It was such a wonderful dream. The boy could almost taste the roastbeef on his platter. He awoke from his sleep ravenous. He shuffled into the kitchen and made a beeline for the fridge. He expectantly opened the refrigerator door and stood staring for a moment...or two. He shut the door, then opened it again:
Bummer.
Impatiently, he closed the refrigerator door and turned his hopes to the cabinets.
Things didn't get much better:
He had one last chance. The cabinet above the microwave:
Things were going from bad to worse. His mother was in the next room, folding laundry...holding her
breath. She knew what was coming. Starving teens and sparse cabinets don't mix.
"There's nothing to eat!" he complained. "Why can't we be like normal people and have something I can just throw in the microwave?"
"Well, now. I am so glad you asked. I have a potato casserole cooking in the oven. We'll discuss this over lunch."
****************ANATOMY OF A MEAL********************
POTATOES AND SAUSAGE GRATIN (prepared at home, Feeds Ten) : @ $.25 per serving
vs.
MARIE CALLENDER FROZEN ENTREE (store bought, feeds one): @ $ 3.50 per serving
*********************************************************************************
If the price difference isn't enough to convince anyone, how about the taste?Check out the reviews on amazon for frozen dinners. Not to mention, frozen dinners from Amazon?
And what about the danger of recalls...they're all over the place. Isn't it a good feeling to know where your food is coming from?
I'm not saying we never eat convenience foods. My kids have eaten their share of frozen pizzas, etc... We are not as "pure" as I would like to be. For the most part, however, we try to make as much from scratch as possible.
For those of you thinking, "But who has time to spend all day in the kitchen?" Eating from scratch does not have to be time-consuming. Try peanut butter spread on whole wheat bread (or almond butter, as a friend of mine recently suggested). There are always baked potatoes with a little cheese sprinkled on top, and fruits like bananas! Another fun option for homemade goodies is to create Monkey Platters (credit Sandra Dodd). You just get a variety of healthy snack foods and place them appealingly on a plate or tray. These are especially fun for little kids!
The story of the boy and his mother has a happy ending. The boy devoured his lunch, learned a little about nutrition and home economics, and even thanked his mom for the "good food" as he walked out the door.
Mission Accomplished!
