Layers of flavor : part 4 (sometimes easy is... easier)

I'm well aware that this post may seem like an abomination to the from-scratch home cooks out there. I'm just not there yet. When I want to do something, my desire has to coincide with my willingness and ability. I'm a little high-maintenance when it comes to trying new things. These are some short cuts that make my life a little easier without making me feel like I'm poisoning anybody.

Ok - those Knorr rice & pasta sides are actually pretty delicious. Of course, they're not going to be on par with homemade, but frankly, homemade alfredo sauce makes me ill. It's too rich, too heavy. And this is coming from the girl who polished off an entire plate of biscuits & gravy from Sweet Laurette's on her birthday. So for us, making it from a mix is fast, cheap, and tasty. That brand often goes on sale for $1 each package, so we split it three ways with some chicken and veggies and end up saving some serious moolah. And that spicy peanut stuff in the center - ohmygoodness... so tasty. It's like thai shake & bake. Amazingly good.

I use instant rice and instant mashed potatoes. I've never cooked non-instant rice. The idea scares the living crap out of me. I just know I'd screw it up. Probably not the most positive outlook to be projecting out into the universe (hey universe! I'm incapable of cooking rice properly!), but whatever. Instant is quick, still full of all sorts of nutritious value, and they come in a wide variety of easy mixes (wild rice pilaf, brown rice, rice & pasta together, etc) that I can totally handle. And when making dinner is fairly simple and fun, I'm a lot less likely to say "eff it" and request that Seth bring home a take'n'bake pizza.

Layers of Flavor:

Part 1 - (the intro... or appetizer, if you will)
Part 2 - (breakfast, snacks and lunches)
Part 3 - (dinner construction zone)
Part 5 - (the run-down)