I’m not sure what’s happening to my motivation lately, but when it comes to household to-dos, I’m feeling less than enthusiastic about cooking, cleaning and keeping up with everyday tasks. Can I blame this on my third trimester? Yes?
About a month or so ago, I was feeling uninspired in the kitchen and, frankly, just plain lazy when it came to planning and preparing delicious dinners. Then I got a text from my mom that included a picture of her latest Blue Apron meal and I started salivating. I immediately ordered a Blue Apron shipment for me and Ryan, hoping a delivery of fresh ingredients and chef-inspired recipes would help break me out of my rut.
It ended up being just the kick in the pants I needed to enjoy my time in the kitchen again and that week Ryan and I sat down to three flavorful meals that we actually had fun preparing together thanks to easy-to-follow recipe instructions and creative cooking techniques. (I swear I learn something new to try in the kitchen every time I order Blue Apron!)
A little backstory about my experience with Blue Apron for those who may not know how I first discovered the service that delivers all the ingredients you need to make three gourmet-quality meals: I first heard of Blue Apron back in December 2013 when my friend Merri made us a delicious Blue Apron dinner of udon noodle soup during one of my visits to New York City. Merri signed up for Blue Apron to teach herself how to cook since she was not really comfortable in the kitchen and raved about the step-by-step instructions that came with each shipment of the meal delivery service.
After I arrived back home, I could not stop talking about Blue Apron and that inspired Ryan to give me four weeks of Blue Apron meals for Christmas that year! We now continue to order Blue Apron meals about once a month or so (we get the two-person plan that breaks down to $9.99 per person per meal with free shipping) and still have yet to make one meal we haven’t loved! We’ve also inspired my parents and two of our friends here in Charlotte to hop on the Blue Apron train.
Our Recent Blue Apron Delivery
Late last week I received my most recent Blue Apron delivery and requested a combination of vegetarian and fish/poultry dishes. The three meals we made were fantastic and, as always, incredibly flavorful thanks to farm-fresh ingredients sourced from quality suppliers and artisans.
Here’s what ended up on our menu:
We made this dish last night and thought the basmati rice was wonderful and incredibly aromatic. We made it with a blend of spices and thought the rice added so much flavor to this dish. I absolutely loved the addition of the fresh mint and cilantro, too!
Blue Apron’s vegetarian dishes are almost always our favorite and this one was no exception. After combining the peppery arugula with Parmesan, lemon zest and olive oil, we had a delicious fresh pesto on our hands to use on top of fresh fettuccine. I couldn’t get enough of this one!
This recipe incorporated pillowy Chinese steam buns that we filled with seasoned ground turkey and topped with zesty kimchi. It was a messy one, but I loved the spicy turkey and fresh veggies!
I personally love the way Blue Apron always includes recipes from a variety of cuisines so I’m constantly exposed to new flavors and spices. Recipes like the Spring Miso Ramen, Manhattan-Style Fish Chowder and Seared Salmon and Long Beans all sound amazing to me!
Blue Apron Giveaway + PBF Reader Discount
And now it’s giveaway time! One PBF reader will win a free week of Blue Apron meals for two!
To enter this giveaway, click here to head over to Blue Apron and check out what’s on the menu for this week and leave a comment below telling me which recipe you’d be most excited to create at home!
And please don’t worry if you don’t win because the first 100 readers who try Blue Apron will receive two free meals on their first order! To receive this promo, please click here to order.
Please note: This giveaway includes a week of meals for two people. Blue Apron now delivers to most of the United States. (You may see if delivery is available in your area here.) I will randomly select a winner on Friday.
Good luck!
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Disclaimer: While this post is sponsored by Blue Apron, affiliate links are not included and I am not receiving any compensation for orders placed with Blue Apron. Though I am partnering with Blue Apron this year, Ryan and I continue to purchase Blue Apron meals on our own because we really do love the service that much! Thank you so much for your continued support surrounding sponsored posts. I truly appreciate it!
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I just tried Blue Apron for the first time last week! It made me feel like a chef. I’d love to try the Seared Cod
with Spring Vegetables & Lemon-Mustard Vinaigrette. Uh, delicious.
Seared steaks and mashed potatoes sound great!
The seared cod with spring vegetables sounds amazing!!! Thanks!
Seared Cod with Spring Veggies and Lemon-Mustard Vinaigrette! I am so scared to cook fish!
Totally want to try the Black Bean & Quinoa Enchiladas!
The paneer rolls look so good and different! Same with the hoisin glazed meatballs.
Blue Apron just started delivering to Austin, I’m so excited! I’d love to make the chicken meatballs!
I am a meat and potatoes kind of gal and I would love to try their take on seared steak and mashed potatoes. Those snap peas look delightful! 🙂
I have wanted to try Blue Apron out!
Everything sounds amazing!
I would really want to try:
Hoisin-Glazed Chicken Meatballs with Zucchini & Brown Rice – hello delicious
Huevos Rancheros with Salsa Verde, Radishes & Avocado – salsa and avocado are the key to my heart!
I have purchased Blue Apron for others but have yet to give it a try myself. My husband and I would love to cook the seared steak and potato dish together!
Those hoisin glazed chicken meatballs sound interesting! Yum!
The Hoisin-Glazed Chicken Meatballs with Zucchini & Brown Rice sound amazing – I love Hoisin!
I’d love to try the seared cod. I’m still not confident in my ability to cook fish so this would be great practice.
seared steaks and mashed potatoes sounds good to me
Paneer & Vegetable Kati Rolls look really, really tasty!
I’ve been wanting to try Huevos Rancheros! Yum, everything actually looks delish!
Oh my gosh,the huervos rancheros are straight up my alley!
Yummm!! The Seared Salmon & Preserved Lemon looks amazing
I’d love to try the Hearty Sweet Potato, Broccoli & Quinoa Salad! Looks fresh and healthy for summer
Yum! I think they finally deliver to Omaha! I’ve been dying to try them!
Mmmm the chicken and drop biscuit casserole looks delicious!
We tried Blue Apron twice and loved it! The recipes are always interesting and not something I would think of making on my own. I would love to try the Sweet Potato, Broccoli & Quinoa Salad or the Huevos Rancheros.
Would love to try the seared steak and mashed potatoes!
Definitely the seared cod with spring vegetables since I’m pescetarian!
Hoisin glazed meatballs sound yummy!
I keep debating about trying Blue Apron. My hope is that it might get me to eat some vegetables! Maybe that’s hoping too much! The Hoisin-Glazed Meatballs look good!
The Seared Cod with Spring Vegetables & Lemon-Mustard Vinaigrette sound super delicious!!
Hi, Julie! I’m fairly new to the world of blogging… I just recently stumbled upon your blog through a link on Pinterest and have been reading every day! My first instinct is to go right for the huevos rancheros (I could eat Mexican food every day for the rest of my life), but those hoisin-glazed chicken meatballs are looking pretty, pretty, pretty good right now!
The seared steaks and mashed potatoes look really good, and I usually never want to make steak for myself, so that would be good to try out!
i love breakfast so the huevos rancheros sound fantastic!
Huevos Rancheros!!
pulled bbq sandwichs sound good!
Hoisin-Glazed Chicken Meatballs sound amazing!
Hoison glazed chicken meatballs sound awesome! I am on a total meatball kick lately, but am getting sick of plain ol’ meatballs with red sauce.
I would love to try and tackle the heart sweet potato, broccoli & quinoa salad. Its so fresh & summer-y! Perfect for the heat of Houston, TX!
It’s a toss up between the seared steaks and mashed potatoes and paneer and vegetable kati rolls!
The Seared Steak & Mashed Potatoes recipe looks amazing!
I would LOVE to try the Seared Cod! It looks healthy and delicious 🙂
The hearty sweet potato, broccoli and quinoa salad is right up my alley! I can’t get enough sweet potatoes lately!
I’d love to try the hoisin glazed chicken meatballs!
The Hoisin-Glazed Chicken Meatballs sound delicious!
I would love to try the paneer & veggie rolls. I grew up with a super traditional southern family so I have been trying to familiarize myself with cooking other cuisines.
Chicken Hoisin Meatballs … am going to make tonight in fact! (darn I wish they were in Canada!)
Seared Steaks & Mashed Potatoes with Sautéed Radishes & Snap Peas looks amazing!!!
The Hoisin-Glazed Chicken Meatballs with Zucchini & Brown Rice looks amazing – I already do blue apron occasionally and I would love a free week! This week is my cousin’s (who happens to be my best friend) birthday and I couldn’t think of anything to get her so I just changed my address to hers on my account and sent her a blue apron delivery – so excited to surprise her with it! 🙂
If I were to pick from the meal options this week I would definitely be the most excited to try the steak entree! Sounds delicious!
I’d love to try the Juevos Rancheros!
The Hoisin-Glazed Chicken Meatballs with Zucchini & Brown Rice makes my mouth water 🙂
I would eat all of it! 🙂 But, I think the Hearty Sweet Potato, Broccoli & Quinoa Salad looks extra amazing.
seared steak and mashed potatoes! yum!