I just can't end the year with one post for this entire month! I have about 10 posts that I've started this year without finishing (..imagine that..) SO I chose the one that caught my eye first... because it's about FOOD. For more than 5 months now, Bub the hub and I have been using a weekly meal ingredient delivery service that has truly made life SO much easier. I saw a recommendation for Hello Fresh this past summer when the week days were especially long with both girls home, and mommy's brain power and energy was also at an especially low ebb. The promise of 3 weekly meals that I did not have to brainstorm or go to the store for correct ingredients (and inevitably forget something) appealed to me greatly.
It was also exciting to me to be able to try some new recipes because it's literally been the same 5 things for dinner around here for a long, long time. And 80% of those involved chicken. Poor Bub the hub. Anyhoo, we started with a very reasonably priced trial to make sure it was right for us. We chose the option that was 3 meals a week for 2 people. We knew Avery would not be able to eat most of the choices because of her special diet, but had heard that the meals for 2 usually had some leftovers. Perfect if Maddie Brynn wanted to try something new with us.
I was really excited to get my first shipment! It contained 3 very smartly packed ingredient boxes plus recipe cards. I poured some wine and opened the box with the shortest cooking time: 30 minutes. Granted, the longer ones are only 45 minutes, but I wanted to start slow. The first recipe we ever tried was Eastern Carolina Pulled Chicken Sliders with Tangy Cabbage Slaw.
It was not super fancy or hard at all, but it was something I would never think to make, and I appreciated that. The fresh ingredients impressed me, and continue to do so. I have even found some new brands of food I like. And what continues to happen is that I end up making things- usually side dishes-that I do not think will be my cup of tea, and then it's totally delicious and I am converted. In this first case it was the slaw. I am not a cabbage or coleslaw person. Like, probably hadn't passed my lips in a decade. After making the slaw side dish on the first night, I have since made it twice more. Yum!
As far as cooking difficulty, I consider myself a B+ cook if I have a recipe, probably a D cook if I do not! But I can chop and simmer and saute, and do enjoy it. Each Hello Fresh recipe has a difficulty level, so you know what you are dealing with. I have not found any that were too difficult, although sometimes chop and prep do take me awhile. Bub the hub and I have started really sharing that though, so it goes by a little quicker :).
With the example of this slider recipe, the only prep I had to do was slice the scallions and halve the buns. The rest involved combining a mix to simmer the chicken in, mixing the slaw together and then shredding the chicken at the end. Voila!
I can't say that my finished product ever really looks as nice as the recipe visuals but omg did it taste good! It was definitely filling as well.
The next two recipes of our trial week got progressively harder with longer cook times and more ingredients, but it really wasn't bad at all. We had a Thai-style Beef dish that again, I would never have organized on my own.
The only mildly difficult part of this one was all the chopping.
This recipe was another win and had plenty of leftovers.
The last recipe of the week was something that was pretty far out of my comfort zone and even after enjoying the first two meals so much, I still had my doubts. It was Poached Cod in Chorizo-Fennel Broth with Sweet Potato Crisps. I had never cooked cod before and certainly never poached a fish. It totally blew me away. Having now tried 60+ Hello Fresh recipes, I still think it was probably the most difficult one we've done, but worth it. Everything I did was totally new to me and I loved learning it all.
Look, I'm poaching cod in a fennel broth!
Again, the end result was not the prettiest, but totally the tastiest.
And baked sweet potato crisps are definitely a new fav side dish!
Soooooo, I'm not going to share every single thing we have cooked, but I am going to mention some more of the ones that were pretty new to me and we ended up loving. We've really loved them all, though.
Lemony Basil Chicken with Artichokes Hearts
Honey Dijon Pork Chops with Squash/Lima Bean/Corn Hash
Roasted Pork Chops with Balsamic-Fig Sauce,
Arugula Salad and Rosemary Potatoes
The simple arugula salad is one of those side dishes I have made again
and again on my own. So easy and yummy.
Autumn Risotto with Butternut Squash, Sage and Pepitas
I am a big risotto fan and this one was AHmazing.
One thing I have not photographed (shocker!) but we have especially loved are the recipes for "flatbread" which is basically a fancy pizza. Our favorite has been the Fig & Brie Flatbread with Thyme-Caramelized Onions. The flatbreads are so easy to put together and the flavors are always delish. That reminds me there was also a Fig & Brie Grilled Cheese recipe that I could basically eat every day. Am I making you hungry yet?
Tonight we actually made one of the most simple recipes but also one that Maddie could easily enjoy with us.
Stovetop Shells & Cheddar with Crispy Breadcrumbs!!
and Roasted Carrots
In conclusion, I am relieved by the stress that these deliveries take off my shoulders while still allowing me to make home made meals and try new things. And learn new things! Hello Fresh is not even paying me to say these things!! Seriously though, we go to the grocery store less and I am almost never stressing about dinner. Can you say that??
If you are interested in trying your own week of boxes, you can use my referral code RXL2BU for $40 off your first delivery, which is exactly how we started. Or at least go on the site and check out their recipes: https://www.hellofresh.com/. You only pay for a week at a time, can cancel at any time, or skip random weeks like we do when we are out of town/out of money or the fridge is especially full. If you do give it a chance, please let me know how you like it! Hopefully it's as big of a success as it is for our family.
