This past year was a major milestone: my 30th birthday. A fresh start with a new opportunity to bring some fun back into my life. While I've always been a takeout kind of guy and my cooking ability doesn't go much deeper than adding hot water to a cup-o-noodles, my girlfriend and I decided to make an effort to get off the couch and back into the kitchen. With our busy lifestyle, it was tough, and we started looking for a better way. Above all, we wanted it to be a fun way to unwind and spend time together after work.
I work from 9am to 7pm, and my girlfriend Alex's job is demanding; so we never have time to make it to the grocery store. Usually we plan to go but then get home exhausted, get caught up in chores (like walking our new puppy), and get lazy. Fortunately, the puppy tries to chew everything in sight on his walks and got ahold of a HelloFresh box sitting by our neighbors' door. I had heard about the meal delivery service and decided it was worth giving it a try.
Why We Tried It:
- $30 off our first delivery
- Simple recipes and instructions
- Easy option to turn on/off/pause
While I was growing up, my dad would grill out back every night and my mom would sauté something in the kitchen (truthfully, I still don't know exactly what “sautéing" means). All I knew was that dinner magically appeared on our plates. I never understood why they enjoyed cooking so much until Alex and I gave it a go with our first home-cooked meal together. To give you the highlights, we opened a bottle of wine to kick things off, and followed the easy instructions. Even though I spent half the time on air guitar listening to music, 30 minutes later we ended up with a nice home-cooked dinner!
I don't know much about cooking terms and exotic ingredients, so the simplicity of it was perfect for us. They threw in a few surprises like a coffee-rubbed steak (game-changing combination) but overall, everything was straightforward, easy to prep and tasted great!
After the first couple of weeks, I started to get excited about cooking what HelloFresh sent to us. Sure, we still order takeout every now and then, and eat out sometimes, but HelloFresh is our go-to dinner option.
What I Learned:
- I'm not as bad in the kitchen as I thought
- It is possible to cook a great meal in 30 minutes or less
- Home meal delivery works for us
So that's the gist. If you live a busy lifestyle like us and want to try something new, save a few bucks and pick up a healthy new home experience, it's worth giving meal delivery a go. And HelloFresh is a winner. For new cooks and beginners (like me) it's easier than you think!
Update: The generous folks at HelloFresh reached out and are offering $30 off today for anyone who wants to give it a go!
