It must've been all the discussion yesterday about growing up on a lot of prepackaged foods that made me reach for the pouch of Lipton's Smoked Chipotle Rice, orzo and rice with a mild chipotle flavor, for dinner last night. I had been to the launch of Lipton's new Southwest flavors a couple of weeks ago, and this was a new product sample. I think it was not too bad with all the additions I made to it.

I followed the instructions on the package, bringing to a boil 1 3/4 cups water and the rice mix. I added some things, though: frozen peas, chicken shredded from a roast I did last weekend, pimientos. Once the water's boiling you cover the pot, turn down the heat and simmer for 7 minutes. At this point I tasted and added some ground chipotle, for heat (adding another layer of redundancy to "smoked chipotle"), and ancho chile powder. Let it set to thicken the sauce. It was so fast, leaving me plenty of time to lie on the sofa watching TV. Is that what speed and convenience give me? More TV-watching time?