Introduction

Being a college student, I had the choice to pay to eat at the cafeteria 3 meals a day, 7 days a week, 16 weeks a semester. And while the idea of not having to do dishes sounds wonderful, I couldn't bring myself to have to eat pizza or pasta or bagels 3 times a day, every week. Not to mention, the food at my college is not exactly front of the line fresh or in any way tasty.

So, I decided to opt out of the cafeteria line, and have chosen to explore the kitchen instead. I've always loved cooking, especially baking, and have found huge joy in expanding my foodie repertoire. I've also found I have an obsession with pleasing other people with my cooking. Maybe it sounds self-absorbed, but I love to hear that someone loves my blackberry pie or baked chicken dish I have concocted that night. Or maybe it's that I love making people happy and full. Any opportunity that I have to cook for someone-I absolutely love it!

However, I am in a little bit of a dilemma. For while I love cooking, it's quite a challenge to eat right and to get everything on my to-do list done. When I tell most people that I'm going to Berklee College of Music-they don't get it. Music sounds like fun and games right? But it's so demanding to have to work that creative energy in your head all the time and there are so many projects in multiple classes, not to mention all practicing you have to do. Music, a lot of the time, is physical memory which can't be learned an hour before your class.

Anyway, I'm not trying to complain-I love it. But the reality is, I'm super busy and so my cooking time to create yummy dishes is limited. I don't have room in my brain during the school week to think hours ahead of time to prepare marinated meat, and I'm in and out of the apartment too often to leave something for long in the oven.

The other problem is that being in college is the first time many students are living on their own and having to make money decisions including to buy groceries and to not buy that delicious milkshake right around the corner every other day. Especially in this economy, it's even harder to stay under budget and to buy fresh food.

I feel that I've been fairly successful in this endeavor and so I've created this blog for every college student who is sick of the caf.-- as we call it. I'm here to share my success story in the form of recipes and tips to try. It is possible to eat healthy and to eat GOOD food without cutting into your studying time or wallet. I have learned to eat between the lines, and you can too.