Ramen! Everybody loves those packages of instant ramen noodles. Well, not everybody. I'm sure there's a few picky eaters out there who are blind to the myriad charms of ramen. But for the rest of us, there's just something irresistible about those squiggly little curly noodles in that briny broth.

Sure, you could heat up some water, toss in that flavor pack, and enjoy your ramen straight-up. But consider all the other places you can take that noodle package. Here are 11 tasty twists on instant ramen.

Would you believe -- there's a mayor on food stamps? Well there isn't, that we know of. But there is a mayor who's willing to live like he's on food stamps. Cory Booker of Newark, New Jersey has started a "food stamp challenge." For one week he will spend only $30 on groceries, nearly the equivalent of what New Jersey residents get if they qualify for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

No eating out for Mayor Booker, that's cheating. And no meat, either -- he's a vegetarian. So the big question is: What is he eating? I think it might actually be easier to eat for $30 a week if you're avoiding meat.  

Here it comes, you guys. Cold Season. I can see it now, hovering at the horizon like the hideous beast that it is. But you know what? I'm not afraid of you, Cold Season! I've got my weapons of mass sniffles destruction, and I'm not afraid to use them. I've got: Tasty foods and drinks for colds.

Besides chicken noodle soup, that is.

Yes, there is life beyond chicken noodle soup, love it though we do. There's a lot of other foods and drinks that can help knock out a cold. And, if I may be so bold, I think some of these are even more powerful than chicken noodle soup. Of course, there's no cure for the common cold. These are more about soothing and helping to shorten your illness. But here are a few of my favorites -- with recipes.

I don't know about you, but when it comes to a favorite time of year to eat breakfast, mine is fall. Call me lame, but the options are just SO much better. Just thinking of the warm, nutty flavor of maple cinnamon oatmeal gives me goosebumps. Oh! And even better -- the delicious taste of pumpkin coffee makes me want to instantaneously go outside and jump in a pile of leaves and carve a pumpkin all at once.

Just trust me on this one. Check out 6 great ways to bring fall to your breakfast table:

When it comes to dinner, I have an evil twin. The "good" me believes in cooking whole foods from scratch, every damn night. Then we sit around the table and eat like civilized people with cloth napkins and conversation and everything.

But a few nights a week my evil twin comes home from work with something different in mind. She's tired. She's hungry. She's late. No time for "real" cooking -- I've got to whip up something fast. But I hate craptastic "processed" food because it tastes like genetically-modified iguana tears and will give me cancer/diabetes/gas/a bad disposition.

Except for my arsenal of super-duper, surprisingly-nutritious, not-craptastic secret weapons! Here are some evil-twin ready-made meals that even the "good" me approves of.

Ah, first dates. The excitement and the hope. The terror and the tragedy! Ha, just kidding. First dates rock, don't they? Yeah, right. Let's face it, they're nerve-wracking, and if they don't go well, they can have you fleeing the scene prematurely, vowing to enter a convent. That's why it's important to keep some first date rules in place: Don't get too wrapped up in their outcome. Keep them light and breezy. And, of course, if your first date will be over some nosh, pick a restaurant that's less likely to send the date cartwheeling into a frenzy of crashed expectations, post-traumatic relationship flashbacks, and refried bean breath.

Here are five types of restaurants you want to avoid on your first date.

We're a little bit obsessed with mangoes at my home. I mean the fruit, of course. While other families buy apples and bananas every week, I make sure we always have a supply of mangoes on hand. We usually just eat them cut up into chunks. But there are so many other things you can do with them.

Even though it's not exactly in season where I live (EVER), I still think of it as a summery fruit. Maybe it's that tartness, and how perfect it tastes even when it's just raw. So here are our seven mango ideas! And remember, we've already shown you the best way to cut up a mango.

Summertime! It's hotter than Satan's breath around here, but at least we have corn. Fresh cobs of sweet, juicy corn. And if you love picking stuff out of your teeth as much as I do, then corn on the cob is on the menu -- today and every day. But! That's not your only option. There are so many other delicious ways to eat fresh corn. Here are six tasty ways to enjoy the golden nibblets of summer.