...because home doesn't happen overnight.

blue apron vacation 2

I’ve been subscribing to Blue Apron for a little over a year now. The family plan is perfect for us: 2 adults, 3 young kids. I use it for especially hectic weeks when our family schedule is extra busy and also for weeks when Steve is out of town and I’m winging the single parenting thing. It’s a huge relief finding the box of farm fresh ingredients on my doorstep, knowing I can postpone a trip to the grocery store for a few more days.

blue apron vacation 4

blue apron vacation 3

Trying out new chef-designed recipes at home gets us out of the dinner rut and gives me more confidence in the kitchen, too. The filipino-style beef picadillo and fish & sweet potato chips are on regular rotation at our house.

blue apron vacation 8

blue apron vacation 6

blue apron vacation 7

The kids are always excited when a Blue Apron delivery shows up. The only part they don’t like is sometimes waiting for me to take pictures of the food before they can eat it ;)

Last fall when we were gearing up for our family vacation to Rosemary Beach, I was making a list of food items to pack. To save money, I was packing breakfast, lunch and snack items. We usually eat half of our dinners out on vacation, but I wanted to cook at least two dinners. (The beach house we rented boasted a full kitchen.) I could see that space in the cooler was going to be tight and that’s when it hit me! Why not schedule a Blue Apron delivery to our vacation rental? And that’s exactly what I did.

I set it up to arrive early in the week, a day or two after our arrival. It was delivered to our porch while we were at the beach but, no worries, the box was refrigerated. It was so convenient! No need to hunt down a local grocery store in an unfamiliar city and then spend way too much vacation time trying to figure out where everything is. No need to buy a box of stick butter just for one tablespoon. All the ingredients are shipped pre-measured so there’s no waste and no rummaging around a rental kitchen for a measuring spoon or cup. (The only ingredients you might need on hand are olive oil, salt and pepper – which our rental supplied but you might want to pack them if possible.)

If you plan to cook on vacation, Blue Apron is ideal. There were a few evenings towards the end of our stay where we didn’t feel like rushing back from the beach, cleaning up and going out for dinner. That’s when I cooked. No one wants to take a cranky, overtired toddler out to dinner at a restaurant, am I right?

Do you have a U.S. vacation coming up? Maybe a staycation? If you plan on cooking, I would suggest giving Blue Apron a try. They deliver to most of the country, including Texas now! As always, shipping is free.

*BONUS* – The first 100 readers will get two meals off their first Blue Apron order FREE! Just click here.

Happy cooking and vacationing!

*This post sponsored in part by Blue Apron. Thank you for supporting the brands that support this blog.

images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

27 Comments

I literally am reading this as I sit at my desk eating my Blue Apron leftovers! We love it and rarely do we not have leftovers as each menu makes a meal for well more than 2 people. We’ve also brought the box on vacation with us and it couldn’t be simpler. I feel like so many bloggers are being sponsored by Blue Apron, but it doesn’t bother me in the least! Everyone I’ve gifted it to loves it too, so give it a try!

28.May.2015

What a GREAT idea, Dana!

28.May.2015

I think I have waited long enough, I have to try this. My husband goes on overnight trips and all motivation to cook goes out the window, maybe this can bring that back.
Thanks for sharing….
Also, where did you get that cute salad bowl, with the red stripe? I love it!

28.May.2015

Blue Apron is finally delivering to where we live! Excited to finally get to try this out…looking forward to my first delivery in June.

28.May.2015

I am doing weight watchers and have really lost all motivation to cook, which is not good since you are supposed to keep things interesting. I wouldn’t mind having someone make those decisions for me. :)

28.May.2015

Enough with the Blue Apron posts.

28.May.2015

Where are those plates/bowls from? I just love how they are nested together!

28.May.2015

Snarky, no one makes you come here to read this free-to-you content….anyways, Blue Apron sounds way better then wasting money on eating out!

28.May.2015

I would love to give it a try – can get the kids to try something new and different

28.May.2015

Dana this is a genius idea! We always stay in a rental apartment on holidays (because where would I put the 2yo in a hotel – the bathroom?!) and struggle with buying/bringing groceries! This is perfect.

28.May.2015

So does Blue Apron have all their sponsored bloggers on a schedule or something? I don’t mind the posts, and I think your suggestion of having it delivered on vacation is a great idea, but it seems like every blog I read posts about Blue Apron at the same time! LOL

28.May.2015

Uncommon Goods! They were a gift a few years back. (They had been on my wish list for a while.) I LOVE them!

http://www.uncommongoods.com/product/soup-and-sandwich-ceramic-tray-duo

28.May.2015

It’s from a local antique market. I couldn’t pass it up!

29.May.2015

It seems like Blue Apron would have to create a lot of wasteful packaging/cooling packs. Can you tell more about the packaging and waste that comes with a shipment?

29.May.2015

Hi Dana!

Do you still have the VRBO # for the beach house you rented last year? My family is trying to throw together a summer vacation and would love to look into Rosemary beach!

Jaclyn

29.May.2015

This is a great idea, however, I have had some issues with Blue Apron that are worth mentioning. I have used this product (thanks to a coupon from this blog) for about 2.5 mos now. For the most part, the meals have been delicious, easy and fun to make. I am beginning to wonder if the company has grown too quickly, however, because we have started to have some issues. We have had 2 out of the last 3 deliveries come late and the food spoiled. The customer service reps are very difficult to get a hold of as well. It takes at least 3-4 calls to actually connect with a person. I have yet to get a response to any of the 3 emails I have sent as well. This is troubling and often indicates an overwhelmed company. I will say that after 1+ hours trying to get a rep, they did refund me fully and give me $$ off my next order. For that, I am grateful. This is not meant to be a slam to this company but just a “heads up” to interested customers. I am still ordering (because the meals are great) but I will cancel my subscription if I have any more issues moving forward.

Love it. So simple but delicious.

30.May.2015

So sorry you had a bad experience! I am going to forward your comment on to Blue Apron to provide them with feedback.

30.May.2015

Most of it is recyclable! I reused the freezer packs in our cooler at the beach and on the way home from vacation.

31.May.2015

You know, I love grocery shopping and reading recipe blogs so this service has never really appealed to me, but this sounds like just about the perfect use for it. I might also be saying that because it’s bizarrely cold in Chicago right now, and a beach vacation sounds reeeal nice after wearing a winter hat today.

01.June.2015

I actually looked into this twice, however it is so expensive! I don’t mind that you boast about the ease of the product being delivered & pre-measured, but please don’t compare the cost to eating out because it’s the same.

01.June.2015

So smart!! We should have done this. Spent twice as much and ended up stuffing sources in our luggage! ; )

02.June.2015

I don’t think I made that comparison.

02.June.2015

I too say enough of the Blue Apron posts.

02.June.2015

Hi Dana! Thanks for the reply and for forwarding my comments. I was pleasantly surprised to get a message from Blue Apron today with an apology and one week of service for free. I felt very compelled to re-post on here and give them credit for this response.

Thanks again!!

03.June.2015

I’m glad they made right. Personally, I’ve never had an issue with late or spoiled deliveries so I appreciate your feedback! I hope you have a better experience from here on out.

14.March.2016

This really does seem to be stress-free and the finished product looks amazing. One of my friends had mentioned Blue Apron to me last summer but I never looked it it up properly, however this is now a second reminder so I’ve put it in my diary as a ‘must try’ for this coming summer!