What a minute, it comes in a box?!

  I had always wondered how people were making these healthy, tasty, user friendly dishes for dinner, and where they came from. My man uses two meal plans and thus Blue Apron and Plated were introduced to me. I know my sister uses Hello Fresh which I hear is equally decent. I was amazed. Two meals show up at your doorstep, that you get to cook, with all the ingredients right there without you having to shop or deal with traffic, or stress of finding a recipe.

  I have spent the last  several years eating the same thing over and over even in college. I eat rice, spinach salad with tomatoes and onions, eggs, and chicken. That is mostly it. Occasionally it would be turkey tacos, or mushrooms thrown in. I was saving for international travel and that was the way to go. I get teased about it all the time. I could not afford a meal boxed plan and wasn't sure I could do it, with my lifestyle. Since I am up so early for work all week, my nights are spent at home mostly. It can be boring, but really it is nice to wind down and not have to dart everywhere. I do bible study once a week and the cooking introduction feels like a Julie and Julia experience except without the drama ;). 

   The box arrives with all the ingredients you need to cook and with several ice packs to keep the food cold, and sturdy packaging to keep everything together. There is even a meal card and a stand to hold it in place so you can read off instructions. The recipe is step by step and easy to follow. I turn on music and find myself getting lost in the moment as I create my dish.  I am starting out with two meals a week which is 8.99$ per meal, plus shipping costs. Seemed like a lot, but since my travel plans to international spots are on hold next year, I had more flexibility to enter into this healthy, new adventure of meal plan cooking into my life. 

   Blue apron has opened the doors for me to eat healthier and get more creative in the kitchen, and also encourage me to dust off those old cookbooks I own and maybe start cooking from them again! It really depends on your situation to be able to afford a meal plan and sometimes others don't need it or want it, which I fully support. But for someone who has had chicken and rice for ages, this feels like a whole new perspective, and it feels great; especially since I go out when I am on vacation and money is now going towards domestic trips, which have proved to be just as memorable and amazing. 

I also don't feel like I have to cook the meals as soon as they arrive, but I do anyways to have leftovers for lunch the next day! This first week, I cooked chicken marbella sauce with cooked kale on Tuesday night, and tonight I made spicy pork tacos with butternut squash. I cannot wait for next week's meals and hope this continues to work for me as the cost is worth it for my well being and for something fun in my life. I encourage anyone and everyone to try it!