Barefoot + Pregnant in the Kitchen

Anyone who has ever been to my house for a dinner party knows that my husband is a phenomenal cook. He enjoys it; it is a stress release for him and he loves to entertain. I too love to entertain, especially when that just means Pinterest-worthy table settings, filling drinks and catching up with friends or fam.

But we are both entrepreneurs and the weekdays can be hectic, especially with a toddler and another babe on the way. Late nights at the office and emails that need to be answered can rob the joy and relaxation from meal preparation – so I try to play the ‘housewife’ role as best I can and cook some nights to lighten Jay’s load in the kitchen, but honestly, it feels like such an enormous task!

First, it’s finding the right recipe (and being pregnant, almost NOTHING has sounded appealing lately!). Then it’s wrangling Aspen for a trip to the store to get all the things because who actually just always has fresh basil and chicken stock on hand? Then its navigating the recipe which can sometimes take an hour to two if I get distracted with calls or email – and by that time I’m exhausted and simply preparing dinner has now consumed my entire day. Am I alone? Why is this so hard?? 

Enter Fresh Prep. I’ve heard of this service before and I’m not sure why I didn’t try them sooner. They are local to Vancouver, which I love, and that also means they are sourcing local seasonal (and organic!) ingredients. And DELIVERING THEM TO MY DOOR. In mommy-world, anyone who delivers things directly to my door is an A-player. I digress. 

So, they effectively take recipe sourcing and the grocery store outing off my hands which is half the battle, so all that’s left is actually preparing the meal. I can do this. The recipes are all designed to be prepared in around 30 minutes or less but are not basic and boring. So far, we’ve enjoyed East Van Roasters Coffee Rubbed Flat Iron Steak, Basil and Yogurt Chicken Pasta Salad, Salmon Gemelli in White Wine Cream Sauce, Spice Rubbed Chicken Breast, Tangy Tamarind Chipotle Cod and One Pan Moroccan Chicken Thighs. 

This has been game changer for us at meal time. I have never been busier with raising a toddler, finishing my third trimester of pregnancy, launching a business with a full event schedule while trying to maintain a level of mindfulness and presence in my home that my family deserves. I am now cooking dinner two nights a week which Jay actually loves (and it kinda feeds my Superwoman complex a little too :). 

Mommy or not, I can’t recommend this service highly enough! Give it a try for yourself and see what you think! New Fresh Prep subscribers can get 3 FREE meals with code GRETFRESH18.