Conversations about Dinner & Dorm Cooking Notes from College Girl
February 8, 2009 - Written by Diana
My husband and I both work , my son is in high school with a lot of activities, and my daughter is in college. Our dinners are often haphazard and when I’m not cooking, I often offer suggestions because conversations sometimes go like this:
Me: What are we having for dinner (over the phone)
Hub: I was looking at all these rations that I bought and thought maybe I’d try one of them out, but they only serve 2 and they’re all different. I could mix a couple together though and see how it goes(he does things like this, that’s why I call)
Me: Um, I thought you were saving it for the apocalypse or something you know when the zombies attack the world and everyone comes knocking at the door.
Hub: Yeah, but I think we should taste them first to see which ones we like. Do you think we should mix them, or I should make two different ones for us to taste.
Me: You know, I’m not feeling great that cold thing that you and the …
College Girl Says "Thanks for the Sample Mom"
January 28, 2009 - Written by DianaMy daughter sent me this note to thank me for her sample, and I thought I’d share it with you.
I checked my university e-mail today about five minutes before my class and it says I have a package and I think to myself "What could i have possibly gotten?" not thinking about you and your sample sending fetish (which I love by the way ^_^). Well I have class , then I have to take the shuttle to go out to the barn and I dont get back to my room until about four thirty. The mail room closes at five. I just checked my mail again to see if I had gotten any more mail and I remembered that I had a package! I check the clock and it’s 4:53 lucky me it’s a small campus, so I rush over there and look at the lady and say I’m here to pick up a package? She grabs this tiny box and hands it to me, says here’s your sample! I must given her a weird look cause she gives a lil laugh about it and says- I saw it was quaker …
Send Some Pace to your College Kid – They’ll Love You For It
January 17, 2009 - Written by Diana
When Pace set up our Win a Pace Game Day Party Pack Contest, they asked to send my daughter some of her favorite Pineapple Mango Chipotle Salsa in a care package. I told College Girl to look out for a package, but I wouldn’t tell her what was in it. She called me up excited on the phone and said it was "Freakin Awesome". (We’ve had talks about the use of Freakin – so excuse me for repeating it, if it’s offensive.)
She wanted me to post a Thank You note to the Pace people – and this is what she had to say -
Dear Pace company,
Thank you so much for the salsa and chips! I was very surprised when I received your package, because my mother only told me to look out for a package, not who it was from or what it was. I didn’t even see the PACE logo on the side of the box until I got it back to my room and opened …
Send Your College Kid Some Samples
January 9, 2009 - Written by DianaIf you are like me, your kid has just left back to college and the upheaval in the home has died down. They come home and you walk a fine line between being the parent of a kid and speaking with an adult. Sometimes before I’m going to discuss something with my daughter that she may not be thrilled with, I remind her I want to talk with the adult and not my daughter. Just maybe that will temper it a little bit so I get a discussion instead of an argument. However, when she goes back to college, I know the empty mailbox can be lonely. If I find a sample online she might enjoy, just something to make it a little different from the regular dorm food, I send it to her college address. She loves the little surprises. Today I found some, and one site had a bunch to look at. Surprise your college kid, send them some food.
I received this one through email – Free Cream of Wheat sample – http://cow.promotionassociates.net/
I shop at Kroger’s and look through their website for samples. That’s where I found this one for new Orville …
Food News Alert – Send an Orville Popcorn Sample to your Dorm Kid
November 6, 2008 - Written by DianaThere’s a Lime & Salt microwave popcorn sample available on Walmart’s website. Send one to your dorm kid, it would be a fun movie night treat. My daughter just thanked me for the Bearnaked Granola sample she received in her mailbox. This popcorn sample is thanks to Freebies 4 Mom. Hurry up though because it was gone when I checked last week. If their stock is out when you try, come back again later and try again, which is what I did.
Look, here’s another good sample your kids will love you for at Chocolate Bytes.
Dorm Girl Home for a Visit – Stock Up Weekend
October 13, 2008 - Written by DianaMy daughter came home for a long weekend because the school had a break. We met her at a Dairy Queen (and of course stopped off for a delicious Pumpkin Blizzard). Thursday I worked from home, but I told her I would take her out to lunch to a real good food restaurant. Dorm kids can’t afford real restaurants so McDonald’s is out when you are paying. Plus there’s the added bonus that they will actually talk with you if you can get them to sit down for a delicious meal . These kids are so busy they won’t stop and spend much time with you unless there’s food involved.
She played for the alumni band at the high school where my son was also playing which was cool. She and her friends stayed for the game and then later they cooked out over a fire and had s’mores in the backyard. We took time out for haircuts and stock up. There were things Dorm Girl needed to replenish and things she found she wanted.
Stock ups for DG:
- Single Serving Mac&Cheese(s)
- Single Serving Drink Mixes to add …
Dorm Cooking: 40 Dorm Recipes and Resources
August 12, 2008 - Written by Deb Ng
Yes, I know last week was dorm cooking week but that doesn’t mean there isn’t great stuff to share. There are so many awesome resources and recipes available it would be a shame not to bring them to you here.
I give you 40 Dorm Recipes and Resources:
- College Dorm Fire Safety – Please read this first before attempting to cook in your dorm.
- Cooking in the Dorm – About.com Busy Cooks
- Dorm Room Recipes – The Baltimore Sun
- Dorm Room Dining Tips and Recipes – gwhatchet.com
- Dorm Room Cooking and Recipes – About.com Student Travel
- Beat the’Freshman 15′ with Dorm Room Recipes -udReview.com
- Dorm Room Cheesy Tuna and Noodles – AllRecipes.com
- Sweet Teriyaki Chicken Drumsticks – The Eagle Online
- Recipes and Gadgets for Dorm Room Cooking – Parent Dish
- Recipes from the Dorm Room - Student Fitness
- Dorm Room Recipes -Peta2
Kashi Pocket Bread
August 10, 2008 - Written by Diana
We were sent some Kashi Pocket Bread to try out for Dorm week and I’m here to tell you that it is the perfect dorm food. The individual serving box is compact in size. There is one Kashi Pocket Bread in one box, so you don’t fill up your little freezer. It is microwaveable – 2 minutes on high, so it’s fast. Kashi Pocket Bread is delicious, absolutely, totally delicious. The bread itself is soft, but not chewy and not thick, just the right thickness, and made from whole grain.
It’s packed with meat (unless it’s vegetarian), and vegetables with just the right amount of sauce. Our favorite was Turkey Fiesta, which was like a burrito packed into a roll. We loved the flavor. It had a little bit of a kick, but not overwhelmingly spicy. My daughter had the Veggie Medley, and said it was very flavorful with lots of veggies. I brought the Chicken Rustico to work for lunch and had it along with a side salad. It was easy to handle and eat at my desk. My daughter agreed that it would be great to take to …
Dorm Recipes
August 10, 2008 - Written by Diana
Here are a few easy recipes you can throw together.
They aren’t elaborate because you don’t have the room or equipment for elaborate.
- Ramen Noodles – Break noodles up into bowl, just cover with water, microwave on high 3 minutes. For something a little more substantial add chicken (canned or frozen) and some peas.
- Biscuit in a cup – 1 cup of biscuit mix, 1/3 cup of milk, microwave on high from one to two minutes. For variety, you can add some cheese or microwave leftover gravy and sausage you brought from home to pour over the cooked biscuit .
Dorm Cooking – Collecting the Gear
August 8, 2008 - Written by Diana
We’ve been collecting the gear for college all year. My daughter made a list of what she wanted or needed and slowly has gotten them as presents for different occasions. Although she’s still hoping the grill will show up, and we’ll need to go out and get a few more things, she has most of what she needs.
Things to collect for dorm cooking:
- Microwave
- Small Fridge
- George Forman Grill
- Drink mixer – for smoothies of course
- Coffee Maker
- Small Crockpot
- Storage Bowls
- Serving Spoons
- Bowl
- Mug
- Plate
- Utensils for eating
- Cutting Board & Knife
- Pot Holders or Hot Pads (Silicon cleans easier)
Cleaning supplies:
- Dish Soap
- Scrubber
- Dish Towels
- Dish Cloth
