Delicious Beauty in a Box: Using a meal-kit delivery service

I am not the cook in our marriage.

I've never had the inclination, intuition, or inspiration to prepare daily meals. Gratefully, I married a man who does.

Oh, I've dabbled with recipes (I absolutely *need* instructions!) over the years, but the coordination of timing, food-handling skills, and ability to manage several cooking utensils at once has never come together for me.

This is why when Shawn sent me a text from work asking me to "check into Hello Fresh" I got excited about the idea of cooking. I reviewed the choices on their menu and was energized by the idea of having detailed, step-by-step instructions along with the exact amount of each item required for the recipe.

Our first three meal kits arrived at our front door last week in a large box. It was filled with ice packs, insulation, and three clearly-labeled (squee!) bags of ingredients. I transferred them to the refrigerator and made plans to make the pork chop dish that night.

Shawn and I read aloud the directions under each numbered step and divided the tasks. We stood shoulder to shoulder as he showed me how to dice the potatoes safely and efficiently. Then he handed me the knife to try it for myself.

We continued along the steps in the recipe like this, me watching then trying the task and Shawn completing it (for the sake of time). I felt my confidence growing as I learned, already thinking about doing it on my own the next time.

The kit also used food that I've never been drawn to like carrots, scallions, vinegar, and cherries. I took a deep breath at the sight of them, then trusted the recipe to turn them into something that was fulfilling and tasty.

The resulting meal was beautiful.

Not just aesthetically beautiful (though the colors and textures *were* quite a display), but in taste and experience. I'd never imagined the flavors we could create with the items in the box!

Pork Chops with Cherry Jam Sauce, Garlic Herb Mashed Potatoes, and Carrot Apple Slaw

I had helped prepare the dish with my own hands, and I marveled at the beauty of this magic, to turn seemingly unrelated, raw ingredients into a cohesive, delicious dinner.

I was grateful that I'd ordered the box and joyful with a feeling of accomplishment and discovery.

We often avoid those things we're "not good" at doing, leaving them instead for more skilled hands. And that is completely understandable and fair. 

But what if, among those excluded tasks, lies a beauty that is just beyond your reach? What if there's a beauty you could access if you were shown the best doorway in which to enter and given guidance as you ventured through?

Will you look for that door?

Will you extend enough trust to open it?

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Some Doorways from this week:

• We went for a ride in the mountains yesterday and saw a tiny, beautiful waterfall coming out of the hillside.

• I attended a writer's conference this weekend and was energized and moved by words of wisdom and encouragement.

• I shared my new business cards and my blog information with a few people last week, and I received affirming and enthusiastic feedback.