Monday, October 9, 2006

jc turkey chili with beans


holy fuck, this is the best goddamn chili ive ever had in my whole life. i want to eat this every day. i want to have a bowl of this chili, topped with more chili. im going to make a bowl out of this chili and put chili in it, so that i can eat the chili topping, the chili, and the chili bowl. just... wow. the beans are nice and big and yummy, the meat is plentiful, the sauce is what heaven would taste like if it were sauce. this chili is not hot or spicy or peppery, which i love, it's just all gentle sweet flavor... oh god, i wish i had more *tear drop* 260 calories, 10 out of 10.

jc bruchetta veggie chips



another among the choice of the desserts/snacks of the jc foods. im not too much of a snack person, chips and such, but if you are i bet these suit you fine. 9 out of 10.

jc frosted oats cereal


i think i mentioned before cereal being my big comfort food. these jc frosted oats fit me just fine. i dont know what to compare it to. ive never had cherrios, they look like cherrios. and the "frosted" is nice and light, not a heavy sugar like frosted flakes. uhm... yeah. 170 calories, 10 out of 10.


jc chicken fajitas

tast-ee these were. everything came flying out when i opened the bag, i didnt realize all the stuff was loose. and then i grumbled to myself about having to heat the chicken and bell peppers separate from the tortillas as if it would be such a chore. it wasnt (hee-hee). this dish was pretty good, i really thought it would be dry and/or flavorless, but jc food rarely disappoints, as experience has shown. but again, so small... only enough for two fajitas... *sigh* portions portions portions. 290 calories, 8 out of 10.

jc meat loaf with barbecue sauce

i thought that sounded funny, meatloaf with barbecue sauce, but this is good. i cant help but think "ketchup." i did not like the sides of broccoli and carrots that this came with, i think i prefer my vegetables on the side. i havent had beef in a long time, so i really really enjoyed this dish. potatoes were good. im again impressed with the way jc food comes out of the microwave perfect every time. i keep waiting to get potatoes that'll come out crummy or chalky, but hasnt happened yet. i dont think i'd buy this again given a choice, b/c of the cows. it's ok to eat chickens, tho, b/c chickens are stupid. just kidding. 300 calories, 9 out of 10.

jc chocolate caramel peanut bar

one of the jc choices of dessert/snack. really sticky. 7 out of 10.

jc southwestern style chicken burrito

wow, who knew i was one to like a wheat tortilla? jc, that's who... how does she do it? this is the southwestern style chicken burrito. living in san diego, i am no stranger to the local taco shops, so seeing this dinky burrito was a little bit of a downer, but, portions portions portions. this burrito has corn, it's so good. i could've stood for more bell peppers. im big on red bell peppers. here's a good lesson for me; next time i eat a burrito, i should open it up and lump on the vegetables, it's hard to overeat those. i used to get the Baja Fresh grilled veggie burrito almost weekly when at work, it's twice the size of this jc dish and with the sour cream, cheese, guacamole, and beans, it has almost 4 times the calories; 800 vs the jc 250 calories. small, but i like this dish. 8 out of 10.

jc macaroni + cheese w/green beans & carrots

this comes with green beans; wow i didnt know i liked green beans so much! the macaroni itself is some cheesy stuff. plenty of cheese, and plenty of cheese sauce. however, it's not plenty flavorful. maybe i should've put pepper on it. im not big on mac & cheese in general, though i do love ms. v's; she packs her's with cream cheese, cheddar cheese, sour cream... damn, im salivating. well the jc mac & cheese is ok, but not right now b/c i want ms. v's. i bet hers was like 1,000 calories a dish. the jc mac & cheese is 250 calories and gets a 7.5 out of 10.

jc cashew chicken



ive never had cashew chicken before. i thought nuts in meat is weird. turns out i was right. 4 out of 10. maybe you'll like like it if you like cashew chicken.

jc toffee bites

after the chocolate chips debacle, i was weary to try these . but i was pleasantly surprised, these are delicious little cookies. if only there were more in the package. 130 calories, 10 out of 10.

jc chocolate graham cracker twists

oh my gosh, right now im eating these graham cracker twists and they are so friggin good. B/c of the photo, i thought they'd be chocolate covered pretzels, but they're more like hard cookies. they're super crispy, crunchy and chocolaty. i was sad when i got to final one and there were none left. now im wishing i'd saved them for the end of the day to munch on when i get home. The are good for Bossie as well, for the ingredients are animal free: no milk, no casein/caseinate, no whey, etc. This little gem is 120 calories and i give it a big ol' 10 out of 10.

jc chocolate chip bites

these cookies are so gross i dont even want to bother writing about them.
130 calories but i dont care b/c im never eating them again.

jc anytime bar

with the jc program you either eat a yogurt and take a mulitvitamin each afternoon, OR eat this jc anytime bar. these jc peanut butter bars are the buttery bomb! and im not even a big fan of peanut butter candy! but eventually i stuck with yogurt just because i really like yogurt, but the first couple of weeks i ate these bars with no complaint.

they're very very chewy, you'll love it if you love peanut butter i think. it's super sticky in your mouth, like eating a caramel or something. kind of nice b/c it takes a while to eat and one can really slow down and savor one's food properly. no chunks of nuts (a plus for me), it's smooth and chocolatly and a good size to enjoy it, but not want for more of it, or be sick of eating it. the chocolate coating was tasty.

i wont be buying this again, tho, i like yogurt better. feels more like im eating. the anytime bar gets an 150 calories, 9 out of 10.

jc fish and chips

Hmmm yeah, i LIKE this dish, yummy yummy! when i was in london many many moons ago, i discovered the deliciousness of chips with salt and vinegar. this dish comes with battered fish, potato wedges, and a packet of malt vinegar. jc, how do you always know? i am impressed yet again with how perfectly this dish comes out of the microwave. nothing cold, nothing still frozen, nothing soggy. now, the food was all very soft, not at all crispy straight from the fryer, but i can put that aside b/c it tasted very very good. yes, i will buy this again. 250 calories and 9 out of 10.

jc traditional lasagna

what really strikes me when i open a jc food that involves cheese is the amount of cheese said item has. look at this photo; big ol' lengths of cheese on it. then you open it, and it really does look like that amount of cheese. but then i heat it up, dump it on a proper plate and mash it around a bit to make sure there's no frozen bits and then i dont see cheese anymore. (as a side note, every jc food i've had heats up perfectly, never frozen bits, never too hot, never burnt on the edges, etc). Anyway, i will use this when i prepare my own food later on, create a visually stimulating plate, ie:spread that cheese out to make it look cheesey instead of piling/layering cheese. anyway, this dish is pretty tasty. the lasagna noodles are firm but not chewy, the sauce is nice. hmm, i dont have much else to say about it. i'd eat it again. 250 calories, 8/9 out of 10.

jc rotini with meatballs and sauce

i ate this jc dish last night. pretty good. the first couple of bites made me think of chef boyardee, but it's more so the smell than the taste. i think chef boyardee is nasty, the noodles way too soft, all too sweet... ah, that's how i remember, i have eaten in it years. This jc dish, tho, the noodles were a tad soft but not like gross soft. the sauce the was good. the meatbals didnt have the rough texture of meat, but it didnt have the mush texture of chef. this dish was pretty good. nothing i'd get super excited about (like the turkey chili... hmm... chili...) but i'd buy it again. 250 calories, 8.5 out of 10.

jc tuna salad

this is the jenny craig tuna salad. i love tuna and this did not disappoint. it's much like those little kits you get out of vending machines: a little can of tuna (w/mayo, celery, other fixins already mixed in it), 6 crackers, plastic spoon and little snack cup of diced peaches. popping it open is a real slap in the face reminder of proper proportions b/c it is a little lunch. make it visually exciting by arranging it on your plate like it is in the photo, surround it with greens and cherry tomatoes. this comes in at 270 calories, i give it a 9 out of 10.

jc thin crust rising dough pizza

thin crust rising dough? i dont know what they tryin' to say there. anyway, this is a pretty OK pizza. the sauce was good, fair amount of cheese. the crust wasnt super thin crunchy which i rate as a plus. me personally, pizza unless straight out the pie shop is just OK. like the majority of jenny foods, it was pretty good, it didnt taste like diet food. this pizza also has bits of pork for the toppings (sausage, pepperoni, maybe ham?) small bits, they did for sure add to the flavor, but dont eat this if you dont dig on no swine, it'd be impossible to try to find and pick all the pork out. this comes in at 280 calories, i give it a 8 out of 10.

jc beef chow mein


eww. stay away. dont waste your time or money. gross. -5 out of 10.

jc sunshine sandwich

oh guys, i really adore this sunshine sandwich. feels like comfort food. back in the day i used to eat the mcdonalds sausage egg mcmuffin 3 or 4 at a time, y'all. the mcdonalds sandwich is 4 ounces, 380 calories, and 22 grams of fat. so that means i would eat 1520 calories in one sitting. holy sh*t. how scary! i need to look up more of the things i used to eat. i was so addicted to this damn mcdonalds sandwich; this and the fish fillet. oh how i loved them! all soft and hot and salty! i dont think i'll be ordering this for awhile, tho, after i ate it, i wanted a couple more. and mcdonalds is down the street. 190 calories, 10 out of 10.

jc silver dollar pancakes & veggie sausage

this is a great jc dish. the packet of syrup they give you is exactly the right amount of syrup for all these pancakes. how did they know? the sausage is good; more people should try veggie sausage. a lot of soy meats aren't so great, but every soy sausage ive had is good, it gives you what you're looking for when you eat sausage-hot, salty, spicy, firm texture. i pulled this from the freezer but it came out of the microwave perfect. the pancakes were fluffy and moist and the sausage hot. it's a breakfast winner! would i buy again? not very often, b/c im a cereal person. tho i'm abandoning those unhealthy habits like sitting in front of the tv with the carton of milk and the box right next to me for easy refill, i still want that "comfort" feeling. there's plenty of great jc cereals for me to choose from. the jc pancake dish is 190 calories, it gets a 9 out of 10.

jc cheese curls




these are the jc cheese curls. they rock. buy them. eat them. love them. 10 out of 10.

jc turkey burger

this is a fan-fucking-tastic burger! when i pulled it out the package, i thought for sure the bread was going to be all tough or chewy like when you microwave pizza, and i was wrong. it came out warm and soft and like a potato roll should taste. the burger was delicious, it looks like the patty in the photo: kinda thick, with little bits of onions and peppers and such. i like to switch this up on my plate by putting the bread aside & the patty on my plate broken up with my fork, and coated in my husbands sauce (tomato paste, onions, garlic). add some steamed vegetables if you really want your plate to look like a big ol' full meal. this comes in at 280 calories, taste buds say 10 out of 10.

jc chicken stuffed sanwich

oh my goodness, another jc disappointer! this sandwich is chicken, broccoli, and cheddar cheese. it's bigger than a hot pocket. and dare i say tastier than a hot pocket. my experience with hot pockets have been always "meh" the bread usually comes out hard around the edges, and the filling is nil; not so w/jc. anyway, the bread was very much like that of the jc breakfast stuffed sandwich, a little doughy but i like that. there is plenty, like plenty of cheese and broccoli, just a lil' bit of chicken. i dont think i remember really tasting the chicken now that im thinking about it. maybe most people would love this, im not a fan of cheese and broccoli, i like vegenaise as a dip for broccoli. don't "eww." try it. overall, this jc dish was OK. i'd buy it again if they were out of my favorites. 270 calories, 4 out of 10.

JC breakfast stuffed sandwich.

i have started off the day with a jenny craig breakfast stuffed sandwich. it's like a hot pocket. the bread is good, a little dough-y but i like that . not as "stuffed" and cheesy as the photo teases. it has ham in it, which im not a huge fan of, and i didnt really taste the eggs. it did not taste bad, it didnt taste like "diet food" but it certainly wasnt something i'd get excited about eating. 200 calories on this one. on a scale of 1-10, i give it a 5.

jc mashed potatoes with mushroom gravy and beef

yesterday i had the jc meat and potatoes. it sucked. the first week of the program, i did the "personalized" plan so that i could exclude beef and pork. at the end of the week, i met with the counselor, and we discussed using the jc planned meal for two weeks, and then switching to personalized, which is what they suggest you do. she didnt try to force me or anything, she was super nice, "are you sure? will you be able to eat it?" worried about the pork thing. maybe she thinks im muslim or something. actually, i brought up the switching of menus. i wanted to try the program as it's designed. two weeks of meat wont offend me. in all honesty, i like beef and pork, but i want to eat less of animal, it's a moral issue for me. im not vegetarian, i just try. every time i don't go to carl's junior saves a cow. and i used to go to carl's junior a LOT... anyway, this jc dish is 200 calories, the potatoes and peas are good. the gravy was just a little gelatinous and the beef didn't taste like "YUM! Steak!" more like, "uhm, is this beef?" you know reconstituted wood, like chip board? it had that feeling when you chew it and it breaks up in your mouth, like it's reconstituted. 3 out of 10, i dont think i'd bother buying this again.

jc triple grain crisps


this is the jc triple grain crisps cereal. i think i would compare it to Life cereal, but much crunchier. maybe more like captain crunch, with the shape of life cereal. this cereal is ok, i'd eat it again, but i am now hopelessly devoted to the jc complete start, so i wouldnt buy this again. nothing wrong with the taste, but again... complete start fo' life. 8 out of 10.

jc pesto pizza


ive had pesto pizzas before and have never been a fan. i LOVE pesto on pasta, but on pizza it just tastes like nothing to me. or maybe the pesto sauce on these pizzas weren't so good... oh whatever anyways, this jc pesto pizza is good. like the other jc products involving bread, this comes out of the microwave nice and hot and slightly chewy/doughy, i like it. wish i could eat 3 of them. portions, sha, portions. score this dish a 9 out of 10 and yum!

jc chicken pasta parmesan


this sure sounded good. really wasnt tho. i dont even remember eating it. i dont remember chicken. this is a forgettable dish.
5 out of 10, b/c i dont remember anything specifically awful with it, but for sure can remember nothing great about it.

jc personal pizza

this is the jc Jenny's personal pizza and of the pizza dishes jc has, this is my favorite. it's so saucy; not like spicy but saucy like it has a lot of sauce. ive been noticing how cheesy jc products look, but not necessarily taste. but it's cool, after a while you... ah no, i should use i statements... i come to realize that i still enjoy my food, im satiated without needing cheese dripping from the sides. and it makes me feel so much better about poor Bossy. those poor cows are riddled with infections on their utters from the constant milking from the pumps. i heard like half of what youre drinking in milk is really puss. that's gross. Mary Catherine Gallagher. 10 out of 10.

jc french toast with fruit cup

this is good. like really hella good. how do you do it, jc? how do you make the bread products come out of the microwave so good?

this comes with the perfect amount of syrup in the packet, and when you mush it up with the berries all warm from the microwave and then spread it on top, oh yeah babe. good stuff.

i'll not buy this again, tho, only b/c i prefer cereal over all other things. at least with cereal im getting to the point where i can eat the one bowl and stop. with other breakfast items, i always want more and more. i bet i could knock out three of these. not that i'll ever know, b/c i got positive thoughts and am much stronger to not give in to overeating. pero anyways, this scores a 9 out of 10.

jc anytime bar


with the jc program you either eat a yogurt and take a mulitvitamin each afternoon, OR eat this jc anytime bar. eventually i stuck with yogurt just because i really like yogurt, but the first couple of weeks i ate these bars.
they're very very chewy, you'll love it if you love peanut butter i think. the chocolate coating was tasty. it's super sticky in your mouth, like eating a caramel or something. kind of nice b/c it takes a while to eat and one can really slow down and savor one's food properly.
i wont be buying this again, tho, i like yogurt better. feels more like im eating. the anytime bar gets an 8 out of 10.

jc complete start cereal

jc products that dont have a special packaging with a photo and everything all look like this; brown wrapper with a drawing on it. i dont remember what this tastes like, but i love it, just as i do almost every jc cereal. i think it reminded me of honey smacks in taste and texture. but it looked like twigs and dirt. i enjoyed it. 190 calories, 10 out of 10.

1/11/07 just an update, i friggin love this cereal, i eat it every day for my breakfast. i heard that kashi cereal is comparable, i got to check that out.

jc vegetable and chicken potstickers

to these vegetable and chicken potstickers i say, "guh-ross!" to be fair to the dish, i came in not liking a lot already. i dont like this long grain uncle ben type rice nor am i for saucing it. i like rice to be steamed, naked, and sticky. im not for teriyaki sauce atop potstickers; i dont know what the sauce is they give you at sushi deli but it aint sweet. more of a soy sauce i think. the potstickers were gummy. and dish this smelled odd. the bits of imitation chicken mixed in with the rice were ok, but overall 290 calories of bleahyaach. 1 out of 10.
edit: i just checked the box, it's chow mein sauce. still gross.

jc multi-grain hoops cereal

i am all about some cereal, yo. before i hit jenny craig, i used to plow through a box of honey bunches of oats in one day. and i thought i was being healthier than before, b/c my cereal choices used to be cocoa krispies, honey smacks, corn pops, apple jacks! with soy milk! later i switched to life, corn flakes, rice crispies, and honey bunches. but still, massive proportions. i would sit in front of the tv eating cereal, the milk and box right next to me for quick easy refill. i thought i'd have a hard time giving up cereal, but the jc cereals are all great. it really helps too to be able to eat whatever i want on that days menu at whatever time i want. i eat all my menu for the day, and have the cereal last when i get home at night. the first day was kind of a trip b/c it's proper portions and so small, but im over it now. i use a smaller cereal bowl. getting home at night, chillin with my cats, watching tv, with my bowl of jc cereal, s'been good. even better than before, b/c i know i'm eating sensibly but can still enjoy my comfort food. that stuff about not eating late at night or eating after 7pm b/c you'll gain weight is a myth, by the way. it does help some people to take control of their eating, but so long as you dont go over you day's caloric limit, you'll be fine. for reals, i saw it on the news this morning. most who plan their day's calories to include a snack at night do better w/weight loss, b/c they dont feel constricted about dinner being their last food of the day. this jc cereal is 170 calories, 10 out of 10.

jc southwestern style white chicken

and here we have the jc southwestern chicken with rice and beans. i dont give out 10s too lightly, but this one just slapped me in the face for it. bits of corn and black beans, oh yum yum num. i dont really remember the chicken, but it doesnt matter b/c the dish overall was fantastic. perhaps a more meat person would mind, so i will say that the chicken here was little to none. but the rice was off the chain. buy it, eat it, love it. 250 calories, 10 out of 10.

jc salisbury steak champignon

this is the jc salisbury steak. tastes like hamburger meat to me. but it was good. i wish there were more mushrooms. i didn't eat the peas and carrots tho. i like peas, and i like carrots, but i dont like peas & carrots. plus, i ate this on the day i had those 3 cups of broccoli so i figured i'd be ok. the potatoes were, like every jc potato i've had thus far, great. it really amazes me. i think i dont really eat any potatoes that have be microwaved, i used to eat a lot of french fries (carl's jr fries rule over everything, dont even try to debate that), but you cant heat up fast food fries, once they're cold they're done. so the idea of heating up potatoes in the microwave i really expect like frozen bits, or hard chewy bits, or crummy bits. these were great. 260 calories, 8 out of 10.

jc breakfast scramble

the jc breakfast scramble is potatoes (or is it home fries?), eggs, bits of meat i guess it's ham or bacon, and cheese. it's good. i get a dish in my neighborhood called "Tofu scramble" it's essentially the same but duh tofu instead of eggs and no meat. and about three times the size. this dish had quite a bit of cheese and cheese sauce, i think i'm getting cheesed out. 200 calories, 7 out of 10 b/c of my cheese mood.

jc chicken fettuccine

just when i thought i'd had about all the cheese i could stand, this dish came along. really really tasty. im starting to think my critiqueing jc food was pointless b/c i like just about everything!:) not a ton of chicken in it, but not noticible, this dish is great. 260 calories, 10 out of 10.

jc chicken salad

if you like tuna salad, you will like this chicken salad. it's very much like the jc tuna kit: a little can of chicken salad w/dressing and vegetable mixed in, 6 crackers, and instead of diced peaches it comes with applesauce. also like the jc tuna salad, this looks like a small lunch. *sigh* we'll adjust. it's easy to transport too b/c it not one of the jc frozen items. 260 calories, 9 out of 10.

jc pasta fagioli







rather forgettable dish. tell me what you thought about the jc pasta fagioli, y'all, b/c i dont even remember eating it.

5 out of 10 for fairness. the picture looks good.