Review: Drinking Tree Juice?

I like to try new things and am always browsing the "different" drink section seeing what is on the market. On my last trip to the store ran across Drink Maple, a natural electrolyte beverage. So I picked it up and read the ingredients, there was one: Organic Maple Water. It wasn't filled with sugar, it has no artificial colors or chemicals and who doesn't like maple flavor? This was great news since I'm always looking for a Gatorade replacement for my son. Plopped it in my cart and was on my way.

Later that night my son and I decided to crack it open. He was skeptical asked what maple water was and took a big swig. I was hoping he would think it tastes like pancakes, at least that'd the preconceived notion I had. Unfortunately, he was not impressed. He took another sip but it didn't get any better for him. My turn. Definitely had the consistency of water. Was not too sweet and had the distinct taste of maple, but wasn't overwhelming. I liked it, but probably wouldn't buy it again. That's just our preference. If you love all things maple, you NEED to try this.

In reading more about the company it was founded by two triathletes, Kate Weiler & Jeff Rose looking for a better product to use. In addition, http://www.drinkmaple.com/givingback/ each bottle sold will supply 200 gallons of clean water to individuals in developing nations wrought with drought and disease. Very cool of the company to do this.

Bottomline, as long as you like or love maple and are looking for an alternative beverage that isn't filled with crap ingredients, I'd give this one a try. What are some of your electrolyte replacement favorites?

However You Say It...Happy New Year!

2016...what can I say about it? This year has flown by with 50 hour work weeks, the never-ending tide of football, soccer, lacrosse & basketball while trying to squeeze in a work-out and grocery shopping...let's just say it's been batshit crazy this year. I know I'm not alone with those sentiments, time has flown by with gale force winds pushing us through time with no control. Now I find myself waiting to bring in the New Year and hoping the next one is better. So I got to thinking, why do we even celebrate New Year's? What is so darn special about the passing of time other than it inches us closer to meeting our maker? Well, we get to hang a new calendar, we get to "forget" the last year, we get a fresh slate to start anew...well, I don't hang calendars, I can't forget the last year and I have too many more gray hairs and wrinkles to start fresh. Nope, I'm a realist, nothing magical is going to happen on the first, so why do we even bother? Well it seems humans have been celebrating the New Year before Jesus was born, 2000 B.C. to be correct, but then the Mesopotamian "new year" was in what we call March and was aligned with the vernal equinox where many farmers would begin their planting. It wasn't until the Romans in 153 B.C. moved it to January 1st coinciding with elected officials starting their terms. Also, keep in mind those Romans increased the year from 355 days to 445 days just to mess with people's heads (I'm sure there was some logic to it). It wasn't until 1582 when we finally got to our current 365 days in a year with the adoption of the Gregorian calendar and through the centuries New Year's Day moved in relation to what those in power thought best. And new to me, New Year's Day is also a day of celebrating the circumcision of Jesus. He was Jewish after all and on the 8th day of life is traditionally when Jewish boys are circumcised...eight days after Christmas...think about it, "Happy New Year! SNIP-SNIP"

While we're singing "Auld Lang Syne" not everyone around the world is celebrating with us. For many people the New Year falls at a different time and has different meanings & traditions associated with it. Here are some examples:

• Ethiopian New Year called Enkutatash. It is celebrated on September 11 (September 12 in leap years). The new year is the end of the summer rainy season.
• Chinese New Year is the first day of the lunar calendar and is corrected for the solar every three years. The holiday normally falls between January 20 and February 20. The holiday is celebrated with food, families, lucky money (usually in a red envelope), and many other red things for good luck.
• Thai New Year is celebrated on April 13 or April 14 and is called Songkran. People usually come out to splash water on one another. The throwing of water originated as a blessing. By capturing the water after it had been poured over the Buddhas for cleansing and then using this "blessed" water to give good fortune to elders and family by gently pouring it on the shoulder.
• Hijri New Year in the Islamic culture is also known as Islamic new year is the day that marks the beginning of a new Islamic calendar year. New Year moves from year to year because the Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar. The first day of the year is observed on the first day of Muharram, the first month in the Islamic calendar.
• Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, is celebrated by Jews throughout the world. The date is not set according to the Gregorian calendar, but it always falls during September or October. The holiday is celebrated by religious services and special meals.

Whether you're celebrating on the 1st of January or another time, whether it's to flush the past or welcome the future we all can find at least one thing (maybe more) to embrace and be thankful for. Here's to another year ahead, more "natural" highlights and a few more smile lines.

2017 Here We Come!

Santa Died This Year & I Miss Him

This was the year. The year my kid stopped believing in Santa. I'm sitting here, sipping coffee from my percolator, contemplating what it means when your child stops believing in Santa. To me it's akin to a balloon popping but with no fun confetti flying everywhere, just a loud noise followed by silence.

I don't remember when I stopped believing, I do remember I was ok with it. I didn't have an older sibling to spoil it for me and I wasn't bombarded with TV and other social media saying it wasn't true, it just happened naturally. My son and I had the conversation last year and I left it up to him whether Santa was real or not. He asked and I simply responded back with, "Well, what do you think?" It worked, barely. This year was different. He came to the conversation armed with what his friends at school said, what he saw on TV and said, "Mom, you have to tell me the TRUTH. Don't lie to me!" I again asked him what he thought, he said he knew Santa wasn't real and stared me down like a cop interrogating a witness, just looking for any tell-tale signs I was fibbing. So right then and there I made the choice not to lie. I took a deep breath and told him he was right, there was no Santa. Those were hard words for me to say and I never knew how much I was going to dread saying them until I was forced to.

For me, having to tell my son there is no Santa (or tooth fairy, or Easter bunny) signified an end to innocence, an end to the belief in magic, an end to the simplicity of imagination and childhood. I wanted one more year where I had to wrap gifts in the middle of the night and write out tags saying, "From: Santa" one more year where we would snuggle up and watch the Norad Santa Tracker and falling asleep just minutes before Santa flew over our house. The fun of moving Mr. Igglewiggle (our Elf on the Shelf) from place to place, seeing the notes and goodies he brought back from the North Pole. Just one more year where he believed in the magic and the possibility of his imagination.

This year was different. When I brought something home that was a Christmas gift, I just told him to go in the other room while I stored it away. He touched Mr. Igglewiggle for the first time ever as we made him our tree topper beside the angel. He would say things like, "Now that you don't have to buy all the gifts that Santa used to bring, you can save that money and we can go to Disney." His mind automatically went to the practical aspect of it. But I'm left with the longing for that magic that only Santa brings. The wonder and excitement in his eyes talking about the North Pole and Rudolph, he believed and through him I got to believe again too.

I always knew this day would come, but now Christmas is different. So, if your child still believes let them for as long as possible, enjoy the wonder and excitement they have because before you know it, it'll be lost forever.

Review: BarkBox - Fun Stuff for the Dog in Your Life

At this moment I have "Dogs just wanna have fun. Oh they wanna have fu-un" going through my head in the tune of Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" from 1983. Yes, it's my '80s reference for the day, I can't help it. Now, some dogs like to cuddle with their families, some have the attention span of Dug from "Up" -- "Squirrel!" Some are just plain Fruitloops. Regardless of their personality, they end up being members of our families and as we know, some have more dysfunctional families than others. Anyway...a co-worker of mine loves to talk about his dog and what kind of mischief he (the dog) gets into. One day he (the co-worker) comes in and was talking about how his dog loves getting his monthly BarkBox package. So of course I had to ask, "What the heck is a BarkBox?" in my most incredulous tone. He goes on to explain it's a monthly subscription of goodies sent to your dog. These goodies are toys and treats all neatly packaged and ready for your pooch's enjoyment. Me, always looking for neat things to try and write about said, "Send me the link!"

I clicked on the link and it took me to the BarkBox site. They walk you through the signup process with fun cartoons / graphics. You get to pic your dog's size, the monthly plan from one month to 12, the more months the cheaper is it per month, and because my friend sent his referral link not only did he get a free month, so did I. How awesome is that? The website is straight-forward and easy to navigate and find what you need. They have neat little graphics, fun dog pics and "dog language" like "Spread the ruv..." throughout the site. It made signing up fun and easy! I signed up for six months, for a small dog at $24 / mos.

Like the litter in the background?

My son and I eagerly waited for the first box to arrive. He was just as excited as I was to see what Gizmo would do with it. The day came and it was waiting on the porch when we got home. We brought it in and let Gizmo sniff the box. We popped it open and everything was neatly packaged. There were five items in the box, two toys and three treats. The toys appeared to be well made and the treats were healthy. Gizmo sniffed the contents and you could tell he wanted to the toys, but then again what dog doesn't? Tags came off, dog got toys...and they actually lasted longer than most of the store bought toys we've had and disposed of within minutes. Gizmo is one of the best destroyers of toys I've seen in a long time. He can literally shred, pull apart, get the squeaker out, remove an arm or ear within minutes of putting his mouth on it. He can remove the inside stuffing of a toy quicker than The Flash can get a cup of joe at Jitters. Regardless, he loved his

Inside Box before Gizmo!

first BarkBox, he loved the toys and the treats. Which in turn made my son and I happy. It was a BIG hit with the pooch.

We've received a few other BarkBoxes since the first and each one has been a hit with the doggie. However since Gizmo loves to destroy the toys, I emailed them and asked if they had recommendations or other options I could choose from. In less than 24 hours they responded with a very fun email with lots of "dog language" like "Howloo" instead of hello and "Pee.S." instead of P.S. and provided me with two options one which was free and one that was a upgrade. How often do you find a company that will make a change that's free instead of just saying that the only option available is at an extra cost? I liked that! And even though it took me a couple weeks to respond, when I did they made the change without hassle and responded within a few hours. Yes, I said a few hours and it's Christmas Eve. I know they have template emails and maybe even a robo-email program, but it's still nice, as a customer, to receive a response that quickly and without a ton of hassle. What can I say, another plus for this company. 

First BarkBox

I'll have to let you know how the stronger toys hold up against The Fruitloop, but I have nothing but positive things to say about BarkBox and their customer service. If you have a pup it's definitely worth a shot. Enjoy!!

BarkBox main page: www. barkbox.com

Referral link: https://www.barkbox.com/r/K1DEW1ZDO7

He's a Pistol, That's for Sure

Before I had my son, I had two dogs, Jack the Pomeranian and Joshua the Pekingese. Jack was with me for 12 years and Joshua, 17. They were my very first doggies and will hold a very special place in my heart. They were my loyal companions before my son and it broke my heart when they had to cross over the Rainbow Bridge. I still, to this day, remember their personalities and everyone once in a while have managed to call the cats, by their names.

Joshua

My son only remembers Joshua but they never bonded. Joshua was "old" by the time my son understood what a good friend a dog could be and Joshua just thought my son moved way too quick. Soon after that my son started asking for a dog of his own. I wasn't ready for another dog, it was too much work taking care of Joshua in his senior years, so I compromised and we rescued two cats, Boo and Shadow. This was my first foray into cats and it took some getting used to. They didn't always come when called, they didn't wag their tails when we got home for the day and they were just all-around goof balls, chasing each other, jumping to the top of cabinets and being nosy. Joshua wanted nothing to do with them, they also moved way too quick when all he wanted to do was sleep. They are good cats, very people-friendly and when it suits them, enjoy our company and each sleep with one of us at night. I still think they're kooky, but in a loveable way.

Shadow & Boo

Getting the cats appeased my son for a while. And I have to admit, they are more appealing to me than a lizard or snake (no offense to any reptile owners). In that time Joshua passed away so we were solely a cat home. It was nice for a while not having to worry about letting the dog out and cleaning the crate out. But something was missing. The cats, as wonderful as they are, simply are different from a dog. My son began to ride the bus home from school and we began to give serious thought about adding a new member to our family. My son and I discussed and agreed that we would BOTH have to like the dog and the dog would have to like us. My son would have to help with its care, walking it, picking up the poop, etc. The search in earnest began. We would looked online at the Humane Society of Northwestern PA, the A.N.N.A. Shelter and Because You Care and began to visit on the weekends. We met several dogs, but either we didn't agree on the dog or the dog showed no interest in us. I promised my son that when the right dog came along, there would be no doubt, we would love it and it would love us. Then one day it happened. We were at Because You Care to meet another dog. Unfortunately (or fortunately) that dog wasn't a match for us. On a whim we decided to meet Gizmo. They brought him into the meeting area and he came right over to us, wagging his tail and wanting to give us kisses. I think we knew right away we wanted him to become a member of the family.

We began the adoption process at Because You Care which started with an application and a check for the adoption fee. The adoption process was then explained to us. It wasn't a take-your-dog-home-see-ya-later type of process. They checked your vet and personal references. They came to your home and you had to show them where the dog would be inside and outside, have a post, fenced yard or run set up and they talked to you about your daily schedule, other pets in the house, all with the goal of ensuring the animal was going to a loving, safe home AND would work well with your life-style. You could tell the staff at Because You Care really wanted the adoption to be successful, for everyone to be happy. Also, part of the process was they didn't cash your check for the adoption fee until after the adoption was finalized. They aren't just after your money.

We got the call a couple days later that we had been approved for the in-home trial. My son and I were very excited, nervous, but excited. We went and got food, a crate, treats and toys for Gizmo. We picked him up on a Friday after work and the fun began. The first night and next day Gizmo was calm, ignored the cats and liked to sit on our laps. However as he became more comfortable with us and his surroundings it all changed. He showed aggression towards people coming into the house and barked at everything when outside, people walking, cars and bicycles passing, other dogs, leaves, you name it, he barked at it. When inside he would bark at everything when looking out the windows, started chasing and barking at the cats, grabbed and chewed socks, shoes, paper, anything that wasn't up high or in a closet. He also began to try and take food off our plates when we were eating on the couch. After a couple days of this my son and I were at our wit's end. I called Because You Care and explained what was going on, what the behavior was and we were considering giving Gizmo back. She shared with me more about Gizmo's history, that he came from a neglected, possibly abusive situation, that the prior owners called them and stated to come and get the animal or they were going to shoot him. Because You Care jumped in and rescued him immediately. She asked for us to be patient and recommended I speak with a dog behaviorist about Gizmo where they could evaluate him and provide guidance on how to work with him. I agreed to try this approach. My son and I were dedicated to try and make it work.

Gizmo

I began talking with Kel Ertl at Compatible Canine Companions. I shared with her Gizmo's behavior and asked for help. She explained a lot about the terrier breed, none of which I really knew (shame on me for not understanding prior to adopting) and possible reasons why he was acting out. I agreed to bring Gizmo out for an evaluation and to have her help my son and I on training techniques. Of course when we met Kel, Gizmo was on his "good" behavior, even when he met Kel's own dogs. We learned several techniques on what to train on and how to accomplish it. It was a very positive session and very glad we went. I'd recommend working with her if you have negative behavior in your dog that you'd like to see reduced or eliminated.

My son and I began working with Gizmo and found he's a smart, little guy who picked up on basic commands like "sit" and "down" quickly. We're currently working on "give it,", "stay" and come. The "give it" command is a must have with him. If a closet door is left open or clothes on the floor, he will find it in a split second and go. He is still requiring a treat for "give it," but that is much better than chewed shoes and socks. However, he seems to have a stubborn streak, not unlike my son :-) or maybe it's just his terrier instinct, when it comes to people-food on a plate and the darn cats. Many f-bombs have been dropped so far, but I'm working on that too, lol. Luckily the cats have their safe, dog-free places to go and Shadow is not afraid to chase Gizmo, which he thinks is a game. Boo has learned to just lie there and let Gizmo sniff and play, he'll tolerate Gizmo for a bit then gets up and runs away. The cat-dog relationship is still evolving and we're still working with Gizmo on the "leave it" command to draw his attention away from the cats. I believe we're going to need a new plan of attack for the food situation. He shows no food aggression when it comes to his dog food. Since it's just my son and I, we eat in front of the TV (no judging, lol). The little booger is quick and yesterday got my taco off the plate and all over the chair. Not a good night. It's times like that we force ourselves to remember where he came from, remember his positive traits and understand how we can help him become a better doggie. I'm not going to lie, it's challenging.

Gizmo

Not only are we working through the behaviors, Gizmo is a very active dog, if you couldn't tell from the above comments. It's a characteristic of the breed and the fact he's not even a year old yet, his birthday is coming up at the beginning of December. As I think back, I remember Jack and Joshua in their younger days, both were active as well. I lost a couple pairs of shoes and jeans to Jack and the corner of a dresser and half an aloe vera plant to Joshua. Gizmo is just a youngster still. We keep him exercised by walks, playing with him outside, taking him to the Humane Society's Dog Park for exercise and socialization and playing with him inside, fetch down the hall is a favorite. He's extremely agile and loves to bounce. If I had more time and we work on his commands, I could see him as an agility dog, he's flipping fast! Even with all that, he has energy to burn. We are toying with the idea of getting him a doggie friend he could play with. I waffle back and forth about this idea. Jack and Joshua got along wonderfully with each other, they would play, groom and sleep next to each other as well as having bonded with me. There are lot of things to consider, that I'm mulling over. I want to be sure we do what's right for the dogs and what's right for us, so no one ends up miserable. We are looking for a calmer dog who likes to play and will also bond with its humans.

Why am I sharing my experience with you? Honestly, I went into this with rose-colored glasses, thinking that we'd bring a dog home and everything would just...work. I did no research on breeds and didn't have a full understanding about their possible history and how it may affect their behavior. I just knew we were ready for a new family member and that we wanted to rescue. I can't say enough good things about the experience at Because You Care and Compatible Canine Companions they have helped us through the transition. When you're ready to adopt, I'd recommend: 

• Work with an organization that understands the rescue & adoption process and can provide guidance if things aren't perfect, one that isn't simply out to place as many animals with families regardless of the fit and collect a check. 
• Do research on different breeds and understand which ones may work well with your lifestyle.
• Be prepared to spend time training away bad behaviors and reinforcing positive ones. 
• And most of all, be honest with yourself and whether you're ready for a new family member. If you're not, there's no shame in that, it's better you figure it out sooner rather than bringing a dog home for a few months and figuring it out then.

I'm still convinced rescuing Gizmo was the right choice, even with his baggage. He has a couple nicknames, Bat Dog because when his ears are up, it looks like a bat and Fruit Loop, because that is exactly how he is sometimes. And while we have more work to do, I know with dedication, patience and love, we can get to that happy family space.

a.k.a. Bat Dog

If you have an adoption story you'd like to share, I'd love to hear from you.

Website References:

• Because You Care
• Compatible Canine Companions
• Humane Society's Dog Park
• List of Erie Dog Parks
• List of Erie Rescue Groups

They Both Stink!!!

I'm not big into political commentary, once in awhile I'll post a meme or give a thumbs up to something that tickles my funny bone and heaven knows this presidential election will provide fodder for decades to come, unfortunately it will be at our Country's expense. As the countries around us begin to brace for either The Liar or The Pig and dont' forget there's a small chance we'll get The Potsmoker.

There's a meme going around to the effect of how can women be upset by Trump's comments when they purchased and read "80 Shades of Gray"? That's simple. "80 Shades of Gray" is a work of fiction written by an author. Trump's words were spoken (and meant) by a true misogynist, racist and ignorant b@$tard. That's a big difference and yes, I put a link to the definition just incase anyone needs it.

But don't worry folks, I detest Hillary too! Let's chat about Benghazi and Whitewater. She was called a liar starting early in her career and that reputation has followed her, hmmm, I wonder why? She let's her husband screw around and then calls those women names. Oh and don't forget the email fiasco. She gives women and bad name.

It disappoints me that we, as a Country, have to pick from the "lesser of multiple evils." That it costs billions of dollars to run for president that good people, who would make great leaders will never be able to run because of that. And it saddens me that the U.S. will continue to be the butt of jokes. We thought George W and his Bushisms was bad...can you imagine what will come out of the mouths of these ding-dongs?

Honestly, I may pencil in these two...

Review: Hello Fresh Meal Service

 

We all see hundreds of ads everywhere, they bombard us daily in our email, on our social media feeds, TV, etc. and we receive coupons for everything possible in the mail, think Valpak. Once in a while they will actually come in handy. Case in point, my trial of the Hello Fresh meal service. While I was thumbing through my local Valpak envelope and came across a $50 off coupon. I had been wanting to try a food service, see what the big deal is about, so what the heck.

The Hello Fresh site is easy to navigate, clearly laid out, easy to find and understand the terms and conditions as well as aesthetically pleasing to browse. Off to a good start.There are three plans to choose from: The Classic Plan which allows you to pick your meals, how many to serve (2 or 4 adults) and frequency of delivery (3, 4 or 5 meals per week) at $9.90 - $11.50 a person depending on frequency of delivery, the higher the frequency, the cheaper the meal. The Veggie Plan which allows you to select 2 or 4 adults, but your frequency is limited to 3 time per week, there are no other delivery options. This means the cost per meal will vary between $9.08 - $9.83 per meal. The Family Plan serves 4 (2 adults, 2 children), your delivery options are 2 or 3 times per week and the cost is $ 8.75 - $9.99 per meal, again the more you buy the cheaper it is. For all plans the shipping is free.

I selected the The Family Plan, two meals a week. My thinking was cook once but have two meals, one for now, one for later. This strategy comes in handy with a crazy week-night schedule, sometimes cooking a meal is not an option and I hate wasting money on fast-food garbage. This way, put the leftovers on a plate and reheat. The total price was $79.95 subtract my $50 Valpak coupon and bingo, first delivery was scheduled for Saturday morning. All I had to do was wait. On Thursday I received an email & text from FedEx stating my package would arrive between 7:55 AM & 9:55 AM on Saturday and sure enough, the FedEx guy pulls up while I'm sitting at the counter having my morning coffee. I hauled the package inside, it was surprisingly heavy. The outside package was undamaged which is a good sign. Split the tape and took my first peek inside the box.

You can see the two meals partitioned within the box, veggies, spices, rice, potatoes, etc. The two meals they sent were Glazed Chicken with Green Beans & Coconut Rice and Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Lemony Potato & Zucchini Hash. Upon inspection of the ingredients, most made it through the shipping process unscathed. The zucchinis did have some dings and the potatoes a bit banged up, but overall everything was still edible. I then began to wonder where the meat was. I discovered you have to lift the top boxes out of the larger box and directly below them were two huge ice packs. Now I understand why the box is so heavy. You could put these two packs in a cooler and

keep a case of beer warm all day. I wasn't quite sure what to do with them, they would take up a lot of room in your freezer. If you have a box freezer, they'd probably be great to keep on hand. However, I don't have a spare freezer and they take up valuable space. I'm thinking I won't keep them but it's a shame to just throw them out. I pried up the ice pack layer and below were the packages of pork and chicken. They were still cold and intact. I was somewhat surprised not to find a liner to keep things cool inside the box. 

Contents are laid out on the counter together and separated into the individual meals to be cooked.

 

The next day I had time to do some cooking and decided to try the the pork recipe first. The prep work was easy, dicing the potatoes and zucchini, slicing the scallions and mincing the garlic. The recipe called for two baking sheets, one for the potatoes the other for the zucchini. I simply used one larger sheet, put the potatoes on one side and started them earlier than the zucchini. Any chance I have to save on dishwashing, I'm going to take it. Popped the zucchini in and seared the pork, then popped the tenderloins on the same sheet, right over top of the zucchini. In the same pan as the pork was seared in, made the sauce. Now I can't say I'm a fan of searing meat inside, it stinks up the place, but I did it. I get that searing helps keep the meat juicy, but unless you have a good stove fan, consider searing it on the grill. I plated the food and my son and I sat down to eat. Unfortunately we were both underwhelmed. It was just ok, didn't have a lot of flavor, meat was cooked fine. Maybe I'm spoiled, but I like my food to have flavor, using lots fresh herbs and tend to put in a bit extra garlic, but that's just me.

There were extras for leftovers, enough to have another meal later in the week, so that aspect worked out well. Wednesday was my next day where I had a bit of time to cook. Out came the the chicken recipe. Got everything prepped, unfortunately within a couple days, some of the green beans had to be thrown out. The plastic bags they came in didn't do much for keeping them fresh. I would recommend transferring things to a container to keep them fresher for longer, if you're not going to cook the recipes within a couple days. Also, one of the ingredients is fresh ginger and the recipe says you can mince or grate. I tried to mince, I had the mincer out already for the garlic...failure. It just smushed the ginger so I then had to chop it up, pain in the butt. Hint: just grate the ginger. Similar to the pork recipe, you have to saute the chicken in olive oil. So not a fan of this method of cooking. Stinky house later... oh well. The glaze made with soy sauce, ginger, garlic, honey and water was easy and tasty. And I will have to say that making the coconut rice smelled good while cooking it, but again the recipe fell flat. My son and I weren't fans of how the chicken turned out, the green beans and rice were the best part of the recipe. The saltiness of the sauce with the slight sweetness of the rice paired well together. I believe it's simply a matter of how we're used to cooking our meats, I usually bake, grill or crockpot them. Frying and sauteing isn't something done frequently in the house.

Overall, everything was just ok. The recipes, prep, clean-up, just ok. However, I decided to give it one more delivery, see what the next pair of meals would be. The box came Saturday morning, perfectly on time. The box was still heavy, but I expected it this time. Picked it up and noticed it was wet, not damp, wet. I smelled my hands, but couldn't determine what was leaking. When I opened the box and pulled out the individual boxes, I could see there was water and meat juice / blood all over the inside. I began to disassemble the packaging, starting with the smaller two and found there was liquid all over the produce and containers in both boxes. I had to rinse and dry everything just to put it in the fridge. When I got to the ice packs they were not the same brand as prior, but a much cheaper made variety that were almost all water, meaning this box had been sitting somewhere for longer than expected. I picked them up and could tell that one of them had a leak in it. I pulled the ice packs out, quickly moving them to the sink and then saw the other culprit, one of the beef packages had popped open along the seam, the pressure of the ice packs and other food on top must have been too much. In addition to the blood / juice being everywhere, the beef didn't smell good, like it was beginning to rot. Disgusting! I immediately bagged it up and threw it out. As I looked inside the big box I could see about a 1/4 inch of water / blood along the bottom. I dumped it out and took the box outside. Ugh! I emailed the company with the issue and am hoping to hear back from them.

I haven't cooked up the two new recipes yet which are: Tangy Beef Stir Fry & Pork and Apple Meatloaf, that'll be sometime this week. The beef recipe does have me cooking the meat in a heated skillet, however the pork recipe might be ok. If they end up being outstanding, I'll definitely let you guys know. As far as my subscription, I cancelled it. Having to clean up all the blood and water in the box along with mediocre recipes, it simply didn't make sense for me to continue with a service that I wasn't completely happy with. The sending of planned meals in a box is enticing, it takes a lot of the weekly meal planning out of the equation. I may try another service similar to this one, so if you have any recommendations, please send them my way.