food Archives - Jen is on a Journey

TableRunner Meal Delivery Service + Golden State Warriors and Steph Curry Promotion

June 16, 2015 by The Mom Jen 1 Comment

The most amazing thing happened to me the other day. After a long day of work, I was headed home to start my real job of being a mom. I was focused on who had to be to what practices and which board meeting I needed to type minutes for. Of course, the constant nagging thought was, “What the heck am I going to make for dinner?” With that thought came, “Darn it! What the heck do I even have in the fridge?” I was resigning myself to a making a trip to the store in my “free” time when I pulled into my driveway. This is where you can insert the sounds of angels singing. As I rushed out of the car, I noticed an orange box on my front porch. Like manna from heaven, I realized it was my first order from TableRunner.

I know what you’re thinking, TableRunner? What’s that? I want one! I’ll tell you what it is. It’s gourmet food, ready to heat and eat, sitting on your front porch when you get home! I simply visited the website, chose my favorites and it showed up on my porch. I’ll be honest, when I was first approached to try a fresh food delivery service I thought there is no way this is going to be very tasty. Convenient, sure, but delicious, no way. Well, I was very wrong. Let me break this down for you.

Inside the adorable orange box I found great packaging that was keeping the dishes very cold. We received four assorted meals. The great thing was that they were all able to be warmed up at the same temperature for the same amount of time. We’re not talking boring pot roast or enchiladas and please don’t picture a TV dinner. These were things like, Pesto Crusted Chicken Breast, Balsamic Glazed Short Ribs and Blackened Pork Tenderloin. The meals are locally sourced so they are so fresh! The flavors are varied and complex. Not like many heat and eat meals where everything tastes the same.

Their whole packaging approach is really cool too. Everything is tightly packaged and surrounded with several ice packs (which were still frozen solid). The best part, you simply tape it all back up and leave on your porch. When they deliver your next order, they take last week’s packaging. Gotta love this green approach. TableRunner recycles 100% of their packaging.

There are some drawbacks. The portions are not huge. Which, for me, was great portion control. However, my 2 teenage sons were looking for more. Especially since the food was so tasty. It’s a bit pricey for a family. My budget wouldn’t allow me to replace my entire weeknight menu with TableRunner meals. I definitely see this as a fantastic gift for a new mom, someone who’s had surgery or a death in the family. I can see myself ordering during the crazy busy times in our household. It’s so nice to know you won’t have to rush out to fast food even when the family calendar is jam-packed.

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS PROMOTION
For the playoffs and now the championship series, TableRunner crafted a special recipe inspired by Steph Curry. The new dish showcases the company’s commitment to “keeping it local” and making sure they are creating and delivering food that Bay Area residents are looking for – quality cuisine, lifestyle centric, and out of the box. The company also sent the Warriors 150 free meals (including Steph’s dish) last week

TableRunner has created a limited edition Warriors t-shirt that will be included with the meal’s of new and veteran meal subscribers! Go Warriors!

Next time you’re looking at your calendar and feel like you can’t breathe, do yourself a favor. Stop by TableRunner.com and order a week of gourmet meals. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised as I was.

Erin is a writer for Jen is on a Journey. She’s a 40 year old Student Data Specialist at a rural K-8th grade school, but her most important job in life is being a wife (married almost 21 years) and mom to two boys 18 and 15. Ever the multi-tasker, she loves to volunteer and be involved with her boys’ activities. Vice President of the High School all sport booster club and Player Agent of the local Babe Ruth baseball league, her greatest joy is watching her boys do what they love. In her spare time (what’s that?) she enjoys custom making & selling t-shirts, sweatshirts and other gift items. A HUGE fan of all things sparkly, she tries to leave a little trail of glitter wherever she goes. erinlivingston521@gmail.com

Product was sent for honest review, all opinions are 100% my own.

Saag’s Gordon Biersch Beer Bratwurst

October 31, 2013 by The Mom Jen 2 Comments

When I was a little girl we lived in Germany for three years, thanks to my father’s service in the Army. During those years we were introduced to a lot of wonderful German things, but a standout for me has always been the food. Naturally I didn’t partake of the beer back then, but I became a lover of all things that ended in the word “wurst.” My mother enjoyed cooking up various version of wurst and serving them with spaetzle and sauerkraut and German potato salad. (I’m making myself hungry just thinking of it.)

These days I don’t get to enjoy these glorious German foods as often as I’d like, so I jumped at the chance to try Saag’s Bistro’s new Gordon Biersch Beer Bratwurst. And I’m so glad I did! Not only did we receive the chance to try the wurst, but Gordon Biersch was kind enough to include a variety of their ales for us to partake with, which we were happy to do. There are various ways to cook wurst, but a favorite of mine is to simply put them in a skillet with some water and heat them up. This keeps them from overcooking on the outside, and makes them moist and juicy on the inside. We served them up on French rolls and put out various flavors of mustard to try them with. Each of us tried something different. My fiance added cheese and ketchup to his, and my son did the same. My daughter and I went the mustard route and were both happy. I especially enjoyed a sweeter champagne flavored mustard — it complemented the brat nicely. To wash it down my fiancé and I both partook of a Gordon Biersch beer — him the Blonde Bock and me the FestBier. Both were delicious but secretly I liked mine better. It just TASTED like Oktoberfest! The food and drink worked together very well.

To help get your Oktoberfest on ANY time of the year, head to your local grocer and pick up some Saag’s Bistro Beer Bratwurst and get yourself a German meal on the table. You’ll be doing the chicken dance and toasting your friends in no time!

Merrie is a writer for the Jen is on a Journey and you can also find her at her blog, Sleepless Mornings: “I’m the mother of two beautiful children, newly engaged, a scrapbooker, a baker, and sometimes I’m even fun to be around!”

Product was sent to facilitate this review, all opinions my own.

Nonni’s Biscotti Review

May 13, 2013 by The Mom Jen 2 Comments

I’ve always been a breakfast person. Some people skip it, but I feel better from the get go if I start my day with at least a little something and not an empty stomach. Thanks to an opportunity to review Nonni’s Biscotti, I’ve had a lot of great starts lately!

Let me first say that I am a dunker. That’s right, I dunk my biscotti right into my coffee before every single bite. I don’t think I’m original with this concept, but I think it’s worth noting so that it’s clear how I enjoy my biscotti. I want it soft and flavored with a bit of my coffee so that it melts in my mouth every time. And yes, that’s just how it is to enjoy some Nonni’s!

Thanks to Costco I was aware of the Almond Dark Chocolate flavor, which I purchased a while back in a nice sized tub from their store. Because each of the biscotti are individually wrapped, they stay fresh and ready to eat at a moments notice. This is handy for this mom on the go! What I didn’t know is that they make the same flavor in a bite size. This is handy but also means I can eat more of them in one sitting! 😉

The other wonderful flavors I was happy to try out included Classic Almond, Caramel Milk Chocolate, Cioccolati and Salted Caramel. They were all fantastic and happily eaten up by both my kids and I. It turns out they are also delicious when dunked in milk — this according to my son, who ate most of the Caramel Milk Chocolate bites! My favorite was the Cioccolati, which isn’t shocking since I’m a lover of chocolate, but it wasn’t overwhelming, either. Those came individually wrapped and have managed to last to this day. I won’t say where I’m hiding them.

Another favorite was the Salted Caramel. One thing I would suggest is that this is a sweeter cookie and is best served as a dessert. I imagine either enjoying one in the afternoon with a little pick-me-up cup of coffee, or perhaps after dinner with a cup of decaf or a dessert drink. No matter when you eat it, it’s a tasty treat.

My eyes weren’t very open to biscotti before now, but I have since seen Nonni’s on the shelves in all of my local grocery stores. I’m glad to know that when the last crumb is dipped, I can pick up some more very conveniently. Thank you to Nonni’s Biscotti for sending me these delicious samples, along with a darling mug that I use frequently. This cookie lover appreciates it!
Merrie is a writer for the Jen is on a Journey and you can also find her at her blog, Sleepless Mornings: “I’m the mother of two beautiful children, an Executive Assistant, a scrapbooker, a baker, and sometimes I’m even fun to be around!”
Product was sent for honest review, all opinions my own.

Carmel-by-the-Sea Dining: Mundaka Spanish Tapas

April 12, 2013 by The Mom Jen 6 Comments

My first time at a Spanish Tapas restaurant was just last month in Carmel-by-the-Sea, a little hidden treasure called Mundaka. If you’ve never had “tapas” they are Spanish for appetizers, little bites, snacks, something I thought would be perfect as my husband and I tend to share our meals more often than not. But at Mundaka, you won’t find the run of the mill appetizers, you get flavor explosions and out of the ordinary cuisine!

Packed full on a Saturday night, you know the restaurant is going to be good! A full bar is inside, two rooms (plus they’re expanding), a movie screen, joyful servers, and smiles are all you see on peoples’ faces! My husband and I have begun the habit of sharing our meals, so at Mundaka, we thought, “perfect, we’ll sample a little of everything!”

We started with what was called a “Tortilla” (top right of photo) but was more like a potato, onion, sea salt, and egg cake. Just a wedge to share, I likened it to a breakfast casserole and I couldn’t stop eating it or sharing. It was hearty and the comfort food I love!

Next up was the Hamburguesa, a lamb slider with pickled cauliflower that gave it a slight tartness and some great texture to each bite. Accompanied by truffle fries this was a meal in itself and it was so good, yet my husband seemed to devour it all on his own! We tried the Judias Blancas, a white bean gratin and it was lacking in flavor for me, I added some sea salt and it was just okay.

My favorite of the night was the Albondigas. Now my dad makes a Mexican style albondigas soup and I had to try Mundaka’s version which was not quite like grandpa makes. Clams and chorizo meatballs over saffron couscous sounded so unique and the flavors were out of this world. The meatballs were spicy like I love and I could have eaten a dozen, mixed with the clams and silky texture of the couscous each bite just packed a flavor punch! My husband believed the saffron was a bit too floral for his palate, but I liked it balancing the spice in the dish.

The food, the wine, the atmosphere will definitely bring us back to this great spot in Carmel-by-the Sea. I’d love to bring my girlfriends to this spot as we all enjoy dinners out and I could tell this restaurant host families and friends on a repeat basis. The prices are so reasonable for the amount of food with the bonus of out of this world tastes!

Our meal was hosted and all opinions are 100% our own.

Italian Pasta Salad Recipe

July 9, 2012 by The Mom Jen 8 Comments

I love this recipe, it’s great for summer at the beach or by the pool (no mayo!). I use the rainbow pasta and colorful bell peppers for pop! It’s simple and delicious!

Italian Pasta Salad Recipe

12 oz rainbow rotini cooked and drained

2 cups cherry tomatoes (halved)

2 cups salami cubed

2 cups mozzarella cheese cubed

1-2 bell peppers chopped

1 small can sliced black olives

2 cups Italian dressing of your choice

Cook and drain pasta according to box directions. Prepare ingredients as noted. Combine. Refrigerate then enjoy. At first it may look like there is TOO much dressing, but once it’s refrigerated for a few hours before serving, it turns out perfect!