This year, we made a commitment to try to eat at home more and eat healthier. Both of these are a challenge when you have a busy schedule.
        Several weeks ago, a friend of ours recommended a great new business in town, Scratch Made Catering, to help us accomplish our goals. Scratch Made Catering is owned by Jimmy and Cary Melton.
        Many of you will know Cary from her day job at United Way. Jimmy Melton is a native of Atlanta and a graduate of The Citadel with a business degree. After graduation, his love for food led him to culinary school at the five star Cloister Resort on Sea Island. There he completed a three-year apprenticeship and earned his certificate in culinary arts. Melton worked in various departments of Sea Island learning all aspects of the culinary profession from baking to butchering. After finishing culinary school, he went on to work at the best restaurants and catering companies in Savannah for a number of years.
        Looking for a new challenge, Cary and Jimmy developed the idea for Scratch Made Catering.
        "I began following online companies like Blue Apron which ship recipes and ingredients to your home so you have everything you need to prepare a home cooked meal in your kitchen," Jimmy Melton said. "This concept seemed like a great idea. I started working on recipe ideas that would allow me to locally source the freshest ingredients and prep them in a way that they would be easy to serve, affordable and taste better than they would if you made them from scratch."
        The Melton's reached out to several of their friends with the idea of Jimmy preparing a full meal that would serve four to five in the $25 to $35 range. He precooks the meal and all you have to do is heat and serve. In about 20 minutes, you have an amazing home cooked meal for your family.
        "Each week, some of our friends who were trying our meals would tell a few of their friends and the business really took off from there," Melton said. "From their feedback we now offer two menu choices weekly. One is more creative and healthy the second is more old school traditional fare. They loved the fact that many of the ingredients are locally sourced from vendors like grits and flour from Freeman Mills and produce from local farmers."
        Each week they send out a menu by email for the following week. You email them your order by 2 p.m. Monday and pick up your meals on Tuesday afternoon at Colonial House of Flowers in the Market District. Every meal includes detailed instructions on how to heat and serve it.
        Over the past few weeks we have tried pecan smoked BBQ chicken and butter beans with ham hock and a mixed green salad, pappardelle Bolognese, which is a handmade pasta with large flat broad bands (think fettuccine, but wider) and a rich sauce made of pork, beef and San Marzano tomatoes; also, southern style chicken pot pie with angel biscuits and slow cooked meatloaf with rosemary garlic roasted potatoes and a mixed green winter salad.
        Every meal was wonderful. Even the BBQ chicken tasted as if you took it right off the grill.
        When you combine Cary's business and marketing abilities and huge network of friends and family with Jimmy's wonderful culinary talents, it is no surprise this business is growing in popularity. It is a remarkable idea and one that will continue to flourish.
        Valentine's Day next Tuesday is a great opportunity for you to give them a try. Email them at letseat@scratchmadecatering.com and they will add you to the weekly email list or you can visit them on Facebook @scratchmadecatering.
        Please email DeWayne at dgrice@statesboroherald.com or give him a call at (912) 489-9499.