I fondly recall TV dinners and, like EL, I couldn't wait for the rare times Mom served them (or the babysitter did). To this day I enjoy a Hungry Man entree like the meat loaf or swiss steaks. But $30? Lord, how I wish I had disposable income like that! I tell ya, it's just not fair.

Henningers in Fells Point still has TV dinners. You get your meat,mashed potato,vegetable and a cupcake! All for $10!! They come in the appropriate TV dinner tray also..

Hey, at least it's homemade food served in TV dinner style. A few years ago, I remember hearing about a New York restaurant, Ike, that actually served TV dinners IN the restaurant. According to New York Magazine, it's closed now. Not a big surprise there.

Salsbury steak (I think it was just Piano's vaunted meatloaf renamed) in a glutinous gravy; that's my tv dinner memory ... that will not go away. Why do I forget important things but remember Salsbury steak?

Why do I forget important things but remember Salsbury steak?

At least you didn't remember all of it...you lost the "i".

'I ... remember Salsbury steak?'

For the same reason people remember where they were when President Kennedy was assassinated, we landed on the Moon or you first kanoodled.

When Japanese food is served in a bento box, isn't that just a fancified TV dinner presentation? Speaking of which, why do some bento boxes look like recycled Stouffer's microwave trays?

Probably, TMI, but in the 60's my mom went on a Valium Vacation from parenting and we practically lived on those things for a couple of years. No fond memories for me there. Preferred the old days when the days of the week were known as "monday, meatloaf night, tuesday, spaghetti night, wed, some type of chicken night, and best of all - thursday - Pizza and subs night! Friday thru Sunday were "open to budget and desire" so we'd have anything from breakfast for dinner to steak depending on how the bills fell that week. Aaaaaaaaaah memories of the 60's - the good the bad and the ugly!

How is it that I think of a Stouffer's veal parm dinner as a delicious treat? I'm pretty sure the sauce on the pasta was pure ketchup...and yet I remember them so fondly.

Actually, whenever I smell Chanel No. 5, I think of those TV dinners. The only time we ate them was when my parents were going out someplace, and the only time my mom wore Chanel was when she went out.

Good memories. I loved having babysitters. Meant we could jump on all the beds and run around tearing the house apart.

My parents went out EVERY Saturday night. When I was old enough to know the good stuff-Stouffer's short ribs. Perfect.

I learned to cook so I wouldn't have to eat those horrible 60's and 70's TV dinners. Yech.

Bento are totally different. They are fancy lunch boxes (originally) of homemade food. Bento are the anti-Taco Bell.

The Henninger's T.V. has been going strong for three years on the bar menu. Fresh, comfortable, and for a slight price . And really where else can you get a great , silly meal served on a stainless steel prison tray for ten bucks. all the while served with love !

I loved the turkey dinner and the fried chicken dinners. We were good automatons and ate our TV dinners in front of the TV. We would have them on Sunday evenings because we had had "Sunday Dinner" at noon and mother didn't want to have to cook another meal. We'd usually watch Walt Disney.

For another modern incarnation of the TV Dinner, here's Marks and Spencer's Gastropub Readymeal in the Cottage Pie with Cheese Mash flavour:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Gastropub_readymeal_1.jpg

We had Swanson TV dinners 1-2 times a week, on the days Mom got home from teaching and didn't feel like (a) cooking or (b) going out to the Oriole Cafeteria. When I struck out on my own, my taste "grew up" and I preferred Stouffer's. Nowadays, the only frozen prepared foods I buy are Marie Callender's or Pepperidge Farm pot pies and Stouffer's side dishes.

I, too, love the Marie Callender's pot pies, especially the beef. Unfortunately I have not seen the small size (~10 oz.) on the East Coast. The large ones are really too much for me.

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Oh, dear ... VDP is off his meds.

Trader Joe has some frozen foods that are worth trying.

Dahlink, the thing about Trader Joe, is that you have to manage to park your car and then take your life into your hands walking from the parking lot into the store - and then do it all in reverse - at least in Pikesville and Towson. Is there another less deadly Trader Joe that I don't know about? And back OT, what do you recommend? I'm always up for a shortcut (as long as it's not in metal trays with separator things!)

Joyce W, believe me, I know about the hassles of parking at Trader Joe's. I only go there on days when I leave work early and have a chance of finding a spot in the same zip code. One of our cousins in the midwest says that all TJs have similar cramped parking--it' part of some corporate strategy, she thinks.

We've tried the Chicken Gorgonzola. Chicken Serenada and yet another Chicken Something which escapes me now. All quite tasty and enough for two people to share with a salad or side dish. And I always pick up some of their frozen salmon, mahi mahi or halibut to have on hand. Some packages are just the fish and some are in a marinade. The price is a fraction of what I would pay for the equivalent fresh fish at Wegman's.

I really liked the Swanson turkey dinners as a kid.

My old roommate still eats Hungry Man dinners pretty regularly.

Stouffer's Stuffed Peppers were really good, do they still make them?

The South Beach Diet meals are pretty good when I don't feel like cooking.

Mr. OF, sometimes Safeway and Giant carry the 10 oz Callender's chicken pies in 4-packs, but more often I find them in BJ's. I've never seen 10 oz. beef pies, which is sad because my "other half" would scarf em down in a minnit, and he could stand to put onz the weight.

Dottie, yes, they do have the small chicken pot pies here. When I go to California or Arizona I do see (and sometimes eat) the 10 Oz. beef pot pies.

Joyce W,
There is a Trader Joe's in an Annapolis shopping center. I forget its name, but its on MD Route 2 at MD 665 (Aris T. Allen Blvd).

Its in a shopping center so there is less danger of being mowed down, but parking there can take awhile.

Thanx, Dahlink and Rob in Fl! Will check out both the Rt 2 destination, and some of those entrees after returning from vacation a week from now! :)

There's also a Trader Joe's in the Columbia area in the Gateway Overlook plaza at the intersection of Rtes 175 and 108 (the entrance is off 108) Not too bad if you go relatively early. If you're a Costco member you can also get somewhat cheaper gas at the adjacent Costco gas station.

I grew up in the '60s. I'm not sure when frozen TV dinners came on the scene, but my Mom wouldn't buy them because they were an extravagance. But one night, Mom & Dad had an outing to attend which involved both of them dressing up and leaving us 4 kids in charge of ourselves for the 1st time. For such a special occasion, she bought 4 frozen "Mexican" TV dinners for us, which we washed down with 4 bottles of Pepsi (1 each).

That was my first taste of "Mexican" food and I was hooked. Even though I know now it wasn't anywhere close to being authentic.