I live in my head. This doesn’t mean I’m crazy, although I might be, it means for me that in my head, I’m really kind of super accomplished. For instance, in my head I am a master home chef, I have a runner’s body, and I still look as hot as I did in my early 30s. In real life, not so much on any of the above. But hey, that doesn’t stop me from dreaming and trying to turn that dreaming into doing.
Believe it or not, this is not an article about how to become what you want to be, but about cooking. I love to watch cooking shows—all cooking shows. But, my favorite cooking shows are the ones that feature home chefs. I am amazed at how accomplished and innovative they are. It motivates me to step into my lovely kitchen (I do love my kitchen) and think about cooking. I start to look up recipes and write down ingredients. I scan the internet and think of things I can do without a recipe. And then I begin to think about what goes into the cooking, and next thing I know, I’m calling Domino’s.
Let me preface this by sharing how much I hate to go to the grocery store, listen to my kids whine asking what’s for dinner, and the fact that it’s, of course, always me who’s cleaning up the mess. In fact, if I could walk into my kitchen and have it look like the Master Chef pantry and have someone else do the dishes after I was doing making magic, I might be tempted to cook every single day. In fact, I’ll just put it out there right now: I’m taking applications for a sister wife. Husbands are too much work. Sister wives? Easy. At least in my head they are.
As it is, the option of asking the kids what they want to order for dinner and hearing pizza one more time (I am not a pizza eater), makes me cringe.
For the past 17 years, there have been three different scenarios that play on repeat. Let me explain.
Scenario Number One. In Scenario Number One, I begin the week with every intention of cooking. Then a few days pass, and I still haven’t made it to the grocery store. And then I start to think of all that we have going on every evening during the week, combined with how much work I have to do. Then I start thinking about the fact that I’m tired, and how late in the evening it’s getting, and the fact that if I actually do cook, that means I’ll also need to clean up because of course those little (insert cuss word) children of mine can’t be counted on to help. And before you know it, another week goes by, and I haven’t made one thing. Instead, it’s been yet another week of takeout pizza, pasta, and burgers.
Scenario Number Two. In Scenario Number Two, I do make it to the grocery store and manage to buy the ingredients I need. I absolutely, positively have every intention of cooking the entire week. I remember to take the protein out of the freezer the night before. I have every intention of making this happen, people. And then? It happens again. Before my very eyes, the will to cook is overtaken by the stress of life, kids’ activities, and the latest thing I want to watch on Netflix and it’s so much easier to order in. There I go. Straight down to Loservile once again, as another week passes by and I’ve not cooked a thing. Of course I should also mention that the veggies and other perishable things I bought full on intending to cook them have by this time gone bad, so I’ve spent a ton of money wastefully. I suck.
Scenario Number Three. In Scenario Number Three, I really and truly get my act together. I go to the store, I remember to cook the things I’ve resolved to cook, and then, my hateful and ungrateful children throw a wrench in things by refusing to eat what I’ve cooked for some reason or another. I am left eating my dinner, scraping their food into the garbage or giving it to the dogs, being very annoyed, and of course cleaning up a zillion dishes all by myself. What do I do next? Order in the rest of the week.
Here’s the problem with what I have been doing. It’s super expensive and super unhealthy. And it makes zero sense. I’m the person who doesn’t buy soda, doesn’t eat (or buy) a lot of bread, and only has healthy snacks on hand for the teenagers. This “healthy living” is entirely undone by the way we eat out.
The Solution to the HomeChef Dilemma
Many of you know about these home meal delivery solutions, so I’m not going to be telling you anything new, which is also not the point of this article. I have always been interested in home chef services. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, this is how it works.
You go to their website and pick a meal plan. You can have vegetarian, gluten-free, or pescatarian—it’s up to you. Then you choose whether you want meals delivered for two or four people and how many meals you’d like per week. After you’ve done that, you get to choose your menu and the day of the week you want your food delivered.
Honestly, this home meal delivery service has changed everything for me! The program that I’m doing is called HomeChef (and I’m not getting paid for this, but if you do order using my link I will get a discount on food), and I am also going to try HelloFresh. This article is written based on how they do it, but I am assuming most work the same way.
How the Food Arrives
When the food from HomeChef arrives, it’s pretty awesome. It comes packed in ice so you don’t have to worry if you can’t get to it until later in the day. Each meal’s ingredients are put in individual bags, so you know what goes with what and you get all the fresh ingredients you need to cook that meal. You also get a page that has a picture of how the meal is supposed to look when done, and instructions on how to prepare it. HomeChef also provides information about all the nutritional details, so you’ve pretty much got everything you could ever want.
What do you Need to Make the Magic Happen?
So the food is here, what do you need to make that magic happen? Great question! You of course need cookware, along with the staples—olive oil, salt, and pepper. And, if you are worried, you can always look at the ingredients and how to make each meal before you put it in your weekly cart.
Just last week I made the English Roast and Yorkshire Pudding. I also made the Mushroom and Cheese Quiche, and the Steak Chili and Cornbread. Dude, I am totally and completely nailing this cooking at home business with a little help from my friends at HomeChef. More importantly, my family is eating for around $50 a week, I’m not ordering takeout nearly as much, and my kids have loved every single thing I have made.
What do I Love the Most When It Comes to Home Meal Delivery Service?
What do I love the most when it comes to home meal delivery service? Great question! I love getting my box of goodies and seeing all that fresh produce. I also really love knowing I won’t have any waste, that I can confidently make beautiful food quickly and easily. Last, but not least, I feel good about doing a better job of taking care of my family and getting good food in their bellies instead of the not-so-great rotation of pizza, pasta, and burgers.
So if how I’ve described my life as a single mom raising two teenagers is anything like what you experience on a weekly basis, I encourage you to give a home meal delivery service a shot. You’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain. And who knows? You might fall totally in love with it, just like I have!
What about you? Have you tried any of the home meal delivery solutions? If so, I’d love to hear your feedback.
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