The TravelnLass Does Black Friday

(a.k.a. OMG, has she gone completely off her rocker?)

O.k. O-KAAAY!  That image above is surely the very LAST thing you’d expect to see at the top of a TravelnLass post, yes?

After all, I have a long history of **loathing** shopping malls.  And of course – as a minimalist living for years now with little more than what fits into a rollie and a backpack – obviously I have no use for more “stuff”.

So you would think – TravelnLass? A Black Friday sale?  NO WAAAY!!!

You would think.

To be honest, ’tis ever so rarely that I wax glowing about a product or service here.  And though I have on rare occasions shouted out my adoration for my beloved “Moo Cards” (I still covet my remaining 50 cards – down from 200 that I had made before I jumped the U.S. ship 5 years ago), never before have I buckled to the “Black Friday” craze.

Until now.

For once, I have something to share that I reeeealy and truuuuly think is absolutely da BOMB!  Furthermore, something that most every one of my readers can use.  And better still, I just got a notice that it’s going to be steeply discounted for the entire “Black Friday” weekend – woo-HOOO!

“most every one of my readers” you say?  Yup, regardless of whether you come here for inspiration and encouragement to hop on the next silver cigar-tube and get outta Dodge, or… simply to travel along with me vicariously from the comfort of your travel “armchair” (and who could blame you? I mean, traipsing up hill and dale dragging a rollie isn’t everybody’s idea of seventh-heaven).

Regardless.

You DO have to EAT, don’t you?

I mean, we all have THAT in common, do we not?  And even me – without an oven to my name, and the bittiest of kitchens.  Even here in my tiny Ecuador apartment with rented forks, knives and spoons…  I still have to rustle up some grub three times a day.

And that’s where today’s Black Friday dealy comes in.

You see, (unbeknownst to you) I’ve been using a most amazing online recipe program for more than a year now.  And I’m here to tell ya – it’s absolutely the BEST!

You know me – much like my over-the-top travel research when I’m planning my next trip – trust that I researched my BRAINS out testing most every blessed recipe software on the market.  Mastercook (“with embedded wine list” now THAT’S something I urgently need in my recipe software – um, not), Paprika, Living Cookbook (yeah, like there’d be a “Dead Cookbook”), Accuchef, Cook’n, younameit.

Suffice, all seemed way too complicated to me, and/or too pricey, and/or technically clumsy.  Until – I tested the uber common-sensibly named:  Plan To Eat.

Yes, they have a 30 day free trial which is what initially sold me on plunking down the centavos for a year’s subscription.  But right now, you can get a year’s subscription (plus they’ll tack on extra 30 days) for half the price that I paid.

Here’s the deal:

I honestly can’t describe all the many nuances that make this recipe/shopping/meal planning software so amazing, but these are just a few of the functions that I especially like:

• Super-duper easy-peasy recipe clipper – I have mine on my browser, so whenever I find a recipe (no matter the site nor how it’s formatted) I can just click! And PTE will locate the recipe on the page, grab all the ingredients and directions (as well as the picture if there is one) – and drop it perfectly into my (neatly organized and visually beautiful) recipe file.
• An oversized text “cooking view” for both your desktop or you phone – so you can easily follow along with the recipe as you measure and chop.
• Share recipes with friends of course, along with the ability to add custom notes to each recipe (great for those of us who… um, don’t have a prayer of finding “onion soup mix” here in Ecuador – shoot, even “sour cream” is a rare sighting).
• Keep your recipes private or public – each individually.
• Automated grocery list maker (that’s customizable to multiple grocery stores and even grocery aisles).  And because PTE is always synced to your phone (no separate app required), you’ve got your grocery list handy wherever you are.  And even more amazing – once you’ve pulled up your shopping list on your phone – even when you don’t have internet access, you’ll still have your grocery list and can check off items as your shop!
• Then there’s the whole meal planning function.  I admit, with only myself to cook for, I could care less what I eat a week from Tuesday.  But of course if you’ve got a fmaily and you’re not inclined to shop every blessed day, then the PTE meal planning function is amazing.
• That said, I do find it great fun to drag and drop recipes onto the sweet visual calendar.  You can change the servings of any recipe of course, but should (“soliteras” like me) opt to make a batch to feed an army – PTE will deftly account for leftovers!
• Oh and best of all – my favorite PTE function? “the freezer”.  Even with my small top-O-the-fridge freezer here in my Cuenca apartment, I’ve always favored making big batches of soup, lasagna, even hamburger patties – and tossing them in the freezer.  Plan To Eat let’s me tuck those extra portions into a digital freezer, so I can remember to drag them out and… you know EAT THEM (before they turn into frozen blocks of sawdust).
• To me the interface is extremely well thought out, and everything is quick and handy.  Plus (my personal fave for any software), PTE has a boatload of crystal-clear how-to videos for every single function.

In short: Plan To Eat is simple, powerful, fun, and most importantly – USE.FUL.

So… all I’m sayin’ here is – if (like me) you’ve long searched for the perfect recipe/shopping/maill-planning program, now’s the time to give Plan To Eat a spin.  At the sweet price of just $19.50 for a full year, you really can’t go wrong.

Indeed – trust that I’m gonna most certainly grab this one for another year at half price.  Shoot, I may even gift a year to a certain foodie sister of mine (you can buy a gift subscription during the sale and delay gifting the subscription until Christmas).
 

Feed me, por favor.

 
 
 
Oh and let me say straight up:  Yes, yes, should you purchase the software through any of the links here I’ll receive a pittance.  But that doesn’t make it a single penny pricier for you at all.  It just means that Dulce won’t go without gata food this week. 😀

Just kidding.  Click the link, or don’t click it.  Makes little difference to me.  I just wanted to share a rare Black Friday deal that I sincerely think many here might well love just as much as I do.