Why didn't anyone tell me that January has like 48 days in it?

January of 2018 is going on FOOOOOOOOREVERRRRRRR.  Seriously.  Hi, ya'll!  Sorry it's been almost two weeks since our last post!  I've struggled to get this blog post out for a couple of reasons.  One, I've been busy with work that pays the bills (like too busy), and two, I've struggled with writing things that aren't all positive in this installment of Game Changers.  But the reality is this: blogging is totally built for honesty and sometimes the truth just makes me look like a nagging twit.  So be it.  If you've read our other two installments of Game Changers you learned We Didn't Know We Needed, Janice (our iRobot Roomba) and Alexa, our digital assistant.  If you missed these chapters, it's ok, you can find them here and here.  So what's this other thing that we didn't know we needed?  Today we'll share our love for the meal-kit delivery craze.  Maybe you've tried one of them?  We've been sort of married to HelloFresh since 2015 (divorce pending).  But keep reading!  These home delivery meal-kits have been a Game Changer for our family.  Really.

Yeah.  Overall we've been happy with our HelloFresh experiences, but we'll be making a switch after this coming week's delivery and try out a new one.  I'll explain more of the why we're making the switch away from HelloFresh in a bit, but what I've learned is that our family (mostly Derek & I) really needed and love the entire business model of meal-kit services.  They help you to make delicious meals for your family and take the shopping off your to-do list - which is huge!  But do you know what else is huge?  Derek and I don't have to have the dreaded late-afternoon text conversations.  "what do you want to have for dinner?" "I don't know, you?"  "I don't know, I asked you first." "Not it." "Ok, then it's tacos again!" 

Seriously, we would have this conversation at least three days a week.  HelloFresh took this annoying question and burden off our already full plate of annoying insignificant parenting dilemmas.  Truth be told, Derek is the cook in our house.  He's better at it and he really enjoys it.  He's organized and focused and cleans as he goes.  I'm so grateful and completely blessed that he genuinely enjoys doing this for our family. 

Why don't I cook?  I do.  And I love it but Derek is better at it.  At one time, my work schedule and commute didn't allow the proper timing for me to cook a dinner for the family.  But now that I work from home, I realize that my undiagnosed adult ADHD is the real reason why Derek is the cook in our house.  I just can't stay on task.  True story.  One time I started making a HelloFresh meal around 5:30 PM and we didn't eat dinner until after 8PM.  But in addition to a great meal, the refrigerator was cleaned out of all expired and rotting vegetables,  fruit, and leftovers, the pantry can goods were reorganized, most of the spices were alphabetically arranged, and every stainless-steel appliance was polished and fingerprint free. 

So Derek cooks and I'm in charge of pouring him a glass of wine while he chops and sautés.  I also help him with little things like keeping him company while he cooks, setting the table, and sometimes, staying out of the way.

So why are we divorcing HelloFresh?  Without going on too much, we've sort of fell out of love with them.  There have been too many mistakes with our deliveries that have required one too many customer complaints.  I don't mind logging a concern or complaint every so often, but at this point, I feel like an unconsolable nag.  This past week, I'm 99% sure we were sent spoiled meat.  That's sort of the straw for me.  I'm done logging complaints.  We were somewhat early adopters of HelloFresh but now that they've been acquired by private equity dollars, it feels like growth and numbers are all that matter.  It used to be that our meal-kits were delivered by some dude or gal with their own personal cars.  Kind of weird but I also kind of liked it.  Like we were helping to employ someone local that needed a part-time job that fits their life and family schedule.  Now FedEx Ground delivers our meal-kits.  Nothing against FedEx but this feels less intimate and unique.  

Here are some of the other meal-kit services out there we're considering (plus the one we're divorcing):

And a few others that add a slightly different twist to these home delivery meal-kits:

Terra's Kitchen:  Reusable, beautiful, climate-controlled vessel with built-in insulation keeps ingredients fresh and is upcycled up to 100 times.  Save time + avoid waste with washed, peeled, and chopped ingredients.

Purple Carrot: Uses a "Balanceaterian" diet.   Or rather it's for a person who adopts a plant-based diet - even just a couple of times a week.

GreenBlender:  Each week, you'll get 5 new smoothie recipes and all the pre-portioned ingredients you'll need to make 10 smoothies. Works with organic and local farms, to create a uniquely balanced menu.

Gobble: Gobble's chefs do all the prep work, such as peeling, chopping & marinading, so you can have dinner on the table in 15 minutes or less.

Daily Harvest:  Your pre-portioned cups will arrive ready to pop in your freezer + blend, soak or heat on your schedule

GreenChef:  Organic and with three Certified Gluten-Free Menus (Paleo, Keto, and Gluten-Free).  Received Gluten-Free Certification through the Gluten Intolerance Group’s GFFS program.

You know what else is great about this whole meal-kit delivery service thing?  You don't have to worry about forgetting any of the ingredients.  Have you ever decided to try that recipe you found by watching those Tasty videos on FaceBook and then you make a list, go to the store, buy the ingredients, and when you get home you discover that you forgot fresh garlic?  Or your grocery store didn't have fresh cilantro that day?  Yeah, these meal-kits come with everything you need except for salt/pepper and olive oil.  You also get these beautiful recipe cards. We keep our favorites and have recreated many here and there.

And you know what else?  They've introduced us to foods we've never cooked with ----like parsnips.  I never knew what a parsnip looked like let alone which food group it fell into before HelloFresh.  And we've improved our cooking skills and even learned a few new ones.  All around, I feel like these home delivery meal-kits are like a homeschool curriculum for culinary community college.  Derek has definitely graduated magna cum laude.  Well done, Honey.