One more thing!

Okay, maybe two more things. I forgot to mention another component to my "journey"- I am staying local and looking for my perfect meal in my hometown of Panorama City; to make it a little more convenient for myself, I am joining Panorama City and Arleta together just to give myself more options. And just for kicks, I have decided to compare my findings in Panorama City/Arleta to my findings in the neighboring city of Sherman Oaks!

A little background information on the two areas:

• Panorama City/Arleta: Panorama City is located in San Fernando Valley and is historically known as the first planned city by Henry J. Kaiser. The demographics show that the majority of the residents are of Latino background (seen as "Other" in the chart), followed closely by Asian/Pacific Islander. Income levels show that the median income is roughly around $35,000 (Panorama City Demographics). Arleta, originally a part of Pacoima, shows similar statistics, as seen in the second set of pie charts (Arleta Demographics). 

• Sherman Oaks- Although Sherman Oaks is only a mere 6.6 miles away from the Panorama City/Arleta area, it displays very different demographics- the majority of the population is white (Sherman Oaks Demographics), and the median income is a little over $60,000 (Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Profile).

Allow me to introduce myself.

Why hello there, Cyber world. I am relatively new to this blogging business, but so far so good. I have yet to experience any kind of system failure (Please tell me that is not possible with blogging!) Anyway, my name is Erika and if you look to your right, you'll see that I am a freshman at Cal State University, Northridge. I figured I would create this blog in order to document my "journey" as I look for the "perfect" meal. Yes, I am indeed on the prowl for the perfect meal! As a college student, I am always on the hunt for a quick meal, and although I am aware that "perfection" does not exist, as long as a meal fulfills the three golden requirements, then it will be just perfect for me.


THE three simple, but very important requirements:

1. Of course my ideal meal must be of an affordable price! In the current condition of our economy where California in particular is experiencing a 12.4% unemployment rate, saving money is definitely important. Any opportunity I have to save a couple of extra bucks will be taken. I am aiming for under $10.
2. Nutrition also plays a part- my perfect meal must be healthy! Like I said, I'm a freshman in college...and I am well are of the "Freshman 15". There is just no way I can afford to put on fifteen more pounds, so eating the healthy way is the only way I can go! But what is "healthy" or "nutritious"? I am definitely no physician or expert, but according to webmd.com, a healthy meal must focus on fruits, veggies, whole grains and avoid saturated fats, sugars, and salt. 
3. Last, but not least my meal must be of impeccable flavor! Self-explanatory. I mean, come on- who, in their right mind, doesn't like good tasting food?!

I understand that my above requirements will conflict with one another- healthy and nutritious meals don't come cheap, nor do yummy-tasting ones. However, I am determined to find a meal that fits my idea of perfection that fulfills each and every requisite reasonably :)


*I will "grade" everything based on a 1-10 scale just to make things easier for myself, and every one else.