Dorm Room Cooking Is Easier (And More Delicious) Than You Think

Max and Eli Sussman wrote Freshman In the Kitchen From Clueless Cook to Creative Chef in 2007 as they both finished up their college careers. Now, they've been nice enough to share with DormDelicious their reasons why it's actually not that hard to cook in your dorm, along with a delicious recipe for Potato Skins that requires nothing but a microwave (and the raw ingredients, obviously).

Their book is available at freshmaninthekitchen.com and bookstores nationwide.

The typical excuses for not cooking while living in the dorms are pretty lame. It's a whole lot of "I can touch both walls of my dorm room at the same time" or "I spent all my money on a shirt from Urban" or my personal favorite "I'm always rushing to class" excuse (seriously, nothing happens if you come late to class. There's no detention.)

Whatever your personal argument against cooking your own food may be, I'm here to convince you that you can cook in your dorm room and create awesome food cheaply. So here we go at dispelling some of the main dorm room excuses for not preparing your own food.

"I suck at cooking"

It's nearly impossible to burn down your dorm room using your microwave and I'd be willing to wager any amount of money you've used a microwave at least once in your life. The recipe below uses your microwave, so it should be within your comfort zone of cooking.

"My dorm room is way to small for me to cook in"

Don't let the size of your dorm room deter you from making food. The recipe below can be made entirely using the top of your microwave for your cooking zone. If that's covered with beer cans, use your desk, and if that's covered in books, use your coffee table. If that's covered, have your roommate get down on all fours and form a table. Come on, you're in college, you can figure this out.

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Lessons Learned From Reliving Freshman Year... As a Senior RA

Residential AdvisorSenior year of college, I decided to be an RA. Yep, a dorm-rule-abiding-camp-counselor-wannabe-please-everyone-just-get-along resident assistant.

Not because I love summer camp or crafts. Because I don't. In fact, the closest I've been to camp is watching Wet Hot American Summer. But, I thought it would be a great way to save some money and perhaps offer a little guidance to 30 bright-eyed and bushy tailed freshman. After all, it wasn't long ago that I happened to be one.

As a freshman, and from my freshman perspective, I remember thinking I was pretty sweet. I knew where the cool parties were. I knew where to purchase peach schnapps. And I knew it tasted best when mixed with sprite and orange juice from the 5th floor vending machine. I knew every vespa-driving Dominos delivery man by name and would plead a convincing case for why they should give me a free cheesy bread at 3AM. After all, I was broke. I had brunch every Sunday at the cafeteria with my girlfriends to recount our weekend drama, or what we could remember of it. And I had a full wardrobe of Wet Seal "going out" tops. I had life pretty much figured out...

Fast-forward to senior year and I had a very different perspective. I still knew where the cool parties were, but I opted for cooler bars. And while I did frequent some house parties, there tended to be a lot more conversation and a lot less T-Pain. I not only knew where to purchase peach schnapps, but I also knew never to drink that crap. I no longer knew the Dominos delivery men and when I did get a whiff of cheesy bread, I was quickly reminded of 60 minute elliptical sessions. I was no longer broke, in fact, I was tending bar and making close to $300 per night. My classless sex-in-the-city brunches had been replaced by mimosas with my boyfriend. And my wardrobe now contained mostly casual chic pieces, an effort that Stacey London and Clinton Kelly would certainly applaud.

Lucky for the 30 freshman that came under my wing, I could bestow upon them three years of college wisdom. Here are some tips I gave them:

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Silk Flowers in Your College Dorm Room - for Lasting Self Expression

Make your new dorm room feel like home with silk flowers and plants

Silk flowers aren't what they used to be. Your grandmother's not-so-realistic arrangements - forget it! Your mother's Victorian-era proper blooms - no way! This is a new day, a new journey. And now you can find realistic silk flowers that are as young, modern, and versatile as you are.

Other than you, your college dorm room will be one of the first things that your fellow students notice. It will make a first impression of its own. A dorm room says a lot about its occupant(s): Techie or Trekkie; wild or mild; perfectionist or incurable slob. With that in mind, you will naturally want your college dorm room to be an extension of you - a way to express yourself.

College dorm rooms are never fashionable, to say the least. But the good news is: Stark white walls and cookie-cutter design make them literal empty palettes, just waiting for your personal touch to be added.

Silk flowers can do more than complement your décor. They can serve as subliminal personal expressions of your own unique qualities. Are you quiet and polite like a pink rose? Or are you spicy and bold, like an orange tiger lily? Or, maybe you're a free spirit, like an assortment of wild flowers.

Natural-looking silk flowers do more than brighten an otherwise bland room. They speak to the nature of the occupant in a subtle, but unmistakable way.

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Partying Off Campus? Know The Rules

LAist just wrote up a post about Loyola Marymount University students being required to complete an orientation before being able to live off campus, which covers city ordinances and what police officer's have a right to do when they respond to a noise complaint.

This week at a forum for students to ask police and city attorneys questions, the LAPD gave the low-down on how responding officers are allowed to deal with parties "When responding to any party, officers have the discretion to do any of the following: warn and disperse the crowd, cite the responsible party giver for Disturbing the Peace and/or noise violations, file a Disturbing the Peace report with no arrest or citation given or physically arrest and then book the individual at Pacific Division."

Whether you get an orientation like LMU's or not, the lesson is that you should know your rights. Living off campus comes with a number of responsibilities and the local police are often far less forgiving than campus police. Their priority is the safety and happiness of the community they serve and they're not usually very forgiving of college students that spend only a few months in an area then leave. But there are some easy steps to take to make sure you don't ever have to deal with them.

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Luxurious Living On A Budget

Megan blogs for Charade and writes about living a fabulous lifestyle on a student budget. We've invited her to DormDelicious to share a couple tips on what she knows best - living luxuriously without much cash.

Having your room reflect the luxurious lifestyle you want is a great idea. Altering your living space can have a profound effect on your state of mind; mood and level of productivity, so for students not long away from the nest it can be a very useful activity.

Striving for luxurious living on your student budget can mean quite a bit of time, effort and creativity. Get motivated by your desire for a more glorious existence. Don’t think of it as a chore to work for a beautiful room, instead think of it as a treat to yourself.

Make the most of what you’ve got

More than likely your bed is the focal point of the room, yes? It probably takes up the most space and therefore will be the most eye-catching. If this is the case then you want to make the most of this specific area. Add colour with a large throw or assorted cushions, and always aim to have the bed made up if you want the rest of the room to benefit. If you feel you have something that stands out more than the bed, like a big set of shelves or a large wardrobe then focus on keeping these areas looking great. Remember that if your focal point looks great it can draw attention away from faltering areas like an overflowing wash basket (hey, nobody’s perfect!)

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