I’m not sure what’s happening to my motivation lately, but when it comes to household to-dos, I’m feeling less than enthusiastic about cooking, cleaning and keeping up with everyday tasks. Can I blame this on my third trimester? Yes?
About a month or so ago, I was feeling uninspired in the kitchen and, frankly, just plain lazy when it came to planning and preparing delicious dinners. Then I got a text from my mom that included a picture of her latest Blue Apron meal and I started salivating. I immediately ordered a Blue Apron shipment for me and Ryan, hoping a delivery of fresh ingredients and chef-inspired recipes would help break me out of my rut.
It ended up being just the kick in the pants I needed to enjoy my time in the kitchen again and that week Ryan and I sat down to three flavorful meals that we actually had fun preparing together thanks to easy-to-follow recipe instructions and creative cooking techniques. (I swear I learn something new to try in the kitchen every time I order Blue Apron!)
A little backstory about my experience with Blue Apron for those who may not know how I first discovered the service that delivers all the ingredients you need to make three gourmet-quality meals: I first heard of Blue Apron back in December 2013 when my friend Merri made us a delicious Blue Apron dinner of udon noodle soup during one of my visits to New York City. Merri signed up for Blue Apron to teach herself how to cook since she was not really comfortable in the kitchen and raved about the step-by-step instructions that came with each shipment of the meal delivery service.
After I arrived back home, I could not stop talking about Blue Apron and that inspired Ryan to give me four weeks of Blue Apron meals for Christmas that year! We now continue to order Blue Apron meals about once a month or so (we get the two-person plan that breaks down to $9.99 per person per meal with free shipping) and still have yet to make one meal we haven’t loved! We’ve also inspired my parents and two of our friends here in Charlotte to hop on the Blue Apron train.
Our Recent Blue Apron Delivery
Late last week I received my most recent Blue Apron delivery and requested a combination of vegetarian and fish/poultry dishes. The three meals we made were fantastic and, as always, incredibly flavorful thanks to farm-fresh ingredients sourced from quality suppliers and artisans.
Here’s what ended up on our menu:
We made this dish last night and thought the basmati rice was wonderful and incredibly aromatic. We made it with a blend of spices and thought the rice added so much flavor to this dish. I absolutely loved the addition of the fresh mint and cilantro, too!
Blue Apron’s vegetarian dishes are almost always our favorite and this one was no exception. After combining the peppery arugula with Parmesan, lemon zest and olive oil, we had a delicious fresh pesto on our hands to use on top of fresh fettuccine. I couldn’t get enough of this one!
This recipe incorporated pillowy Chinese steam buns that we filled with seasoned ground turkey and topped with zesty kimchi. It was a messy one, but I loved the spicy turkey and fresh veggies!
I personally love the way Blue Apron always includes recipes from a variety of cuisines so I’m constantly exposed to new flavors and spices. Recipes like the Spring Miso Ramen, Manhattan-Style Fish Chowder and Seared Salmon and Long Beans all sound amazing to me!
Blue Apron Giveaway + PBF Reader Discount
And now it’s giveaway time! One PBF reader will win a free week of Blue Apron meals for two!
To enter this giveaway, click here to head over to Blue Apron and check out what’s on the menu for this week and leave a comment below telling me which recipe you’d be most excited to create at home!
And please don’t worry if you don’t win because the first 100 readers who try Blue Apron will receive two free meals on their first order! To receive this promo, please click here to order.
Please note: This giveaway includes a week of meals for two people. Blue Apron now delivers to most of the United States. (You may see if delivery is available in your area here.) I will randomly select a winner on Friday.
Good luck!
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Disclaimer: While this post is sponsored by Blue Apron, affiliate links are not included and I am not receiving any compensation for orders placed with Blue Apron. Though I am partnering with Blue Apron this year, Ryan and I continue to purchase Blue Apron meals on our own because we really do love the service that much! Thank you so much for your continued support surrounding sponsored posts. I truly appreciate it!
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The miso roasted chicken looks great
My husband and I would love the Huevos Rancheros! Mmmm!
Seared salmon and red quinoa on next week’s line-up!
Seared Steak and Cod both look delish!
I’d love to try the Fresh Fettuccine Pasta 🙂
The hoisin chicken meatballs look great!
Fresh gnocchi and baby zucchini with crispy squash and lemon brown butter. ALL. THE.THINGS!!!
Seared cod sounds amazing!
My vote is for the seared cod!
The seared steaks & mashed potatoes would be my first choice.
The steak and mashed potatoes would be a hit in my house
I would love to try the hoisin-glazed chicken meatballs! YUM!
The seared cod…yum!
Fresh fish always, the seared cod!!
I would LOVE the Seared Cod! I’m a seafood junkie! 🙂 Thanks for the giveaway!
The steak and potatoes because my husband is a picky eater and would need something he likes before I can try a dish I would like! (Not that I don’t also like steak and potatoes!)
I’d love to try the seared cod! Sounds so delicious! Plus, I’m pregnant, too, and the thought of trying to come up with meals is so unappealing right now. Blue Apron sounds like an amazing solution!
All the choices look pretty fantastic, but I think I’d be most excited about either the hoisin-glazed chicken meatballs or the sweet potato, broccoli and quinoa salad, because they are so different than what we typically make in our household. Would be excited to try Blue Apron!
I’ve been trying to convince my boyfriend that we need to try this service out! I’ve tried one of their meals in the past and it was honestly the best thing I’ve ever cooked! I would love to try the steak or the cod on the menu for next week 🙂
I’m a vegetarian, so the Paneer & Vegetable Kati Rolls looks great! It’s something I would never be able to make at home, and since you get to prep itself, you already know it’s healthier than take-out.
Sweet potatoes, broccoli and quinoa bowl please!!
I would love to try the hoisin glazed chicken meatballs! These sound delish and love seeing how ground chicken can
be used in so many ways!
Hoisin-Glazed Chicken Meatballs!
The Hoisin-Glazed Chicken Meatballs sound really yummy!!
We would love to try the seared steaks and mashed potatoes!!! Yummmyyyyy 🙂
All of the menu looks delicious! I think that I would be most excited to make the Hoisin- Glazed Chicken Meatballs. Its looks like one of the healthier option and a fun twist on a traditional meatball!
Seared Steaks and Mashed Potatoes
The Hoisin-glazed chicken meatballs sounds incredible!
The hoisin glazed chicken meatballs sound amazing!
The seared cod looks delicious!
Aw man, the Seared Steaks & Mashed Potatoes look delicious!
Seared steaks and mashed potatoes, definitely!
seared cod looks and sounds delicious!
In would try the turkey steam buns, they look Delish.
The hoisin-glazed chicken is standing out to me! Thank you for posting. I’ve been wanting to try Blue Apron ever since I read about it on your blog. Yay!!!
The seared cod looks delicious! What a great service!
Ohhhh the seared steaks and mashed potatoes all day long!! That would be phenomenal!!
Paneer & Vegetable Kati Rolls with Tamarind-Date Chutney!! I love Indian food but have never had much luck making it as good as they do when I dine out!
I know my boyfriend would love the Seared Steak and Mashed Potatoes!
The seared cod sounds amazing!
The seared steak & mashed potatoes! Yum 🙂
I’d try the Hearty Sweet Potato, Broccoli & Quinoa Salad because it’s not something I would think of myself!
Seared cod! I am trying to experiment more with fish at home and having a guideline would really help!
The Huevos Rancheros – yum!
I can’t wait to make the paneer and vegetable kati rolls! YUM!
They all look good, but I think I choose the seared cod as I’m looking for new ways to cook and eat more fish!
yum! the seared steaks and mashed potatoes!!!
Huevos Rancheros!!
The seared steak and mashed potatoes!! My mouth is watering!!
I think the Paneer & Vegetable Kati Rolls with Tamarind-Date Chutney sounds delicious! I have been so lazy in the kitchen and have been eating out more than I probably should be. I think this would be great motivation to get back in the kitchen!