A New Year present from DinnerTime.

Do you guys remember how about a month and a half back I felt I didn't have the energy to cook and began to treat it as a boring chore? The truth however was that in the midst of work deadlines, a very active four year old, managing home and thousands of other things that always need our attention and those that seem to show up without notice I had lost my enthusiasm to cook and the creative team at DinnerTime helped me get it back. 

With fresh ingredients delivered right to my doorstep at a time chosen by me, a great mix of protein and veggies, simple recipes that all took under thirty minutes and they tasted awesome; I was sold (Oh and leftovers too which were transformed into fresh lunches for the next day).

Read my full review here.

And today I want to share that experience with all of you. A generous present from the team at DinnerTime for the readers of Orange Kitchens to get you kick started into eating healthy,wholesome and most importantly home cooked meals. Yes! you read it right. A giveaway! 

A DinnerTime box worth 300 AED for two and worth 420 AED if you are a family of four is up for grabs.No worries if you are gluten allergic for they have it all covered.

Here's how you could win of their boxes. All you need to do is to leave a comment here on why you think this box should be yours. It could be anything really...if you think it will help bring about a change in your food habits or introduce you to new ingredients or recipes or even save you from the hassle of planning a menu for at least a week!

Ofcourse you may increase your chances of winning by doing any/all of the following for each of these will earn you an extra point:

1. Like the DinnerTime FB page or  follow them on Twitter and share the contest on your FB Page/Twitter respectively.

2. Like the Orange Kitchens FB page or follow it on twitter and sharing the contest on your FB page/ Twitter respectively.

Leave me a comment for each like/share to make sure I know about it :) If you already "like" one/both just let me know and I will put in another entry for you.

Since DinnerTime currently covers only Dubai the giveaway is valid for Dubai Residents only. But the rest of you need not be disappointed for you can always participate for a loved one staying here and we promise to send them the box with your compliments:)

The last date to participate is 5th of February'14. The winner will be announced on the 6th February'14.

Good luck people!

Images: Personal Album & logo from DinnerTime.

Grocery tales and a giveaway.

Picture this: You’ve just returned with ten days worth of groceries...fruits, veggies, meat, et al. All bought according to the detailed menu you planned and are obviously feeling very much in control of all your lunches, dinners, fridge and ahem..your life. What? Am I the only one here who gets this excited making menus and buying groceries? Oh come on! Admit it.

Come midweek, life takes over.

There is a sudden meeting which means it will be working lunch with a client, there is a birthday party that your child insists she NEEDS to attend because it’s her best friend’s birthday (like the other 35 best friends whose birthdays “I just can’t miss mamma”), a day when your menu reads kale and mushroom wild rice and all you really want is a simple parantha (Indian flatbread) with mango chutney.

Read: A lot of your groceries are going to be very upset with you for this. Shrivelled strawberries, wilting greens, fresh chicken that isn’t “fresh” any more and mushrooms that are taking their relation to fungus very seriously.

Have you been there? I have been and it upsets me a lot. And trust me I’ve tried everything to save them. All kinds of airtight boxes but nothing has worked more beautifully for me than the boxes, Klaudia, cofounder, Vauxxia Trading Company recommended me to try.

As a food consultant, I get many emails every day, about new products but this one really caught my attention because it talked about reducing wastage and preserving the goodness of veggies, fruits, et al. And before I knew I was having coffee with Klaudia and she was trying to convince me about the merits of the product. I am definitely a tough client, really difficult to please so I requested her to let me use and abuse the box for a month before giving it a thumbs up. And today after a month I have to say YAY!

Plump juicy strawberries, fresh green leaves, gorgeous sprouts and leftovers that didn't feel stale. Even the chicken I marinated kept good.

How you ask? Well, that is the interesting bit, these boxes come with a vacuum pump that within seconds creates vacuum in the container (lack of oxygen) and that helps extend the shelf life of your fresh foods. And take my word they remain fresher way longer than keeping them say in a regular air tight container that will always have a bit of air however hard we may try to shut it properly.

I even tried keeping some soda in it just to test if it could pass my test and it did. Bubbles intact. And what is wonderful is that it comes with a scroll wheel that helps you set the date the day you keep anything in it. Good for forgetful mums like me. Also they are fridge, freezer and micro (without the cover) friendly.

Read all about it here.

So I am going to give it full marks and definitely going to buy more for my kitchen. But before I do that, I want to give a set of three such boxes and a vacuum pump (worth 350 aed) to one of you lovely readers. All thanks to the team at Vauxxia.

So here’s how you can get it for your kitchen: All you need to do is to leave a comment here on why you think these should be yours.

Ofcourse you can increase the chances of winning the set by doing any/all of the following:

1. Liking Vauxxia on FB and/or sharing the contest on your FB Page/Twitter

3. Liking Orange Kitchens on FB and/or sharing the contest on your FB page/Twitter

Leave me a comment for each like/share to make sure I know about it :) If you already "like" one/both just let me know and I will put in another entry for you.

Since Vauxxia currently ships only in the UAE the giveaway is valid only for the UAE Residents. But the rest of you need not be disappointed you can always participate for your loved one staying here and we promise to courier it to them :)

The last date to participate is 20th October'13 midnight IST. The winner will be announced on the 21^st October’13.

Good luck people!

Images : Personal album & Vauxxia.