But cooking your own meals means healthier eating, more money in your bank account, and the gratification that comes from making something with your hands. Everyone here at CollegeCandy loves to cook, so we're going to bring you our favorite (and easy) recipes every Sunday. You've got nothing better to than cook, right? Right.]

I was buying salsa in the jar for the longest time. In fact, I was buying it (at around $3 or $4 a jar) until this past week. That is when I decided to start making my own. I mean, it is cheaper, healthier and I can make it as hot (or not) as I want!

I had a few jars cleaned out and ready to go (leftovers from my grocery store days) and set out on a mission to make my own salsa…and to make it better than what I was buying.

With all organic ingredients, I put together this salsa that my roommates already love and I think you will, too. Here’s what you need (buy all of the ingredients organic if you can):

4 tomatoes
1 can of corn
1 can of kidney beans
1 onion
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
1 jalapeno pepper
Cilantro
Salt
Black Pepper

Here’s what you do:

1. Mix one tomato, a chunk of cilantro, and 1/2 cup of kidney beans together with a blender or mash them until they’re liquid-esque. Keep this mixture on the side.

2. Chop up all of the other ingredients and mix them all together in a big bowl.

3. Add in your liquid mixture a little bit at a time until you’re happy with the taste.

4. Grab a margarita, some salty tortilla chips, dip and enjoy! Or store it in the fridge to use on chicken, omelettes, baked potatoes…the possibilities are endless.

There are so many difficult choices in life (do we love or hate high heels??), so we thought we’d sort through ‘em right here. Every week we will discuss another issue we are torn up about. Let us know your thoughts in the comments section!]

I LOVE FOOD and enjoy it as often as I can: for meals, between meals, on the couch, on the way to class, on the way to the gym… And I am an equal opportunity eater.  I love Chinese, Italian, Japanese, Mexican, Korean, Brazilian, Greek, and of course, American.

There’s nothing better than walking into a restaurant or – yippee! – a bakery and taking in that hot-off-the-stove smell; the yummy aromas of fresh-baked goods fluttering into my nose and making my stomach growl with hunger. And then that moment when that delectable dish is sitting in front of me and I finally get the chance to dig in…

OMG I’m drooling.

There is one “type” of food that I’m not completely head-over-heels for, though, and that is the leftover.

Love:

That giant bowl of fettucine you had with your parents (and on their tab!) was too. freaking. good to pass up. Too bad your stomach wasn’t big enough to handle it all in one sitting. The beauty of leftovers is that you can box that bad boy up and enjoy it tomorrow between classes. Not only is it the best lunch ever, but it also saves you the time of preparing something new and the money you’d waste on a not-so-good Subway value meal.

Loathe:

Now, I’m all about recycling. Paper, plastic, and food. I love Bento boxes, and I think a great way to save the enviroment (and your wallet) is to pack up last night’s dinner into a little to-go box and heat it up the next day for a quick lunch. But I do think that certain foods should be eaten within a closed, contained space in which no one else can smell them, or be kept at home entirely. Have you ever smelled your roommate’s nauseating fish tacos wafting towards you from the public microwave? What about leftover curry dishes from last night’s Indian delivery that linger in your room for days? Gross.

And leftovers never taste as good the next day. Yes, they are probably better than anything you could whip up on the fly, but that hella good panini from last night loses its luster (and crispiness) after sitting in the mini fridge all night. And, of course, there is always that one little box of Chinese that gets shoved to the back of the fridge only to be found months later….covered in fuzz….when you go searching for that mysterious smell coming out of the kitchen.

So, tell me. What are your thoughts on The Leftover?

So the damn groundhog saw his damn shadow, which means we are in for 6 more glorious weeks of winter. Splendid. WTF, Phil? Why do you hate us so much.

Upon hearing the news we wanted to head to Phil’s hometown and beat the crap out of him (so. sick. of sweaters.), but our therapist (Oprah) always talks about focusing on positive things. So we will.

Instead of hating on Phil – because, afterall, it’s not his fault – we thought we’d make a list of the 5 things and people we currently hate more than Punxatawny Phil. Yay us! We’re so positive!

1. Our alarm clocks – They mean well, but 9am? Really? Don’t you know we were up late watching a hilarious episode of The Office?

2. Comcast – Granted that quick peepee flash to Arizona fans during the Superbowl was disturbingly hysterical, but there were kids watching. And old people. And who does that with their….well, just watch.

3. Mexican food – But only because it was so good last night and so, so, SO bad today.

4. The media calling Jessica Simpson fat - If she’s fat then we’re going on The Biggest Loser.

5. The movie Groundhog Day. It is just bad.

It’s clear that there’s a lot to worry about when you meet up with somebody for the first time, so try to cross at least one thing off of the Worry List by having a low-stress meal. These five things are not the way to go for first date fare:

1. Mexican.

Refried beans are soooo delicious, yes, but the effects are musical, and you really don’t want that to happen at an inopportune time.

2. Sandwiches/burgers more than three inches thick.

Honestly, these are the most annoying things ever, and they will embarrass you when you least expect it. When you finally maneuver the thing so that it’s possible to put it in your mouth, everything inside it will inevitably spill out onto either your hands or your lap. (Editor’s Note: Sounds familiar to the bedroom festivities later. Ayoooo!) You can’t eat them with a knife and fork, either, for fear of looking like an extreme neatnik.

3. Really spicy food.

If you eat spicy things regularly, that’s cool, but make sure that your date does, too. If you don’t make a habit of chowing down on chilis, the first date is not the time to start. Eating the food might be an adventure, but you run the risk of ending up in a physically uncomfortable spot before the end of the night.

4. Hole in the walls that actually look like hole in the walls.

I’m all for trying new restaurants, especially if they come with positive reviews or recommendations. But for first dates, avoid places you’ve never heard of if they look a little shady. Your stomach might tell you it’s a great idea to load up at that dingy all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet, but you’re probably going to pay the price later.

5. Barbecues.

With undercooked meat, lukewarm potato salad, and fly-infested watermelon, the potential for food poisoning here is just way too high.

What would YOU never eat or order on a first date?

[Image courtesy of newpersuasion.typepad.com.]

For two servings, you’ll need:

Sides:

6 small tortillas, corn/wheat/flour (whichever you prefer)

Salsa of your choice

1 cup shredded Mexican-flavored or Monterey Jack cheese

Low-fat sour cream

Chopped iceberg lettuce (or romaine if you prefer)

Guacamole (optional, and again… there’s no shame in store-bought)

**If you don’t want to make guacamole, you can also just buy, peel, and slice avocados to add to the fajitas. If you mash them with salsa, you’ve essentially got guac.

For the actual veggies, all to be sliced:

2 red bell peppers

2 green bell peppers

1 onion

1 cup mushrooms (optional if you’re not a fan, for me, they’re my favorite part)

2 tablespoons olive oil

Cumin

Chili powder

Garlic

Salt

Heat two tablespoons of oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Toss in your sliced vegetables and cook them until they brown. They cook down, so if it appears that your pan is overflowing, that’s not a bad thing and you don’t need to worry.

Once your veggies start browning, shake cumin and chili powder in equal portions over them. Be liberal, you want to be able to taste the spices. Add a little garlic, a touch goes a long way, maybe just a quick shake over the whole pan, and stir. Make sure to taste everything as you’re cooking, so you get enough flavor. You’ll know they’re done if you’re happy with the taste.

Serve as many or few vegetables as you want in a tortilla, garnish as desired. To make a full meal, serve with Spanish rice and nonfat refried beans OR black beans on the side. As a tip, if you’re making beans, pour in some I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Spray to add flavor, and just cook on the stove in a saucepan.