Well, I thought life with no kitchen would be reminiscent of college . . . stale saltine crackers, instant hot chocolate . . . .

But the world of instant food has changed. If you are what you eat, I thought I’d wake up one morning metamorphosized into a plastic container in a waxy cardboard box.

Things are better. For that matter, college is probably far easier than when I attended — Trader Joe’s, Microwaves, Internet access . . . .

These days you can get almost anything frozen homemade tamales, Indian curries, even a Boston cream pie. The second best convenience food innovation — fresh packaged salads — and not just iceberg either. They have great lettuce, nuts, cheese, and come with their own dressing. Though I know convenience foods have been generated to create a bigger profit margin for the stores — these foods can have a place in the well stocked kitchen.

Following the advice of Adam’s barber — we’re also trying those 70s style Hungry Man dinners and Stouffer’s Lean Cuisine — what I grew up calling TV dinners. Unfortunately these high-fat, high sodium ‘foods’ hardly resemble the foods of their origin. Traditional supermarkets are really falling down in this department. The specialty markets are turning out pretty good products with ingredients I recognize.

Life with no kitchen is turning out to be easier, cheaper, and more fun than I thought. I wonder how I’ll feel when we have the kitchen back.