Ocean Nibbles

We, or rather the kids, had fish sticks for lunch today. (I had a chicken panini with pepper jack cheese--quite delicious). I hadn't fixed fish sticks (AKA ocean nibbles from Charlie & Lola) in awhile. I was looking for a little variety the last time I was at the store so I grabbed a couple of boxes. Now my toaster oven is in my basement utility room. It isn't technically packed yet. However, we moved it off our kitchen counter so we could give the kitchen an appearance of being clean. I was feeling lazy and didn't want to haul it up to the kitchen and I didn't want to turn the stove oven on and heat up the entire house. So I decided to microwave--one of the greatest inventions ever known to man--especially to moms. I grabbed the box of Great Value fish sticks and read the side. I scanned the oven instructions and then reached the bottom sentence "Not recommended for microwave" And that was it. Typically a box will suggest the most favorable way to cook something, but will also give you the directions/times even if it is not a recommended method. Not so with the Great Value fish sticks. Evidently they want to make sure that we don't destroy the gourmet taste by sticking them in a microwave. The rebel in me started going nuts. Who are they to tell me that I can't microwave their fish sticks? And so I filled the plate and set the microwave on high for 1 minute. They were still quite chilly when I pulled them out so I set it for another 1 minute and 30 seconds. After I fixed drinks for everyone and set out the gourmet dipping sauce (Heinz ketchup), the microwave did its pleasant ding and the fish sticks were ready for consumption. They weren't quite as crispy as they typically are in the toaster oven, but they were definitely tasty--if fish sticks are your thing. Personally, I prefer lobster.