Tummy Troubles

It’s happened to all of us–we get used to eating really bad cafeteria food and when we begin to eat normal food (you know, the good, delicious, homestyle type food you can only eat at home), our tummies decide that they are not compatible with the new sustenance. It’s annoying, and it’s really uncomfortable when we get bloated or our tummies just hurt or when we feel lethargic because we aren’t used to the yummy home food. I have some really cool (and affordable) solutions for everyone!

Ginger really works wonders for upset stomachs. Grab a ginger ale or whip up some ginger tea (or you could just chew on a few slices of the spicy goodness). I have to cast my vote to the ginger ale since it does double duty with the ginger AND makes you burp (which releases unnecessary air bubbles in your stomach that are either the cause or the effect of an upset tummy.)

A nice big bowl of broth full of broth and veggies always works for me. I make sure I also have plenty of crackers (in a pinch, crackers work wonders for the upset stomach).

A serving of yogurt will also help your tummy troubles because it is full of the good bacteria that fights tummy issues. Black cherry yogurt pulls a double whammy since black cherries can also help your tummy feel better.

Sip on warm lemon water. The warmth soothes rolling tummies and the acid of the lemon juice helps break down whatever it is that is upsetting you (be it hard to digest food, a stomach bug, etc.) Nice lemon tea does the same thing. In fact, I once found an AMAZING lemon ginger tea at the store! Oh, it was so nice! (and then I drank it all and haven’t had time to get any more…)

And then there’s also the standard tummy-fixing medicines like Tums and Pepto. I prefer Tums since I can just chew a tablet or two (and it tastes pretty yummy, too, if you get the fruit flavored ones.) Pepto…I’m just going to say it. The texture of Pepto just makes me sick. If my tummy is upset, I steer clear of the stuff because it will no doubt make me bolt for the bathroom.

If you don’t feel like eating anything when you’re stomach is upset (which includes Tums and Pepto), you can always go the other route. I like to rub my tummy. I know it sounds weird, but it really helps with digestion (that and it just feels good). You can also lounge on a warm heater pad–not a hot one, but a nice warm one. It will help, too.

There are several other ways to settle an upset stomach, but I hope this has helped you all! Thanks for reading!

~Love Lindi

College Kid Blues: Meal Plan Got You Down?

For all of you college kids out there, does your meal plan fall short in your book? Are you tired of the greasy food and the leftovers on weekends? Are you sick of the ever shortening types of food your cafeteria offers? I have great news! But you must answer one final question: Do you have access to a microwave and fridge? (For you apartment dwellers, you can use the stove/oven if available.)

It has come to my attention that, since it is the ending of the semester, the cafeteria has begun feeding us less delicious food and more fried, repetitive dishes. But it’s not only now! I raise my hand with the countless others who have or had fallen prey to the Freshman 15. Want better meals that aren’t loaded with fats and excessive carbs? My solution is to make your own meals! (At least on the weekends.) I am creating a series called the College Kid Blues that will solely be about how students (and apartment dwellers) can make affordable, delicious meals while in the comfort of your own dorm room or apartment.

I know that many grocery stores offer “baby” sized foods such as half a carton of eggs, half-gallons of milk, etc. Most of these stores probably also offer the store’s brand of the foods that are a lot cheaper than name brand (which is ridiculous because eggs are eggs and milk is milk, etc.) The trick is to get kitchen staples that you can use in virtually every meal:

• Flour
• Sugar/Brown Sugar
• Olive Oil (it’s healthier than butter and keeps longer)
• Instant broth (Like bullion or canned stock)
• Salt and Pepper (these can make ANY vegetable taste yummy!)
• Noodles (not just Ramen, but pastas like spaghetti, bow tie, rigatoni, etc. You CAN boil these in your microwave! Some don’t even have to be boiled, like rice noodles–you just soak them in warm or hot water!)
• Rice (for those quick meals that need a grain in them)
• Additional spices and flavorings

Those are just the staples that you should have in your pantry at all times. For the other foods in your meals and recipes, just write them down in a shopping list and hunt them down for cheap at the grocery store. Go for things that have semi-long shelf lives like canned vegetables, and for other things like meats and cheeses, use either plastic containers or freezer bags. (The meat would go in freezer; the cheese would go in fridge.) This leads me to the next section–Utensils!

Hands down, we all need to keep this list of supplies in our cooking areas:

• Plastic mixing bowls (You can use these to not only prepare your food, but also serve it as well!)
• Wooden spoons
• Heatproof rubber spatula (for you apartment dwellers who use your stove, but it can come in handy for a microwave, too)
• A colander (Also called a strainer. You can pick up some pretty cheap ones at dollar stores.)
• Knives for cutting meat (Or you can buy the meat pre-cut)
• Cutting board (if you are going to use a knife)
• Measuring spoons and cups
• Vegetable peeler and can opener
• A grater if you don’t want to use the knife
• A whisk

Of course, if you life in the apartments, you need pots and pans, but for those of use who dwell in the dorms and don’t have access to a stove top, ceramic bowls can be heated and reheated in the microwave. They are also pretty good for cooking individual servings of pasta. You can also have any utensils that I didn’t mention like a food processor or a blender–they have their purposes, but if you don’t have one already, don’t go out and buy one when a grater or a knife will serve you just as well.

I’m sure some of you are staring at these lists thinking, ‘That’s a LOT of stuff…’ The good news is that if you have a roommate (or apartment-mates), you can split the costs! Some of you are already going to college with some of these items! Some of you may be kind of skeptical about sharing a fridge with other people, but fear not! Just explain what items are yours and if you are willing to share, and your roommates will understand. You can even go a bit farther and write your name on all of your stuff (handy if you buy a certain type of something [i.e. almond milk because you are lactose intolerant]) and explain why you don’t wish to share.

I hope that this has been beneficial to you all, and I hope that this has inspired you! The next post in College Kid Blues will actually contain two recipes that you can make. One you can make in your microwave, and the other you can make on the stove. Both are affordable and healthy! Thanks for reading!

~Love Lindi