The Parks Department
It doesn’t matter if it’s 95 degrees or 65 degrees on the fall equinox – the prolific change of season indicates a right of passage for American citizens. For the basics, it means PSLs, leggings and Ugg boots. For the significant others of these basics, it means pumpkin beer and apple picking.
The first day back after a holiday is never easy, but the first Monday of a new year? Rough! For those of you with resolutions to be healthier in 2016, meal planning is key, and Sunday afternoons are just perfect for getting a weeks worth of snacks together!
Ah, Sunday afternoon. The sounds of football fill the house, leftovers get eaten and we prepare for Monday.
If you’re anything like me, your Sunday is filled with family visits, laundry, last-minute shopping and cleaning before heading back to work. Luckily, this super easy burger recipe pleases the whole family, and takes just about 15 minutes!
I love delivery service. Call me lazy, but the fact that I can order a new pair of boots, toilet paper, three bottles of wine and dinner to be delivered on my door step makes me incredibly happy. Doesn’t everyone love coming home to packages?
My work wife, Meesh, informed me about these meal delivery services. She lives in Miami, so I immediately thought they wouldn’t be available to me in the Midwest. Luckily, I was proven wrong, and on I went to my first HelloFresh box.
HelloFresh is a subscription service that delivers fresh meal ingredients straight to your doorstep (or in my case, office cube.) Each week, a new menu is released with five recipes for the classic box, and five recipes for the vegetarian box.
I ordered the classic box for two, and in a week, a box filled with ice packs arrived full of fresh veggies, meats and spices. My choices? Delicious.
Spicy Tuna Tar-Tacos:
Meesh warned me that her friends complained about the amount of chopping. I kind of laughed, thinking “It’s fresh food! Of course it doesn’t come pre-sliced.”
This recipe made me realize why there were complaints. I like to cook, but I’ve never chopped more vegetables for a recipe in my life. But guess what? It was totally worth it. You could pre-chop the veggies the night before making the meal, but it really doesn’t take too long.
Coming off of a sushi high from the weekend before, the spicy tuna flavor was perfect. I’m not a fan of scallions or radishes, but the two came together perfectly with cucumbers and avocado to top each taco. As far as serving size, you’re given six flour tortillas, but we filled four with the ingredients provided, and I was definitely full after eating these!
Parmesan-Crusted Chicken:
Chicken Parmesan is a staple in my household. It’s one of my husband’s favorite meals, and one of my “fanciest.” When I saw that HelloFresh had their own version on this week’s menu, my ears perked up.
The chicken was good, but the honey mustard flavor was a bit over-whelming. The sides though – to die for! The roasted tomatoes are delicious and super simple, which means they’ll become a new weeknight staple. I must admit, I used garlic powder in lieu of the minced garlic – ain’t nobody got time to mince garlic. The balsamic potatoes had just enough of a balsamic kick to leave you wanting more, but I did use quite a bit of salt and pepper to increase the flavor.
Plantain and Black Bean Tostadas:
Real talk – I had no idea what a plantain was until a client had us do a graphic about the history of bananas. For the record, it’s a starchier banana.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get to make this recipe in time before some of the ingredients went bad, but I was able to save the black beans for my burrito bowls! If you get a chance to make them, please let me know how they turn out!
VERDICT: HelloFresh hits the spot, especially after a weekend away when you haven’t had a chance to hit the grocery store. The recipes are easy to follow, if not a bit time consuming, and the taste is fantastic.
If you’re interested in trying, you can get $40 off your first box. I’d love to hear what recipes you choose – add a comment below or shoot me a Tweet!
For the St. Louis area, the chill in the air (and the pennant race) signifies the beginning of fall. Fall also means football. Whether you’re a college fan or an NFL fan, knowing how to make a good bowl of chili is key to surviving the season. No one knows this better than my dad.
Like clockwork, the first 60-degree day results in me begging my dad to make his famous chili for the upcoming weekend. My dad is a chili purist – meat and beans only, and he has passed on this purity rule on to me. Now that I’m no longer living at home, this past weekend proved a key moment in my adulthood – replicating my father’s delicious recipe.
The Parks Department 