Ceaser's Stuffed Shells with Cheese (in Marinara Sauce)

This isn't what I was reviewing in the post that got eaten, but... well, I'll come back to that post when it's time comes around again. For now, let's talk shells! I found Ceaser's offering in the freezer section of R Downs. I'd like to tell you more about the company, but their website seems to be under a remodeling project at the time I write this, so... no dice. Anyway, R Downs had several of their pasta offerings in the freezer, and I grabbed the shells for a little variety. Tonight, I sat down to eat them.

The shells themselves aren't that bad at all. They're stuffed with ricotta cheese, accentuated by herbs and spices. I found them a teensy bit dry and rubbery, though I am willing to chalk that up to the vagaries of microwave cooking more than anything else. Now, as for the sauce... well, the sauce reminds me of a joke that Woody Allen tells at the beginning of Annie Hall where two women are complaining about the food they're being served: "it's so bad... and in such small portions!" The marinara sauce isn't horrible; it's a bit too tomatoey and bland for my taste, but given that I found the shells dry, that sauce had an important job, and there just wasn't enough of it to go around. There were three shells in the box, but I'd say there was only enough sauce for 2, and that was using said sauce sparingly. So, a mixed bag in terms of the food.

The nutritional facts, on the other hand, kind of surprised me. For a start, a box of this stuff will run you 370 calories. This surprised me by being a bit low. The fat content, on the other hand? 18g total (27% DV), with 9g saturated fat (a whopping 47% DV). Whoa. Not sure where that's coming from-- the cheese? As for the rest of the stats, you're looking at 65mg cholesterol (22%), 660mg sodium (27%), and 37g carbs (12%). The sodium number is less of a surprise to me, but the rest? Huh. Would not have guessed.

I'll be looking to try more of Ceaser's pasta products in the future. While I was mildly disappointed with some of the aspects of these shells, I think I'd eat them again... but I should probably lay off for a couple weeks. Read on!

A Quick Post About the Lack of Posts

Keen observers to ye olde gluten-free critic will note that the past month or so has been somewhat devoid of posts. This is... well, it's both entirely fault, and only partially my fault.

What?

Well, I will admit that my espirit de blog has been waning of late. That much is entirely my fault. However, it did not help that a post I meant to put up last week was entirely eaten by Blogger. Having to re-write something from scratch, I think, is loathed by most writers, and I am no exception. So, I've been procrastinating. Sorry! I will be getting back on the blogging horse (hopefully) this week, and will be endeavoring a more regular posting schedule in the ensuing weeks.

In the meantime, I'd like to invite anyone who has been stopping by to drop a comment in ye olde inboxe. Possible topics could include: things you like about the blog, things you hate about the blog, general felicitations, and/or crude and strange drawings made from MS Paint. You can also send in questions via the formspring, if you're so inclined.

Okay, that's all for now. Let's hope this post doesn't get eaten... Read on!