Eat At Home: Everyday Food for Busy People (http://eatathomecooks.com/) is a blog that publishes a weekly feature with pre-planned meals (6 dinners and one dessert). The current menu (http://eatathomecooks.com/2010/10/menu-grocery-list-recipes-year-2-week-8.html) features several slow cooker recipes to be prepared before work, and then several that can be completed quickly. In addition, there is a PDF shopping list, organized by type (produce, dairy), and including printable versions of each recipe. Each recipe includes clear, concise directions, and the online versions also include several images of the finished dish and/or steps along the way. While the recipes aren't always ones that I'm interested in eating, the layout and organization does make it easy to use the entire set.
What I find frustrating about this site, however, is its organization. Since the site has multiple purposes, it isn't always easy to see what recipes are there--and what the week's meals are once you get further into the week. Also, once you navigate to the individual recipe, the only way back to the weekly plan is the "back" button on the browser--there's no link between it. Finally, there is little support or illumination in the recipes themselves. While there are images, they are often only raw ingredients and finished dishes--not intermediary steps to clarify directions. In addition, there is no clear resource for understanding specific vocabulary--such as the difference between "dice" and "mince." The overall layout is cluttered with advertisements and non-helpful links, with no defining characteristics for the active parts of the page (where the recipe is). I am impressed that they've been producing weekly dinner plans for families for over 2 years now, however, there really isn't an easy way to go backwards in time to find older recipes, or any running organization for meals sorted by main ingredient, cooking time, etc. While I may borrow some of their recipes for my site, I think there's enough that needs to be changed about its organization and flow so that mine will be distinct from this environment.
Kate! This is a great idea for a website. I'm your perfect target user. I know how to cook, however I lack the time and interest. Your review of the Eat at Home website appears accurate. I was instantly lost in the lists of links for each menu and/or recipe. By changing the flow and reducing the number of links to find a item, information will be readily available to keep user attention. Good luck on your project!-Monique
ReplyDeleteThanks, Monique! I'm also struggling with energizing myself to cook enough, so I'm hoping creating this website will galvanize me to get back into the habit of it. Any favorite recipes to share? I'm thinking the focus for the week will be Mediterranean...some French, some Italian, some Greek, some Israeli, some North African...but not sure yet! We'll see what feels right.
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