Barber Foods calls their products, including an assortment of frozen stuffed chicken entrees “dinner rescued.”

For once, there’s truth in advertising.

Now, it’s hard NOT to like food, any food, after you’ve been sampling some three or four dozen types of wine, including several delectable Portos. So we can’t just jump in and say “Barber frozen stuffed chicken entrees are awesome.”

Cause, like, they were. Awesome. They were really, really good.

The sad thing about lots of the foods and wines we tried at the 2010 Boston Wine Expo was the fact that many of them just aren’t available in New England yet — that’s why they’re at the expo in the first place.

Barber, a Maine-based company, is lucky. You can buy their food at any local Stop & Shop or Star Market/Shaws here in the Boston area.

So I bought a few packages of broccoli and cheese and chicken parm entrees.

And therefore, after sampling Barber Foods both tipsyly and soberly, I can now unequivocally say with a degree of certainly that Barber frozen stuffed chicken entrees are awesome.

They don’t taste like you might expect a frozen dinner entree to taste. They don’t taste processed and cheap. The breading is crunchy, the chicken is white and fresh, not mealy as many frozen dinners tend to be. The stuffing is fresh and fragrant. I was honestly impressed, because frozen dinner has such a horrible reputation for cheapness and low quality. I guess they’ve saved both dinner and their genre.

Barber also makes an assortment of chicken tenders and nuggets. Barber’s stuffed chicken sells for $4.99 for a 2-pack, or $9.99 for a 4-pack.

We have a $1 off coupon for the first Blast registered user who shares either their Boston Wine Expo story or their favorite chicken dinner story in the comments section.

Erica J. Marcus, of the Blast staff, contributed to this report by eating.

You know you’re not going to be saving money on the weekends. New city, new bars, new beers (reader, meet Sam Adams. Sam Adams, meet the reader. I trust you will have a long and lasting relationship). No way can you cut corners in that area. And there is no point in going out to those bars and clubs if you aren’t wearing something fabulous, so don’t expect to save money by not shopping for some new shirts and weekend jeans. Plus, you have to make a great impression on your new classmates, which means some weekday jeans and some serious but stylish shirts to match. And of course the new haircut to go with the new wardrobe. Clearly, this is starting to add up to some serious cash. So, where do we save money? One word: groceries. That’s right. Every week you can save money on your food bill if you just follow some simple ideas.

Buy one good box and one store box. (Media credit/nemoorange/Flickr)

First things first: cereal. It’s not just for breakfast, you know. When buying cereal, buy one box of the good brand and one bag of the store brand. The store brand is terrible and dirt cheap — your perfect drunk food. You’re going to want to save the better, expensive cereal for breakfast, when you are actually aware of what you are eating. So before you start drinking, make sure you hide the real brand somewhere safe. Back of the closet, under the bed, or — and I think this may be the best way to go — inside your school bag. There’s always the chance someone might fall into the closet or stumble under the bed. But mess around with a school bag? Umm I doubt it. And your deadened taste buds will never know the difference.

If you wanted to try my “Pro” plan, you could simply mix the good brand and the store brand together. This way, you have twice the cereal for way less money. You could always soak them in milk but well, milk is expensive and you can only siphon off so much of your roommate’s carton before he/she starts to notice the watered-down taste.

Let’s talk liquids. And by liquids, I mean water, because that’s what you’re going to be imbibing during the week from henceforth. Water is your best friend. Why? Because it is free, right from your faucet. Don’t listen to all that talk about dirty water. If it’s clear, it’s clean. Brown water? Well, then you might have a problem. But until then, go ahead and drink up. Doctors say you need 64 ounces a day, right? I mean, at one point or another, every legit health magazine on the newsstands has published that little disclaimer. Plus, water fills you up, so you’ll want to eat less solid food, which means fewer trips to restock your refrigerator. So the more water you consume, the more cash that stays in that fancy wallet you splurged on at the mall.

Limes have more than one use. (Media credit/flm's/Flickr)

Tired of plain water? Understandable problem. The stuff is as plain as it gets, after all. So here is my solution: buy a lime. A tiny piece of the tart citrus fruit is enough to add flavor to even the most metallic tasting water. And you’re a grad student, so you’re going to need the limes for the Coronas you’re buying this weekend anyway, so it’s not as if the rest of the lime is going to waste. Plus, the peel of the lime can be used as a festive decoration. Limes: the fruit that keeps on giving.

Live near a Whole Foods or Joe’s? That’s great. They have some of the freshest produce you can find in a grocery store. Now, walk away, sit down in front of your computer, and find the nearest “Market Basket.” Sure, you’re giving up a lot of your organic options, but this is about budgeting, not living a healthy lifestyle.

Now, you’re probably thinking, “But everyone needs some fruit and veggies in their life.” And you’d be right. But the operative word here is some. So go buy that bright, juicy apple. Next, cut it in half. Now you have two apples. Sometimes, it’s all about how you look at things.

Some fruit is okay, other fruit is not. How to know what types of fruit is acceptable is really quite simple. Apples: fine. Bananas: sure thing. Watermelon: heck no. For goodness sake, the fruit has the word “water” in it! We already talked about this: if you want water, find the nearest faucet. Do not pay for a five pound oval ball of liquid and seeds.

When it comes to “real” food, I have two words for you: rotisserie chickens. Seriously, those fully cooked little guys are the best invention ever. I get nearly a whole week’s work of meals out of one. Grab the chicken and a package of tortilla wraps and you’re good to go. Sure, it’s not the most varied menu. But I’m just a graduate student, not Martha “every meal is four courses” Stewart.

Just in case you are someone that likes a little variety, here’s a little recipe for your perusal. Salsa chicken is reasonably healthy, fairly easy to make, and, most importantly, only has three ingredients besides chicken breast. Just hit up that Market Basket you found and grab some salsa, taco seasoning and shredded cheese. Bake the chicken with the taco seasoning and the salsa and thrown on the cheese before you eat it.

You'd be surprised what you can find for free in a food court, like the one in the Prudential Center in Boston. (Media credit/seahills1/Flickr)

Got a mall near your apartment? If yes, then you have a nice light meal anytime of the day. Two words for you: Food Court. You know you love those samples. Just grab a couple samples from each “restaurant,” and you’ll be full in no time. BJ’s Wholesale or Costo will work in a pinch, but those are for members only and memberships cost money. If samples are your only option and you haven’t eaten in say, 24 hours, it will taste delightful. That’s a promise.

Now girls, you may or may not like my next idea. But if you are serious about saving money on food, get out there and date. Mostly first dates, since there’s pretty much no worry about having to split the bill or anything like that. Dating: fun, flirty and free food.

Other food to give up:

100 calorie packs of anything. They should rename these little suckers “rip-offs in a bag.” Way more expensive than a big box or bag of the same thing, plus you get less.

Any smaller size food item. Always go for the economy size. With everything you are giving up, whatever you can afford in economy size, you will need.

Ice cream. That is, give up buying ice cream. Feel free to go to every ice cream shop in a ten-mile radius to get your fix of free samples. Personally, I think it’s even better than buying a big thing of ice cream because then you get the variety. And those mini sample spoons are really cute.

Things to give up in favor of food:

Heavy duty trash bags. You live in an apartment now, so your trash is behind the building, not in your garage. As long as you can get the overstuffed, dripping bag of yuckiness out to the Dumpster without it ripping completely, you’re good to go. With so much smelly trash all mucking up together, no one’s going to know the rotten egg smell is coming from your bag of messy goo. The cheap trash bags are definitely good enough.

Real Solo cups. Store brand ones are just as good. I have done extensive interviews and surveys on the subject. Please take my word for it and spend the saved money on something worthwhile. Like oatmeal. I know, who eats oatmeal besides babies and Gramps? Well, you should. Relatively cheap, fairly healthy, and — keyword here — filling. You won’t need to eat for hours. That’s clutch because as we all know, snacks are essentially expensive, unsatisfying, and unnecessary. Note: tell yourself this 100 times a day until you believe it

So, do you feel ready to tackle the world of budget grocery shopping yet? Don’t stress out, you’ll be fine! Seriously, calm down, you’re looking a little peckish. Just grab a beer and chill out. That’s where all your money will be going anyway.

On a health kick, my father threw together baked chicken tenders, and, if done right, it’s a healthy and delicious way to eat chicken.

When I retire and open a bar in 40 years, we will serve these little bundles of joy —

Virtually Fat-Free Chicken Tenders with Veggies!

Dish #4 — Virtually Fat-Free Chicken Tenders

40 minutes — About $15

You can save a few dollars buying whole boneless chicken breasts and cutting them yourself, but they sell handy tenderloins, already cut up.

Pre-heat a traditional oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

You need two things to bread meat: a batter and a breading.

To prepare the breading, pour about half a standard-sized canister of Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs into some kind of flat container that’s large enough to fit the chicken pieces. Add a teaspoon of salt, tablespoon of ground black pepper, two teaspoons of cayenne pepper, a tablespoon of paprika, and two teaspoons of parsley. These are rough estimates. Just shake some in.

Shake it up.

You can be creative here. You can crush Ritz crackers or saltines or even Cheese-Its!

To prepare the batter, pour some liquid egg whites into another flat container. Add a quarter cup of water and a few teaspoons of olive oil. Mix well.

You can use whole eggs, but you are adding a bit more fat and cholesterol. I use whole eggs usually, because I have them lying around. Liquid egg whites are amazingly useful but a bit expensive.

The eggs and olive oil are the only real fats in the chicken. The olive oil is needed because it helps brown up the chicken. You can take it out if you’re really concerned about the fat, but it’s all good, trust me.

Take each chicken piece and trim any visible white stuff (fat and some tendons).

Now, this next part is very important.

Crumbs, egg, crumbs!

Flip the chicken over in the crumbs. Then place it in the egg and make sure all surfaces are coated. Allow the excess to drip off. Then flip it a few more times in the crumbs. With two fingers, pat the breading firmly onto the chicken. Flip. Repeat.

Place each chicken tender on a non-stick baking pan and bake for about 30 minutes. Flip the chicken over at the 15 minute mark. Make sure both sides are browned, and serve.

If you did it right, you’ll have delicious, crispy, tender, browned chicken tenders that only have a drop of healthy olive oil baked in.

Not fried. You’ll feel good afterward. Enjoy!

These go great with a cup of brown rice or some sauteed peppers and onions. I’ll be showing you how to make both in a few weeks!

Beer Chicken

Ingredients:

• One whole frying chicken
• 12 oz. can of beer
• Garlic powder, chili powder, pepper, white pepper

Mix the peppers and garlic and chili powders in a bowl. Rub seasoning mixture into the entire outside of the chicken.

Now the third best part: crack open a can of beer, any kind really, although I do encourage you to try all different types. Do something with half of the beer in the can. If using a pan, you can pour it in bottom-or just drink it.

Now the second best part: stick the half-full can (we’re optimistic because this is a proven good recipe) up the chicken. There are two possible orifices in the chicken-stick the can where you think it belongs.

Oven: stand the chicken upright on the can in a pan (possibly with leftover beer in it) and place in an oven. Roast at 425 for 45 minutes to an hour (depending on the size of the chicken). Lower the temperature to 350 to cook the rest of the way (again, depending on the size of the chicken). When the juices run clear, it is finished. Consult the package of your chicken for proper cooking times.

Finally the best part: carve and eat the chicken and remove the can if you wish. The evaporated beer will make the chicken extra-moist and delicious. Salt and pepper to taste.

Beer Hot Dogs

Already a match, the powers of these two favorites can be combined into this super dish.

Ingredients:

• 12 oz. can or bottle of beer (again, feel free to experiment)
• 1/2 bottle of ketchup
• 3-6 tablespoons of brown sugar
• White onion
• One (12-16 oz.) package of hot dogs
• Worcestershire sauce

Pour beer into a pot (don’t drink any this time) and bring to a boil. Cut hot dogs into small, bite-size pieces. Cut up the onion. Add three tablespoons brown sugar and onion to beer-dogs. Pour in a cup of ketchup and mix. Reduce heat to low and cover. Periodically stir. After 20 minutes, assess the beer-dog situation. The sauce should be thick and pasty; adjust ketchup and brown sugar content accordingly and also for taste. Simmer for 20 more minutes. Take off the heat and let sit, covered, for 10 more minutes. Serve in grinder rolls or any other way.

“This great tasting product will help KFC continue to evolve and increase our relevance among consumers looking for nonfried menu options,” said Gregg Dedrick, president of KFC. “And, as always, it will deliver the great flavor our customers have come to expect.”

In an all-too-fashionable healthy twist alternative for fast food restaurants, KFC says the new grilled item will have 60 to 180 calories and 3 to 9 grams of fat. Original Recipe chicken has 130 to 360 calories and 8 to 24 grams of fat, they said.

For the company, the challenge fell to them to develop a product that was healthy and fit Colonel Sanders’ original restaurant model.

“We have worked tirelessly to develop a grilled product that would have met Colonel Sanders’ high expectations for flavor and taste,” commented Doug Hasselo, Chief Food Innovation Officer at KFC. “It truly is finger lickin’ good.”

KFC says the grilled item is part of a larger effort to make the restaurant healthier. In a statement Monday, they said they were making strides to remove trans fats from their cooking processes and reduce salt in other menu items.

Kentucky Grilled Chicken is being test marketed in Indianapolis, Colorado Springs, San Diego, Oklahoma City, Jacksonville, Fla., and Austin, Texas. Grilled chicken is expected to appear on menues nationwide next year.