Here's how I make homemade Rice-a-Roni:

1 T butter
1 handful angel hair pasta, broken in pieces
1 t chopped garlic
1 onion, chopped
1 c mushrooms, sliced
1/2 t dried dill
2 c chicken broth
1 c rice (whichever kind you like best)
1/2 t salt

1. Melt butter in a saucepan over med. heat. Stir in pasta and let brown. Add garlic, onion, mushrooms, and dill weed. Sauté until onions are opaque.
2. Stir in broth and bring to a boil.
3. Dump in the rice, bring back to boil, turn down heat, cover, and let cook however long the rice needs.

Voilà! It's really good with a handful of toasted pine nuts. Just sayin'.

I grew up with Rice-A-Roni and never looked back once I discovered basmati rice, risotto and sushi. I will have to try your recipe Helen, looks like fun!

I live alone. I hate to cook.


Needless to say, I love Rice-a-Roni.

For years I have wanted to make a movie set in San Francisco. In every single shot of people eating, even in the background, they would be eating nothing but Rice-a-Roni.

Yes, I am easily amused.

Followed by a misfortune cookie for dessert? Mine says

I love Rice-a-Roni. And Pasta Roni. And Hamburger Helper, Spaghetti-Os, Chef Boyardee ravioli, and instant mashed potatoes. Love love love. I know it's disgusting. I'll make something gourmet one day and something from a box the next.

In other news: another thread reminded me - I have no idea what to do on the 4th. I like things that go splody in the sky, but super mega overwhelming crowds/traffic sometimes blow my circuits and send me offline for the rest of the evening. Don't want to sit home bored, though. Dunno what to do. Any suggestions? Go somewhere? Sit at home with board games and hope someone wants to play? Run naked through the streets of Torrance with squid on our heads?

No idea what to tell you. I'd hang out w/you except I'm going to be stuck at work with the great unwashed. On the bright side I may get a glimpse of splody things.

Well, you'd want the 4th to be something special, not just the same-old same-old, so the last option's obviously out.

You could always drive to one of the towns in SoCal that still allow "Safe And Sane" fireworks (Lakewood is the only one that comes to mind immediately) and drive around the neighborhoods to see a nostalgic look at pre-safety cocooned America.