A number of weeks ago I stumbled upon a service that I thought might just help out with both of these issues. The service is called Big Oven and is a combination online recipe book/organizer, meal planner, and grocery list creator. Something like this sounded like it could help, and since the basic level of membership is free, I decided to give it a try.
They have a bunch of different recipes to try. You can search for specific recipes if you want, or you can browse by different groupings such as a seasonal collection, quick and easy suggestions, best ratings, etc. The application allows you to review and read reviews of the recipes to help you decide which ones to try. It also lets you flag recipes you want to try and this is handy when building a menu plan. If you have your own favorite recipes, you can also add them as either publicly available or private (up to 50 in the free version) and it can also import recipes found elsewhere on the web so you can include them in any meal planning efforts.
I was able to create a couple week-long menu plans and then have it generate shopping lists from the menus. By installing their app on my phone, I was able to sync up the shopping list on my phone so I could take it to the store and make sure I bought everything I needed. The application attempts to organize the shopping list by departments so that you aren't running back and forth across the store or constantly scrolling through the list. As you put items in your cart, you can then check them off of the list so you can keep track of it all.
I tried several recipes from the site as well as entered a few of my own. Overall I think the application is handy and did help me organize a weekly menu as well as keep me on track at the grocery store. And some of the recipes on the site are fantastic, my favorite one thus far is this Chicken Tikka Masala one.
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| Chicken Tikka Masala, Baingan bharta, and Naan |
The application does have some drawbacks though. When generating shopping lists, it didn't seem to combine ingredients from multiple recipes into a single shopping list item...so I ended up with three listings for "1 onion" instead of a shopping list that read "3 onions"...and this can make the shopping list rather long if you have a large menu plan. The big catch for cruisers though, is that everything is stored online. This means that once you are done planning, you will need to make copies of your plan and all the recipes before you head out of internet range. Not impossible to overcome, but would be nice if the application could save this stuff for you without having to resort to screen captures or cut-and-paste.
Still, it is a tool worth having in your meal planning and provisioning arsenal. So, if you cruise, do you have any special apps or techniques you use to help with these tasks? Leave a comment and let me know.
My prediction is once people have all their data into this site and become dependent on it, it will start charging everyone. If I were you, I would spend my time writing meal plans just as a document. One doc could be a list of meal options. You could then have a set of docs where a recipe is named, then a list of ingredients by quantity then instructions. Copy and paste the ingredients to another doc for your list. Consolidate any duplicate items.
ReplyDeleteThe process would be more complicated but it would be yours. You could also write lists when not connected to the net or cell/smart phone.
Check lists, as I'm sure you know, are crucial to sailing. This is just one more.
Well, BigOven has been around since 2004, so my guess is they are probably sticking with the "freemium" model. Since the free level only allows 50 recipes as I mentioned, there is some incentive to upgrade...but it isn't required. They also use advertisement for income and seem to have some sponsored recipes on their site,
DeleteThere may be a risk, just as there is for any free service, but I think that many companies that use the "freemium" model have learned that doing what you predict is generally detrimental to their business. Of course, in the past I've worked with a couple companies that had to learn this lesson the hard way...so who knows.
In any case, it is always prudent to have a backup of any data stored in this sort of service (in this case, your favorite recipes)...so you have a way out if needed.
Hi Mike,
ReplyDeleteSomewhat off the mark but it deals with shopping for food/exploring in some less developed areas. In some of the cruiser blogs I read, the addition of 1 or 2 folding bikes was considered the best investment for shopping for groceries and exploring. Catamaran cruisers most likely to have due to more space,couples usually had 2 and ability to roam/shop 4-5 times distance vs walking was reason. Some purchased marinized ones while others just were careful to rinse with fresh water and store in plastic/canvas bag with dessicant bag. Definitely need strong locks as I've read some stories of theft. Don't know your situation or voyage plans, but just a thought. Run $120 an up eg ebay. Easier to get in states as they are rare in islands/central america.
Doug from VT
Hey Doug,
DeleteYeah, bikes have been on the list for a while. Do we go with our regular ones, get folding ones, go with a Dahon and hope they last or go cheap and expect to replace regularly. Something folding and easy to dinghy to shore seems to be a good idea...but have you seen the prices on those things...even used. Think I saw one Dahon, and I don't think it was more than a 3 speed, in Sailors Exchange in St. Augustine for $300 or so used.
But yeah, bikes and backpacks (preferably insulated ones for groceries) seem like a good idea when provisioning sans car.
Consider a 6 sp alum frame folding bike from EGbikedot com USA. I used them for electric bikes I sold and rented here in VT on Burlington waterfront, but they also carry line of folding bikes starting at $279. Other than tourists wanting to go on bikepath,probably 5% of my business was renting to cruisers who rented ebike and tagalong to get boat parts at a West Marine or grocery shopping
DeleteDoug from VT
Yeah, at $279 they are a bit more reasonable. Did you ever actually see one of these bikes? Do you know if they would hold up well to the corrosive nature of warm salt air (Caribbean seems to be a bit more corrosive than VT). Will need to see if I can find one to look at in person sometime.
DeleteAnd I guess my wife just put our bikes on Craig's list...
Doug replied to this message and included some information (full names, phone numbers) that I didn't want to have posted on the blog...so here is the slightly edited version for those reading along:
DeleteHi Mike,
Yes I saw the whole line of EG bikes at their Canton Mass location. Bought 16 electric bikes for business. The owner knows his market and has good prices and good quality, none of ebikes had problems with a lot of riding by renters. I did not have to deal with salt air on Lake Champlain. Contact him at xxx-xxx-xxxx, tell him about your seagoing situation and his opinion- tell him Doug says hello. Looking at Dahon Mariner vs EGbike Anlace specs they are very similar- mostly alloy but with steel front fork and steel crank, but you should do the compare
Doug
I'll look into it a bit more when I get a chance. Right now getting the house cleared needs to take priority so it may be a few weeks. Thanks for the insight and info Doug!
DeleteI've been thinking of developing a good, all-around boating app, as I can't really find anything that does the things I want. Boat maintenance, meal & stores planning, on- and off-line use, shared data between multiple devices (over wifi and/or bluetooth). But I'll keep an eye here, because you seem to come up with some interesting finds.
ReplyDeleteDoug & Marcia
http://saillift.com
There have been times I've been tempted to write my own boating apps as well. About the time I decide to do it, I stumble across one that is "close enough". Reminds me I need to do some anchor alarm app testing...have several loaded on my (Android) phones and tablets now.
Delete