This isn't the first time I tried a meal delivery service but it's the first time I actually had to prepare the food myself. I have the typical myriad of excuses on why I don't cook. I'm tired, I'm lazy, I don't want to shop for weird ingredients I'll never eat up, it's easier to go for sushi. Don't get me wrong, I love to cook but something has to inspire me and lately I'm not all that inspired.
I'm sure Hello Fresh first came up on my FB advertisements. I probably even browsed their website but the $70.00 per week price tag scared me off. Along with 'subscription service'. Aka give us your credit card and we'll hope you forget to cancel. I didn't do the math, I just looked at the recipes and closed the browser. But of course this is the Internet, full of non delicious cookies that watch your every click, shopping habit and browser history. I kept seeing their ads pop up on my FB feed, begging me to try them out.
So I posted in my Mommy Group "Has anyone ordered from them before?" and got some responses along with a HELLO! $40.00 promo code. Love me some deals. Being a household of two. Me and one very picky 8 year old, I opted for their Pronto plan which was 3 meals a week for 2. So 3 meals a week for 1 and lots of leftovers.
Regular price is $79.99 for 3 meals.
I had a bit of issues using selecting my meals, their website is beautifully designed but it isn't overly intuitive. I contacted them through FB Messenger (I love live chat) and they were pretty responsive. I figured out on my own that I could choose my meals *after* I paid. All was good in the world.
I had the order delivered to my office as I knew I had to be home to accept it during the day and was surprised to get a FedEx tracking #. The packaging was gorgeous but overdone. As much as I appreciate amazing marketing, I wondered how much cost went into the custom printing. The box was filled with 6 ice packs and insulated which was a relief because it wouldn't fit in my office fridge and they delivered it mid day and it wasn't time to go home yet.
Once I got it unpacked, I initially thought it was cool everything was separately sealed and labeled but a lot of the Moms who had received the meal deliveries brought up a good point of it not being very environmentally responsible. While I am sure there are some kids fresh out of high school living on their own that would appreciate Swiss Chard being labelled, I'm sure the rest of us know what all the ingredients are ;)
The three meals I chose for this week were:
1) Chick Pea Mediterranean couscous
2) Lemon Pepper Chicken
3) Seared Pork Chops
What I opted out of was the Caramelized Onion Burgers
Dinner #1
Included in the box is a beautifully designed recipe guide complete with prep pictures and the final product.
I was excited about roasting the chick peas because I've never done that before. As I started to prep the vegetables, I screwed up and dumped everything in a bowl. I didn't realize I had to separate them. Then it called for oil. Just oil. What KIND of oil would have been helpful.
The Verdict? I loved the chickpeas so crunchy but as soon as the steam from the veggies hit them, they went kinda soggy. I also forgot to put the feta cheese on it but it tasted like a healthy whole meal. Unfortunately this was not meant to be eaten on the second day. The chickpeas were not edible and the dish was dry. I liked the flavour so I didn't want to dump sauce on it. I didn't finish the rest. :(
Dinner #2
I guess I didn't notice the lettuce type when I ordered because I'm not a fan of arugula so that went back in the fridge. I decided to turn my dinner prep into 'Chopped'.
First I ate the pear, it was delicious. Then I threw the walnuts on the pan to roast them. I then threw on the potatoes and chicken. In the oven it all went. I then saw the lemon on the counter and went 'oh'. Lemon goes in fridge. Peppercorns = spicy, into the cupboard. I see chicken stock and apricot preserves. I decided to sauté the garlic and then add the broth for some weird chicken soup. Damn, I burnt my nuts. Finished cooking the chicken and then realized that my potatoes were glued to my non stick baking sheet (yes I oiled them prior). I gave up. I squirted the apricot jam on my chicken, ketchup on my half raw potatoes and ate my boring dinner.
The Verdict? None of this baking fiasco was the fault of Hello Fresh. I've got a head cold and my cooking game ain't on tonight.
Dinner #3
Seared Pork Chops with Plum Compote, Garlic Swiss Chard and Wild Rice
This is going to a quick post cause this dinner was a complete fail. First, I'm not a huge fan of pork. I love little piggies but not really to eat them. I've never had Swiss Chard before and the rice looked like little sticks. I was hungry (didn't eat all day due to my cold) so I ate the first plum by itself. No biggies, it's a meal for two. Cooked the rice til done...tasted it. Yuck. Cooked the Swiss Chard til done...tasted it. Yuck. Decided to skip the compote as I was losing my appetite the further I got along in my cooking. Finally the pork chops. They definitely weren't done by the time suggested and I have a weird fear of undercooking meat and getting e-coli. So I got 75% done and abandoned ship. So for dinner..I had a plum. And some random crackers I found in the cupboard. I feel bad about wasting so much food but I can't eat something that is gross to my palate. Again not the fault of Hello Fresh but this meal just wasn't for me.
I have one more week and then I will cancel my subscription as I will try another service. Stay tuned for Fresh Prep in two weeks!
No picture included because...gross.
Dinner #4 - 2nd Week
Seared Beef Noodles
Another winner! The recipe was easy enough and I was happy with the flavour. Bonus that my kid ate his whole plate.
Dinner #5 - 2nd Week
Pork Fajitas
I don't normally buy pork so I was a bit skeptical of how it would taste as my fajitas are usually beef or chicken. First off the cilantro was starting to go bad which was fine by me as I hate it, into the compost it went. The tomatoes were also underripe so those went on my sunny window sil. As I unpacked all the ingredients, I decided to alter this meal to make it more of a traditional fajita.
I threw the roasted peppers in my convection oven instead with some grape tomatoes. I also skipped the salsa and opted for the jar in my fridge. I cooked the pork in the Mexican seasoning, omitting the chipotle powder as I have a wimpy stomach. I grabbed some fresh avocado and added the lime juice. Voiila, a lovely Mexican dinner and leftovers for tomorrow!
Dinner #6 - 2nd Week
Chicken Schnitzel Pretzel Buns
I have never had schnitzel before so this meal was a bit of a risk. The pic looked great:
But opening the magical food box, showed me that the cabbage was starting to turn and so that main ingredient was now in the compost. I had heard of issues with the produce starting to go and while it's not the end of the world, it definitely does not stand up to their company name.
So what did I have? green onions, a bun, chicken, gruyere cheese, some panko, mayo, broth and other flavouring. Improvising a bit, I turned the dinner around. I had some sun dried tomatoes which I added to the mayo to make a burger sauce, avocado on the other bun, toasted with cheese and fresh lettuce. I threw the chicken breasts in the oven with some bbq sauce. It turned out fine and I kept the unused ingredients for another dinner. It was still tasty but obviously not the meal I was looking forward to.
So that concludes my two week trial with HelloFresh. I haven't decided to completely cancel my subscription as of yet. I will keep skipping weeks until the meals look appealing and hopefully get some more credits so the regular price is reduced.
Next blog will be on FreshPrep. Basically the same idea but different company.
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Want to try them out at a discounted rate? Here is my referral code - https://www.hellofresh.ca/?c=JODWEI to get $40 off your first week!