Tag Archives: 19

Wow the crowds at home and on vacation!

Chili-Lime Chicken with Black Bean SalsaAs we head into summer, Let’s Dish! offers a delicious menu of meals perfect for the pool, beach or backyard BBQ. Each month, you’ll find great family meals that are perfect for taking on vacation or grilling up with friends and family at home.

No time to come in and prepare your meals? No worries! With Dish-n-Dash and our new DishDelivery option, it’s still super easy to solve your dinner needs. We’ll make your Let’s Dish! meals from scratch, you just pick them up or tell us where you want them delivered. We deliver all over the metro area, and also to many regional vacation spots (Rehoboth Beach, Williamsburg and the Jersey Shore, just to name a few). So you can spend your summer at the beach or ballpark, not in the kitchen.

But, don’t take our word for it. Sue M., of Clarksville, MD, shared her recent “Wow” experience with Let’s Dish!:

Caribbean SalmonDish ExclamationWow. Thank you. I have been too busy to dish in quite some time and tried Dish-n-Dash this week. BRILLIANT! You prepared yummy food on time and exactly as expected. My kids loved the Caribbean Salmon — which was remarkable since they like “plain” food. The spice was not hot. Thank you for the tasty variety in our often dull weeknight dinners. We’ll be back to “pack” for vacation!

Best regards,
Sue M.

Mojito Shrimp with Cilantro RiceWhen we contacted Sue to ask if we could share her email, she told us Let’s Dish! continued to impress the crowds - this time in Ocean City:

Friday I wowed two other moms as we unpacked for the long weekend in Ocean City. By the time the cars were unpacked, with kids excitedly bouncing off of the walls, we had a big batch of mojito shrimp and cilantro rice to greet us. (We matched it with the lettuce salad we rescued from the fridge on the way out the door.) There may have even been applause… no one had to trek back out for groceries!!! We drank a cold one to you!

Thanks, Sue! Here’s to looking forward to a “Wow” of a summer with yummy meals and incredible convenience!

Alexa’s Signature

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RELATED POSTS:
> DishDelivery to the Summer Vacation Rescue!
> Learn More about Dish-n-Dash and DishDelivery

> See the Let’s Dish! Summer Menus and Sign up today!

Finding the Best Way to Cook All Those Vegetables

As summer approaches, you find more and more fantastic produce in the grocery store, including vegetables that will pair perfectly with meals on the Let’s Dish! menu. But, what’s the best way to prepare vegetables to get the best flavor and retain all the important vitamins and nutrients?

We recommend this New York Times Health article by Tara Parker-Pope that answers that very question:

link-post-icon.gifFinding The Best Way to Cook All Those Vegetables
By Tara Parker-Pope (New York Times, published May 20, 2008)

Enjoy!

Alexa’s Signature

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RELATED POSTS:
> We Recommend: Fruits and Veggies
> Superfoods: What are they?
> Pop Quiz: Test Your Knowledge of Nutrients

Offer Extended: Earn $5 OFF as a Let’s Dish! Fan on Facebook

The Dish On…So many of you said you didn’t know all the perks of being a Let’s Dish! fan on Facebook until our recent post, “You’ve got a Friend (on Facebook),” that we decided to EXTEND our Facebook Fan offer to all Food for Thought readers. 

Become a fan on Let’s Dish! on Facebook through MONDAY, May 19th, and you can automatically earn 500 DishPoints - worth $5 OFF any future Let’s Dish! session.  With our new DishRewards program, you can earn unlimited savings so why not start with one click worth five dollars?!  We’ll add 500 DishPoints to your DishRewards account JUST for clicking on the “become a fan” link on our Facebook Click here to become a Let’s Dish! “fan” on Facebook!Click here to become a Let’s Dish! “fan” on Facebook!page. 

Click here to become a Let’s Dish! “fan” on Facebook!So take advantage of this extra time and become a Let’s Dish! fan on Facebook today!*

Alexa’s Signature

p.s.  You can spread the word to your friends - use the “Email This” or “Share This” tools on the blog to let them know with just a few clicks!

RELATED LINKS:
> You’ve got a Friend (on Facebook)
> DishRewards = Unlimited Savings. Find out more!
> Become a Let’s Dish! Fan on Facebook (and learn more about what Facebook is…)

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*Offer: 500 DishPoints (worth $5 OFF any future Let’s Dish! session) will be added to your DishRewards account when you become a “fan” on the Let’s Dish! Facebook Page
through MONDAY, May 19, 2008. This means you must link your Facebook profile to the Let’s Dish! Fan Page (to go to fan page, click links above or search for “Let’s Dish” on Facebook) and have an active Let’s Dish! Account on www.letsdish.com. Don’t have a Let’s Dish! Account? Create one now. Participating locations are: Baltimore, Bel Air, Columbia, Gaithersburg and Rockville, MD, and Alexandria, Ashburn, Fairfax and Leesburg, VA. See full terms and conditions for the DishRewards program here.

Let’s Dish! celebrates Mother’s Day on WBAL-TV

In case you missed it, our own Lisa Hardiman and Jeremy Kugel hosted Sunday Brunch on WBAL-TV on Sunday, May 4th. Lisa and Jeremy shared a few ways Let’s Dish! can help you make your Mother’s Day celebration special this year and dished up our popular French Toast Peach Cobbler. It’s the perfect for brunch for Mom (with the side benefit of delighting the the rest of the family too)! Served with the always available Let’s Dish! Signature Scones, baked to warm, just-crumbly-enough, golden delicious perfection - and, oh…, Mom will know how much you appreciate all that she does for you.

Free <a mce_thref=Jeremy also took the opportunity to share a fantastic Mother’s Day offer from Let’s Dish! - Free Dinner for New Moms - good only from May 4th to May 11th, so find out the details and hurry in! Or, for the ultimate gift, get Mom a Let’s Dish! Gift Card, available for purchase stores or online (where you can print it right away for that last-minute gift option). Even better, send Mom meals directly with our new DishDelivery service and she won’t even have to lift a finger. Now, you can’t say you’ve got no idea what to get Mom this year!

Here’s the video of Sunday Brunch - and as a special bonus for all you Food for Thought readers , continue reading and you’ll find the recipe for the Let’s Dish! French Toast Peach Cobbler!


(If you can’t view video above, please click here to go to this post on Food for Thought or watch on YouTube.)

Buy a Let’s Dish! Gift CardRELATED LINKS:
> Free Dinner for New Moms during Mother’s Day Week
> Make Your Mom’s Day Even Brighter
>
Buy Mom a Let’s Dish! Gift Card

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Click to continue reading “Let’s Dish! celebrates Mother’s Day on WBAL-TV”

We Recommend: Cutting Down on Catalogs

For a fresh idea on spring cleaning, here’s a great article from the The Wall Street Journal on how to cut down on the catalogs you receive in the mail. It’s not only going to save you time and clutter, but your sanity as well - who needs all that sorting! Plus, you can “do right” by those trees - it’s the green thing to do.

We at Let’s Dish! are also committed to saving your sanity as well by making sure all the information you need to “dish” is online at www.letsdish.com. Did you know you can find:

  • Monthly menus for up to two months
  • Nutrition facts, cooking instructions, ingredients and dietary modification options for each dish
  • Special offers and events for your local Let’s Dish! store
  • A chance to earn unlimited discounts when you Refer-A-Disher to Let’s Dish!
  • The opportunity to opt in to receive promotions and news via email

So, while you may occasionally receive a coupon in the mail (and we’ve heard you don’t mind these little postcards), we’ve put in all on letsdish.com for you. It’s information at your fingertips - at the office, at a friend’s house, or even at home in your jammies!

Click to continue reading “We Recommend: Cutting Down on Catalogs”

Tip of the Day: How To Keep Food Fresh

Consumer Reports is a valuable resource for so many savvy shoppers out there. But did you know they give advice on more than cars and electronics?!

Follow the link to read their “Tip of the Day” on how to keep food fresh, posted on the Consumer Reports Home and Garden blog. And, don’t forget, to keep your Let’s Dish! meals fresh, always follow the label instructions and be sure your packaging stays sealed in your freezer and fridge when thawing. As you can read, all foods - including meat, poultry and fish - can maintain its flavor and freshness if you use the proper storage.

Click to continue reading “Tip of the Day: How To Keep Food Fresh”

See how much you save with Let’s Dish!

Let's Dish! Everyday Low Prices start at $3.25 per   servingIt’s a fact that food is more expensive than ever these days. Yet, a Let’s Dish! meal comes in as low as $3.25 a serving when you dish yourself and make a bunch of healthy, delicious dinners to spare. And you make ‘em just the way you like ‘em. It’s a freezerful of convenience AND savings.

So, how much are you saving with Let’s Dish!? We took our April menu and did a survey of the prices for the equivalent meals at the region’s favorite casual restaurants. Take a look below to see how a night in with a Let’s Dish!

Click to continue reading “See how much you save with Let’s Dish!”

The Family Dinner Deconstructed on NPR

In a recent Morning Edition segment on NPR, reporter Alix Spiegal explores the research that seeks to expand on the issue of family dinner and its benefits in a story called, “The Family Dinner Deconstructed.” According to Spiegal, researchers are now pushing further to ask: “Is it the mere act of eating together that counts, or is it that strong families are already more likely to have a family dinner?” And, “what is it in family dinner that can make it an antidote to bad grades and bad habits in kids?”

Family MattersYour Health: The Family Dinner Deconstructed
(by Alix Spiegal, Morning Edition on NPR: February 7, 2008)

I think the segment is important to listen to for all of us who struggle to pull dinner together each night - and especially important for me to recommend as a co-owner of Let’s Dish!.

Click to continue reading “The Family Dinner Deconstructed on NPR”

We Recommend: Best and Worst Choices at Restaurant Chains

While studies have shown that a healthier choice is to eat wholesome, home-cooked meals, preferably ones prepared at Let’s Dish!, the reality is that every once in a while, you go out to eat. And, sometimes it’s even fun to go out with your family. But that plaguing guilt, confusion and paralysis that takes over when you look at the giant menu with more options than you even have time to read before the waiter asks for your order - gasp, deep breath - is not fun.

Rick recommended RealAge to you in his post last week - and now true to our word, we’ve offering you some more of their expertise.  In their Food Bites feature, RealAge offers the some tips for you when you go to five popular restaraunt chains.  From Chili’s to Cheesecake Factory, read up on what to look for when you pick up that giant menu:

link-post-icon.gifBest and Worst Choices at Five Restaurant Chains
RealAge Food Bites

And, one final reminder - restaurants are required by law to have the nutrition facts for the menu on site, so remember you can always ask for it if you’d like to see the facts before you order.  They are not required to have hand-out copies available for customers, so it’s not always easy but it pays to be persistent in this case.

Click to continue reading “We Recommend: Best and Worst Choices at Restaurant Chains”

Do you know the warning signs of a heart attack?

If you don’t - or aren’t sure - you are not alone.  Just 1 in 4 Americans know the early physical warnings of a heart attack - and what to do next, according to a new goverment report. 

For your own benefit and to change this “alarmingly low” statistic as described by the CDC, let’s all take a minute to read this article: “Only 1 in 4 knows heart attack warning signs“.  The AP article, released to the the news on February 21st, details the findings of this study and the symptoms we should know: 

link-post-icon.gifOnly 1 in 4 knows heart attack warning signs
Associated Press; February 21, 2008 on MSNBC

We also recommend you see details on Heart Attack, Stroke and Cardiac Arrest Warning Signs from the American Heart Association.

Click to continue reading “Do you know the warning signs of a heart attack?”

More on Sodium: Dora and Batman get a little healthier!

Here’s a postscript to last week’s post on sodium and heart health.  On Monday, ABC Health News reported that those cute cans of Campbell’s soup - you know, the ones with the kids’ characters on the can - are getting a little healthier:  “Campbell’s Lowering Sodium in Kids Soups” (by Geoff Mulvihill, Feb 18, 2008).

Now these 12 Campbell’s soups will have 480 milligrams of sodium per serving - a reduction of 20% from its current levels.  And, the sodium levels in those same soups were previously reduced by 25% two years ago.  Hard to imagine the amount of sodium in one little Dora can of soup before!  

The company can now officially label the cans as “healthy” - and that can of soup will represent 20% of the recommended daily intake of sodium per day for children (2,400 mg of sodium for adults or children 4 and older, according to FDA daily values.)  It’s a step in the right direction, I suppose!

Click to continue reading “More on Sodium: Dora and Batman get a little healthier!”

Dish from the Heart: I went over the risk factors in my head.

Sheila Ferrell is a social worker on the open heart surgery unit at Union Memorial Hospital.  Last year, her husband went through open heart surgery and was treated on her very floor at Union Memorial.  We thank Sheila for sharing her first-hand and very personal perspective on heart disease with Let’s Dish!

Dish from the HeartMy husband, Jim, and I went through a lot in 2007. Early in the year, I had an elective surgery that was painful and had some complications but all was cool by July. When I was well, Jim decided to take a vacation in order to visit with and say goodbye to our son, who was to be redeployed to Afghanistan.

Click to continue reading “Dish from the Heart: I went over the risk factors in my head.”

We Recommend: Let’s Dish! on FOX 45 Morning News

Lisa and I dropped by the FOX 45 Morning News (WBFF-TV, Baltimore MD) on Monday, February 11th, to continue our mission during American Heart Month.

During the Morning Recipes segment, we gave a demonstration of a heart healthy dish on the Let’s Dish! menu in February, Roasted Pork Tenderloins with Red Currant Sauce. We added some of our healthy Ready Made side dishes and dessert options - and voila! - a romantic and healthy Valentine’s Day dinner!

Here’s the video - there’s still time to dish this very meal for Valentine’s Day, so sign up for a session or drop by the store to pick one up today!

Click to continue reading “We Recommend: Let’s Dish! on FOX 45 Morning News”

We Recommend: Hands-On Health Exhibits for Kids

Looking for something to do this weekend? We recommend you head to to the Maryland Science Center for some hands-on fun with your kids as they absorb important information about their body and how to keep it healthy!

Several fantastic new exhibits on the human body have just opened for a limited time in the mid-Atlantic. Visit these along with the Science Center’s permanent exhibits on body and health, and your kids (and even you) will be learning without even realizing it! Be sure to visit the Maryland Science Center’s website to choose an exhibit that is age appropriate for your family.

Visit BODY WORLDS2 at the Maryland Science CenterBODY WORLDS 2
Limited engagement and first Mid-Atlantic appearance!

Gunther von Hagens’ BODY WORLDS 2: The Original Anatomical Exhibition of Real Human Bodies-is a first-of-its kind exhibition in which you have the unique opportunity to learn about the wonders of the human body by viewing real human bodies preserved through a process called plastination.

Click to continue reading “We Recommend: Hands-On Health Exhibits for Kids”

We Recommend: Let’s Dish! on WBAL Sunday Brunch

Lisa and I put on our Let’s Dish! aprons this past weekend to prepare a heart healthy dish from February’s menu for the Sunday Brunch segment on WBAL-TV (Baltimore, MD).  During our three minutes, we tried to share as many tips as we could on how to identify heart healthy ingredients and integrate these nutritious foods into your diet.

Here’s the video in case you missed it!

TV/Video IconLet’s Dish! on WBAL-TV (Baltimore)
February 3, 2008

[youtube MPYMJPTr-Ws nolink]

If you cannot see the embedded video above, you can also view it on the Food for Thought blog page by clicking here or on You Tube.

Click to continue reading “We Recommend: Let’s Dish! on WBAL Sunday Brunch”

February 1st is National Wear Red Day - Stop by Let’s Dish! for a Heart Healthy Dish and Go Red TODAY!

National Wear Red Day at Let’s Dish!Show your support for the fight against heart disease and the American Heart Association by wearing RED today!

You’ll join millions of other men, women and children (even cities!) who will support the cause by wearing red on National Wear Red Day.  And, if you only have a few spare minutes on February 1st, here are two quick ways to encourage heart health in your life and in your community.  Spread the word:

1)  Join the Go Red Campaign at a Let’s Dish! location near you.*