Man oh man did I miss the dining center. One of my kind freshman buddies used a guest pass on me, and for that, I am eternally grateful. I hadn’t been there since the end of my freshman year. I’m happy to say it picked up right where it left off.

I am a huge fan of making food on the stove there. I made my specialty “Chicken Cordon Bleu” sandwich. (Not my specialty, I stole it from Grand Junction.) The ingredients are so simple yet so effective. All you need is two slices of ham and white cheese, chicken, honey mustard (even if you don’t like honey mustard, you’ll still want to include this) and a hoagie bun. I’m going to tell you how to make it so you guys can experience this delight for yourself.

Throw the ham on the stove, then throw down some olive oil and put the chicken on it. Flip the ham and chicken every so often until lightly browned. Then, start cutting up the ham and chicken with the spatula and mix them together. Pour the honey mustard on the pile of ham and chicken, and mix it together. You only need about a ramekin’s worth of honey mustard, so don’t overdo it.

Once you feel it’s mixed to perfection, put the pile in the shape of the bottom bun of the hoagie. Throw the two slices of cheese on top of the pile, and let it sit until the cheese is melted. Once melted, put the bottom bun on top of the pile and slide the spatula under the pile. Lift the pile with the spatula, and carefully flip it over on the plate. Some meat may fall out, so just place it back on. Throw on the top bun, and you got yourself a Chicken Cordon Bleu sandwich.

We went to West, so of course, I had to get a slice of pizza. I relied heavily on the pizza at West freshman year, perhaps a little too heavily. It’s not the best pizza, but it’s hot and ready (like Little Caesar’s), so you really can’t complain. And the best part about the whole thing, it’s all free (if you conveniently forget you already paid for it with a meal plan).

The one thing I took advantage of all the time was the ice cream machine. I managed to grab a cone before my departure from the dining center. One of the best things you can do with ice cream is also so simple yet so effective. You get a cone and fill it with vanilla ice cream. Then, migrate over to the cereal section and get a bowl of fruity pebbles. Don’t put milk in it. Simply dip your cone into the fruity pebbles and eat away. Once you eat all the fruity pebbles and there’s still ice cream left, keep dipping. It’s a nonstop process with so much flavor. Also so much sugar and potential diabetes, but everything in moderation is okay.

For drinks, one my personal favorites would have to be the milk. The milk stations are the hidden gems of the dining centers. You can drink as much milk as you want. However, don’t drink four cups at a time as I did once. You’ll just end up regretting it, and you might see it again later. I love mixing half chocolate and half 2 percent milk. To me, it gives me that perfect chocolaty taste with a little bit of refreshment. Straight chocolate milk can be a little overwhelming, where mixing it eliminates that altogether. Another refreshing beverage is the Brisk Raspberry Tea. If you’re really thirsty, but don’t feel like drinking water (although you probably should), get a glass of raspberry tea. It’s sweet, thirst quenching and can accompany almost any meal.

Being back in the dining center after such a long absence was just a dream come true. That place truly is heaven. It’s expensive, but heaven nonetheless. I hope I can get guest passes in the very near future so I can go back. If you have a meal plan and would guest pass me, hit me up, and if you fit the criteria I’ll take you up on your offer. (There are no criteria.) As cheap as making your own food is, it can’t compare to the greatness of the dining centers.