In which we give eMeals another go

I’ve been in a meal-planning rut lately, so I decided to subscribe to eMeals again. It’s a meal-planning service rather than a meal-in-a-box service, so the costs are a lot lower than some of the meal subscriptions I’ve tried in the last few years.

I used the service years and years ago, and then I stopped using it when my free review subscription ran out. (You can read “Put meal-planning on autopilot” to see what I thought about it initially.) The plan options have changed quite a bit in the last half decade. You can switch your meal plan any time now rather than once a month, and I think there are more options now. For this week’s meal plan, we’re trying some recipes from their 30-Minute plan. I’m going to switch to Heart Healthy for next week, and I’ll probably try out some of the other options as well. I don’t know that I’ll ever give them a shot, but they do have Paleo, Vegan and Keto plans if that’s your thing.

Here’s what we’ll be having this week.

Monday: Mexican street corn tostadas

This is one of the eMeals recipes, and it looks pretty simple to put together. I’m going to see if Pete can make it himself.

Tuesday: Pizza
Rockford and I are going out to a concert, so I’m ordering pizza for my mom and the kids.

Wednesday: Scattered
The kids both have activities on Wednesdays, and they end at different times. So we’re here and there and here again.

Thursday: Sticky Chicken
It’s another eMeals option, and it sounds like it’s a mildly sweet stir-fry.

Friday: Bacon-wrapped chicken with guacamole
Our final eMeals meal of the week. I figure you can’t go wrong with bacon or guacamole, so I’m anticipating good things from this one.

Hungry for more? Check out the Menu Plan Monday linkup at OrgJunkie.

A definitive ranking of Hallelujahs

I had a hankerin’ for some Jeff Buckley “Hallelujah” the other day, so I fired up the ol’ Amazon Music machine and played it. And then it played everything titled “Hallelujah” forever and ever amen, and I listened to every “Hallelujah” cover until it hit Panic! At The Disco’s “Hallelujah,” which isn’t a Leonard Cohen cover at all. Listening to nine different covers of “Hallelujah” in a row may not be a particularly productive use of one’s time but it is not unpleasant.

  1. The Canadian Tenors
  2. Kelley Mooney
  3. Tori Kelly
  4. Pentatonix
  5. Rufus Wainwright
  6. Leonard Cohen
  7. Brandi Carlile
  8. KD Lang
  9. Jeff Buckley

In our final analysis, Jeff Buckley’s version remains My Favorite Version of “Hallelujah.” KD Lang and Brandi Carlile are awfully close, though. “Hallelujah” needs to have a little grit and gravel to it. The Canadian Tenors are lovely singers, but they do not bring the grit nor the gravel. See also: Tori Kelly or Pentatonix.

Catching up

Our car died twice in a week in a half, while we were driving. It’s been in the shop for two weeks, and the mechanics at the Ford dealership have told us just to come pick it up because they can’t figure out what’s wrong with it. So that’s fun.


Reasons I Have Recently, At The Last Minute, Changed My Mind About Stopping at Starbucks for a Chai Latte on the Way Out of Target

  • A screaming toddler in close proximity to the Starbucks. (This is not mom-shaming. This was self-preservation.)
  • There were three people in line already and the person at the front was making a complicated order. (This is not order-shaming. This was self-preservation.)
  • The Starbucks guy running for president. (This is possibly narcissistic-billionaire-shaming.)

    I made Chrissy Teigen’s Carrot-Coconut Soup a few weeks ago, and it was delectable. Don’t skip the fried shallots.


    Rockford and I are very excited about the “Dune” casting, although we are uncertain about Jason Mamoa. I hope they cast more Skarsgårds as Harkonnens.


    A List from My Notes App
    Dilly beans
    Pickled radishes
    Bread and butters
    Dill pickles
    Applesauce
    Relish
    Jams
    Salsa
    Fair photo


    Another List from My Notes App, This Time About Potential Cat Names
    Killmonger
    Hulk AKA Bruce Banner (Hakabebe)
    Thor
    Loki
    T’Challa
    shuri
    Okoye
    Tom Kibbleston
    Hemsworth
    Evans
    Peter parker
    Aragorn
    Hobbit
    Treebeard
    Sweet rabbit
    Groot
    Stairwell
    The cool one
    CAT
    Yaj Yaj
    A different hobbit
    Sweet head