Dear Design: Dinner choices, hook-up encounters
What should I make for dinner?
I am terrible at cooking, but only because I am impatient. I want my food, and I want it now.
To help solve this dilemma, my mom gave me a slow-cooker and matching cookbook for Christmas. I thought I would never even take the thing out of the box, but it has proven to be the perfect kitchen appliance for my lifestyle.
Like most college students, I am constantly busy. The slow-cooker allows me throw a few ingredients together, head out on my way and return to a perfect meal.
Here’s a recipe I just used last week that turned out great:
Place three to four boneless chicken breasts in the bottom of the slow-cooker. In a bowl, mix together one can of compressed cream of chicken soup and one-third cup of milk. Pour this mixture over the chicken. Then mix one box of stuffing with one-and-two-thirds cups of water. Spoon this over top of the chicken/soup combo. Set on low for 6 to 8 hours.
The soup and stuffing will end up mixing into a thick sauce and the chicken will come out tender and falling apart. I would suggest throwing some rolls in the oven and heating up a quick veggie side.
Voila! Dinner is served.
-Chelsea
What do you do if you see a past hook-up at the bar? Do you say "hi" or ignore him?
Usually this all depends on the circumstances, but generally I would vote to say, "Hi."
If you decide to ignore him, you’ll find yourself having awkward moments for the rest of the night. He’ll sit at a table nearby and you’ll catch yourself making awkward glances; you’ll bump into him on your way up to the bar; you’re out on the dance floor and there he is grinding with the flavor of the week.
That doesn’t sound like much fun. You can avoid all this by acknowledging each other’s existence.
If you say hello, try to do it early. Don’t dart across the bar and seek him out, but the first time you’re nearby give a small wave or make a casual comment. This way he knows you’ve moved on, and you can go on enjoying you night without having to worry about the next awkward moment around the corner.
It might be hard to do, but it’ll be worth it in the long run.
-Chelsea
My friend and former roommate has the same major and minor as I do, and is also in many of the same classes I am. She tends to be a control freak, and I can barely tolerate her anymore. How do I tell her, without sacrificing our friendship (or my grades) that I need to spend time away from her outside of class?
Confrontation sucks, and it’s hard to tell how someone will react when you approach them with a problem. But the best thing to do is to be honest, in the kindest way possible.
Being considerate of your friend’s feelings is important, and by putting yourself in her shoes, you can understand where they may be coming from.
If you spend enough time with someone to the point of irritation, it is wise to distance yourself to save your friendship.
Instead of focusing on how you will talk with your friend about the issues at hand, focus on how it can be fixed.
In my experience, the best thing to do is to just talk with her about what’s bothering you; I have learned that going to my roommates with my problem helps more than over-thinking it.
If your friendship is as important as it seems, there shouldn’t be any issues with being honest with her.
A true friend will listen rather than take it as an attack.
Just talk. And if it doesn’t work, then you’re at least free of her controlling ways and incessant badgering.
-Amelia
