"Guilt-Free" Homemade Potato Chips

Okay, to be clear, these potato chips are exactly as fatty and unhealthy as almost any other chip. They are only "guilt-free" because they're made by you and not a factory. But it's okay. You were going to eat them anyway, and at least these don't have chemicals.

Remember that time that Bean and I made potatoes? Well, we didn't either. So we had a giant bag of leftover potatoes that had been sitting around for we're not sure how long.

They looked kind a funky and felt distinctly soft.
So obviously, all systems go.

The only logical option to make snacks.

Nug Gets Exotic with Super Food

Pasta with swiss chard, white beans, and walnuts.
Weird or worth eating?
Questions answered below!

I've been reflecting on my college experience and I've come to this conclusion: juniors compare family recipes like freshman compare regional accents. Thankfully, junior year epiphanies go beyond "huh, that's weird," and are the key to broadening your culinary horizons, expanding your recipe repertoire, and opening doors to newfound realms of tastiness.

It even looks like alien food. 

Case in point, swiss chard.

Until Bean and I started cooking together, swiss chard was something that happened on Food Network. But in the Bean household, it's standard fare.



Bean introduced me to swiss chard through Spaghetti with Swiss Chard, White Beans, and Walnuts. However, the Pasta + Beans + Greens formula can be adapted to fit the contents of any pantry.

Don't like white beans? How about black beans or chickpeas? Less exotic greens you could try? Bean says kale, spinach, and escarole.

So, spinach, right guys? Because I don't know what the other two taste like either. But you should try swiss chard because it's both Christmas-colored and delicious.

Regardless, you have garlic and red pepper flakes to make things as tasty and spicy as you want. The possibilities are endless. And you're combining all of the super foods. Get crazy with it.

Manicotti: Italian for Sleeves, Nugspeak for Home

Some weeks at college, you just really want to go home.

Sometimes just I want to be a baby with
a snuggy and manicotti. 

Maybe you have seven papers in as many days or your roommate gave you fleas, but for me it's usually when 1) I'm sick, or 2) the dining hall was especially depressing.

My solution -- manicotti. Just saying "manicotti" conjures up memories of birthdays and holidays filled with cheesy, saucy goodness.

For those of you not familiar with manicotti, it's basically a lasagna burrito. That sounds super gross, so I'll just explain.

Pizza Pizzazz

    

Blog readers, I have a confession to make: we have been holding out on you. I know you thought that we faithfully updated you on all our culinary adventures, and days we didn't post were days (or weeks) when we simply did not eat. But the truth is, we've been hiding an important part of our diet from you: the over-abundance of pizza.

The pizza that started it all.

In all its crappy cell phone photo glory.

It was a delicious homemade pizza that first prompted Domsicle to suggest that we start a blog. Since then, it has been one of our most reliable standbys. Now that we've developed a relationship of trust with you, blog readers, we're ready to share.

Weekday Breakfast: Make it Portable

The perfect A.M. sustenance.

If breakfast is the most important meal of the day, I am screwed. I never wake up early enough, so my body is lucky if it gets a handful of dry Cheerios on my way out the door. Breakfast bars would be a good option, but they're expensive.

And they're not a "balanced breakfast" either. For that, you need three different beverages, pancakes, eggs, cereal, fruit, bats, orangutans -- it's not going to happen for a college student on the go.

Bean and I stumbled on the solution: the Banana Oatmeal Cups from GreenLite Bites. We've been calling them Breakfast Bites, and they have revolutionized our breakfast experience. By which I mean, I now eat breakfast.

Real College Students Eat Quiche

Bean and I are class acts.

You might be thinking there's no way I could pull off something as fancy as quiche. It's French. People question its masculinity. It's got that weird Q thing going on.

If your thinking ends there, you've probably only experienced quiche in some shmancy cafe, or you've had one of those curdled little Starbucks nightmares. Which is a shame, because there is nothing as lusciously cheesy and satisfying as homemade quiche.  

Come on. If sleepy Nuggets can do it, anyone can.

Maple and Brown Sugar Squash

Photo Credit: Nugget. I wish I were as cool as she is.
Look at the artistry.

Blog readers, October has begun. And you all know what that means - midterms. Last week was a crazy whirl of schoolwork. Nugget kept me alive by making most of our meals (hooray for dinner buddies!), but I was completely useless.

However, there was one recipe that I was able to manage: acorn squash with brown sugar and maple syrup. This meal was always a favorite of my dad's, so I knew I wanted to make it at least once this fall. I know we've thrown a lot of squash at you on this blog, but if you're not convinced yet, this recipe WILL make you a believer!

It takes 5 minutes to prepare, and sits innocently in the oven for an hour while you study. When it's done, it's delicious, filling, perfectly portioned, and fun to eat! Not to mention, it belongs to that noble, hallowed group of recipes that make vegetables taste like dessert. What more could a college student ask for?

Be Your Own Dining Hall: Make Breakfast

Bet you didn't know it was a literary reference.

Confession: I miss the myth of the dining hall breakfast. You were out late the night before, it's about 11:30 AM, you've gathered enough consciousness to form thoughts, and your first thought is breakfast. Which is fine because you live three feet from an endless supply of Belgian waffles.

Why is it a myth, you ask?

Because there's a huge difference between expectation and reality.

Here's the expectation:

Magic. Honeydukes level magic.

But reality bears a way bigger resemblance to this:

I'm sure he's a very nice man.

This weekend, however, Bean, Grape and I decided to attempt to close that gap and make our very own ultimate college breakfast.