Use the code HAUTE50 and receive 50% off your first week’s worth of meals!
I am really good at logistics. Mostly.
Here’s a confession – I am not good at weekly meal prep, and my inefficiency not only costs me time but also money. I could probably retire a year a two earlier if I could improve this household management skill.
Before I had kids, it was a little easier. I would simply make one dish and eat it for about five days in a row. That doesn’t fly today. Everyone in my house wants variety (picky-picky ;))!
I fall short in two areas. If I try to buy groceries for weekly meals, one of our schedules ends up changing, and I have to adjust dinner plans (usually to take out). The handpicked produce ends up getting tossed. This results in money wasted on unused groceries and expensive take-out dinners. Plus, all that time I spent trying to pre-plan the meals! Arg!
The other way I mess up is ordering from the local Whole Foods delivery service at the 11th hour for items that are supposed to be for one dinner. I don’t know about you, but this is NEVER under $100.00.
So why can’t I get it right? It’s because of the national epidemic from which we all suffer – There is never enough time! Honestly, can we PLEASE add a few more hours to the day? Why not create a 26-hour day, and then we can actually get stuff done?!
Seeing as how it doesn’t look like that will happen, what I’ve learned is that knowing when to delegate, especially in areas where one’s skill set is lacking, is essential for success.
If I can’t seem to get healthy and fresh dinners on the table during the school/work week, why not have a personal chef take care of it for me? Okay, so, I can’t afford to have a personal chef on staff. But, I found the closest thing – Feast & Fettle.
For $199.99, Chefs prepare three healthy meals for a family of four delivered to the Boston area, Metro West, and Rhode Island, freshly made and packed with ice.
They also have different meal plans, but that’s the one I thought would work for our week. I was also able to select the entrees and sides from a decent number of options. We chose the following:
- Grilled flank steak with red pesto sauce, curried cauliflower, and fresh naan bread.
- Chicken satay skewers with peanut sauce and Asian power slaw.
- Spicy Jamaican jerk pork tenderloin (not too spicy for my boys though) with grilled mixed vegetables and heavenly little individual cheesecake souffle for dessert.
Proof of the simple and clean ingredients come on every package. One can either bake or microwave the food. Seeing as how I’m always so short on time, I opted to nuke the dishes, which did not affect the quality in the least bit.
The entire process was so incredibly easy and delicious! I didn’t have any dinner time stress. I saved time not having to grocery shop and of course, not cooking! The biggest gain was probably that I could be a bit more relaxed and actually ENJOY family dinner! As you can see, I had two very pleased boys!
So, who are the people behind Feast & Fettle? Maggie Mulvena, a former personal chef and graduate of Johnson & Wales University’s Culinary Nutrition Program, holds the original spoon behind this awesome mom-hack service.
Maggie was turning out some pretty killer meals for a family in Rhode Island. Word got out, and the family’s friends and neighbors started to order her home-cooked meals. Pretty soon, that’s all Maggie was doing.
Taking a leap of faith, Maggie traded in her car for a delivery van and reached out to her best friend from high school, Nikki Oliveira, to see if she might be interested in helping. Nikki quit her job and backed up her best friend in her exciting new endeavor!
Both women grew up where traditional mealtime was a valued part of the day. They also recognized the importance of convenience; especially Maggie, who saw her working mother make the effort and not sell out to frozen TV dinners.
I can honestly say Maggie and Nikki met their mission to deliver convenience, without sacrificing quality. They also are happy to accommodate (within reason) requests to meet allergies or the finicky kid’s standards!
For any of you who are curious about the name, Maggie’s dad ran the Roger Williams Zoo in Rhode Island. She loved their annual event “Feast with the Beasts,” and really wanted to use the word “Feast” in the business. She searched for an “F” word that would match and found “Fettle,” which means “in good health.”
I promise you will feast in good health if you give Feast & Fettle a try! I give it The Haute Life stamp of approval! 🙂
Don’t forget if you try the service to use the promo code Haute50 to receive 50% off your first week of meals!
Cheers!
Feast & Fettle provides delivery service to MetroWest Boston, including Newton, Wellesley, Needham, Sudbury, Wayland; and in Rhode Island: Providence, Newport, Barrington.
