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Progress in civilization has been accomplished by progress in cookery. ~Fannie Farmer

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Imagine Organic Creamy Sweet Corn Soup

May 16, 2006 | Reviewer: Guest Reviewers

Price: $2.69
Serving: 1 cup, 8 fl. oz.
Calories: 120 per serving
Fat: 5%, 3g
Cholesterol: 0%, 0mg
Sodium: 19%, 450mg
Protein: 4g
Carbohydrates: 7%, 20g
Fiber: 12%, 3g
Sugar: 9g
Weight Watchers Points: 2

Imagine says: If you like the sweet, fresh flavor of just picked corn, you’ll love Imagine Creamy Sweet Corn Soup.

Veda says: The Imagine Organic Corn soup is a creamy blend of corn and mild spices. Much like the other Imagine soups, the flavor is pleasing and the consistency just right. However, I will say that this soup is best suited to be a side dish. Although it is somewhat filling, the mild taste leaves you wanting for something more substantial. I generally pair this soup with the Green Guru Samosas for a tastier and more filling meal. Whether eaten alone or paired with something else, Imagine’s Corn soup is tasty and fresh, but I prefer their Creamy Tomato Basil, any day.

Lean Cuisine Southwest-style Chicken Panini

May 16, 2006 | Reviewer: Abi

Price: $2.50 (on sale)
Serving: 1 sandwich, 6 oz.
Calories: 280
Fat: 11%, 7g
Sodium: 30%, 730mg
Protein: 20g
WW Points: 6 Winning Points
Diet Exchanges: 2 Lean Meat, 2 Starch

Lean Cuisine says: Strips of mesquite-seasoned white meat grilled chicken, grilled green peppers, diced tomatoes, onions and Monterey Jack cheese with a zesty Southwest sauce on sourdough bread

Abi says: While I was able to visually identify all of the aforementioned items, I would say that the overpowering taste in this meal is flavored chicken. Stop. I know you’re thinking about seasoned chicken right now. Seasoning and flavoring are NOT the same. Seasoned chicken is what you find in fajitas and on the box of Stove Top Stuffing. Imagine those seasonings! You can see the spices lovingly shaken across the chicken, gently caressed into the meat. Flavored chicken, on the other hand, looks like chicken (though Amy did point out that it was gray), yet has an otherworldly taste. In this case, the otherworld is a smokey, mesquite filled planet. I would call that planet Southweststyleland.

Tangent: I was at Macy’s the other day looking for a chocolate fountain when I came across a panini grill. Did you know that you can get a shoddily made panini press for about $40.00? Well, you can. You can also get a George Forman Grill for about $20.00. With the prevelance of George Forman Grills in America, why would anyone need to buy a panini press? We need more kitchen appliances that do double duty. Not just making relish and salsa in the same mini Cuisinart, but grinding coffee beans and making perfectly chunky guacamole too.

That said, these panini aren’t very good and do not become properly grilled, even on the revolutionary grilling tray included in the package. Yes, Lean Cuisine calls it a ‘Revolutionary’ grilling tray. It is currently impossible to correctly grill bread in the microwave. Yes, you can make the crust hard, but you will never be able to get perfect grill marks unless you follow the ridiculously complicated steps that Jess took in making a Chicken, Spinach, and Mushroom Panini.

Lean Cuisine Vegetable Eggroll

May 16, 2006 | Reviewer: Abi

Price: $3.19
Serving: 1 tray, 9 oz.
Calories: 310
Fat: 7%, 5g
Sodium: 26%, 640mg
Protein: 7g
WW Points: 6 Winning Points
Diet Exchanges: 3 Starch, 1 Fat, 1/2 other carbohydrate

Lean Cuisine says: Vegetable eggroll filled with a seasoned blend of cabbage, carrots, celery, and onions. Accompanied by an Oriental dipping sauce with orange and ginger accents, and a side of long grain rice with vegetables.

Abi says: While eating this meal, I pictured the Lean Cuisine scientists in their white coats creating new and inventively bland and/or horrifying sauces for these meals. They use Bunsen burners, which I know isn’t appropriate, but would be sort of cool.

“Dr. A, I have finally created the perfect hoisin sauce.”
“Lovely Dr. B, but will it satisfy our consumers across the United States?”
“Yes, as I said not thirty seconds ago, this is the PERFECT sauce!”
“This tastes like sugar only and will confuse anyone who has ever tasted real hoisin.”
“You’re right Dr. A. I shall add the slightest hint of ginger and a splash of orange juice concentrate to make up for the complete lack of flavor in this sauce.”
“I can’t taste any ginger in here.”
“Yes, that is exactly the point! Now we can call it ‘Asian-style Orange Ginger Dipping Sauce’!”
“Brilliant!”
“Brilliant!”

Yes, I picture the Guinness guys making Lean Cuisine meals.

While the egg roll is mushy, this meal has the finest rice to ever come with a Lean Cuisine meal EVER. It is lovely white rice full of carrot shreds, peas, and diced bell pepper (or something else that is also red and a little mushy).

Stouffer’s Macaroni and Cheese

May 12, 2006 | Reviewer: Guest Reviewers

Price: $2.50 (sale)
Serving: 1/2 tray, 6 oz.
Calories: 350
Fat: 17%, 26g
Sodium: 38%, 920mg
Protein: 15g
Calcium: 30%

Stouffer’s says: Al dente macaroni in a creamy, sharp cheddar cheese sauce.

Colleen says: As far as macaroni and cheese goes, this is perhaps as good as it gets for frozen or packaged versions. Unlike Kraft macaroni and cheese, which is relatively flavorless and made from powdered cheese, Stouffers’ version is pretty darn close to home made. Of course with better taste comes more fat and calories, but I would be willing to make that sacrifice again.

The noodles could stand to be a bit firmer, but they stay intact even after re-heating and do not mush in your mouth. The most important part of the dish –the cheese part of course– is a nice creamy sauce and there’s certainly plenty of it! Although the cheese sauce could stand a dash of salt to spice it up, it is a quite tasty cheddar-flavored, just-creamy-enough sauce.

Word to the wise: make sure to keep the macaroni and cheese hot while you eat it because for some reason or another, the taste changes as it cools down. I can’t begin to explain the mystery of why microwave macaroni and cheese requires a specific temperature in order to maintain its homestyle flavor, so just trust me and re-heat if necessary.