I've got a BS in Comp Sci that was focused in Java, so I'm not unfamiliar with the language or typical syntax, but I've never so much as peeked at minecraft variable names and functions. I learn best by example, so whenever you get the skeletal structure laid out, I can do a lot of the busy-work so you can focus on the innovations. Again, absolutely no rush.
Thanks so much for picking up the plugin idea! I hadn't gone after it myself because I'm currently in grad school working on 2 research projects, and by the end of the day didn't have the brain power left to look over anything new. There's a couple optional bullets on the plugin that are very plug-and-chug, like the "Food X gives buff Y" and I could easily pump that out if you template the first one for me.