While food posts usually come from Chris (he cooks our meals 99.9% of the time), we are really busy with our new side gig on top of everything else, we started eating later and later. So, I have been trying to cook a little more lately so we can eat as a family at a reasonable time. The thing is, and I know moms and dads do it every day, but I just did could not find time (or will) to find healthy recipes (I don’t know how to cook without a detailed recipe), plan a menu, go to the grocery store with the girls in tow (exhausting!), and then actually cook the meal! I have been using Blue Apron and loving it (!!) and they asked me to write a little about my experience.

For those of you who haven’t heard of it (anyone??), Blue Apron allows you to create delicious, chef-designed recipes at home. A dream for a mom of 2 little ones who’d rather avoid the restaurant wrestle right before bedtime. Blue Apron delivers all the fresh ingredients in the right proportions, right to your doorstep in a refrigerated box so ingredients will stay fresh even if you’re not at home when your package arrives.

Chefs in training around the world wear blue aprons – it’s a symbol of lifelong learning in cooking–and the recipes are truly geared toward the learning part, which I really appreciate. They spell out exactly how to pit a kalamata olive and how to time the process so everything is done at the same time–that was always the hard part for me!

When Chris gets home from work and dinner prep is in full swing, he’ll still give me a helping hand, either with the girls or a tip to make this new go at cooking a little easier for me. Did you know a damp paper towel under your cutting board will keep it in place?! Game changer.

I didn’t realize you didn’t get to choose the meals you receive before I started using the service, and I wasn’t sure how I would feel about that. But now, I can honestly say, I love it! Another thing not to worry about and we are trying new ingredients and flavors. The heirloom tomatoes on this carmelized onion & heirloom tomato crostata I made, were so packed with flavor. And the feta was fresh! There just aren’t ingredients like that in Idaho.

Blue Apron is available nationwide and sends three meals per week –for two, four, or six people (meals are $9.99 per person per meal with free shipping)–which is the perfect amount of cooking for me. Chris picks up the other nights or we are out doing research on restaurants for Rexburg Eats. And because life changes all the time, it’s nice that there’s no commitment – you can skip or cancel the service at any time! I can’t tell you how empowering it has been to cook a good meal.

Have you tried Blue Apron? You should, even just for a week! If you’d like to, the first 50 readers will get two free meals on their first Blue Apron order! Just click here to redeem.

This post was sponsored by Blue Apron. Thank you so much for supporting the companies that support Chris Loves Julia!