Old dogs and new tricks, etc...

I'm not one for using most of these prepackaged things. Generally I think they taste pretty nasty... kinda like pesticide-treated cardboard.

So anyway, on the recommendation of a pal, we tried this... Kraft's Classic Ranch and Bacon pasta salad. It comes with the pasta and some dried up bits of veggies... shredded carrot, red pepper, and about 20 very dry peas... plus a seasoning packet. You cook the pasta/veggies, add your own mayo and the seasoning packet, and they offer three meal suggestions with additional ingredients.

We added a cut-up grilled chicken breast, roasted red peppers, and some diced tomatoes. Serve that up on a bed of romaine lettuce with some cheese and crackers on the side, and you got yourself a nice, quick summer dinner. Not bad at all. We'll try it again - maybe with a little onion and broccoli next time... or maybe fresh asparagus.