tisha - i have tried healthy choice, wasnt too happy with them but i never had the lean cuisine. stouffers and hungry man are okay tho. thanks for the link to hormel. i will have to give those a shot. susy - i dont know how you do it. you are the busiest person i know and still have time to look so good! it is plain not fair! LOL, i have tried those "just meats" your talking about and that is exactly what i got, too. 4 slices of turkey and tons of greasy, yuky gravy. have you tried the prepared meats in the meat section? now they arent too bad. i got a rolled pork honey mustard roast already that was pretty tasty. that was an easy meal. just shove it in the oven with some potatoes and a pot of corn. i made it so much we sort of got sick of it... i do cook larger roasts and than freeze some for another meal, meldy. trouble is that doesnt happen to often in this house. i like making stews and pot pies in the winter, but i am not a fan of left overs. hub likes them, so nothing goes to waste but like you said, who wants to eat stew all week? mj, i bet you are like me in that you could make a meal out of raw veggies and fruit? when hub works late i just love it. i dont have to cook ( even frozen meals) and i can make a meal out of a piece of cheese, some crackers and a bowl of blueberries. there is certainly a lot of votes for lean cuisine. i must try some. we arent talking diet meals here now are we? because i surely am not on one nor do i worry too much about my salt intake ( maybe i should?) so the meals dont have to be 'special diet" meals. i agree tho, that the portions arent big enough for me in any meal that is in the frozen section. i have to laugh at those 'family' size meals that say serves 4 or so. ha! that just about feeds hub! the deli chicken at wally world is tops and we get one of those about 2 a month. it is lovely with rice and a veggie. marie calendar is one of our favs too, gabriell. it sounds as tho you have the same problems i have. there are days when my back plain up and refuses to allow me to cook. those days hub has to fend for himself. geez, dare i say i dont iron either? g

Tom, "John, are you using the white bags? I'd be concerned about the dyes and chemicals in the other colors.... " Good point. Heres what they (Greenbag Inc) say... "Is made from non-toxic, non-corrosive materials and safe color-fast dyes". I'm interested in these for several reasons, drainage, cooling and cost. I know they drain well, I don't think you could ever fill one with a garden hose. The upside down tomato bag I tried last spring stayed cool and it was black. The ones from Publix are a buck and I hear W mart's are cheaper. So I'll give it a try. john

Just another idea. If a cold chicken salad would be okay, this one is fabulous! Chicken Salad Ina Garten (posted 8/09 by Annova) 2 split (1 whole) chicken breasts, bone in, skin on (1-1/2 lbs) Good olive oil Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup pecan halves 1/2 cup walnut halves 1/2 cup good mayonnaise 1/2 cup sour cream 1 Tbsp chopped fresh tarragon leaves, divided 1 cup green grapes, cut in 1/2 Lettuce leaves, for serving Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place chicken breasts, skin side up, on a baking sheet and rub them with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35-40 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Set aside until cool. When the chicken is cool, remove meat from the bones and discard the skin and bones. Cut the chicken into a 3/4" dice. Meanwhile, place the pecans and walnuts on a separate sheet pan and toast in the oven for 7 to 8 minutes until golden. Set aside to cool. For the dressing, mix together the mayonnaise, sour cream, 2 teaspoons* salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Fold in half the chopped tarragon leaves. Place the diced chicken in a bowl, add the pecans, walnuts and grapes. Pour the dressing over the chicken and toss well. Sprinkle the remaining chopped taragon leaves on top and serve on a bed of lettuce leaves. Annova's note: *Be careful with the salt. Some people think this is way too much. I added whatever I thought I needed as I went along. Linda

New Potato, Chicken & Apple Salad Use leftover chicken or broil/roast chicken parts You want about equal parts of chicken & potatoes. I generally make this salad when I have leftover pan roasted new potatoes from the night before. Melt 4 T of butter in a heavy bottomed sauce pan over a med-high heat & add 1-2 lbs small red potatoes, and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Cover the pot and shake it around so the potatoes are coated with butter, and reduce the heat. Simmer the potatoes for about 20 minutes (depending on their size), then let them sit off the heat, still covered for another 5 minutes. This sort of "sets" them somehow. If you aren't sure after the 20 minutes, test one with a trussing skewer or other very thin, piercing instrument. They should be easy to pierce through, but not quite ready to eat, as they'll still cook more. Toss the potatoes with 2 or 3 T of minced fresh herbs of your choice. I like chives & marjoram with a tiny bit of rosemary. Chop a large, crisp apple into thick matchsticks and put into a bowl of salted water to prevent browning. Now, cut the cooled potatoes into halves if they're small, quarters if they're larger, and chop the chicken meat into pieces slightly smaller than the potatoes. Toss the potatoes, chicken & apples with your favorite creamy dressing, and garnish with your choice of chopped green onions, toasted, coarsely chopped cashews, chopped dried fruit of some kind or shelled pistachios. My favorite dressing for this (though ranch is also very good) is a sort of variation on Thousand I guess, that my mother used to make: Mom's Dressing 2 c mayo 1/2 c ketchup 1/4 c Worcestershire 1 T grated garlic 2 t lemon juice 1/2 t black pepper 1/2 t powdered onion 1 T honey 1 t each dried savory, parsley, & basil Mix all ingredients well. It should sit for at least a couple of hours in the fridge so the garlic won't be "hot" and the flavors of the dried herbs can develop, but if it can sit for longer, like all day, it's better.