Alright girls—it’s back to campus time! We all know what that means: classes, homework, and cravings with no way to satisfy them! Once classes hit, it seems that everyone is stuck in their rooms with not enough money to go get something good to eat or no way to leave campus. In order to combat that, I’ve taken five recipes that have helped both myself and my friends satisfy major craving issues while stuck in an apartment or on campus. Most of these only need a very small amount of ingredients and nothing impressive in terms of cooking skills or instruments. Each of these recipes has been either created or perfected by myself or a close friend of mine. They were a dirt-cheap and ridiculously easy way to satisfy our cravings.
College-style Guacamole:
- 1 avocado (soft)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 teaspoons lime
- ¼ tomato (optional)
Cut open the avocado and scoop out the pit. Scoop out the rest of the avocado and place in a bowl with the salt, pepper, and lime. Mix them all together until they have the same consistency as guacamole. You can stop there or you can dice up the ¼ of tomato and mix it in.
Reece’s Chocolate Greek Yogurt:
- 7oz Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon of creamy peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons of instant chocolate pudding powder
Mix the pudding powder with the Greek yogurt and stir well—make sure that there are no powder clumps left behind! Mix in the peanut butter and stir until it becomes thick like a chocolate mousse.
Chocolate Avocado Truffles:
- ½ cup of mashed avocado
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ teaspoon of vanilla (optional)
- Sprinkles, cocoa powder, coconut, or whatever you want to roll it around it
Mash the avocado until super smooth and creamy. Then, in a microwave, melt down the chocolate ships until they are also smooth and creamy (usually 2 minutes). Take it (carefully!) out of the microwave and mix in the avocado (and vanilla, if you want it). Wrap it up with cling wrap or tinfoil and stick this in the fridge until it is mostly firm. Once it’s relatively firm, take out waxed paper or something you really don’t mind throwing out and layer it with your chosen topping. Take about one teaspoon scoop at a time and roll it around in a ball in the topping of your choice. When you’re done, you can eat them then or stick them in the fridge to cool and solidify more before eating—all a matter of preference there!
Peanut Butter Banana Sandwich
- Banana
- Peanut Butter
- Graham Crackers
- 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips/honey
With this recipe the portions are mostly matter of preference. Start by cutting the banana into slices- don’t make them too thick or it ruins the recipe! Take one graham cracker and break it in half (hamburger, not hotdog style). Spread the peanut butter on it and then place the banana slices on top of that. Take the other half of the graham cracker and spread peanut butter on that one too before completing the sandwich.
Some people stop here and eat it as is, which is relative healthy and a great way to start off a busy morning. For those of you with more of a sweet-tooth or already onto dessert, you can dip it in honey or coat it in chocolate. For the chocolate side of the recipe, put the chocolate chips in the microwave for about 2 minutes. Once melted, take a knife and smear the chocolate over the sandwich before putting it in the fridge. Leave it there until the chocolate hardens and then enjoy!
Sweet Strawberry Bark Bites
- 1-1 ½ cups of strawberries, sliced thin
- 2 cups melted semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup graham cracker crushed
Take the chocolate and place it in the microwave for 2 minutes to melt. Once the chocolate is melted, lay out a waxed paper and spread the chocolate out across it. Don’t spread it very thin- even though this is bark, it has a filling and making it thin will not let the added ingredients settle within it. While the chocolate is still hot, add in the strawberries. Try to press them into the chocolate without breaking though the other side of the chocolate. You can spread some of the chocolate over them as well if you want to coat it. Then, take the crushed graham crackers and spread them across the top of it all before lightly placing another sheet of waxed paper on top of the entirety of the bark and placing it in a plastic bag or container with a seal. From there, stick it in the fridge until it hardens.
These recipes are simple, easy, and designed with one serving in mind so you don’t have to worry about the desire to eat the whole second or third portion that comes with most recipes. They serve as awesome ways to satisfy your cravings with stuff that is either easy to find around campus or likely already in your room. Sometimes the best recipes come from experimenting with friends in your dorm—you’d be surprised by all the odd things that taste good together!