Montclair Bread Company

And so the semester has come to a close and with it my freshmen year of college is over. The last you have all heard from me was in January, I had told you that I would be writing more frequently and getting so more control of my life and I am sad to report that I did not. So, here I will try again to gain some control over my life and reestablish myself as a blogger. So here is my first post of the New Year (technically).

So what I have not informed everyone about is that I joined a sorority! Yay, you are looking at the newest member of Phi Sigma Sigma, with that comes gaining the amazing friendship of a Big. Recently my big and I went to Montclair Bread Company, 

located in Montclair and in one of the cutest areas I have ever seen. I wish I had taken more photos but I will be going back this week (fingers crossed) and I will be sure to post some photos up on instagram (another new addition to the blog, follow me on instagram at touchofcollege!) Montclair Bread has to be one of the cutest places I have been to in a very long time. It is tiny and quaint with tables outside. The staff was absolutely amazing and welcoming and helped me make my decisions on doughnuts and coffee. I finally decided on a dolce de leche donut and a vanilla latte. It was a phenomenal decision and the latte was by far one of the best drinks I have ever tasted! Not only was it delicious but also it came in this cute mason jar that of course I had to take home with me! Overall, my journey to Montclair Bread was well worth it and I would recommend it 10/10 to anyone in the area! I cannot wait to go back this week!

Sugar Cookie Cheesecake

Crust

Baked sugar cookies, unfrosted (I used Pillsbury sugar cookie mix)

5 Tablespoons melted butter

2 Tablespoons sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

1. First, I made the sugar cookies. Do not focus so much on ensuring the cookies look pretty as you will just be crushing them up later on. However, you will not need all of these cookies approximately 10 or 12 should do the trick.
2. Once the cookies are done you will crush them up to make 2 cups of crushed cookie. You can do this using a food processer or manually crushing them. However, I will say that it gets very messy so be careful
3. Once the cookies are all crushed take the melted butter and the sugar and combine the 3 then mix them all together
4. Once there all mixed spread them out in a 9 in pan and stick it in the oven. Make sure the crust fills the side to ensure the cheesecake is easy to remove from the pan.
5. Take it out after about 10-15 minutes or when the crust is a nice golden brown
6. Let it cool

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Cheesecake Batter

2 pounds cream cheese (four 8 ounce blocks), softened

4 eggs

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

1 cup granulated sugar

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1. First, mix the 2 pounds of cream cheese with a food processor until it is creamy or at least softer and not in blocks as this is difficult
2. Mix in the 4 eggs, the vanilla extract, and the sugar
3. Pour the mixture right on top of the crust
4. Place back in the oven at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes to an hour or until you can see the top inflate and turn golden color. You should be able to stick a toothpick in the middle without getting cheesecake remains
5. Let the cheesecake cool and do with it as you please. I choose to leave it in the pan but that is up to view discretion.

A side note to this recipe is that you can add sprinkles. However, I would not recommend it as I ended up with a slightly puke green cheesecake rather than a colorful once.

The Smart Girl's Guide to Dorm Snacks

College can be a tricky situation to jump into. You have to get accustomed to living on your own, doing your own laundry, getting yourself up in the morning without your mom, ensuring you go to class, and of course, making sure you eat healthy options. The freshmen 15 is a real nightmare and is one that everyone tries their best to enjoy. But with the long nights of studying, and then the long nights of drinking it’s easy for one to put on a quick 5 pounds in the beginning and then before you know it the other 10 hit you hard. With that in mind there are some simple tips to try and avoid the freshmen 15, for instance, the food that you bring into your dorm room. AKA the food that is most easily accessible and ready for you at any moment. Here is a smart girl’s guide to 10 of the correct dorm foods to bring to college.

• Cut up apples

Cut up apples are a good healthy choice and make f or a good snack in between classes

• Oranges

Oranges are easy to keep in your dorm and a really good energy booster for when you get tired

• Pre packaged fruit

Fruit comes pre packaged these days; I suggest you try to stock up on it, as it can be hard to come by on a college campus

• Popcorn

Not the really buttery salty type but the non-butter kind. Popcorn is a good food to eat anywhere and it fills you up

• Cereal

While not all cereal is healthy, eating dry cereal in the morning before that 8 am is a life saver

• Granola bars

The holy grail of college dorms, be sure to stock up on these because they will fill you up in the morning, between class, and before dinner

• Fruit Snacks

While they may not be the greatest and healthiest choice of all time they are a good substitute from eating candy and they fill you up quickly

• Yogurt

A healthy snack for any time of the day

• Frozen grilled chicken

These are easy to pop in the microwave for a quick and easy lunch or dinner that is healthy and full of protein

• Minute Brown Rice

Add this with the grilled chicken and you got yourself a dinner!