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Providing even more variety?

As you know, we get tons of feedback each month.  One common request has been for us to offer 4, 8 or 12 ”half-meals” at a Let’s Dish! session.  Unlike traditional “splitting”, where dishers get two of each half-sized meal, “halving” (so to speak) would provide more variety by allowing dishers to make just one half (not two halves) of a regular, full-sized meal.

We’re all for variety, and this seems like a pretty good way to achieve it.  But halving is not without its potential snafus, as our whole operating systems (online and in-store) revolve around a meal for 4-6.  (For example, there is no place on line to indicate you want to make half-meals, and once in stores you’ll see our chicken breasts come 6-to-a-bag).

But we’re currently developing a “work-around” test, i.e., a relatively simple way to accomplish our objective of increased variety.  Our tentative plan (probably to start in November) is to create a “promo code” (likely “HALVES”) that customers enter on checkout at letsdish.com.  It will “discount” a traditional 4, 8 or 12 meal session to just $13.50 per dish.  Once in store, customers will dish half-meals, rather than splits or fulls.  They’ll have to ask staff to help them split some of the proteins, but hopefully that help will be provided quickly and efficiently.  Most other ingredients (veggies, breads, etc) can be halved easily by the disher.

We’ll start this as an experiment (more info forthcoming), in hopes that it will give dishers a chance to “halve” your cake and eat it too!

About Jeremy

Thank you, Moms

We love moms. They look out for us. They consistently prioritize our needs (and wants) above their own. And they always seem to be there with a Band-Aid and a kiss. I’ve always had a special place in my heart for moms, and now that I have witnessed childbirth, midnight feedings, and tearful preschool drop-offs, that special place has only grown larger.

This Mother’s Day, we’ve talked a lot about how Let’s Dish! can help you thank your mom - Gift Cards, French Toast Peach Cobbler, the nearly 1000 free meals we gave to new moms, etc. But long after the last cobbler-stained plate has been washed, the Gift Card run dry, and the petals have fallen from the bouquet, I think that what moms want most is a little recognition. So to all the moms out there - our staff, our customers, our fans, and especially the world’s best two moms - Judy and Katrina Kugel - thanks for all you do.

Happy Mother’s Day. We love you.

Jeremy’s Signature

I want to join my friend and colleague, Jeremy, in saluting every mom on this special day. We’re delighted that our free-meals-for-new-moms promotion has been so well received and that we’ve been able to be a part of this special annual holiday for so many families.

Let’s Dish! is a proud part of the lives of families of all shapes and sizes, but it comes as no surprise to anyone who has visited our stores that women are really at the center of what we do- over 90% of our customers and staff are women, and most of them are moms. In fact, a lot of our early vision for Let’s Dish! revolved around moms. We wanted to help busy moms with an easier way to put nutritious dinners on the table, encouraging better health AND more family time. And we wanted to design a team and a system with convenient shifts and flexibility that allowed busy moms seeking part-time opportunities to work AND still have time to do all sorts of “mom stuff!” It’s extremely rewarding to know that we’ve largely succeeded on both fronts.

On a more personal note, I want to recognize a few moms who have gone above and beyond to make our vision a reality. My partners — Dawn Brown, Elizabeth Marcotte, Lisa Hardiman, and Alexa Corcoran (who also happens to be my wife and the mother to my two very lucky daughters) — have been the driving forces behind our growth and success. Their effort and passion have been at the center of all we’ve accomplished. And they are just like all the other moms we know– insanely busy, trying to juggle a million commitments, frequently tired, but always there for the ones they love. I, too, have worked pretty darn hard over the last four years, but I am frankly in awe of these amazing women. Thank you all so much for all you do, for Let’s Dish! and for the 9 kids lucky enough to have you as moms.

Finally, I’m biased, so I’d like to send a special shout out to my world’s best moms :) — Karen Corcoran, Kathy Klimas, and Alexa Corcoran. Happy Mother’s Day!

Rick’s Signature

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RELATED LINKS:

> You still have time! Buy Mom a Let’s Dish! Gift Card and print to give to Mom

> Let’s Dish! Celebrates Mother’s Day on WBAL-TV
> Make Your Mom’s Day Even Brighter

100 Free Meals and Counting…

Jennifer and Tyler: Free Meals for New MomsJennifer Bernhardt and her 8-week old son, Tyler, came into the Let’s Dish! store in Fairfax, VA, on Tuesday afternoon to pick up their free Japanese Miso-Glazed Salmon. Congratulations, Jennifer! Even if you’re not sleeping through the night, at least you know dinner is taken care of!

New moms, come in by Sunday, May 11th, to take advantage of our offer of Free Meals For New Moms (see full details here).

Happy Mother’s Day!

Jeremy’s Signature

RELATED LINKS:
> Free Dinner for New Moms during Mother’s Day Week
> Let’s Dish! Celebrates Mother’s Day on WBAL-TV
> Make Your Mom’s Day Even Brighter
>
Buy Mom a Let’s Dish! Gift Card

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”

More time and money is just a “dish” away.

No matter where you’re getting dinner, it’s hard to find a better value than Let’s Dish!. You can efficiently make dinner at a terrific cost per serving. Who wouldn’t like MORE time and money?!

With the busy lives we lead these days, time is precious. And, it’s about more than a few extra minutes during the day tackle your “to do” list. It’s quality time to spend and enjoy - or a little bonus time to work on a special project or even pick up a new hobby. Plus, when is the last time you put a value on your time? In a world where an hour is very valuable personally and professionally, you should calculate how much your time is worth. One or two hours invested making meals at Let’s Dish! earns you back a whole lot more when you don’t have to shop, chop or prep dinner.

Let’s Dish! is the smart alternative

Now, let’s review the savings:
First, we showed you how Let’s Dish! is less expensive than dining out at a casual restaurant. You’d probably guess that our meals are a better value than dinner at…say, Chili’s… but did you realize that on a typical Let’s Dish! menu, you’d SAVE anywhere from $7 to $15 dollars per person. Multiply that time six and you’re saving $42 to a whopping $90 on ONE meal! Next, we compared Let’s Dish! to cooking from scratch. In a comparison of two meals, you could save up to 50% over shopping and preparing the meal yourself.

Time Magazine agrees: “The other nice thing was the price… clip as many coupons as you want, but you can never make a dinner as cheaply as these kitchens can…” (1/31/08 report on meal assembly industry: “Outsourced Home Cooking”)

So, here’s the summary: more time and money is just a “dish” away.

Come on in for a session!

Jeremy’s Signature

RELATED LINKS:
> See how much you save with Let’s Dish!

> Cost comparison: Save up to 50% over cooking from scratch

> FOX News: Food Costs Rising Fastest in 17 Years, Squeezing Poor Families

> Mom’s new battle: The Food Price Bulge: Read how families are creating new ways to stretch their monthly grocery budget

> Soaring Food Costs: Share your story: Tell CNNMoney.com how Let’s Dish! lets you enjoy healthy, family meals at a great economic value

FREE Dinner for New Moms!

FREE Dinner for New Moms!Don’t miss our Mother’s Day offer of a FREE meal for those who became a mom (or became a mom again!) in 2008!

FREE Dishes for New Moms

Being a new mom is the hardest and most rewarding job we’ll ever have. Well, it just got a little easier… and more rewarding! This Mother’s Day Week, Let’s Dish! will give a FREE Ready Made meal to anyone who has become a mom ( or become a mom again) in 2008. Just come into any of these Let’s Dish! locations between May 4 and May 11 and pick up your free dish (serves 4-6). No obligation. No small print. See just a few details below.*

Pass it on!
> View your “Free Meal” invitation online
> Use our email “Email this” tool above to pass this on to your new mom friends! Or, share to your favorite group on Facebook or more using our “Share This” tool below!
> Buy Mom a Let’s Dish! Gift Card

LINK > See how Let’s Dish! always saves you time and money!

View this month’s menu

Click to continue reading “FREE Dinner for New Moms!”

Family Book Club: A Literary & Culinary Adventure

Ever thought of creating a Family Book Club? It’s a great activity for the whole family - and you would be amazed at how you can bring food into it!

As I embarked on this culinary adventure with Let’s Dish!, I had no idea where it would take me. I have spent many hours thinking about food in all different ways, not just in new and exciting flavors but also in how food touches us in our lives and how we can make it a lifetime adventure for ourselves and our children.

One thing you should know about me is that I love to read.

Click to continue reading “Family Book Club: A Literary & Culinary Adventure”

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”

Let’s stop calling our kids “picky” eaters.

A couple of weeks ago, I had the honor of being a guest in Mrs. Carlivati’s 5th and 6th grade science classes at Nysmith School in Virginia. Mrs. Carlivati, an amazing teacher, does a unit on nutrition with her classes. In celebration of AHA’s Go Red for Women campaign, I was invited to lead a discussion about heart healthy food choices. My goal was to teach the kids that healthy foods can be yummy too. I was hoping to teach them to try new foods and to start making good choices today.

The formerly “picky” eaters in Nysmith School’s 5th and 6th grade science classThe children were so much fun.

Click to continue reading “Let’s stop calling our kids “picky” eaters.”

Put your children’s plates and cups where they can reach them.

If you’ve got kids, you’ve got plates, bowls, cups and silverware for kids. You’ll most often find these items emblazoned with a cartoon character on the top or side, smiling at you as you load Beauty and the Beast into the dishwasher.  (And, why is that they seem to endure forever when my Villeroy & Boch bowls get chipped all the time!) 

Kids’ tableware is often the most frequently used item in a family kitchen. In my house, a favorite cup is frequently washed, used, and washed again in a single day.  It’s enough to drive a parent to eat on that durn car-shaped plate herself!  (I’m talking in this post mainly to parents of the younger child variety, but the same applies for older kids and stadium cups and similar kitchen delights!)

Here’s Mora Babineau’s tip on how to shift some of that responsibility to the kids:

Move children’s plastic cups and plates to an area that can be easily accessed by them such as a low cabinet or drawer.

Click to continue reading “Put your children’s plates and cups where they can reach them.”

We Recommend: How Parenting Style Affects Weight in Children

Every parent thinks about it (or tries not to):  Will what I say and do as a parent help my children become healthy and happy adults?  

We caught this Today Show ”Parenting & Family” segment (January 16, 2008) on how parenting style may affect weight in children and think it is worth sharing: 

TV/Video IconParents: Are you making your kids fat?
Dr. Gail Saltz (Today Contributor) and
Lisa Drayer (Health Magazine)

The video/article posits that that “permissive” parenting (”My child/parent is my best friend” mentality) is correlated with childhood obesity.  And, Saltz suggests that you are more likely to raise healthy children if you set limits at the same time you affirm your love and encourage them to learn to make good choices.   

Easier said than done, I’m sure, especially when you are juggling home, family and work responsibilities all in a single on-the-spot-moment of parenting.  I tend to agree with Saltz though I wish they would invent a magical “groan blocking” adult implant to make it all a little easier. 

One thing that comes to mind as this relates to Let’s Dish! and dinnertime is the modern phenomenon of feeding your children a different dinner than you prepare for yourself (and your partner).  In my mind, this does lower expectations for your children.  We all know the “one bite” rule.  Some parents (including me) take it even farther to say “This is your dinner.

Click to continue reading “We Recommend: How Parenting Style Affects Weight in Children”