Caution:
this entry is going to be all about food.
Ever
heard of the term stress-baking? It’s sort of like stress-eating, except you’re frantically
making food for other people instead of just snarfing it yourself.
Stress-bakers and stress-eaters actually have a symbiotic relationship. Take my
roommate Sully and myself, for example. It’s midterms. We’re both stressed out.
To cope with her stress, she takes all her cooking supplies to the kitchen down
the hall and starts making cream cheese and strawberry jam French toast
sandwiches. To cope with my stress, all
I have to do is follow her to the kitchen and eat the cream cheese and
strawberry jam French toast sandwiches that magically appear in front of me!
Ok,
so she doesn't just make them for me. Everyone gets some. So, I guess there
only needs to be one stress-baker to every six or seven stress-eaters to make
the relationship work. Stress-bakers are crucial because college students really can’t get together and hang out or study or whatever without food. While Sully was making us French toast last night, we all were just curled up in the Akin Hall lounge studying for our various midterms. It was a big, food-centered, homework party! This happens in our dorm quite a lot. I was trying to edit my English paper as I ate, but I mostly ended up just laughing at everyone’s conversations.
Even though I don’t stress-bake, I do make food sometimes. Very rarely. Apple-yam-raisin-cinnamon
bake, anyone? I made that earlier in the semester. Unfortunately, it wasn't as good as the one my mom makes at home.
I don’t usually cook for myself besides breakfast, which doesn't count because I usually just have almond butter on toast or an apple or something. For actual meals, I
rely on the Bon (which is what we call the dining hall, since it’s catered by
Bon Appetit) for 14 meals a week – lunch and dinner on the weekdays and brunch
and dinner on the weekends. Sometimes the food is weird, but usually, it’s
delicious. And occasionally picturesque. I mean, how often does your lunch look like this?
It’s
tacos with beans, meat, rice, cheese, sour cream, and sides of green beans and peppers and mushrooms. I was so proud of my self-serve creation that I took a picture. Also, although I personally enjoy eating animals (sorry not sorry), there are always vegan and vegetarian
options, which to be honest are sometimes more delicious than the meat and
dairy options! So if you don’t want to eat animals, or if you want to practice
clean and sustainable eating habits with minimum impact on the planet, fear
not! You will not be alone. The Bon will provide. All hail the Bon. Bon is
love. Bon is life.
P.S. If you don't want to eat at the Bon, you can always go downstairs to the Trailroom and use one of your meal swipes to get pizza or a burger or something.
Well,
I hope you enjoyed this entry. I was feeling sort of silly and off-beat after a
long day in class, so my writing inevitably turned out sort of silly and off-beat. I promise I'll write about something that isn't food next time, and as
always, if you have any questions, email me at jessicakostka@lclark.edu.
Jess