My Monthly Subscription Box List - Updated

Time to update my Subscription Box List....  See my post here of what I've subscribed to in the past.  I may have gotten a little carried away with having so many of them, but in my defense, many of these boxes do allow you to skip months or schedule your deliveries.  (The boxes with the stars * beside their name are the boxes that allow you to do so).  I'm not actually getting all of these each month.  (Just when I want to receive them/can afford them).

1.  Julep Maven * - $19.99/month
2.  PopSugar Must Have Box - $39.95/month
3.  Birchbox - $10/month - Update:  Cancelled on 7/18/15 due to trying to become more minimalist
4.  Ipsy - $10/month - Update:  Cancelled on 7/18/15 due to trying to become more minimalist
5.  Stitch Fix * - $20/month non-refundable styling fee 
6.  Hello Fresh * - $69/week for each delivery + shipping - Use code XT3PSB to get $40 off your first box.
7.  Graze * - $6.99 - $25 depending on which size box you choose to receive.  (I'm currently signed up for the 8-snack box for $11.99/week
8.  Raw Spice Bar - $6/month - Fresh, authentic spice blends created by top chefs for your next globally-inspired meal.  **My favorite foodie box so far.  It's so affordable and the spices are wonderful!**
9.  Little Lace Box - $59.99/month for a single box, $149.97 for 3 boxes (6-month subscription), or $269.95 for 6 boxes (annual subscription) - boxes are delivered every other month.  I signed up for the 6 month subscription and will get my first box in June.  Click here to get 15% off your first purchase from Little Lace Box.
10.  Fabletics * - $49.99/month - Buy items as an outfit or individually.  You can skip a month or make additional purchases at any time.  I've ordered several times from them now.  Each month their pieces have proven to be well made, quality pieces.  Plus, if you spend over $49, you receive a free magazine subscription to various publications of your choosing.  So far, I'm REALLY pleased with the quality/price/style of their items!  Use this link/referral code to check them out now and get your first outfit for 50% off!!
11.  Golden Tote * - $56.95 ($49 + 7.95 shipping) or $149 (free shipping on the $149 tote) depending on which tote you choose.  For the $49 tote, you chose 1 item and Golden Tote will send you 1-2 additional items based on the style profile you fill out when registering.  You are able to view available items for both totes to make your choice from.  For the $149 tote, you choose 2 items and they send you 3-4 additional pieces.  I've purchased one Golden Tote so far and LOVED IT!!
12.  Club W * - $39/month + $6 flat rate shipping for 3 bottles of wine.  (Shipping is free if you purchase 6 or more bottles of wine for the month).  When you sign up, you'll complete a "Palate Profile".  Each month, Club W will make recommendations based on their assortment of wines they think you would like to try.  You can choose their suggestions, or make your own selections.  They give a wonderful description of each wine, including telling you where it's produced and what notes of flavor it offers.  Click here to receive 50% off your first 3 wines.   
13.  Hamptons Lane *- $47/month (free shipping).  **Click here to receive $10 off your first box.**  On the first of each month, Hamptons Lane reveals their curated box for the month.  After seeing what's inside the box, you have the option to decide whether to purchase the box or skip the box for the month.  (You also have the option to purchase boxes from previous months as well).
14.  Serendipity by Little Lace Box - FREE for current Little Lace Box Subscribers.  $9.99 month for non-active LLB subscribers.  Every other month (on the months LLB does not ship), Serendipity will send 5-7 items (including full-size items) that weren't quite the right fit for the LLB curated box.  Most items will be make-up/beauty items.
15.  BespokePost * - $45/month (free shipping).  **Use code "myfirst" to receive 25% off your first box.  On the 1st of each month, BespokePost emails you the new theme box selections for the month.  You have until the 5th of the month to select your box or to choose to skip the month.  This is a monthly men's subscription box, but I liked some of their box selections, so I decided to join and purchased their "Copper" box, featuring supplies (including 2 real copper mugs) to make Moscow Mules, for $33.75.

Have you tried any of these boxes?  If so, which ones are your favorites?  Know of a new subscription box?  I'd love to hear about it.  (Please do not include referral links to any of the boxes listed above though).

XOXO,
Stephanie

HELLO FRESH Subscription Box Review - 5/29/15 Delivery Review

What it is:  A flexible subscription service delivering fresh food and recipes of your choosing to your doorstep

Cost:  $69/week for 3 meals for 2 people (or $129/week for 3 meals for 4 people) for the "carnivore" option.  $59/week for 3 vegetarian meals for 2 or $109/week for 3 vegetarian meals for 4 people.

Details:  Each week Hello Fresh chefs offer a new group of meals to choose from.  You select your meals and delivery date.  Hello Fresh ships the recipes and all the ingredients to your doorstep in insulated packaging to ensure freshness.   

My current cooking skill level:  I consider ordering pizza or making a box of Shells & Cheese to be cooking.  I HATE cooking and think it's a complete waste of time!  I hate going to the grocery store, I'm a picky eater, and I have no creativity when it comes to planning meals.  My husband however is a great cook (especially when it comes to grilling)!  Since we got married many years ago, he's wanted me to cook, which is why I decided to try this subscription box.  I pick the meals and Hello Fresh sends everything to me.  Easy enough, right? 

As I mentioned in my last Hello Fresh blog post, I was a little nervous about receiving meat thru the mail, but everything was shipped in a sealed, Styrofoam container.  The meat was separated from the veggies and shipped under ice packs.  I carefully inspected everything when I took it out of the container. 

What I Ordered:  For my second shipment from Hello Fresh, I chose Smoky Adobo Chicken Tacos, Seared Provencal Steak, & Pan-Seared Pork Chops.  

Here's a look at the booklet of recipe cards that explained this week's box theme:

All of the ingredients were bundled together by meal as well, which made things easy to find.  

My First Meal:  Pan-Seared Pork Chops with Summer Vegetable Kebabs & Oregano-Mint Pesto

Ingredients:  Pork chops, zucchini, red onion, garlic, Yukon potatoes, mint, oregano, lemon, and a red bell pepper

Time to Cook/Make Meal:  40 minutes

Difficulty Level (according to Hello Fresh):  1 (out of 3)

The Process:

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Soak wooden skewers in water.

Halve, peel, & slice the red onion into 1/2" wedges.  Halve, core, seed, and remove the white ribs from the bell pepper and cut into 1" cubes.

Unfortunately, the red pepper had some mold on it, so into the trash it went.  I LOVE red peppers so I was bummed!  There was no time to worry about that though, because there was still a lot of cooking to do.  

The directions said to mince the oregano and mint leaves.  I put them into the Kitchen Aid chopper gizmo and voila.

Next I cut the potatoes and zucchini into 1" squares.  The directions said to "zest" a lemon and halve it and then cut it into 4 wedges.  I didn't know what it means to zest a lemon, so I skipped that part and cut it into wedges instead.  Grated the garlic with my handy-dandy mini grater as well.

2. Assemble the kebabs

  
Combine the garlic, 1 1/2 T olive oil, and a pinch of salt & pepper in a bowl.  Drizzle over the skewers and roast on a baking sheet for 20-25 minutes.

There were plenty of leftover vegetables, so I put them all on the baking sheet and roasted them all.

3.  Add 1/2 tablespoon olive oil to a large pan.  Cook pork chops on medium heat for 4-5 minutes per side.  Season each side with salt and pepper.

4.  While the pork chops cook, make the oregano-mint pesto:  in a bowl, combine the oregano, mint, garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice.  Season with salt and pepper.  

Serve the pork chops alongside the veggie kebabs.  Squeeze a lemon wedge over the veggies.  Spoon the oregano-mint pesto over the pork and enjoy!

The Verdict for Meal #1 - Other than the red pepper issue, this was a fun dish to make.  The pesto sauce was soooo good!  And it was fun to make the kebabs!  Making this dish definitely taught me some new skills.  I definitely will make this dish again in the future.

Here's the Actual Recipe:

Side note:  I called Hello Fresh about the red pepper.  Customer service was really friendly and they gave me a $5 credit towards my next box.



The Second Meal - Seared Provencal Steak with Three-Bean Salad

Ingredients:  Sirloin steak, tomato, shallot, parsley, green beans, wax beans, Cannellini beans, (Herbes de Provence and white wine vinegar)

Time to Cook/Make Meal:  30 minutes

Difficulty Level (according to Hello Fresh):  1 (out of 3)

The Process:

1.  Remove the steak from the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature.  Halve, seed, and chop the tomato.  Mince the shallot and parsely.  Trim and halve the green beans and wax beans.  Drain and rinse the cannellini beans.

2.  Blanch and shock the beans by filling a medium bowl with ice water.  Boil the green beans and wax beans for about 3 minutes, then remove from water with a slotted spoon and transfer to the ice water to shock them.

  3.  The next step involves making the vinaigrette.  I am not a fan of white wine vinegar though, so I skipped making this.  (See full instructions below for steps on how to do it).

4.  Drain the green beans and wax beans  and add the vinaigrette.  Season with salt and pepper and set aside to marinade.

5.  Heat 1/2 TBS olive oil in pan over medium-high heat.  Season steak on all sides and sear for 5-7 minutes per side.  

6.  Thinly slice steak against the grain and serve along side the three-bean salad.

The Verdict for Meal #2 - The steak tasted great and the beans were nice and crispy!  I wasn't a fan of the cannellini beans, but my husband loved it, so that's all that matters.

Here's the Actual Recipe:

The Third Meal - Smoky Adobo Chicken Tacos with Mango Slaw & Lime Crema 

Ingredients:  Chicken breast, flour tortillas, lime, sour cream, cilantro, mango, avocado, red onion, chipotles in adobo

Time to Cook/Make Meal:  40 minutes

Difficulty Level (according to Hello Fresh):  2 (out of 3)

The Process:

I'll start off by admitting I put these ingredients in the freezer again when the three meals arrived since I planned on making this one last (and realistically, I knew it would take me at least a week or two to make all three meals).  This time, I pulled everything out of the freezer and made it within 2 days of it thawing.  Once again though, the fresh fruit and herbs turned to mush when thawed.  Lesson learned:  DO NOT FREEZE FRUIT/VEGGIES!!  If you do, use it the same day it's being thawed.  I went to the grocery and bought another mango and avocado, but used what I had in my cupboards/fridge for the rest rather than buying all the ingredients again.  

1.  I put 1 TBSP cilantro in a bowl and chopped up the red onion I had left over from Meal #1's kabobs and pealed/sliced the mango into thin strips.

2.  To make the lime crema, I combined the sour cream, lime juice, and salt and pepper into my new small bowl from Birchbox.

3.  To make the mango slaw, I combined the mango, red onion, cilantro, lime juice, and salt & pepper into a medium bowl and tossed it (with my new salad hands from Birchbox).

4/5.  Next, I butterflied the chicken breasts and rubbed both sides with the adobo sauce.

6.  Combine 1 TBS olive oil and cook chicken for 5-7 minutes per side.

7.  While the chicken cooks, heat the tortillas and halve, pit, and scoop out the avocado flesh into a bowl.  Season with salt and pepper.

8.  Thinly slice the chicken and create your taco.

9.  Serve tacos with remaining mango slaw to the side.

Here's the Actual Recipe:

Verdict for Meal #3:  This meal was amazing!!  The flavors went so well together!  I had never eaten mango or avocado before.  Wasn't a fan of the avocado, but I fell IN LOVE with the mango!  The mango slaw was so good and the adobo sauce gave the chicken such a good, spicy flavor.  This was by far my favorite meal out of the three!  The husband loved it too!!

FINAL VERDICT:  These meals were definitely easier to make than the last box (maybe because I've been cooking more since my initial box arrived).  I really enjoyed making these meals too and it still feels like I'm taking a cooking class in my own kitchen.  There was the one red pepper issue, but Hello Fresh's customer service was really friendly and gave me a credit to make up for the inconvenience.  I'll definitely continue to subscribe to this box when my budget allows!

**Click here to receive $40 off your first Hello Fresh box.**  

Have you tried Hello Fresh yet?  If so, what did you think?

XOXO,
Stephanie

HELLO FRESH - Stuffed Peppers Review (My Version)

What it is:  A flexible subscription service delivering fresh food and recipes of your choosing to your doorstep

Cost:  $69/week for 3 meals for 2 people (or $129/week for 3 meals for 4 people) for the "carnivore" option.  $59/week for 3 vegetarian meals for 2 or $109/week for 3 vegetarian meals for 4 people.

Details:  Each week Hello Fresh chefs offer a new group of meals to choose from.  You select your meals and delivery date.  Hello Fresh ships the recipes and all the ingredients to your doorstep in insulated packaging to ensure freshness.   

My current cooking skill level:  I consider ordering pizza or making a box of Shells & Cheese to be cooking.  I HATE cooking and think it's a complete waste of time!  I hate going to the grocery store, I'm a picky eater, and I have no creativity when it comes to planning meals.  My husband however is a great cook (especially when it comes to grilling)!  Since we got married many years ago, he's wanted me to cook, which is why I decided to try this subscription box.  I pick the meals and Hello Fresh sends everything to me.  Easy enough, right?  Welllllllll........

If you read my 5/23/15 blog post, you know this meal met an unfortunate fate the first time around.  I put everything in the freezer when it first came and then pulled it out last Sunday night and put it in the refrigerator so I could cook it Monday night.  I didn't end up cooking Monday night (or Tuesday for that matter) and by the time I was ready to cook this meal Wednesday night, everything veggie-wise had turned to mush!  Since I still had the ground beef left, I decided to go ahead and do my own version of this recipe.

Here is what the third meal from Hello Fresh was supposed to be:  Indian Stuffed Peppers with Curried Beef & Garam Marsala-scented Rice

Ingredients:  2 bell peppers, ground beef, onion, curry powder, garam marsala, a carrot, peas, Basmati rice, and parsley

My modified recipe:  2 red bell peppers, 1 green pepper, the original 1/2 lb of ground beef Hello Fresh sent, 1 lb mild Italian sausage, 1 TBSP onion flakes, 1 tsp curry powder, 1 carrot, 3/4 cup brown (Kroger brand) rice, and 1 tsp parsley

Time to Cook/Make Meal:  45 minutes

Difficulty Level (according to Hello Fresh):  1 (out of 3)

Cooking Instructions:

This time I prepared my veggies ahead of time since it still takes me forever to cut up vegetables.  Instead of buying a fresh onion and fresh parsley, I used 1 Tbsp of chopped onions and 1 tsp of parsley.  I combined that with 1 peeled/diced carrot and 1/2 of a green bell pepper that I chopped using my Kitchen Aid hand chopper.  As directed, I also added a bit of salt and pepper also and sat the mixture aside.

Next, I preheated the oven to 350 degrees and cut the two red bell peppers in half and drizzled each one with 1/2 TBS of olive oil.  I also seasoned them lightly with salt and pepper.

The vegetable step I did first would've occurred here.  Instead, I did the third step, which consisted of heating 1 TBS olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.  I added the ground beef, as well as 1 lb of mild Italian sausage and seasoned with salt & pepper.  I added the sausage for two reasons:  1.  I thought it would give the dish more flavor).

And 2.  I didn't think this little package of meat Hello Fresh (1/2 lb) would've been enough since I bought huge red bell peppers.

(It actually would've been enough.  Now I know to trust the portion sizes Hello Fresh sends).

I missed the part of the instructions where it said to set aside the meat mixture.  (That's how specific my instructions need to be - I need them to say "remove the meat mixture from the pan).  Instead I saw the part that said, "Add the onion and carrot to the same pan you cooked the beef in and season with salt and pepper".  So, this is what I did:

I combined the meat and veggie mixture I made earlier into the skillet and tossed it for about 5 minutes until the vegetables were softened.  Once the veggies were softened, I added 1 tsp of curry powder.  (This is where the garam marsala would've been added too, but I forgot to add it to the grocery list, so it didn't make it into the dish).  This is also where the instructions say to add in the rice and parsley (and I realized I messed up by putting everything in the skillet together earlier).  Oopsie!  

I just realized I goofed up another step too.  While the sausage/hamburger mixture was browning, I added 3/4 c rice to a saucepan with 2 c of water.

I brought it to a boil, then reduced the temperature to simmer and let it cook for 15 minutes.  (This is the first time I've ever cooked rice, so in my defense, I had no idea how long rice is supposed to cook.  I was also trying to cook potato wedges at the same time (there will be a future RawSpiceBar post about them), which I had also never done before and chop up the rest of the green and red peppers to use in omelets tomorrow morning.

What was supposed to happen is that I should've added the 3/4 cup of rice and 2 cups of water to the veggie mixture and let it cook covered for 15 minutes until the rice was tender.  Instead, I drained the rice from the sauce pan and added it to the meat and veggie mixture.  (I'll post a picture of the correct instructions below so you can see how this dish is supposed to be made).  

Next, I drained the meat/veggie/rice mixture and stuffed it into the peppers.  Put the peppers back in the oven and let them cook for about 5 minutes.  Here's the final product:  

FINAL VERDICT:  As I said earlier, I am not a fan of cooking AT ALL!!  Even though the ingredients I used varied slightly from the original ones Hello Fresh sent, the concept was still the same.  I'm surprised with how bad I messed up following the instructions.  Despite me combining things out of order and cooking the rice 15 minutes too long, the dish still tasted really good though.  (And my husband enjoyed it).  In the end, I enjoyed making it.  Like I said in my previous blog post, making these Hello Fresh dishes feels as though I'm taking a cooking class in my kitchen.  Next time, I think I need to make one dish at a time instead of trying to make two dishes I've never tried to do before at the same time.  I'm also going to study the directions a few times prior to diving right in.  :)

  
**Click here to receive $40 off your first Hello Fresh box.**  

As I mentioned in the 5/23/15 post, my next Hello Fresh box is set to arrive on 5/27/15.  I ordered the Smoky Adobo Chicken Tacos, Seared Provencal Steak, & Pan-Seared Pork Chops.    

Have you tried Hello Fresh yet?  If so, what did you think?

XOXO,
Stephanie

Here are the correct instructions for making this dish:

And here's the tasty omelet I made the following morning with the left over stuffed pepper ingredients.  Yummy!!

HELLO FRESH Subscription Box Review - 4/29/15 Delivery

What it is:  A flexible subscription service delivering fresh food and recipes of your choosing to your doorstep

Cost:  $69/week for 3 meals for 2 people (or $129/week for 3 meals for 4 people) for the "carnivore" option.  $59/week for 3 vegetarian meals for 2 or $109/week for 3 vegetarian meals for 4 people.

Details:  Each week Hello Fresh chefs offer a new group of meals to choose from.  You select your meals and delivery date.  Hello Fresh ships the recipes and all the ingredients to your doorstep in insulated packaging to ensure freshness.   

My current cooking skill level:  I consider ordering pizza or making a box of Shells & Cheese to be cooking.  I HATE cooking and think it's a complete waste of time!  I hate going to the grocery store, I'm a picky eater, and I have no creativity when it comes to planning meals.  My husband however is a great cook (especially when it comes to grilling)!  Since we got married many years ago, he's wanted me to cook, which is why I decided to try this subscription box.  I pick the meals and Hello Fresh sends everything to me.  Easy enough, right?  Welllllllll........

I was a little nervous about receiving meat thru the mail, but everything was shipped in a sealed, Styrofoam container.  The meat was separated from the veggies and shipped under ice packs.  I carefully inspected everything when I took it out of the container and it was all fresh and crisp! 

What I Ordered:  For my first 3 meals, I chose Goat Cheese-Stuffed Chicken Roulades, Mustard Pork Chops with Green Beans & Crispy Potato Cakes, and Indian Stuffed Peppers with Curried Beef & Garam Marsala-scented Rice

There was even a booklet of recipe cards that explained this week's box theme.

All of the ingredients were bundled together by meal as well, which made things easy to find.  As I noted in a prior post though, my Jus by Julie juice cleanse came the same day as my Hello Fresh box, so everything went into the freezer until the cleanse was over.

My First Meal:  Goat Cheese-Stuffed Chicken Roulades with Kale & Couscous Salad

A few confessions here - I've never tried goat cheese and was afraid of it.  Never tried kale or couscous either (or tried to make stuffed chicken).  Let this cooking journey begin!

Ingredients:  2 chicken breasts, couscous, sun dried tomatoes, Tuscan kale, golden raisins, stock concentrate (chicken), sliced almonds, goat cheese, and white wine vinegar.

Time to Cook/Make Meal:  40 minutes

Difficulty Level (according to Hello Fresh):  2 (out of 3)

The Process:

After pre-heating the oven to 375 degrees, I chopped the sun-dried tomatoes and added them to a bowl with the goat cheese.  Seasoned them with salt & pepper and set aside to allow the goat cheese to soften.

Next, I butterflied the chicken breasts (something new I learned how to do), put them in a bag, and pounded them with a heavy-bottomed pan until they were approx. 1/3" thick. (And maybe chanted to myself about how much I hate cooking while beating the crap out of the chicken - ha!).  

Note to self:  Invest in a mallet.  It would make this much easier!  It did work though.  Look how much bigger the chicken became...

Next I mashed the softened goat cheese/sun-dried tomato mixture with a fork and spread it inside the chicken breast.

The directions said to roll it up and put 3 toothpicks in it, but the chicken was still a bit too thick for me to roll, so I folded it over instead.

While the chicken cooked, it was time to make the couscous.  (Again, something I've never tasted or tried to cook before).

Next it was time to remove the ribs and stems from the kale and cut it into ribbons.  (You guessed it - never done any of those things either.  In fact, I had to Google it to find out what the ribs and stems were).  

Added the white wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Then proceeded to massage the kale ribbons until it was slightly softened.  (Forgot I don't like the taste of vinegar until I already dumped it in there.  If I had it to do over again, I would've just used olive oil, salt, and pepper).

Fluffed the couscous next

and stirred in the kale, golden raisins, almonds, more olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Sliced the chicken into "rounds", plated the couscous salad mixture, and VOILA!  Dinner is served!!

The Verdict for Meal #1 - I liked the chicken with the goat cheese/sun-dried tomato mixture.  The goat cheese was tangy and was pretty good with the sun-dried tomatoes.  I wish it would've melted more, but maybe goat cheese doesn't do that.  (Not sure).  I loved the golden raisins and almonds in the salad.  Not a fan of couscous though!  It didn't have much taste for all the carbs in it.  Hubs liked the meal though, so that's all that matters. 

The Second Meal - Mustard Pork Chops with Green Beans & Crispy Potato Cakes

Ingredients:  2 pork chops, Dijon mustard, thyme, green beans, stock concentrate, shallots, & 1 Idaho potato

Time to Cook/Make Meal:  45 minutes

Difficulty Level (according to Hello Fresh):  2 (out of 3)

The Process:

After preheating the oven, mincing the shallots, and attempting the strip the thyme leaves from the sprig (note to self - I'm fine with the thyme in a bottle/shaker.  That was ridiculous to try to do), I trimmed the green beans and peeled/grated the potato (which I didn't even know you could do) and seasoned it generously with salt and pepper.

Next I put the green beans on a baking sheet with olive oil and seasoned them with salt and pepper.  Placed the baking sheet in the oven for 13-15 minutes.  While the green beans were cooking, I placed the grated potato in the center of a thin kitchen towel and sprinkled it with thyme.  I then squeezed as much liquid out of the potatoes as possible, heated 2 tablespoons of olive oil (in the future - I would only use 1 TBS so the potato cakes didn't turn out so oily).  I cooked them until they were golden brown.

I used the same pan to cook the pork chops (it was supposed to be for 2-3 minutes per side, but I lost track of time trying to do the next step)

Once the pork chops were golden brown (OK, really brown), I combined the pork shops, potato cakes, and the green beans on the baking sheet and cooked them for 4-5 more minutes.

The final step was to make the sauce.  In the skillet, I combined olive oil, Dijon mustard, water, and the stock concentrate and added salt and pepper.  (Not going to lie - I forgot the shallots).  

The Verdict for Meal #2 - This meal was a lot harder to cook in my opinion than the first one.  Everything got cooked a little longer than it should have b/c it took me longer to do the in-between steps.  I would like to try this meal again without messing with the shallots and mustard sauce and using less olive oil overall than what the recipe called for.  The potato cakes, although a challenge for me to do the first time, were good.  I'd like to try to make those again using cheesecloth instead of a kitchen towel.  Once again, the husband liked the meal though, so that's all that matters!

The Third Meal - Indian Stuffed Peppers with Curried Beef & Garam Marsala-scented Rice

Ingredients:  2 bell peppers, ground beef, onion, curry powder, garam marsala, a carrot, peas, Basmati rice, and parsley

Time to Cook/Make Meal:  45 minutes

Difficulty Level (according to Hello Fresh):  1 (out of 3)

This meal met an unfortunate fate...  As in I put everything in the freezer when it first came and pulled everything out this past Sunday night and put it in the refrigerator so I could cook it Monday night.  Didn't end up cooking Monday night (or Tuesday for that matter).  By the time I was ready to cook this meal Wednesday night, everything veggie-wise had turned to mush!  Gross.Soggy.Mush!  Whoopsie!!  I still have the recipe, so I may try to make this dish in the future.  If I do make it, I'll post an update.

4/25/15 UPDATE:  I did end up making the stuffed peppers dish and did a blog post featuring it.  See how it turned out here.

FINAL VERDICT:  As I said earlier, I am not a fan of cooking AT ALL!!  Although these meals were a little challenging for me to make, I still really enjoyed it.  It almost felt as though I was taking a cooking class in my own kitchen.  The meat and vegetables were really fresh and tasty and the instructions were pretty easy to follow!

I must confess though - I initially cancelled this box after the first set of meals came at my husband's urging.  (He felt we could come up with similar meals at a cheaper price).  However, a week after I cancelled my membership I signed up again.  I do want to learn how to cook and would never think of these recipes on my own.  (And would never search the grocery store for all these ingredients on my own either).  I was really proud of myself for making these dishes and loved that my husband enjoyed them!  I was bummed to lose the last meal, but my mistake there did teach me a valuable lesson about freezing/thawing food.

  
**Click here to receive $40 off your first Hello Fresh box (like I did for this one).**  

This isn't a subscription box my budget will allow me to do every week, but I do plan on ordering meals once or twice a month depending on what the menu offers.  My next box is set to arrive on 5/27/15 and I can't wait!  (I ordered the Smoky Adobo Chicken Tacos, Seared Provencal Steak, & Pan-Seared Pork Chops).  

Have you tried Hello Fresh yet?  If so, what did you think?

XOXO,
Stephanie