Being a single guy living alone, I’m able to eat anything I want for dinner. I admit to eating some strange things now and then, but this stuff takes the cake.

Someone suggested I try Ramen Noodles. Okay, fine! I headed to the store and found out that you can buy like a case of these little packets of food stuffs for around a dollar. I only bought one, though, to see if I would even like it.

After opening the package and taking a bite, I couldn’t figure out why they tasted so plain. It says “Chicken Flavor” right on the front! Thank goodness the chat room pointed the way to the little packet of flavoring still inside the original package.

Dumping half of that in my mouth didn’t really make it taste like chicken, though. It just tasted like I licked a big block of salt. What’s up with that?

I don’t know what I’m doing wrong here, but I don’t think I’ll be crunching on these again any time soon.

Ramen Noodles for Bachelors

This is TheSlimJim’s submission for the HP Magic Giveaway. Feel free to leave comments for this article as you see fit – your feedback is certainly welcomed! If you’d like to submit your own how-to, what-is, or top-five list, you can send it to me. Views and opinions of this writer are not necessarily my own:

You know of them. I bet you have heard of the infamous 12-13 cent (or 10 cent if you skimp and go for the Wal-Mart brand) packet that is the staple of every college undergraduate’s diet. Those salty noodles have been stuffing my belly for years (and keeping me slim in the process), and in those years I have prepared Ramen a couple ways ranging from boiling it in a pot on a stove to boiling it in a butter bowl in the microwave. I have also flavored my Ramen in some various fashions from bouillon cubes to string cheese (which did not end up tasting good) to even Ranch dressing in Creamy Chicken flavored Ramen (oh, and I go for Maruchan, BTW, they haven’t failed me yet). The method I currently use is what I have been using for the past year with great results.

This method involves:

• 1 (or 2 if you’re hungry) Ramen Packet(s) (any flavor, I generally use beef)

• 1 Butter Bowl (a large bowl also works, but only if preparing one packet, and be sure it’s microwave safe)
• Water (I surely hope you can find this somewhere)
• Microwave (to actually cook the Ramen)

Now, on to the method:

1. Open the packet(s) of Ramen and lay the seasoning packet aside (if you have an extra packet that has dried veggies, you can just dump those, I imagine). If you are preparing two packets at one time, I would break the noodle block in half where the break is parallel to the direction the noodles lay.

2. Insert your noodle block(s) in the container. Hopefully this isn’t too hard. Because I use a butter bowl, I generally try to lay them in side by side so as to fit them all in the butter bowl.
3. Fill the container with water, but not to the brim. I generally fill it with water up to about an inch from the top of the butter bowl.
4. Place your container in your microwave and set it for 3 minutes on HIGH. This time may vary for you. One time it took me 9 minutes on an old microwave just to get the noodles aldente.
5. After it is done, turn the noodle block(s) and place back into the microwave for another 1 to 2 minutes to ensure that your noodles are cooked evenly.
6. When that is done, take the container out and drain the water off until the water is a little less than level with the noodles. I keep some of the water so that when I season it, I will have some soup left over after I’m done with the noodles.
7. Season the noodles with your seasoning packet(s) and mix thoroughly. If you want, you can experiment here (but only at your own risk!) and add steamed shrimp, chives, or whatever else you might want in it.

Once that is done, enjoy the frugal, sodium-laden noodle soup of joy!

How to Cook Ramen