Day 17

I discovered a new skill today: Taking my pants off and putting them back on without undoing my belt. Yet, my other belt still doesn't fit. This is getting critical.

Also, I have been in a rotten mood today. If my bed wasn't up against the wall, thus rendering this impossible, I would say that I got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. As is, I'm not sure what to blame it on. It's not my, er-hem, womanliness. I'm not certain if it's just my body continuing to adapt to the new changes. It also could have been the half hour less of sleep I got since we decided on a 6:00am gym time instead of 6:30, like we have been doing. But whatever it is, I hope I can shake it fast. About two decades earlier in my life, this day would have been one that called for excessive kicking down and destroying of block towers and other temporary structures. As it stands, I had to find some other way to shake some of the grump. The way that I found today was a new blog/ comic/ thing that I discovered today. This post in particular had me almost doubled over, laughing. Check it out: http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com

In other news, Lean Cuisines were on an amazing sale this week, so we got a lot of them. Basically one of every kind. Growing up, I ate a whole lot of frozen food. Then, when I dieted as a teen, I practically lived off of frozen diet meals. I have a grave understanding of just how bad some frozen dinners can be. For the record, I despise Healthy Choice. I'd rather eat the container that most of their things come in than the actual product. Lean cuisine, on the other hand, has a higher standard. I've decided to review some Lean Cuisine meals, because I realize that some of ya'll would like to diet, but are super busy and afraid of the limited food options available to you. I have to give fair warning: These meals are reviewed by someone who is on a diet. I don't eat anything fried or greasy, and very few breaded things. I don't really know how to explain it, but things taste different when you're on a diet. It's like your taste buds lower their standards. So, if you are dieting, or planning on dieting, great!! These reviews are for you! However, if you just stopped by Wendy's for lunch and are casually perusing the frozen foods section for dinner, you may be disappointed.
And so, with no further ado, I bring you...

 Lean Cuisines that don't suck (and warnings of ones that really do)

Butternut Squash Ravioli: C+. I had high hopes for this one. It looked delicious! But, as I ate it, I couldn't help but feel that something was missing. I could never really put my finger on it, but as a whole I still felt unsatisfied when I finished this one. Probably not one I'll buy again.

Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes: D. I have a confession. I am a mashed potatoes purist. The best mashed potatoes are when the skin is left on and there are still a small scattering of tiny bits of potato in there. So, basically you don't just whip them to a paste and they definitely never, ever, ever have been dehydrated. The potatoes in this one were so bad that I had no idea whether they had ever been dehydrated or not, and they were very pasty. The meatloaf was mediocre, at best. This is not one I'd recommend to anyone other than a stray dog.

Enchiladas with Rice: B. This one is an old standby for me. It feels like a full meal. Even better, the creamy sauce on the enchilada makes it feel like I'm cheating. My only complaint on this one is that the "chicken" filling always looks slightly suspect, to me. But it tastes great, and I recommend it.






BBQ Chicken Pizza: A-. This is just about as good as frozen diet food gets!  I really love the taste on this one. When done correctly, the crust is the perfect texture. The chicken is not chewy, which is more than I can say for most frozen chicken. If you're going to try just one Lean Cuisine, for now this would be my suggestion.