I was enjoying a plate (that's right plate not bowl) of ramen noodles this afternoon and I got to thinking that they are quite possibly the most perfect food I could ask for.

Think about it, they take about 3 minutes to make in the microwave (6 on the stove). You can use the flavor packets if you want. I don't use the packets, I might put pasta sauce on them, or maybe just butter and grated cheese. Sometimes I'll scramble some eggs and put them in the mix. There are so many things you can do with this food it's mind boggling.

I was in the USMC for a little while, and along with our MRE's (Meal Ready to Eat) some of the guys would bring along some crushed up packs of ramen. The way we would use it then, was to crush them up pretty fine with the flavor packets in a plastic bag. Simply shake it all up and you have a sorta trail mix, but more like a chex mix. Very good and it will definitely hold you over till you can stop somewhere and get a decent meal.

A friend of mine use to make spanish rice, and then crush up the ramen and boil it adding it to the rice mix to make it seem "fuller" as he put it. I didn't like the sound of it, but when I tried it I had to admit it was pretty awesome.

The bottom line is, ramen is easy, affordable, and the possibilities are endless. So go spend a couple bucks on some ramen and try out a half dozen different ways to make them and see if they aren't all I've said.

Besides, a couple million college students can't be wrong.