Ready, Set, Heat

 

I have been spoiled the last several years living close enough to my parents to have home cooked meals most nights of the week. Now they are retired and gallivanting around visiting family and friends, or chilling up in North Carolina, and I am left to fend for myself more often than not. I do enjoy cooking, trying out new things, and especially using the produce from my garden, but when I am deep in the trenches, working on a new book, there is little time to eat, much less stop and make a meal with fresh ingredients, so I end up eating lots of pre-made things.

 

I can’t deny I have eaten many a frozen dinner in my time, but lately those aren’t very appealing. They simply don’t have the same flavor and variety I grew accustomed to with mom so close by. Of course there are all the preservatives in those dinners to consider also. A couple weeks ago I came across a refrigerated Hormel roast dinner in Publix and decided to give it a shot since I had been craving a nice roast. After church I came home, popped the plastic dish in the microwave, and four minutes later I had dinner. Well, I had my entrée. It took a few more minutes to whip up some mashed potatoes.

 

The roast had a nice flavor and was extremely tender, just like if I had cooked it in the crockpot for several hours. The only drawback to this meal was the small amount in the packaging for the price. I was definitely paying for the convenience, and I would probably do so again, especially when I am deep in the weeds of editing. Fortunately, my parents are going to be in town for the next few weeks so I won’t have to fend for myself as I finish the first rounds of rewrites on my current work in progress. I’m looking forward to a wonderful dinner with fresh vegetables from the garden later this week.

 

What do you think about all of the pre-packaged meals available these days?

Dinner a couple weeks ago

 

Dinner with mom home

• Books
• Cooking
• Family