I thought I had something interesting to tell you, and then I got here with my coffee and spent some time checking email and Facebook and Twitter, and now my mind is just blank.
(Sort-of spoilers for the movie Frozen in this paragraph.) This wasn’t the thing I was thinking of, but Paul watched Frozen for the first time and he is fully shook. “THIS MAKES NO SENSE AS A WAY TO HANDLE THESE POWERS.” “EVEN IF IT DID MAKE SENSE: WHY WOULD ANNA HAVE TO BE ISOLATED TOO?” “OKAY BUT THEN WHAT IS THE METAPHOR HERE.” “YOU CAN’T JUST HAND OVER ROYAL COMMAND LIKE THAT; IT ISN’T EVEN HERS TO HAND.” “WHY IS ELSA THE ONE EVERYONE TALKS ABOUT, ANNA IS CLEARLY THE MAIN CHARACTER, ELSA JUST HAS ONE GOOD POWER BALLAD.” He also keeps singing “And I’ll be doing whatever snow does in summmmmmmer!”
Oh, I remember what I was thinking I was going to tell you, but I hope this won’t be disappointing, since I’d said it was something interesting and it’s just another grocery shopping report. (Which I am still finding interesting, but I realize that may not be true of us all.) This most recent time, I went back to my old familiar grocery store: I’ve been shopping at another store 20 minutes away because it’s newer and much more spacious, and because they were being more careful with Covid-19 precautions. It was nice feeling comfortable going to the closer one again. The extra travel time to the further one made the whole thing more of an ordeal.
Grocery shopping in general is fading into something far less stressful, especially now that I’ve been vaccinated. I still gladly wear a mask, and I still keep my distance from other people, in part because vaccines DO SOMETIMES FAIL, and in part because no one can tell I’m vaccinated, and in part because I would like everyone else to keep following masking/distancing guidelines. But I don’t feel as STRESSED about it anymore. I feel LIKELY to be protected.
And supplies seem pretty normal now. I am casting my mind around trying to remember if there were any weirdnesses or shortages, and I can’t think of any.
OH!! You know what’s coming back, in my stores?? DIET SODA VARIETY. There was diet root beer, diet orange, diet 7-up, diet ginger ale! And CHERRY COKE ZERO!!—which isn’t, as you might conclude from the ALL-CAPS, a passionate favorite of mine, but it’s something I enjoy having on hand, and maybe soon there will be ORANGE VANILLA as well! Again, not as passionate a favorite as the caps would indicate, but the scarcity had come to represent the shortages of the pandemic. And I have not given up on ginger lime diet Coke; if you know it’s been discontinued, maybe don’t tell me yet, just let me come to that realization naturally.
Rob asked for some vegetarian frozen burritos, and I got a few of those, and then I spent some time looking at other vegetarian frozen meals, and I bought a few for him to try: some Healthy Choice Power Bowls and a Sweet Earth curry. If you have experience in this area, do you have any you’d recommend? I wasn’t sure which ones were worth spending a little more on. And it was a little tricky because some of them seemed to be co-marketed as vegetarian AND low-calorie, and he doesn’t need low-calorie, and in fact it would be good for him to get a few more calories.
My daughter likes the Amy’s frozen meals, especially the Mexican casserole one.
My vegetarian friend really likes these also!
Another vote for Amy’s, a bit pricy but some really yummy meals and burritos!
AMY’S! AMY’S! AMY’S!!!!!!
Yet another vote for Amy’s! I like the Mexican bowl and the pesto tortellini. The pesto tortellini isn’t particularly low-cal, if I remember correctly.
My favorite! and I love Amy’s. Gluten free ones as well.
Yes, another Amy’s fan here! I don’t think I’ve disliked anything from Amy’s. I’m especially fond of their pizza, with the spinach pizza at the top of the list! If more calories are needed adding extra cheese to anything is a no brainer, provided he falls in the vegetarian type that eats cheese.
Frozen makes me achingly sad for the sisters. What an awful way to grow up. I mean, no wonder Anna falls directly into the path of an abuser. The songs are very fun, but the whole story line is not good. Have you seen Frozen 2? It’s quite dark and confusing.
We’re planning to watch it next. I’ve heard…very mixed reviews.
Well, if the opinions of 5-year-olds and 3-year-olds count for anything, my kids LOVE Frozen 2. Way more than Frozen. (This is largely because there is no real villain; they cannot abide a scary villain.) I quite like it as well, as cinematic entertainment goes. Just don’t think about it too much (, PAUL).
As the mom of a child of a certain age I’ve watched both Frozen and Frozen 2 more than is reasonable. My family’s consensus is that Frozen 2 has much better songs overall but the plot really makes Frozen extra screwed up. I won’t go into details because spoilers but BOY does it make the parenting in Frozen seem even more F’d up. I may have spent more time thinking about than it merits…
That’s interesting. As a mother of two girls, I have watched Frozen and Frozen 2 more times than I care to count. I did not find Frozen confusing, and in fact thought it made more sense than Frozen. (I also had to explain less, but that may just be because they are older.) It does get really sad, though. My kids were 4 and 9 when it came out, and they both sobbed through part of it. But, they loved how it all turned out, so… Alls well that ends well?
The idea of there being spoilers for Frozen at this point actually made me LOL. Like just in case someone was going to be all, “I can’t believe you didn’t give a spoiler warning! I was JUST about to watch that for the first time! I’ve hardly heard anything about it until now!” You’re so kind and considerate. <3
It is such a lovely feeling to be vaccinated!!
My husband and I really enjoy Evol meals, when we’re doing frozen things. They have a range of veg options, though their meaty options are the ones we like best!
But I also second the reco for Amy’s; my absolute all-time favorite is the Roasted Poblano enchiladas (I haven’t had them since before the pandemic aaaaaargh). In the Chicago area, the only place I can get them is Jewel. But honestly all of their Mexican veggie meals are very tasty and filling.
Sweet Earth’s General Tso’s tofu is very tasty and they have a variety of burritos from different cuisines that are all good. The Greek one has spinach and feta and one whose name I forget but is made with sweet potatoes. My teenage children, one vegetarian and one not, and I all love Amy’s vegetarian pot pie. Just don’t get the non-dairy or broccoli version, they’re not as good.
I was in Big Box Store the other day and there were stacks and stacks of Lysol spray, wipes and hand sanitizer. What a difference a year makes! Even though I do not need it, I was still tempted to grab some because, well, once bitten, twice shy.
I bought wipes at Costco. Will I ever buy wipes at Costco without remembering how many times I COULDN”T get wipes at costco?
Anna is 100% the main character in Frozen and was always meant to be – the earlier marketing etc all focuses on her. But then Elsa was all fancy and has the good song so she stole all the spotlight. Not that I, a second daughter called Anna, am mad about this because it’s just a Disney film! Who cares! (me, I do)
HAAAA!
But do you pronounce your name Anna or Ahna??
I love your grocery store reports.
My go-to frozen meals are vegetarian Indian dishes: palak paneer and chickpea/chana masala. I’ve enjoyed all the brands I’ve tried, including Deep, Tandoor Chef and Trader Joe’s (definitely the cheapest of the bunch if you have a location close by). And none I’ve encountered are attempting to be low-calorie.
Funny about orange vanilla Coke: So many times this year it’s been literally the only variety of soda in the cooler at my local CVS (my preferred place for when I need to make a lightning-fast trip to buy toothpaste or tylenol or whatever can’t wait for my next grocery order), so it’s been a oddly reliable treat throughout all this! I’ve never seen the diet variety, though.
I also like Amy’s but have been very into the Saffron Road brand of frozen meals lately. Not all of them are vegetarian, but many of them are and are very good. (Especially love the Vegatble Biryani)
I am haunted by the fact that Anna and Elsa’s “loving” parents locked up Elsa. Spoiler for Frozen 2: In the second movie, we learn that Elsa’s powers were given by the nature spirits to her because her mother saved her father – I think – I’ve watched it like 5 times and I still don’t quite understand it. Elsa’s mom was North Aldra and they could harness the magic of nature. So basically, Elsa’s mom was magical. And then she was so afraid of magic? It is the biggest plot hole in the world.
I don’t know about the plot hole (I also have not seen Frozen 2). The Wizards of Once book have a whole thing where there are magic people and non-magic people, except it seems the leader of the non-magic people who are trying to take over the world in their non-magic-ness (like, super duper non-magic, like evangelical about non-magic, though they know and believe it exists they think it should be rooted out and extinguished) uses magic, may be magic and def. has a magical daughter. See also: who are the MOST afraid of homosexuality and biggest homophobes?.
I am also in the first Starfell book with my boy child and it seems to be going that way too. Method of control to make people afraid, especially if those people you want to make afraid identify as the thing you have targeted for fear.
Frozen 2 makes no gd sense which is a real shame because it looks beautiful and the songs are excellent. But it is full of plot holes, all the characters except Elsa are treated badly, and if you think about it too hard you’ll give yourself a headache
Amy’s ravioli, pot pies, enchiladas, YUM! Trader Joe’s vegan tikka masala is delish if you have a TJs nearby. Gardein chickn sliders are okay– a little bland but decent. The bbq chickn wings are actually quite delicious too.
Most of the Gardein things are very good. There are several that I supplement with some rice and a salad to make a very filling meal (sweet & sour porkless, beefless tips, mandarin chick’n)
Yet another vote for Amy’s. The Mac and cheese is one of my faves. I also randomly really like the Morningstar Farms veggie corn dogs. Not a meal exactly but really delicious.
I agree about the morningstar veggie corndogs. I also really like morningstar farms buffalo chick’n patty. Amy’s doesn’t need any more love (but I will add my love of the products).
In regards to grocery shopping, I have not been able to get Peanut Butter Chex for WEEKS. I am very sad as it is the only cereal I currently eat. I used to eat Wegman’s brand peanut butter cereal – it was THE BEST – but they discontinued it. Now the only PB cereals I can find are chocolate and pb or pb and jelly. I JUST WANT PEANUT BUTTER. Sorry. It’s been bringing me down.
I’ve been going to the same grocery store for most of the pandemic because luckily my go to store did a really good job with COVID procedures etc. At this point they only have shortages of very random things that are certainly not necessary but we miss them like Blue Top sauce and a particular kind of sausage that has swiss cheese in the middle (the sausage went missing in mid March 2020 and has never been back). One week they were totally out of tomato paste, another out of taco seasoning mix but both were remedied by the next week so I’m not even sure it was a shortage or just a supply blip?
The Trader Joe’s Palak Paneer, Chana Masala, Vegan Tikka Masala, Spicy Thai Eggplant, and Vegetable Panang Curry are my go-to vegetarian frozen meals.
Frozen makes NO sense. I think they used an algorithm to create it- Disney princess + mysterious magic+ catchy songs + funny sidekicks and RENDER ANIMATION.
Now, notice my name (with two Ns it’s AAAnna, not AWWnuh), and now let me tell you that my mother’s name is Elsa. The popularity of these movies has been a mixed blessing for her. On the one hand, people are more likely to get her name right (Lisa? Alissa??), on the other hand, it’s for an annoying reason (Oh! like in the movie!).
I know if is extra work, but frozen burritos are exactly the sort of thing that is pretty easy to make and freeze yourself. Make a pot of filling, roll a bunch of burritos, slide them into a ziploc bag & freeze. Of course this approach works best if you can actually get Rob to do the cooking…
When I had my 2nd baby my sister made a number of frozen things and the burritos were THE BEST. So handy to have, and agree, better if someone else does the cooking!
Well, I can see I am very late to the Amy’s frozen foods party, but YES! My picky teenage daughter practically survives on various Amy’s meals. She is partial to the Breakfast burrito (has tofu), the mac & cheese, and the pad thai. They are a bit spendy, though. I’ll also add another vote for Trader Joe’s frozen meals if there is a store near you – LOTS of great, inexpensive frozen foods that are not at all low calorie but taste wonderful.
Regarding Frozen 2 – glad to read the comments about plot holes and confusion because I’ve seen it several times and still have many, many questions and much confusion! The aforementioned teen daughter was the perfect age for Frozen (first grader when it was released) so I have fond feelings towards it mostly because I associate with that time in our lives. Come to think of it, your younger teens are right in the same age range, I believe, so I’m actually a little surprised that Paul hadn’t already seen it (a million times) back in 2013!
Dr. Praeger’s veggie burgers and Quorn patties are favorites in my house for quick bites to eat from the frozen section. Either one are good with a side of sweet potato fries (also from the freezer) .
I won’t be any help with frozen vegetarian dish recommendations, but I keep cans of refried beans (both black and pinto) in the cupboard and we always have tortillas in our fridge, so in a pinch a child can simply open a can, spread some beans on the tortilla and add some salsa and cheese and nuke it. Extra veggie points if they go to the trouble of putting some frozen corn and/or pepper slices into it.
I also keep jars of Better Than Bouillon broth concentrates in the fridge (chicken, beef, and veggie), and it’s super easy to heat up some water, add a spoonful of concentrate, and chuck random fridge veggies into it. I often keep bags of broccoli slaw or kale slaw on hand in the fridge or freezer for this purpose. Pair it with bread and cheese – or go fancy and make a grilled cheese – and there you go, a meal in about 12 minutes.
I don’t remember the brand and I haven’t seen them in a while, but my Kroger briefly had these frozen hand pies (large empanadas basically) that were FANTASTIC and not low calorie. One of them was a really good vegetarian spinach/white bean/artichoke thing, I think. It tasted like a restaurant app folded into a pie crust.
I have a stepdaughter who is now 14 who loved Frozen so much and listened to the soundtrack so much when she was younger, she could identify where certain instrumental pieces were played in the movie. I gave her Frozen stuff when she was deep in the throes of it, because she loved it so.
I hate Frozen. The only thing I didn’t hate was that the love of a sister was the saving thing, but even so: HATE the movie. For so, so, so many reasons. Paul is only scratching the thinnest bit of the iceberg. That thing sucks.
Apparently Frozen was completely rewritten around “Let It Go.” They wrote the song and then worked backward to the plot, and boy does it show.
From the Wikipedia: “ Although unintentional, the song’s composition was pivotal in the film’s characterization of Elsa.[37] Although Elsa was originally written as a villain, co-directors Chris Buck and Lee gradually rewrote Elsa into one of the film’s protagonists after “Let It Go” was composed.[38][39] About that, Lee later explained, “the minute we heard the song the first time, I knew that I had to rewrite the whole movie.”[22] ”
Your niblings think the Morningstar Farms Original “Chik Patties” are more delicious than actual hamburgers. I do realize a patty does not a meal make.
It’s been said, but Amy’s is great. Also Morningstar Veggie dogs are a particular favorite.
How many vegetarians do you have in the house? Would you consider a post on feeding a mixture of eating styles? We have vegetarian/keto/carb loader and struggle finding meals we can all eat. Oh and one added braces into the mix! I can’t even figure out how to shop for everyone.
Morningstar corn dogs are very good, and Amy’s burritos are always in our freezer. I find the Healthy Choice meals to be too sweet, personally. Stouffer’s has a meatless lasagna now that is delicious, and DiGiornos has a “Meatless Monday” pizza that so far I can only find at Target. Sweet Earth has a line of burritos and similar items that are very good, they have a bit of spice to them and are definitely not low-calorie. (Their frozen pizzas are also good.) And Frontera has a line of frozen meals with a couple of vegan/vegetarian options that are very tasty and filling.
Amy’s bean and cheese burritos, specifically, are a standby in my house. We always have them on hand for a lazy dinner or lunch, or late night snack, or whatever. Their cheese enchiladas are great too!
My grocery store had so many wipes/weird generic cleaning spray / hand sanitizer that IT WAS ON SALE in a big display.
A fav in my house is canned black beans eaten right out of the can as a soup (do not rinse, just nuke or heat in a pot.) top with a little cheese, salsa, maybe a few tortilla chips, avocado, corn, sour cream – or nothing just depends on what’s on hand. Really tasty, a great pantry no cook dinner.
This is only vaguely related but I had a coworker once who said in high school, if she was on her own for dinner for whatever reason, her mom would leave a can of green beans and a spoon on the counter and the very idea of this always made me chuckle. Now that I’m a mom, I can fully understand the sentiment.
Happy Mother’s Day, Swistle!! <3 With all the valuable mothering information I’ve learned from your blog, and the constant comfort and support it brings me, you are all but the patron saint of Mothers, and you deserve to be celebrated for it! I hope your day is lovely.
I’ll chime in we eat a lot of Amy’s here. Mostly lasagna and pot pies (both original and Broccoli Cheddar).