Eat for a dollar a day; thanks, Costco!

I was surprised to learn that Costco, one of my fav stores, now offers a survival kit of seven days of freeze-dried gourmet meals for one for $79.95. This compares favorably to our usually monthly grocery/dining out bill. For the same price, the store also offers a more bare-bones product with the name "Emergency Food Supply" which comes in the kind of tub usually used for laundry detergent.

The latter claims to include "275 servings of Pre-mixed and Pre-seasoned 100 % Vegetarian and Vitamin Fortified food for you and your family." The food will last unopened for 20 years, and includes such taste favorites as Western Stew, Ala King, and Potato Bakon. At $79.95, this 23 pounds of goodness calculates to a cost per serving of less than 30 cents per meal. This puts it down to Monkey Chow level, in cost to survive.

The gourmet version only provides seven breakfasts, lunches and dinners, along with four desserts, but the menu includes Chicken Rotelle, Roast Beef Hash, Tamale Pie, Chocolate Mud Slide, and Deep Dish Crumble. To prepare, one need only add water (hot water will make some dishes more appetizing). Meals can eaten out of their pouches, so no dishes! The menu provides approximately 2,000 calories a day.

I'm considering buying one of each and giving them a taste test. This could be a great way to reduce cooking time and save some money. Or it could be the death of my taste buds. Either way, the price is right.

Thanks to Wise Bread