Tuesday, July 08, 2008

You ate what?



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For the first year of my college experience, I was on the meal plan - which meant I ate at the cafeteria. (When I wasn't going out to eat anyway.) This was a hit or miss type of experience. A hit when I made it during operational hours and the food was edible. A miss when I overslept or they were serving things like peppers stuffed with rice and raisins. Um...okay.

My second semester, I moved into a quad in the newest dorm on campus and since that included a kitchen, the meal plan was dropped. Everyone else had to cook for themselves in that building too, which resulted in some interesting meals as not everyone was as naturally gifted in the kitchen as I was *ahem* and of course, most of us were pretty stinking poor. Although I never ate ramen or pot noodles in college, I knew a lot of kids who lived on it.

Some of the more interesting concoctions:

Mac-n-cheese with canned tuna
Spanish rice with ground beef
Cheezwhiz and tomato sandwiches
Cinnamon chicken
Broccoli and ketchup
Chicken noodle soup w/ instant mashed potatoes mixed in
Grilled cheese and spaghetti sandwiches

What weird things did you or your friends eat in college?

15 comments:

  1. we ate cheap. Ramen Noodles, Mac and cheese, tomato soup. When we did cook, we had to had the seasoning in the meal because we had a roommate who wouldn't eat onion or black pepper because she didn't think she liked them. Well, she did like them, as long as she didn't see us add them to our meals. LOL

    But my favorite snack was Wheat thins and cream cheese. Yum.

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  2. that would be 'we had to HIDE the seasoning in the meal' sigh. more coffee please.

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  3. I lived on ramen noodles, mac and cheese, cereal, and cheap pizza. LOL

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  4. Anonymous12:39 PM

    My first three years, I lived in the dorms, so I didn't have a choice. I had to have a meal plan. Fortunately, food at my school was very good (no, seriously, it constantly won awards).

    So good that I didn't gain the Freshman Fifteen...I gained the Freshman Twenty-Seven...because not only was I eating dining hall food, but I also lived off of midnight pizza delivery.

    As for weird food, I don't really think I ate any.

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  5. I had a hot pot in my dorm room where I could make soup and mac 'n cheese freshman year. I also had a mini fridge with microwavable meals.

    It wasn't until my apartment my senior year that I really got creative with the cooking. My specialty was cream of chicken soup with rice in it and crushed up Pringles on top, baked in the oven. Don't laugh, it was deeelish. I also admit to a great deal of Underwood's deviled ham mixed in cold pasta with Italian dressing.

    Other than that...a lot of Hamburger Helper and Bama Bino pizza! = )

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  6. Sorry to be a freak, but your post actually made me hungry. :-)

    Peppers stuffed with rice and raisins? I'm there.

    Mac-n-cheese with canned tuna? Tasty both for me and my cats -- what more could a girl want?

    Cheezwhiz sandwiches? I know I should pretend to be horrified, but I have the sneaking feeling I'd like them.

    Oh, and Marley? You can cook for me anytime. That thing with Pringles sounds great! :-)

    I was on the meal plan for three years, so I couldn't do anything too weird there. But my junior year I spend at a British University with no meal plan, and I couldn't cook anything but desserts (and I had very little money.) But I did learn that packet of salt-and-vinegar crisps for breakfast only cost 12 p...


    Cara

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  7. Ramen Noodles have kept more college students alive than any meal ticket. I like the Lunch cups. They have actual freeze-dried vegetables in em! So they have to be good for you!

    Plus you discover what an egg can do if it really tries.

    My dumb brother insists on calling them Ramone Noodles. Dude... what part of Hong Kong does Ramone live in? The Spanish Quarter???

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  8. PLUS, btw, there was a girl who lived in my dorm one year who adored cheesewiz. She carried a can around with her at night. She'd come to my door and I'd just stick out my arm with celery, cracker, toast, whatever, and say "WHIZ ME."

    She'd wiz me and move on. Like the processed cheese fairy.

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  9. PLUS, btw, there was a girl who lived in my dorm one year who adored cheesewiz. She carried a can around with her at night. She'd come to my door and I'd just stick out my arm with celery, cracker, toast, whatever, and say "WHIZ ME."

    She'd wiz me and move on. Like the processed cheese fairy.

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  10. *sigh* I went to college three years ago. When I was 35. Online. I lived at home with my two kids, husband, and pets.

    But I do like Ramen.

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  11. I like eating ramen noodles uncooked, right out of the package. Does that count as gross?

    And I agree, ramen rules -- where else can you get a 10 cent meal???

    Cara

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  12. I like eating ramen noodles uncooked, right out of the package.

    OMG me TOO!

    And Chrissy, I wish the Cheez Whiz Faery would knock on my door. that's just not fair.

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  13. We had similar experiences. First year I had the FULL meal plan, plus ordered out. Thus, the freshman fifteen was not a myth.

    After that, I moved into an apartment on campus and cut the meal plan to 5 meals a week--plus ordering out. LOL! My girlfriend went on Jenny Craig at the time then quit. We divided her food up like it was gourmet treat!

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  14. I'm sorry I'm totally laughing at Cara King.

    I'm all about the raw ramen too, Cara!

    The tuna and mac n cheese thing sounds totally gross though.

    Did nobody else live off of frozen tater tots? I had a roomie who did.

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