A New (to me) Product

Taking a shortcut through the supermarket, I found myself in an aisle I rarely ever visit. It's the one where you can buy those paper cups of various foods for microwaving and eating. I long since graduated from Ramen noodles to several of Trader Joe's Asian products.

Today my eye was caught by Kraft Easy Mac with Bacon ($1.19.) I expected it to be strictly a heat and eat product, the container solid and heavy feeling. But no! Whatever was inside, rattled.

For that kind of money, I can indulge my curiosity so I bought it. At home, I discovered that the insides are, in fact, two things -- the naked cup with dried macaroni and a separate paper envelope of a dried cheese mixture. You add water to that line there; nuke it until the macaronis cook, then add in the Mystery Powder and stir well. Then you eat it.

It was by no means imaginable "gourmet," but for quick comfort food, it wasn't that bad. Despite having started out life as a powder, the cheese "came up" well and though the mixture was thin, it was gluey enough to pass for macaroni and cheese. Total calories 220; amount of sodium (salt) 580 mg which is rather sly of Kraft. I couldn't measure an mg if it was sitting on the end of my nose. The bottom of the container reads: "Best if used by 11/2/09" so it's more perishable than I would have thought.

Oh, the bacon? Microscopic "chips." "Bacon-flavored" was right. Yeah, I'll probably buy another one someday -- when Winter is more upon us.