(Fake) Chicken and Rice with Dust

Ok, So I've already lied to you—this is a meal that I can't really afford.  See: the fake chicken patties were in my freezer from back in the fat days.  I couldn't afford them now.

Gaze upon the gloopy glory:

 

So, Dr. Hathaway, what is it, really like?

Well, it is a couple Morning Star Chick Patties Original—sounds utterly charming—and a bag of Rice Bowl brand Cheddar Broccoli rice side dish.  The bag of rice with dust (charitably we can call it a cheddar broccoli precursor, I guess) was just like you'd think.  Rice with goop—although serviceable as rice leaves a great deal to be desired as far as the "sauce".  See, the final like of the instructs goes like this: "Sauce will thicken upon standing."  That can't be good.  

The less said about the little chunks of broccoli stem (which must have been lyophilized, I hope) the better.

Breaking it down:

Water & cooking gas: let's not nickel and dime things (or lets, but this is just too negligible to worry about)

Rice Bowl Cheddar Broccoli Rice Side Dish: 54 cents

1 Tablespoon butter: 7 cents

Morning Star Chick Patties Originial (2): $1.74 

Total: $2.36

But this is a good news/bad news thing.  This was really 2 meals (breakfast and lunch on a Sunday), so that is $1.18 for a meal.  And since I bought the fake chicken patties back when I had a real income they don't really count.  But if this happens again it will be without the fake chicken—they don't add much (not that there is much to add to).  54 cents for something so filling may be ok if I'm in a really, really, really bad pinch.