Simone Says: College - But with a Kitchen This Time

It's been about half a year since coming on here. Not because I've lost interest in Simone Says Food - in fact, quite the opposite: I prioritized getting what I need to get done first. This summer, I discovered my passion for a career through an internship and signed a full-time job after my college graduation in May. I also discovered a new passion for running. I like letting lose and clearing my head, whether running on the Atlantic City Boardwalk in the summer, along the Hudson River when I'm home in North Jersey, or around campus in Bloomington while at school in Indiana. Staying active is a priority of mine now more than ever. As the leaves are changing and the temperature is dropping rather quickly, however, I'm finding it difficult to get myself to run in below-freezing winds.

But nonetheless, I'm enjoying the little things in life while surrounded by friends now that I've been back at school since August. And with a few months of my senior year already in the books, I'm living in my own house with four of my best friends (two of them pictured here) as we cook, sip wine, and venture around town between classes. Now that I have a free minute to decompress all that's been going on, allow me to update you on what I've been up to.

Having been in Bloomington now for over three years, I like finding new restaurants to support but also find comfort in going back to a few favorites quite often.

Siam House has consistently great Pad Thai, and when my mom is in town, we splurge with shrimp. My mom moved me into my house in August. We had a blast decorating my room, organizing a large closet that I filled up rather quickly, baking and freezing desserts to have on standby for whenever I need a quick snack, and finding our way around campus again after a long summer away from school. We discovered new coffee shops in the area as well as ran into old friends. And when we parted ways, that's when the fun began.

My friends and I find ourselves at Feta Kitchen quite often. I love making a custom Mediterranean-inspired bowl enough for two meals. Bedräk Cafe is a great brunch spot with fantastic home fries. And Soul Juice is great for açai bowl, avocado toast, and oatmeal lovers alike. My most recent Soul Juice run was to get the Strawberry Sunrise bowl.

Da Vinci in Bloomington is always a fun time. I can't say it's a Bloomington classic as it opened its doors within the few years that I've been a student here, but thin-crust pizzas and fresh pasta are some specialties. I went twice in October: one for my birthday, and the other when my parents were in town. Some favorites include the Caprese salad, the La Morgan pizza (hello, burrata!), and penne a la vodka, though the pasta is more of a calories-don't-count-on-your-birthday kind of meal.

And talking about birthdays, I recently turned 21 and have spent every last dollar to my name at bars. Although I'm slightly kidding when I say that, it's been expensive so far. The weekend of my 21st was my cousin's wedding in Nashville, so it really was a weekend of dancing, family, great barbeque, and (lots of) drinking. It was a magical wedding south of the city, with the after-party on Broadway in Nashville. If you've ever been to "Nash", you know how chaotic it can get. We rang in my 21st with a night of fun followed by a great brunch the next morning. The Hampton Social hosted me along with my dad and sister; I wish I could tell you about the fun mimosa concoctions I had at brunch, but I was recovering from the night before so I stuck to food.

My dad had an epic stack of french toast, my sister enjoyed a quinoa power bowl, and I had a great breakfast burrito. (But between you and me, I couldn't stomach the whole thing.) Of course, we ended with key lime pie to celebrate 21.

Back at school, I do also have a kitchen this year which is absolutely game-changing. I'm not living in my sorority house anymore, and although I miss our house chef on occasion, I've embraced the art of cooking and finding love in the kitchen. More often than not I call my mom asking the difference between broiling and baking in an oven, what spices go best on an Asian-inspired chicken dinner, or if I need to spray the pan before making brownies (hint: you do). My roommates and I split up cooking during the week so that each of us only cooks one big meal a week. And whether I'm whipping up a quick breakfast before class, or taking time away from studying to make my roommates the next best dinner they've ever had, I've discovered yet again my love for cooking and bringing people together through food.

Early in the semester brought cold summer pasta salads. This specific night had fresh corn off the cob, sautéed bell peppers, crisp grape tomatoes, pan-fried zucchini, fresh mozzarella balls, and a touch of basil. I also drizzled a balsamic glaze to top off this bowl. I'm a firm believer in leftovers (because pizza is better cold, day-old Chinese takeout is superior, and having ready-made food in the fridge is ideal), so naturally, I made a ton of this salad and had it in the fridge for days.

Breakfast is a big deal for me, too. My sister brought over Deliciously Ella's bircher muesli from London to Indiana for me to enjoy with cinnamon, chia seeds, protein powder, and a sliced apple. Think of muesli as a blank canvas - it's perfectly fine as is, but adding a little something here and there enhances it however you prefer. It's also enjoyed cold: I mix the muesli from the bag with almond milk and my add-ins, throw it in the fridge for 15 minutes to settle while I brew my coffee and prepare for the day ahead. Once I enjoy my bowl, I'm ready to take on the world.

My most recent creation and a personal fave is a stuffed butternut squash with whatever I have in the kitchen. While I did call my mom every few minutes to confirm I was doing it right (whatever "it" is - you just cook the squash and throw stuff in it), a lot of this whole cooking thing is just winging it. I mixed in Trader Joe's Harvest Grains mix with roasted broccoli, dried and warmed cranberries, and bell peppers for a crunch, with goat cheese to top the mix. Baking the squash itself was a challenge (hint: cook longer than you think), but otherwise, it turned out delicious. An entire half of a squash is enough for a full meal, so consider it a one-pan dinner.

I've considered transitioning this blog into a resource where I share the recipes I've used online so you can replicate if you please. But I find that I rarely use a recipe, and when I do, my mom sends me a picture of her handwritten recipe card from her decades-old recipe box. Maybe if my mom were to go online with her kitchen creations then this can be an outlet to share those. But in the meantime, I hope Simone Says Food can inspire you to find love in the kitchen, create something out of your ordinary, and enjoy the tastier things in life. And while you're at it in the kitchen, open a bottle of wine. You deserve it.

With all the fun that I'm having, I know that time doesn't stop and this dream world I'm living in with great classes, friends, good food, and fun times isn't going to last forever. I'm taking each moment I have in school one day at a time. I hope to discover more passions in the coming months while building on my excitement for cooking, desire to bake, and eagerness to burn it all off on a great run. There are just so many things to be excited about.

Wishing you happiness and health. And good #eats, of course.