College Freshman 101: Cooking

Are you about to jump out of the nest and head to college for the first time? When your mother starts boo-hooing into her hankie (she will -- I know, I'm a mom), tell her you'll be fine and that you won't starve to death because you learned a few basic cooking tips at DIY Life.

• Even if you can't have a hot plate in your dorm room, you can still eat well. Most large grocery stores have pre-made meals in the deli and meat departments. All you need to do is heat and eat. The selections you'll find aren't like gas station food that's been sitting under a heat lamp since yesterday. Meals are typically meat, poultry, and side dishes that just need a bit of time in a microwave or toaster oven, which is easy enough to find in the student kitchen or cafeteria.

Hungry yet? Read on.

• If you have access to a hot plate, there are several tasty one-pot meals you can make in a flash. Is there a toaster oven nearby? Even better!

• If there's a full-size kitchen somewhere that you can use, a little bit of planning and a couple of free hours over the weekend will stock your mini-fridge with great food for the whole week.

• Keep a battery-powered handheld blender around to make mock-smoothies out of fruit-based yogurt, a banana, and a splash of orange juice.

• No reference to dorm food is complete without a nod to the ubiquitous Ramen noodles. My favorite recipe? Egg drop soup. Bring two cups of water to a boil. break up the noodles into large chunks and drop into the boiling water, along with the contents of the seasoning packet. While the soup is still at a full boil, whisk an egg, then add it to the pot. Stir rapidly until egg forms into long, cooked threads. Add a splash of soy sauce and dig in.

Of course, it's tempting to just pig out at the pizza joint, run to a fast food place, or keep a few bags of chips on hand for when you're in a hurry, but don't do it. The first year of college is hard enough without feeling sluggish from a steady diet of junk food. But you're smart, you knew that already.

Now, go hug your mom, tell her you'll miss her, and promise to eat right. Most of the time.