In-Dorm Improviser

Abby Miller  

We all know that in college, especially in a big town like Ann Arbor, it’s hard to find a way (or the time) to get to the grocery store to make our favorite meals. Because of this, us in-dorm chefs have to find all the handy alternatives we can, so that we can find food in between the visits from our thankfully car-endowed parents. Here’s a guide to making one simple, very attainable item go a very long way.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: “I have all the ramen and Easy Mac I need until my parents visit in three weeks!”, but is that really how you want your college dining experience to be? In between the fattening trips to East Quad, your stomach grumbles should be soothed not by liquid sodium heated in your microwave, but by something with at least a little substance. For starters, we all wish we could just grab a loaf of bread at the store every week, I know you’re missing grilled cheese, pb&j, toast, and sandwiches. So here’s a trick that not many people know about; Jimmy John’s will sell you a loaf of their bread for a mere $0.50! It’s not only a perfect cabinet staple, but at the perfect college student price.

You’re intrigued now, I can tell - you’re thinking “alright, well… now I have this bread, great. But what can I do with it? I can’t exactly stick my easy-mac on it to create a gourmet meal?” You’re right - you can’t, but I’ll bet you have many other simple things in your stash of food that can help you amp up that wonderful loaf of bread. For you tea drinkers - look around! I bet you have a container of honey sitting right near that Keurig… Am I right? Now, take that honey and spread a little on your bread. Right there you have an absolutely delicious concoction; but wait that’s not all! If you don’t have peanut butter, one of the people in your immediate radius definitely has some; smear some of that on the bread too, and grab a banana from the dining hall and voila! You now have a home-kitchen worthy sandwich right in your dorm room!

“What else can I do with this bread?” you might ask? All it takes is simply looking around! Eat some with that microwave soup you have, the Nutella sitting on your shelf, find someone with some hummus and use it like pita bread, or get some microwave bacon and make yourself a breakfast sandwich!

Whatever the use, I know you’ll do something great with it, and remember to be creative! One 50 cent loaf of bread can open up a world of opportunities in your in-dorm kitchen!