Carrot Laced Manicotti

Yummy, huh?

Let me tell you a little about myself...
-I used to live in a decently large town with access to grocery galore, but now live in a teeny tiny, yet wonderful village (Yes, it's not even a town), population 1400.
-I am in no way a creative cook and was notorious for running to the store for my missing ingredient, which is no longer an option unless I want to pay $10 for a bag of cheese at the gas station.
-I easily get in kitchen ruts, making the same couple of meals over and over and over...I'm bored just thinking about it.
-I am also prone to spending too much at the grocery store b/c I'm not good at planning out my meals, which leads to waste and a bill that makes me want to throw up.

So...starting in January, I decided to own up to my many failings and let someone else do the work. I registered for e-mealz. For a 3 month membership of $15 (and I found a coupon to take $2.50 off by googling), I get a weekly menu plan and grocery list. All I do is print it off, buy the items on the grocery list, and get to cooking.

Andy and I opted for the low fat plan for 2, which gives 5 meals for 2-3 people and costs on average $35-$45 per week. We almost always have leftovers for lunch the next day, a lower weekly bill, and I couldn't be happier!

Here are the pros:
-I don't have to think about what to make.
-Andy and I never end up arguing over what to have for dinner that week.
-We haven't disliked a single recipe.
-They are easy to make and sneak in veggies for kids (like carrots in manicotti!).
-I am making things that I would never voluntarily make like sausage and chicken gumbo or white bean chili.
-The meals only cycle back in every 5-6 months, which means that we will never be bored.
-Our weekly bills have decreased noticeably.

What I'm trying to say is...I give two thumbs way up for E-mealz! It gives me so much domestic joy that I just had to share. And if you're anything like me, I'd recommend cruising on over to e-mealz.com