In my daily quest for food, I went to my neighborhood Food Lion. This sign greeted me. I knew then that this would be a good day.

I always feel a subtle twinge of guilt when I shop in a grocery store. Do we really need that many different kinds of ice cream? I always think of the images of children I see dying of starvation and disease in less developed countries and imagine what these people might do on stepping foot in an American grocery store.

I looked over many items and thought of the many things I could make, each one better than the last, and each better than the dirty rocks some poor child in Namibia is eating. Then I came across this most American of foods.

A complete meal in under 15 minutes! Everything I needed they provided for me in this convenient bag. The meal consisted of chicken, potatoes, broccoli and a cheese mixture you poured over it then topped it all with bits of bacon. How could I pass this up!

It's "as easy as 1, 2, 3!"

I dutifully followed each step. I placed the frozen cheese mix in a bowl of warm water to defrost it. I put 2 tbsp. of oil in the frying pan for two minutes then I poured in the chicken and potatoes and fried them for six minutes, then the broccoli for four, then the cheese for another two and then done! That’s just 12 minutes! They meant it. No false advertising there.

The product doesn’t look like the image on the bag, but does anything ever? I can’t expect that to happen.

Doesn't quite look like the image on the bag.

I didn’t expect it to taste good. I have a built-in bitter cynicism that prevents me from thinking happy thoughts. I wouldn’t be disappointed. It tasted like a rock that a child in Namibia might tongue while trying to forget it’s starving to death. What are we eating in America?

The whole time I was walking through the store; when I picked up this item to test it out; while I cooked it, and just before I put the first spoonful of cheesy dirt in my mouth I could only think of this haunting melody…