BritGuyTN

this stuff is what marks and sparks pioneered.

its great for single people who don't have the time or inclination to prepare/cook etc

TruBrit

snap! my Gran used to say exactly the same but she always had a little glint in her eye and i wonder to this day if she was referring to just food

Belinda-wales

Its difficult I try to give my boys healthy as possible so I cook some stuff from fresh and use the best ofthe other stuff- anyway you will eat out so much and who hell knowes whats in that!

cindyabs

The best one here is Bob Evan's brand.

NC Penguin

If you actually looked at the packaging on foods, you'll see the expiry code/date.

bevinva

There are days I cook from scratch and days I manage to burn boxed pizza. My youngest son says he'll take the burnt pizza because the other days make up for it. He is the only one in the house that actually pumps his fist in the air and says "Yes!!" when the meal fits his mood.

The more I hear about Trader Joes the more I want one here, do they have really good strong coffee beans too?

Emma M

LOL, no it isn't you, I think the same. It's sheer laziness, isn't it?

Emma M

I don't think many grannies meant food... damn... and there was me getting fat...

kins

Every so often I think about buying a packet mix of something - I thought about buying some stuffing the other day. A quick look at the ingredients soon has me putting the box back on the shelf.

I actually think we've eaten better since we've been in the US because I don't buy pre-packaged meals.

They say for a healthier diet buy stuff from round the edges of supermarkets and avoid the aisles in the middle.

I do however really like the brown rice that cooks in 5 minutes...

zargof

The secret is to take it out of the box first...

effi

A lot of people are allergic to egg yolks, hence the egg whites in a box. Actually they are quite good and save having to throw the yolk away from an egg with a shell.

effi

We have a couple of new Fresh & Easy stores just opened about 5 mins from my house. Went to one on Sat and I thought it was good, reminded me a bit of Marks & Sparks, the food (applies mostly to fruit and veg)is pre-packaged. Got talking to the manager, a Brit and he said that within the next couple of months that the British stuff will be populating the stores. Right now I get my tbags and choc at World Market, but he says that his stuff will be way cheaper, we shall see. I was impressed though and I thought it was cheap, he gave me a bunch of $5 off coupons.

snowbunny

Lazy?

We're worked to death here. The last thing I want to do when I get home is.... anything other than sit like a zombie, and I speak for my Dutch husband as well. He's the one that has actually worked in a country where employees are treated decently.

I used to love to cook and have the cookbooks and kit to prove it, but any love of it has been beaten out of me by sheer exhaustion. On the weekends we're busy doing everything that we can't get done during the week.

I've been keeping up with the garden more lately, but only just.

bevinva

Sometimes eating the box would taste better.

cindyabs

The lazy thing I'm sure wasn't meant as accusatory, although I did think of the old walk in someone else's moccasins cliche.... But like you and Kathy ,I too don't feel like plunging into a "from scratch" preparation at 730 at night. When I make an effort to organize myself a crockpot is my friend.