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(10/09/18 6:38pm)
By Shannon Deady
Columnist
A pre trick-or-treat party was a Halloween tradition in my neighborhood when I was growing up. It was the best way for parents to ensure we had something substantial in our bellies before filling up on candy for the rest of the night. Each family prepared their best fall-themed treat, and my mother collected the recipes.
I’m not quite sure from whom it came, but this is how our family’s favorite pumpkin roll recipe came to be. It has since been passed down to me to bake and share with friends at school.
This dessert is a guaranteed hit every October, especially for pumpkin and cream cheese icing lovers. It is a great way to put your baking skills to the test and is well worth the effort.
Makes: 1 roll (8 servings)
Ingredients:
Pumpkin Roll:
3 eggs
²?³ cup pumpkin
¾ cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Cream Cheese Filling:
8 oz Philadelphia Cream Cheese
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine all ingredients for the pumpkin roll and beat thoroughly in large mixing bowl.
Grease cookie sheet and line well with waxed paper before spreading dough in pan. Once spread, bake in oven for 15 minutes.
While the pumpkin roll is baking, beat filling ingredients in a small mixing bowl and set aside for later.
Take roll out of oven, place on clean dish towel, and roll up before placing in refrigerator for one hour or freezer for 15 minutes.
Take out and unroll. Spread filling evenly before rerolling.
Optional: dust roll with powdered sugar before serving or storing in the refrigerator.
Enjoy!
(10/02/18 4:00am)
By Shannon Deady
Columnist
Some of the fondest memories of my childhood are of frequent trips to the local diner with my father. At the end of almost every meal, we would commemorate our trip by sharing a bowl of his favorite dessert, bread pudding. Weary of competing with our favorite diner’s recipe, I never ventured to make the treat again myself until recently. My inspiration to begin again was a loaf of Italian bread in my pantry that had begun to go stale. I set out to give it a second life and save it from ending up in the trash.
Making the pudding with the remainder of the loaf of bread was a fun and surprisingly easy process. In an attempt to cut out a portion of the dairy and added sugars in traditional recipes, I used a lot of substitutes from recipes I found online. My version is also a lot more dry, which makes it an easier snack to bring on a trip to the library when you are craving something sweet. Raisins add natural sugar for a sweetener, but if you’re not a raisin fan, fresh fruits like apples, blueberries or peaches could serve as great substitutes.
For chocolate lovers, chocolate almond milk can be used in place of vanilla and chocolate chips can be used instead of fruit. I used Italian bread in my recipe because I had it on hand, but day-old bread of any kind will do the job, so give this a try before throwing out your loaf. If you are shopping for the bread or want to prepare ahead, some popular favorites among traditional recipes are brioche or challah bread, because they are already sweet.
Makes: 12 servings
Ingredients:
About ½ loaf of Italian bread
3 cups vanilla almond milk
4 eggs
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup raisins or fresh fruit of choice
Nonstick baking spread
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Tear bread into small pieces and spread evenly into casserole dish or baking pan sprayed with nonstick baking spray or butter.
Place butter in dish and melt completely before whisking into almond milk, eggs, vanilla and spices.
Once mixed, add raisins, fresh fruit or chocolate chips. Then pour ingredients evenly into dish over bread.
Let soak for 10-15 minutes before placing in oven for 45 minutes.
Take out, let cool and enjoy!
(09/24/18 10:00pm)
By Shannon Deady
Columnist
A trip to the local farmers market is a fun summer or fall activity for any at-home chef. For foodies at the College, the closest local produce options are just a five minute drive from campus. While sharing a parking lot with Halo Farms, a popular ice cream spot among students, Trenton Farmers Market is the perfect one-stop grocery spot, and will save you money in the process. Stopping by both stores is an essential part of my Sunday ritual, and when bell peppers were among this week’s finds for me, I knew I wanted to use them for one of my favorite recipes.
Stuffed peppers are as easy to make as they are delicious, and who doesn’t love a good old-fashioned Philly cheesesteak? Combining the two made for an easy success. The recipe has become a game day staple for my family as well as a quick dinner fix at school. For those who aren’t comfortable cooking steak, chopped meat can be an easy, and more budget-friendly, substitute.
Makes: 2 servings
Ingredients:
3 large bell peppers (whichever color you prefer –– I like yellow and orange)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound flank steak
4 slices provolone cheese
1 small white onion
1/2 cup mushrooms sliced (optional)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cut flank steak into thin slices against the grain (Tip: some grocery stores sell steak pre-cut like this — check out your local meat aisle to skip a step!)
Add olive oil to large skillet over medium heat and, once simmering, add steak. Season meat with salt and pepper and cook for five minutes before putting aside.
Thinly slice onion and one bell pepper.
Leaving juices from the steak in your skillet, add a tablespoon of butter alongside chopped onions, peppers and mushrooms, if desired. Let it cook for about 12 minutes over medium to high heat, or until all are caramelized, and add to bowl with steak.
Cut off the tops of your remaining two bell peppers and remove seeds and ribs. Once clean, place in baking dish. Line inside of each pepper with one slice of provolone cheese, then divide steak mixture between the two until filled.
Add an additional slice of provolone cheese on top of each pepper before placing in the oven for 25 minutes.
Take out, let cool and enjoy!
(09/18/18 12:43am)
By Shannon Deady
Columnist
Flu season is right around the corner, and if you’re susceptible to allergies that come with the changing weather, you are probably already sneezing. There’s no cure for the sniffles like mom’s old fashioned chicken noodle, and dorm room ramen just can’t compare.
With a longer ingredient list than I was used to, I was hesitant to take on my mom’s recipe the first I got sick while I was at the College, but I knew I had to give it a try. The process was so much easier than I expected, and I found the recipe left me with enough soup to last me three days. I could share some with sick friends and pack the rest away in a container to freeze for emergency colds and stomach bug disasters, so it was well worth the trouble. Make some for yourself before the fall sniffles strike!
Makes: About 12 servings
Ingredients:
4 chicken thighs
2 cups water
1 box low-sodium chicken broth
1 package egg noodles
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
1 small onion
Olive oil
Pepper to taste
Paprika to taste
Large pot and casserole dish
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Season chicken thighs generously with paprika and pepper and place in casserole dish with ¼ cup chicken broth. Cook chicken for an hour and a half, turning halfway through.
While chicken is cooking, prepare the vegetables by chopping into small pieces.
Wait until chicken is out of the oven and cooling to cook the vegetables. Set stove to medium heat and drizzle olive oil in a large pot before adding chopped onion, carrots and celery. Cook mixture for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove bones and skin from thoroughly cooked chicken (most should fall off of the bone) and cut into small pieces.
Add remaining broth from package with 2 cups of water to the large pot, stirring to distribute vegetables. Stir in chicken and egg noodles.
Let soup cook on medium heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add pepper to taste.
Let cool and enjoy!
(09/11/18 3:27am)
By Shannon Deady
Columnist
Pizza may be one of the most quintessential college foods to ever exist –– not to mention one of the most obvious causes of the infamous “freshman 15.” Offered fresh out of the oven in Eickhoff Dining Hall, the Lions Den, T-Dubs and Piccolo Pronto in Campus Town, as well as at various local pizzerias, it is always at our fingertips. Even worse are the endless frozen options offered at the C-Store and T-Dubs, microwavable for late night dorm munchies.
When I lived in Cromwell Hall during my sophomore year, I finally had access to a communal kitchen and wanted to experiment with some healthier options that would eliminate leftover pizza cravings from freshman year binging. I had heard of using mushrooms in place of a flour-based crust, and since they are one of my favorite foods, I decided to give it a go. The recipe was simple, delicious and cut out all of the carbs from the crust, making it a great option for pizza lovers and health enthusiasts alike.
Makes: 2 pizzas
Ingredients:
2 portabella king mushroom caps
1 ripe Roma tomato
1 package finely shredded mozzarella cheese
Parmesan, fresh basil and olive oil to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Remove any stems from mushroom caps and place upside down on baking sheets. Baste generously with olive oil.
Slice tomato and distribute generously, followed by shredded cheese and parmesan to taste.
Add fresh basil and a drizzle of olive oil on top of the mushrooms before placing in the oven for 20 minutes.
Take out the pizzas, let cool and enjoy!
(09/04/18 12:00am)
By Shannon Deady
Columnist
The second week of class is upon us, and that means it is time to kick into high gear and hit the books. Long hours at the library can result in unhealthy snacking decisions or, even worse, forgetting to eat altogether.
Having healthy snacking options on hand is essential, and who doesn’t love a traditional chocolate chip granola bar? This homemade version of the packaged treat will save you a laundry list of unhealthy added sugars and preservatives that are found in many store-bought brands. With just six ingredients, this recipe is simple to make and will leave you with enough brain food to last a week of tireless library sessions. Add extra nuts and dried fruits or omit the chocolate chips to adjust the recipe to your liking. Also, be sure to choose a natural nut butter, which has healthy fats and no added sugars, to bind your bar together.
Makes: 10 bars
Ingredients:
2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
¼ cup honey
½ cup natural chunky peanut butter
¼ cup sunflower seeds
¼ cup almonds
¼ cup chocolate chips
Directions:
1. Combine peanut butter and honey in a large mixing bowl and microwave until sufficiently melted. Once melted, mix until combined.
2. Quickly add uncooked oats, sunflower seeds and almonds and mix until dry ingredients are evenly distributed and sticking together.
3. Form into balls and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for smaller, snackable portions. For traditional bars, spread evenly into a rectangular cake pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top.
4. Place in refrigerator overnight to harden and cut your granola into traditional bars in the morning.
5. Enjoy!
(05/02/17 1:07am)
By Shannon Deady
Staff Writer
“Hair is something everyone has, but people rarely talk about (it). It is a bit of a ‘hairy’ subject.”
Bridget Appleby, a senior psychology major and member of Women in Learning and Leadership, joked as she started off the evening.
Student’s opened up about the hairiest details of their stories with body and head hair at the Body Hair Monologues: The Fault in our Follicles on Thursday, April 26.
The event was part of the women’s, gender, and sexuality studies capstone course, which also included a week of games, facilitations, documentaries and monologues. This year, the activities focused on the politics of hair. The event was different in past years, with last years focusing on menstruation.
The first speaker, Alumna Rachel Fikslin (’16), facetimed into the event and detailed the story of a woman who read, “A Love Poem to Her Bush” at a menstruation conference she had attended.
“I was awestruck that this woman spoke so openly and so positively about her bush,” Fikslin said. “(The poem showed) how powerful it can be to grow your body hair in ways that are rebellious, that are contrary to expectations.”
She went on to talk about her own experiences with hair, specifically on her head, as she received her first pixie haircut after her freshman year at the College.
Many other female students spoke about the responses they received after making the decision to cut their hair, and the assumptions regarding sexuality that can be tied to a short haircut.
Some students cut their hair as a reflection of their sexuality. For others, it was simply a choice they made for themselves — just another haircut.
The relationship between hair and racial and religious identities was also discussed.
Elissa Frank, a junior political science major, shared her story about having curly hair.
When Frank was a child, she was unable to find a barbie doll that looked like her, and felt different from other girls in school who had silky, straight hair.
She explained how her hair led to others assumptions regarding her race and religion, which made her feel left out in high school.
For Hanukkah one year, Frank asked her parents if she could chemically straighten her hair. She underwent this hair treatment every nine months until she was a junior in high school.
“(In) college, I realized it was okay to have curly hair and to be proud of your curls,” Frank said. “Embrace who you are and your identity, even if you are so different from all of your friends.”
As students went up to share personal stories, others who hadn’t intended on speaking were inspired to share their own.
Many students connected with one another over similar struggles with hair, telling stories they may not have even shared, even with a best friend.
In a society where hair is rarely discussed, the event was refreshing.
Ariel Moskowitz, a senior biology major and WILL member, closed the night as the final speaker with a simple and important reminder.
“If you weren’t supposed to have hair, it wouldn’t grow,” she said.
(04/25/17 12:34am)
By Shannon Deady
Staff Writer
Despite usually being a stranger to the person beside them, an intimate atmosphere of understanding and support filled the dimly lit basement of the Business Building as students gathered to share the raw details of their most personal stories.
Sexual assault survivors spoke about their experiences at the annual Take Back the Night event on Tuesday, April 18. While each story was different, they all shared one common theme: empowerment.
Traditionally, the event has begun with a peaceful protest in which students reclaimed their right to walk safely at night, free from the threat of sexual assault or violence. This year, however, this iconic portion of the event was cut.
“Marching was not the focus we want anymore. We wanted to create a safer, more open space for those who wanted to tell their story,” said Abbey Moor, vice president of Women In Learning and Leadership and a sophomore special education and women’s, gender and sexuality studies double major.
WILL successfully created a welcoming space. More students spoke this year than in years prior.
Alison Daks, program coordinator at Womanspace, a nonprofit that provides services to individuals and families impacted by domestic and sexual violence, kicked off the event.
The cost of rape has a large physical impact on society and survivors, according to Daks.
The economic burden of a rape survivor throughout the course of their lifetime is estimated to be $122,000, including health implications, criminal justice costs and lost productivity. This doesn’t include the emotional burden, though.
With 25 million survivors in the U.S. alone, the nation needs to spend more money on prevention and ways to help survivors, according to Daks.
At Womanspace shelters and hospitals, Daks often interacts with survivors of sexual assault. Time and time again, Daks has seen the effect an assault has on survivors.
“The impact on every individual who has experienced sexual assault is just that — individual,” Daks said. “What we know, what we hear from survivors, is that there was a me before the experience and there is a me after the experience.”
For survivors who are learning to cope, the event gave students a way to express their experiences.
A sophomore psychology major spoke about how last year’s event — where she told her story for the first time — has impacted her.
“It was only until this event last year when I approached the podium — my heart in my throat — and poured a very nonsensical version of this story to the audience,” she said. “Afterward other people and other survivors spoke to me, they empathized and understood. That connection was something that I needed for so long.”
Six other survivors shared their stories through tears, smiles and even some laughs. Each speaker reminded the audience that being a victim of sexual assault has nothing to do with strength.
Most students know to carry pepper spray, not walk home alone and say no, but it isn’t always that simple. Sexual assault can happen to anyone, even the strongest of people.
Fear of negative reactions from peers or being accused of lying are the biggest reasons that college students choose not to report their sexual assaults.
As a result, another common theme among the speakers was the importance of knowing how to respond to a friend who thinks they may have been assaulted.
The anecdote, told by Molly Knapp, a sophomore women’s, gender and sexuality studies major, is simple. Just say three things: “I’m sorry,” “I believe you” and “How can I help?”
Frankie DiMedio, a sophomore elementary education and women’s, gender and sexuality studies double major who attended the event, was left with an everlasting memory of this anecdote.
“More students need to come out to events like this. It is more popular of a problem than we even realize on college campuses,” she said. “(The event) was such an eye-opening experience for me.”