True story: Andy didn’t know how to cook until I taught him. Yup, my 31 yr. old husband didn’t know how to make pasta until a few years ago. I’m talking boiling water + cooking noodles. Now he’s cooking up Baja fish tacos and fettuccine with scallops. I’d like to take all the credit but the reality is that Home Chef was really my co-partner in teaching my husband how to cook. Let’s start from the beginning…

Our food/eating habits have evolved just as our relationship has: in the beginning it was all about dining out. Then, as we got more comfortable, we found ourselves in the ordering-in phase (which really takes a toll on the bank account). It wasn’t until this summer, after we got married, that we both looked at each other and said “we’ve got to start stocking our fridge and cooking!” Honestly, the “what are we having for dinner?” question was starting to get on both of our nerves and we were spending STUPID amounts of money ordering in every night. My biggest hesitation was Andy’s lack of cooking skills (ie: I didn’t want to be the sole chef in our house), but I decided to bite the bullet with a meal kit subscription. Enter: Home Chef.

We started getting Home Chef delivered in August and it’s been everything we could’ve hoped for and more. First off, our cooking nights have become mini date nights where we both stay off our phones and just hang out in the kitchen with each other. It’s been great to have food in the fridge and not think about going to the grocery store which has always been one of my pain points of cooking in the past. More than anything, we’ve saved a significant amount of money vs. ordering in and are definitely eating way healthier.

A month ago we decided to participate in Home Chef’s #homechefmealmakeover challenge where we made fab meals for four weeks straight and I have to say, I think we might be professional chefs now - hah! The best part is that we came out the other side so much more confident in the kitchen which is really 75% off the battle. Our fave recipes:

Baja Fish Tacos - first time ever cooking fish!

Scallop Scampi - first time ever cooking scallops!

Breaded Italian Chicken with Cauliflower Mash - Andy LOVED the cauliflower mash (duh!) which is huge because he is NOT a veggie person at all. Winning!

Prosciutto and Shaved Brussels Pizza - probably the best recipe we’ve ever made!

The step by step instructions and portioned ingredients are EXTREMELY helpful for a newbie like Andy. And for me, I’ve always found it a challenge knowing what order to cook things in (ie: don’t want to meat to be done before the sides) and I’ve learned so much about that during this challenge.

We are headed out of the country for a month (eek, so excited!) and I’ve already gone through and skipped our weeks and made our meal selections for the week we get back. It’s SO easy to stop and start AND depending on your schedule you can decide how many meals per week you receive. Legit not kidding when I say we adore this service. Btw, EDP followers get $30 off their first order - promise, you’re going to heart it just like we do! Use CODE: EDP30.

Off to Kenya!! xx - Ashley