News Taffy

You’re a starving, broke college kid...so what do you do now?

You have a meal plan, but often times, the caf gets a little too boring. They try to spice things up a bit from time to time, and sometimes they succeed. If you are attending college for the first time, familiarize yourself with your caf’s schedule and know what days will have what specialties. Know when each mealtime starts so that you are sure to get something tasty if your favorite food is scheduled that day.

Sometimes though, the food on campus is just not what you’re thinking and you could really buy enough groceries to fill up your mini fridge on what you would have spent at McDonald’s or Burger King. Plus, it’s better to cook for yourself if you aren’t planning a trip to the union, that way you know what you’re eating and are responsible for that. Here are a few ways to make different options of food that will get you much more for your empty pockets.

Ramen Noodles

I know several people who have done everything they can in their college career to avoid Ramen. I haven’t been as successful, but I’ve found that if done right, this can actually pass as edible—tasty even.

Start with a packet of regular, chicken flavored Ramen. Microwave it to your liking (I usually cook mine covered for five minutes) and drain out all the water.

Tip: Save sauce packets. Anywhere you go, whatever it is, save it. You may need it later (Soy sauce from Chinese takeout, for instance.)

Put the plain noodles to the side.Now for the fun stuff!

My favorite things to have on hand when I was a freshman were a bag of frozen, fully cooked, diced chicken and bags of frozen mixed veggies (Generally I keep a bag of pepper blend and a bag of green peas and carrots.) in a bowl, put a small handful of chicken and a small handful of whatever mixed veggies you would like. Microwave these for two to three minutes. By cooking them together, the veggies get a nice chickeny, home-cooked flavor and the chicken gets a good healthy kick!

Now that everything has been cooked, toss together you noodles with your chicken and veggies. Now, because of the sodium of both the flavor packet and a teaspoon of soy sauce, only add in half of the flavor packet and a bit of soy sauce to taste. Toss this again and you now have a delicious, mock stir fry that only took a tiny microwave in the corner of your dorm room!

Grilled Cheese

If this is too much work and you’re really just looking for something a bit more comforting, grilled cheese is always a good option. But what if you don’t have anything to grill your cheese sandwich with?

You haven't used that iron yet, have you? Didn’t think so.

An easy thing to do to get a tasty grilled cheese is set up your ironing board with two pieces of parchment paper (one for the top and one for the bottom). Keep your iron on a cotton or linen setting and turn off the steam, because you need that tasty, toasty look. Place your sandwich between the parchment paper and hold the iron down until the desired gooeyness is reached. Now, let’s back up a little and spice that sandwich up a bit.

My personal favorites for grilled cheese are provolone and, of course, good ole American. I like to add a few things too, like bacon and tomato, which you can save in a Tupperware from the caf-- even though you aren’t supposed to do that. Though these are very yummy variants on a classic, you may just want yours plain and simple to eat along with a can of chicken soup.

Note: Irons and ironing boards make some delish Quesadillas, too. Also, try a Panini if you’re feeling fancy!

So whether you’re tired of the same thing every week, or you just can’t get to the caf, there are plenty of things you can make with the few appliances you have in your dorm. A little creativity goes a long way, so think outside the box… or packet… or bag.

See ya around campus!
- Beth

If you have trouble coming up with more ways to use your case of Ramen, here are a few ideas to get you started.

Photos taken by Anna Seller.