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