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Granola balls

No Kitchen, No Problem!

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“What is the biggest problem you’ve had living in your sorority house?” A question I’ve been repeatedly asked over the past year. Immediately, the answer I always say pops into my head “I don’t have a kitchen.” Coming from a household where cooking is a part of our daily routine, it was really hard for me to move into a place where I had no access to a stove. Although many dorms on our campus do have kitchens on every other floor in the building, I found that whenever I wanted to cook something, there was always someone using it or the stove wasn’t functioning properly (welcome to the dorm life). Luckily, living without a kitchen for two years now has lead me to discover a whole new side of cooking– non-bake cooking!

Something I tend to miss more than others is homemade desserts. When I’ve had a long day, I want nothing more then to pop some sweet peanut butter cookies or fresh banana bread into the oven to enjoy in under a half hour. My sweet tooth craving mixed with my desire to try and eat healthier in college lead me to discover energy balls.
Energy balls, a term often used interchangeably with protein balls, are a great grab-and-go snack which you can easily prepare a large amount of before. They are also super good for you because they are:

  • Low in sugar
  • High in fiber
  • Dairy free
  • High in antioxidants
  • High in healthy fats

When preparing these, your main ingredient is going to be rolled oats. Rolled oats are known to lower cholesterol and they are very inexpensive which makes them perfect for a college student budget. Besides this, you can pretty much make a large variety of protein balls from few ingredients. Some of my favorite recipes include peanut butter chocolate, coconut chocolate, apple pie and pumpkin energy balls.

Below are a few of my personal favorite energy ball recipes. Remember that when making them, you’ll mix all the ingredients into a bowl then separate into smaller balls. If you won’t be eating them immediately, you should store them in the fridge to guarantee freshness. Let me know in the comments some of your favorite non-bake recipes!

Recipes:

Pumpkin Energy Balls

  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 Tbsp. chia seeds or flax seeds
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 cup old-fashioned oats (dry, not cooked)
  • 1 cup toasted coconut flakes
  • 1 cup toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

Apple Pie Energy Balls

  • ½ cup chopped dried apple
  • ½ cup dates
  • ½ tbsp honey (or other sweetener)
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 2 tbsp cinnamon
  • ½ cup toasted pecans
  • 1 cup oats

Peanut Butter Chocolate Energy Balls

  • ⅔ cup creamy peanut butter.
  • ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips. (milk chocolate if you want them a bit sweeter)
  • 1 cup old fashioned oats.
  • ½ cup ground flax seeds.
  • 2 tablespoons honey.
Windows with "Roll Tide" spelled out.

What We NEED in Tuscaloosa

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What we NEED in Tuscaloosa

  1. A Bagel Shop

Hangry Alabama students have been dying for a bagel shop for quite some time now. Most of us rely on places like Panera Bread or Starbucks for our bagels, and I know many of us can agree they do not always satisfy those deathly bagel cravings. Bagels are the ultimate cure for hangovers, they make you feel happy after doing poorly on your 8 AM exam, and they can satisfy sweet or savory cravings. Even if it is a chain, like Einstein Bros, we would still be happier than we are now. So, PLEASE Tuscaloosa (or even better, UA) bring on the bagels!

 

  1. Trader Joe’s

Trader Joe’s is the holy land of all things groceries. It is surprisingly inexpensive for healthy, whole foods! They sell a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, and perfect pre-made salads that would be the ideal lunch to eat in between classes. In addition, even their unhealthy foods are higher quality than what we find in vending machines across campus. Trader Joes would be a great addition for not only students at the University, but also residents of Tuscaloosa.

 

 

  1. An Ice Cream Store

Not popsicles. Not frozen yogurt. Not dippin’ dots. Ice Cream! No one realizes we are lacking in the creamy, traditional ice cream department until they get that craving for chocolate ice cream in a waffle cone and ask themselves “Where do I go for that?!” Store bought ice cream is just fine, but nothing hits the spot like a traditional scoop of ice cream in a warm, fresh cone. Ingram Farms takes care of those creamy cravings for most, however, help all of us car-less students out and open an ice cream shop on The Strip or downtown.

 

 

  1. A Local Donut Shop

Okay, this one may not seem as important to some, but coming from a small town I miss my local donut shop! Krispy Kreme and Dunkin Donuts are just fine, but there is something about buying donuts on a Sunday morning from somewhere local that opened at 4 that morning to hand make them. It just can’t be beat. Plus, who doesn’t love supporting local businesses?

 

 

 

  1.  Cheesecake Factory

This too, may not have crossed all Tuscaloosa residents and UA students’ minds; however, how great would a Cheesecake Factory be? Some may argue that they would prefer to keep the restaurants in town local instead of large chains, but Cheesecake Factory has great Sunday morning brunches, awesome lunch specials, and delicious cheesecake. Get Cheesecake Factory on Crimson2Go and I can guarantee you students will be ordering cheesecake left and right. (The cookie dough cheesecake is honestly to die for if you ever find yourself at this restaurant.) Also, Cheesecake Factories seat a ton of people which would be great for keeping up with the demand of the constantly growing Tuscaloosa population.