Microwave Meals in a Mug -- from Scratch!

NPR came out with a great blog about meals you can make in your microwave from scratch, which is perfect if you work in an office, live in a dorm, or simply don't feel like paying for gas in your apartment (and therefore can't use a stove). I decided to try out three different meals to see if they were any good.

Breakfast - Scrambled Eggs

I followed this recipe from Mr. Food and here's what I concluded:

PROS: This would be a good meal to make in the morning if you work in an office or a dorm. Very easy clean-up and very quick to make.

CONS: 2 eggs might not be filling enough for some and it was pretty bland. I recommend putting in the salt before you microwave instead of after. Might want to add other seasonings too (oregano, maybe some salsa, etc.)

RECOMMEND?: Yep, I'd recommend this. Super easy to make and a good source of protein!

Lunch - Mac and Cheese

I followed NPR's blog and here's what I found:

PROS: This will be better for you than any Kraft or Velvetta Mac n' Cheese mix you might make for a meal. It tastes good and again, is very easy to make.

CONS: Water does spill all over the microwave when you're first heating the pasta, so be sure to have a couple paper towels underneath. It's also a bit bland so be sure to add some seasonings. Also, 1/4C is not enough cheese so try 1/2C. Finally, this is very hot so be very careful!

RECOMMEND?: I've had better mac and cheese but for 7 minutes (4 minutes boiling the water and 3 minutes for cheese to melt and sauce to form) and a microwave, it's not bad!


Dinner: Brownies (No, not dessert. Dinner.)

Again, I followed NPR's blog for the recipe and here's what I found. Note that I did not include instant espresso, dried cherries, or almonds (I wanted to stick with the ingredients I already had at home).

PROS: Very chocolate-y. If you like brownies but don't want to be overpowered by chocolate, leave out the chocolate chips on top.

CONS: This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it had more of the consistency of chocolate cake than a brownie.

RECOMMEND?: Abso-freakin'-lutely. All you need is a glass of milk or put some ice cream on top and you're in business!

TOTAL COSTS: Free!
But that's only because I had all these ingredients already at home

TOTAL AMOUNT OF TIME: 1 minute, 15 seconds for the eggs, 7 minutes for mac & cheese, and 1 minute, 30 seconds for the brownie

EASY-PEASY SCALE (1 super easy - 5 very difficult): 1 out of 5
These recipes were made for those who a.) either don't like to cook or b.) don't have the time to make big meals ...so they were perfect for me! Give 'em a try and let me know what you think!