Make Cooking Fun by Marie Holyhead

After a long hard day studying and fighting the urge to check Facebook, cooking can feel like the very last thing you want to do. But rustling up a decent meal needn’t be a chore, and these useful tips will convince even the laziest of cooks, just how enjoyable it can be to make cooking fun! So go grab an apron, even throw on a chef’s hat if it helps,and meet us in the kitchen for some culinary inspiration…

TV knows best

Let your competitive side come out to play by hosting a ‘Come Dine With Me’ inspired event. Get a few of your mates involved and take it in turns to host dinnereach night of the week and to score each other. The fear of coming last will motivate you to pull out all your best moves and serve food that you’ve only ever dreamed was possible!

Explore the world

Delude yourself that you are abroad by making delicious, exoticdishes. Visit Italy by cooking a creamy carbonara,or jet off to Jamaica with your spicy jambalaya dish mmm…

Cook and shop with friends

All these buy one get one free offers are ideal for shopping with a friend, and cooking together works out a lot cheaper. An extra pair of handsalso makes washing up a lot faster!

G.Y.O 

Adorn your kitchen window sill with an array of potted vegetables, add some water and watch them grow! You’ll feel so proud munching on your very own home-grown goods whilst getting your 5 a day. Alternatively achieve that warm,feel-good feeling through supporting your local green grocers.

Buy a gadget

Splash your cash and buy a cool new cooking gadget that will help to take the burden out of cooking. It’sclever to invest in a slow cooker, so that you can arrive home to the delicious aroma of a wholesome meal.

Don’t be scared to add some spice!

Even the most boring of dishes can be jazzed up by throwing in a few spices or adding a scrummy sauce. Try adding cajun pepper and a sprinkle of chilli powder to your home made chips to give them a bit of a kick!

Get your bake on!

If you need to cheer up your heart broken housemateor butter up your tutor, then theold technique of giving them baked goods never fails to work!  Alternatively bake with your friends and hold a bake sale at your university to help raise money for a charity.

Alfresco food

Make the most of the sunshine (if it ever makes an appearance) and have a picnic at your local park or buy a disposable bbq. Good food plus sun is always a winning combination!

Recreate your favourite takeaway

Try as we might, sometimes the temptation for a cheeky pizza or that naughty chow mein is just too much to resist! But why not save some money and make your own version instead?! Your bank card and waistline will love you for it.

  • Subscribe to The Student Pocket Guide for exclusive competitions, deals, discounts, tips and advice!
  • Read The Student Pocket Guide.