Have you heard about... Blue Apron.

It's been a while since I've done a "Have you Heard About" post, and never before have I dedicated an entire post to 1 "you-must-know-about-this" item, but guys, this one is that good! So... have you heard about Blue Apron!?

I first read about Blue Apron HERE and then it started popping up on other blogs and in my social media feeds. My curiosity was piqued so when I saw a deal on Gilt City I decided to go for it. Here's the scoop:

- Blue Apron is a delivered-once-a-week subscription service for meals. The delivery you receive includes all the ingredients you need to make 3 meals, already divvied up into the right proportions (e.g., 6 oz salmon, 3 tsp paprika, 1/2 cup rice, etc) plus a colorful, step-by-step recipe card.

- You can order your 3 meals for 2, 4 or 6 people

- The cost of a 2-person Blue Apron delivery is $59.99 per week (aka, $10 per person, per meal)

- There is no additional delivery charge and you set your exact delivery day/time on the BA website (delivery map HERE). The box is insulated/contains ice packs so you have wiggle room before you need to get it into your fridge

- There is no commitment. The service sets you up to receive a box each week, but you can cancel any time before the weekly cut off and you can skip as many weeks in a row as you need.

My first delivery arrived promptly as scheduled and I was amazed at how neat and well labeled everything was:

Life does not come more self-explanatory than this

I cooked on Mon, Tues and Sunday last week. Here are the final results in all their "hellz yeah I made that!" glory:

Beef & Bulger-Stuffed Squash w Caesar Salad

Pan-Seared Salmon over Whole Wheat Israeli Couscous
with Fava Bean-Olive Relish

Chicken Thighs with Caramelized Fennel and Onions
& Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

They even guide you on how to plate everything to make it look extra purdy!! 

So ok, Blue Apron final thoughts:

* Pros

- SO.FREAKIN.CONVENIENT.

- Delicious! All 3 of our meals were awesome and far more fancy and inventive than anything I typically prepare. 

- The recipes are incredibly easy to follow, plus you get to start a collection of these laminated cards for future re-use.

- Diversity. In 1 week we ate beef, chicken and salmon. Niiiice.

- Everything was fresh and tasted it!

- The portion sizes were perfect. Fills you, but not stuffed, definitely not skimpy

* Cons

- BA definitely cuts down on food waste, but not packaging waste. All the little zip lock baggies and containers had me feeling more than a little bad for the environment.

- You can't select exactly which 3 meals you want from the weekly "On the Menu" page. BA selects 3 and if there's something you don't like, you go to your preferences and say "No fish", then they auto-select a different 3, cutting out the fish. Unfortunately this means you may lose the chance to try another recipe that you did like because BA decides which 3 create the best compliment to one another. My fingers are crossed they change this policy soon.

- It is SUPER easy to follow these recipes, but they are definitely more complex than my usual weeknight meals (more ingredients, more prep, more things to clean after). That said, the food is way tastier/more inventive than my usual fare and I don't think it's more than 20 extra minutes spent (plus Dr. H has been helping more which is fun!)

This is the PERFECT subscription for people who like to cook, but need to make the process as streamlined as possible. From a cost perspective, I would have a hard time doing better at the grocery store buying all these ingredients and from a final product standpoint, I couldn't have been more pleased with myself for preparing 3 delicious meals last week. PLUS, Blue Apron makes an awesome wedding gift (nothing says newlywed like cooking together) or maybe use it when you're planning to host a dinner party? The possibilities are endless, so I highly suggest you get your Blue Apron on today!

Reader's Note: This is not a sponsored post, I just loved me some Blue Apron THAT MUCH!

No need for Little Italy...

Another West Village Gem (located off Abingdon Square)

To dine at Piccolo Angolo is to be invited to dinner at the home of the Italian grandparents you never had. From the moment you speak to Renato, the (adorably charming) patriarch of this family run spot to make a reservation, until you stumble out the door, totally stuffed and carrying leftovers, Piccolo is going to have you smiling.

Cozy.

When you step into Piccolo Angolo, prepare for sensory overload. The brick lined interior is small, packed and operating with the volume turned all the way up. The single room with open kitchen in back greets you with delicious smells as you survey the surrounding tables for visual assistance selecting your order. I highly recommend making a reservation in advance to avoid a long wait if you're planning to dine during peak hours.

Order the meatballs. Seriously. Do it.

The (very reasonably priced!) menu at Piccolo is impossibly awesome and even better is that the kitchen is happy to get creative. You want to share one of their ENORMOUS meatballs as an appetizer? No problem! Sub the side order of pasta for linguine with clam sauce? For a small additional cost, Dr. H's wish was their command. The meats and cheeses on their antipasto were legit some of the tastiest I've ever had and I'm pretty sure you could drench anything in their red sauce and it would be mind-blowing (it's that good!) Homemade pastas, fresh seafood, decadent alfredo... I recommend heading to Piccolo with a group if for no other reason than to have more plates on the table to share.

Complimentary garlic bread. YUP!

And perhaps even more than the food (perhaps!) the thing I loved most about Piccolo was the family run charm. When your waitress is yelling "Dad!" to the waiter at the table next to you and she sends her brother over to talk to you about your wine selection, you remember that delicious meals need not come with a side of pretentiousness. 

I can't remember the last time I went out to eat with a group of people, all of whom left the table absolutely RAVING about every single bite. Next time you're looking for an Italian feast, Piccolo Angolo is the spot for you!

A(nother) tribute.

I just drooled on my keyboard.

Friends. The time has come... It's CANDY CORN SEASON!!! As you may recall, I once waxed poetic about the amazingness that is "seasonal candy" (refresh your memory HERE). Well, Friday night when I made a 10pm run to CVS for microwave popcorn and paper towels (it was a wild and crazy night) THIS happened:

Excuse the grey background, CVS
carpeting isn't the sexiest.

The orange aisle called to me and my first impulse purchase of the season was made (the autumn mix was opened and sampled for the duration of my walk home). Then of course there was the pit stop I had to make at Walgreens on my way to work this morning:

I cannot control myself.

Pretty much any time I walk into a convenience store for the next 4 weeks, I will walk out with an orange Brachs product in my hand. And here's why: Candy Corn and Candy Pumpkins are AMAZING. Sugary deliciousness, limited availability, two sizes/consistencies (corn = little nibble of sweetness; pumpkin = big burst of sugar), how can anyone claim that this stuff isn't just the bees knees!?!?! Annnnd unless you have some sort of superhuman stomach lining and a tolerance for sugar which exceeds that of us mere mortals, there's no way you can have more than a handful of these sweet treats at a time. You have a few bites and then stop for fear of a terrible tummy ache. I mean, what other candy has such an effective built in "do not over eat" mechanism!?! Even stand-alone delicious products like M&Ms and Oreos want to get in on the seasonal goodness:

Where!? Where do I find these!?

This "holiday season" be sure to take a moment to stop and taste the sugar... Just don't forget to brush your teeth afterwards! (<--- Spoken like a true daughter/sister of a dentist ha!)