Dine on a dime

I hate UB meal plans. I really do.

It's time for some real food. But unless you buy ingredients from the Elli or CVS with Campus Cash, you need to spend real money. And that frustrates me more than the meal plan.

If you collect the staple ingredients and condiments from your local dining hall/campus shop, you and three friends can have the comforts of home instantly for under $15. Why wait until Thanksgiving to have some good fall eats? Get cookin', good lookin'.

Pumpkin soup: $12.51

a 8 ounces canned pumpkin ($2.19)

a 1 yellow onion, chopped ($1.50)

a 1 cup vegetable broth ($1.33)

a 1 cup milk

a 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg ($4.99)

a 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon ($2.50)

a 3/4 cup water

This is one of the easiest things to make - all you have to do is heat everything up. Heat the onion in the 1/4 water until it becomes tender. Add the remaining water, pumpkin, broth and spices. Boil it all together and then let it simmer for five minutes. Stir in the milk and cook until it's back at the desired temperature. Serve.

Spaghetti squash: $6.04

a 1 small spaghetti squash ($2.39)

a 2 tablespoons of butter

a 2 cloves garlic, minced ($0.33each)

a 1/4 shredded parmesan cheese ($2.99)

a 1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 375degrees Fahrenheit. Pierce the spaghetti squash a few times with a fork to make air holes. Bake it for 45 minutes or until the outside is soft enough to cut easily. Cut the spaghetti squash lengthwise, and use a fork to scrape out the insides into spaghetti-like strands. Heat the garlic and butter in a saucepan until it is ready to be tossed with the spaghetti squash. Mix in the Parmesan cheese. Serve.

Twice-baked sweet potato: $15.62

a 4 sweet potatoes ($0.99 each)

a 2 teaspoons oil ($3.99)

a 3 ounces cream cheese ($2.89 for a package of 8 ounces)

a 2 teaspoons butter

a 2 tablespoons brown sugar ($1.79)

a 1 tablespoon vanilla extract ($2.99)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Rub the potatoes in oil and wrap in tin foil. Bake them for one hour. Combine the cream cheese, brown sugar, margarine and vanilla extract. Cut the potatoes in half and scoop out the insides. Mix the ingredients and potato insides, and put it all back in the skins. Bake them for five minutes. Serve.

Email: rachelra@buffalo.edu