Dinner disaster!!

[intheflow]

Have tried to make chicken soup today. I know, sounds simple, right? Like I haven't made awesome chicken soup a gazillion times in my life!

Mistake #1
But let me witness to you here and now, brothers and sisters: no matter what the internets say, you CANNOT use Rice-A-Roni in a crock pot soup!!!

Ugh, ugh, hard, nasty, pasty bits. Pffft, pffft, icky, poo! Disgusting! The stock was good (homemade a few days ago from a store-bought rotisserie chicken carcass), so I decided to strain it and pick out all the chicken bits. The leftover veggies I'd put in were a complete loss, but I was able to salvage a goodly amount of chicken, which of course had to be rinsed off of the hard, nasty rice kernels. Transferred stock and chicken into a regular stove-top soup pot.

Mistake #2
I needed some veggies. The only fresh veggies I had left were carrots, so I cut up two of those, and also I raided my canned goods pantry, finding only cans of creamed corn (no, I won't put that in my soup, thankyouverymuch), beets (also not a candidate for my chicken soup), and peas. Now, this was a pretty ancient can of peas because I absolutely hate the texture of canned peas. I think my sweetheart brought this can home early in our cohabitation over a year ago and it's languished in the back of the cabinet ever since. But I thought, what the hell, waste not, want not, it's only for soup, I'll throw them in. BIG MISTAKE. Got the soup up to a good boil to cook the carrots and thought, I'll cook up some Rice-A-Roni separate and add it after. Promptly forgot about rolling boil of soup while the R-A-R was cooking. Ended up with basically watery pea soup - perhaps the only pea-based food I hate more than canned peas.

The final nail in the dinner coffin, Mistake #3
But the Rice-A-Roni seemed done - cooked for the full 20 minutes recommended as the longest time to cook on the package - so I decided to throw it in the soup anyway and choke it down in my regular tightwad "waste not, want not" fashion. However, it being done was an optical illusion. I picked up the skillet to empty it into the soup pot and it sloshed out ALL OVER my stove top. Swearing and nearly nauseous from the combined smells of pea soup and burning Rice-A-Roni, I cleaned up the burners and retreated to my computer to share this sad, sad tale of a doomed dinner.

Think I'll order out for pizza.

[Laurian]

1. I'm sorry our dinner didn't turn out well, but

your post sure made me laugh! A sense of humor will get you through almost anything.

Enjoy your pizza!

[freshwest]

2. That's about as bad as it gets.

[cbayer]

3. I am so sorry!

I would cry over the wasted chicken broth alone.

Any chance of pureeing, then straining it?

[intheflow]

4. I totally grieve the loss of the chicken broth!

But it's been given up to the garbage disposal gods now so it they want to puree it, they're welcome to it!

[cbayer]

5. I can't tell you the number of times I have thrown something overboard.

At least I have the satisfaction of knowing that something is going to eat it.

I'm with you, though. Once some food just completely turns me off, it's got to go.

Very funny telling of your disaster, though, and for that you deserve a lot of credit.

[Warpy]

6. Rice-a-Roni was awful stuff the one time I tried it

and I cooked it according to package directions. I can't imagine doing it in a crock pot---you either get bullets or glue. Be thankful you got bullets, they were easier to dispose of than glue would have been.

I've made good chicken rice soup in a crock pot, the rice leftover cooked rice and added just long enough to get everything heated through.

I'm really not fond of a lot of processed foods, they all seem to have weird flavors and too much salt. Rice-a-Roni was one of the weirdest.

[intheflow]

9. My sweetheart is a helpless sucker for bulk food sales.

Hence, my pantry is fully stocked with Rice-a-Roni. What I've learned about it is that only two varieties are of any use: long grain wild rice and the Spanish rice, and then really only when used as base for casseroles. The chicken, beef, and (god help us) fried rice ones do indeed tasteth of Monsanto - or whatever chemical factory from when they came. Archer Daniels, maybe? Whatever. I'm condemned to continue getting them as long as Safeway keeps putting them on bulk sale. Sigh. He means well.

[japple]

12. Kiss your sweetheart and donate the Rice-a-Roni to a freshman dorm at one of your

local colleges. IMHO (and if memory serves), they will eat anything.

[intheflow]

13. He works with a bunch of 20-somethings

on a construction crew. He usually brings them what I refuse to cook with. Same age demographic!

[northoftheborder]

7. I have to admit as a beginning cook, I used to use a lot of prepared foods, instant this and that.

Ricearoni, instant mashed potatoes, instant rice, canned vegetables, Shake and Bake, cake mixes, cookie mixes, frozen "TV dinners" and so on. It was a matter of survival with two little kids, who also ate, and liked, canned soups, Vienna sausages, peanut butter and syrup, and so on. I would never criticize anyone who uses those timesavers. But, over time, I gradually learned to cook from scratch and learned how much better, less salty, fresh vegetables and fruits are. I still occasionally use mixes for baking, but my grandchildren, when pressed, will tell me they like the "from scratch" batches of cookies and muffins better. I no longer even like bottled salad dressings; I can taste the preservatives in them. I'm lucky to live where fresh fruit and veggies are available all the time. And with the internet, the world of cooking is at my fingertips! I still love to try new recipes, and experiment with new cuisine from around the world.

[Freddie]

8. Knorr rice side dishes

Are much better than Rice-a-Roni and just as inexpensive. I follow the microwave directions and it always comes out great. Try not to make processed dishes too often but it's a nice quick side dish once in a while.

[intheflow]

10. Really?

I've never cared for Knorr rice and pasta dishes, they never seem to cook right for me. But that could also be my altitude problem. Things cook strangely at altitude.

[RILib]

14. Uncle Ben's Ready Rice. 90 seconds to edible.

[HappyMe]

11. Oh no! I'm sorry.

I do have to say that I got a good laugh.

I have to admit, I have used Rice-a-Roni a few times. I always buy the lower salt varieties. I throw vegetables, chicken, shrimp..whatever in them. Makes a quick, filling lunch. I keep a box around for when finances are really bad.