College Essentials

I can't believe it is the end of July already!  Summer has just flown by.  In a way, I am ready to go back to school, but in a way I am not.  The time to start thinking about college again is quickly approaching.  There are only a few more weeks of summer for most of us.

As last semester came to an end, I took inventory of what I had in my room, and most importantly, what I thought was really good to have in my little space.  I gradually wrote this blog post last spring and now I am going back to finalize it.  I am going to use this as a checklist for when I return to campus, but for any new college kids, I hope this helps give you an idea of what you will need.

Now, each dorm room is different, so the needs are going to vary some.  After living in a campus residential hall for a year, these are things that I found to be great to have.  Of course, there are many more things that I would have in my dorm room that I am not listing here, such as clothes, toiletries, decorations, and school supplies.  These things are all a bit more personal - everyone has their own likes and system of organizing - so I am not going to go into these things in this post.


Food & Such

Lets start with food!  I always had A TON of food.  I am so glad I had a mini fridge with a built in freezer - it was always full!  I would always bring home-cooked food, like a weeks worth, back with me after being at home.  I would eat it throughout the week or freeze some to enjoy later (soup was great to freeze and pull out).  I even would have a stash of bars and cookies in my freezer.  Here are some staple food items that I think are great to have:

• peanut butter
• hummus and crackers
• nuts
• dried fruit
• yogurt and granola
• cereal - oatmeal or cold cereal
• popcorn

I got a Catamount Corn Popper for if I wanted freshly popped popcorn.  It's pretty cool!  Actually, my cousin got it for Christmas, but it didn't fit in his microwave.  So, he gave it to my family and I took it to college with me.  This does require having a larger sized microwave - luckily, the one in my room was big enough.  For this, you put a layer of popcorn kernels in the bottom of the glass bowl and a little butter on the rubber top.  Then, put it in the microwave and let it pop!  So, it also requires having popcorn kernels, butter, and maybe some salt in the room.  But, it is worth having freshly popped popcorn!

Now, if I want a ready-to-eat popcorn and don't want to do any dishes, I like SkinnyPop Popcorn (it is so good!)

• Granola Bars

          Here are some of my favorites that might be a little more on the "healthier" side.  There are so many different granola bars out there, so I am sure that are lots of other good ones.  The Nature Valley ones are good as well.

There are a few basic kitchen utensils that I thought were great to have.  I do love cooking and baking, which I can't do at college.  Luckily, there are a few things that can be made right in the dorm room, like oatmeal (and never that instant packet stuff.  do good old fashion oatmeal - so good!) or heating up those leftovers from home, that I would need some utensils for.  I do feel that I care a bit more about my food than other people, so most people probably don't really care about having food in there room, or as much and the kinds that I have.  So, I probably have more than most people really need.

• silverware - I had two spoons, forks, and butter knives.  We have a few silverware sets at home, so I just took my silverware from there.
• a parar knife - It is great to have one with a cover.
• measuring cups and spoons - Cheap ones are fine.  I found a set at Target for only a couple dollars.
• plastic containers/tupperware - I would suggest having a couple in various sizes.  They come in handy for all sorts of things.
• a can opener - I didn't actually have my own but my roommates had one and I used it a couple times.  This item probably isn't as important and some of the others, but it might not be a bad idea to have one.
• a Corningware Colours Pop-Ins, or something similar -  I got mine at Target and they are pretty cheap.  It works great for heating just about anything up in in the microwave or making oatmeal.  I would also eat just a cold bowl of cereal out of it.

I kept the silverware (besides the knives because they are too big) and the measuring cups and spoons in an old cookie tin.  This worked out great because then there weren't all those little things all over the place.

Keeping the Room Clean & Cleaning

Living in a dorm, means living in close corridors.  People come in and out and basically all living happens in one little area.  So, the floors get dirty fast.  And, I hate dirty floors!  I would suggest having something to clean the floors with - depending on the flooring.  I had hard wood floors and a rug.  The rug I vacuumed and the floors I swept or took the swifter to.  If your floors require a vacuum, it is probably just easier to use the vacuum provided by the hall.  But, I have had bad luck with the hall vacuum, so I would not be opposed to getting my own small, cheap vacuum.  If the floors need to be swept, I would highly recommend having your own broom and dust pan.  Either a full sized broom or just a little hand one, along with a dust pan.  Being able to clean up a little something quickly helps to keep the room clean.

A shoe mat.  Keep it by the door so that you can take your shoes off and put them on the mat right when you get in.  All the water and sand will fall off onto the mat and then for easy clean up you can take the mat outside and shake it off.

Crocs.  I live in crocs.  It is nice to have a pair of just indoor shoes, like crocs.  Especially in the winter when the shoes you wear outside are all gross and wet.  Not wearing the shoes you wear outside in the dorm room will help keep the room a bit cleaner.  Having a pair of clean, indoor shoes, such as crocs, are nice to have to walk around in the dorm room and residential hall.

A laundry basket is also great!  The one I have actually isn't an exact basket, it is made from canvas.  I kept this sitting out so that I can throw my dirty clothes in it throughout the week.  Since I don't like the idea of putting my clean clothes back in the dirty basket they were in before washing them, I have a mesh laundry bag too.  I kept this one folded up in my wardrobe and just take it out when I was bringing up clean clothes up from the laundry room.

I had a crate that I kept lots of random things in, I guess I would call it my utilities crate.  The basics, or essentials, that I had in it were:

• snack/sandwich baggies 
• dish rags (2) 
• kitchen towels (2) 
• dish soap 
• paper towels
• paper plates
• laundry detergent
• dryer sheets
• garbage bags
• disinfecting wipes
• wet wipes (for hands)

At Your Desk & Fun

Now, I said that I wasn't going to go into all the school supplies to have in college, but I do feel that there are a few office supplies that I should mention that are nice to have.  This would include:

• desk lamp
• a stapler
• tape
• note/thank you cards 
• a few stamps
• a little address book - It is nice to have the addresses of relatives.
• a little notepad or sticky notes - It is great to have this sitting out on your desk so that you can quickly jot down reminders, notes, or make lists on.  Lists are wonderful!
• a calendar/planner - I had a weekly planner for school work and assignments, and a monthly calendar for more social and personal events.  Again, each person is going to keep organized in different ways - you have to figure out what works best for you.  This is what worked best for me.

I found it super necessary to have some fun stuff around the dorm to do.  Things that are good stress relievers or just something to do when you don't want to study, and maybe are bored.  

• knitting supplies - I made a lot of my dish rags this last year - for my future house!  
• a craft box - I got a smaller, plastic, storage container to keep watercolored coloring pencils, paint brushes, paper, glue, markers/crayons/coloring pencils, etc.
• games
• reading books

Random

Here are some random things that are nice to have:

• kleenex - Have a box sitting out on your desk or somewhere in your room.
• a fan - Dorm rooms can be hot at the beginning of the year.  Also, I can't sleep without a fan - it blocks out noise and gives a little air flow.
• a blanket - Whether is is one to get cozy under or to go sit outside on.
• extra bags - For bringing things back and forth from home in.
• an umbrella - I would suggest having a small one that you carry with you in a side, water bottle pocket of your backpack
• travel kleenex and a small bottle of lotion - I always kept these things in my backpack.
• a flower - It is so nice having a little potted plant or flower in your room.

If there is anything else that you have found to be great to have in your dorm room or think would be great to have, I would love to hear it!

Torborg's Treasured Recipes | Curried Chicken Salad

It has been mighty hot and humid lately.  Sandwiches are a great go-to, quick and easy meal that don't heat up the house to make.  I love sandwiches, but I hope I don't get sick of them from eating them for many lunches and suppers!  Luckily, there are so many combinations that can be done - so much fun.  Chicken salad is great because it can be made ahead of time and so delicious.

This is another recipe that comes from my great, great aunt Torborg.  She says to serve it just as it is, topped with cashews and mango, or as a pasta salad.   I though decided to take after one of the deli sandwiches from my favorite cafe in Ames.  They have a curried chicken salad sandwich similar to this, which is served on raisin walnut bread with lettuce and tomatoes.  Yum!

I used a mango ginger chutney from Trader Joe's.

(If you notice that the sandwiches look a little different, it is because I was making a couple sandwiches and I mixed the photos up some.)

I made some slight changes to the recipe.  I typed the original recipe as it is and then added the changes I made in the parentheses.  I don't usually bullet point my recipes, but I did for this one.  With all my notes, it looked really messy and was hard to read.

I hope you enjoy this one.  It is a fun sandwich for summer!

Curried Chicken Salad

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless, grilled chicken breast, chopped into into 1/2" pieces, or deboned, chopped rotisserie chicken (I used probably about 3 cups shredded, rotisserie chicken)
• 4 stalks chopped celery, about 1 cup (I used 3 stalks)
• 1 medium, diced, red onion, about 1 cup (I used about 1/2 of a yellow onion because I didn't have any red onion on hand)
• 6 ounces seedless, halved, red grape, about 1 cup (I didn't add these because the bread I was serving the salad on had raisins in it)
• Optional:  1 green, diced apple, about 1 cup (I didn't add the apple, but I think it would be good)

Whisk together the following ingredients to make the dressing:

• 1 - 5 ounce container Greek yogurt, plain or vanilla (I used plain)
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup Miracle Whip salad dressing (I used another 1/4 cup mayonnaise instead)
• 5 tsp. curry powder, preferably the hot/spicy Madras type (I used only about 3 tsp. of I think not-so spicy curry powder because 5 tsp. sounded like too much.  But, I think I could have added more.)
• 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice, can also zest the lime before juicing (I didn't add any lime zest)
• 1 Tbsp. honey
• 3 Tbsp. mango chutney (I used a mango ginger chutney from Trader Joe's)
• 1 tsp. ground ginger (I did a scant 1 tsp. since the mango chutney had some ginger in it)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper

Pour the dressing over the chicken, celery, onion, grapes, and apple.  Stir gently to combine, and serve at room temperature (I think it would be just as good served cold).  This is better the next day after the flavors have blended.  Garnish with 1/2 cup salted, roasted cashews, and if available, 1 fresh mango.
Easily doubled; serves 8 or more.  To extend further, double the amount of dressing and add "bow tie" pasta.

*I served the salad on raisin walnut bread with lettuce and tomato slices.  I didn't garnish with any cashews or mango.

This Year's Garden + Flowers

Two years ago, we had an overly successful garden.  Last year, it was a complete failure - we got a total of like three tomatoes when we had several plants.  We wanted to do a garden this year again, and to not let it go.  First, we were thinking we would do vegetables for salsa, corn, pumpkins, and flowers.  But, as it got closer to the time we were to get planting our garden (we always plant on the later side of the season), Mom and I slowly dropped plants on the list of things to grow - corn, then pumpkins.  I really just wanted the makings for salsa, but my Dad really wanted corn, so we ended up doing a few rows of corn.

We down-sized our garden a lot.  Currently most of it is knee-high in weeds, except for the little area that I have planted.  I am trying hard to keep the area with my tomatoes, green peppers, hot peppers, onion, and flowers maintained.  But, I am having a hard time with even that (work it keeping me busy and when I come home at night, I really don't feel like going out to pull weeds).  So, if I can keep right around the plants weeded, I am happy. The corn, and the one pumpkin plant we ended up planting are my last priority.  I did plant some flowers in the garden for fun.  Some came up, but a few rows never grew. 

About a quarter of our garden area is where are strawberries, rhubarb, and asparagus are.  For a little while, I had them nicely weeded, but the weeds grow like crazy.  Another area of the garden area has a huge pile of sticks.  I really wanted to have my little salsa + corn garden area cleaned up for taking pictures to share here, but that wasn't happening fast enough, so I went ahead and took pictures.

Last year my mom planted some giant sunflowers in the garden.  The sun flowers you see this year replanted themselves this year and we just let them do their thing.

We have so many beautiful flowers growing around our front patio, and the rest of the yard.  The are just gorgeous!

My mom's cousin made my mom the trellis leaning against the barn.  Mom has gotten flowers to start growing up it.

Now, out to the back patio...