Nibbles of Tidbits, a Food Blog

It’s ABOUT TIME… my long promised Meal Kit Comparison post. We tried Sun Basket, Gobble, Marley Spoon, Green Chef, Purple Carrot, Dinnerly and Freshly. We rate and review each of these meal kit companies, recipes and respective ingredients below. I learned A LOT and report about it after making and trying the aforementioned and 100+ Blue Apron meal kits.

Meal Kit Comparison – Starts with Sun Basket

Sun Basket — Fast Chicken Salad with Kale, Kiwi and Apples (Recipe 1). Top photo. The Kale arrived pre-cut. I found myself picking out the inferior, dry pieces. I would rather chop it myself. I usually remove the stem/center, but it was included in the chopped Kale. The provided dressing was just okay. And the Coconut Flakes would’ve been better toasted, seemed like an after-thought garnish. We (Matt & I) rate each recipe starting with this one.

Sun Basket Recipe 1: Matt 6 1/2, Shelly 6 (Out of 10).

Sun Basket — Greek Salmon over Zucchini Noodles and Wilted Greens (Recipe 2). I tossed out the pre-chopped Greens due to a bad smell. The Salmon was dry, though not overcooked. I liked the Tomato and Olive Relish. We liked the Zucchini Noodles, but they’re hard to stir and preserve as ‘Noodles’ when cooking. That’s fine, but good to know.

Sun Basket Recipe 2: Matt 6 1/2, Shelly 5 1/2.

Sun Basket – Mediterranean-style Cod with Artichoke Hearts and Kalamata Olives (Recipe 3). Cod quality wasn’t that great. Potatoes didn’t have much flavor though Salt and Peppered. I liked steaming the Fish over the Vegetables. Learned how well this cooking method works. Dish was easy to make and clean-up.

Sun Basket Recipe 3: Matt 6, Shelly 6.

Sun Basket Overall — Menus are just okay, not as exciting as others, seemed somewhat repetitive with ingredients. Though Menu is international, which is good. Website is friendly and easy to use. Choose (3) out of (18) different recipes/meal kits. Recipes arrive in booklet form. Also within it are all the recipes you didn’t choose, which is nice. Best recipe score was 6 1/2.

Meal Kit Comparison – Trying Gobble

Gobble – Nice packaging, similar to Blue Apron. Received one incorrect recipe card, but was easily able to print the correct one from Gobble’s website. They provide smaller recipe cards than other companies.

Gobble – Pan-Roasted Chicken in Three Peppercorn Sauce with Green Beans and Mashed Potatoes (Recipe 1). Potatoes were not good. Gravy made up for it. Chicken was tough, though not overcooked. Odd cuts of chicken were provided. Not as pretty as the online photos.

This is how the Mashed Potatoes and Gravy arrived (below). No bueno.

Gobble Recipe 1: Matt 7, Shelly 6.

Gobble – Louisiana Shrimp with White Cheddar Grits (Recipe 2). Had to further devein the ‘deveined’ Shrimp. Like the Mashed Potatoes in Recipe 1, I don’t like unloading grits from a plastic bag to heat them in the microwave. Also, I didn’t like the pre-cut trinity. It looked a bit degraded in freshness, translucent Onions.

Gobble Recipe 2: Matt 7 1/2, Shelly 7.

Gobble – Brazilian Black Bean Stew with Roasted Squash and Swiss Chard (Recipe 3). I had to toss-out the provided Swiss Chard. It was too dried out. It’s scary not knowing what’s inside a compact bag of pre-cut Greens. Good thing we’re growing our own Swiss Chard. I love the idea and components of this recipe, but the pre-made beans and rice were just okay. I plan to re-create this recipe sometime. Our score for this recipe is below. Best overall recipe score was 8.

Gobble Recipe 3: Matt 8, Shelly 7 1/2.

Meal Kit Comparison – Trying Marley Spoon

Marley Spoon – Box was delayed a day, because company didn’t have enough ice to ship. Recipe card photos are dull in color and paper is un-glossed. Nice packaging. Largest, tallest box received.

Marley Spoon – Cheesy Roasted Pepper Panini with Goat Cheese & Spinach and Side Salad (Recipe 1). Too much filling for the Panini, it overflowed. A Bun for the Panini Bread is not the best option. No photo.

Marley Spoon Recipe 1: Matt 8, Shelly 8.

Marley Spoon – Cilantro Chicken and Rice with Bell Pepper and Lime (Recipe 2). Flavorful, but wouldn’t garnish it with raw onions again. It’s unnecessary and over takes the dish. Having to use a blender or food processor is a first for a boxed Meal Kit. Good thing I have one.

Marley Spoon Recipe 2: Matt 7 1/2, Shelly 8.

Marley Spoon – Four Cheese Ravioli Alla Norma with Crispy Garlic Breadcrumbs (Recipe 3). It was super easy to make and very good.

Marley Spoon Recipe 3: Matt 8, Shelly 8.

Overall… good quality, nice packaging, tasty meals and good recipe selections. Marley Spoon costs about the same as Blue Apron, my long-time favorite Meal Kit company (so-far). Best recipe score for Marley Spoon was 8.

Meal Kit Comparison – Trying Green Chef

Green Chef also offers Paleo, Vegan, Keto and Gluten-free meal kit options. Very nice packaging. All looked good, though much was pre-prepared.

A pre-cut Red Pepper was provided for a recipe. I want a whole one. There are small Red Bell Peppers. Pre-cut Onions too. I don’t like that either. They degrade, but I used them, and it didn’t ruin the meal.

Green Chef – Harissa Spiced Tuna Steaks and Apricot Tomato Sauce, Kale Pistachios and Couscous (Recipe 1). The Tuna was nice looking. Recipe said to cook the Yellowfin Tuna 3 to 5 minutes per side, but was too long for the thin Fish provided. I cooked ours 2 1/2 minutes per side and it was still overcooked, as expected, but all was flavorful.

Green Chef Recipe 1: Matt 8, Shelly 8.

Green Chef – Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps with Quinoa, Toasted Nuts and Seeds, with Lemon Pesto Aioli (Recipe 2). I liked the Couscous with the Vinegar, Agave and mixed Toasted Nuts. The Dressing was just okay, pre-made. Homemade would have been better.

Green Chef Recipe 2: Matt 8, Shelly 8.

Green Chef – Cheese Steak Stuffed Pepper with Provolone Cheese, Spiced Potato Hash with Red Peppers (Recipe 3). Uneven, pre-cut Onions and Grated Cheese were provided. The small Onion pieces burned a little while cooking. Not a good thing. However, not a bad flavor overall. Our score for this recipe is below. Best recipe score was 8.

Green Chef Recipe 3: Matt 7, Shelly 7.

Meal Kit Comparison – Trying Purple Carrot

Purple Carrot – All was fresh and impressive. Some stuff was pre-cut, but mostly whole ingredients. Only the hardest thing to cut, the Squash was pre-cut, which was helpful. A booklet of all recipes was provided, as like Sun Basket. Only six recipes to choose from online at this time.

Purple Carrot – Black Bean and Polenta Casserole with Chile Butter (Recipe 1). The large bag of Spinach was very fresh. I was a little nervous about the Vegan Cream Cheese and Vegan Butter provided for this recipe, but didn’t notice a difference. That was nice to discover.

Purple Carrot Recipe 1: Matt 7, Shelly 7.

Purple Carrot – Autumn Bibimbap with Gochujang Brussels Sprouts and Sesame Aioli (Recipe 2). I didn’t use the Kimchi or Vegenaise (Mayo instead). I didn’t like the color of the Vegenaise, yellow-ish. I liked the Brussels Sprouts with Gochujang. The Fried Rice ended up too hard. Seems 5 to 7 minutes is too long not to stir the Rice. I don’t know. Kind of a weird recipe, which I like, but it didn’t work properly.

Purple Carrot Recipe 2: Matt 6 1/2, Shelly 6.

Purple Carrot – Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Cranberries and Hazelnuts (Recipe 3). A beautiful photo of this recipe is on Purple Carrot’s booklet cover. Had to toss out the Broccoli Rabe for this recipe, since it didn’t last a week. Used Swiss Chard from our garden instead. Added leftover sauteed Onions before the Squash. All was tasty with the Dried Cranberries, and had good texture with the Toasted Hazelnuts.

Purple Carrot Recipe 3: Matt 8 1/2, Shelly 8.

Recipes were grouped in plastic bags. I prefer no bags, loose ingredients or in paper bags, because all seems to stay fresher longer.

Vegan Butter and Cream Cheese work okay. You won’t notice the difference. Though I’m still sketchy on Vegenaise (Mayo’s substitute). Someday perhaps, or not. Best recipe score was 8 1/2.

Meal Kit Comparison – Trying Dinnerly

Dinnerly – Spinach and Ricotta Calzones with Tomato Garlic Dipping Sauce (Recipe 1). Crust was large and could have used more filling. I added Peppers to the filling too, and could have added more. It had a good flavor and texture.

Dinnerly Recipe 1: Matt 7, Shelly 7.

Dinnerly is one of the least expensive Meal Kits available. You download the recipe cards from the internet, instead of them being provided. The menus make me think that I might as well make the dish myself and save even more money. Easy ideas. Dinnerly’s website functions just like Marley Spoon’s. The companies are related. Dinnerly is budget Marley.

Dinnerly – Sausage and Kale Soup with Pasta and Parmesan (Recipe 2). It was just okay. A little bland. It made a lot of Soup. I added Beans for extra credit. I like the ‘extra credit’ options listed on the recipe cards. Helps company keep costs down, while suggesting something you might already have in your pantry.

Dinnerly Recipe 2: Matt 6 1/2, Shelly 6 1/2.

Dinnerly – Banh Mi Burger with Pickled Carrots and Cucumbers (Recipe 3). I didn’t like the provided Chipotle Mayo, weird taste. Would rather make my own combination.

Dinnerly Recipe 3: Matt 7, Shelly 6.

Overall… everything was just okay. With the right recipe choice, it could be a good dinner option, due to its price. And now I want to try Every Plate, Dinnerly’s budget meal kit rival I just discovered. I will amend this post after we try it. Best recipe score was 7.

Meal Kit Comparison – Trying Freshly (Not a Meal Kit, a Pre-Made Meal)

Freshly – Choose between 30 meals. Just heat in the microwave and eat. They arrived nicely packaged between three layers of ice packs. They are best heated in their respective packs, and then plated, to keep moist.

Freshly – We, mostly I, tried 6 different meals. Balsamic Turkey (Meal 1). The Vegetables were dry, cut too small and bland. The Turkey was tough. The Balsamic Mushrooms were good. Matt 6, Shelly 5. Pork Al Pastor (Meal 2). It was flavorful, could use a tortilla or chips for varied texture. Matt 6, Shelly 7. Moroccan Style Tagine (Meal 3). It was just okay. Had to pick out a few tough Vegetable Skins, and the small Onions in it were hard and not satisfying to eat. Seemed like a heated, frozen meal I’ve had before. And not any better. Shelly 5.

.

Freshly – Buffalo Chicken and Cauliflower (Meal 4). Chicken was tender and good. Cauliflower was just okay, a little bland. Shelly 6. Southwest Chicken Bowl (Meal 5). It should have been tasty, but it was bland and dry. Needed Salt and Pepper and more sauce. The Corn in Freshly’s dishes seems once frozen or canned, not fresh. The Vegetables, Beans and Quinoa were dry too. The Chicken was tender and well cooked. Shelly 6. Meatballs and Spaghetti Squash (Meal 6). The Meatballs where okay. Sauce was very good. On a side note, I finally decided I don’t like the texture of Spaghetti Squash. Shelly 5.

What I learned from all…

I want to prepare everything on my own. I don’t want to receive anything pre-cut. I never purchased pre-cut items in the grocery store. Also, few ingredients can be combined to make something great. And, I can save money not buying a Meal Kit every week. I can make simple, fancy meals on my own from what I’ve learned from Blue Apron, elsewhere, and from this Meal Kit Comparison. I also saved money taking advantage of the introductory offers from each of these companies. You should too. See their pricing below.*

Meal Kit Comparison Pricing:

Sun Basket – Introductory offer is 50% off = $25.

Gobble – Introductory offer is 30% off = $42. Generally $79/week.

Marley Spoon – Introductory offer = $30.75. Generally $61.50/week.

Green Chef – Introductory offer is 40% off = $38. Generally $79/week.

Purple Carrot – Introductory offer $25 off. Generally $72/week.

Dinnerly – Introductory offer is $30. Generally $40/week.

Freshly – Introductory offer $45 for 6 Meals. Generally $60/week.

*PRICES are estimated and subject to change. See respective websites for up-to-date pricing and other information.

I’ve made hundreds of Blue Apron meals, which we LOVE to eat.  It’s hard to pass up their unique, diverse, ever-changing tasty menus and the price is right too.  Blue Apron’s cost is lower than most Meal Kit Delivery companies.  Though due to curiosity and first-box discount incentives, we previously tried Hello Fresh, Plated and Home Chef and their respective reviews and comparisons to Blue Apron are linked in this sentence.  Now, we are underway trying several others — Sun Basket, Gobble, Purple Carrot, Green Chef, Marley Spoon, Freshly, Dinnerly, Factor 75, Balance/Bistro MD, Munchery, Global Belly, Takeout Kits, Shaker & Spoon (a cocktail club) and Burgabox (if they get back into the game).  Did you know there were so many?  This is far from a list of all of them, but some we plan to try.  After all has been delivered, prepared and consumed, a report of pros, cons, costs and more will be posted here on Nibbles of Tidbits.  We just finished (3) Sun Basket meals and (3) Gobble meals are scheduled to be delivered this week, and (3) Marley Spoon meals the week after that, etc.  Yes, our review is underway and I have a lot to say.  I already miss Blue Apron, but will definitely be fair.  Stay tuned.

Pictured:  Chicken Salad with Kale, Kiwi and Apples (Sun Basket)

Home Chef is another company that offers the delivery of weekly meal kits.  I’ve previously reported about a few others — Blue Apron, Hello Fresh and Plated.  And now, here is Home Chef.

Our Home Chef meal selection included Coconut Jasmine Rice Bowls with Fried Plantains and Corn Pico De Gallo, Fig and Goat Cheese Flatbread with Walnuts and Caramelized Onions & Brown Sugar Salmon with Ranch Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans.

The recipe cards came with a nice white binder and they were 3-hole punched on good card-stock.

Each meal is grouped in its own sealed, handled bag with a straggler or two in the box, and the meat is under ice, which is convenient and good.  All received with this shipment was fresh.

However, the Naan received for the Fig and Goat Cheese Flatbread was folded into its meal kit bag and thus cracked in a few places.  I had to carefully place them back together before topping and baking them.  They ended up tasting great, but it was mostly due to the Caramelized Onions, Fig Preserves, Goat Cheese and Arugula — An amazing combination.

We liked the Brown Sugar Salmon too, though mine didn’t end up as gorgeous as the one on the recipe card.  Not uncommon, but the sweet, tangy flavor it was anticipated to have was there.

Home Chef’s price is comparable to Blue Apron’s — The Home Chef cost is $59.70 a week for (3) meal kits for (2) people and Blue Apron’s current cost for the same is $59.94.

We like Home Chef, and we like Plated and Hello Fresh too, but Blue Apron is still our favorite weekly meal delivery kit company.  Aside from these meals and the others I’ve tried and reported about, Blue Apron meals have been prepared in our kitchen on a weekly basis for about two years now.  I like Blue Apron’s unique meal options and that all is made from scratch.  It’s extra time and labor in some cases, but worth it in flavor.  I like Naan, but would have preferred fresh Pizza Dough with the winning combination of Caramelized Onions, Fig Preserves, Goat Cheese and Arugula.  Pizza Dough would most likely come with a similar Blue Apron meal.  I have no complaints about any of these companies and I am still willing to try others, if the menu is right.

I’ve used Penzeys Spices for years.  I ordered them through the mail.  It was the only way to get them some time ago, but now there are six Penzeys retail stores in California.  And one of them is in Anaheim, a few miles from our house.  This Penzeys store is an oasis in a busy shopping center off Euclid and Crescent — It’s spacious, welcoming, aromatic and tranquil in contrast to outside.

One of the best things about shopping at Penzeys is… YOU can smell everything they sell.  Each herb and spice is presented in a large jar for the sole purpose of smelling it.  Put your nose in and take a whiff — Doing so helps to distinguish flavor nuances in similar spices like Vietnamese and Indonesian Cinnamon, Californian and Hungarian Paprika, and herbs like Turkish and Mexican Oregano, etc.  How do they differ?  How are they alike?  Aside from taste, your nose can tell.

You may not want to smell the Mignonette (above) and other Pepper, but you can.

Penzeys‘ Anaheim store has an adorable kids area where kids color while you sniff and shop.

There is also a retro kitchen display that offers the best in baking Spices, Extracts and Vanilla Beans. Once past the hustle and bustle outside, it’s fun to shop inside Penzeys in Anaheim.  Its employees are friendly and knowledgeable, and prices are good too, especially since you don’t have to pay for shipping.  I love Penzeys Spices and retail store option.  I’m lucky one is nearby.

Have you ever tried Pickled Grapes?  I hadn’t until last year and will now eat them forever.  I buy Grapes more often because of it.  Pickled Grapes are amazing, especially when served with Fish over a Summer Succotash, pictured below — It’s our favorite Blue Apron meal that I’ve made several times.  The original recipe used Cod, which is fine, but I’ve since used Salmon and Yellowtail at different times.  This dish is extremely flavorful with much attributed to the Pickled Grapes.

A little White Wine Vinegar (2 T.), Sugar (1 T.), and a big pinch of Salt do a lot to elevate Grapes (at least 2 oz.), to a refreshing gourmet topping, side or special ingredient in another dish. Simply combine cut Grapes with all ingredients, let marinate for at least 10 minutes and see what we’re saying.  Yum!  Pickling is a beautiful thing, I’ve discovered.  And my husband happens to call me Pickles.  It’s just meant to be.  Consult Blue Apron for more about recipe #227.  We love it too.

Well… Hellooooooo Fresh.  It’s finally your turn — Nice to try you.  It’s hard to give-up Blue Apron, but I’m ready.   Temporarily that is.  We previously tried and reported about Plated, another meal (recipe + fresh ingredients) delivery company.  It’s my plan to try most, if not all of the popular meal delivery companies and here we try and compare Hello Fresh to Blue Apron and Plated.

The Hello Fresh ingredients and recipe cards arrive in a large box that lists the enclosed meal’s nutrition facts on its side — A nice feature not included on the Blue Apron and Plated boxes.

All ingredients were well packed and arrived fresh.

In fact, each meal is packaged individually in nice windowed white boxes.  It’s different than Blue Apron and Plated — The recipe ingredients are contained and sealed together in the large box.

The smaller boxes are impressive, but unnecessary — Hello Fresh can save on this packaging.

The proteins arrive under blocks of ice, as like the others, and all was perfectly fresh.

The Hello Fresh recipe cards are smaller than all others I’ve used, including the recipe cards from Chef’d, soon to be reviewed here on Nibbles of Tidbits — Check back for that comparison.

The Hello Fresh recipe cards are harder to read than the others — The card and photo are smaller, thus appear less detailed.  The Blue Apron recipe cards are more user-friendly than those printed for Hello Fresh and Plated.  Blue Apron includes a photo of the chopped ingredients and the others do not.  I had no trouble following the Hello Fresh recipe cards, but Blue Apron’s are better.

Taste and the recipes — I made Jamie’s Roasted Chicken with Lemony Bombay Potatoes (above) and Spring Asparagus and Shrimp Risotto with Meyer Lemon (below).

I’m not sure why my Shrimp Risotto (below) looked albino compared to its photo (above).

Dukkah-Roasted Chicken with Sweet Potatoes, Snap Peas and Citrus Sour Cream (below). I liked it best from our first box.  Not pictured, we also tried three Hello Fresh vegetarian meals. Since I forgot to deselect upcoming meals, I received a second Hello Fresh box in the mail. Related to that, the Hello Fresh web interface could use improvement.  It’s not as easy to view and/or cancel future meals as it is on the Blue Apron and Plated websites.  I had switched from the Hello Fresh ‘Classic Box’ to the ‘Veggie Box’ subscription on their website, because it’s a better value.

Hello Fresh costs approximately $10 more for a Classic Box (three meals w/meat) = $70.  Three meals w/meat from Blue Apron costs the same as three vegetarian meals from Hello Fresh = $60. Aside from cost, we agree that Blue Apron meals are more flavorful and sophisticated overall. And since they do cost less, they’re a better deal all around.  I keep the Hello Fresh and Plated subscriptions open in case there’s a meal I can’t refuse, but need to manage them better so not to receive meals from all companies in the same week.  Each offers potential for a great meal.

It’s official — I’ve prepared 100+ Blue Apron recipes.  My husband counted them.  After two-hundred plus total dishes, I decided it was time to try a few other meal delivery companies.  At least three to start… Plated, Hello Fresh and Chef’d.  It’s not because we don’t like Blue Apron.  We love them.  I’m now curious how others’ dishes compare.  Are they as flavorful and international?

The Plated Report — Plated’s box was huge and all was packed within a thick insulation that looked like it should be recycled in the garden.  Different than Blue Apron, but it kept all cold and fresh.

One of the BEST things about Plated is they offer Dessert.  Blue Apron currently does not.

Dessert (recipe and ingredients) costs about $8 more, over Plated’s meal plan — Most comparable to our Blue Apron Meal Plan (3 Meals for 2 People = $60), Plated offers (2 Meals for 2 People = $48 + $6 for shipping = $54).  Shipping is free with $50+ purchases.  I thus added one of Plated’s weekly Desserts to try and to qualify for free shipping.  $56 was our total for 2 Meals and 1 Dessert for 2 People from Plated.  Leon thought all looked good upon arrival (below).  I did too.

Plated’s recipes were well written and somewhat unique, like those offered by Blue Apron.  The pictured Plated meals were good, but none knocked our socks off, like many Blue Apron meals have. We also missed the third meal offered by Blue Apron.  Apples to Apples, the same Blue Apron Plan (3 Meals for 2 People = $60), costs $72 at Plated.  I wouldn’t mind future meals from Plated, but I prefer to save money.  Plated is good, but they charge more for the same comparison of food.

I prepared Plated’s Pan-Roasted Redfish with Baby Kale Risotto (top), Cheese Tortellini with Basil and Spinach in Tomato Soup (above) and Caramelized Pear Shortcakes with Whipped Cream (below).  We liked the Pan-Roasted Redfish the best and the other two recipes were just average.  Plated’s recipe cards are nice and large, but not as glossy as Blue Apron’s.

The Caramelized Pear Shortcakes aka Biscuits were already baked, which made preparation easier, but the Dessert not as homemade.  I may order from Plated again to try a different Dessert if its weekly menu sounds better than Blue Apron’s weekly menu.  I’m currently subscribed to all listed herein, though opt for Blue Apron most of the time.  If interested in trying any meal delivery company, be sure to obtain a coupon or coupon code, as each offers a $20 – $60 discount on your first box.  Don’t miss out on that.  Check back soon to read our Hello Fresh and Chef’d Reports.

Blue Apron Box Report No. 2 — We love them even more now.

It’s Blue Apron’s unique and enticing recipes that I appreciate most — The meals are exciting to eat.

We received 3 new recipe cards and the ingredients to prepare them all — Our final dishes are pictured on the right of its respective recipe card and our first Blue Apron report is linked here.

Each meal was completely different than the one before it and all had exceptional flavor.

We’re already looking forward to the next box from Blue Apron.  Originally I was just going to try them, but their weekly menus and quality of ingredients are keeping me interested.  I had also planned to try and compare similar companies, but after a little research it looks like Blue Apron may be offering the best deal.  If that continues to be true, I may not want to try nor like another. Each looks similarly impressive, but I must have a good price too.

Similar companies are listed below and prices may change — Check them out yourself.

Plated.com – Eating Well Made Easy ($12/Serving – $72/Week – 6 meals total for 2)

Hello Fresh – Restaurant Quality Meals At Home ($11.50/Serving – $69/Week – 6 meals total for 2)

Green Chef – Deliciously Simple ($14.99/Serving – $89.94/Week – 6 meals total for 2)

Forage – Recipes from Notable Restaurants ($7.50 – $15/Serving – $60/Week – 4 meals total, which may serve 2. It’s unclear)

Chef’d – The Easiest Way to Cook Like a Pro ($19 – $38/Serving for 2 – Each meal has its own cost)

Have you heard of Blue Apron?  It’s a weekly food delivery service.  Blue Apron delivers recipes and ingredients to your doorstep for YOU to prepare.  Blue Apron takes meal planning and grocery shopping off your To-Do List.  They do that for you then deliver all to you.  We tested them out.

Our delivery included 3 Recipe Cards and all the ingredients to make them.

All was wrapped in bubble foil insulation with sealed frozen ice blocks.

After review of its contents, let’s just say that I hope every box is as fresh as this one.

All produce was fresh — Kale, Spinach, Bibb Lettuce, Fava Leaves, Sugar Snap Peas, and the meat appeared fresh too.  The box of ingredients even smelled fresh.  The quality of all made me happy.

Each recipe comes with a “Knick Knacks” bag, which holds small and measured ingredients.

Knick Knacks bags may include Butter, Cream, Spice mixtures, etc.  I love organization.

I had fun exploring my first Blue Apron food box and couldn’t wait to make and taste everything.

Shrimp, Flank Steak and Ground Turkey were included in this delivery for Lemon & Black Pepper Shrimp with Fresh Linguine Di Cavolo & Fava Leaves, Pan-Seared Steaks with Green Peppercorn Sauce & Roasted Fingerling Potatoes, and Spiced Turkey Meatball Pitas with Sugar Snap Pea & Bibb Lettuce Salad — A good variety of recipes I wouldn’t make or try, but for Blue Apron.

I like trying new things and I like surprises, so this type of service is entertaining.

You can look ahead at upcoming recipes online or surprise yourself when the box arrives.

The step-by-step instructions on each recipe card are done well.  I’ll often change something in a recipe to make the dish better, but I didn’t need to and wasn’t going to, as I wanted to make all as instructed for this post.  Recipes are created by Blue Apron’s culinary team and renowned guest chefs.  Recipes will never be repeated in the same year and meals are 500-700 calories.

Meals take about 35 minutes to prepare and ingredients are pre-measured, so there’s no waste.

Matt liked all the meals too — Maybe I’ll get him to cook one of the recipes.

I didn’t expect to like Blue Apron as much as I now do, but I find it convenient and enjoyable — You still need to chop, mix and cook all, but it’s nice to not have to plan what to make and shop for the ingredients.  If I shopped for the quality ingredients I received here, it would probably cost more money, and more time and stress to look for and obtain all, let alone conceive the recipes.

Choose when you want your box of food delivered and how often — Once a week, every other week, once a month, etc.  I set up Blue Apron to deliver recipes and ingredients every other week for now and look forward to trying more recipes.  If everything remains fresh, I may be a customer for a long time, though I simply intended to try it.  I’ve seen advertisements for similar food delivery companies and may need to compare them to Blue Apron who sets the bar high.  Blue Apron’s prices are reasonable too, approximately $60/week for three meals for two.  Shipping is included in the price too, which helps sell me.  Check back to see how our second box of food turns out.  Posted will be a clear side by side comparison of each recipe card and meal.

If unlimited toppings, add Jalapenos, Artichoke Hearts and Roasted Garlic to the Pizza.

The Orange County Fair starts in just a couple days.  Come & Get It is the theme and today was delivery day — Delivery of culinary, baked goods, confections and sugar arts for the Culinary Arts Competition at the Orange County Fair.  My entries were dropped off at the very last minute.  It’s also judgment day, when all is tasted and ribbons are assigned.

This year my entries included the pictured… Strawberry Stars (in Confections, Jellies), a Tangerine Cream Cheesecake topped with Candied Tangerine Slices (in Cheesecakes, Fruit Flavored and/or Fruit Topped) and Coconut Pineapple Scones (in Bread, Scones or Biscuits).  I didn’t get to try my Cheesecake, but it looked good with the Candied Tangerine Slices.

The Scones were way too big, but tasted good — They were drizzled with a Pineapple Glaze.

OC Fair peeps taking in the goodies (below) for you to come and get it (or see it) soon.

I hope to win a ribbon, or two, or three — See you at the Orange County Fair.

Post Update (07/13/13):  I won a First Place (Blue) Ribbon for the Strawberry Stars only and may be featured in the Orange County Register this weekend.  I was interviewed by a reporter and one of the paper’s photographers took my photo.  We shall see…

Opening Day at the Orange County Fair with family (below).

On the way home from Sequoia National Park, we stopped at this Honor System Fruit Stand on the side of the road — I can’t recall exactly where it was, but we thought it was great.

We weighed out a lb. of Peaches, Plums & Nectarines, inserted money and went on our way.

If you don’t enter, you can’t win.  Why not enter?  Anyone can win a Culinary Arts Competition at the Orange County Fair.  The deadline for competition entries is fast approaching.  Do you know how to enter?  Do you know what to do after you enter?  If not, this post may help.

First, enter (most competitions) online — The OC Fair’s website can get you on the way.

Go to the OC Fair Competitions’ page to learn ‘How to Enter an OC Fair Competition’.

When you’re ready to enter, visit the OC Fair & Event Center On-line Entries page (below).

Entrants are called Exhibitors, thus register as such before entering a competition.

Choose Department (Culinary Arts in this instance), then Division and Class for each entry.

Each entry costs $5.00 and one ticket to the OC Fair is presented on delivery day.

After online entry, note delivery date and time and have all goods ready — Learn more here.

On delivery day you’ll drive onto the fairgrounds, while all is being assembled for opening day.

Culinary Arts Competition entries are generally submitted at the Exhibit Promenade (above).

All entries must have a list of ingredients on an index card attached, as shown above.

Pictured herein are previously submitted entries and a was-gonna-be entry mishap below.

The above was going to be Tangerine Dream Bars (similar to Lemon Bars), but it didn’t set.

Fortunately most past entries have turned out well — It’s what’s hoped for on delivery day.

Above shows what YOUR entry/submission should look like, and below shows what it could look like when checking the competition results displayed on opening day at the OC Fair.

It’s exciting to see how well you did or didn’t do — You can’t win ’em all.

Entering a competition at any Fair makes all more fun.

June 10th, 2013 is the last day to enter the Culinary Arts Competition (excluding Special Culinary Contests) online — See the Culinary Arts Competition Guidelines for all specifics.

Guidelines are available for all OC Fair Competitions.

Come & Get It is the theme of this year’s Orange County Fair.

Good luck to all!

From Alaska to California and hopefully back for more — I’ve never been there, but our resident photographer cruised Alaska last year and came back exclaiming he had the ‘Best Crab Bisque’ ever.  It was at Tracy’s King Crab Shack in Juneau and he couldn’t stop talking about it.

I tried to find its recipe online, but could not, thus resorted to having it shipped from Tracy.

It’s not cheap (mostly due to shipping), but I learned it’s worth it — Wow!  I see now.

Though not as pretty as when it’s served to you in Juneau, Alaska, it cooked up flawlessly.

One has the option to add Cream, Milk or Stock — I added Cream, as recommended by Tracy.

She also suggests a squeeze of Lime at the end — It has generous pieces of King Crab.

This King Crab Bisque is superb without a Lime squeeze and magnificent with one.

Tracy’s King Crab Shack was recently featured on Top Chef, as shown in a few TV pics.

Chef-testants had to quickly create a dish with Tracy’s Crab Legs — The Best Legs in Town.

Tracy’s King Crab Shack Story and Stovetop Instructions are above.

Thanks to Matt for the beautiful Alaskan photos and tip on Tracy’s — I’m hooked on all!

It’s easy being cheesy.

Greenleaf Gourmet Chopshop in Costa Mesa — I’m glad to see them in the neighborhood.

It’s a narrow, well utilized, stylish space with goodness to offer.

A group of us (various media) were invited to sample Happy Hour and Kid’s Menu items.

We liked it all and learned that Greenleaf Chefs take pride in each and every dish.

We especially liked the Turkey Melts on Pretzel Bread (below) and Turkey Meatballs.

The Kid’s Menu Chicken Bites with Sweet Potato Fries are pictured below.

See the Greenleaf Gourmet Chopshop website for new menu specifics.

A Delivery Program will soon be launching and Curbside Service is currently available.

They also offer Business Catering and an in-house Coffee/Juice Bar/Specialty Item Shop.

Cheers to Greenleaf with Sangria and another tasty house specialty drink.

They seem to be about healthy food and good times.

More of everything please.

A friend recently drove through a Starbucks Drive-Thru and when she got to the window to pay, the employee told her that her Coffee had been paid for by the anonymous person in front of her.  She only remembers it was a lady.  The gesture made my friend’s day, an otherwise bad one in other ways.  It came at the right time and she’s still talking about it.  Now I’m going to do it!  And it doesn’t need to happen at a Starbucks — Any drive-thru will do, like El Pollo Loco, unless there are too many people in the car behind you, ha.  You decide.

Until I attempt the process of making French Macarons, I enjoy testing the local best.

I haven’t found a French Macaron (around here) that I must have again, thus ordered a dozen from Nicole Lee Fine Chocolates, a company I learned about at the Los Angeles Luxury Chocolate Salon I helped judge last year — So far they are the best I’ve had.  Each unique taste combination is pleasantly identifiable within its respective, delicate, creamy, flavorful Cookie.  The preliminary favorites are Blackberry, Lychee Rose, Passion Fruit and Raspberry.

Next time we’ll try the Vanilla Olive Oil, Rum Raisin and Genmai Green Tea flavors, but can’t be ordering them too often, as they’re not cheap, especially combined with shipping.  To save money and experiment, French Macarons are on the ‘To Make List’ and when it happens I’ll start here, where there’s a collection of helpful tips and information about them.

Chefs Bailee and Lexi of Kids in the Kitchen, my lovely Nieces volunteering at Mary’s Kitchen.

You can volunteer there too — Mary’s has been feeding Orange County’s homeless since 1984.

The kids really like going and it gives them much appreciation for what they have.

This breakfast they cracked and beat all the Eggs, cooked Pancakes, served food and washed dishes — Wonderful things to do for others.  Nibbles of Tidbits is proud of Kids in the Kitchen.

The Turnip Rose Grand Newport Plaza, Celebrations and Elite Catering — A celebration to last throughout the years.  So bring your good times and your laughter too, they’re gonna celebrate your party with you.  Everyone around Orange County come on.  It’s a wonderful place for a memorable wedding (or event) and we got a taste of it.  Wow about everything!

The venue, FOOD, decor and service couldn’t be better and Celebrations couldn’t be hipper.

At a “Taste of Turnip Rose” we tried a little (and in some cases a lot) of that being offered by The Turnip Rose Elite Catering and we’re still talking about how great it all was.

This is your sample of our sampling of the Grand Buffet, California Classics Buffet and more.

All Chicken was tender and flavorful, not commonly said about wedding reception Chicken.

We’re still marveling that each Filet Mignon being perfectly cooked.

Unique Scalloped Potatoes.

There were self serve and full service stations throughout the Ballroom at the Grand Newport Plaza.  We hit ’em all more than once and rolled out with giant smiles on our faces — More “Filet Mignon PLEASE” seemed to be our theme of the evening.  Gracias.

And many thank you, thank you, thank you’s and WOW’s.

Mahi Mahi (below) to be plated and topped with a Cucumber Mango Salsa.

Filet Mignon and Mahi Mahi shared our third plate of food. 🙂

Flawlessly cooked Filet after Filet after Filet.

Sample table setting.

Pretty Special Martinis.

Hors D’ Oeuvres were passed by well-dressed, friendly and knowledgeable Servers.

The Mandarin Chicken (above) tasted like the Sauce was basted in — Truly tasty alone.

The adorable Gourmet Sliders have Truffle Oil, yum-and-a-half regarding that.

Additional Martini options include the Filet Peppercorn Martini and others below.

Salad Buffet.

Peanut Butter Brownie Shooters and Mini Cupcakes.

Bride and Groom Strawberries.

The service was impeccable and the affiliated DJ played great songs.

We met nice, soon-to-be Brides and Grooms including Nikki & Kyle.  Enlarge for a better view.

Sample food choices/options — You can’t go wrong with The Turnip Rose Elite Catering.

Coffee Stations, a Chocolate Fountain and Liquor injected Strawberries in the courtyard.

Lots to dip.

The Festival of Strawberries, a Sweet Things item with an injection of Kahlua…

…Amaretto, Tia Maria, Drambuie or Grand Marnier, if you so choose.

Love is Sweet! Candy Buffet for guests to pack a box to go.

Fun for all ages — We enjoyed the Candy days after the event, a lingering memory.

On to the hippest, we ended the night with a personal tour of Celebrations.

Celebrations is the most stylish OC wedding venue I’ve seen — Every detail is covered too.

It’s well designed and highlights each Bride and Groom in special ways.

Nice lighting, monogrammed floors, a photo booth, nearby Bars, changing wall photos, etc.

Celebrations is located in the former Club Vegas space, $2M later and way better.

Guests will certainly be impressed with the place now.  We are!

Choose your colors.

The kitchen is pristine too, like everything else there.  Was tempted to show the bathrooms.

As if all isn’t enough, a Farewell Table was set up with Hot Tea, Coffee and Donuts.

Even the parking is pleasant and close to the Grand Newport Plaza and Celebrations.

We love Kelly, one of the nicest around — He runs all with his Brother and a dedicated team.

Full with a Farewell Table Donut bagged in hand — Let’s celebrate, it’s (more than) all right.

08/05/13 Update:  Visit The Turnip Rose website for venue information — The Grand Newport Plaza event room is no longer available, but Celebrations is going strong, and so is The Promenade Event Centre & Gardens in Costa Mesa.

Filet Mignon with Cognac Sauce — Each Steak was cooked beautifully by The Turnip Rose Elite Catering.  We recently attended a “Taste of Turnip Rose” at the Grand Newport Plaza and everything was over the top in the best ways possible.  We were almost paralyzed by the quality and perfection of food, style, hospitality, service, detail and coolness.  What an evening!  Will you marry us?  A full report of the event will soon be posted.  Thank you for all.

We stumbled upon the best wedding venues in town — Celebrations and more.