Ever yearn for the good old days when main meals invariably consisted of the likes of good old-fashioned mince 'n' tatties, macaroni cheese and so forth?

These days - with the majority of young wives and mothers out working - it's a vast array of prepackaged, microwavable foods you'll find dominating supermarket freezers.

Which is all very well. Unless like Myrna and I you prefer to use a conventional oven for cooking. But either way ... ... you're directed to follow the instruction I've chosen to use for the title of this thread, before heating the product.

can be problematic ... when, for example, one or more ingredients defrost more rapidly than the others over the preparation time indicated on the packet.

Am I alone, or does anyone else share my opinion?