#i will make a fucked up meal with microwave rice and canned beans because you arent there to tell me im a terrible cook

[d3l3t3d-deactivated]

meow

[theotherjourney7]

“Woke up this morning (19 January 2022) to the radio talking about the cost of living rising a further 5%. It infuriates me the index that they use for this calculation, which grossly underestimates the real cost of inflation as it happens to people with the least. Allow me to briefly explain.

This time last year, the cheapest pasta in my local supermarket (one of the Big Four), was 29p for 500g. Today it’s 70p. That’s a 141% price increase as it hits the poorest and most vulnerable households.

This time last year, the cheapest rice at the same supermarket was 45p for a kilogram bag. Today it’s £1 for 500g. That’s a 344% price increase as it hits the poorest and most vulnerable households.

Baked beans: were 22p, now 32p. A 45% price increase year on year.

Canned spaghetti. Was 13p, now 35p. A price increase of 169%.

Bread. Was 45p, now 58p. A price increase of 29%.

Curry sauce. Was 30p, now 89p. A price increase of 196%.

A bag of small apples. Was 59p, now 89p (and the apples are even smaller!) A price increase of 51%.

Mushrooms were 59p for 400g. They’re now 57p for 250g. A price increase of 56%. (This practise, of making products smaller while keeping them the same price, is known in the retail industry as ‘shrinkflation’ and its insidious as hell because it’s harder to immediately spot.)

Peanut butter. Was 62p, now £1.50. A price increase of 142%.

These are just the ones that I know off the top of my head - there will be many many more examples! When I started writing my recipe blog ten years ago, I could feed myself and my son on £10 a week. (I’ll find the original shopping list later and price it up for today’s prices.)

The system by which we measure the impact of inflation is fundamentally flawed - it completely ignores the reality and the REAL price rises for people on minimum wages, zero hour contracts, food bank clients, and millions more.

But I guess when the vast majority of our media were privately educated and came from the same handful of elite universities, nobody thinks to actually check in with anyone out here in the world to see how we’re doing. (Fucking terribly, thanks for asking.)

Every time there’s a news bulletin on the rising cost of living, I hope that today might be the day that that some real journalism happens, and someone stops to consider those of us outside of the bubble. Maybe today might finally be that day.

(But seeing I’ve been banging on about this for a decade now, it’s probably not going to be. Thanks for reading anyway, I appreciate it.)

And just to add:

- an upmarket ready meal range was £7.50 ten years ago, and is still £7.50 today.

- a high-end stores ‘Dine In For Two For £10’ has been £10 for as long as I can remember.

- my local supermarket had 400+ items in their value range, it’s now 91 (and counting down)

The margins are always, always calculated to squeeze the belts of those who can least afford it, and massage the profits of those who have money to spare. And nothing demonstrates that inequality quite so starkly as tracking the prices of ‘luxury’ food vs ‘actual essentials’. 😤

To return to the luxury ready meal example, if the price of that had risen at the same rate as the cheapest rice in the supermarket, that £7.50 lasagne would now cost £25.80.

Dine In For £10 would be £34.40.

We’re either all in this together, or we aren’t.

(Spoiler: we aren’t)

Now, picture if you will, the demographic of the voter who has kept the current Party in power for the last 11 years. Imagine the Chancellor having to explain to them that their precious microwave dinner now cost almost four times what it did yesterday.

Yeah, didn’t think so.

I mean of all the things, the Prime Minister claiming that he's cutting the cost of living while the price of basic food products shoot up by THREE

HUNDRED AND FORTY FOUR PERCENT is the one I'm properly angry enough to riot over.”-Jake Monroe

[thessalian]

Thess vs Self-Care

One thing I’m finding in my quest to eat healthier, make my own things, and generally do the self-care thing, is this: ...self-care is hard, and those people who keep bitching about “poor people should just cook their own food because it’s cheaper” and similar sorts of bullshit really need to be slapped upside the head with a wet trout.

I live alone. I am neurodivergent. I am physically disabled. I have a commute that’s physically taxing without the disability, and a job that is less physically taxing but can be very draining all the same. I have some significant food intolerances that make eating at all fairly difficult. With all that, though, I recognise that I have it relatively easy. Yes, it would be nice if I had a partner or housemate who could help me with some of the cookery-related bits, but at least I’m not trying to feed a family of three or more after a hard day’s work.

I’m in a position where I often can’t just say “Fuck it; I’m getting takeout”. I can’t get microwaved meals ... well, these days I kind of can, but the selection is limited and the price is ridiculous. Hell, same issue with ramen - there are instant noodle cups with rice noodles, but those are a special treat, not a staple in my diet. If I want to eat dairy, I have to buy pills that will allow me to digest it. Gluten intolerance (which given my vitamin D issues probably actually is coeliac) means that I can’t even do most soups, much less something like baked beans or other ready meals that thicken things with flour. Most convenience foods are not an option for me. So yes, I cook.

Hell, I cooked as a kid. Single-parent family, I was expected to help out pretty early. But I found it fun, so that’s fine. There were convenience food shortcuts sometimes, but by the time I hit my teens, I could put together a fairly good selection of meals from scratch. It saved my mother having to come home from a hard day of beating her head against the glass ceiling at work and then having to cook for two.

Thing is ... it’s expensive, to cook and have a varied diet. I think the victim-blaming jackasses who insist that we could all be doing just fine if we ‘learned to cook’ aren’t considering things like ... you know, food we enjoy. Joke’s on them, though - I personally don’t call beans on toast ‘cooking’, and that’s what a lot of people eat. It’s got your food groups, it’s filling, and it’s cheap. It’s crap, yes, but at least it’ll keep you going. The problem is, though, that the victim-blaming jackasses seem to think we should just ‘keep going’ and never have nice things ever.

Well, I deny that. I will keep trying to make my diet healthy and varied and good. I just wish it didn’t so often turn a ‘good pain day’ (and it’s depressing that I have to say that) into a bad one. This I say as I go to pull a chicken, broccoli and mushroom pasta bake out of the oven and take another peek at the fruit in my dehydrator. Those things will feed me for awhile, and feed me well and in a pleasing way ... but getting to that point hurts, and is tiring, and takes up so much time. But apparently it’s fine if we’re tired, hurting, and deprived of everything but the barest essentials of survival.

In summary: COMPOST THE VICTIM-BLAMING HYPER-RICH.

[betterbemeta]

also I can tell the op graphic in this isn’t written by anyone who cooks for a family on any regularity because what is this “rice and beans for four” bullshit? Who the fuck cooks beans “for four” as if four people will sit down to the table and consume one meal of rice and beans and clean up and that’s it?

If I am cooking rice and beans I am making beans for the entire week, and if four people are eating today presumably those same four people have to eat tomorrow, and the next day, etc. until they leave my house or perish. If there is even a tiny grain of truth in the “fast food is more expensive” thesis it is not in this “per serving its cheaper” BS, it is that you have to keep ordering fast food if it’s your primary source of calories and the inedible parts of obtaining fast food-- amount of time it takes to get fast food and the packaging the fast food has-- is of zero value to the person who actually eats the fast food. Meanwhile if I cook beans for the week like I did this Sunday, every other day of the week I just have to walk to the kitchen, open my fridge, scoop some beans out of a container or a pot, and put it in the microwave... and to make the beans I probably used the leftover bone from a roast I had 2 weeks ago, because it wasn’t ‘trash’ like a wrapper or a paper cup is.

it’s pointless to measure bulk home cooking in “servings”, it’s not plated like a restaurant or a home chef thing. When I finish the chicken I cooked for the week I still have the bones to make stock, I have the leftover gravy I can make noodles for, I can throw the scraps into ramen, etc. When I trim bulk cheap frozen chicken thighs I take the leftover skin and fat pads the processing leaves on and freeze em, and chop them up to make cracklings to ritz up boring food, and I keep the rendered fat so I can save on butter where I can. How does any of that factor into “servings?”

Only well-to-do people treat every day like they are a guest at a dinner party, or being served at a restaurant and they often do. I would bet you that upper middle class and rich people are by far greater consumers of pre-prepared food than poor people are, with the ability to just doordash anything no budget in mind. And all that stuff comes in portions, in plates, in orders.

[tiptapricot]

Okay so since your fic Requs are still open, maybe something with Bruce and Terry? It could be something involving Bruce’s lack in ability to cook.

The other request I’m working on has taken much longer than expected so I thought I’d drop this one here before January ends. I absolutely adore writing Bruce and Terry so this was a blast. AO3 link here, Enjoy!

******

“C’mon Old Man, it won’t be that bad, I swear.”

“I don’t need help.”

“Only because your idea of cooking is microwaving a bowl of canned pea soup and brooding in a corner.”

Bruce falters. “I… I add spices.”

Terry snorts, leaning back against the counter. “Oh yeah, very gourmet.” 

Bruce gives him a withering look. 

“Hey,” he puts his hands up in mock defense, “all I’m saying is that one meal can’t hurt. I help my mom out with dinner all the time.”

“I can cook fine on my own.” Bruce says gruffly.

Terry cocks an eyebrow. “Okay Mr. Chef, scoot over.” He bumps Bruce aside with his hip, grabbing one of the pans hanging over the stove. “Don’t know what you had back in the day, but I’m making us some good old fashioned grilled cheese sandwiches, whether you like it or not.”

He turns on the heat and pulls down a few plates from the cupboard, setting them next to the cutting board. Bruce gets out of his way somewhat reluctantly, letting him move. Terry pauses with his hand on the fridge handle, a creeping suspicion nagging at the back of his mind. 

He turns back to Bruce slowly. “You… you do have cheese, right?” He asks. Bruce averts his gaze, mumbling something under his breath. Terry sighs. “Bread?” A slight shake of the head. “Christ Bruce, how have you survived this long?”

He quickly goes to click off the burner, ignoring Bruce’s indignant huff.

“Okay…” he runs a hand through his hair, “if sandwiches are a no go… what do we have to work with?” 

Bruce shrugs. Terry chuckles in disbelief and crouches down to open the food cupboard. 

Oh hell. 

The top shelf is filled with cans of pea and cream of mushroom soup, and there are a few unopened boxes of cereal and granola stuffed on the bottom shelf. No beans, no rice, not even a bag of flour.

Terry gives Bruce an ‘are you kidding me?’ look. “This,” he pulls out one of the cans, “is just sad, Old Man.”

“Being Batman didn’t exactly leave time for me to become a culinary genius.”

“Yeah, but you shouldn’t be this pathetic either. I thought the commish was joking when she said she saw you burn a chicken soup, but I guess not.” Terry examines the can for a moment before putting it back on the shelf and getting to his feet.

“Well, seeing as cooking in this house is obviously a lost cause, I’m thinking we do the next best thing.”

Bruce quirks an eyebrow. “Which would be?”

“Does the manor get delivery?”

***

Absolutely unbelievable. Un fucking believable. Terry can’t fathom the injustice he’s witnessing right now.

Bruce is using a knife and fork on his pizza.

“Oh come on Old Man, really?”

“It’s the civil way to—”

“Ah ah ah, nope, not hearing it, absolutely not—”

“It’s proper and civilized to use a knife and fork—”

“What did I just say?”

“—when eating a meal.”

Terry groans, stuffing another bite into his mouth. “God, sometimes I forget that you’re a rich guy.”

Bruce smirks. “At least I’m not getting my fingers greasy. You know the suit doesn’t do well with oil.”

Terry mouths the words mockingly, scrunching up his nose. Bruce gives a low chuckle and they both settle further back on the couch, tuning back in to the movie. 

Terry let Bruce choose tonight, pleasantly surprised when he decided to put on one of the original Grey Ghost movies. The camera quality is way retro, all black and white and grainy. Apparently the whole thing was recorded on actual film (something Bruce has had to explain to him) back when they still made VHS tapes. Terry swears someday he’ll get Bruce to show him the fabled merch collection he’s heard so much about, but for now this is enough.

Just pizza and a movie night. 

When was the last time he’s had one of these?

Terry sneaks Ace a piece of cheese, scratching between his ears, and glances up to see a small smile playing on Bruce’s lips.

God, when was the last time Bruce has had one of these?

He opens his mouth to say something, probably something overly sappy about actually seeing the Old Man happy for once, when Bruce takes another bite of pizza. From his fork.

Well… at least it’s not soup.

[scumtrout]

ghoulettesinspace

im suddenly very curious about your daily meals.....

Putting this behind a cut for food/calorie/diet talk.

This is... basically what I've eaten almost every day this week:

Breakfast: 2 slices of wholemeal toast w/peanut butter OR 2 slices of wholemeal toast which chocolate spread if I'm okay with the fact that eating this will mean I'll be hungry again in 30 minutes because chocolate spread is sugary garbage.

Morning snack: Nature Valley bar AND Some almonds and/or walnuts AND ...If work is getting under my skin, then I’ll eat a pack of crisps from the vending machine. I've stopped buying multipacks of crisps otherwise I end up eating 3 packs in one day, although in my defence the ones I used to buy were usually pea snacks instead of potato or corn snacks. Pea snacks are high in fibre and protein, but the salt content still makes it a bad idea to repeatedly shove handfuls of them into your gaping maw like you are a starving man and they are manna in the wilderness. I fucking love pea snacks though.

Lunch: Microwaveable pack of wholemeal rice with beans or vegetables in it.

Afternoon snack: 2 scoops of Huel in water with turmeric, sometimes blended with frozen fruit  and fresh spinach. I used to blend smoothies with kale, but kale is like hedge trimmings. (As you can imagine, the colour of these smoothies is amazing and definitely does not disgust or horrify my coworkers.) AND 2 - 4 sweets from the communal sweet hoard at work. I seriously need to wean myself off refined sugar because it fucks up my skin.

Dinner: Some kind of vegetable soup with wholemeal bread OR Wholemeal/egg noodles with frozen/canned vegetables and whatever seasoning I have handy.

THINGS NOBODY CARES ABOUT EXCEPT ME:

The biggest issue with eating long-life food is that it's either really high in sugar or really high in salt. I prefer savoury food, so my salt consumption is a concern.

Generally, if I could not buy bread and peanut butter, I would starve to death.

If I really want to LIVE IT UP I'll have avocado toast with cayenne pepper sprinkled on it, or chicken fillets with frozen vegetables.

I tend to eat fast food and have 2 beers on Saturdays. Eh.

I'd like to reduce calories so I can finally get WASHBOARD ABS, but whenever I cut calories I tend to come down with a cold, so fuck that. There was a time in my life when I could live off about 1200 calories per day for long periods of time and lose weight without getting ill or suffering any nasty hunger symptoms, but I burn enough calories now that trying to eat 1200 daily would be... counter-productive, to put it mildly.

I take vitamin supplements just to be on the safe side. I’m cynical about how much good they actually do, but I’d like to think I’m getting enough b12, magnesium, calcium and vitamin C.

I love canned mackerel and sardines in tomato or teriyaki sauce, but... the smell. THE SMELL. Also I’m paranoid that I might swallow a fish bone that will pierce my innards and it will get infected and I will die no I don’t have an anxiety problem why do you ask.

Meal prep is boring and I don’t want to eat broccoli that was steamed 4 - 5 days ago, jesus.

[frumentariae]

this might seem out of the blue but i’ve just kinda been thinking about it & i wanna give out some advice to young ppl starting out who might not have a lot of money and are kind of floundering for what kinds of foods they can eat besides ramen that are relatively cheap!! so i have a lil list here of stuff that’s pretty helpful (or at least has been to me).

rice, beans, & corn -- just some rice with canned beans and corn! rice is really good because it’s filling and relatively cheap, it can last for a long time, too! canned foods are also relatively inexpensive typically, and the corn gives you a veggie & the beans are a good protein source. usually i like to add a little butter to the rice after it’s done, and put some salt & pepper on it so its got a lil more flavor, but you can always add spices and stuff!! also good if you’re a vegetarian/vegan (just obviously don’t add the butter).

spaghetti -- really good if you need something that you can cook a couple nights a week. go for one of those big 2lbs boxes and a big ole jar of spaghetti sauce. it’s really east to make and good for a quick meal. also, you can always add some ground beef/turkey if you eat meat--look out for meat sales at your local grocery if you can, and remember that you can freeze stuff, so long as you have a freezer!

egg noodles & beef stew -- great source of protein and delicious, too! it’s not really vegetarian friendly, unfortunately, but if you happen to eat meat it’s pretty good. make egg noodles, heat up the (canned) beef stew and voila, dinner. super filling. one of my favorites.

pastaroni & frozen veggies -- pastaroni is like $1/box in most places, and it’s super fucking good. efficient for time, because most boxes take like 8 minutes tops to make, but it depends on what kind you get! i like to buy steamer bags of frozen veggies and cook them in the microwave, then put it in with the pasta! vegetarian friendly, and also really good/one of my favs!

fancy instant ramen -- i lied, it’s not really all that fancy. basically it’s just one of those packets of instant ramen with matchstick carrots (which you can also use for salads and stuff if you’re into that kind of thing! or just shove them in your face at like 3 am because you’re freaked out you haven’t had enough vitamins lately) and another misc veggie (i like to do bell peppers personally. the first time i made it it was like the only vegetable left in my fridge), with egg white dropped in. make sure to put the veggies in long enough to cook a little. i usually put the egg-white in towards the end, just make sure it’s all cooked in before you actually go and eat it! relatively filling, good for chilly days.

eggroll in a bowl -- my parents gave me this one and i haven’t made it much, but it’s pretty good! spicy ground turkey sausage (don’t try to open up actual turkey sausages, it’s hell to get the casings off), and cole-slaw salad mix (WITHOUT the mayo and shit, obviously). make sure to cook up the turkey first, then put in the veggies. can’t remember what my parents cooked it up with, but i think it might have been soy sauce. obviously you can have it without. good for protein and veggies, unfortunately not the most filling, and a little more pricey. tasty, tho.

ofc if anyone has anything else to add, go ahead and contribute! it makes me sad to hear ppl my age (and even older) not knowing about making anything other than mac and ramen!! i hope this helps at all & ily all

[sometimes-surveys]

5.

What was last film/TV show you watched, that starred an attractive actor? - One of the last movies I watched was Scream (2022), and David Arquette was pretty cute in all his scruffy glory.

When was the last time you had a bowl of soup? What flavour? - It’s been a while, I usually only eat soup when I’m feeling sick. It was most definitely vegetable soup. Man, now I’m craving it. Perhaps not eating it during this cold is why I still feel ill, haha.

Do you have any tinned foods in your cupboard at the moment? - Yes, we always keep canned black beans, chickpeas, and lentils in the house.

Have you ever worked with someone named Julie? What was she like? - No.

What foods have you been craving lately, if any? - I want a damn waffle from Waffle House, already. I don’t care, I like Waffle House food. I don’t know what everyone’s problem is when it comes to that. It’s cheap, good, food. I’ve literally never gotten sick from eating there, so when people make jokes about getting diarrhea from Waffle House, I just can’t relate.

What was the last savoury snack you ate? - Carrots and hummus. What was the last sweet snack you ate? - A Klondike bar.

What was the last food item that you tried for the first time? - I had some faux turkey meat from this brand Unreal Deli.

^ How was it? - It was alright. Nothing to write home about. I probably wouldn’t get it again unless it was on sale because it made a decent sandwich.

Does anyone in your family have green eyes? - Not to my knowledge. I think we’re all brown eyed, with the exception of my one niece who was adopted by my brother because he actual dad didn’t want anything to do with her.

Have you ever known anyone named Phyllis? What was she like? - Yeah, actually. She was a bitch. We were friends in elementary school, but come middle school she was too cool for me. I remember going to sit at the back of the bus (where the cool kids sat or whatever) and one of her friends wanted me to move. I stood my ground and he put his hands on me, so naturally, being fucking twelve...I bursted into tears and she never said anything. She didn’t stick up for me even though we were pretty good friends just a year before. I remember when she got off the bus, I gave her a good “FUCK YOU” and that was that. Fast forward later on, in my junior year of high school, she was in one of my classes. I didn’t even acknowledge her the entire semester. I know it isn’t good to hold a grudge, but damn did it feel good to pretend like I didn’t even know her, at the time.

What was the name of your first ever pet? - Mr. Lucky, a liver-spotted Dalmatian, with one blue eye and one green eye.

Where was the last place you went out for lunch? What did you order? - The last time I ate inside of a restaurant was for my husband’s grandmother’s funeral reception in February. I don’t like to eat out, even before the pandemic. Anyways, they rented out the party room at a Chinese buffet, and I ate spring rolls, and white rice, and mushrooms, and some other stuff.

Where was the last place you went for an evening meal? What did you order? - I don’t go out to eat. The last time we got dinner from somewhere, was Monday, and it was Moe’s. I got a tofu burrito bowl, lettuce, corn pico, black beans, rice, grilled vegetables, cilantro, and their vinaigrette.

Have you Googled anything today? What? - I googled plenty of stuff today.

What do you like to eat for breakfast these days? - I’ve been making a breakfast sandwich for myself on my days off and it’s so good. It’s the best because I literally just use the microwave, haha. Egg, fake bacon, and cheese on an English muffin.

Is anyone in your family a nurse? - My husband’s mom is a CNA, but I know that’s not the same thing.

Do you like to wear lipstick? What colours do you think suit you best? - I love wearing lipstick. I love wearing reds, I think they suit me best. I used to be obsessed with red lips and wore them almost everyday for years in my early twenties.

Who was the last person to recommend a book to you? - I watched a tik tok recently that was someone’s list of books that were hard to finish because they were disturbing. Maybe I saved the video for later, maybe I didn’t...

What colour is your shirt? - It’s like a yellow to orange to pink ombre shirt with little white hearts all over it.

Name something you own that is green. - Nail polish.

Do you know anyone named Sally? What about Sidney? - No to both.

Have you ever heard anyone talk in their sleep? - Yes.

^ If so, do you remember what they said? - My husband is always spouting off some gibberish in his sleep if I ask him to turn away or move over.

Who was the last person to tease or joke around with you, in a friendly way? - Probably my husband, or possibly the kid that I care for. The kid is four and is always saying everyone is a “poop head” or “made of poop” and laughs his little ass off.

What was the last beverage you drank from a mug? - Coffee.

Are there any framed photos in your living room? - Not a photo, but a cross stitch of the old Washington Redskins helmet someone gave to my husband for Xmas.

Is there a jar of peanut butter in your house? - There are three jars of peanut butter in my house. I only eat Skippy, and my husband just bought some JIF that was buy one, get one free not too long ago.

Are there any foods that you loved as a child, but wouldn’t eat now? - I’m sure there are a lot of things I wouldn’t eat now. Hot dogs right out of the package come to mind...haha.

Give me a fruit or vegetable that starts with the same letter as your name. - Kale.

Look around the room - can you see any objects that are orange? - I guess my Aggretsuko Funko Pop is kind of orange.

What brand is your facial moisturiser? - I only use an eye cream, and it’s Pacifica.

What brand was the last lipstick you wore? - L.A. Girl.

Does anyone you know own a tabby cat? How about a cocker spaniel? - The people I work for have an orange tabby.

What was the last book you read for the first time? - Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid.

^ What did you think of it? - It was pretty good. Not something I would normally read. I think I only read it because the main character is a nanny/sitter, to be honest.

When was the last time you ate cheesecake? - Last month. It was my mom’s birthday and my husband and I surprised her with a “trip to NYC” because that’s where she’s from. When she came home from work, we had all kinds of foods you associate NYC with. We had Nathan’s hot dogs and fries, pastrami sandwiches, etc. And for her birthday cake, we opted for a cheesecake.

Do you have blinds or curtains in your bedroom? What colour are they? - Curtains, one is beige and the other is white.

What was the last beverage you tried for the first time? - Black cherry Kool-Aid.

^ How was it? - It tasted pretty much like regular cherry Kool-Aid.

Who was the last person that said you were beautiful? - My husband.

To you, what makes a person beautiful? - Not looks. I judge people on the basis of their character, not what they look like. If you have good morals, a good head on your shoulder, and you don’t go out of your way to be harmful or mean to someone, you’re beautiful to me.

[authorjanellesamara-blog]

Freshly: a meal delivery service

I'm back, bitches! I've had to involuntarily take some time off due to moving and getting settled, but I should be back on track now and have a new blog each week.

Do you want to know the shittiest part about moving? My new kitchen is tiny. I have half as many cabinets and nowhere to put all of my stuff. My counters, stove, and floor were piled with boxes for a couple of weeks while I kept bringing in more boxes and unpacking what I could. But there is no space! I had no room for my various baking dishes, all of my food, or my small appliances. I also only have ONE cabinet under the counter in which I can put pots and pans. One? Seriously? My canning pot lives outside in the storage closet now. I can't see any way that I'll have room to home-can apple butter this year. 

I haven't had room or time to cook anything. And you guys, I fucking hate spending money on fast food. Also, the food is gross. It makes me feel disgusting, groggy, and fat. I also don't want to eat out at a real restaurant every day. So what the fuck is a girl to do? 

Freshly. They send fully cooked, freshly prepared meals in individual servings right to your door. No pots and pans or even plates needed! All you need is a microwave, a knife, and a fork. I know what you're wondering, though... Is it worth it? Maybe...

The Good

Packaging

When I opened my first Freshly shipment, I was both stunned and thrilled to see THREE LARGE ICE PACKS! As a comparison, Hello Fresh only had one large ice pack with their deliveries. Home Chef merely contained one small ice pack. Blue Apron uses two large ice packs. The insulation in the box was good and it's biodegradable. I opened the top of the insulation and saw the first ice pack. Underneath, I found the first two packages of food. Then another ice pack, four more trays of food, and the final ice pack. It was packed very well and all of the ice packs still had some solidness to them.

The Variety

You can choose four, six, nine, or twelve meals a week. Each meal is one serving. I chose six different meals. The choices are immense. They had TWENTY-SIX different lunch/dinner choices and seven choices for breakfast. They always have a minimum of thirty choices every week. They blow everyone else I've seen out of the water. You just can't beat the variety offered by Freshly.

The Price

I chose six meals for the introductory price of $40. After my first two weeks, it would have gone back up to the regular price of $10 per meal, but I canceled it. After two weeks, I was ready to start cooking again and I didn't need these convenience meals. I also didn't need the expense of $240 a month when I'm trying to pay all of my bills by myself on a limited budget. (All of my husband's money is going toward his hair transplants. I don't care that he's bald, so I won't have my money going toward his vanity. He can pay for that dumb shit himself.) For people who are slightly better off than me, I think this is a really great deal. A cost of ten bucks is way cheaper than a restaurant, and the food is just as good. Reheating a freshly cooked meal in the microwave is so much easier than cooking from scratch. It also tastes far better than cheaper frozen dinners.

The Portions

Everything was perfect portions. I didn't have too much, and I was not left hungry. The size of the chicken breasts and steak were just right. The potatoes, green beans, rice, etc. were all good amounts. I liked that I wasn't still hungry like after a frozen dinner, or stuffed to the brim from the huge portions in restaurants. 

The Taste

I enjoyed most of the meals I was sent. The chicken with risotto and spring peas was fantastic. And I am such a picky eater. Picky enough that I was hesitant to order the peppercorn steak. I'm not a big pepper person, but I'm really glad I got this one. I didn't have high expectations for a microwaved steak, but it was fucking amazing! The meat was tender and juicy. I did not encounter large chunks of pepper, which was also great. The gravy was quite peppery, but I didn't have the shock of crunching down on a hunk of pepper, and that is something I always hate. 

The Bad and the Ugly

If you've read my blog before, you might have figured out that I don't see the world through rose-colored glasses. But, I'm not a pessimist, so I don't see the world through shit-colored glasses, either. I'm a realist; I don't wear any glasses. I am also a perfectionist. I strive for perfection in all that I do and I frequently fall short. I'm hardest on myself, but I know I'm hard on others, too. I try to be fair, though. I try to present both sides. I make a real effort to not just bitch-bitch-bitch about things. Hence, the good news first. Next, I'm going to tell you what I didn't like about Freshly.

Nutritional Content

Freshly touts itself "Deliciously Healthy" on the sides of the large box it's delivered in. On the small sleeves each meal has around it, it says things like "Incredibly fresh, gluten free, nutrient dense, 100% all natural, no refined sugar, no artificial ingredients." This sounds awesome, right? It is. Really. It is great. They even use cage-free eggs! So why do I have this under bad and ugly? It's not low-fat, low-cholesterol, or low-sodium. 

I have picked at random three meals from the six I got and added together the nutrition labels. This is one full day of meals provided by Freshly--a breakfast and two entrees.

Calories: 1540 (cool)

Total Fat: 74g / 129% (not cool)

Sat. Fat: 31g / 155% (not cool)

Trans Fat: 1g

Cholesterol: 675mg / 259% (sooo not cool)

Sodium: 1270mg / 75% (not cool)

Carbs: 105g / 36% (umm...wha?)

Fiber: 13g / 52% (not cool)

Sugars: 21g (not bad)

Protein: 98g (cool)

Vitamin A: 225% (cool)

Vitamin C: 105% (cool)

Calcium: 55% (meh)

Iron: 60% (meh)

That's it. Those are all of the things on their nutrition label. So, yeah. Nutrient dense, if you count bad things as nutrients, too. I just... I can't. I can't eat like that every day, even if I could afford it. Six out of seven breakfasts were omelets with super high cholesterol. What? No egg white omelets offered? Sorry. I'm out. And 75% sodium? No. I shouldn't have more than 800mg of sodium a day, so that's closer to 150% of my daily allowance.

Now, as I look through the three I didn't choose to add together, I do see some lower bad numbers. Here, I'll just show you. 

The chewed-up cardboard is not from me. My cat likes to gnaw on paper and cardboard because she's a freak. I also couldn't read most of the chewed-up label for the turkey with quinoa stuffing that I got. It was really good, though. 

Another thing I didn't care for was the fact that I had only 24-hours between receiving my first delivery and the cut-off for choosing the meals for my second delivery. As a result, I wound up deleting a meal I enjoyed and repeating a meal I did not. Yeah...

Finding Balance

Freshly isn't right for me to eat every day or every week, but it might be perfect for you. It is fantastically convenient for people with busy lives who need to eat healthier than they do. These meals are great for people who want homecooked-style meals that don't take a long time to prepare. I feel like this food is oh, so much healthier than eating fast food for every meal. It is easier than cooking every meal you eat from scratch.

It takes less time than going out to eat at or pick food up from a restaurant. They are great for taking to work and tossing into the microwave. In fact, Freshly is even better than leftovers! These meals seem to be cooked to just the right point where they finish cooking as they reheat. You know how when you reheat your leftovers, they're overcooked and not as good? These aren't overcooked. They're cooked just right, as long as you follow the directions. Letting it rest after cooking is important to let it finish cooking. 

And the cost? Heeeeyyyy! It costs the same as many ingredient delivery services! Hello Fresh, Blue Apron, Home Chef, Sun Basket, etc. etc. all have options that cost $10 per serving. Those are things you have to cook yourself, and these are already cooked! So, yeah... I think it is worth the price they charge. 

Check it out here and get $20 off each of your first two deliveries. That's only $40 a week for six yummy, super simple meal. 

 I'd also like to note that none of the companies I review on my blog have ever compensated me in any way for writing about them. I don't do this for free shit. I do it to share my observations and experiences with others. I pay for these services just like everyone else. If you ever want to try one of them, why not use my links so I get a little bit off my next order for referring you?

[thep0rnfairy]

Trouble is

“Dude…” Sam runs both hands through his hair, tugs a little.

“What.”

“Socks?”

“Just fuckin move em.”

Sam makes fists and carries his toothbrush to the tub. Deep breaths.

He’s so sick of chasing seals. Sick of angels and Ruby and Dean looking at him sideways all the time. They need to get rid of Lilith, stop with the distractions. Sam’s sick of being the only one who gets that.

This hunt… Shoulda been a milk run. Seal only vulnerable on the Solstice, only accessible through one statue. Chalk up an easy win, Sammy, whaddaya say? Fixed not-smile, semi-permanent since Anna went nuclear.

Trouble is, they’d had to smash a beloved town monument and survive a Dukes-of-Hazzard-style car chase over icy backroads. Dean nearly shit himself when he saw the damage. Every cop in the state’s on their ass now, bad food and too much togetherness, Dean’s nightmares and Sam’s…

“I’m goin out.”

Sam grunts. Dean slams the door.

Fifteen minutes later, “We got,” Dean rifles a Gas-n-Sip bag. “Bean burrito, beef burrito, chicken burrito. One apple.” One-third brown. “Hot chocolate?”

Sam credits him for trying. “Chicken. And toss me that apple.” Dean’s relieved shoulders stab at him. Filling station and this motel pretty much make up the whole of wherever-they-are. Sam’s not even sure. “Thanks.”

Microwave turns out a steaming bundle of chicken-type food product, which, isn’t terrible, considering. Sam chews. Hopes maybe New Year’s, they can break for it.

*

“No. You know what? It wasn’t the sickness talking. You are toxic.” Dean yanks the window and arctic air blasts through.

Sam’s notes scatter. “Dammit, Dean!” He shoves, gets suckerpunched and barely recovers in time to misdirect and counter Dean’s second shot.

“Fuck!” Dean rubs his chin.

Sam swings, half-speed, at Dean’s left side. All over it, Dean jukes right and sweeps Sam’s legs, which he was counting on. Sam grabs, crashes them both to the bed and heaves Dean off.

Panting, Sam stares up at the ceiling while Dean hauls himself off the floor. Curtains flap and he storms out. Sam ignores all of it.

*                                

He only knows it’s Christmas for sure because Dean stops on that goddamned movie every time he loops the channels. Sam’s read Sum of the Seals twice now and their ceasefire doesn’t rise to the level of détente.

Knock at the door and Sam slams his palms down. “Dude, what the fuck?”

“What?”

“A delivery? We’re supposed to be–”

“Kiss my ass.”

Peephole, motel manager. Small guy, smile dazzles out of a dark face. Sam steps out, rubs his arms.

“Please forgive the intrusion,” he says. “My wife saw your lights on and–”

Motel’s deserted. Wind blows sand-dry snow in hooking fingers off the asphalt.

“–Christmas dinner.” He holds up a plastic bag. Steam seeps out of Styrofoam.

“Wha–” Blink. “Wow-uh, thank you, Mister…”

“Pradesh,” the manager nods. “Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas. And, to your family. Thank you, sir.”

“Please enjoy.” Smile gleams again and Mr. Pradesh heads toward the office.

Sam stares until wind chill pulls him back to his senses.

“The fuck was that?” Dean’s propped against his headboard, legs spread and scratching his nuts. TV remote in the other hand, hair’s a greasy mess and burrito guts trail down his shirt.

Sam heads for the counter. “Karma, maybe?”

Dean curls his nose.

“Mr. Pradesh, the manager–” Sam opens a box.

“Holy shit that smells awesome.” Dean springs up. Clears trash off the table while Sam loads plates.

Mountains of rice and spicy–lamb, he thinks–in thick brown sauce, foil packets of naan. Dean cracks beers and Sam sets food down. Knees knock when Dean settles across.

“When was our last home-cooked meal, you think?” Dean digs in, predictably, jabbing his fork in a hunk of meat.

Sam collects bits of everything. “Other than Bobby’s?” Which–

“Hamburger Helper don’t count.” Next mouthful’s in before the last one’s swallowed.

“I have no idea.”

Dean moans like he’s getting his dick sucked, which, Sam doesn’t like to think about much, but, he knows. Lifetime of tight quarters and Dean’s non-boundaries…

Dean dips bread, sauce drips down his thumb. Sam’s so dry he can barely chew, even before Dean licks it clean, rolls eyes up in his head.

Sam sweats; peppers count for maybe half. Dean’s top lip and temples gleam and his tongue snakes out as he presses his beer to his mouth. Sam kicks himself, obligatory. Flare-ups come so rare these days, so much between them sometimes…

Dean catches him staring. Throws him a wink, makes it a joke, like always and Sam breathes.

Toes bump under the table. “Die Hard, Elf, or Home Alone?” Sam can do Christmas spirit.

“Huh?”

“Probably all three on tonight. Pick your poison.”

“Die Hard, duh.”

Sam’s smile breaks wide.

*

Dean crowds, ankle-to-shoulder.

“You have your own whole bed, right over there.”

“That angle sucks.”

Sam huffs, shoves back. Dean thumps his middle and Sam most certainly does not think how it would go, if he mouthed those knuckles like he wants to. Maybe thinks a minute how it could go, if his brother were bent like him.

“It’s okay, Sammy. Y’know?” Dean stares forward, flickering light plays on his face.

“What’s…”

“Us… Lilith… everything.”

Sam wouldn’t call it okay.

“We got this, man. You and me? We always do.” Dean sticks out his beer and Sam clinks.

“You believe that?”

“Fuckin-a.” Dean licks his lips and drinks. “Now shut up and watch the movie.”

Full belly and booze have Sam’s eyes drooping before the Family Matters cop shows up. Last thing he hears as he nods off is, “You fall asleep on me, I’m drawing a dick on your face.”

First thing he knows when he wakes up is, Dean’s still beside him.

Man, this has me tearing up at my desk, nonnie. Actual fucking happy ache in my chest. Thank you for sending me this!

[thedalishelves]

Hey! I saw that you were vegan and I have a bit of a problem that maybe you could help with (or not, it's cool either way). I have wanted to change my diet to be a vegan for the longest time, but my parents just deadass don't respect it? I'm young, so I live with my parents and I eat what they cook and etc, and when I expressed the desire to be vegan, or at least vegetarian, they ignored me. Sometimes I have to go days w/o eating bc they cook meat n such. Any tips or is this unfixable for now?

first of all that’s really cool that u wanna go vegan and thank you for asking me!! i dealt with this too! i first went vegetarian when i was 13 and my parents convinced me to just give up red meat. after about two months i excused myself from the dinner table one night and just sobbed in the bathtub for like 20 minutes because i felt so bad about eating a chicken. after that they realized how Extra i am about this and reluctantly let me do my thing (with some persuading from me: tips will follow)

also this is gonna be long sorry omg this is what happens when ppl ask me about being vegan jfdkshafks i’m putting it under a cut just bc it would literally take up people’s entire dash

so i’d recommend going vegetarian first for sure. it’s what i always recommend anyway. slowly phasing out animal products will help SO MUCH with adjusting and cravings. i was vegetarian for 4 years before i went vegan! but for you specifically it’ll expand the amount of stuff you can eat that your parents make. meat is the staple in a lots of families’ meals, but i’m guessing they’ll often make a little side dish or something? eat a lot of that!! 60% of what i ate was the green beans and rice my mom always made for a side dish

ask to help your parents with cooking! try to separate your food whenever possible. so like if they’re making spaghetti with meat sauce (gross ik my dad always used to make it), just say you’d prefer it without the sauce and grab a little bowl before it’s mixed in with the meat. (i used to add butter to it.) basically just any dish that could be vegetarian: take a little serving before the meat is added. i did this all the time and it gave me a lot of good meals (another example in case this is vague: i’d scoop a bit of salad into my bowl before my mom added bacon to it)

also i found it really helpful to ask for VERY cheap vegetarian/vegan foods. i’d always ask my dad to buy beans and lentils and because they’re like 50 cents a can or whatever, he couldn’t reasonably say no. (these are so versatile, even if you don’t know how to cook. making a bean salad is so easy and i used to eat them all the time! also AMAZING source of protein and iron and so much other good stuff)

there are also quite a few sneaky “accidental” vegan foods that you can request from the grocery store that won’t make your parents think: ‘ugh she’s a vegan now.’ some examples: oreos, most cake mixes (there’s lots of recipes online where u just add water and/or soda!!), loads of different chips, many cereals (if u eat them dry), instant ramen (even the ones that say beef and chicken). i know that’s a lot of junk food, but there’s also some healthier(ish) prepackaged meals: this list is good (even though peta is a garbage company i reluctantly admit they have good resources sometimes) (it’s american centric tho but there’s loads of these lists online!). since i’m guessing you don’t go grocery shopping so you aren’t able to look at the labels, you can look it up online and ask your parents to buy it (and you can do this in an indirect way if they’re not cool with it, like ‘hey can u buy the sweet spicy chili doritoes instead of the other flavour next time i like it better’ that kinda thing)

so those are some tips on how to get some food! you should also ask for multivitamins since if you’re basically going to be picking and choosing what your parents put in front of you then you might miss out on crucial vitamins that is otherwise easy for vegans to get if they’re picking their own food.

obviously the ideal thing here would be to get your parents to be on your side!! i have no idea what your relationship with your parents is like so this might not be applicable at all, but in case it is i’ll give you some tips that worked for me.

the best thing that worked for me in the beginning was that i promised i’d cook my own food. as a wee 13 year old, my mom still made my lunch but i asked her for just a plain cheese sandwich and she was okay with that. for dinner, she’d still make the same old side dishes that i could eat, but if she was making chicken, i’d fry up my own tofu or put a couple veggie dogs in the microwave. i don’t think she’d have let me be vegetarian if she had to cook my stuff separate for me. (also, by the time i was vegan i was so used to cooking my own food i just made all my own meals and had gotten good at it by that point!)

at first i just explained to my parents that it was unbearable for me to eat animals. like i literally could not put it into my mouth unless they essentially force fed me. (once again, i was super extra) as my anecdote at the beginning explained, they saw how serious i was lmao. however, my mom did not understand me being vegan until very very recently!!! over the years i’ve casually mentioned various facts about the meat and dairy industry that have opened her mind a bit. and she’s even stopped eating pigs now!! i always find it helpful to say that i do it for multiple reasons: for animals, for the environment, and my health. that usually gets through to people because they realize i’m not just doing some dumb trend or whatever. if at all possible, show them a documentary?? i’m guessing they’d be like ‘hell no’ but just in case (and for your benefit too!) my favourite is cowspiracy (on netflix). it has changed SO MANY meat eaters’ minds!! (the documentary maker was a meat eater too!)

but i realize how engrained this is in certain cultures. my dad is italian and by this point (after 10 years) he realizes that being vegan is a sustainable diet (which he didn’t believe before) but i think he’d rather die than give up meat. and my other side is polish which means their diet is basically carbs and meat and carbs with meat. none of my extended family understand what the hell i’m on about. it’s very frustrating but if you stick with your resolve to not eat meat then they’ll eventually realize you’re serious and maybe make one dish for you at christmas instead of just giving you a piece of bread

if they REALLY are against you going vegetarian, then i obviously absolutely cannot recommend that you starve. you can always go vegetarian/vegan when you move out, and that wouldn’t be your fault at all!! a compromise might be to go pescatarian or even just cut out red meat. (though if you’re anything like me this might not end well haha. it’s worth trying though as a last resort)

i know it’s such a tough situation!!! my sister is vegan too and literally EVERY DAY we text each other about how ignorant and disrespectful our family members are about this. it’s something pretty much every vegan goes through i think, because there are some WACK ideas about eating animals and those who choose not to.

so tl;dr: if you can, try to tell your parents honestly how you feel and try to give them facts. offer to cook your own meals. ask to help your parents cook so you can try to make the food vegetarian. request foods from the grocery store that are a) cheap and/or b) accidentally vegan.

i really hope this helped!!! i was so scared and overwhelmed when i first when vegetarian and had no idea what the fuck i was doing and it makes everything so much worse when your family is unsupportive. i truly wish u the best and please come to me with any follow up questions!!!