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I am not a cook.
Save me the domestic talk about women in the kitchen. It is 2016. I work 45+ hour weeks, while tending to children, and saving the world. Not to mention, men aren't quite handling business like the '60s anymore either. But, I digress...
As much as my mother and grandmother tried persuading me to help out, learn those coveted mac n' cheese, sweet potato, and caramel cake recipes...burnin' in the kitchen wasn't quite my forte. Why cook when someone else can do it for me? Hello, restaurants? Grocery shopping and meal planning have always been completely overwhelming. Plus, I married a natural born kitchen slayer, my husband went to culinary school.
Eventually though, children will make you feel like a failure, and eating out gets expensive. Not to mention, my 7-year-old is all of a sudden hungry 24/7. In stepped meal delivery service Hello Fresh.
I am not a cook.
Save me the domestic talk about women in the kitchen. It is 2016. I work 45+ hour weeks, while tending to children, and saving the world. Not to mention, men aren't quite handling business like the '60s anymore either. But, I digress...
As much as my mother and grandmother tried persuading me to help out, learn those coveted mac n' cheese, sweet potato, and caramel cake recipes...burnin' in the kitchen wasn't quite my forte. Why cook when someone else can do it for me? Hello, restaurants? Grocery shopping and meal planning have always been completely overwhelming. Plus, I married a natural born kitchen slayer, my husband went to culinary school.
Eventually though, children will make you feel like a failure, and eating out gets expensive. Not to mention, my 7-year-old is all of a sudden hungry 24/7. In stepped meal delivery service Hello Fresh.
Picture courtesy of HelloFresh, but I swear my meals looked like this
Here's how it works:
Hello Fresh sends you 1-3 days of meals in the mail. The meals are tightly packed on ice (even sat out in the Florida sun for awhile and was still cold).
They promise fresh, high quality, pre-portioned ingredients, different but family friendly recipes, and just enough food for one serving each for 2 or 4 people, at reasonable prices. Admittedly, you can buy the foods at a grocery store for cheaper, but this is about convenience and expanding your palate. For reference, 3 meals for 4 people cost me $105, cheaper than eating out, more expensive than meal planning. I did not get to choose the meals, but you see what they are beforehand.
Long story short, I ended up making gourmet style meals like Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Basmati Rice and veggies, Zucchini Parmesan Crusted Chicken (pictured above, excuse the #strugglemeal pictures, I promise I made some more complex meals than that, didn't take a picture).
Hello Fresh sends you 1-3 days of meals in the mail. The meals are tightly packed on ice (even sat out in the Florida sun for awhile and was still cold).
They promise fresh, high quality, pre-portioned ingredients, different but family friendly recipes, and just enough food for one serving each for 2 or 4 people, at reasonable prices. Admittedly, you can buy the foods at a grocery store for cheaper, but this is about convenience and expanding your palate. For reference, 3 meals for 4 people cost me $105, cheaper than eating out, more expensive than meal planning. I did not get to choose the meals, but you see what they are beforehand.
Long story short, I ended up making gourmet style meals like Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Basmati Rice and veggies, Zucchini Parmesan Crusted Chicken (pictured above, excuse the #strugglemeal pictures, I promise I made some more complex meals than that, didn't take a picture).
Courtesy: HelloFresh (I made this too!)
But, here was the real kicker...I saw a totally different side to my kids. Maybe, it was the bright, colorful menu instructions, but my daughter was eager to work alongside mommy.
Sam wanted to help chop, sprinkle, and stir each recipe. She was genuinely excited to help in the kitchen AND willing to try new things. Even Abram jumped in on the fun, they were begging me to help. These were NOT meals that my kids, at 7 and 3-years-old, would normally eat. I was impressed.
It took that little experiment to help me realize how the stomach really is the way to the heart. We smiled and joked together in those moments, shared a new experience. I felt really close to my little crumb-snatchers.
I can't promise that I'll all of a sudden start cooking more. I also likely won't keep up with Hello Fresh, even though the meals were surprisingly tasty, they are expensive.
What I will do is make sure I'm creating those special moments in one way or another. Paying special attention to family dinners, asking for help with the small tasks. Kids want to feel useful, they want to feel loved and sometimes all it takes is a good home cooked meal.
Disclosure: This is my honest opinion. I may receive compensation from the companies whose products I review. I tested and reviewed the product listed here. I am independently owned and the opinions expressed here are my own.
Sam wanted to help chop, sprinkle, and stir each recipe. She was genuinely excited to help in the kitchen AND willing to try new things. Even Abram jumped in on the fun, they were begging me to help. These were NOT meals that my kids, at 7 and 3-years-old, would normally eat. I was impressed.
It took that little experiment to help me realize how the stomach really is the way to the heart. We smiled and joked together in those moments, shared a new experience. I felt really close to my little crumb-snatchers.
I can't promise that I'll all of a sudden start cooking more. I also likely won't keep up with Hello Fresh, even though the meals were surprisingly tasty, they are expensive.
What I will do is make sure I'm creating those special moments in one way or another. Paying special attention to family dinners, asking for help with the small tasks. Kids want to feel useful, they want to feel loved and sometimes all it takes is a good home cooked meal.
Disclosure: This is my honest opinion. I may receive compensation from the companies whose products I review. I tested and reviewed the product listed here. I am independently owned and the opinions expressed here are my own.
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