The Muse

Reporters: Timothy Parsons & Modeline Longjohn

Eating on campus can be a bit difficult at times. Despite all the cafes, fast food eateries, and cafeteria, it can get bland and repetitive after a while. It’s great to break up the monotony with a lovely home cooked meal, but many MUN residents don’t have the luxury of a stove or oven. However, microwaves are still an option, and we at the MUSE wish to give you easy recipes you can make with a few simple ingredients and a push of a button.
This may go without saying, but make sure the dishes you use are microwave safe. You might also want some oven mitts or a cloth, the dishes can get quite hot.

A staple of many get togethers is the Chilli Cheese Dip.
1 (8 ounces) package of cream cheese 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
1 (15 ounce) can of chilli
In a microwave safe container, spread the cream cheese, followed by an even layer of chilli. After that, sprinkle the cheddar on top, and put it in the microwave on high for five minutes.
Get a bag of your favorite chips, and VOILA!!

If you need a quick breakfast before class, Microwave Scrambled Eggs is definitely an option.
2 eggs 1/2 teaspoon of oil
Seasoning and vegetables of your choice
Crack eggs into a microwaveable soup bowl. Add your favorite seasoning and vegetables. Add half a teaspoon of oil, or less, depending on the number of eggs. Stick bowl with eggs in the microwave for two minutes. An additional minute may be required.

Of all the world’s vegetables, we find the cauliflower to be highly underrated. Discover the wonders of this cousin of broccoli with Cauliflower with Dijon Sauce
1 head of cauliflower (cut into florets) 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 cup mayonnaise 1 cup of shredded Cheddar cheese
In a large glass bowl or casserole dish, place in the cauliflower and cover in plastic wrap. Make sure the plastic isn’t touching the cauliflower, and poke a few holes in it. Microwave for 5-7 minutes, or until tender.
In a cup or small bowl, mix the mustard, mayo, and spread over the cauliflower. Sprinkle the cheese and microwave for another 2 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Another staple vegetable, the humble potato. Possibly the easiest meal on this list, Microwave Potatoes are highly customizable, you can add almost any of your favorite toppings and dips to make a wonderful meal.
Wash, peel and cut potatoes into bite sizes.
Transfer potatoes into microwaveable bowl and set the microwave to 7 minutes. It may take additional 2 minutes, depending on the volume of potatoes.
For super creamy mashed potatoes, add 1/2 cup of milk and 3 tablespoons of butter.

But we hear you say, “I want something sweet, chocolatey that can fit inside my mug”. Luckily, there are Deep Dish Cookies that’ll satisfy your sweet tooth.
2 tablespoons of melted butter 1/4 cup flour
1 tablespoon white sugar 3 pinches of salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 tablespoon vanilla 1 tablespoon of chocolate chips
Mix the melted butter, sugars, and vanilla in a mug. Add the flour, salt, and baking powder and mix well. Stir in the chocolate chips until they combine.
Now, microwave for one minute.

Another mug meal is Meatloaf in a Mug
1 slice of bread, torn into pieces 1 green onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons of milk 1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce 1/8 teaspoon of ground pepper
1/4 pound of ground beef
Place the torn bread into a small bowl, and pour in the milk and Worcestershire sauce; set aside for a few minutes for the bread to absorb the liquid. Add the ground beef, green onion, seasoned salt, and pepper to the bread; mix well and place into a 10 ounce, microwave-safe mug.
Cook in the microwave at 70 percent power until the meatloaf is firm and no longer pink in the center, 4 to 5 1/2 minutes depending on the microwave. Remove the meatloaf from the microwave, and allow to stand 2 minutes before serving.

Finally, we’ll give a mention of the Dev’s Dorm Room Casserole
4 cups of water 1 package of frozen broccoli
4 ounces of spaghetti 1/2 cup french fried onions
1 can of cream of mushroom soup

Place 4 cups water in a 2 quart microwave-safe dish. Heat on high until bubbling, about 15 minutes. Break pasta in half, and drop into heated water. Microwave on high for 10 to 15 minutes, or until tender. Drain and set aside (keep warm).
Cook broccoli according to microwave directions. Add cooked broccoli to noodles, reserving liquid. Stir in 1/4 cup fried onions and mushroom soup. Add reserved broccoli liquid. Toss thoroughly, and top with remaining onions. Cover, and microwave on high about 15 minutes, or until top is crunchy. Let stand for a few minutes.

We hope you found some new recipe inspirations to try out next time you’re feeling hungry. Let us know in the comments of any microwave recipes you enjoy.

For those of you who rent or are thinking about renting a house or apartment, have you ever considered what would happen to your belongings if something was to happen to your living space? If there was a flood, a fire, a landslide, what would replace the items that you worked so hard to acquire?

Homeowners insurance, which is what your landlord has, protects the physical structure of the home, but it has no coverage over your furniture, electronics, clothes, etc. So what can protect renters when it comes to our earthly possessions? 

On a poll ran on Instagram, 92 renters replied and we found the following:

• 24 out of 92 people have roommates
• 19 out of 92 people didn’t know what renters insurance was 
• Only 17 out of 92 had renter’s insurance
• 8 out of the 17 who had renter’s insurance didn’t know what it was or what it did to benefit them

So, let’s start with the biggest question, what is renter’s insurance?

According to Johnson Insurance, it is an insurance that “protects your contents and your legal obligations to visitors and the owner of the home”.

Let’s start by breaking down that definition. RBC’s breakdown of tenant’s insurance simplifies everything. 

For your personal belongings, tenant’s insurance “protects you financially against insured damage or loss to furniture, clothing and other personal property inside your rental home or vehicle.” Meaning if your apartment flooded and your belongings were ruined, your coverage will protect you from having to pay out of pocket for the items you lost. 

For personal liability, insurance “helps to protect you financially if you accidentally cause property damage or bodily injury to others at home or anywhere in the world”. So, if someone slipped in your driveway, your insurance would protect you financially from any claims against you for bodily harm. Or, if you accidentally damaged the home you were renting, your insurance would cover the cost to fix it.

Finally, for living expenses, renters insurance, “helps cover expenses like moving costs, a hotel room and more if you can’t live in your rental while repairs are being made after an insured loss”.  If you were displaced from your home for a significant period of time because of flood, fire, etc., your insurance would cover the cost for you to move, or stay in a hotel. 

It’s also worth noting that your renter’s insurance wouldn’t cover your roommates. Each of you would have to have your own individual policy to cover yourselves. 

As well, depending on the company you’re with, this insurance can be bundled with your auto insurance, which will lessen the cost.

If you think about all your possessions and how much it would cost to replace everything if it were damaged, renter’s insurance is something that, as a university student, you might want to look into. 

It’s always important to protect yourself — whatever way you can. 

Sources: 

• “Do I Need Insurance If I Am a Tenant?” Do I Need Insurance If I Am a Tenant? | Johnson Insurance, help.johnson.ca/en/home-insurance/renting-tenant.
• “Make Sure You’re Covered with the Right Tenant Insurance.” RBC Insurance, www.rbcinsurance.com/home-insurance/tenant-insurance.html.

The first in a long line of superhero movies releasing in 2020 has arrived. After the events in 2016’s Suicide Squad, criminal Harley Quinn, played by Margot Robbie, has ended her relationship with The Joker and must now find out who she is without the clown prince of crime. However, without The Joker’s protection, there’s a sizable portion of Gotham City who want her dead, not the least of which is Roman Sionis, a narcissistic and sadistic crime boss. Harley must team up with superheroines Black Canary, Huntress, and Renee Montoya to thwart Roman’s villainous schemes, and protect a girl named Cassandra Cain who inadvertently stole from the crime boss.

To start off with the performances, everyone brings their A game and each character feels developed and distinct after only a few minutes on film.
Margot Robbie is wonderfully animated as Harley Quinn. She gives 100% for every scene she’s in. She’s unhinged in all the right ways. She sells the fight scenes and the character’s quirkiness in every way.

Ewan McGregor’s Roman Sionis is another character highlight of the film. He acts full of himself and overconfident, but on the turn of a dime he can become the scariest man in the room. He’s in no way sympathetic, or deep, but he’s easily the best villain the DC movies has had since The Dark Knight’s Joker.

My personal favorite is Huntress, played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead. She definitely pulls off the badass persona well, but only when she’s not trying to be badass. When she tries, she comes off as anxious and unsure of herself, leading to many comedic scenes. She has the least amount of screen time of all the characters, but definitely leaves an impact with her limited screen time.

The action scenes are no slouch either, as each one is unique and creative. Each character has their own fighting style, be it bare-knuckle brawler or martial arts expert. I have to give the fight choreographer props for what they did with Harley Quinn’s fights, as they did the impossible and made fighting with a baseball bat inventive, fun, and cool. I also have to praise the movie’s choice in music, as each song fits their scene’s perfectly.

As for the negatives, I only have three gripes. The first of which is the entire first third of the film. It moves at a snail’s pace, and is honestly not interesting at all. I was thinking to myself, “Oh god, is the whole movie like this? I made a mistake.” Luckily, once the main conflict of the film gets going, the movie picks up and becomes a lot of fun.

Number two, it takes forever for the Birds of Prey to get together. It’s five minutes before the climax when the Birds of Prey finally team up, and for that five minutes they have good chemistry with each other. If you’re making a team movie, have the team meet up at the halfway point at least, not in the last 20 minutes. It would make sense to call this the Harley Quinn movie instead, as she is the main focus for more than half the movie, the Birds of Prey are an afterthought.

As for my final complaint, it deals with the last scene in the movie but it’s so small I can barely consider it a spoiler, and quite honestly this might sound more like a weirdo complaining about something nobody else will care about. Harley gets a pet hyena in the movie which seemingly dies halfway through. But in the final 30 seconds, it’s revealed the hyena is alive and well, living its best life. I was thinking “please be a figment of your imagination. Harley’s insane, it could work.” But nope, the hyena is interacting with the world, other people can see it, there’s no way this hyena is made up. Are you kidding me? You have a hypercarnivore, a predator with bone crushing jaws allied with your main character and you don’t do anything with it? At least give him a scene of helping Harley kicking ass. WE NEED MORE HYENA ACTION IN MOVIES!!

Overall, Birds of Prey is a fun, colorful film you can leave your brain at the door, because if you think too hard about this movie you’re going to end up disappointed. Just get through the first third and you’ll find an entertaining action movies with some fun heroines.

Birds of Prey gets 3 1/2 stars out of 5.