Sunday, April 16, 2017

Meal Delivery Services: Blue Apron & Hello Fresh

Taking a break from my AERD posts to talk about the Meal Delivery Services that are out there.  This is not a sponsored post, however may contain affiliated links.  I was given free boxes from friends who love the service.

Over the last month, my family has tried 2 different meal delivery services, Blue Apron & Hello Fresh.  These are my honest opinions.  I have been curious about all the different companies out there but the cost has always been the deciding factor but free?  SURE!

The first box we received was Hello Fresh.   Before I brought the box in the house my UPS driver commented on how he delivers a ton of these on his route.  He asked me if I ever tried it because he is curious himself.  I let him know that it was my first box but I'll report back.  Upon opening the box, I love how each meal's ingredients are separated in it's own mini box (minus the meat).  The meat is on the bottom of the insulated box with a large ice pack directly on top guaranteeing the freshness of the meals.  The meals we prepared during the week were Meatballs on Top of Cavatappi with Broccoli and Pesto Cream Sauce & Dukkah-Crusted Cod with Cranberry Couscous and Roasted Veggies.  The recipe cards were a little confusing, though I didn't find it too hard to follow.  Both were pretty easy to make and tasted WONDERFUL!  But to be honest, I don't think it was worth the cost.  I have a lot of what I would need in my pantry and if I didn't it doesn't bother me to buy it at the store to stock my pantry.  The time it took to prepare the meals were on point however and there is very little cleanup.  The separate boxes were a great timesaver!  I would make both of these again, but on my own without Hello Fresh's help.


The second box we ordered from was Blue Apron.  This one came packaged in an insulated box as well but the ingredients were not as organized as Hello Fresh.  The produce did look wonderful though like it was picked right from the farm and sent to my house.  On the menu this week,   Mushroom & Swiss Cheeseburgers and Greek Lemon Chicken.  Again, both easy to make but the recipe cards with Blue Apron were a lot easier to follow.  I did miss having a separate box for the ingredients but that isn't a deal breaker for me.  What I didn't like about the box was that out of all the recipes to choose from none really stood out to me so I chose the 2 that were the least eh. That being said they did taste great.  I probably wouldn't make them again though.  The cost was also a bit steep for what I could have purchased on my own.  Overall, it was pretty good!

Final Thoughts
Both Hello Fresh and Blue Apron were both convenient and easy to prepare.  I can see how a busy individual who didn't have time to shop but wanted delicious easy to prepare meals would benefit from the services.  I do love to shop and my pantry is stocked with many staples.  I can't justify the cost of the delivery service.  I think the recipes may be limiting for me as well.  If I have to pick between the two, I would choose Hello Fresh as my go to box.  

If you would like to try either of them here are the links!

Hello Fresh ($40 off your first box)  Ask me about a free box!
Blue Apron (no coupon at this time)

Sunday, April 9, 2017

Living with AERD: Sinus Surgery Day

Wednesday, the day before my surgery was a very busy day.  I went to work to finish up last minute tasks, clear out my email, and make sure things were squared away for the time I would be out.  My father came down from New Jersey to help out with me and around the house which was such a blessing. Per doctor's orders, I couldn't eat or drink after midnight which was actually difficult for me.  I usually sleep with water next to the bed thanks to the fact I can't breathe thru my nose and I wake up throughout the night with a wicked dry mouth.   I ended up barely sleeping the night before because I just couldn't get my mind to shut off.  I have never had surgery of any sort so I really didn't know what to expect.  
Post-Op...about 5 hours after my surgery
Thursday, surgery day.  My dad drove me to the surgery center for my 6 am check in.  The women in the office were so nice and reassuring.  I really couldn't ask for anything better.  They put my mind at ease while I waited to be called back to be prepped.  Once they called me back, it was like a whirlwind.  Between answering the same questions multiple times, changing into a gown, getting an IV, getting multiple meds for nausea***, time seemed to just fly by.  Soon my dad was sitting with me while I waited for the to wheel me back to the operating room.  
About 10 minutes after my ENT came over to speak with me and my father, I was wheeled back.  From here on I don't remember much.  The anesthesiologist told me she was going to put the medicine in my IV and I would feel it pretty quick.  The next thing I knew I was waking up in the recovery room!  I wasn't in there that long.  I came out of the anesthesia pretty quickly so the put gauze under my nose, gave my father instructions and off we went.  The best thing about it was that I CAN BREATHE!!

Later I would find out that what was originally going to be an hour surgery ended up being 2.5 hours.  My ENT had to do more than he anticipated.  It turns out my upper sinuses have never been opened.  NEVER!  and my deviated septum was worse off as well.  It wasn't from a break like we thought it was, it has been like that since childhood.  

***Meds given to me:
in my IV: something to calm me & an antibiotic
Nausea: a pill ( don't remember the name), a patch behind my ear, and a pressure point wristband


A recovery post will be posted soon.