Finding time to cook in our busy lives is challenging. Not to mention food is not cheap, and some of us (me) have struggles with cooking. After a year of living in the dorms and two more years out on my own as an "adult," ramen noodles are pretty much a food group in my diet. Throughout these years I have discovered some crafty ways to make different meals out of Ramen and I wanted to share.

Sunday: Ramenoodle

Basically, all this is doing is combining Ramen noodles with chicken noodle soup. This is perfect if you are sick or it is just a cold day. I usually use a can of chicken broth, the chicken Ramen, carrots, and of course chicken. Begin making the Ramen as you usually would, and then heat up the chicken broth and carrots in separate saucepan. Cut up the chicken and fry in pan. Once the noodles are almost done, add the seasoning so the noodles will absorb the flavor. Once they are done I recommend draining half to most of the water, and then dump the noodles into the broth. Add the chicken, and your dinner is ready.

Monday: Stir-fry Ramen

This is probably one of the easiest things to do with Ramen. Fry up some chicken, beef or shrimp in separate skillet with the vegetables of your choosing. I usually just match the meat to the seasoning packet, but feel free to mix and match. Cook the noodles in separate pot, drain the water and then toss it in the skillet with the meat and veggies for a few minutes. Add soy sauce to taste (or don’t if you are into that) and it's ready to go. Adding these things make it more filling and it will feel like an actual meal.

Tuesday: Ram and Cheese

I was browsing different articles when I stumbled across this one. I have yet to try it myself but how can anything involving mac and cheese go wrong? You will need a cheese of your choosing, milk, cornstarch and of course ramen noodles. Basically, you shred the cheese (or just buy shredded cheese—which is what I would I do), and then mix it with the cornstarch in a bowl. Next, combine it with the milk in a saucepan. Make the Ramen noodles separate and then once everything is done mix it together. For more information click “Ram and Cheese” to go to the link.

Wednesday: Ramanese

This one was my attempt at making lo-mien noodles without having to actually buy Chinese food and it actually did not turn out that bad. Make the noodles as per norm but do not add the seasoning packet. Once the noodles are done mix in a skillet with some water or an oil of your choosing. I recommend peanut or sesame. Add some teriyaki sauce, and cabbage then cook long enough for everything mix together. Honestly, it does not really taste like lo-mien at all, but it is still pretty good.

Thursday: Ramaghetti

Special shout out to my friend, Sam, who came up with this idea. After many nights of eating Ramen in the dorms, we started getting creative. All you have to do is cook the noodles as you would normally, but make sure you do not add the seasoning. Once the noodles are cooked, drain all the water out and add whatever spaghetti sauce you want. I have been told that this also works with Alfredo sauce, if you want to give that a try too.

Friday: The Normal Way

So this is not crafty at all, but no one is trying to put too much effort into dinner on a Friday evening. Especially after a long week of sitting through class, work or both. Just boil some water and make Ramen the normal way. You now have a quick and easy dinner.

Saturday: Noodle Chicken Salad

Lately, I have been trying to eat healthier, but as many of you know, it can be a challenge. On my quest to find ideas for a healthier meal on a budget I found this recipe for Ramen Salad. I would like to note that I have not tried this yet, but I thought it sounded good. From my understanding, it's basic salad stuff with Ramen added to it. For the full list of ingredients and preparation instructions, click “Noodle Chicken Salad.”