What's For Dinner? Fantasy vs. Reality Edition

Cute food is a cuisine unto itself. For some reason I find myself drawn to it—even though in reality I consider it a successful dinner if I manage to get a bowl of pasta on the table. Yet, I still file stuff like the following away, because I feel that the moment may come when I'm called upon to create something adorable like bread girls.

Or maybe hot dog (at least that's what I think they are) octopi?

There are plenty more where these came from right here. But let's take a look at the other end of the dinner spectrum. I'm talking frozen food.

I almost never make it even though I long to (especially when I walk through the frozen food section of my local organic food market Back to The Money Machine Land). But who knows what it's going to taste like? It makes me too nervous. But no longer! Check out Heat Eat Review a site devoted to reviewing frozen meals! The one pictured above didn't fare that well but there are some five star picks from surprising sources.

Thanks to Coudal for both of these links.

Comments

[Annie]

I love my parents magazine for leading me to this blog! Those bread girls are the cutest, and the perfect addition for my daughter's birthday tea party in October! Thanks :)

Frozen meals? I doubt I can be convinced that any frozen meal, even organic, could taste better than the box in which it came.

[Amy H]

I always thought about the snack ideas in Parents: "Anyone who has that kind of time and money to waste on making "special" snacks so their kids will eat are just crazy! It kind of fed the idea that finds its way into my brain that SAHM's have ginormous amounts of free time.

Then I saw a letter to the editor from a PRESCHOOL teacher thanking you for all the fun snack ideas that she can do with the kids.

"A-ha!"

Anyway, not that you knew that I thought that to begin with, I still felt guilty for thinking it.

Now, about what you actually POSTED: I've been wanting to try the Kashi pizzas for a while. I have become a "diet frozen pizza" junkie (until they took away my freezer here at work -YES I am looking for a new job! haha). I think Lean Cuisine makes some pretty decent ones, being that you are microwaving them. My absolute fave is the magharita. I also tried South Beach's Chicken pizza. The wheat crust was a little sweet, but overall it was pretty darn good. Frozen food isn't that bad when it's all you really have to eat! (Now, I eat PB&J's every day. And oddly lost four pounds. Maybe I should hold out a little longer.)

[RyLa's Mom]

So - I saw something similar to the Octopi in Taste of Home a few years ago - I tried it on my 3 year old, with some lightly tinted green ramen noodles "seaweed". He was so totally grossed out and wouldn't even go near his food. I gave him a hot dog on his plate with plain noodles - he was fine. Something about the hotdog having eyes, or the noodles being green completely freaked him out!

[Melanie]

Oh yes, we SAHMs have tons of free time. NOT. @@@@@@