“Dorm-Made” Treats

One definite thing about college is that cooking is pretty challenging when you’re limited to a microwave, a coffee maker, and a mini-fridge. Many Pinterest boards boast solutions to this problem: microwaveable “cakes-in-a-mug,” microwaveable omelets, homemade granola bars. My roommate and I, however, found out very quickly that we barely had room in our tiny fridge for butter, let alone eggs, flour, or any other cooking staple.

However, in my dorm in particular, there are a grand total of two small kitchens for the use of any residents on one of its 9 floors. Though the kitchen is always open for anyone to use (pots and pans provided!), it’s always a treat when someone actually utilizes it.

A few weeks ago, one of my friends was craving Halloween cookies. So, she picked up a package of cookie dough, rented a pan from the front desk, and got to baking. Thankfully for the rest of us, she wasn’t just going make these cookies for herself –she baked the entire package and left them up for grabs on our hall.

And if there’s anything that brings college students together, it is the phrase “free food.”

Though it was a small gesture, it was so great to have a little bit of fellowship with the other girls on my hall. Even though we are all coexisting in the same building, it can be hard to really make time to interact with one another. Food, however, provides the perfect solution.

This is especially evident in the fact that the most successful campus events tap into the magic of free food as well: Residential College cookouts, Departmental cookouts, bake sales, even free hot chocolate during our annual homecoming events. In a place where everyone is so similar yet different at the same time, food definitely helps bring us together and meet new people.

So, while we are all collectively missing our favorite home-cooked meals –and struggling to find suitable alternatives to our favorite baked goodies –we can all trust in the fact that the time we spend with new friends can make almost any meal feel like home.

 

Written/Edited by: Rachel Wood
Photo Courtesy of: Brian Richardson on Flickr

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