While some students came to college banking only on their ability to microwave Easy Mac, sophomore strategic communication major McKenzie Amaral was writing a book on simple, college-friendly recipes, inspired by NaNoWriMo this year.

Amaral said she noticed students were tired of unhealthy, overcooked cafeteria food so she channeled her passion for the eating “experience” into her cookbook, “Dormet.”

“I became so frustrated with the lack of experience that surrounds the college meal,” Amaral said. “A meal is supposed to be an experience that not only nourishes the body but also nourishes the soul.”

She wrote her book with students in mind, accommodating for some of the challenges college students face when cooking, mainly: having to cook in a dorm room.

“Unlike most college food options, ‘Dormet’ features recipes for simple, nutritious meals requiring minimal equipment and space,” Amaral said.

Every meal featured in “Dormet” has a prep time of ten minutes or less and requires simple utensils, so students don’t have to sacrifice study time to pull together a meal.

Despite being a student with study demands of her own, Amaral said writing the book actually helped improve her stress levels.

“Cooking and writing have always been stress relievers for me,” Amaral said. “Being able to combine them both has proved to be the ultimate stress reliever.”

The book will be available for purchase on Amazon sometime this March and a book release party will be held in April at the TCU Bookstore. Amaral said she also plans to reach out to other booksellers and retailers around the country, targeting college student and young adult markets.

As for her future in the writing and wellness industries, she said she hopes this hobby can be cooked into a business.