For students living on campus, the dining meal plan is the main way to get food. But with cheap food and the option of using Dining Plus, many students find themselves with much more than they actually need.
With the Spring Semester ending in three weeks, many students may want to use up that extra money. Lucas Miller, manager of menu development, said there are several things that students can do to get the most bang for their buck.
Miller said that many students find themselves with extra money in their accounts at the end of the year.
For Dining Plus, Miller said students can ask a cashier to tell them their balance so that they know how much is left in their account. He said that at the end of the Spring Semester, dining facilities will usually sell items by the case.
"This way [if] a student has a large balance left, they can purchase their favorite items in bulk so they don't end up with remaining money in their account," he said.
In order to spend their meal plan, many students will buy snack items that end up accumulating and take up space. To combat this, Miller said students should buy things that can be combined. The Boar's Head at the Atrium sells meats and cheese by the pound and they also sell whole loaves of bread, so students can make sandwiches anytime they feel like it. Woodworth Dining also sells loaves of bread and peanut butter that students can use to make a variety of combinations, including peanut butter and jelly, peanut butter and banana or even peanut butter and honey sandwiches.
Fruit cups, canned fruit, granola and dried fruits can be mixed with yogurts to make a parfait, Miller said. The fruit and veggie cups can be used to make trays that can be served with dip.
"Try mixing cream cheese with ranch dressing or peanut butter for your celery," he said.
Miller said the cake mix sold on campus is very versatile. After the cake batter is made, Miller said many other things can be added to the mix. Strawberry jelly and Fruit Loops cereal were just some of his suggestions. It can then be topped with granola or a nut mix when it is done.
Another versatile mix the school sells is pancake mix. Using fresh fruit or adding granola can boost the quality of their breakfast.
These are only a few things that students can do to use up that extra money. For some more ideas, check out the recipes suggested by Miller and chef Jason Reynolds.
Twinkie Napoleon by chef Jason Reynolds
1 pack potato chips
1 Twinkie
Cut open Twinkie, remove cream filling and put in fridge. Knead each Twinkie cake slice until it forms a doughy ball. Divide into two. Roll out one dough ball into a thin layer. Crush all but a few potato chips into fine powder. Cover first Twinkie dough layer with a fine layer of crushed potato chip. Repeat and layer on top of each other to form a layer-cake until Twinkie dough runs out. Cut layers into two even rectangular pieces. Take Twinkie cream out of fridge and cover one side with a thin layer of cream. Top with other cut side so a layered cake is formed. Cover with remaining cream. Top with whole potato chips. Serve immediately.
Truffle Berry Surprise by chef Jason Reynolds
2 Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
1 Fruit Roll-Up
1 pack potato chips
Remove Reese's Peanut Butter Cups from packaging and knead into balls. Crush potato chips into fine powder. Unroll Fruit Roll-Up and cut in half. Place one Reese's ball in center of one half Fruit Roll-Up. Sprinkle small amount of potato chip powder on top of Reese's ball. Fold up corners of Fruit Roll-Up to meet in center and form dumpling shape. Repeat as necessary.
Pop-Tart Ice Cream Sandwich by Lucas Miller
2 Pop-Tarts
Ice cream
Chocolate sauce
Take two of your favorite Pop-Tart flavors, your favorite ice cream and chocolate sauce. Put the ice cream in between the Pop-Tarts and add some chocolate sauce. Squish it together like a sandwich. The trick is to put it back in the freezer for at least an hour so the ice cream can harden.
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