Wait, cooking is fun?!?!

I'm a college kid. When I'm not eating at the dining hall I subsist mainly on a diet of mac and cheese, chicken & prosciutto tortellini, tuna fish, and of course, ramen noodles. Not the most nutritious or varied menu.

I've spent three years doing the same thing because cooking for one is expensive and time consuming. But I'm heading into the "real world" soon (unless John Mayer is right and there is no such thing...) so I need to know how to make some meals. Now don't get me wrong, just because I'm currently reading "The Undomestic Goddess" by Sophie Kinsella doesn't mean I can't cook. I can cook basic dishes, mostly pasta, and baked goods (I made some awesome chocolate chip cookies the other day). I'm not going to starve. But, with the help of my mom, I'm taking this to the next level.

My mom suggested I pick a new recipe and cook dinner once a week. It's a win-win because she pays for groceries and gets dinner made for her, and I discover new recipes that are delicious and easy to make on my own. Take last night for example, I made Artichoke Chicken for the first time and it turned out very well!

Also, through a weird twist of fate, I wound up with a free book to write my recipes in! I went to go visit my sister Renee' on Tuesday to watch gLee (wasn't it soo wonderful?!?!) and as we were enjoying some lovely Northgate Apple Wine she mentioned she had some various books and things she needed to get rid of. I mentioned that I had been collecting some clothes I never wear to donate to goodwill and would be happy to take her things with me. Fast forward to today.

I have my errands all planned out- go buy a book to write my recipes in, drop things off at goodwill, and get some groceries. I peek in the box of things from Renee' and I find a never-been-used book for recipes and a mexican recipe book (yes, I am going to attempt to make sopapillas at my earliest convenience)! So now I have many new recipes to try, and a place to save the ones I like!

If you're anything like me, and I suspect most of you are, you don't cook much. Kick it up a notch, it's easy and delicious!

Here's the recipe for Artichoke Chicken in case any of you want to try it!

Artichoke Chicken

Prep Time: 10 Min Cook Time: 30 Min Ready In: 40 Min

Original Recipe Yield 4 servings 

Ingredients

1 (14 ounce) can quartered artichokes, drained and chopped

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

3/4 cup mayonnaise (reduced fat or fat free not recommended)

1 dash garlic powder

4 (4 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (I recommend cutting these into strips for faster and more thorough cooking)

Directions

1. In a bowl, combine the artichokes, cheese, mayonnaise and garlic powder. Place chicken in a greased 11-in. x 7-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Spread with artichoke mixture. Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until chicken juices run clear.