Showing posts with label sick. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sick. Show all posts

Thursday, February 23, 2017

Chicken Burrito Bowl

First, let me say right off, I have the flu.  It’s not the “throw up” type of flu, it is the fever, exhausted, and every inch of your body ache type of flu (it even hurt to COMB MY HAIR this morning…  Huh?)

Oh, I feel muuuuuch better than I felt yesterday, where I lie in bed ALL DAY and night long, freezing cold (with a fever) even though I was snuggled under the electric blanket.  I now have a super expensive ($117 after insurance???) prescription of TamiFlu to take (geez Louise, that works out to almost $12 per pill – I could buy 2 bottles of wine at Trader Joe’s for every pill I am taking!  Priorities, people…)

Not gonna lie...  I sat in the waiting room of the doctor's office for 45 minutes to get in to see her.  And the whole entire time I was wearing the ridiculous mask UPSIDE DOWN and INSIDE OUT.  And they never told me!  Can't they TELL I feel awful by looking at me??  When I finally got called back the nurse said, "Oh, put the PURPLE side out!  You are gonna suffocate!"  Gee, thanks.
So anyway, I am not feeling dapper.  Also, I am home alone.  David is at rehearsal for “Gogol’s Nose and Other Strange Tales From the City”, a show he is co-directing at George Mason University.  It opens March 29th and YOU should come see it if you are in the Maryland, Virginia, Washington DC area J.  Here is a link to the university performance calendar so you can check it out:  link to Gogol's Nose!

David has been at rehearsal in the evenings quite a lot lately, which has meant a change in diet for me.  No longer are we doing “team cooking” – me focusing on veggies and him doing starch or meat…  No, now it is things like, I kid you not, a dinner of Girl Scout Cookie Thin Mints for me!  Oh yeah, steppin’ it up a notch in the cuisine department. 

So, tonight I pulled a little something out of the freezer that I purchased with the intention of eating for a LUNCH – a Trader Joe’s Chicken Burrito Bowl.  Since David wasn’t here, I ate that whole sucker myself.  And here is what I thought of it:

Here you have it: dinner in a box.  Just add wine!
This is the first time I have had this item.  I was imagining MOE’S (a chain restaurant) when I bought it.  it was super easy to prepare – I microwaved it for 4.5 minutes, stirred it, let it sit a minute, and it was ready to roll.  I topped it off with the last bit of Hatch Valley Salsa I had (which I am kinda sorta addicted to and reviewed here:  Hatch Valley Salsa link  ).  (It is garbage and recycling night, and using the salsa means I can get the jar out of the fridge and recycle it!  But don’t fret, I have my back-up jar in the cupboard!)

My first bite of chicken in this burrito bowl was way too big, it was like the size of 3 bites!  That put me off a bit, but subsequent bites were better sized.  Sadly though, the chicken was really bland.  The black beans, corn, and peppers were much tastier. 

Ahhh, fancy dinner!!
This burrito bowl is listed as one serving, and that seems right if you are hungry.  It would make a good lunch.  It is nothing that is going to knock your socks off – it is NOT like going to Moe’s.  For some reason this Trader Joe’s bowl is just not all that flavorful.  It needs much more spice. 

Reasonably priced and NEW
                                                                                                                                                           
So, while I would rather have a bowl or burrito from Moe’s (which ironically is right next to our usual Trader Joe’s!), this is not a bad substitute.  It’ll do if you wanna just sit on the sofa, eat, and watch CNN.  I might buy one of these again to keep in the freezer for a lunch or solo dinner – it was filling enough anyway. 

Price:  $3.49
Rating: 3.5

Sunday, August 2, 2015

Day 214 - Tissues (Facial Tissues)

Right off the bat, extremely high marks for PACKAGING.  This is the best artwork/slogans on any box of something designed to blow your nose ever.  Each side of the box has a great slogan that makes you smile.  The phrases make you feel better even if you are sick.

Teehee - haven't we all done this???
Awww, isn't this sweet?











First impressions after actually USING one of the tissues – damn…  This is what I was afraid of…  It is NOT soft.  I was afraid it would be a recycled, hard, crunchy tissue that was not gentle on my nose, and I was right.  I have been sick off and on for a month now.  Part of the sickness has been an extremely snotty head.  I have blown my nose approximately 2,893 times in one month (that is an estimate, I have not kept a tally).  The last 2 times have been in one of these TJs tissues, the previous 2,891 times were in “name brand” tissues (aka Kleenex or Puffs or something other big brand).  I must say, if every single time had been in one of these TJ tissues, I think I would be even crankier now than I already am.

When I blow, I need some softness!
 I just need some SOFTNESS in a tissue.  If I need to use one, my nose is probably already a bit sore and is definitely cranky.  A soft tissue is like a little nose hug.  Whereas these TJ tissues, while not as scratchy or hard as sandpaper, do not have that “hug” quality.  They have more of a utilitarian, “Hey, I am just here to hold your snot” quality.  Maybe it is a bit “princess” of me, but I need a nose hug.

Sure, maybe you would BE there when I am sad, but you wouldn't be SOFT...
Oh sure, they are 100% Recycled Post Consumer Content and I know they all really GREEN and make the earth happy.  I get it.  And I support it.  But if they just make the EARTH happy, but make my runny nose sad, then I am sorry but they really have not accomplished all objectives…

THIS is a great use for these tissues - picking up bugs and other icky things
Let’s see what David thinks.  (I ask David to blow his nose in a TJ’s tissue).

“I don’t really have much stuff to blow.”  (He takes tissue, blows.)  “OK.  I think, uhhh, I think they are good.  I think they feel more like TISSUE PAPER than a Kleenex in your hand, but they are STURDIER than Kleenex which is good when blowing your nose.  They are a little more tissue paperish on your face, but not unpleasantly so.  In fact, they feel reassuring that they will not come apart as you blow and distribute your mucus in the palm of your hand, as sometimes happens with Kleenex.  So all in all I would say, good work Joe.  Saving the world one cold tissue at a time.  Actually, making the world feel better one cold tissue at a time.”

David’s rating – 4.25
Susan’s rating - 2

So in examining our responses, my conclusion is:  if your nose doesn’t need a hug and you want a “manly” tissue, go with Joe. 

P.S. – the best phrase on the box, as someone who loves to do laundry and has on multiple occasions found Kleenex bits in the dryer, is “Please don’t leave me in your pocket when you do laundry!”.

Isn't this a fantastic reminder??
Price – $1.29

Rating (average of 2 ratings – one male and one female) – 3.25