I write a monthly column over at AlliOSNews. It’s a techie site – extolling all the goodies and gunpowder on the Apple OS. (SHINY TOY!) I’m TechMom. And these are my stories on how technology is really used. This is what you must deal with, as I am a Silicon Valley nerd by day.
I’m well aware it’s Thursday. TechMom Tuesday is typically published the first Tuesday of every month, but this month your techie insights were delivered on the second Tuesday because my editor, Clinton, decided to go on vacation – Under the Sea, Little Mermaid style. I reserve the right to rant more or less as the technical goings-on, well…go on.
It’s no secret that culinary prowess is not one of my many strengths. (I have a strong tendency to set things on fire. Except when I simply blow up the dish.)
This merely compounds the issues I face when trying to go grocery shopping with two TechTots in tow. Or coming up with intelligent produce ideas for TechDad before he goes off to the store.
Enter Munchery and Instacart. (Living in Silicon Valley has its perks. Apologies for all of you readers not in range of such wonders.)
Munchery
At some point, you’ve gotta figure out what’s for dinner. And when you’re too busy or tired to cook, it’s all too easy to just grab something fast on nights like these. But usually the easy option isn’t the best one for you.
If ever there was a blurb that could sell me on a service – this was it. The dishes to choose from were delectable! Entrees, sides, desserts and drinks – all of gourmet quality, “real” food – and the pricing was pretty on par with what you’d pay at a casual restaurant (approximately $10 a person).
Local chefs create the variety of dishes, which change each day. Deliveries are available on weekdays and each week you can peruse five days of drool-worthy dishes. Upon selection, you then choose a delivery time out of three one-hour slots. A driver will text you when they’re approximately 10 minutes out.
Meals are delivered chilled (not frozen, more of a pleasantly refrigerated cool), with instructions on how to heat via oven or microwave – both needing mere minutes before you look like a modern day Donna Reed with a delicious dinner on the table.
Of course, after I got my hopes up I discovered the delivery boundary ended two blocks from my house. So close!
Adapt and overcome. I ordered dinner to be delivered to my office. It arrived, I departed, I reheated. This is WAY better than fast food. And even easier than peanut butter and jelly.
Munchery is currently serving the San Francisco Bay area (San Francisco, East Bay, Marin and the Peninsula)
Munchery (Universal App) – Free – Download Now
Instacart
Instacart is a grocery delivery service that delivers in as little as an hour! We connect you with Personal Shoppers in your area who pick up and deliver your groceries from your favorite local stores.
The TechTots are boys in the middle of a growth spurt. When they were tiny babes, I swore by Diapers.com to keep up with the constant supply need for diapers and formula. Now I have the option to simply select the groceries I need throughout the week and then hit order? Not only that, they’ll arrive in about an hour.
Lazy? I prefer to think of it as prudent. Our local grocery store doesn’t have two-seater carts. Do you understand the tantrums that can ensue?
Instacart offers deliveries from Safeway, Costco and Whole Foods in my South Bay locale. (It just keeps getting better – I never have to brave an excursion to the hippie haven again?!) The service is currently available in the San Francisco Bay Area, Chicago, Boston, Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia. (Subscribe with your zip code for updates on when it arrives in your town.)
The first Instacart delivery is free – a taste to get you hooked. After that, delivery is $3.99 for orders over $35. However you can sign up
for Instacart Express, which is basically the perishable item equivalent of Amazon Prime – $99 a year and all orders over $35 are included.
Go forth and order! Dark chocolate and a delectable zinfandel are simply an app click away! (Oh, and a healthy dinner too.)