'My Food Bag'

wasala, Feb 6, 9:36am
Well, just a note to say that I have cancelled My Food Bag. It got to be such a time-consuming, stressful affair with masses of (mainly vegetable) leftovers - way beyond what this family could use, and it was no longer a viable option even with teams of two doing tag-time each night. We've just spent 2 hours making the pork filo pastries (alleged prep time 25 mins) and everyone is cheering that the nightmare is over. Now, what to do with about a kilo of kumara mash left from last night? Plus there's still part of the most horrible brown cabbage I've ever seen!
unknowndisorder, Feb 6, 11:07am
freeze the mash in portions you can use :) Cabbage, not keen on it, but any good for slaw or just biff it ;)
esther-anne, Feb 9, 3:13am
I just happened to see this had been added to when I was browing looking for something else.

Thanks wasala for the update. It's always good when people come back and say what their experience has been over a longish period of time. I think in life lots of things start off feeling like it's something great and the passage of time causes a change of mind (or even heart, sometimes, - talking relationships lol! ) The part that always bugged me about the whole thing - for me anyway - was that at the end of a long work/school day it seemed daunting to have to get out the raw ingredients and then follow a recipe. My own aim was not to cook at all!
esther-anne, Feb 9, 3:16am
Does kumara freeze well unknowndisorder? I know that ordinary potato doesn't. And I like cabbage but as you say I would certainly 'biff' anything that sounds like it was beyond help!

By the way I thanked you for the pork pies - and for your visit - on another thread. It was all so much appreciated. xx
unknowndisorder, Feb 10, 7:30am
I think mashed kumara would be fine, but never have enough to bother trying, the little we have left after a meal is given to the wild birds:)

No worries at all about the pies, I feel bad I haven't been back up your way, mainly because sis has a dish of mine I want back lol (last thing I left there I never got back and had to buy a new one but they did move not long after).
esther-anne, Dec 17, 10:04am
Whoopsie - can't leave the thread before thanking wendalls for her perceptive post, seems she actually understood where I am coming from.
I have made it clear over and over that for those who love this service it's marvellous. The problem seemed to arise when I said it wasn't for me - some seemed to climb on to their high horse and perceived my standpoint as threatening to them. That's all.
Thanks wendalls!
wasala, Dec 18, 5:14am
We're on our third week of My Food Bag and are saving MASSES of money. It's $189, I think, and I'm only doing one other supermarket trip per week where I used to go almost every day and some weeks would spend well over $500 for a family of 4. I do find that there's a lot left over most days but it's been forcing me to come up with lovely salads for peoples' lunchboxes so nothing is wasted.
I do think they should probably give up on things like bean sprouts as they tend to be looking tired even at the time of arrival and the tomatoes this week were unusable but I think that's just because of the rotten season we're having.
On the other hand all the meat and fish we've had so far has been excellent in terms of quality and quantity.
The recipes definitely take more than 30 minutes to prepare but we are getting faster and tend to do it in teams of two which is quite nice in terms of family time!
And Esther-Anne, I know exactly what you were asking. Don't feel bad!
lodgelocum, Dec 18, 5:51am
Ester-Anne, I hope you have found some joy with the Eat meals, and hopefully you and your hubby are starting to feel better again. I enjoy reading your threads and comments, so keep them coming x
unknowndisorder, Dec 18, 6:09am
I didn't think anyone was attacking anyone or even a product.

I thought someone asked about a product that she thought might be the trick, found out it wasn't but another might be a goer. and then a general discussion about the original product ensued, with the odd recommendation of the subsequent product.

One product works for some and not others, be a boring world if we were all the same.

Esther-Anne - are you home xmas day? I will be coming up to Whangaparaoa to see my family, and can easily go to Westmere to get you a pork pie. If interested, sing out :)
motorbo, Dec 19, 12:28am
perception is everything, I merely pointed out and corrected that you weren't putting people down - because you didn't, and that it wasn't a ready made meal company. where you got 'savagely apparently' was never and isn't my intention, im good at having my say and pointing things out, but please do not assume im being nasty as I wasn't
esther-anne, Dec 20, 4:31am
Oops - a friend just told me this thread had been added to.

Motorbo - I need to put it right with you that I don't think you could ever be nasty because I know absolutely that you are not a nasty person. We have had some conversations in the Health and Beauty thread and I know you have been through an absolutely horrendous health issue with great courage and, somehow or another, a sense of humour.

Ok - I certainly thought you were being very defensive in the post on this thread but if I misread I apologise again. Have a really fantastic Christmas.

Well - recipes takes on an emotional twist! I guess it's ok for me to mess with the thread I started? I suspect some of us might need a "rant and rave" category (me for example).
esther-anne, Dec 20, 4:49am
Sorry haven't finished waffling just yet - but you are all free not to read!

Wasala, lodgelocum and unknown-disorder - thanks for acknowledging that I was merely stating what I was looking for and My Food Bag was not IT. Wasala - it sounds very generous in the amount of food provided for what you pay. I suppose if i were in that position of excess I would be thinking of preparing some lovely soups etc and freezing for the winter. But you people are ordering because you are busy so it's not helpful if you have too much. Perhaps that could be rectified and you could get less produce and maybe pay a little less?

Unknown-disorder - you know, I would love to meet you and I wouldn't even be disappointed if you were not transporting a pork pie lol! I don't know where in Whangaparoa your family live but we are in Gulf Harbour which you probably know is right at the end. of the peninsula. To add to the complexity we live in a 'secure' establishment which I would need to give you directions to be able to enter! We will be home on Christmas Day until about 4 p.m. - we need to put thinking caps on since providing personal details is such a forbidden thing by TM rules. Thoughts?
What a wonderfully kind thing to offer.
unknowndisorder, Dec 20, 5:41am
I will sort something out tomorrow, but I will also find out when the butcher is open. sis has asked us to be there around three, so that will work well. they live by Scott Road, which I think is just classified as Whangaparaoa but our parents live in Red Beach (The Links). we do the inlaw family xmas eve, so xmas day is pretty cruisey. :)
samanya, Dec 20, 8:11am
JMTCW . I've been reading this thread with interest & I totally understand where esther-anne is coming from. (I think).
As i see it, she was considering MFB as an option for quick, easy, healthy meals with no cooking involved. due to ill health . right?
It wasn't quite what she was looking for, & a few good suggestions have been made to suit her circumstances.
Other people find MFB helpful & that's great . each to their own.
esther-anne, Dec 20, 8:24am
Hi again! Seriously don't worry about the pork pie - not sure where you are in Waitakere City and I imagine you would need to visit Westmere the day before Christmas Day. I am a Westie at heart - lived most of our NZ life in Titirangi until life circumstances have seen us first on Waiheke and then North Shore. over the last few years.
We will be a bit busy Christmas Day - our get together is my daughter's place - about 5 apartments away - my contribution is the turkey and salads - but not too busy to spend some time with you and your husband - partner. Just be prepared for people in and out as this year we have grandaughters, great grandsons and assorted partners etc staying between the two apartments. If it turns out not to be feasible - let's do it some other quieter time. My idea for giving you a contact is both be on here sometime tomorrow, to be agreed - I will give my cellphone for a text message and landline as well - then I think we have a few minutes to either edit or delete. What do you think?
esther-anne, Dec 20, 8:34am
That;s the summary in a nutshell samanya.

It's good to hear from you on here - you are usually quite active on recipes but I have noticed you are not around much lately. I have the feeling that you are a wonderful cook - but modest with it. Just an intuition.

Merry Christmas to you and yours - and to all others who participate in recipes. It's a great forum, I have learned so much and been given excellent advice and suggestions especially from our guru's here - no names, but we have several fantastic people only too willing to share their skille, knowledge, expertise - and incredible recipes.
unknowndisorder, Mar 12, 9:17am
I have a couple of pork pies in the fridge with your name on them, BUT think might like them gone before Xmas day as that is when they are best before, and have read not to freeze them. so have set up an auction. (Ai have finished work for the year, so time is my own for a couple of weeks) :)