Ramen Noodle Spoodle

For lunch I eat a lot of things, but recently I have been eating a lot of Ramen Noodles. To be more specific, I am eating more "Smack Cup Ramen". You know, the ramen noodles in a styrofoam cup that you can add boiling water. I found them at Wal-Mart for around $0.35.
I'm glad to have found a cheap lunch, and I'm pretty particular about the flavors. I'm allergic to shrimp, so that eliminates a few flavors. I don't care for the Wal-Mart off brand, either. Too much salt. The Smack ramen, the Union Foods brand, is my favorite.



Here's my list of flavors and my ratings:

http://www.unionfoods.com/

Beef: Bland. Not fun eating.
Chicken: Ok. Needs some extra flavor. Not enough meat.
Shrimp: Allergic, never had -- not really want to either. Probably would die.
Hot & Spicy: Okay. Not spicy enough, though.
Vegetable Beef: How is this different than the Beef, other than an extra teaspoon of carrots?
Cajun Chicken: See note below.
Chili with Beans: Had once. Never again. Bad gas and heartburn.
Picante Shrimp: See Shrimp.
Creamy Chicken: Nope. Bad aftertaste on creamy stuff. Not worth the 33 cents I paid.
Spicy Chicken: See note below.

The Spicy Chicken and Cajun Chicken are so close in my rankings I couldn't separate the two. While the Cajun Chicken is a tad spicier, the tastes are very similar. I mean, if I had a blindfolded test, I probably couldn't tell the difference other than the spicy factor.

I would give anyone these following tips when eating these:

1. Use very HOT water. It will make the dry goods hydrate faster and be ready faster. Sip as it cools.
2. When opening, don't pull the lid all the way off. Instead, pull it halfway, put in the water, then push it back onto the top.
3. Put something on top of the lid (CD case, wallet, stapler) heavy enough to hold the steam and heat in. This will make the food 'cook' faster.
4. Lastly, if you are using a microwave to heat your water, use a coffee cup full of water. This is a good measuring cup. Just be careful in pouring in the water.

Enough about Ramen. Just be warned that if you eat the Cup variety, you'll never want that other kind. This variety isn't as salty, oily and has both meat and veggies to nibble.

That's my lunch. I sometimes eat crackers with it, maybe even some chips. This isn't enough to make you full.