Relish! Meal Planning Made Simple (Review & Giveaway - 12/1)

I'm a busy mom, and since I can't afford a personal chef to plan and prepare meals for the family, I need some help. Thank heavens I was introduced to Relish! - a way-cool meal-planning service for busy moms like me.

About Relish!
Relish! is a mom-run website that helps you prepare healthy, creative meals every week. You pick from a ton of excellent tested recipes. Then, a very cleverly organized grocery list is automatically created. You hit the store and grab 5 days worth of home-cooked meals. The best part is not one of them takes more than 30 minutes to prepare.

You'll find a whole lot to choose from including freezer meals, vegetarian menus, super-quick and slow cooker recipes.  And you’ll find tons of kid’s faves that don't include the word "nugget."

For subscriptions at $7 a month, you'll end up with five complete dinners for a family of four running you less than $95. Between the money savings and the anxiety savings, you’re coming out way ahead.
(Also, if you're living gluten-free, check out their sister site, Gfree! Gfreecuisine.com)


My Review of Relish!
Since I disclose full honesty on my blog, I have to tell you that I am not a cook. In fact, when hubby and I were first married, if it didn't come out of a can or from a box, I couldn't make it. And I could dial the phone way better than I could boil water. In fact, I called our Chinese take-out place so often that when our number came up on their caller-id, the owner would say, "Angie! I'll have your order ready in 10 minutes." I didn't even have to give him the order because he knew exactly what I was going to say. Sad, isn't it?

But, as our family increased, and the money for take-out seemed to be non-existant, something had to change. I started scouring the internet and cookbooks for easy to prepare meals for the family. And I totally stunk at it. Not with the cooking, I've gotten a lot better in that department. But when it comes to meal planning and writing up a grocery list, I am horrible. Absolutely horrible. I'm having Gene bring home things from the grocery store almost every day, and most of the time, I just throw things together.

I really wish Relish! had been around years ago! When I told hubby about the website and this review, he was all for trying it out. Hubby loves vegetables. Because I don't, (mostly because I have NO idea what to do with them!), we stick with the ones I know - potatoes, corn, green beans, and maybe peas here and there. Knowing that we'd have to test out new recipes with new vegetables in them, he couldn't have been more excited. He went on and on about how this was going to have us eating proper portion sizes, not wasting food, and trying new things. I really think he got just a little too excited for a minute. But, I had to agree with him. We have too much junk in this house, and blow our grocery budget way too fast. I, too, was excited to give Relish! a try.

I logged into Relish!, selected the 5 meals I wanted for the week, and that was it. In seconds, I had a grocery list and 5 easy to follow recipes printed off and ready for me to try out. I headed to the grocery store and stocked up on the things I needed.

I couldn't believe how easy it was. The grocery list was sectioned off by department, so it was easy to find everything that I needed at the store quickly and easily. For those 5 meals, I spent $87.42. Not too shabby, considering a I had to purchase quite a few most of the items that were in the "You need but may already have" category.

That week, we enjoyed some really great new meals. At first, the kids were hesitant. They don't do well when new foods are introduced. They're perfectly happy with pizza night, chicken nuggets night, and taco night. But, hubby and I are determined that we will all be eating healthier and trying new things, and Relish! was a great way to get us on that path!

The only thing I wished that Relish! offered that it doesn't, is a setting for 5 servings. With 5 kids (4 who don't eat much at all), I had to up the servings just a bit, but taking it to 6 servings was too much. I need a happy medium in there. And, in a few years, I may need a 12 serving option, especially with 3 teenage boys in the house. But, other than that, I really loved the site, and I loved trying the new dinners. I will definitely be renewing my subscription next month!


Want to Try Relish for Yourself?
To Subscribe: You can log onto Relish! anytime and select your subscription. They offer a 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month option. A subscription would also make the perfect Christmas present for the busy moms on your list!


You Can WIN! Relish! would like to offer a 1-year subscription to one of my readers (a $58.80 value)!


To Enter
Visit the Relish! website and then come back here and leave me a comment telling me one reason why a subscription would make your life easier.

*Mandatory. If this is not done, you cannot win.

Want Extra Entries?

• Blog About this Giveaway by copying and pasting the following (5 extra entries) :
  
  

  What's for dinner? No idea? Don't even want to think about it? Well, head over to the giveaway that Angie at 5 Vinez Monkeys is having featuring Relish! - a way-cool meal-planning service for busy moms. You can win a one-year subscription and not have to wonder what's for dinner! This is a fantastic giveaway that you won't want to miss. Stop by before 11:59pm ET on December 1st and enter to win!
  

  
  
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  Fine Print:
  Contest is open to ALL of my readers. If you already do any of the above, you qualify. Please leave a comment for each of the extra entries you complete. However, you must first leave the required comment as stated above. Giveaway will end on Tuesday, December 1st at 11:59pm (EST), and the winner will be selected via random.org. Winners will be announced by Wednesday, December 2nd, and will have 48 hours to claim their prize, or it will be forfeited and a new winner will be pulled.
  
  Disclaimer: I received a 1 month subscription to Relish! in order to get my honest and candid review.