WEB EXCLUSIVE: College Kitchen

Mmmmm Burritos!

I’m not sure how it happened, but the quarter is already half over. It might be the ridiculous class load with which I inexplicably saddled myself; it might be the new job, or the responsibilities of being an editor, or the service fraternity; it might be anything. I’m busy, but so are all of you. So this week, I’m going to highlight the versatility—and speediness—of an oft-overlooked diet staple.

The tortilla. Wonder of the flatbreads, key to my nourishment this quarter. You can put anything in it, burrito-style, and eat on the run. Without my tortillas, I would probably starve out of sheer lack of time to sit down and eat. Last week’s leftover Tex-Mex casserole? Stuff it in a burrito and you have lunch on the go. Need a quick and filling snack between classes? Spread peanut butter on a tortilla and roll it around a banana. If you thought you had time to make and eat that Hamburger Helper, but realized too late that class is sooner than you thought, throw it in a burrito and eat it on the way.

WEB EXCLUSIVE: Club Soccer

Sitting on the bench for the men’s club soccer team, you really get the opportunity to notice things.

There are lots of things to notice: the opposite team’s uniforms (the team is bad if at least one player is wearing basketball shorts), moustaches (nothing better than a dirty, greasy, opponent ‘stache) and fine-, fine-looking girls (we manage to pull a few, thank God).

And I’ve also noticed a few things about our club soccer fans.

You’ll almost never catch them at our 9 am games. Besides parents and siblings, who have been unwillingly been dragged along, what sane person would want to go to a 9 am game? I don’t even want to be there. It’s an almost taboo procedure against the human body. The mere suggestion of a game that occurs that early is blasphemous.

WEB EXCLUSIVE: DIY

Hanging Bookshelf

As promised, I’ve saved left one of the most unique projects I’ve come across for last. This, too, was a result of an afternoon of Stumbling, and to be honest, I was thrilled for an excuse to try it out. It’s called a “floating bookshelf,” and if you do it right, the books really do look as though they’re floating beside your wall.

There is a video on how to do this, but it is a little more tool-intensive. Take it from me, this shelf CAN be made without a power drill or a stud finder (although I’m sure they do make the process easier). Also, I used two L-brackets (also known as corner re-enforcers) instead of just one, for more stability.

To make a floating bookshelf, you will need:

WEB EXCLUSIVE: DIY

Knife Block

If you’re even the slightest bit familiar with backdropmag.com, you might have recognized me as the girl who did the College Kitchen blog last year. Rest assured, dear fans, that College Kitchen will return full swing next week. Until then, however, I decided to do a few DIY projects that are kitchen-related to help satiate your hunger for all things food.

While engaged in one of my favorite pastimes—browsing the Internet for blog ideas—I came across a sales page for a knife block. But this wasn’t just any old knife block. It was the most creative knife block I’ve ever seen. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I have a ton of kitchen knives. They don’t all fit into the wooden block that I have, so a lot of them wind up lying in a drawer with about a million other utensils; a disaster waiting to happen. So when I saw this knife block, I knew I’d found the solution to my problem. Instead of pre-made slots that don’t fit every knife, this block was an empty box filled with thin sticks. You can stick all your knives in the block any way you please, and they all fit! I was ready to click “order,” when I saw the price tag. Over $100 for a bunch of sticks! So, being who I am, I went straight to the thrift store to find a square vase deep enough to fit my longest knife (a nine-inch serrated bread knife, if you were wondering). I then grabbed a few packs of bamboo skewers (97 cents each at Walmart) and got to work. I did have to trim the skewers to fit the vase, which was a bit annoying. I would recommend getting the skewers first, then finding a vase long enough to accommodate them. But I finally finished it, and now all my knives are snuggled in to their safe new home.

WEB EXCLUSIVE: College Kitchen

A Plateful of Home

I haven’t been home to see my family in ages. As tough as this has been on my mother (who is still adjusting to having adult children), I have to admit that I’m a tad homesick as well. After all, at 20 years old I’m really still adjusting to the concept of being an adult. So to distract myself from missing my family, I’ve done what I do best…cook. This week, I’m returning to my roots.

I’m the oldest of eight kids, so naturally dinner was always a bit of a production in my house (believe it or not, a family of ten can eat dinner together at least a few nights a week). My mom was never a kitchen enthusiast (I take after my dad on that one), but she makes a great casserole. She always said they were great because you can throw it all in a pan, put it in the oven, and forget about it for a bit. This dish has been one of my favorites for as long as I can remember. So I decided to make it myself…with a little extra flair.

Tex-Mex Cheesy Hamburger Rice

You will need:

WEB EXCLUSIVE: At the Athena

Taking Woodstock

Directed by Ang Lee

“Go. See what the Center of the Universe looks like.”

- Vilma (Liev Schreiber)

 

Courtesy of Focus Features

I had my doubts about Demetri Martin in a starring role. Everybody (well almost everybody) loves his awkward comic delivery and overly sensible yet odd charts and graphs, but can he act? Wouldn’t he just be playing himself? Well Martin doesn’t play himself in Taking Woodstock. He attempts to form a complete person on-screen with his own quirks, dreams and desires.

Unfortunately, he also fails miserably…and for the most part so does Taking Woodstock.

WEB EXCLUSIVE: College Kitchen

Musical Bowls

Vinyl is a recent hot topic lately. Suddenly, audio purists are insisting that analog is the way to go. In fact, the spring issue of Backdrop actually did an article on the topic. But there is so much more to a record than what first meets the ear. I found an interesting project on the Internet—making a bowl out of an old record—and decided to try it for myself.

You will need:

WEB EXCLUSIVE: Back to School Week

Roomies

Walking into the dorm building on the first day of school is an exciting experience for most. What makes it even more interesting is the addition of your roommate. In the first few weeks at school, learning to live with your roommate becomes a primary concern, and whether or not you chose your pal, complications can always surface.

There are always plenty of horror stories floating around campus about that roommate; the one who will stop at nothing to make your life a living hell, and certainly does a good job of it. Even though it may seem like you could never be stuck with such a terror, it does happen, and while it may seem like the rest of the year is going to be one long argument, there are plenty of ways to deal with troublesome roommates, with or without outside help.

WEB EXCLUSIVE: Back to School Week

Lighting it Up

So you’ve started renovating your space. You ditched the boring cinderblock walls and bad 70’s wallpaper. But all your changes are in vain if you don’t light your room properly. It may sound like something your mom would say, but lamps and curtains will make a world of difference in the attractiveness of a room.

Let’s start with window treatments. I hate to break it to you boys, but thumb-tacking your grandma’s old sheets in front of your window does not count as decorating. Chances are, you just want your curtains to mask any…shall we say questionable?…activities going on in your living room, but who is going to want to hang out in a cave? Go to Walmart and get three things: a tension rod, a pack of Command hooks and a twin flat sheet in the color of your choice. All of these together should cost you less than a case of Naddy, especially with the sales that typically go on this time of year.

WEB EXCLUSIVE: Back to School Week

If These Walls Could Talk

Ah, September. A time for new classes, new books and of course, new living arrangements. And, with new living arrangements—be it dorm, house or apartment—there arises a need for new décor. With tuition bills looming you’re probably searching-for-quarters-in-the-couch-to-buy-Ramen broke. Fortunately, you can have an awesome crib and still afford life’s little pleasures…like food.