Freshly is a meal delivery service, but unlike other services, the meals come fully cooked and all you have to do is heat and eat. You get to choose from a weekly menu, which usually features over 30 different meals, and your meals arrive the following week. They are even offering breakfasts! All of their meals are pretty healthy – they’re packed with protein, gluten free and free from added sugars. The meals arrive in an insulated box packed with ice packs. Mine were delivered while I was at work, but were still cold when I opened up the box in the afternoon.

Freshly was kind enough to send me my first six meals free and I chose: Shrimp Fajitas, Homestyle Meatloaf, Southwest Chicken Bowl, Roasted Turkey, Jerk Chicken and Paleo Porridge. The meals range between $8.99 – $12.50 per meal depending on which plan you choose. I think you get the most bang for your buck when you choose dinners over breakfasts.

Each meal comes with custom instructions on how to heat for optimal results. It is recommended that you plate the meals for the best results, but there are also directions to heat right in the package.

All of the meals were delicious – not the kind of meals that you would expect when you think of precooked meals. They were flavorful, packed with veggies and the perfect portion to fill you up, but not make you hate yourself when dinner is over.

These meals are ideal for families, who want a healthier option than take-out on busy nights. I think they would also be great gift to send to a new mom who is getting used to life with a new baby and doesn’t have time to cook. (A gift certificate would make an awesome shower gift!)

Check out Freshly to see what’s on their menu this week! Use promo code pin639, to get $20 off your first order of their 6 meal plan.

The post Quick Dinners for Busy Families: A Freshly Review appeared first on Frolic Through Life.

We pulled up at MP Taverna hoping for a seat in the garden, but our waiter, Dan, informed us that they were still working on permits and were not allowed to let people dine out there just yet. Our waiter was amazing and let Alex chose our table. He selected a table next to the big window. While we browsed the menus, Dan put Alex to work, asking him to help bring water to the table and even place our orders into the computer. Alex was thrilled and had such a blast through the whole meal.

And if the service wasn’t enough to convince us to come back, on top of it all the food was A-MAZE-ING!

We started with the Greek Antipasti. I rewrote this sentence like 10 times before deciding to say – just go and try it for yourself because my words won’t describe it properly for you anyway. A close second was – SO GOOD!

For my entree I got the Spicy Greek Paella, which was made with orzo instead of rice, Tommy got the lamb burger and Alex ordered the meatballs. All of our entrees were delicious and super hearty. I ended up bringing my paella home and finishing it for breakfast the next morning.

Even though we were full from dinner, we had promised Alex that we can go for ice cream. We decided to be adventurous again and headed over to -321 for some ice cream that is made in front of you using liquid nitrogen.

There is a menu of about 8-10 flavors, some of which are permanent and some seasonal. We chose three different flavors to try- Cookies & Creme, Milk Biscuit and Mint Chip. The ice cream was pretty good and it was really cool to see the smoke coming out of the machines as our ice cream was made. If you’re planning on stopping in, don’t be intimidated by the crowd of people. It takes a few minutes to make the ice cream and the shop is small, making it look really crowded when there is virtually no wait.

With our bellies full of Greek food and ice cream, we headed home.

What did you do this weekend?

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I went through our kitchen and pulled out some ingredients that I felt would work well together and viola, the Asian quinoa salad came to life. Not only is it delicious, it is packed with veggies. While it is pretty healthy, the taste reminded me of some of my not-so-healthy favorites from Chinese takeout, without the empty calories and MSG.

4.2 from 5 reviews

Asian Quinoa Salad

 

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Recipe type: Sidedish

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa uncooked
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• 2 teaspoon sesame oil
• ½ red onion
• 1 red pepper
• 2 cups shelled edamame
• 1 cup frozen corn
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ¼ teaspoon grated ginger (or powder in you don't have fresh)
• sesame seeds to garnish

Instructions

1. Cook quinoa according to package instruction in water, chicken broth and 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Let cool.
2. Defrost corn.
3. In a large bowl, combine red onion, pepper, edamame, corn and quinoa. Set aside.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, remaining sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, ginger and red pepper flakes.
5. Pour over the salad and combine well.
6. Refrigerate for at least a half an hour for best results.
7. Garnish with sesame seeds before serving.

3.5.3208

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5.0 from 1 reviews

Italian Quinoa and Sausage Stuffed Peppers

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

40 mins

Total time

55 mins

 

Serves: 6 peppers

Ingredients

• 3 bell peppers, cut in half lengthwise
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound Italian sausage
• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• 12 ounces tomato sauce
• Salt
• Fresh ground pepper
• 4 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In cast iron skillet, heat one tablespoon olive oil and sear peppers until slightly browned.
3. In a separate skillet, heat remaining olive oil and cook onion and garlic until translucent.
4. Remove sausage from casing and add to onion and garlic.
5. Once sausage is fully cooked, stir in quinoa and all but a few teaspoons of tomato sauce. Combine well and season to taste with salt and pepper.
6. Stuff the peppers with the sausage and quinoa mixture.
7. Top each pepper with teaspoon of tomato sauce and sprinkle of shredded mozzarella cheese.
8. Bake for 20 minutes, until cheese turns brown and bubbly.
9. (The filling may also be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for a few days.)

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 1 pepper

3.2.2802

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This is probably the best stuffed pepper recipe that I have ever made, and I can see this becoming a staple meal at our house. If you make the filling ahead of time, this whole meal can come together within a half hour, which is perfect for busy weeknights.

Hope you enjoy!

What’s your favorite quick weeknight meal?

linking up with the happy housie

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While I do love a good snow day, week after week of never melting snow has gotten old, really quickly. When I have to go out into this terrible weather, I always find myself craving some kind of warm comfort food when I finally make it back indoors. Over the weekend, I cooked up a big pot of Beef Barley Soup and it totally hit the spot after our long, icy trek home today.

Beef Barley Soup

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

3 hours

Total time

3 hours 20 mins

 

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 lbs lean beef stew meat in chunks
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 8 cups water
• 2 tsp garlic salt
• black pepper
• 3 bay leaves
• ⅔ cup dry barley
• 1 8oz. can tomato sauce

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.
2. Add beef and stir until brown.
3. When meat is browned, add carrots, onions, celery and garlic. Allow vegetables to brown for about 5 minutes.
4. Add water, garlic salt, pepper and bay leaves and bring to a boil.
5. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until the meat is soft, about 2 hours.
6. Add the barley and tomato sauce and simmer an additional 30 minutes.

3.2.2802

Even though it seems like Beef Barley Soup takes forever to cook, it is a very easy recipe. Once you throw everything in the pot and bring it to a simmer, you don’t have to check on it much until it’s time to put in the barley. I put the soup on and was able to get a bunch of chores done before returning to a kitchen smelling of yummy soup.

What’s your favorite winter comfort food? How’s the weather in your area?

The post Beef Barley Soup appeared first on Frolic Through Life.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Stuffed Zucchini Boats

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

1 hour 5 mins

 

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4 medium zucchini
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, diced
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 tablespoon sriracha
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper to taste
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Wash zucchini well and slice in half lengthwise.
3. With a spoon, scoop out the seeded fleshy part of the zucchini to create the inside of you boat.
4. In a skillet, saute garlic and onions until the onions become translucent.
5. Add in bell peppers and continue to cook until soft.
6. Add turkey and spices to skillet and saute until fully cooked and combined with the veggies.
7. Once the turkey is fully cooked, remove from heat.
8. Add Parmesan cheese and mix well.
9. Fill the zucchini boats with the turkey mixture and sprinkle on top with more cheese.
10. Bake for 45 minutes or until the zucchini is fork tender.

3.2.1230

With three weeks of zucchini in a row from CSA, this was a yummy way to make sure it didn’t go to waste. Hope you enjoy!

What’s your favorite summer veggie?

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We started dinner with drinks. I definitely needed a drink after two days of studying. The Wasabi Margarita caught my eye right away. The margarita itself wasn’t spicy, but the glass was rimmed in sweetened wasabi which did had a bit of a kick.

We were pretty hungry going into dinner since we had only eaten breakfast that morning, so we started with some appetizers. Being a huge fan of tuna, Tommy immediately suggested the Tuna Tartare Tacos. This was probably the most interesting presentation of Tuna Tartare that I’ve ever seen. The tuna was served in a crispy shell

and topped with Wasabi Guacamole.

We also ordered the Korean Style Chicken Wings. I had read in multiple reviews that the wings were great and I since couldn’t remember the last time I had wings, it struck a major craving. The wings were spicy, but not too spicy and hit the spot. The chili flakes on them make the eating process a little messy, but wings are always messy.

We also split a sushi roll – the Smoke Stacks. Spiced tuna, avocado, kani and oshinko in marbled seaweed topped with tobiko.

Finally, for my entree I went with the Pan Roasted Chicken Breast which was marinated in Sake Teriyaki and served with a side of Chinese broccoli and pineapple fried rice. I don’t usually order chicken when we go out to eat, and I was this.close to getting the salmon, but the pineapple fried rice caught my eye and I couldn’t say no. The chicken was very moist and the teriyaki gave it a great flavor. The rice didn’t disappoint either!

Tommy went with the Soba Noodle Stir Fry with chicken.

Overall, we had a great dining experience. The food was very good, the service was decent and the views were amazing. I definitely recommend it!

The post #WIAW – Penthouse 808, Long Island City appeared first on Frolic Through Life.

one of them. I’ve eaten tofu on tons of occasions, but I’ve never worked with it myself, and quite frankly, it intimidated me. On my last trip to Trader Joe’s I decided to take the plunge and bought a package of tofu, with no real idea of what I was going to do with it. It sat in my fridge for about a week, until I got my Rachael Ray magazine in the mail and I was inspired by a recipe.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Tofu Peanut Noodles

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Recipe type: vegetarian, vegan

Ingredients

• 16 ounces firm tofu, cubed
• ¼ cup peanut butter
• ¼ cup liquid aminos (or soy sauce)
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• ½ pound linguine (I used quinoa pasta)
• 1 head broccoli, cut into florets

Instructions

1. Bake tofu at 425 degrees on parchment-lined baking sheet for 10 minutes.
2. Combine peanut butter, liquid aminos and rice vinegar in a small bowl.
3. Cook noodles according to instructions on box, adding broccoli 5 minutes before noodles are done.
4. Drain noodles, toss with sauce and tofu.

3.2.1226

I ended up eating these noddles for dinner and as lunch for the next two days. I was sad to see the bottom of the Tupperware, because they were amazing. This is the type of dish you can make and enjoy for days because it reheats great. Happy Eating!

What’s an ingredient that intimidated you until you tried cooking with it?

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Speaking of Trader Joe’s, I’ve also been enjoying their pre-made sushi. I love that they use brown rice!

My number one new favorite thing in life is the Almond Coco Loco Chobani. If you can find these in your supermarket, jump on them. They are like dessert in Chobani form.

Another thing that I’ve been slightly obsessed with are English cucumbers. I have been eating these as a crispy treat with Chiptole Pepper Hummus. Delish!

This is Vegetarian Duck with Mushroom in Garlic Sauce from Chai Thai, where we went for dinner over the weekend. I’m not sure where vegetarian duck comes from, but it might just be heaven.

Lox are one of favorite things to get when we go out for bagels for breakfast, so I decided to recreate it at home. Not as great as it would be on a fresh bagel, but not too shabby either.

Black Bean Veggie Meatball Pitas. When I told Tommy what I was making for dinner, he told me that he wasn’t looking forward to it until he tried them. They were very yummy.

Soy Glazed Salmon. Only 15 minutes under the broiler and dinner was served.

So these are my meatless eats so far. I thought that I would miss eating meat, but it’s been a week and I haven’t had a single craving. I always had a feeling that I would do well as a vegetarian. I think that Lent will show me that I don’t really enjoy eating meat as much as I thought I did and that veggies are my BFFs.

What was the best thing you ate this week?

The post Meatless WIAW appeared first on Frolic Through Life.

We had a ton of fun visiting all of the animals. We also went over to the Children’s Zoo where you get to feed the farm animals. While Munchkin was busy feeding the sheep when the llama in the same pen got a little peeved and tried to eat his hat instead. That, or he was just a fan of Angry Birds and wanted a sweet looking hat.

After the zoo, we were all pooped. We headed home and all took a nap, which is highly uncommon for me. I woke up feeling refreshed and hungry. When my two gentlemen finally awoke, we decided on Chai for dinner. Chai recently opened up in Williamsburg and was filled to the brim when we got there. There was a bit of a wait, but we got to sit next to a little reflecting pool with super cute decor. Munchkin kept trying to blow out the candles which kept him occupied for a long time, since they were battery powered.

We knew what appetizers we wanted as

soon as we were seated because we had looked at a menu while we were waiting. I went for the Thai crab cakes with lemongrass mayo and Tommy opted for the Crispy Spring Rolls with homemade plum sauce. Both apps were spot on, and I really enjoyed the flavor that the lemongrass mayo gave to the crab cakes. I also enjoyed a drink, whose name I cannot remember, nor find on their website, but it was tequila with champagne. It was strong but very tasty, and made me a little giggly.

For my entree I got the Vegetarian Duck with Mushrooms in Garlic Sauce. I usually go for noodle dishes when we go for Thai, but I was very pleased that I decided to try something new. The sauce was delicious, and the “duck” tasted just like the real thing.

Another plus of Chai was the price-tag. We all enjoyed our meals and drinks and the prices were very reasonable. Chai will definitely be thrown into our rotation of dinner places, but I think we will be frequenting it during off peak times to avoid the wait.

What did you do this weekend? What’s the last new restaurant you tried?

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