I recently interviewed Co-Owner of Reverend’s Bar and Grill, Garrett Jones.  This video explains how the restaurant came to be, and how they maintain freshness in their dishes.

College students are notorious for the creative ways that they make meals out of what they have.  Unfortunately, these meals aren’t exactly the best of sorts.

Your typical college kid has a diet that consists of Ramen noodles and the McDonald’s Dollar Menu.  This type of diet isn’t ideal for anyone, no matter what type of budget one may have.

When asked how well she eats, BGSU student Chelsea Bates stated, “The only time I really have quality food is when my mom brings up some when she visits.”

With the prices of food around Bowling Green State University’s campus at a ridiculous high, it’s difficult for students to eat well while on a budget.

With two weeks still left in the semester, Freshman Ayesha explains, “I’m constantly borrowing others’ meal plan money.  It’s difficult.”

Though students may have these different meal plans, the price of food on campus can make it very difficult to eat well.

Most of the places for students to get food are either dining halls or convenience stores.  However, the prices at these locations may be significantly higher than one would find at a local grocery store.

It’s difficult sometimes, to understand why convenience stores would cost more.  Jill Jaksetic, a student manager at the on-campus convenience stores, stated that there are many reasons why prices are so high.

Jaksetic explained that grocery stores have the capacity to buy in bulk, where convenience stores generally do not.  She stated, “Because they can receive huge shipments in at a time, they get charged less by the companies they purchase the food from.”

Jaksetic also explained that the company that owns BGSU convenience stores, Chartwells, is under contract to only buy from a specific distributor, Coremark.  Because their locations are few and far between, it costs them more to deliver.

“Grocery stores have their own shipping methods…that helps them cut the costs to get the food to their stores from the vendors,” Jaksetic explained.

Because of these reasons, the BGSU convenience stores must raise their prices to make a profit.

Though students at BGSU have a meal plan that allow their meals to be paid through their tuition, students are still paying more for their food.

Until the issues that raise prices are resolved, they will remain that way for students for years to come.

Quick, Simple, and Cheap!

I recently had a great discovery of one of my new favorite dishes to make, which costs close to nothing to make. Quesadillas! As I was walking through the grocery store, I noticed that tortilla shells were about a dollar. Instantly, I began finding out exactly how to make a quesadilla (since I had never made one before). Like many other dishes, quesadillas can be made in your own creative way.

For the ingredients to make quesadillas, I find that Wal-Mart is the best place to go. Their Great Value products, though off-brand, are generally still the same quality as name-brand products. For quesadillas, you will need, at least, flour tortillas and a Mexican blend of cheese. Each package of these ingredients is less than $2.00 and can make about 8 quesadillas.

Remember, that you can be as creative with these as you want! Add chicken, sautéed vegetables, and spices! Also, if you like to use condiments like salsa and sour cream, don’t forget to only buy as much as you need so that it doesn’t expire before you get to use it all.

Here is a quick and easy recipe to get you started on making quesadillas (cooks.com):

Ingredients:

1 pkg. (10 inch) flour tortillas
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 c. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

In a large frying pan, on low-medium heat, put 1 tortilla laid flat. Sprinkle cheese over half of tortilla. When cheese is melted, fold tortilla and continue heating until browned lightly and crisp. Remove from pan and eat. Add additional ingredients if desired.

Biaggi’s Chef Interview by moonie_smiles

Recently, I met with a chef friend of mine, Tully Ulmer, that has been working for the past two and a half years at a local restaurant called Biaggi’s.  It is known for its great quality of food. I thought his insight might be interesting for those who may want to be a chef. Enjoy!

Here’s a quick video that I made about making a simple bow tie pasta with a roasted red pepper sauce.  All of the ingredients cost a total of about 5 dollars, which include: garlic, jarred roasted red peppers, alfredo sauce, 1 lb box of bow tie pasta and olive oil.  Enjoy!

Never be afraid to have different items to spice up your dishes!

Things To Keep Around

Eating well on a budget means shopping smart. One of the best tips I have is to make sure that you buy items that can be made many different ways and used in multiple dishes. For example, milk can be used to make a white sauce from scratch, is a key ingredient in “helper meals” and is essential for cereal at breakfast time. Here is a list of ingredients to always have around the house and a few suggestions of how they can be used.

• Eggs: can be cooked multiple ways including soft/hard boiled, scrambled/omelets, key for French toast
• Bread: Always good for sandwiches and such.
• Deli meat: use for sandwiches, omelets, or salads.
• Tomatoes: these can add character to any dish, especially pastas.
• Potatoes: use to make multiple side dishes.
• Milk: again, use for “helper meals” and pasta sauces
• Butter: another key ingredient for multiple dishes.
• Pasta: cheap and easy starter for a creative meal

These are just a few ingredients that are great for creating simple and easy meals at any time of the day. Adding extra ingredients of your choice allows you to create a creative meal that reflects your personal cooking style. Personally, I enjoy creating funky pasta dishes full of flavor. Get creative and get cooking!

View Quality Restaurants in Bowling Green, OH in a larger map

Here are a few suggestions of quality restaurants in Bowling Green, OH. These restaurants have great reputations in the Bowling Green area and you get the most bang for you buck, for those of us who may not have the most money.

Here is a slideshow of different products from different stores that I have found to be great buys.  Remember, that going to different stores to buy different products will ultimately save you money.  The stores that I got these items from are Meijer, Wal-Mart, and the Dollar Tree in Bowling Green, OH.

When cooking on a budget, it can be very difficult to make good quality and delicious meals.  Here is a simple tip that I have learned over the past few years while being a college student: Different stores sell different items for less!

• Stores like Wal-Mart are good for packaged food like tuna, milk, pasta sauces, and “meal” helpers.
• Actual grocery stores, like Meijer here in Bowling Green, are good for inexpensive deli and butcher meats because they have those departments which cut out middle-man overpricing.
• Discount grocery stores, such as Aldi, are always a great place to get items like olive oil, different vinegars, and packaged veggies (celery, carrots, tomatoes, mushrooms)
• Dollar stores, such as DollarTree, is great for buying condiments, drinks (pop, juice), and miscellaneous cooking items such as oven mitts, spatulas, etc.

*Look for hidden gems! It’s surprising what only costs a dollar!

Shopping for quality ingredients at a reasonable price is certainly not easy.  However, when you take the time to learn products and stores, it helps save money much easier.  Always remember that you can find recipes online to cater to the ingredients that you may already have, or that are inexpensive.  Good quality meals can come from any type of ingredient.  All you have to do is get creative!

Here are a few photos of different meals that I have made that cost less than $15 to serve multiple people. Remember that it is easy to make meals your own.

Me in my hometown of Augusta, GA

Hey y’all. My name is Melissa Moon and I’m a Senior at Bowling Green State University. I major in Communications with a Journalism minor. This blog is going to be about eating well on a tight budget: how to make creative and delicious food from inexpensive and household items. I’m going to be adding recipes, useful items that I may find on the internet, reviews of some restaurants in Bowling Green, and even recreations of my favorite dishes, but in an inexpensive way.

I’ve been cooking since I was in high school, yet I recently discovered my love for it when I moved into my own apartment a couple of years ago. Living on my own made me discover ways to eat well without spending a lot of money, and using what it was that I had in the pantry. I’ve come up with many interesting dishes over the past couple of years, using whatever I had around. Because of this, my mom gave me the nickname of “the pantry chef.” This is, as you can imagine, where the name of my blog came from.

A little bit more about me is that after I graduate, I’m planning on going to the French Culinary Institute in New York City. In December, I went for my first visit to the school, and it was absolutely amazing. The staff was very hospitable and made me feel at home right away. They have invited me back for a second visit to be able to sit in on a few classes to get a true feel of what it is like to attend the school. I’m planning to make that second trip in May, right after graduation. As you can see, my passion for food is quite strong and I love to share it with others. I hope y’all enjoy what I have to share with you, as well!