Blue Apron. Is it for you?

There’s no shortage of meal preparation services that have popped up over the last year.  The concept is great for a variety of home cooks including beginners, busy professionals or empty nesters.

I’m a proficient home cook, and I cook most nights so this concept intrigued me- someone else would plan the meal and give me all the ingredients?  YES!  

I was given a free trial by a friend already participating and decided to give it a try- after all, being free, what did I have to lose?  

So here are my take aways:

Reasons I love:

1. I cook food I normally wouldn’t cook= broadening our horizons.  I rarely will choose a chicken recipe because I cook A LOT of chicken so instead I choose the seafood dishes, vegetarian and beef recipes.  For four people, you get a choice of four entrees from which to choose two.  If I don’t like any of the choices, I simply choose the “skip” option.
2. Everything you need comes with the recipe.  I love not having to hunt through the pantry for the flour and the spices or going to the garden to cut the herbs.  It’s easy to organize myself because everything is there, all proportioned out.  A huge time saver, in my opinion.
3. Cheaper than going out.  During the week, we will go out more out of convenience than entertainment.  I’m either tired, got home late or don’t have the ingredients on hand and don’t want to hit the grocery store.  Yes, I still have to cook, but it’s much easier when everything is on hand with easy to follow directions.  A four-person meal $34.50, which equates to $8.60/person.  There’s no way we would get a comparable meal out for that price.  
4. Great customer service.  I have loved every meal I’ve received with the exception of a shrimp dish.  I had put the shrimp in the freezer after I opened my box, but when they defrosted, I discovered they had gone bad.  I emailed their customer service and was immediately credited for the entire meal.  No hassle.  No questions.
   

For novice cooks, there are a few things that you will need to make your experience more enjoyable:

1. Olive oil  Most recipes call for this oil to cook with.
2. A good and sharp knife.  While you do receive everything you need, many items still need to be chopped or sliced.
3. Nesting bowls.  I have a set of 10 nesting bowls that make cooking the meal a breeze.  I put my chopped items in the bowls, and when I’m ready to cook, everything is right there.
4. A good, non stick pan

Things to Watch Out For

1. This is a weekly plan but you can “skip” a week.  But you need to be on top of it or you’ll receive meals you didn’t want.  I visit the app about every two weeks and I can be ahead of the curve.  There is often 4-6 weeks of  meals posted at any given time so you can really plan ahead.  

If you’re interested in trying this, it’s easy to find a “free trial” offer either through a fellow user (message me if you’re interested) or visit the website (www.blueapron.com) or Groupon.  

Happy Cooking!

This Time... It was me

Over the years, my husband and sons have provided me with a lot of quality material for me to write about and share with readers.  I've written about their hobbies (Married to a MAMIL), their forgetfulness (It Started as a Lesson) and them leaving home (I'm Leaking).

And much to their delight, I now have a story to share about me.

It started with an interview I needed to conduct for a local magazine.  The client is a custom wood carver and refinishes furniture.  I used Google Maps on my computer and had the directions sent to my phone for easy access.

The following day, I had placed an "in search of" ad in one of the local online garage sales, searching for a mattress and box spring for my son who is moving into an unfurnished home at college this fall. Once again, I used Google Maps to navigate and sent the link to my phone.  I purchased the mattress and box spring, and my husband and son planned on picking the items up the following evening.

When the time came for them to go, I forwarded the Google Map link to them.  Fifteen minutes later, I received a phone call.  It was from my husband.  "What is the address of the home with mattress? I'm at xxxx."

10 Minutes Prior to This Phone Call.... 

They arrive at a house, and someone is the garage, apparently waiting for them.  She started showing them the hand carvings and in particular a set of drawers.  My son and husband were impressed but perplexed by this tour.

"These carvings are beautiful," said my husband. "But we're really here to pick up the mattress."

"What mattress?"

"The mattress my wife purchased yesterday."

"I don't know anything about a mattress for sale."

That's when he called me.  I had sent them to the home of the client I had interviewed a few days prior.  She was out in the garage because she was expecting a potential customer around the same time that evening.

I sent the correct address, and they picked up that dang mattress.  My son said this was probably the most awkward thing he's ever experienced.

You're Welcome!