Hello Fresh – your fridge & pantry fairy

Since having the mini-human the husband and I have been extremely fortunate to receive regular drop-offs of homecooked food from our mothers. This was especially helpful in the early days of mini-human, when his daily routine... well, there wasn’t much of a routine. He put up a fight every night come bedtime and, um, I wonder where he gets that determined spirit from... *cough cough* Thankfully he now does have a routine and we get to have dinner at a more decent hour.

Before the mini-human, when I still had the luxury of time to plan and cook dinner, my mother-in-law would often drop groceries off at our place while we were at work. Sure, sometimes it was weird to return home after a long day to find that our veggie crisper had magically replenished itself, or that our ripe bananas (destined for banana bread) had turned back the hands of time and become green again, but it was nice to know that our home was never devoid of fresh food with which to cook. Like all Chinese mothers, my mother-in-law would worry that we weren’t eating at home enough nor well enough, so what better way to get your kids to eat broccoli than to leave it in their fridge for cooking, hey?

It was a bit of a lucky dip as to what grocery wonders we’d receive but it was always whatever was cheap and in season. So when the lovely folk from Hello Fresh home-delivered a produce box for 3 meals, it did feel a bit like one of my mother-in-law’s covert drop-offs! The box even had measured portions of things like garlic, spices and parmesan so that you wouldn’t be left with the bulk of it eventually destined for the bin. Just as how my mother-in-law lives alone, it works well that fresh produce be split between our households to reduce costs as well as wastage.

Unlike my mother-in-law’s ninja visits, however, is that Hello Fresh’s produce boxes come with quick and easy recipes perfect for the weeknight rush. The suggested recipes may not be your usual repertoire but, hey, what better opportunity to challenge yourself to cooking and eating something a little different. Or get a bit creative and rustle up something in combination with what you already have on hand. Vegetarians are looked after with vegetarian produce boxes, as well as those who choose to have meat-free stints.

I’m sure I’ll regain longer stretches of time as the mini-human becomes more independent in his activities... and that all well-intended plans will go out the window once I return to work! Thank goodness for the conveniences of Chinese mothers and services like Hello Fresh.

Mademoiselle Délicieuse received a complimentary Hello Fresh delivery for this post courtesy of Hello Fresh and Dani Lombard Public Relations.

happy cooking!