Tomoson: Relish!

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

I've been thinking about trying a meal planning service for a while. I can get so busy with the other details of the day, that I often don't take the time to plan the meals out for the week. All too often this means I'm requesting that my husband stop and grab some Chipotle or Pizza Hut on the way home.  Relish! is a meal planning service that allows you to choose and customize your weekly recipes and grocery list.  There is a new list of recipes available each week.  You can edit your standard side selection and build a comprehensive grocery list. 

A Relish! subscription is only $7 per month, and Relish! claims that you will even notice substantial savings by using their system.  5 dinners and sides can cost less than $90 per week at the grocery store, and sticking to the Relish!-generated grocery list will help you stay within budget.

One of the key features of Relish! is the ability to build your weekly menu. Let's take a look at this process in a little more detail.  After logging into Relishrelish.com, you can click on Menus which will take you to the following screen:

Using the search tools to the right of the screen, you can select the meals for the week.  There are several featured under Weekly Menu and you also have the option to select Freezer-meals, if you are trying to plan ahead. You can add recipes to your Favorites or check out the Editor's top picks in various categories.  The search feature (magnifying glass) allows you to search by recipes, ingredient, or category - invaluable for finding vegetarian options.

As you're scrolling through the list, you can click on any recipe for additional details.

This will bring up the full recipe.

You can then click and drag the recipe into the My Weekly Menu section. There is a bar just to the left of the recipe that enables easy-dragging.  There are default side options that will come with your entree, but you have the freedom to edit and choose a different side.

You can then click Shopping List and view your complete shopping list, which will be broken out by produce, bread, dairy, etc. You can add additional ingredients, edit serving size, and print the shopping list from here.

Relish! made these Spinach Lasagna Roll-Ups with a side of Broccolini possible! It was actually supposed to come with a side salad, but we ended up switching up our side options. 

A meal-planning service like this can be an excellent idea, especially if you regularly find yourself pressed for time but you still value putting a home-cooked meal on the table. It's fun to try the new recipes and Relish! puts dozens at your fingertips and does most of the planning for you.

I can find the website lay-out a touch clunky with all the clicking around you have to do to make sure your menu is built to your liking, but this still beats having to write out a grocery list and remembering to double-check your serving sizes. 

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.