1. What’s your favorite part about living in a town house?
“Living in a townhouse is such a treat, it’s hard to pick just one thing! Almost everyday we talk about how nice it is for the school to give us such a fancy living space as a part of the on-campus residences. Having a living room to hang out with all of my roommates nightly or just decompress in between classes is very relaxing. It is also very nice to have retired my shower shoes that have somehow lived through Whitman, Dean, and Sykes.”
2. Tell us about a typical dinner with you and your friends
“We in the townhouse love the ease and comfort of a cozy Dana sit just as much as the next girl, but with our new big kitchen (and dishwasher) it’s tempting to cook to try something new. Family dinners remind me of home and it makes me feel like a good roommate to be able to provide a nice family dinner for my house about once a week. We don’t watch TV, and we don’t use our phones. We talk about our days, laugh and plan our weekends out together. It warms my ice-cold heart.”
“As college students we are constantly hungry, and for good reasons. Half of us in the house are varsity athletes so I feel that it is important to focus all of my meals around protein! Even if you’re not an athlete, a protein-filled dinner cooked with love will get you a lot farther than your run-of-the-mill pub snack after a long day…and it’s pretty fun to cook together! Chicken is the easiest main dish to make with plenty of protein, and lately I’ve seen maximum success with minimal effort by doing chicken bakes. This requires buying raw chicken at price chopper and putting it in a dish in the oven- the rest can be pretty dynamic depending on whatever you like. A great chicken bake could come from just adding some seasoning or lemon! One of my roommates and best friends, Kailash Heron, is the designated salad queen as she has perfected a special salad dressing which combines olive oil, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, and mustard. To keep the meals well rounded I always have a side of veggies, most usually steamed or stir fried broccoli- a house favorite. All of my roommates are excellent sous-chefs and gracious eaters.”
3. what inspired your home cooked meals?
“This one’s easy: my wonderful mother! I can’t think about home without immediately thinking about her excellence in cooking, baking, and providing the best family dinners in the world. She never fears trying new things, adding different ingredients to make meals healthier, and conquering new cooking techniques from wok to grill. I can certainly say that my dinners pale in comparison to hers, however on this scale that means they’re still quite good. Family dinners are not just about food, it’s about the feeling. We often go around the table and say what we’re thankful for that week, we eat as much as we can and always have leftovers, and clean up the kitchen together. It’s always a lovely bonding experience so I’m really happy to bring that kind of feeling into my living space here at SLU.
4. what’s your favorite meal that you and your friends make?
My favorite so far was last week: seasoned chicken breast baked topped with garlic, pesto, fresh mozzarella cheese, and grape tomatoes. It looks so lovely and it’s honestly so easy. We had more than enough for seven people! My favorite side dish that I made a couple of weeks ago was pan fried veggies in a balsamic reduction.
5. Tell us a little about yourself. what are you involved with on campus? major/minors? extra curricular?
“Truth be told I’m kind of a hermit. I absolutely love playing squash and will be completing a four-year career with the varsity women’s team this season, but you can find me training at the courts or at the gym twice a day at least half of my typical week. I like making friends, exploring, making short films about my friends or the squash team, watching documentaries, and laughing. I am a Global Studies major working on an honors SYE, as well as a film minor.”
6. who are your role models
“My role models? Only one, the 5’10” God of Flavor Town: Guy Fieri.”
7. What are some tips for making better snacks at SLU?
“Definitely don’t forget about eating healthy, even if it’s just a snack. Whatever success I have, I owe it to healthy eating when other things start to pile up: lack of sleep, SYE prep, (some) social life…”
My favorite things to make for myself as a meal or snack are usually breakfast food, I love a good omelette any time of day.
It’s easy to eat healthy when I keep good things in my kitchen: Greek yogurt and toppings such as honey and various nuts is one of my favorite snacks for anytime.
Sriracha also makes everything better- especially leftovers from Thai such as the one seen below: pad thai leftovers spiced up with avocado, an egg, sriracha, soy sauce, and lime juice.