We're growing and growing and growing and we love the challenge each week. We're getting all our pasture-raised ducks in a row for our upcoming NorCal expansion. We'll still be cooking all our meals out of our Santa Ana kitchen, so if you know anyone who might be eager to work with us, have them send their resume over to info@modelmeals.com. 

This weekend we also had a wonderful visit from our Head of PR, Rae Pardini Matson, of RPM Public Relations. Rae has been helping us get the word out about Model Meals since early 2017 and we feel so grateful to have her on our team. We're so lucky to have someone who understands our passion and vision, and who lives the lifestyle too! See you next week!

 

It was another busy week in the kitchen and we're having the best time. We've been growing our own organic micro greens from Urban Produce that we cut and use in our meals or as garnish. It's a pretty cool thing to grow your own food and it makes us have big dreams about how we could take this method further in the future. 

Camille and I headed to Los Angeles for the morning for a workout with Jeanette Ogden of ShutTheKaleUp at PlateFit Brentwood. It was a great workout and was followed with a healthy lunch at Erewhon Market Venice. That is our kind of place. We made it back to the Model Meals kitchen just in time for Family Meal and my boyfriend surprised me with a 30th Birthday Cake for the whole team. There is no where I'd rather be then with this hard-working and loving team while I rang in my next decade. We also had the opportunity to celebrate together outside the kitchen on Sunday at my "Not-So-Dirty 30" surrounded by some of my favorite wellness brands and people. It was a weekend for the books and I can't wait to see everything that happens in this next year! Thank you for all your support.

Summertime happiness is in full swing at the Model Meals kitchen. And while some team members are away at weddings, new teammates are keeping their spots warm and helping out. This week we welcomed Amy, a recent Atlanta transplant, to our Saturday packing team. We offered free delivery this week and had a big jump in orders. More to make, more to pack, more to love.

Our saucier, Chef Paul Barbosa, created a sugar-free House Sriracha and it was met with great delight. He sure knows how to spice things up in the kitchen. We had lots of leafy organic greens all over the menu so we know you're feeling fresh to death this week as a result. 

And of course there's the big news of our San Francisco Bay Area launch. Tell all your friends and make sure they sign up on our Bay Area Welcome Page so they don't miss the first NorCal menu in just a few weeks.

 

We had a special visitor in the Model Meals kitchen this week! San Diego-based Holistic Nutritionist, Lindsey Surowitz stopped by to hang out with the team and to help us pack this week's Recipe of the Week. Lindsey left her job in insurance after creating a health challenge for co-workers and seeing how much she could help others regain their wellness. Lindsey and I got deep in conversation about all things wellness. Not just about clean food, but the importance of sleep, stress, self-talk, and all the things that go into a happy and healthy life. We bonded over our mutual belief that calories are not a very good way to determine the quality of your meal, and how we both share the benefits of healthy fats with our fat-phobic society. Fat sure has gotten a bad rap! I always love getting to know other passionate, kind, and wellness-focused individuals and we're really excited about all the potential collaboration between Lindsey and the Model Meals squad. 

It was a hot one this weekend, both inside and outside the kitchen. We're excited to see more warm weather produce becoming available, like bell peppers, citrus, and strawberries. You saw them this week in our Pork Carnitas Fajita Bowl and in our Seasonal Fruit and Nut Bowl with Chamomile Coconut Cream.

We welcomed Sydney and Kattina to our Saturday packing team this week and we're all excited to be growing together and tackling each week with more experience and excitement. Except for me who learned the importance of non-slip kitchen shoes the hard way when I hit the floor, knees and elbows first. 

Also, Chef Tony invented a bacon patty this weekend so that pretty much sums up my 2017 life goals. Model Meals McMuffins for all!