A Pink Dish! Success Story, Thanks To You

November 17, 2008 – 4:00 am
Add/View Comments   Email This Post Email This Post    Print This Post Print This Post

Pink Dish! FamiliesOctober is over but the Pink Dish! giving has just begun!  Thanks to the support and participation of all of you - dishers, friends, family, the Let’s Dish! team and the community - the Pink Dish! Campaign achieved its goal once again.

We are proud to announce that this year’s contributions enabled us to fund all of the families nominated for a Pink Dish! gift, meeting our goal of giving to 50 recipients in 2008.

Pink Dish! on WMAR2Being a part of Pink Dish! has again been a moving experience for all of us.  The dedication and generosity of those who nominated a friend or family member for a potential gift is a powerful testament to all the forms that support of breast cancer survivor can take.  Those of you who sent Pink Dish E-Dedications and brought them to the store went the extra mile to fight breast cancer and help those fighting it personally.  Finally, we appreciate everyone who has shared their Pink Dish! Story, both online and in person.

Pink Dish! on WUSA9That story continues as we get to know the Pink Dish! Families, who come from all walks of life here in the mid-Atlantic. We will be giving Let’s Dish! meals to mothers, daughters, sisters, even husbands who were nominated.  They are teachers, business professionals, volunteers, community directors, presidents of the PTA and homemakers. They have all coped with breast cancer and deserve a gift, a surprising act of kindness.  We are honored to be able to give that gift to each and every one of them - and hope our healthy, homemade meals will make some of their nights a little easier.  All of our Pink Dish! Families will have the opportunity to sit with their family and enjoy dinner together without the work of preparing that meal.

We want to take a final moment to thank all of the media outlets who supported our mission, giving us an opportunity to spread the word about Pink Dish! to as many as possible.   Without publicity, we would not have achieved our goal for this year.

Pink Dish! on FOX45

We hope to share the new Pink Dish! stories after the families are notified so all of you can get to know them as well.  And, stay tuned for the moving story of our Pink Dish!-For-A-Year recipient - hers is a true testament to the strength of support and community.   We look forward to next year and aim to give Pink Dish! gifts to even more families.

We appreciate the generosity and support of all those who were involved in Pink Dish! this year. You have helped us to give Let’s Dish! meals to so many families; you have made a difference in the lives on those coping with breast cancer.

Thank you.

Alexa’s Signature  Read Lisa's Pink Dish! Story

and

Elizabeth’s Signature


   Subscribe to Food for Thought
< Let's Dish! Home
By Alexa Corcoran (Click the author to see all his/her posts.)

Getting Even More Value From Dishing

November 8, 2008 – 1:49 pm
Add/View Comments   Email This Post Email This Post    Print This Post Print This Post

I’ve been thinking about Let’s Dish! math and the cost per meal. Let me start by sharing the fact that in this economy, I have become scrooge. I am now buying my kids clothes only when the pants become too short or too small or if a change in season demands different clothes. I go to the grocery only when we need more milk and I only buy what’s on sale or on my list. No impulse purchases allowed anymore. I think Let’s Dish! actually makes this kind of smart decision easier.

Here’s my secret to getting the best value out of Let’s Dish! so that it’s cheaper than any other dinner option with the exception of store brand macaroni and cheese. I go to Let’s Dish! once a month and make 12 dishes. (The set price for that is $252, but if you sign up in-store, you can take advantage of the special and usually get $15 OFF, making it $237 or $19.75 per dinner.)

I have a (busy) family of four, but still split each dinner into half portions. I use the Let’s Dish! dinners three or four nights a week when we are off in different directions. For example - If I make Chicken in Cranberry Chutney I will have two separate packages, each with three chicken breasts and noodles. The night I make that the three people who are home first or at the most reasonable times will have that dinner along with salad. That dinner for three cost me less than $10 plus the price of a bag of lettuce and dressing. When the fourth person comes home (daughter late from practice, husband late from work), they’re usually too exhausted for anything beyond a bowl of soup or a quick sandwich. If I know we’re all going to be home (once in a blue moon), I typically cook the slow cooker dinners. Add a salad or additional side and it’s $25, tops (don’t forget Let’s Dish! family-sized sides at 4-for-$20), for four dinners and a leftover lunch or two. That’s hard to beat.

With the help of Let’s Dish!, I’m feeding my family wholesome meals that cost $2 less than a Whopper Combo ($6.33 at my local Burger King, by the way). If you’re looking for ways to cut back in this economy, it may be time to make Let’s Dish! part of your solution.


Elizabeth’s Signature

RELATED LINK:

Sensible Solutions in a Tough Economy

   Subscribe to Food for Thought
< Let's Dish! Home
By Elizabeth Marcotte (Click the author to see all his/her posts.)

To Your Health!

November 5, 2008 – 5:28 pm
Add/View Comments   Email This Post Email This Post    Print This Post Print This Post

People are often surprised to learn that the Let’s Dish! meals they know and love are actually good for them.  As I develop the monthly menus, I am fully aware that these are the meals you will be feeding your family.  I want them to taste good (hey, we all know some picky eaters), but I also want them to be fit naturally into your health-conscious lifestyles.

Here are some of the principles I always keep in mind:

Fresh, high-quality ingredients:  Whether it’s our all-natural chicken breasts or ice-packed, never-frozen salmon, I’m always on the lookout for top-of-the-line ingredients.  We offer whole grain pastas, pitas and brown rice.  Not only do they taste better, they’re better for you.  Our vegetables?  Always colorful and picked fresh.  Ifwe need to freeze them, we use the “individual quick freeze” method, which retains optimal flavor and nutritional value.  

Information and balance:  We want you to have the data for good decision-making.  That’s why we make all nutritional information as accessible as possible, including fat, calories, Weight Watchers POINTS, etc.  Each menu includes at least 4 meals that meet American Heart Association recommendations for heart-healthy living.  That said, we always offer our Decadent Molten Chocolate Cakes too, because, a-hem, nobody’s perfect.  In any case, you’ll find all the info you need through the “i” icon on our monthly menu, or if logged in, on the My Cookbook page.  

Portion control:  At a time when portion sizes are inflating as fast as waistlines, our ”dishes” generally provide 6 standard servings as stipulated by FDA guidelines.   Our chicken breasts, for example, are 5oz each… which is what the government recommends.  If you divide your “full” meals into 6 portions (e.g., 5 dinners and 1 leftover for lunch), you know you’re eating the “right” amount of food.

Convenience:  What does convenience have to do with health?  A lot.  Families often make their worst health-related decisions when they feel trapped by their busy schedule (5pm piano lessons, 6pm soccer, 8pm PTA… sound familiar?).  By making our healthy meals convenient too, we enable good decisions even when time is short and the drive-through is beckoning.

I am proud of how Let’s Dish! allows busy families to eat right, on a budget, with limited time.   If you have questions, comments or suggestions, please don’t hesitate to contact me through the “comments” section below.

About Holly W

   Subscribe to Food for Thought
< Let's Dish! Home
By Holly W (Click the author to see all his/her posts.)

Dear Mom and Dad, Please Send Food

November 1, 2008 – 10:53 am
Add/View Comments   Email This Post Email This Post    Print This Post Print This Post

Many college kids eat a lot of day-old pizza and hot dogs and other questionable fare.  But it doesn’t have to be that way.  In the 4 years Let’s Dish! has been open, we’ve noticed a clear trend: Let’s Dish! food being consumed by college students.  Typically, the parents buy the food for their son or daughter over school holidays and breaks and then the student takes the food back to school in a cooler.


 

Great thinking (guess that college education is paying off!)  Relative to other options for students, Let’s Dish! offers value, ease, and nutrition.  Meals can be split (perfect for singles) or dished in full, regular sizes (perfect for roommates and suites).  Students often have adequate fridge and freezer space, but smallish kitchens, so it’s much easier to have complete meals on hand rather than having to store ingredients.  And what college student wants to shop anyway! The whole thing has gotten even easier this year with our launch of DishDelivery.  Now parents are shipping meals directly to their kids at school.  (We ship next day Fedex Ground in insulated boxes with ice packs and can reach schools in a very big geography– as far north as Hartford, CT and Albany, NY and as far south as Raleigh and Winston Salem, NC).  How’s that for the ultimate care package!


 

Here’s what some parents have said to us:


 

 - “I rest easy knowing that Jenn is eating well.  I worry about her much less.” 

- “I like that John is developing good food habits.  He’s more aware of his food and he’s learning to function better in the kitchen.” 

- “I like that Jessica can cook the meals with her friends in her suite.  It’s a nice social situation and they can all share the cost.” 


 

So, college students, ask your parents for the “Ultimate Care Package”– Let’s Dish! meals– and you’ll be saving time and eating and feeling better. Parents, rest easy knowing your kids are eating well and therefore taking full advantage of that great education you are paying for! 


 

DishDelivery to college- yet another way Let’s Dish! makes your life easier!

Rick’s SignatureSign Up

RECOMMENDED LINKS:
> “Surging costs of groceries hit home“: Boston Globe article
> “More time and money are just a dish away“

(more…)

   Subscribe to Food for Thought
< Let's Dish! Home
By Rick Corcoran (Click the author to see all his/her posts.)

WMAR Tells the Pink Dish! Story

October 25, 2008 – 5:15 am
Add/View Comments   Email This Post Email This Post    Print This Post Print This Post

This recent piece on WMAR, ABC-2, does a wonderful job of capturing what Pink Dish! is all about… from Lisa and Alexa’s vision and purpose, to how free Let’s Dish! meals have benefited families in need. Take a look!


Pink Dish! has gotten plenty of publicity this fall. Thanks to all the media outlets who have chosen to feature us. If you enjoyed the video above, please catch Elizabeth on Channel 9 as well!

   Subscribe to Food for Thought
< Let's Dish! Home
By Jeremy Kugel (Click the author to see all his/her posts.)