by Peyton Edwards
Visual Editor
Food is an integral part of our daily lives and how we interact with it affects our mental, physical, and social well being. These three St. Mikes students are eager to share their go-to recipes with readers and inspire people to make these recipes themselves. Cooking and baking can be hard at college if you are in a dorm room or suite with a common kitchen that, let’s be honest, is not necessarily clean most of the time. While one of these recipes requires a kitchen, two of them can be made with only a microwave and a fridge. These recipes and many more to come like this will be a part of an ongoing series of recipes created by St. Mike’s students to share with the community.
Jane’s Perfect Protein Bites
In college, it is rare to find easy and delicious recipes that do not require a kitchen. Jane Leys ’22 has prepared protein bites ever since high school. “My friend’s mom made these for our [lacrosse] team and they would give us energy after our games, and they are the best. They are perfect for dorm rooms because you don’t have to cook them!” she explained. Leys now makes them at her townhouse and stores them in her fridge for an easy grab-and-go snack for a busy school day. They are quick, easy to make, and a delicious boost of energy!
Ingredients
- 1 cup oats
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2/3 cup peanut butter
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup flax seeds (ground) substitute: Chia seeds
Instructions
- Put oats, peanut butter, honey, flax seed, and chocolate chips in a bowl
- Mix until combined
- Roll, mix into balls and enjoy! *If you have access to a fridge, chill for about 10 min*
MacKenzie’s Mouthwatering Burritos
Mackenzie Hunter ’23 has been in the kitchen since she was 11 years old. Hunter’s family owned a restaurant when she was a child, up until a few years ago. Her family business instilled a love for cooking and baking as she grew older. “I cooked with my dad a lot as a kid, and it was also a way to be independent,” she said. Hunter likes to make this recipe in her dorm room because typically she has all the ingredients. It is a very quick, easy and healthy recipe for any college student. “For me, cooking has always been more of a thing where I can be independent, and it is something I can control for myself, and it is kind-of like a way that I can take care of myself,” Hunter explained.
Ingredients
- Minute Rice
- 1 can black beans
- 1can canned corn
- dash of paprika
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Mix rice and water in a pan and stir to make minute rice
- Mix in paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper with the rice in the pan
- Put in black beans and canned corn with the rice and mix
- Put a scoop of the rice mixture in a tortilla
- Fold and enjoy!
Heyliger’s Heckin’ Banana bread
For Sam Heyliger ’23, banana bread is a staple in his townhouse. This bread for breakfast, lunch or an afternoon snack is superb. It is healthy, yet also tasty and sweet. Heyliger said he enjoys baking as an outlet to take his mind off all the stressors in life. “It is a kind-of like a meditation for me. If I’m having a stressful day or I want to bring my mood up, I can just bake something, and it takes my mind off of everything else,” Heyliger said. Whether you are walking to class, on your way to work out, or just want a snack while doing homework, this banana bread can be enjoyed at any time of day.
Ingredients
- 11/3 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp salt
- 5 1/3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup mashed ripe bananas
- 1/2 cup cranberries
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together in a bowl
- Beat butter and sugar on high speed
- Add dry ingredients mixture to butter and sugar
- Beat in eggs and mashed bananas
- Fold in cranberries and chocolate chips
- Cook for 50 min!
As we go through our daily lives, finding the time to connect with food in a more conscious way will provide the tools needed to live a more thoughtful life. Nutrition is fuel for the mind, body and spirit. More recipes like these will be posted in the St. Mikes Food for Thought series in hopes that the St. Mikes community can find refuge in their busy lives by creating these meals.
Submit suggestions for recipes to pedwards@mail.smcvt.edu