I have been itching to try out a food delivery service for a while. Last year, I subscribed to a monthly makeup delivery service and it was one of the best investments I have made. Not only do I get to try new brands and products, but the excitement of opening a package that is delivered right to my door is an inevitable mood booster.
Since moving into an off-campus apartment, I have struggled a lot with grocery shopping. I don't have a car and the closest grocery store is about 2 miles away and there is no way my weak arms could carry groceries that far. I tried ordering Lyfts but the extra $8 or so adds up when you visit the store every two weeks. Eventually, I got lazy, stopped shopping, and relied on frozen waffles, instant ramen, and eating out to fuel my dwindling body. Thank goodness I happened upon a Door to Door Organics advertisement.
A Brief History
Door to Door Organics is a weekly home produce delivery service that delivers local and seasonal fruits, vegetables, and really anything else you want, right to your door. Since 1997, Door to Door has been committed to making shopping easy and convenient for the community as well as encouraging sustainable practices.
They were the first grocery store in Colorado to become a B Corporation, meeting the rigorous standards of social, environmental, and corporate responsibility, and they keep 44% more food out of the landfill than the average supermarket. Therefore, you can subscribe to Door to Door Organics knowing that your are reducing your carbon footprint and bettering the world. With this idea in mind, I knew I needed to try it out.
How it Works
Door to Door Organics partners with hundreds of local farmers in order to pack boxes with farm fresh produce. You can choose to have a Bitty, Small, Medium, or Large box filled with vegetables and/or fruit, delivered to you weekly or every other week. You also have the option to order other various food items from their store for an additional cost.
I decided to start out with the mixed Bitty Box which is meant for 1-2 people. Signing up for an account took me about 5 minutes, and just like that, I had a box coming my way in several days. I even had the option to switch out some of the produce in my box for another product of equal or lesser value. Though for my first week, I decided to trust the system, and see what Door to Door would hand me.
Week 1
Since I knew my box of produce was coming at around 4pm, I decided that this might as well be the day that I start eating like a healthy person. I had a big, fat smoothie for breakfast and apparently thought that would be enough sustenance to energize me throughout the entire day. I was wrong. My near starving belly made seeing this well designed, brown box all the more exhilarating. Opening it up, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I got out of $25.
I received two pears, cherry tomatoes, a butternut squash, mushrooms, three bananas, a cucumber, baby carrots, two Gala Apples, and a grapefruit. Immediately, I grabbed the bag of baby carrots, and ate them on the floor (the picture was taken on the floor and there was clearly no time to make it to the couch). They were great -- I mean, they are carrots. You can't go wrong with carrots.
Whenever I have an abundance of produce, my first instinct is to make fried rice. Therefore, I cut up carrots and mushrooms, and some broccoli, spinach, and brussel sprouts that I had laying around, stir fried it up with some herbs and spices, egg, and soy sauce. Because of my aforementioned resistance to grocery shopping, it had been a while since I had the ingredients to have a veggie-filled dinner. This meal hit the spot and left me feeling guilt-free.
Continuing on my healthy-spree, I made this beautiful wrap, using the cucumber, carrots, and tomatoes, along with red pepper and egg white. It didn't fold too well but I didn't care because it still tasted great and looked prettier open-faced.
Later in the week I made another one of my go-to's: pasta with whatever I have in my refrigerator. This time it included the tomatoes and the mushrooms, along with my broccoli and spinach. This meal was when I truly grew to appreciate the greatness of the sautéed mushroom. I never go out of my way to buy mushrooms, but oh wow, they add so much flavor to a dish.
My last dish of the week included pretty much all of the produce that I had left. I made a huge spicy, ginger-filled stir-fry topped with a sunny side up egg. Whenever I begin to feel ill, this dish instantly cures me, and thanks to Door to Door Organics, I was able to make my dinner more colorful and flavorful than ever.
Week 2
This week I decided to mix it up a little. I did a bit of research on Door to Door Organic's website to find out what produce is in season, and my heart rose when I saw blood oranges. I had not eaten blood oranges in years, but I could remember their beauty and their Sour Patch Kid-like taste. So of course, I took advantage of the opportunity and ordered them with my Bitty Box. I also ordered a mango instead of plain oranges (because I did not need double oranges), hummus and salmon.
Since the salmon came frozen, it was packaged with dry ice. This dry ice was packaged so beautifully that I was super tempted to touch it. I held myself back. The rest of my Bitty Box included two zucchinis, two apples, a bunch of bananas, two potatoes, a yellow onion, a green pepper, two kiwi, and a package of mixed lettuce. Once again, I was sincerely pleased with how much I received in this box.
Obviously the first thing I did with this box was slice up a blood orange. It was just as wonderful as I remembered, and I still had five to save for later.
For my first meal of Week 2, I made my version of a Mexican Bowl. I cut up the green pepper, yellow onion, and a red pepper I had from earlier, baked the butternut squash from Week 1, and fried up some black beans. This may have been one of the best meals I have ever made. I loved that I could have such a well balanced bowl without even having the temptation of meat.
As the days proceeded, and as I made more and more meals, I felt more and more like an adult. Just look at that gorgeous picture above. I had never made salmon before, but Door to Door inspired me. I sautéed the fillet with a homemade glaze, and paired it with zucchini, brussel sprouts and beans. My roommate was so impressed that they asked for my recipe (like I have a recipe...)
Week 3
Even though I began feeling used to my weekly Door to Door package, the excitement never faded. This week I received two apples, a grapefruit, three zucchinis, two kiwi, a package of butter lettuce, two bananas, a sweet potato and baby carrots. I also took it upon myself to order eggs, a loaf of bread, and seaweed snacks.
Again, look at that Instagrammable dinner! I decided to make a sort of breakfast-for-dinnner plate with sautéed zucchini and beans, roasted potato (from last week's box), and an egg. I was seriously considering taking this recipe to my nearby diner.
My favorite quick breakfast is peanut butter and banana toast. This week, I was able to use the organic whole wheat bread, topped with almond butter, and one of the many bananas that I had stored on my counter. This breakfast gave me just the right amount of sugar and protein, without making me feel heavy or groggy.
The last of my meals included a salad made with butter lettuce, carrots, and homemade hummus/olive oil dressing (it would have been a bit better with lemon but I can order that next time), and a baked sweet potato. This was my first experience with butter lettuce and I am ashamed that I have never eaten it before because it takes raw, flavorless greens to a new level.
And that concludes my journey with Door to Door Organics... but not really. I decided after Week 1 that I would be using this product for the rest of the year, at least. The Bitty Box is the perfect size for a week of cooking, and even enough to split with a roommate. I don't even need to go to a grocery store anymore because I can just order anything on their website. Door to Door Organics is not only efficient, it encourages me to cook more, eat healthy, and live sustainably.
If you are interested in starting with Door to Door Organics, which you clearly should, you can use the code SPOON17 to get $10 off your first order. That means that you can get your first Bitty Box half off! Thanks again to Door to Door for making my life a whole lot easier.