Publix was having a great sale on Birds Eye vegetables the week after we returned home from Paris. The products were 50% off, which is the equivalent of buy one, get one free. I often take advantage of these sales to try and review a new product.
In this case, I rationalized my purchase by saying I would be too jet-lagged to prepare lunches on my way to work. I reached for brussel sprouts, but quickly realized they had bacon bits in them. Instead, I purchased two "Steam and Serve" bowls--Asian Vegetables with Cashews and Spring Vegetables in a Citrus sauce. At $1.44 each, I knew the reasonable price would be worth taking the chance. After all, I can't buy any other full meal for that price. Both one-dish meals went from freezer to microwave and were ready to eat after 6 minutes of little microwave power. (The quality of the microwave at work should always be considered when preparing lunches.) The covers on both bowls pealed away easily without burning my hand or splattering my front. This in and of itself is success!
The Asian Vegetables were green beans, bok choy, carrots, and bell peppers. I thought the bowl of veggies and noodles was actually good, but was sorry to read that the ingredient list contained high fructose corn syrup (guess I should have read that in the store). I struggled with the additive and figured that it must have had something to do with the ginger flavoring. Still, I would rather make a bowl of veggies at home with less additives and pack it for my lunch instead. I would only be inclined to purchase the vegetable bowl again if it were on sale andif I knew all my time would be too limited to make foods from scratch.
The Spring Vegetables were carrots, onions, asparagus, and sugar snap peas. I found the sauce to be nearly tasteless and didn't like the carrots at all. However, the asparagus cooked very well, and I enjoyed them with the pearl onions very much. I did end up dumping out 1/3 of this lunch, which is rare as I hate to waste food. I don't expect to ever purchase this bowl again.
