I have to say that going to the grocery store has become the bane of my existence. I just hate it more and more. It takes a while and I have to go in there with a plan which I never have. I almost always buy a bunch a snacks and never have anything that resembles a meal when the time comes. I chose Hellofresh because I got a free box from a close friend of mine in the past and I knew I wasn’t looking for premade meals. I want to jumpstart my love for cooking. I want to fall in love with it again. It has been hard to do so when I keep eating out and I am too tired to do anything. Hello fresh is my way to ease back into it. So before the new year… I have decided to give it the old college try. So here’s been my experience so far.

It has been years since I done this but I figured that time has only improved the process. I logged back into my account and restarted the payment process back up. It was a pretty easy process. They have pretty different options for all kinds of eaters. The many options include vegetarian, family-friendly recipes, and low-calorie choices as well as the standard meat-and-veggie box. You can select delivery for two or four people for two, three, or four days per week. I got to choose when I want to receive my meals, what kind of meals I want, and how often I want them delivered. I also like the

I love that there is selection but not too much since I often have decision anxiety. But I was able to choose for meals a week to be delivered on Saturday. I had time to change my mind but the last time you can get to change is the Wednesday before. The box arrive this past Saturday with all the things properly packaged. I was amazed how the meat was stashed under an ice pack and that each meals ingredients were individually bagged. I took them right out of the box and put them into the refrigerator. I also enjoyed that everything is properly labeled. (I wear glasses so it is the little things that count.)

First thing I have chosen and made was the Beef Penne Bake. I should have know it was going to be more than I needed. (It was marked a family meal.) It reminded me a lot of my mom’s Baked Ziti. But with a twist which is always nice. I think that the other thing I wanted to avoid was getting into a cooking/eating slump and this has been fun this week.

I enjoy that there have not been more than six steps in the recipe cards and they have been easy to read and follow. I was mildly surprised by the instructions about how to reheat the dish properly. That was fun. So the recipe really only took about 25 minutes which is good. It was just enough for my attention span to feel like I was doing something. And I am a bit proud of myself when I say that it looks like the picture, if I do say so myself. It was pretty good. (I had my own seasonings.) I enjoyed that there are some dishes that have customizable meats since I am not a huge pork eater.

Another thing about me is that I am a huge soup eater. Now that I am someplace that gets cold during the winter… I have more of a reason to eat it. The carried one of my favorites (Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice) so I ordered it as an add on. It came in a bag… and all I had to do was warm it up and it was good stuff. So I know if I feel the need for another add on where to get it. It was one of the better Chicken and Wild Rice soups I have had. No downside. It is even weirder to know that I had to warm it up and it was still slamming. I loved it.

So far so good. I am enjoying it. And knowing that I can reach the HelloFresh Customer Service online or call is always great. The package was delivered on time. It was correct and the food was fresh. So no problems here… We will see how long I do this. So if you are thinking about Hello Fresh give it a go.