Obviously not everything that comes out of my kitchen is homemade. Sometimes it’s not even semi-homemade. Case in point are the following items which I have been very liberally utilizing over the last month.
I find baking bread to be tedious. There I said it. I love bread. I love it slathered in real butter in all it’s fresh from the oven gloriousness, but I really just can’t be bothered to make it. Therefore 9 times out of 10 if I’m serving bread with a meal it’s “the cheating” kind. Lately I’ve been using these new Pillsbury individually frozen dinner rolls, loaves, and biscuits and they are seriously killer. The garlic dinner rolls are especially tasty with soups. Of course you can definitely tell that these items weren’t just baked from your grandmother’s oven, but they’re a quick and satisfying alternative for nights after work when the thought of stopping at the grocery store or bakery makes you want to drive the heel of your shoe straight through your head (or maybe that’s just how I feel at this time of the year).
Two weeks ago while shopping for holiday decorations at Target I came across Cranberry Bagels on an end aisle display. You could smell the fruit through the wrapper. These bagels were seriously calling my name so of course I had to buy them. Well after having eaten one for breakfast (with sensible whipped cream cheese — because these are definitely not diet food) almost everyday this week, I went back to Target and bought two more packages so that I could freeze them and hopefully continue to eat them throughout the holidays. I advise you to do the same. Everyone needs all the help they can get on Monday morning and these just might do the trick. They also have Cranberry Toasting Bread and English Muffins if that’s your sort of thing.
I also wanted to share with you an ideal quick lunch item for the office that I tried recently. Admittedly, I picked up Amy’s Veggie Loaf frozen dinner with a considerable amount of trepidation but even I get sick of her Pesto Pasta Bowl on occasion. It may look unappealing when you pop the tray into the microwave but it smells wonderful as it thaws and I was hooked after the first bite. Sometimes it really pays off to try new things. Now I’m searching for a recipe that I can make at home that will yield similar flavors and textures. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.