Computer Dinners

Posted: Mar 10, 08 7:18pm

I was just sitting here waiting for my "new!" Panini dinner to heat up in the microwave. It says "new" on the box, I guess to distinguish it from all the "old" Panini dinners out there on the market.

If you'd asked me a year ago what a panini was, I'd have shrugged and told you I didn't know.

I'm still not sure what a panini is, but in two and a half minutes it will be my dinner and I will probably eat it at the computer.(Don't laugh, you've done it!)

When I was choosing the frozen meal at the grocery store, it occurred to me how much frozen dinners have changed.

The names have gotten more complicated and they all seem to be divided into one of two catagories: Manly or Lite. I never know which one to go with. I almost never feel "manly", but sometimes I like a meal that actually has some substance and flavor. I'm not watching my weight or counting carbs, but sometimes I like something not too heavy.

I go both ways.

Remember the old foil dinners? They had simple names like "Turkey" or "salisbury Steak". The meat was processed, but it was processed in a way that retained the actual texture and flavor of the meat.

Everytime I bite into a meat pot pie today, I get perfect little squares of something that makes me feel like I'm chewing up Sponge Bob. It is faux meat of some kind and I suspect it is made from some petroleum based product.

I have happy memories of those square tinny meals and they remind me of the actual T.V. shows that we used to watch while we ate them.

One thing, however, has remained consistent. Despite the fact that I blow on each bite, I never fail to burn my tongue.

What do you remember about them?