Less than Stellar Entrees, but the Desserts Soared

Lunch - Jill loves chicken cacciatore and it's one of her specialties. As a result it's going to be tough for her to give high grades to anyone else's recipe whether it be diet food or Italian restaurant. So it's no surprise that she gave the Nutrisystem Chicken and Pasta in Cacciatore Sauce a rating of 4 out of 10. She likes a sauce with some zest and garlic. This was distinctly lacking in garlic, had a sweet sauce, and was VERY thin on the chicken.

She also had a peanut butter cookie with her coffee. That faired better in her evaluation. She gave it at 7 out of 10, and she makes a mean peanut butter cookie.

I had a SmartOnes Pepperoni Pizza for lunch. As frozen pizzas go, it was pretty good. I liked the consistence of the dough which was thicker than many, and it was balanced well with appropriate amounts of pepperoni and cheese. Compared to my favorite pizzaria pizza, I'd give it a 5 or 6 out of 10. On the other hand, compared to other frozen pizzas, I've give it an 8+

Dinner - Have you ever see the tacos in a Taco Bell commercial and then bought one? If so, there are a few things that are evident. First, it's not real Mexican food and second, the actual product resembles the real thing as much as the administration's promises resemble the reality of our world. When it comes to the Mushroom Risotto, the previous two sentences tell the story. Jill give it a 3+ on our 10 scale, and while she IS a picky eater, I tasted it and would have to second her assessment.


I had a Lean Cuisine Beef Portabello, and while the picture was more attractive than the actual meal (isn't is always), the taste was good. The consistency of the potatoes was closer to mashed than what is pictured, but the beef was an accurate representation. I gave both of them a 7+ and wouldn't argue with anyone who wanted to give it an 8.

Then we went on to dessert and I'm happy to report that Nutrisystem did very well. Jill had a Mint Chocolate Crunch Bar and I had a Hot Chocolate Drink. Jill's a mint person. Peppermint Patties are one of her favorite candies. She said that the mint was very minty and the chocolate was a nice consistency. She gave it an 8+.


I'm a chocoholic and my favorite hot chocolate drink is real Hershey's cocoa, sugar and milk. If that's not available, Swiss Miss is a somewhat distant, but perfectly acceptable second. I give Hershey's a 10 and Swiss Miss and 8.

The Nutrisystem Hot Chocolate calls for 6 oz. of hot water. When I made it that way, it was much too sweet for my taste. I added an additional 10 oz and it was just very good. I would score it on par with Swiss Miss.