Sobeys Moodie Foodie app: match your mood to your food!

Come on, admit it. More often than not, you’re on your way home from work and have no idea what to cook for dinner. You wish Google worked on the subway (it does here in Paris!).  Or, you’re standing in the supermarket wondering what to do about dinner.  Madly Googling recipes, hoping inspiration will come soon. The longer it takes, the grumpier you get. And hungrier. Maybe you’re even “hangry”?  Well guess what? There’s an app for that!

That’s right, Sobeys has just launched the Moodie Foodie app (currently only available for iPhone, iPod and iPad) and I was asked to review the app and host a giveaway. I’m always up for something involving playing with my iPhone or iPad and found it an intriguing concept. In fact, the more I played with it, the more I liked it.  The Moodie Foodie app matches your mood to recipes, so deciding what to cook is a snap.

Basically, you choose your “mood” and then browse recipes which are matched to the way you’re feeling. Each Sobeys category (users can also create their own and upload their own recipes) contains around 15-20 recipes and with 60 categories, there’s plenty to choose from.  What I liked was standing in the supermarket browsing the various pictures and recipes and matching my dinner-in-planning to not only my mood but what I knew I had on hand at home in terms of ingredients.

That’s what I did when I was feeling “snacky” and made this Caramelized Onion, Pear and Brie Flatbread. I knew I had all but the flatbread on hand (and in fact, I didn’t even know that Sobeys made flatbread so that was a nice discovery!) and about 20 minutes later, armed with the simple recipe and easy to follow directions, Neil and I were snacking away in no time…

(this was really tasty, by the way!)

As well as being able to contribute to the app yourself by adding new mood and food pairings, there’s also “Mood Match” feature that allows you to save a favourite pairing and you can even check out how other Moodie Foodies are feeling when you open the app – the top moods of the moment are featured.  You can let friends know how you’re feeling and what you’re craving on Facebook and Twitter.

This is a really nice app with a clean user interface and hey – sssh – you can use this app in a supermarket other than Sobeys or even in your kitchen!  Because the recipes are displayed on the small iPhone screen, they tend to be short and fairly simple. Obviously there are exclusive Sobeys products listed as  ingredients, but it’s a great app for finding recipes at short notice that don’t requite anything you can’t find at your local supermarket.  Sobeys happens to be my local grocery store so it’s a great “match” for me (pun intended!).  This app does not require an internet connection for basic functionality (searching the recipes). Obviously Tweeting and Facebooking and uploads require one but essentially you can plan your meal on the subway on the way home!

Go on – download the Moodie Foodie app over at the Apple App Store (it’s free!) – it’s a lot of fun!

Guess what – Sobeys have kindly provided a $50 gift card for one lucky Canadian reader. Details on how to win over on my other Moodie Foodie app review on Food Bloggers of Canada.

Disclosure: I received a Sobeys “Moodie Foodie” gift basket and a grocery gift card towards the cost of ingredients in return for two posts reviewing the app and hosting a giveaway.  I was not otherwise compensated for writing this post and opinions are 100% my own.

Read my two latest articles on Food Network Canada: Spotlight on Paris markets and Seven must-visit destinations in Burgundy.

Follow my French travels on Flickr this summer with my Summer 2012 set of photos – updated regularly!