Sorted

Do you know the show?

It’s a channel on YT where several long time friends got together, more than 15 years ago actually, to start their channel.

If you watch them, you’ll learn that, from the age of 11, they went to school together, then university split them, briefly. Because of their friendship, however, they got back together. On the channel you will see them divided into 2 groups- chefs, Ben, Jamie, and Kush, and the “normals”, normal home cooks- Jamie, Mike, and Barry (Baz).

Not only that, but no matter the competition they’re in, (they’re all trying to better their home cooking skills through challenges which earns them a particular badge), they are supportive, and loving of each other. Then you have their normal digs of each other because they’re best of friends. It’s heartwarming, and educational at the same time. It’s great fun.

I have been watching them now, in my CoVid haze, for about a month, and have learned so much about food, cooking, wine pairings, etc., I’m amazed.

They also have a recipe/cooking app that they developed called Sidekick by Sorted, which is all about shopping responsibly, using the correct ingredient amounts, thereby stopping the waste of grocery items we buy then throw away because of spoilage. It is a huge theme of theirs; they have shouted it out from the very beginning of their channel so many years ago.

The app is free for 30 days, and I’m here to tell you that I had mixed feelings about it; so much so that I bought it, cancelled it; bought it, cancelled it; bought it, cancelled it. Then, when I was through the CV fog, bought it for a year. (You can cancel at any time).

On a limited income, and for the first time in our married lives, I am very interested in planning a weekly menu that allows me to buy only what is needed for the week without wastage. The way I cook now, there’s always a ton of leftovers, enough to feed a family of 8. We’re only the 2 of us, living on limited funds. One can only be expected to eat chicken, and rice casserole so many times before it’s no longer appealing.

There are hundreds of recipes, not to mention the “meal packs”, which contain 3 recipes that use similar grocery items where the perishable items are entirely used up by the third recipe. Nothing goes to waste. Not only that, but you put in the number of servings you want to make of any recipe, and it generates the shopping list accordingly. What????

I’m still on my 30 day free trial, but I’m here to tell you that, if I do this correctly, we can be eating food from all over the world, trying new, and exciting dishes, all within our budget, and without waste.

Check these guys out. They’re great. Entertaining as well.

Until next time, stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect yourselves.