I was sent several coupons for Claim Jumper meals.  My problem was that the local grocers only carry about two varieties.  Claimjumper has numerous varieties of frozen meals but my grocer only carries the pot pies and the chicken broccoli alfredo.

Claimjumper is a restaurant chain that is known for their hearty portions.   They have attempted to translate this into easy to fix, frozen meals that are geared toward the diner who just is overbooked and needs a quality restaurant meal at home.  The question is whether or not advertising propaganda meets reality.

Yes and no.  The one I liked best of the two that I tried (so far) is the chicken pot pie.  The crust was flaky and crisp, not too salty and flavorful.  There was no cheap shortening residue in the mouth.

It was very large.  It was probably the equivalent of 3 meals for me  personally and Marc was full after he ate it.

The chicken and vegetable pieces were large and it was obvious what they were.  In other words these meals are made with real food, not what the manufacturer scrapes out of the vats when they make cat food.

The sauce was creamy, and flavorful.  There was lots of it, so you did have rather the effect of a chunky cream soup in a pie crust.

I was very impressed at the amount of flavor and the lack of over-saltiness. I give the pot pie a 4 out of 5 for flavor and texture.

On the other hand…

I really dislike that the instructions invariably say that you can microwave it…and when you do so the quality is just not as good as when it is warmed up in the oven.  This was passable microwaved it you are in a time crunch.

I also did not care for the broccoli fettucine.  The pasta was a texture that bothered me,  sort of gummy, and while  there was large pieces of broccoli, all in all it the ingredients were overwhelmed by the sauce.  On flavor and quality I have to give the fettuchine a 2.

If you use frozen dinners, Claimjumper is a step above the average frozen dinner.  On a frozen dinner scale of one to five I give it a five over all.  I have not had a better frozen meal.

Everyone has times when things are insanely busy.  Claimjumper is a great item to have on hand for those times.

Image:maryeaudet

Post from: Baking Delights

Happy weekend!

We had two simultaneous sleepovers last night.  BOY sleep overs.

Why do girls have the reputation of being giggleboxes? Seriously? A roomful of boys is just as bad, or worse.  Poor Shiloh braved the testosterone as long as she could and then retreated to her pink room with the antique Victorian bed.  Kyrie, being much younger and yet just as aware of the testosterone condensation appearing on the walls asked to sleep at our oldest daughter’s house with our grandkids.  Smart girl.

I retreated to my room, with the rose themed border and bedpread.  And here I am still, this morning, hiding with my computer.

There were two boxes of pizza left over and I told them to just eat that for breakfast.  Marc and Matthew were headed to a mens meeting at church, and as long as I have coffee I don’t care about food.

So, that is what my Saturday is looking like.  Yours?  Are you staying warm?  I have been watching twitter with interest as everyone gives their highs and lows.  We have had highs in the 30s followed by highs in the 70s.  That is just how Texas is.  You learn not to put ANY seasonal clothes away from October to June because it could be 86 one day and 37 the next.

This week I wanted to concentrate on soups since the majority of the country seems to be bombared with blustery blasts, swirling snow, and icy toes.  Soup makes your house smell great, is generally pretty frugal, healthy, and it is warm.

Here’s what I found.

Anna, who blogs Morsels and Musings, has a fantabulous looking Mushroom and Barley soup. Mushrooms add a lot of flavor and in this vegetarian soup they give the rich, beefy taste that goes so well with barely.

Kevin, of Closet Cooking, creates on of my comfort foods.  His Hot and Sour  Soup looks amazing !

On Andrea’s Recipes, Andrea posted a recipe for a Carrot and Ginger Soup that is way different from mine.  I am definitely trying this one.

A new blog to me is SImple, Natural, Nourishing.  Shannon has a fantastic looking Tomato and Balsamic VInegar Soup recipe up.  What IS it about tomato soup? It is just that good.

How can I resist the blog of a fellow Texas housewife?  Nessa, from  Texas Housewife’s Homemakin’ Blog has a great Chicken and Rice Soup recipe posted.

I am a big fan of Judy’s at No Fear Entertaining.  Her Tuscan Pumpkin and White Bean soup might be just the thing to defrost with this afternoon.

Smell’s Like Home has a recipe posted for Sausage and Lentil Soup.  That sounds like comfort food to me.

Alejandra has posted a recipe for one of my favorites, Split Pea Soup on Always Order Dessert.  This particular recipe is different in that it is lighter and has a “smoky garlic swirl” to add both visual appeal and flavor. Yum.

From Jill, at Hey, That Tastes Good!, comes this recipe for Hungarian Bean Soup.  If it has worked all these years for cold Hungarians you know it will thaw you, too.  Right?  And it is gluten free.

From me, a recipe for Zuppa Tuscana.  Warm, rich and creamy, this is the kind of soup I love best.

What are your favorite soups?  Do you have any favorites that I missed?

Stay warm!

Image:Bennigan’s Baked Potato Soup (c) 2009 Marye Audet, all rights reserved.

Post from: Baking Delights