In Real Life: Preparing Home Chef Subscription Box Orders Part 1

In Real Life is a series where we delve into how the items we receive in subscription boxes are actually used in everyday life.

 

Subista was so kind to give me a gift certificate to Home Chef. I must show my cooking skills to everyone. Well you all are in for a surprise! Because I have a hungry hubbie with three growing picky Pnut people (myself included), I need to fashion out our meals to accommodate everyone. So you will likely see IN REAL LIFE, one meal serving as planned by Home Chef for my husband and the other serving done Pnut style. I have not seen a review like this so I think it would be a nice perspective on how to stretch meals to feed a family of 2 adults and 3 little Pnut people. Of course, this would not work if my Pnut people were teenagers lol.

 

With codes, clams, and Subista’s gift certificate, I was able to acquire two weeks of Home Chef. We are going food shopping to only supplement what meals we did not order (e.g., breakfast and fruit servings). We will not go food shopping in a regular sense. We want to see whether Home Chef pays for itself for convenience. You see, most of our shopping is done via Amazon. Sometimes Amazon is expensive, but if it saves us from spending $$$ for a $ item(s) we would goto Costco/Trader Joes/Target (our big three) and the like with three kids in tow in cold Chicago, then Amazon does its part.

To sum, we want to see whether Home Chef Does the same thing!

 

So this is how I did it: I found a referral link (hey here is mine lol). Using it you get $30 off and I get $30 off. My cooking posts are no extra charge! I suggest starting out with the minimum 2 servings (serving choices are only in even numbers) and do 3 meals. Why? Because if you do 3 meals/2 servings at $9.95 your total is $59.70 minus the $30.00 referral equalizing in paying upfront $29.70 (roughly 50% off). You need over $40 to get free shipping so 3 meals/2 servings, otherwise you will be paying $10 which is basically 1 serving for shipping (insane and a Pnut no-no I don’t pay for shipping)! BUT WHAT THERE IS MORE… there may be a $10 Pop Up to save on your next order (very smart of them eh)? Earliest delivery date is Tuesday which is what I choose.

 

Here is what I am getting:

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I like my protein in the form of meat products. 

 

To prep, I am using my Day Designer Planner in meal planning. You can see my review here of PopSugar’s January 2016 box.

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So because my menu choices are canivore city, I need to round out by going to food shopping for fruit, vegetables, and pasta. My Pnut people as I, live on pasta and pasta alone sometimes.

Pnut people are Carbaholics.

On Saturday, we went shopping for food and got what we needed from the list  with the exception of getting fresh spinach because there was no frozen spinach to be had. On Sunday, we went to Whole Foods/Paycheck to get Guacamole with chips for a Superbowl party we are going to. I highly suggest them its restaurant prices but ten more times more awesome sauce ($26 for two tubs and two bags of chips but very nommy). We would have gone Saturday but Squeakette was not having any of it it was a long day for a half-year old. I digress.

 

We just received our Amazon Save and Subscribe boxes and I let out some of our breakfast cereals in cups at a nook for easy breakfasts. The breakfast cups are almost filled to the brim I was shocked! The boxes are from a local food store and soon as they run out, I will be using these yummy breakfast cereal cups.  I was somewhat inspired by looking at breakfast bars at YouTube but more work needs to be done! We also ordered 2 boxes of Almond Milk (my husband gets crunchy too).

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The General Game Plan

I plan on cooking down a bunch of onions and placing the leftovers in the refrigerator for later use as a side and/or supplement the meal. I hope that from what I have read, some of the dinners will have enough for one of our lunches.

I feel somewhat motivated by “keeping up with the Martha bloggers that I don’t read but Honest Toddler mocks” to make homemade noodles.

Studies have shown that if you have your children try a food that they do not like a million times, they will eat it wholeheartedly the next. And possibly never again. We use this method. Who is beating who down? I don’t know but if at least if they tried it they will be at least open to trying 100% of their food before rejecting 95% of it!

 

Mardi Gras Shrimp Po-Boy

with Remoulade and Tomato-Romaine Salad

My husband will be eating this serving as Home Chef directs.

I will be bastardizing my serving.

I will be sharing my Italian Roll with my Pnut people. Carbs. Nom.

I will be incorporate my shrimp serving with buttered pasta and call it a day. I will share said buttered pasta with my Pnut people. They may or may not touch their shrimp. But they will eat the carbs.

Oh yes. My Pnut people will eat their carbs. It is very important that their cheeks be fed. 

I hate foliage. My husband will be eating his portion as a side. My Pnut people will get one tomato piece and romaine lettuce piece to try because they will not be asking for more (past experience has treated me with this knowledge). I plan on using my romaine heart portion for my husband for another meal (possible adding Boursin cheese or some other made-up topping in the romaine heart for an appetizer).

 

Sherry Wine Demi-Glace Flat-Iron Steak

with Whipped Potatoes and Balsamic Brussel Sprouts

The Steak will be made as directed by Home Chef. The alcohol cooks out so I will not worry about getting my Pnut people or my childbearing self wasted (i.e., I am referencing the WHO drama tongue in cheek . . . let’s keep it happy here).

I have some instant mashed potatoes and the girls and I like them (my husband does not prefer them) so after I make the potatoes Home Chef style, I will stretch out my mashed potatoes with the instant for me and my girls and for an extra side for another day (I will add Boursin cheese from a set bought at Trader Joes or Costco I forgot where I got it but its got to be used up soon).

I hate balsamic vinegar for the most part. After portioning out my husband’s brussels sprouts, I will “ruin” his sprouts with the balsamic vinegar. I will stretch out my brussel sprouts with frozen brussel sprouts. I will chop up my Pnut people’s portion and see if they try it out without choking (or giving me looks of incredulity).

 

Bone-In Pork Chop with Smoky Maple Butter

With Roasted Carrots and Broccoli Mash

The Pork will be made as directed by Home Chef. My Pnut people adore “pork products” (an Anthony Bourdain reference and he is from Jersey too!) and maple syrup (which makes the maple part of the butter) so they may have more than one bite!

The Roasted Carrots will be made as is. Or maybe not. I need to size up the carrots and determine their fate. I like carrots raw but am not sure about them cooked. Same with my Pnut people.

After portioning out my husband’s broccoli mash. I will stretch out my broccoli mash with frozen broccoli and possibly a Dr. Preagers Spinach Patty if I am feeling fancy. I might further stretch out this goodness for another side by adding frozen spinach and a can of cream of mushroom soup. Pipsqueak always proclaims that she loves broccoli but whenever I serve it she takes one bite just to appease me and leaves it alone.

 

I think next week’s menu will take a deeper twist as I might digress greatly from Home Chef’s recipe intentions. I need to try this out to see whether Home Chef can work out for us in the long run because I get fussy at times…

Stayed tuned for Part Duex when my Home Chef box arrives…

***Click here for more In Real Life Posts***

***Click here for more Home Chef Reviews***

Do you have any conversations about subscription boxes outside of our bubble?

Please share your IRL Sub Box convos or anything random below!

Disclaimer: I used codes, clams, and a gift certifcate from Subista for my Home Chef orders. There are Referral/affiliate links to this post.

  11 comments for “In Real Life: Preparing Home Chef Subscription Box Orders Part 1

  1. Heat7918
    February 12, 2016 at 5:42 pm

    Pnut, this post makes me feel exhausted! lol

    I don’t have kids but I used to be SUPER picky. Now I find myself enjoying foods that I never thought I would – I still have to force myself to try stuff but I’m usually surprised how much I like most things that sounds gross (to me).

    We’ve done 2 weeks of Home Chef so far and are really enjoying it! We follow the recipes almost exactly and they’ve been seriously yummy! We’ve found that the 2 serving size usually feeds my husband and I with a good-size dinner and enough leftovers for 2 decent-size lunch portions. Especially the pastas and jambalaya – I too could live on pasta and carbs all the time!

    • February 12, 2016 at 6:00 pm

      I know I worked real hard on this post. For someone that is to the point I am very wordy with Home Chef. I have much to say lol. I am probably going to do a short Part Deux on the first box unboxing then review the meals in different posts.

      I am a foodie but I rather pick at my husband meals when it pertains to certain ingrediants (e.g., vinegar, straight up lemon, jalepeno/cayenne).

      We just finnished our first week and it was great I just need to work on my post now. I was pretty subless for most of the week but now my boxes are coming in! Let me know if we share the same meals love to hear your thoughts!

      • Heat7918
        February 12, 2016 at 6:12 pm

        We didn’t get Home Chef this week because I was in Vegas (just returned this morning) and now my husband is in Detroit for the weekend. For this upcoming week, we’re scheduled to get the Maple-Miso Glazed Salmon and the Lasagna with Italian Sausage and Cremini Mushrooms plus we’re trying a breakfast for the first time because the Avocado Tartine with Eggs and Bacon sounded good! Next week’s breakfast sounded even better – Cannoli French Toast!!

        • February 12, 2016 at 7:07 pm

          Nice! That breakfast did look nom but we are getting the two other entrees that you selected.

          How was Vegas or are you pleading the fifth?

          • Heat7918
            February 12, 2016 at 8:14 pm

            What happens in Vegas… gets posted on Facebook! 🙂

            It was awesome! I rode an ATV in the desert, got a massage at the spa (love the Eucalyptus Steam Room and Hot Stone bed too!), hung out by the pool and in the hot tub, visited the Neon Boneyard, ate amazing delicious food and drank yummy beverages, saw the Cirque Show “O” (Amazing!!) and “Divas Live” too… Oh yeah, gambled a little as well.

          • February 12, 2016 at 8:34 pm

            That sounds awesome Heat! Glad you had an excellent time thank you for sharing. Mmmmm… Nommy Vegas buffets 🙂

  2. February 13, 2016 at 5:00 pm

    Love this post! It is a perfect example of the hard work of moms! Were the kids always picky or did it start around a certain age?

    • February 13, 2016 at 5:44 pm

      Pipsqueak was a total foodie. She ate everything in front of her. She loved avocados and tripe anything we would give her no fuss. Not sure what happened lol. She still has a thing for salmon roe (ikura).

      Squeak is picky from the getgo. I would think she would like avocado because she reaches out for green colors but nope…

      But everyone loves noodles of any type!

  3. brandy
    February 13, 2016 at 5:04 pm

    we find that home chef feeds the 5 of us comfortably. we had the first meal today for lunch (yessss we totally had steak for lunch) and even had a few leftovers. when we don’t feed all 5 we have plenty for the next day. this is so much better than going to the store in 0 degree weather or otherwise spending my time on boring stuff.

    • February 13, 2016 at 5:46 pm

      Hi Brandy! Nothing wrong with having steak for lunch! Totally with you it is sub-zero here too and we hibernated. Thank you 🙂

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