Tag Archives: eating

It’s Crunch Time!

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It’s crunch time! I mean that literally because I have a twenty page paper due in a few days that is still in the midst of being born from my mind. I also mean that figuratively because during what has been a very painful three day essay writing marathon, I have been relieving my stress with crunchy food.

So I started on Friday night with carrots, a healthy option. These provided me with the crunch I was seeing and had the extra bonus of not messing up my writing space. This healthy option sustained my need for crunch for the night.

Saturday was required a snack with a crunch slightly more extreme crunch factor. This is why at 11pm on Saturday night instead of writing my essay I was searching through my storage room for my deep fryer. I found the fryer and proceeded to make these little wonders…

Beer battered onion rings my fellow students…mmmmmmmm! Admittedly not the healthiest of snack options, but with all that essay writing I deserved a treat. And also, onions are a vegetable…let’s justify it like that.

These are fast and easy to make…get an onion, slice it into ring and pop out the centre of the rings, in a bowl mix up some flour, salt, baking soda, and cornstarch and and then stir in a cup of your favorite beer. (If you don’t drink alcohol you can actually replace the beer with water.) Dip your onions in the batter and fry for 3 mins in oil warmed to 375 degrees.

So that was Saturday. On Sunday, i was feeling guilty for eating so many onion rings so I turned to another crunchy alternative that is a bot more healthy than onion rings. Toasted pita with eggplant dip.

The recipe for this is a bit more involved than the onion rings, so I’ll post the link here. This provided a low fat option that gave me the required saltiness and crunch that I was craving.

Three straight days of writing is exhausting. I don’t usually do this. I like to start my papers nice and early, but this term I simply ran out of time. Now I find myself scrambling to finish the list of assignments on my calendar that are all due next week.

I find taking a few minutes to eat something really good makes weekends like this not as bad. It’s a treat for every few pages I finish. It wards off sleep and lethargic writing.

If my tummy is happy then my brain usually works a lot better!

Happy writing people.

-Lori

 

Student Burn Out — Stressful Times Call For Simple Measures

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Most of us have days when we feel overloaded, overwhelmed, and underappreciated. When the dozen or so balls we keep in the air aren’t manageable. When dragging ourselves out of bed requires the determination of Hercules. It’s called burn out. If the “lacklusterness” of school or my day-to-day routine lasts for over a month, I consider myself burnt out. But it helps in knowing that I’m not alone and that it’s not permanent. I’ve even found that it is possible to feel content and stimulated with a full course load! All it requires is a little bit of organization and a whole lot of motivation. Burn out may visit from time-to-time but it definitely doesn’t have to stay!

This school year, I have experienced greater levels of burnout than I normally do. I’m not sure if it’s because I’ve entered my senior years of university and have to start making concrete decisions about the rest of my life or if it’s because the stress of the past several years has built to the point of overflowing. In any case, the emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion that I have felt the first few months of the academic year have rendered my problems insurmountable.

I suppose that the stress of managing 5 courses, 3 on-campus jobs, and a handful of personal and professional relationships was bound to take its toll sooner or later. This past semester, every day was a bad day. The negative effects of my burn out spilled into other aspects of my life. To top it off, I was sick with headaches, stomachaches, toothaches, body aches (you get the picture!) for most of the semester.

Thankfully, after several sessions of personal reflection, I’ve been able to reassess my priorities and regain my footing. When I finally accepted it for what it was, I decided to simplify my daily activities to regain control of them. I started taking regular breaks while studying. I stopped thinking about Tasks 3, 4, or 5 when I wasn’t even done Task 1. I changed what I ate to spice things up. And I wrote. I wrote down my frustrations on a piece of paper and read them out loud. Then I ripped up the piece of paper into as many pieces as I possibly could. I can’t describe how liberating it felt. And over time, the burnout faded away.

Since then, I’ve taken several steps to prevent another burnout from becoming a full-blown breakdown:

1) Lately, I’ve been starting every day with a relaxing ritual. Rather than jumping out of bed the moment I wake up, I spend at least fifteen minutes every morning meditating, reading, or day dreaming. I’ve realized that stress-free mornings translate into stress-free days.

2) I’ve set boundaries, which has probably been one of the smartest things that I’ve done during my undergrad years. I’ve started to say “no” to requests that demand my time and willpower. Saying “no” to certain requests has allowed me to say “yes” to the tasks I truly want to accomplish.

3) I’ve resolved to take a daily break from technology. Once a day, for at least half an hour (better than nothing!), I completely disconnect – shut off my computer and turn off my phone. Somehow, I find it strangely comforting when I can’t be contacted for short periods of time.

Experiencing burn out, whether or not it’s full-blown, is a risk of being a student (especially at UofT!) Some months look bleaker than others and that’s okay. It’s important to remind ourselves, however, that the best part about burn out is that it’s temporary.

Stay healthy,

Ishita

Goals That I Probably Will/Might/Probably-Won’t-But-Like-To-Tell-Myself-I-Will Accomplish This Year

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Hello bloggies!

I hope you enjoyed your holidays!

I feel like I haven’t posted since last year. (Ha, see what I did there?)  I’ve spent the past few days trying to actively pull myself out of Holiday Mode (somewhat unsuccessfully I may add).  I’m not a fan of New Year’s Resolutions because I forget what I resolved to do come January the 2nd.  But in an attempt to remind myself that I can’t lie in bed forever, I wrote up a list of goals that I probably will/might/probably-won’t-but-like-to-tell-myself-I-will accomplish this year:

1) Express my appreciation to family and friends: We live in a fast-paced world and it seems that saying “thank you” has become underrated. And so, despite having a “Go! Go! Go!” mentality, I want to spend 2013 slowing down and smelling the roses.

2) Try new things: I’m not sure about the rest of you, but I don’t like change.  I prefer predictability.  I’m used to ordering the same thing at a restaurant, shopping at the same stores, and watching the same shows.  Needless to say, my world can get somewhat repetitive and uninteresting. In 2013, I am determined to try the strangest dish on the menu the next time I go out.  Or shop at the small vintage clothing store between the bank and the bakery.  Or watch the slightly questionable T.V. show that all my friends are crazy about. I’ll mention the new things I try in a follow-up post! Stay tuned!

3) Get my G2…finally: I realize that most 20-year olds have a driver’s license by now.  But I have an excuse, I promise!  When I was 16, the “I can finally drive now” realization didn’t hit me as hard as it hit some of my friends.  And when I entered university, the subway was more practical than a car, so it became very easy to put off my driving test. But it’s probably time to get on that.

4) Watch a football game: A friend of mine is football-obsessed. Truly. He actually schedules his classes according to game timings. (I know!)   He’s been begging me to watch a game since I’ve met him.  And because I’m athletically-challenged, I’ve been avoiding it as long as I possibly can.  But sitting through a game would be the perfect way to achieve Goals 1 and 2 (see above).  So I hereby decree that I will force myself to watch 22 sweaty men chasing an inanimate object football at least once this year ;-) .  If I’m honest, though, this is one of the goals that I probably-won’t-but-like-to-tell-myself-I-will accomplish in 2013.

5) Complete all readings for my courses in the week that they are assigned: Seems like the easiest way to avoid procrastination, right?

6) Fit in fitness: Have you ever noticed that laziness gives rise to more laziness?  I always seem to get more accomplished when I am swamped.  I recently found a mobile app called MyFitnessPal that calculates your caloric intake based on food choices and activity level (http://www.myfitnesspal.com/).  I’m planning on using it to track my diet and exercise.  It’s not about losing weight.  I’m just hoping that keeping a “Fitness Journal” of sorts will reduce the amount of junk food I eat!  Maybe adding regular exercise/fitness to my schedule will increase my productivity ten-fold!  Wouldn’t that be lovely?

Looking at my list, I’m proud to say that many of my goals seem doable and realistic.  I might actually achieve them!  If I do, I’ll let you know. And if I don’t, please remind me!

Good luck with your goals this semester! I hope 2013 is your best year yet!

Till next week,

Ishita

Fake it ’till Ya Make It

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This is how I feel about my classes starting today.

Welcome back to mayhem. For me, the winter break has been one of rest and relaxation, balanced with an above average daily intake of food. While my mind is somewhat ready to get back to classes, my body is not exactly co-operating. There may be some kind of sub-conscious biological operation at work.

In the next few weeks I will need to muster some motivation to get my body to class. I would much rather be feasting and napping…the combined content of my winter break. Instead of looking for cheap texts online, I find that I have inadvertently  typed in the address for discounted Caribbean travel. I’m dreaming of escape and I haven’t even attended my first class of the term.

So what’s a vitamin D starved student to do? Well I could take to daily tanning sessions. I could spend my reserved text book fund on a cheap cruise to Roatan. I could take a nap instead of going to class tonight. I know I won’t actually do any of these things. I’m far too predictable for that, but I can do some things to get my head and my body back in the school game.

I have found that the ritual of clearing out last terms binders can be inspirational (sorry if you take e-notes this exercise looses some of its tactile satisfaction). I enjoy dumping binders of old notes into old boxes. It’s liberating and as soon as they’re empty and have been refilled with gleaming white rule, I get the urge to write on the pristine pages. This urge is comparable with the need to walk on a lawn of freshly fallen snow. If anything newly emptied binders make me want to take extensive notes.

This is also the time of year that I like to empty out my backpack, particularly the little pockets that I can barely get my hand in. I always end up finding school supplies, that over the course of last term, I had completely forgot purchasing. Just today I found one of those white out pens and a pack of paper band-aids. If you’re lucky you might also find some lost TTC tokens, a few twoonies, or twelve packs of gum.

I’m not saying that these little rituals will get you to class this week, but they might ignite that back-to-school feeling. You know the one, you used to get it when you were ten and you got your new lunch pail and trapper keeper. As much as you and I might be less than eager to resume classes, you have to admit that having all your school gear in order helps to ease the pain. You wouldn’t feel very motivated to go for a 5K run in jeans and a leather jacket, but if you have all the proper running attire you could at least fake it for a couple of blocks.

Whatever gets my over-stuffed body back into that uncomfortable lecture hall seat is good enough for me. Even if I’m faking it for the first few days…if you pretend for long enough, it becomes your reality.

I wish you all a painless first week back!

-Lori

 

 

 

 

Looking for lunch?

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As a commuter student, I’ve become accustomed to packing food (sometimes two meals worth!) and lugging it with me for a full day on campus. I’m the girl who always sits next to the aisle so I can accommodate my bulging backpack AND my handy shoulder bag that carries all my food for the day. But sometimes I run out the door without any sort of substantial meal in tow and I end up having to buy food somewhere to keep me going.

Well, last week saw one of those days, and off I went in search of some yummy healthy food that wouldn’t break the bank. And that led me to… Harvest Noon!

What is Harvest Noon? Well, in a nutshell: AWESOME! But to be a little more informative, it’s a fairly new café/co-op* located on the 2ndfloor of the Graduate Student Union Building. It’s all about serving up local, sustainable, wholesome food that is both delicious and affordable. And to top that off, it’s fast! Despite the steady flow of people in and out, my plate was ready to go before I even finished at the cash. It looked and smelled so good that I almost forgot to take a picture before I dug in:

I had the “Bumper Crop” – Butternut squash and pear soup with a side salad, flatbread and bean dip (hidden under my bread). So yum!

The café is open Monday to Friday and lunch is served starting at 11:30AM until they run out. It’s a great place to stop for a quick snack or (fair-trade) beverage, and you can even purchase a fresh loaf/half loaf of bread on Tuesdays! They’ve got vegetarian and vegan fare, with gluten-free options often available. Here’s a snapshot of last week’s menu along with their menu philosophy, which I think is really cool:

If you want in on more deliciousness, Harvest Noon welcomes volunteers of all experience levels. In fact, a little while ago, I read on their website that they were looking for volunteer bread bakers.  I eagerly went out this week to help them do just that! The small bread-making group gets together every week to bake fresh bread in-house and prepare a big container of hummus in the cozy little kitchen.  Both were super tasty, and I plan to continue volunteering there throughout the year.

Exercising is great, but before you can get moving your body is going to need some energy! If you haven’t already discovered Harvest Noon, I encourage you to check it out next time you need some good food to fuel you through the day. I also hear they plan to host a bread-making workshop and pot-luck dinner next month… so keep checking back, or find them on Facebook to get their latest news!

-Lesia

*Membership to the co-op is not necessary to eat at Harvest Noon, but non-members will be charged an extra 10% on all purchases. Becoming a member is as easy as donating $5 or signing up to volunteer for at least 2 shifts.

Why I Love Hot Dogs

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Hi everyone. Nice to meet you! I’m Crystal, your new summer lifeatuoft blogger. I’m pretty excited – it’s not every day you can say you’re blogging for U of T. How’s that for a unique resume? I’m planning to explore Toronto and U of T a lot more this summer, and am hoping that I can blog about it. If there’s anything you want me to find out about, or write about, let me know in the comments below and I’ll see what I can do. I’m not a native Torontonian, so anything and everything is an adventure to me.

I think I’ll start off my lifeatuoft blogging career with one of my first memories of U of T. They say that our sense of smell is keenly linked to our memories. For me, that’s always been the case. The smell certain laundry detergents remind me of my mom. A whiff of cologne can me remind of my friends back home. The smell of lemongrass always reminds me of Asia. The smell of hot dogs always reminds me of my first year at U of T.

One of my favourite memories of first year was figuring out that the trucks and stands were here to stay. I remember being completely fascinated with the concept of truck food. Did you really buy food off of trucks? That is actually a thing here in Toronto? Back where I come from (it’s called Edmonton – have you heard of it?), truck food didn’t exist. If I wanted a hot dog, I would have to walk across the street to the mall and get one from Orange Julius; none of that “hundreds of toppings” business. It was either a chili dog or it wasn’t.

My first-year suitemates had to reassure me, “Crystal. Those trucks will still be there in the winter.”

“But it’s so cold!”

“Don’t worry, they’ll be okay,” they replied with a comforting pat on my back.

“But–”

“Shh. It’s okay…” And that was that.

There was always this one guy at the corner of College and St. George, in front of Koffler Centre, that I would always go to. I was convinced his sausages were the best – back then, he had the cheese sausages, and everyoneknows that they’re absolute heaven. He still is the nicest hot dog guy I’ve ever met. Many of my classes and exams happened at that end of campus, so it became a thing for me to have a “lucky hot dog” before every exam.

Since then, the smell of grilled hot dogs has been etched into my mind. Every time I walk down St. George Street, I am reminded of all the hard work and harder times I’ve been through since I got here. Call it a literal walk down memory lane. It wasn’t not easy getting into U of T, and I daresay it’s even harder to stay in. When the going gets tough, I get going… to a hot dog stand. Its little things like a yummy piece of street meat during a study break that really helps me put things in perspective.

Overworked? Over stressed? Have a hot dog.

-Crystal

Interested in truck food? Join the Toronto truck food movement. They even came to U of T!

TRI. It’s the smart thing to do!

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(image courtesy of mynextrace.com)

Ah reading week, what a glorious time for a lil R&R!

For some of you it may be rest and relaxation, reading and reading or even rallying and retching – whatever your little hearts desire. For me it’s a bit of reading, rendezvousing with friends ‘n family and running! Amazingly enough, the reading week break hasn’t shut down the triathlon practices of the cleverest club on campus.  Why is this club so clever you ask? Well with 10 optional practices a week you can pick and choose your workout to fit into your own schedule. It attracts some of the most active and attractive people, not just from U of T either, but members of the Athletic Centre as well.

I’ve been making about three practices a week, 30% of the available workouts. It doesn’t sound too impressive, but I’ve made almost every social engagement?! The practices are super sweat inducing, at times are very long lasting but leave an exceptionally satisfying feeling afterwards. It’s hard to say what’s the hardest part, I know I was huffing and puffing at the beginning of January when I started, but I’m recovering faster and faster after each practice and my lungs don’t burn nearly as much!

Come to think of it, it’s not the practices that will shorten my life, but perhaps the socializing?! Karaoke last week nearly killed me. I made the huge mistake of electing Hall and Oates (classic tune, one of my favourites) as my jam…it didn’t go well. In fact I think I’d far rather do 6 hill repeats of Casa Loma (over an hour of running hills) than sing in front of anyone again. Long term goal of karaoke round 2: improve performance. I must admit attending the events and meeting the people in the club is a highlight. I’ve made some lovely new friends; each practice has some regulars and some transients so there’s always someone to workout with and chat to. It’s a great motivation to see just how fit people can get, I’m certainly starting at the bottom of the totem pole in the run and bike legs…so I’m encouraging new members to join to push me to be faster!

Another bonus has to be Futures breakfast after practice. If you love eating and socializing and exercising or want to improve any of the aforementioned categories this club is the shiz! Thanks to the smart tirathalon folk I’ve sampled some of the tastiest treats in Toronto, enjoyed multiple karaoke performances and am breathing easier when I take the stairs. I hope everyone’s getting a chance to get some body lovin’ in this break, whether you’re enjoying the spring-esque weather and walking outdoors or running the field house track at the AC do yourself a favour and move!

Later skaters.

 

Coming Full Circle in the Classroom

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Over the last semester, ENG 434 Cook the Books has garnered media attention from the likes of the Toronto Star and CBC Radio for its innovative approach to learning as students engage in food literature, a genre that has received very little academic attention, and then cook dishes inspired by their readings in the Hart House kitchen.

This course has made me bond with classmates on unprecedented levels for an English class . This week, my presentation group made a  three course vegan meal based on Jonathan Safron Foer’s Eating Animals and in preparation, we all went shopping together one Friday evening, tried out different recipes and sat down and taste tested everything over wine and conversation about life. This is far from the “normal” English course where students typically try to engage the professor more than their peers, sit in rows with backs turned to faces and rarely learn the majority of their classmates’ names. In Cook the Books, it’s not unusual to want to impress our peers with delicious meals, we share our personal stories about food and when we sit down to eat student cooked meals in Hart House, we relax a little. I have to say, the level of bonding  and personal dialogue I’ve experienced in Cook the Books is rare for an English course.

Serving ENG 434 vegan stir fry with tempeh and romanesco tofu salad.

But this approach to learning is actually the norm in a lot of my Aboriginal Studies courses. I remember sitting with our desks formed in a circle in ASB 250 Indigenous Environmental Education and Professor Erica Neegan saying it was alright if we ate during the lecture and emphasized that we shouldn’t separate our bodies from our minds (a Western view). At the end of many terms, it’s not unusual for Aboriginal Studies courses to have a feast on the last day of class to celebrate a semester well done. In fact, the similarities between Cook the Books and ABS300 Oral Traditions taught by Daniel Justice and Alice Te Punga Somerville is astonishing. But what I find even more astounding is that when Aboriginal Studies courses push the boundaries  of pedagogy with Indigenous ways of learning through food and storytelling, they rarely get the credit they deserve. In fact, the opposite happens and Aboriginal Studies courses often get a bad rap for being “bird” courses. This is far from the truth. In fact, the expectations that Justice and Te Punga Somerville (both actually come from academic backgrounds in literature) have are exactly the same expectations every one of my other professors have had for their classes. It’s the University of Toronto. Expectations are high.

In Oral Traditions, each week a student will share “kai” and bring in food and tell a personal story about the item they are presenting to the class. Through these stories, I’ve learned about goat slaughter in Pakistan for Ramadan, macrobiotic diets and German pastry and baking. Last week, my lovely classmate Rebecca brought in elderberry jam made from berries picked at U of T and wine made by her father, weaving in a story about her family who is Zoroastrian and a brief history of Persian winemaking.

Coincidentally, a poached pear recipe I had to make for Cook the Books called for both red wine and jam and I immediately thought of Rebecca as an amazing source. Not only is Rebecca’s wine and jam locally made and sourced from Ontario and campus (we actually get marked on where we buy our food), I can actually say that I know the story behind the product.

The poached pears turned out to be a success thanks to Rebecca. If it hadn’t been for Oral Traditions, I don’t think the pear desert topped with elderberry jam and shaved chocolate would have been nearly as special and unique. Now that I’m in my final year, I can look back and really see connections between different classes more clearly. It’s always amazing when stories, people and courses as different as Aboriginal Studies and English come full circle.

Erin

 

 

Turkey Time!!!

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I’m gonna try and make this brief because if I know one thing, it’s that we’re rounding the corner on Thanksgiving! The sooner that today, and our readings, are over, the more relaxation and festivities we can enjoy. Hopefully you’re in a playful mood this weekend because I have a game for those competitive folk out there!

Also, here’s a light video to bring you into the festive spirit - if you’re not there already!


Laura’s Big Turkey Competition (aka her plans for the holidays)

To be played with your friends to see who wins the title of  “Biggest Turkey/ Thanksgiving Winner!!!”

Laura’s Rules – for the game and for life

Don’t cheat, steal or lie.

Points are allotted for each situation completed - bonus points depend on the situation.

Situations
1.    Get outside for a half-hour minimum. Doesn’t matter if you’re staying in the city, or heading home, get some fresh air! If running is your thing, and you’re staying in the city, the forecast is perfect for hitting up Varsity Centre track or trying a running route around campus!
o    1 point for getting outside for 30 continuous minutes
o    1 point for each additional person you bring with you!
o    2 points for going for a jog

2.    Sleep 7 hours – in a row! I’ve been watching my readings stack up and since I’m a bit behind I’ve been sacrificing my bedtime, not this holiday though!
o    2 points for every extra hour you sleep. Ex. If you sleep 9 hours: 1pt (for making it past 7) + 4pts = 5pts!

3.    Eat as if it’s NOT your last Thanksgiving. What I mean by that is, don’t do what I do! Again, do NOT eat as much possible as soon as possible. This won’t be your last turkey, or stuffing, or potato or whatever it is you’ll be eating this weekend. So moderation is key.
o    1 point for putting your fork down when you’re full.
o    2 Bonus points for saying “No” to a 2nd piece of pumpkin pie.
o    Negative 1 point if you say “Yes” to a 2nd piece of pie.

4.    Battle for leftovers
o    1 point for each serving of leftovers you have for next week’s lunch.
o    Negative 2 points for saying “No” to leftovers. Leftovers are the best!

5.    Relax. Relax. Relax.
o    There is so much more to life than being a student. In 4 years (unless you’ve got PhD plans, sorry) the stress of looming midterms will be a lost brain cell you can’t even remember to look for.
o    10 points if you feel stress free on Tuesday morning.

This game looks way easier to write than actually play, however I’m going to give it my best shot. Not only to win the competition (that I’ve started with my fellow bloggers) but to hopefully un-wind before getting wound-up again!

 

If nothing else, hopefully I’ll be back here Tuesday with a few less bags under my eyes, some clean laundry and extra turkey for my lunches.

 

TTFN and Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!

 

-Laura

 

Healthy Recipes with U of T’s Culinary Arts Club

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On Friday, Shannon asked for healthy recipes, and I thought, who better to turn to than U of T’s very own Culinary Arts Club!

“I would suggest making chili – Chili is one of my favourite things to eat! It is really healthy and one bowl can really fill you up!” says Jenn, president of the club, “You mix in carrots, celery, onion, and whatever veggies you like. Sauté them. Add chilli powder, salt, pepper, and oregano. Dump beans in the pot (You can use ground beef if you’d like). Some water. TA DA! Chili… Let it cook for an hour or so, and you have chilli for at least 3 days.”

And I thought, you know what, that sounds relatively easy, I want to try making it. I love chili too, so I opened the fridge, chopped up whatever vegetables I had and sautéed it in a soup pot. I followed Jenn’s instructions, and then when the soup was boiling, I discovered I still had half a bag of lentils left, so I poured those in as well. Then I left it be and went to write the introduction and thesis of my essay, and came back about an hour and a half later, when the smell of soup was wafting through the house.

It smelled awesome. I snapped a photo for you above, and I have to say, it tasted SO GOOOOOOD. I ate it for the rest of the weekend, and still have some left over for school today. It definitely is something really easy to make and really filling!

My reaction, according to Jenn, is typical for members of the Culinary Arts club. “We try to make easy things that people can remember how to make – so that when they are in a hurry, they can be like, OH YEAH THAT WAS MEGA EASY AND NOW I CAN MAKE IT ON MY OWN.”

That was indeed my reaction! The recipe for chili is also so easy to remember. I never attempted chili because it looks so hearty and complicated to make. I had no idea that it was, as Jenn says, MEGA EASY.

Jenn started Culinary Arts with her best friend when they discovered that there wasn’t any food club on campus. As a varsity rower, Jenn says that is is really important to eat. She is expected to make a certain weight, and she discovered that eating out wasn’t the best idea as an athlete, so she began experimenting in the kitchen.

“Some foods turned out well,” Jenn laughs. “While others need to go down the toilet, but I feel like food is cool! You can always connect with people over talking about food.”

And that’s how the club has grown so much in a year. Using Facebook, Jenn was able to get people she hadn’t even met to get involved.

The club now has a group of executives who organize different food events on campus every few weeks. Students must RSVP in advance so they know how much food to buy, but most events are less than $5. They host a wide range of events, such as making sushi, dumplings, or themed events like summer cooking or baking. For summer cooking, the club focused on making three items – mushroom burgers, potato salad and brownies. Yum!

So dear readers, any recipes you can share? I’m now on the lookout for food I can make that’s healthier than take-out for exams.

- Cynthia