Food: College Kitchen Essentials

College is a time of learning, both in and out of the classroom. I didn't have much cooking experience before starting school, and the dining halls were a blessing my first year, but as a sophomore I found myself with an apartment, no meal plan, and a kitchen. So, as college kids move into new apartments this month and learn to cook for themselves instead of eating fast food every night, I decided to make a list of helpful items for a collegiate kitchen. Does NOT include the microwave; you can survive without it.

A handy Magic Bullet meal in a jar.

1. Magic Bullet.

We've all seen the infomercials for this handy little blender, but it really is awesome. I make everything in here. Chicken salad, smoothies, pancake batter, pasta sauce, even margaritas. It comes with everything you need to make each of these meals and recipes for more. Regular blenders are huge and a pain to wash; the Magic Bullet is perfect for a college kitchen and I use mine every day.

2. Crock Pot.

Another must-have for lazy college kids, crockpots greatly simplify dinner and eliminate the temptations of take-out after a long day. Before you leave, you just dump everything into the crock pot, and when you get back you have a home-cooked meal ready for you. I especially love making soup in my crock pot in the winter; it's great to cozy up in front of the TV with a bowl of home-made soup after walking around campus all day in the cold.

3. Egg pan.

This tiny pan is great. I use it to make little pancakes (I'm not so talented at making round, pretty ones), fried eggs for breakfast sandwiches, and any sort of little amount of something you need. Cooking for one, I usually have to cut recipes into 1/4 or 1/8 of the normal size so I can eat it all. This little plan is great because you don't get a large skillet dirty for one hamburger, garlic clove, etc.

4. Hand grater.

I use this for EVERYTHING. Zesting citrus, grating cheese, heck, I even get lazy and grate butter sometimes. I shred chocolate bars into my oatmeal. I even bought a second one because mine was hanging out in the dishwasher too often. It's so easy to use and clean.

What are your must-haves for a dorm or apartment kitchen?

Food: Cool, Summer Salads

In the south, the weather right now is unbearable. It's so hot and humid that the though of using the oven or stove and generating any more heat in my stuffy apartment makes me sweat. One of my favorite things to eat in the summer is cool, no-cook salad! They're cheap, quick and absolutely delicious. Most importantly, they're usually really healthy!

My go-to salad is cucumber based (I hate lettuce), and I usually add whatever I have on hand. Olives, tomatoes, goat cheese or feta, sometimes ham cubes. Then I drizzle it with some Italian or balsamic vinaigrette, toss it and go! I usually make a batch at the beginning of the week and have it for lunch.

If you don't want a cucumber base, there are multiple options for healthy, cool salads.

Green Bean Balsamic Salad.

This Green Bean based summer salad is so colorful and looks so filling! Switch up your salad and follow the recipe here.

Bikini-friendly lunch.

This black-eyed pea based salad couldn't get any easier to make - they come in a can! Follow the recipe here for a healthy, yummy lunch option perfect to take to work.

Greek Tortellini Salad.

So, technically, you have to boil the pasta in this recipe but it looks so yummy I wouldn't mind! The tortellini is a great twist to a traditional pasta salad and the Greek veggies are perfect for summer. Follow the recipe here and bring it to your next potluck!

Other summer salads that look delish:

• Greek Bean Salad
• Corn and Chickpea Salad
• Zesty Lime Shrimp and Avocado Salad (Yum!)

What are your favorite summer salads?