Sunday, December 22, 2013

Hello Fresh ~ Review & Coupon Code

Well, Helloooooo!

When I was asked to do this review for Hello Fresh, it took me days to get the image and sound of Mrs. Doubtfire out of my head.  Well, Helloooooo!

Yes, indeed!  Hello Fresh!  Welcome to my home!

Hello Fresh is a company that provides fresh, delicious, complete meals right to your door for you to cook yourself.  Here's how it goes...



Yes, it is that simple.  Each week, you select which meals your would like to prepare.  You could choose the Classic Box, which includes meat and/or fish.  Or, you can choose the Veggie Box.  You can order the 3 for either 2 or 4 people.

I ordered the Classic Box of 3 meals for 2 people.  I was offered 5 meals in which to choose my three.  I chose:
  • Sauteed Chicken with Garlic Parsnips and Carrots
  • Classic Beef Stew with Chickpeas and Green Beans
  • Yogurt Marinated Shrimp over Arugala Salad

Now, before I get into the yumminess of the food, let me chat about the company a bit more.   It is a treasure these days to find a company that delivers not only an excellent product, but excellent customer service.  After I placed my order, a representative from Hello Fresh sent me an e-mail thanking me.  A couple of days before my order was to arrive, a representative from Hello Fresh called me at my home to let me know it was on the way and to welcome me to the Hello Fresh family.  She didn't need to do that....I had already gotten an e-mail from them with the tracking number.  I appreciated the personal touch.

Hello Fresh sources their ingredients weekly to ensure the best quality.  The meals offer a variety of vegetables and spices, so you can't get bored.  The meats and fish are sealed for freshness and not frozen.  Each item is packaged for safety and seasonings are in sealed packets.

Let me take you on my Hello Fresh journey.

BEHOLD!!!!  THE BOX!!!



My box arrived in the afternoon on a Wednesday.  That's when everyone gets their Hello Fresh box!  It's like all the lucky people of the world get to open a present on the same day.  This is not your ordinary shipping box.  No.  After cutting off the plastic security tabs, all I had to do was lift the lid.  It was like a portable ice chest.

Yes, I oohed and aahed when I opened it.  Hey!  Wouldn't you?  Now, remember when I said that I received my box in the afternoon?  Well, I live in Florida and, although it is December, each day the temperature has been in the mid-80's.  Check out how well this box is insulated!  Everything was still refrigerator cold and it had been in the shipping process for two days.  I carefully removed all of the food.  Here is the empty box with three large ice packs that kept things cold.  Yes, those went straight into my freezer for me to use again and again....thank you, Hello Fresh!

Each meal was packaged neatly and clearly labelled.  Here is a picture of the ingredients I would use for the Classic Beef Stew.

Each meal included a beautiful double sided recipe card that showed ingredients, description of the meal, nutrition content, step by step instructions and full color pictures.  Check it out!

I let my 13 yo son pick which meal to make first.  He chose the Sauteed Chicken with Ginger Parsnips and Carrots.  He was so excited to get started!  Here he is preparing the veggies...
 And then sauteing the ginger...


It was wonderful to have him involved and excited about preparing the meal!  The instructions were simple and he did most of the work.  Here was our finished product...


Sauteed Chicken 
with Ginger Parsnips and Carrots






 The next night we made the

Classic Beef Stew
Then, on Saturday, we made the

Yogurt Marinated Shrimp over Arugala Salad






What an absolute treat it was to be a part of this review!  Now, let's talk shop.  I know you are asking yourself...how much does this cost?

The Classic Box of 3 meals for 2 people is $69
The Classic Box of 3 meals for 4 people is $129
The Veggie Box of 3 meals for 2 people is $59
The Veggie Box of 3 meals for 4 people is $109

Click HERE to go to the website, find out more, and place your order. Set your subscription on your own terms.  Have weekly delivery, once a month delivery, etc.  Just visit the calendar and click on when you want your box.  Or, just order for a special occasion!

What's the bottom line for me?  Well, Hello Fresh asked me to do this review and provide my honest opinion.  So, here it goes....
  • We loved receiving our box.  It was like early Christmas.  All of the ingredients were fresh and well organized.
  • The recipes were unique and we were able to try new foods that we have never had - like parsnips and chick peas!
  • The recipes were easy to follow and I liked that they did not take more than 30 minutes from start to finish.  In the end, we had beautiful, gourmet meals.
  • The price is not within my budget.  Boo-hoo.  I wish it was.  But, we are a family on a tight budget and my food shopping for the month is about the amount of one box for four people.  So, we won't be ordering again.  But, if my budget ever changed I would be all over this!
I encourage you to give this a try.  It is fun and you will love the food!  Make it a family event....bring everyone together.  Or, try it out for a special dinner guest.  Now, that's a way to impress someone with a gourmet meal!

Use this COUPON CODE when ordering:   PWVB3Y to get $20 off your first box.  And, hey, I'll get $20 off too just for giving you the coupon code!  Woohoo!

Check out what my peeps over at Mosaic Reviews had to say.  There were many different meals ordered, so you are likely to see some delicious pictures!  Click HERE to take a peek.