Friday, November 24, 2017

Instacart - a Review


Last year, we were sitting in No-Name Harbor on a very hot day and we needed to provision. The Winn Dixie is a mile and a half away by foot or a $7.00 cab fare. To be honest, I was just beat from the last  months of working on the boat, and didn't feel like the walk. I had heard about Instacart, an online service offered through Publix locally, and one I often thought was tailor made for cruising sailors. I went online and signed up, filled out a cart which included a lot of the heavy items I would have had to lug back on my rolly cart. After seeing the "service fee" of 10% and the delivery fee, I backed out of the cart, put on my shoes and started walking. It was, after all, a beautiful day and at least half of the walk was through the lovely Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park trails.

Fast forward to today. My daughter is living here with us and is expecting in two weeks. She's not feeling particularly well at this point, the birth center is a hefty drive away, and we share a car. Being 15 minutes away from the marina with a cart full of groceries and receiving a call that she was in labor and needed the car - STAT - was not my idea of a good time, so I thought I'd try the Instacart again just in case things had changed for the better in the last year.

I filled my cart, concentrating on the sale items they listed. I also added a lot of the heavy items I wouldn't want to haul in the bike trailer, my second traveling option. I got to the cart and there is still a 10% "service charge", which I assumed was the shopping fee for the shopper. On my order it was less than $15.00 and the delivery fee was free for my first order so I decided to give it a go. Bicycling is free, but the 2-1/2 hours it would have taken me to bike in, shop, and bike back were certainly not as good as that same 2-1/2 hours playing UNO with my grandkids.

The ordering process is pretty straightforward in their iOS app. It's easy to navigate, and the items are well described. A full nutritional value and ingredient list are provided so it's easy to compare products. The shopping cart is easy to understand, quantities are easy to adjust, and items are easy to add or remove. Coupon items have their own tab and are easy to browse through. Once in the checkout process, the service fee and delivery charges are clear. I placed my order just after 2:00 pm and my initial delivery was supposed to be between 4-5:00.

Close to 4:00 I checked the app and was a bit surprised to see that my order hadn't been picked yet. I guess to be fair though, it was Black Friday. It wasn't until 5:12 that I got the first text saying that my shopper had started shopping. At 5:31 I received my first text regarding any problems. One of the items that was on sale was out of stock and had been refunded from the order. It gives you a link in the text to go to where you can either approve the removal of the item or change it to something else.

At 5:50 I received the second text of an issue. Another item I wanted was out of stock and the text said that my shopper had replaced it with a similar item. Because the item was a very specific item required by my food-sensitive grandkids, it was necessary for me to go in and remove the item because there was no substitute. At 6:24 I received another text about another replacement. This time I was able to go in and change it to something I wanted rather than the one he had chosen. Two other changes brought the total to 5 changes out of 29 items.

At 7:05 I received a text that the shopper was on the way. The shopper arrived promptly, was efficient, courteous, and helpful. I had a chance to speak with him about his role in the shopping experience and I learned some things that may impact your decision whether to use this service.

1. The "service fee" is a fee that is defined on their site, instacart.com:

What is the Service Fee?

The Service Fee is used to provide customer support and recognize the efforts of the whole team for providing you with great service.

Is the Service Fee a tip? 

The Service Fee allows Instacart to operate our service and provide customer support. This payment is distinct from a tip as it does not go directly to the shopper delivering your order.

The service fee is 10%. My shopper told me that it used to be the tip, but that recently they changed it from a direct tip to the shopper, to a fee collected for "the whole team" as it says above. He was unsure who "the whole team" was. The shopper collects $.40 per item shopped and a delivery payment of $4.50, which used to be $9.00 and was recently reduced. For my 29 items, that equaled $11.60 for over two hours of work at a whopping $5.80 per hour less gas in the car (they use their own.) He also told me that if he drives over 13 miles he gets another $5.00 for the delivery but that frequently they give him two orders to do at the same time, one within a few miles, and one 20 miles away.

2. The Tip:

After receiving my order, which was well packed, I received a text that had a link to rate the experience as well as to make "adjustments" to my order. The "adjustments" are in fact a place to add the tip for the shopper, 100% of which goes to the shopper. None of the service fee appears to go to the shopper.

3. Prices:

I'm one of those people that is freakish about number memory. I still remember my phone number from when I was a young child and I know the price of almost everything I routinely buy. So it was easy for me to compare the prices on Instacart to those in the actual store. Almost all of the prices were higher than in the store. For instance, the gallon of organic milk I usually buy is $5.99 in the store. It was $6.69 on Instacart. The Kambucha I get is usually $8.99 for the big bottle and it was $9.99 on Instacart. The Second Nature trail mix I usually buy is $5.99 in the store, $6.49 on Instacart so you can see that there is already more than a 10% markup on some items even before the 10% service fee. There were a few that were cheaper because they were on sale on Instacart and weren't on sale in the store. The difference was not enough to make up for the marked up items.

So...would I use it again? I can honestly say that I wouldn't use it again unless it was an exceptional situation - I was sick and couldn't drive, I had no possible transportation to the store, I needed a prescription filled. There were some points in the process that I felt a bit "trapped" or maybe "coerced" is the right word. Had I known right up front that I would spend 10% more for the items, 10% for the processing fee, and 10% for the tip, I wouldn't have done it. You find these out bit by bit after you are already committed.

I'm also a bit gun shy around any company that abuses its workers. If I have any other option, I rarely use Walmart just for that reason. The way this company uses independent contractors reeks a bit of the way my daughter and son-in-law were exploited as graduate students. Were I to use it again it would be with the full knowledge that I was paying 30% more for the privilege of curling up in my cockpit with a good book instead of schlepping to the store on Black Friday. If you decide to use the service, I only ask that you treat your shopper fairly and add a reasonable tip.

Locally, for me, it only lists Publix and CVS and a couple other small stores, but in larger cities there are a lot of other stores like Whole Foods, Costco, Kroger, ABC Fine Wine and Spirits, Petco, Shop and Save, Schnucks, and The Food Emporium. That list is far from incomplete. You have to get online and check out your zipcode to see what stores are available in your area.

Clearly there are some benefits of having this service. But to use it regularly as your sole means of provisioning is a habit best left to those in mega yachts with a much bigger budget than Kintala's.

Monday, July 24, 2017

Hummustir

UPDATED 4-17-2018: See the end of the post.

Every once in a while somebody comes up with a product so perfect that it's sweet beyond belief. Hummustir is one of those. Not only is it perfect for boaters, cruisers and liveaboards, but it's perfect for land dwellers and RV goers as well. I happened on Hummustir quite by accident while looking for some organic beans in the vegetable aisle of <gasp> Walmart. I know, I know, I hate shopping there too but unfortunately it's the only place I can find some of the specialized products I need to feed the allergy-prone grandkids living with me right now. Seems odd, doesn't it? But Walmart is listening to people and is greatly increasing their organic offerings. It's the place I find organic pumpkin, organic spices, organic rice milk, and a host of other things like organic produce and pasture raised eggs.

So let's get on with it - what's so good about Hummustir you ask?

  • It's USDA certified organic.
  • It's non-GMO.
  • It's gluten free.
  • It has everything you need to mix it right in the package so it's easily transportable.
  • It's good for you.
  • It's cheap.
  • It's fresh.
  • The best? It's in environmentally responsible packaging. The container is paper, the spoon is wood, and only the absolute minimum of plastic is used. Five stars to the company!

As a cruiser with very limited fridge space, this is a godsend. I can stow these away and grab one on the way out the companionway to a cockpit gathering. And the best thing? It comes in two flavors and they are both the best-tasting hummus I have had anywhere. Here's the steps:


 The package includes a pouch of organic chick pea paste, a pouch of organic tahini, a pouch of seasoning, and a wooden mixing/serving spoon.

Be sure to knead each packet before you open them, especially the tahini packet. The tahini tends to separate and needs to be thoroughly kneaded. Then just roll down the packet from the bottom to the top, cut it open and squeeze the contents into the container.
The chick pea paste is the smoothest of any hummus I've bought.
Add the tahini.
 Add the spice packet.
Stir it up well. I sometimes use a spatula to mix it because the chick pea paste sometimes gets into the corners and it's easier to use to mix it well.
Then just enjoy with veggies or crackers. We rarely have any left over, but if you do, just transfer it into a smaller container and store in the fridge.













UPDATE: I went to the store to replenish my supply today and I was crushed. The company has changed the packaging and it is no longer environmentally responsible packaging. I'm afraid I can no longer recommend this product. I have written to the company and I'm waiting for an answer which I will post when I receive it. Here is a photo of the new packaging: 2 plastic containers, a plastic spoon, and a plastic dome. I'm crushed.



Friday, May 26, 2017

Gluten free flourless plantain pancakes

As I've mentioned before, my grandchildren have fairly severe food allergies. We have them on the boat with us for the summer, so finding food that they can eat is challenging. Since I hear from many of you that you are facing gluten and allergy issues, I'll be posting some of the recipes that we have found usable and, quite frankly, delicious.

One of my grandkids is allergic to wheat, one to dairy, and all of them are sensitive to colors, preservatives, and additives of all kinds. They also all suffer from the gut issues that the GAPS diet addresses. This means that the rice flour recipes that we were using last time they were here are off the table so this summer has been even more challenging. They are also not able to tolerate the high starch content of the popular gluten free products. The loss of the flours really hit hard since the rice flour chocolate chip pancakes were their favorite.

Enter the wonderfully adaptable plantain.

Plantains are so infinitely versatile when you are cooking and baking for the gluten intolerant and allergy-prone eaters. When green, they are higher in starch and make a wonderful pancake that is almost impossible to tell from a flour one, as well as some tasty pumpkin muffins. When yellow, but with no brown spots, they make a thinner but much sweeter pancake and when fully ripe with many brown spots they are great for smoothies and puddings.  I'll be listing some new recipes as we experiment, but since plantains are so readily available in the tropics, these are a great staple for cruisers.

So without further ado, here is the plantain pancake with or without chocolate chips.

Ingredients:

2 large green plantain
4 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla
3 Tbl coconut oil
1/8 tp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1-1/2 tsp sugar (optional)

Enjoy Life Dairy Free Chocolate Chips (optional)







Directions:

Peel green plantains with a potato peeler. Cut into large chunks and place in blender.Add eggs, vanilla, coconut oil, salt, soda and cinnamon.Mix well till smooth.

Heat griddle to medium and grease with high heat oil like sunflower. Coconut oil works, but not as well, especially if the plantains are yellow. Pour the batter on the griddle in 1/4 cup increments. Sprinkle with chocolate chips.





Watch griddle carefully because these take a little lower heat than normal pancakes. As you go through the batches you have to continually turn the heat lower. Also, the greener the plantain, the higher the heat can be. The yellower, the lower.














Enjoy with dairy free butter and maple syrup.

Wednesday, March 15, 2017

Delectable and Utterly Fabulous Cheez-Its

Sorry it's been so long since I posted here, but we've been cruising the Abacos and the weather has been less than stellar which means I'm not in a very creative mood when it comes to the galley. Soon we'll be back in the States and I'll have much more time to get back into post-it mode.

Since we're talking about cruising the Abacos, this is the place where food is hard to come by and, more specifically, snack food is almost non-existent or it costs a week's paycheck to buy. We've been over here six weeks now and all of the chips and crackers we brought are gone. A trip to Maxwell's in Marsh Harbour revealed that the price of chips ($9.58 for a bag of Doritos) hadn't changed significantly. Even the huge jar of popcorn is gone (our cheap chip backup), so I had to come up with some snack foods. I've tried various crackers before without much success (my husband is a real Ritz snob), but I almost always have flour and butter and various other makings of crackers on board. So I took a deep breath and decided to try one more time. I Googled Cheez-It recipe and the folks at browneyedbaker.com came up with a homemade cheez-its recipe. The last time I tried a homemade Ritz recipe it didn't turn out well so this time I decided on half a recipe to check it out first. I wish I had made the full recipe...and the shocking thing is that there are only four - yes four - ingredients. No chemicals, no FD&C yellow or orange, no preservatives because I promise you that these will never last long enough to need preservatives. They almost didn't last long enough to cool completely. So enjoy - but be prepared because you'll never want the store bought kind again.

Ingredients:

8 oz extra sharp cheddar cheese, yellow or white
1/4 c unsalted butter at room temperature
1 tsp salt
1 c all purpose flour
2-3 Tbl ice water

Directions:


Shred the cheddar with a micro plane or other fine shredder into a medium bowl.












Add the butter and the salt. Mix with a hand mixer (or by hand) until blended.












Add flour and mix until it looks like small pebbles.












Add water a tablespoon at a time until it forms a ball but is not sticky to the touch. Knead 5-6 times just till smooth and cohesive. Wrap with plastic wrap and chill for one hour.










Divide dough in quarters and roll out on parchment paper until very thin. It should not be more than 1/8" thick and thinner if possible. Cut edges square with a pastry wheel if you have one, or use a long knife. Cut rectangle into cheez-it sized squares approximately one inch square. Poke center with the dull end of a bamboo skewer. Bake at 375° for 15-17 minutes depending on your oven.





Remove from oven, let cool slightly, and break apart. Let cool completely and store in an airtight container.

Note: Baking times will differ depending on how thin you roll the dough. Watch these carefully as they will burn quickly. The thinner they are, the crispier they are.