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Our 1st Blue Apron delivery came on Tuesday and I couldn’t wait to peek inside the box (which also means I was too excited to remember to take pictures as we unpacked it.  I’m sorry!)

I received an offer from my friend to try my 1st shipment for free (no strings!) so it was a no brainer to give it a try.  Normally, the family plan costs $69.92 for 2 meals/week.  There is also an option for 4 meals per week for $139.84.  The 2 person plan includes 3 meals per week for $59.94.  I was curious how the family plan which serves 4 would work for our family of 5 which I’ll share a bit later in this post.

It was super fun to unpack the box; it felt like opening a gift instead of the drudgery which grocery shopping normally is for me.  The food was individually labeled and sealed in plastic (Carrot? Hello!  I didn’t know that was you in there!) and there were plenty of ice packs to keep cold foods cold.

The produce looked fresh; our shipment included baby spinach, carrots, chives, green onions, red onion, lemon, and a lime.   We also received salmon and ground beef — all sustainably grown or raised.  That list doesn’t even include all the other items like rice, beans, spices, Khorasan wheat, and creme fraiche — creme, what?? Fancy, fancy..well, fancy sour cream, but still..we were going to cook that in our own home.  How cool is that?

These are the 2 recipes for the meals we received.

 

The salmon was delicious! It was really flavorful and the Khorasan wheat salad was an interesting addition.  One of the reasons I wanted to try Blue Apron was to help expand the palates of my picky eaters and expose my family to new cuisine.  This dish did exactly that. I also thought the portion size was fine for my family of 5.  Again, these meals serve 4 but my kids shared portions and all had plenty to eat.  In fact, I had some salmon for lunch the next day — yum!

Here’s my dish plated.  Looks just like the picture, right?

The second dish, the Mexican Beef and Rice casserole was also delicious!  My youngest was excited when he smelled it cooking but later spent a lot of time picking out EVERY single bean..frustrating but I will keep trying!  This meal didn’t have the same “wow!” factor like the salmon dish but again, it tasted delicious and the portion size was generous too.

So, would we try it again?  The verdict it YES! I will definitely order from Blue Apron again.  In fact, my next order comes this Tuesday, January 31. I think the cost of around $70 for 2 restaurant quality meals for our family of 5 can’t be beat.  Plus, Blue Apron’s menu includes meals this chickie would probably never think of on her own.  I’m sure you can relate to that, right? Hands up if, like me, you pin yummy looking food on Pinterest that you NEVER will make!  If so, Blue Apron is for you!  I have 3 free meals to give away for 1st timers — the 1st 3 friends who ask shall receive! I can’t wait to hear what you think about it too.

Now for the best tomato soup recipe ever…

I know I just wrote that I pin A LOT of recipes that I never make BUT this happens to be one of the pins that I did try and love!  In fact, a lot of people must have pinned this recipe because it’s the Food Network’s #1 recipe pin. “The Best Tomato Soup Ever” from The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond, truly lives up to its name.  I don’t know about you, but I crave soup all winter long and this one is delicious and super fast and easy to make.

 

 

 

Ree says the sherry is optional but I think it adds a ton of flavor to the soup.  I bought my sherry at the grocery store in the oil and vinegar aisle.  Also, the recipe calls for both fresh basil and parsley. The basil is a must but I think you could skip the parsley if you wanted to. If you like tomato soup like I do, you should seriously give it a try!

Now I’m ready to snuggle up with a book!  Hope you have a wonderful week! love, Angie

ps. Don’t forget to let me know if you want to try Blue Apron for free — I have 3 deliveries to give away!