few years later my mom grew bold, and finally contacted Mark. Mark knew exactly who my mom was once she said her name over the phone. And then a few months after that, we made the trip down to Oklahoma City to meet Mark.

They were both pleasantly surprised to see how much they looked alike, and Mom loved having someone else to look like! After keeping in touch for a few years, we both learned of the news that Mark and his girlfriend Cynthia had gotten engaged! (after 10 years of dating! ha ha) We planned to attend, both not knowing what to expect or who to meet.

The weekend finally arrived and we headed down to Hugo, OK to meet a few relatives I never knew I had, and Cynthia's family that would soon become ours. There we also met a life long friend of my Uncle Ben's, Brian. Brian took care of Ben many years, and had all sorts of great stories to share with my mom and I. Everyone had the nicest things to say about Ben, and how he was such an amazing individual.

This next comment took me by surprise, and I never expected to happen at all, Brian said

"The first time I saw you, immediately I thought you looked like Ben."

Even Brian's parents said that same thing almost as soon as I had met them.

I looked like an Uncle I had never met, or seen a picture of. Going into that weekend, I had never expected anyone to tell me that. There was a picture of him at the wedding, and it was confirmed. As the stories poured out of Brian's mouth about Ben, I was more proud to look like him than I ever thought I could have been. He was a truly honorable man, and has lived longer than any other person with the same conditions as him. "They should really do medical studies on him", Brian said.

If you know my mom, even a little, you know she was crying her eyes out that day. Both her and I felt so at home with all of those people - both family and not. I think she finally feels whole inside to have siblings that are so proud to call her their sister. And I feel very proud to be called Mark & Ben's niece. (although I'm still getting used to the whole calling them Uncle thing, as I'm sure you can tell)

So the weekend overall was a huge success! (despite the disgusting motel we stayed in) We've been invited back for the family reunion in September, and to visit Ben's grave on the anniversary of his death in August. But most importantly, Cynthia & Mark are husband and wife, and I am so thankful to them for inviting us, and to let my mom and I experience the family we never knew we had.

Brian, My Mom, & Mark

Spring Break Highs and Woes

My spring break in a nutshell:

Highs:

• I got to see my family
• Participated in my churches annual Easter Panorama
• Slept in
• Saw some old friends
• Ate some good food
• I enjoyed playing and seeing my cats again!
• I found a banquet dress! (I'm sure pictures will come once April 12th is over)

Lows

• I came home to a sick Mommy, and she was sick most of the week (she's doing better now)
• Flat tire on my car
• My oh-so opinionated, but wonderful Grandma (she's great most of the time I promise!)
• I went to the wrong dental office *twice* (whoever thought it was a good idea to have 2 offices on opposite sides of town was mistaken on the easiness factor)
• Once I finally got to the orthodontist, he gave me the wonderful news that I (or Dad) gets to buy new retainers!
• Kansas wind/weather... constantly changing like always - consistency please?

So that was my spring break - feel informed?

This week I'm mostly concentrating on school stuff. I have a test tomorrow, I made my next semester schedule this week, and right now I am mainly focused on what I am going to do this summer. I'm going to talk to my advisor tomorrow about possible opportunities in the Wichita area that are related to the career field I want to go into to. Hopefully I get some leads, or at least some advice on where to go first. Wish me luck! :-)

This weekend Mom and I are off to Hugo, OK to go to Mark's wedding. It should be fun! It's been a while since we've seen him, and we're both so happy that he's marrying Cynthia! (it's been a long time coming, from what I hear!) Please pray that we have a safe drive there and the we remain patient and listen to each other (that can be hard with us sometimes, on road trips especially)

Tales of an INFJ and her ISTJ

So right now I am enrolled in a Principles of Management class. When thinking of management, a person doesn't ordinarily (or at least I don't...) think of personality tests.

Well this teacher does apparently.

I have taken 2 personality tests so far this semester. The first determined how I learn, and the second describes you as a person and what you are probably going to be like through marriage, with your children, who you are compatible with, etc. It's pretty much the know all of personality tests.

The test determined I am an INFJ

I- Introvertive

N- Intuitive

F- Feeling

J- Judging

I started reading the book that went along with it, ("Please Understand Me II") and I was surprised at how interesting it was to me. But based on the outcome of the MBTI test, I am the type of person who LOVES learning why people are the way they are ( so I guess I wasn't too surprised about that)

I found myself laughing as I read through the pages of the book, reading more about myself. It was most definitely ME! (It's nice knowing that you are not a total freak for doing certain things that seem normal to you)

The book was also weird since it talks about how that type of person is in marriage, intimacy, and as a parent. In that section, I almost felt like I was reading a book that I wasn't supposed to be reading. The future is the future because you do not know it's going to happen yet, so finding that I should expect certain things kind of ruined the fun a little. However, being the INFJ that I am, looking toward the future is a part of who I am. I talk/worry/obsess about what I'm going to do after college, paying off loans, where I'm going to live when I graduate, getting married, children... and countless other questions that no one who is 19 needs to worry about.

Boyfriend has a little trouble dealing with this aspect of me.

His frequent phrase is "I don't know, I just know I don't have to worry about that right now, and when it happens I'll figure it out" (or something to that effect)

Boyfriend is an ISTJ - which means he is more of a serious, conservative, hard working type, who likes to solve problems, and thinks in the present, not the future. So now you can kind of understand why he gets aggrevated with me....

The book also has a section titled "Mating" where they take differnt types of personalities and tell you how they would react in a marriage type setting. I would be lying if I said I didn't freak out a little when the book said: "renewed efforts to solidify and stabilize their (it says marriage, but I am going to use relationship) relationship only taken as a sign of superficiality. "

I really did freak out....(just ask Anastasia and Katy) I questioned our entire relationship practically just because of this dumb book...

After I calmed down, and after talking to my ISTJ, he determined that "this book was full of lies"(straight from the horses mouth) Boyfriend is sceptical to believe things sometimes, which is a good quality to have in a partner when you are easily gullable. (he takes advantage of this more times than I can count) So with much reassuring from Boyfriend, I realized this book didn't determined our furture, we did. This book couldn't control our future, we did. If our relationship comes to the point where we are thinking of pursuing a greater calling, it came to that point because it was supposed to. I think the Big Man was testing me a little in this situation....

I'll finish this post with a quote from one of my favorite movies, " A League of Thier Own"

"It's supposed to be hard. If it wasn't hard, then every one would do it. The hard is what makes it great." - Jimmy Dugan

The Start of Something New

Hello! to whom ever is going to read this thing. I assume it will mostly be friends and family, but I suppose I wouldn't want it any other way!

I wanted to start this blog as a way to document my daily life and be able to look back later and see my growth, and laugh about the things that have happened to me.

I plan to you this as a journal-like tool, so there may be some rants, raves and probably even some things you won't understand (if fact I can almost guarantee that will happen!)

So here goes....

This weekend is Spring Sing at OC! It's been slowly taking over my life since this semester started and as much as I love the tradition of Spring Sing, I won't shed one tear over its passing. With Spring Sing also comes Spring Visit. This is a time where high school Juniors and Seniors can come and check out OC and see if its right for them. (Usually around this time the lawn staff, maintenance and construction workers tend to kick it in to high gear )- they don't think we notice that they're trying to make the campus look pretty so all the prospective students - but I've caught on. Nice try OC.

Also, some other news was announced in Chapel today! Next year Mac Books will be available for students! They are making them compatible with Windows for those who choose to keep their Dell computers. Also, those on the faculty along with getting Mac Books, will in addition receive an iPhone. I am very excited to have the opportunity to receive a new laptop!


Wish me luck in Spring Sing!