Most people procrastinate by surfing Reddit when they really need to do something, but don’t want to. Others play video games or stalk their friends on Facebook, but I procrastinate in a “productive”–sadly not an academically productive–way by feeding myself. Hi, I’m Tiffany & I’m addicted to “stress cooking”. While I should be studying for the dreaded MCAT (Medical College Admission Test), I often find myself in the kitchen, facing the pantry looking it up & down as if I were checking out Ryan Gosling. I tell myself I’m just looking for a snack, but I’m really just wasting time because I don’t want to feel defeated trying to figure out translational motion as its relevance to medicine is as relevant as twerking is to ballroom dancing.
“Tiffany, go sit down & study,” I tell myself.
“Okay,” replies Playtime Tiffany.
An hour later, I’ll have whipped up some monstrosity of a meal that no one is going to finish. Pictured above is one of my many products of “stress cooking”. If it’s not an entrée, it’s an hors d’oeuvre of sorts such as pumpkin granola bars. This time around, it’s a Two-Cheese Pumpkin & Spinach Casserole with capellini, mushrooms, baked beans, & almonds. It was pretty delicious, but half of it is still sitting in my refrigerator untouched. I wouldn’t be able to supply a recipe because I threw in pretty much everything I had sitting around into a pan & baked it. I’m not sure what’s a bigger problem – the fact that I talk to myself & separate my personalities into Playtime Tiffany & Studious Tiffany or exercising my culinary skills in lieu of studying. You’re right, I’m totally fine; I’m definitely not crazy or anything.
I’m supposed to pretend I don’t have a life outside of the MCAT, so I apologize for any future neglect. Studious Tiffany must murder Playtime Tiffany in order for her life to get back on track. In case any of you need a new salad recipe, I’ve recently added a new one.
Latest Additions
Josh told me my previous background clashed too much with my banner so I changed it back to my previous gray one. Anyone else think the green clash looks better than the current gray one? Click for reference. Back to studying, my pretties. Thanks for all of your constructive input.
I loved looking through your photos from Disney. I’ve been to the one in Paris but that was years and years ago. I’d love to go back one day. Or maybe visit one of the ones in America. 🙂
I wish you the best of luck with the MCAT revision and I really hope you do well in the exam. In the UK potential med school students take the UKCAT which I guess is the same. I looked the questions for that once and thought I’d never be clever enough to sit it. As much as I’d love to be a doctor I’m glad I’ve stuck with geography. 😛
Geography can definitely open up your world to a lot of new adventures. These standardized tests definitely aren’t fun. Studying for it so far hasn’t been so bad, but there are times when I’m so frustrated because I have no idea what’s going on or if all of these things are going to sit in my head until I take it. Stressful.
You should definitely visit Disneyland in California & Disneyworld in Florida. Gotta visit the original (in California!) one day! I looooove Disneyland. Fantastic food & fun rides all day long. Glad you found my photos enjoyable. 🙂
A homemade pumpkin granola bar sounds good and healthy!
It looks good as well, might go search for a recipe! Xx
I’ll try to put up the recipe for a pumpkin granola bar eventually! 🙂
I like this green! It’s an unexpected change. :p
Anyways, I lose myself ever so often on food blogs, pinning away recipes I’ll probably never even get to make. If you ever post a recipe for the Two-Cheese Pumpkin & Spinach Casserole, I’d love to know. It sounds/looks rather interesting, and I feel having other pumpkin-y things that isn’t pumpkin pie (s’all I’ve ever had) or the seeds could help me figure out if I really do like pumpkin or if I just like pumpkin pie. :p
I asked some viewers if they think I should change it to Tiffany Blue or mint & mint won.
Pumpkin granola is really easy to make & a great snack. I know you have a lot of dietary restrictions so hopefully you’ll be able to modify it so you don’t end up hospitalized! I’ll try to post it up when I get a chance. 🙂
My casserole was just a mess of ingredients I currently had. I could try to make a similar one for thanksgiving though & post a recipe. 😀
That casserole looks damnnnn gooodd!! I kind of want the recipe…haha. My mum would love to try it, I bet. She’s on a weird pumpkin kick at the moment. Good thing, I’m thousands of miles away as some of her dishes aren’t that hot. Yours look amazing though!
I totally do the same as you though. I recently started university and so have been in charge of not starving myself. Turns out that I’m a little too keen on feeding myself….like all the time! I definitely use cooking as an excuse not to do any studying, because I get a sense of an accomplishment out of cooking thereby negating any urgent need to study. 🙁 Awful. I just think: “Eating is a basic human right. Ergo, I have every right to busy myself in the kitchen…for hours…”
Good luck for the MCAT! I’ve heard it’s a bit of a beast…but I’m sure you’ve got it! Then we can be overly-worked, overly-stressed medical students together! Hurrah…!
Also, I too think that the gray background is a nicer choice 🙂
Thanks Jenny! I’ll try to post up some casserole recipe one day. Pumpkin is delicious! It’s the season for pumpkins so i can understand your mom’s pumpkin craze.
I’m happy to hear that you’re wear you want to be in terms of your career & school life. Medical school life for me…one day!!! Hopefully we don’t stuff ourselves silly by the time of completion.
Yum, that looks good! I used to have the same problem when I had a roommate that liked baking and cooking, haha. Whenever we had a lot of work to do, we’d come up with an excuse to bake something and even make a trip out to the grocery store to get ingredients for it. Now I just procrastinate with video games and surfing the internet 🙂
I actually think the gray is nice because it makes the rest of your layout stand out more 🙂 The green looks “more green” against the gray, if that makes any sense, haha.
Good luck on your studies!
I like how you cope with stress. It’s as if triggering your creativity helps you “settle down” before going back to studying! 😀 In my case, and this is especially true if I strain my eyes, I do workout videos with Yt. I’m pretty impressed by what I find. I eventually developed the habit of exercising for good, which helped me in the long run. Now I wouldn’t mind getting creative in the kitchen either. Cooking is an essential skill for one’s livelihood. I admire your culinary skills. 🙂
Thanks Agent Q! Haha I think I should start doing cardio like you when I’m stressed. That way I can actually just work up some abs while being stressed out. Much better to exercise to get it all out than to just chop up things to make extravagant meals! Bahaha.
that moment when you said people procrastinate by browsing through reddit, i was like, “oh. i’m on tumblr *flipshairunnecessarily*” in my mind. i don’t even know why i’m so proud …it’s ridiculous 😛 i tried to make a stupid joke about myself.
sometimes, like you, i combine my “procrastinate with tumblr and anime” time with snacks and i don’t even mean the healthy side of snacks…i mean pocky and kit kat and green tea cookies djekhflwk;; as soon as i finish ’em, i’m like “haha whoa wow what the– now i gained a kilo” …/facepalm/
you call it stress cooking while i call it stress binge eating or something…and thanks to college and its shizz, recently i’m always staring at ice cream ugh darrnnn i’ve been consuming bubble teas and ice cream like every week? that’s harsh, haha.
i still think stress cooking is better than stress (binge) eating. at least you still mix (healthy) stuff and invent something new for the kitchen to store… it’s sorta like a win-win game lolol i wish i’m a kitchen person like you too 🙁
ireallywantyoutocookformehhhh ;w; he he…
Haha aw Alice. I actually came up with some noodle recipes with you in mind because you try to stay away from carbs! They’re carb free & I’m sure you’ll be able to find them in your local grocery store. 🙂 The recipes are easy & hopefully will inspire you to maybe try your hand at something in the kitchen! Next update, just for you. 😀
I binge eat when I’m stressed too….with lots of snacks. I love Kit Kats though & pocky. Green tea flavored imported candy from Japan is mahhh jammmm.
Oh, that looks super yummy! Do you ever write down the recipes? I would love to have this one.
Oops, I forgot to mention – that this theme looks way better with the gray background. It makes the green look prettier. 🙂
I’ve included a new recipe for a salad in this post, but for this particular recipe, I didn’t write down what I put in it because it was just a bunch of things in my fridge. I feel that I could recreate it & improve its taste though.
Hm…I don’t know it looks pretty good to me. I will be sure to check out the salad recipe. 🙂
i too have been a victim of “stress cooking” lol – i go into the kitchen with no specific meal in mind, its like i want 6 things and smash them together for a glorious entree but end up not eating because i was cooking just to cook not to eat in the first place lol.
ps, you’re going to do great on your test, keep positive xox
Hahaha a glorious entree! Too funny. It’s productive, this stress cooking, but it gets in the way of what you really need to do.
Thanks for the encouragement. 🙂
Haha! I’m the same way! I don’t like pumpkin but it looks really good!
Also, I like both backgrounds but if I had to choose, I would go mint because I’m bias. mint is my favorite color.
Thanks for your input, Joy! I love mint too & I like your layout a lot! 😀
Oh my goodness, that looks and sounds so delicious! I was already hungry before reading this but daaaamn. Wish I was creative in the kitchen!
All it takes is a little inspiration! Cooking is easy peasy, I promise. You just have to get the hang of pairing the right spices with your food. 😉 Top Chef or Iron Chef cooking is another story though hahaha.