Why cook?

People want to know why I bother to cook. I tell them because I like to eat and don't like chain restaurants or prepared foods from the freezer section. Well, I forgot my own preferences and capitulated in the frozen foods aisle of Harris Teeter yesterday afternoon. I was hungry and Larry is out of town so I didn't have anybody to cook for.

I looked at the gorgeous photos on the frozen entrees and forgot that they most assuredly do NOT look like that on my dinner plate. I bought a nice asian bourbon chicken entree in a cute chinese takeout box. I did my usual add-ons, since there is never enough vegetables in these dinners. I put in more brocolli and some shredded carrot. Even steamed some fresh rice. Even with the add-ons it was pretty bad. Not sure what they do to the chicken in these frozen entrees, but it is pretty sad.

I should have thawed a Schwann's chicken breast (individually shrinkwrapped), chopped it up and stir fried it with some of my brocolli and carrots and onions and squeezed in some hoisin and soy sauce and it would have been wonderful with my steamed jasmine rice!

So NOW I remember why I never buy the name brand frozen entrees in the grocery store. My exception is anything Trader Joe's sells.