Vmeals Partners with Panera in Houston

Vmeals is pleased to announce a great new catering partner in the Houston metro area: Panera Bread!

Everyone loves Panera Bread and now their menu is available to you for easy online ordering and delivery to your office or meeting location through Vmeals. It doesn't get any easier or more delicious than that!

Well known for their beautiful breads and pastries, if you need a continental breakfast for the office, look no further. (Oh - and the baked egg souffles - delicious!)

You can't go wrong when you order boxed lunches from their menu of signature sandwiches and salads. Or how about a tray of assorted cafe sandwiches and soup for a group? No matter what you choose, you know it will be good.

Check out the Panera menu today and give them a try for your next event.

Are You Too Busy to be Productive?

I was in a meeting with our sales team the other day. We were discussing the conventional wisdom that one of the keys to high performance (in sales at least) is high activity. I would argue that this idea is often applied in any task/production oriented job: to get more done, just do more.

While I agree that action is crucial to forward progress, is all activity created equal? Of course not. Real productivity comes from doing those things that achieve the desired results. I know plenty of busy people who produce nothing. I’ve seen plenty of people eat up days, weeks, years with busywork that gets them nowhere and leaves them feeling nothing but exhausted and unfulfilled.

In every job there are routine tasks that are necessary but dull – maybe downright unpleasant. There are tasks that are hard or complex, but lead to growth. Then there are tasks that are easy, fun, and may be even seemingly relevant that we try to pass off as work, but are in fact just huge time wasters. (For those of us who spend a lot of time with social media this last category is especially seductive.) At the end of the day, let’s call wasting time what it really is: sabotage.

Think about it. When you spend time in pointless, unproductive activity you are either passive-aggressively thumbing your nose at your employer (and you may even feel entitled to do so for some reason) or you are undermining your own success.

I could write a dissertation on self-sabotage and its underlying causes, but I won’t. Let’s just approach it this way: you are worthy of giving your job your best effort, and that means being choosy about your activity.

Create a routine to address the necessary mundane tasks, and challenge yourself with tasks and projects that stretch your abilities and experience. The other stuff – the stuff that masquerades as work, the activities that counterfeit productivity – stop. Put them down. Walk away. You deserve better.

The Official Vmeals Grilled Cheese Smackdown

It all started as these things often do: an idea, some bold words, a cocky attitude, and a little chest bumping. It was ON - National Grilled Cheese Month would be occasion to create the Best.Grilled.Cheese.Sandwich.Ever.

Our business manager, Dawn, threw down the gauntlet and scheduled the competition for Friday, high noon. She offered to bring the electric skillet and some supplies, and I think she imagined that we would all come with our best recipe and signature ingredients. In fact, we were all just really excited that she was going to make us some delicious cheese sandwiches - and most of us showed up empty handed and empty bellied.

Andrew did provide a lovely pot of curried lentil and ham soup which was the only hope our arteries had. (Come to think of it, we probably should have opened a bottle of red wine left over from the company Christmas party - you know - for heart health.)

She had me at cheese...and beautiful, rustic, thickly sliced soft white bread...

but she then produced some of the most lovely sandwiches you've ever had the pleasure of eating. There was the cheddar, jalapeno, and cilantro on white bread:

There was feta, tomato, and basil on that thick-sliced country bread:

Her last entry was swiss cheese, prosciutto, and fresh rosemary on a hearty multigrain bread. I don't have a picture of this one because I was too busy gobbling up whatever Dawn put down. They were all sublime.

Last but not least was Jon's contender. Yes! Someone else had entered the fray with this classic combination:

There is no room for snobbery at Vmeals. Easy melting Velveeta, bacon bits, ham and premium potato bread all add up to a classic comfort food.

Well done, people. Well done.

So I asked Dawn for her top tips on making a perfect grilled cheese. (She used an electric skillet, preheated to 350 degrees.)

1. Use plenty of real butter. For real - plenty.
2. Don't skimp on the cheese. I watched her layer cheese and other ingredients with the precision of a master craftsman.
3. Stay close. Achieving that perfect toasty golden brown requires patience and your undivided attention, but it is so worth it!

So which one was the winner? It was a tough call, but the top vote getter was the cheddar, jalapeno, cilantro combo. Just the right balance of flavor, heat, gooeyness, and buttery, toasty perfection! Thank you, Dawn!

Think you can top those? What's your favorite grilled cheese recipe? You can see more pictures on our Facebook page.

Vmeals Welcomes Orlando Partner: Maria Bonita!

Vmeals is pleased to announce a great new restaurant partner in Orlando: Maria Bonita!

Maria Bonita brings you a unique fusion of Mexican and Cuban cuisine. A little spice, a little heat and a lot of flavor is now at your fingertips with easy online ordering and delivery to your office or meeting location.

Nothing pleases a crowd quite like a taco bar or fajita buffet. And queso? Who doesn't love that? Maria Bonita takes pride in their fresh from scratch preparation of all your favorite Mexican dishes.

Don't just take our word for it, though. Here's what a Vmeals customer had to say recently about Maria Bonita:

Maria Bonita's has become one of our favorite caterers to order lunch from. They always arrive on time. The quality of their food is exceptional! It arrives hot and the presentation always looks great. Their cooks cook authentic mexican and cuban food. This restaurant is not a chain - it is a small family run establishment and their attention to every detail shows.

For a change of pace, you have to try them out at least once. I promise you, once you have you will come back for more!!
We love Maria Bonita's and on a scale from 1-10 (10 being the highest) they are a 10!

Thank you for adding them to your website!

You're welcome, Orlando. Check out the Maria Bonita menu today and give them a try for your next event.

How to be a Better Problem Solver-Part 2

Are you a great problem solver? Does it just come naturally to you or do you find yourself getting bogged down when a dilemma or project lands in your lap?

Last week in part one of this post, I made an argument that this is a skill that one can develop (with the caveat that some are better suited to it temperamentally). If you read that post, you’ll recall that I identified four habits of good problem solvers, based on a riveting (sarcasm) article on solving physics problems. I actually read the whole article written for math nerds so you don’t have to (you’re welcome), and found there was actually some good advice in there. So let’s review, shall we?

Habit 1: Clarify the problem-ask the questions that get you the real answers to the whys, what fors and who cares of the issue.

Habit 2: Organize the information-know what you know and what you don’t, what you can change and what you’re stuck with.

Now let’s move on to the other two habits.

Develop a Strategy

"Difficult problems in physics are multistep problems. The path from known information to the unknown quantity is often not immediately obvious."

This is next logical step after organizing your information. Rarely does the answer to a problem or the end result of a project assignment appear perfectly in its entirety in one step - even with the most inspired shower-time revelations.

I’m sure you’ve heard this bit of advice before, but break your challenge down into smaller pieces. What are the components, the steps from beginning to end? As you identify the parts, think through the choices you have: If I do this, this will happen next. You will likely find along the way that you are missing a step or a critical piece of information. Better to learn this in the strategy stage than when you are so far down a path that a mistake or wrong turn becomes exceptionally costly or time consuming.

As the physics article points out, sometimes the problem solver will discover in this phase that they simply do not know enough to solve the problem. Good to know. Rather than waste time laboring in vain, good problem solvers are resourceful enough to know where to go for help, insight, and information.

Algebraic Manipulations and Operations (aka Execution)

"Following the carefully plotted strategy, the good problem-solver takes the time to manipulate the equations and solve for the unknown. They record strategic algebra steps on paper in the event that their answer is wrong."

Finally, the good problem solver takes the necessary action. They implement the plan, write the words, make the calls, line up the resources. Some people are better at planning than doing. Some are better at doing than planning, but the problem solver knows how to do both.

Note in the excerpt above that that thing your math teacher always told you about showing your work appears here also. Monitor and measure your progress so you can figure out if/when/where/why you may need to tweak your plan. You never have more information about something than when you are doing it, so be mindful, critical and open-minded as you evaluate your solution, because a good problem solver will see how it can be done better.

Good problem solvers bring value wherever they go. Are you a good problem solver? What advice would you give?

New Catering Partner in Baltimore

Vmeals is pleased to announce a great new catering partner in the Baltimore metro area: Mr. Charles Market Catering!

Mr Charles Market Catering offers unique and delicious catering services, now with convenient online ordering through Vmeals. From all natural deli sandwich selections to the finest in fusion or comfort cuisine, Mr. Charles promises to deliver delightful meals to our clients.

While there are plenty of cleverly named sandwiches, trays and boxed lunch options, I'm a sucker for a tempting dessert menu. How does chocolate bread pudding with bourbon anglaise sound? Or roasted fig and apple streudel?

Check out the Mr. Charles Market Catering menu today and give them a try for your next event.

How to be a Better Problem Solver-Part 1

“Effective Problem Solver”


We often see this phrase either listed on a resume or as a desirable quality in a job posting. But what does this mean exactly? Is problem solving a character trait or a learned skill?

I’m inclined to think that good problem solvers possess at least an attitude that supports problem solving if not actually a brain hard wired for the task. We all know people with temperaments better suited to problem finding than problem solving, but I’d like to think that there is an opportunity for any of us who desire it to become better at problem solving.

I started thinking about this when I came across an article entitled: Habits of an Effective Problem Solver.

Turns out that the article was about physics and was densely written for science and math types, but I (being neither) was still curious if there might be some application for the rest of us who get tasked with solving all kinds of problems in our daily life and work. As it turns out, there is.

There are four broad steps that apply to successfully completing work projects or personal challenges as well as math and physics problems: clarify, organize, strategize and execute. We’ll discuss the first two in this post, and the second two in an upcoming post.

Clarify the Problem

"Physics problems begin as word problems and terminate as mathematical exercises. Before the mathematics portion of a problem begins, a student must translate the written information into mathematical variables. Many errors (and perhaps even most) can be traced back to this translation process."

How many times have you been asked do one thing, but what your boss/co-worker/spouse wanted was really something completely different? Something got lost in translation.

Asking clarifying questions and drilling down on the real objective will take a little extra work, but good problem solvers make this a habit. For example, suppose you’ve been tasked with designing an employee work schedule for your employer. Is the objective to reduce payroll hours? Employ more part-timers to reduce benefit costs? Offer more flex-time options for employee satisfaction? Expand operating hours to better meet the needs of customers? You can see how the answers could lead you in quite different directions. Understanding “who cares?”, “why is this important?”, and “why does this issue need to be resolved now?” will put you in the best position to find a satisfying solution.

Organization of Known and Unknown Information

"In addition to identifying the known information, good problem-solvers also practice the habit of identifying the quantity to be solved for, recording it in terms of its appropriate symbol."

Almost every problem involves organizing information. You have specific facts, you have variables, and you have unknowns. In other words, identify what you can control, what you can change and what you can’t. So in the example above, you might determine that specific hours of operation must be covered by a variable number of people from day to day. Each worker will have differing roles, associated costs, personal considerations and availability.

Understanding the information you have and the information you need will also go a long in helping you get the right resources lined up. You may discover you need information or expertise that someone else has. Get that help. Even though some of us (ahem) tend to want to “do it ourselves”, finding someone who can help you fill in the gaps either in knowledge, experience or creativity is a good habit for a good problem solver.

Look for part two of this post next week, but in the meantime, tell us what you think. Are good problem solvers born that way or is it a learned skill?

New Catering Partner in Richmond

Vmeals is pleased to announce a great new catering partner in the Richmond metro area: Tropical Smoothie Cafe.

"Eat Better, Feel Better." isTropical Smoothie Café’s motto. Their menu boasts bold, flavorful food and smoothies made with fresh, simple ingredients, now available through Vmeals. What a great treat it would be order a smoothie bar for the office!

Their toasted wraps, bistro sandwiches, grilled flatbreads, and gourmet salads are made with high quality meats and cheeses and topped with fresh produce and flavorful sauces. They also offer some great breakfast options if you're looking for something to liven up a morning meeting.

Check out the Tropical Smoothie menu today and give them a try for your next event.

An Insider Look at Vmeals

Welcome to an insider tour of Vmeals Worldwide HQ. We know you will be awed and inspired by spectacular scenery and good looking staff. And while you're here, we'll reveal today's winner of the iPad2. If you could be here in person, we might have had a special Vmeals Favorite Things giveaway and given everyone of you an iPad2 and lunch at Bodo's Bagels. Oh well, maybe next year.