Bountiful Baskets

On Saturday, I had the opportunity to participate in a quickly-growing produce co-op called Bountiful Baskets.  Only a few states participate, but it is becoming more popular.  Basically, you purchase (or "contribute," according to the website) a basket of produce on Monday of each week, when the site goes live for orders.  For fifteen dollars, you get a basic basket with 50% fruit and 50% vegetables.  You can also opt for add-ons, such as loaves of bread or more specific fruit or vegetable packs.  You can also upgrade to organic produce for a few dollars more.  Pick-up day is the following Saturday at a local site and you must provide your own container to take your produce home. 

This was my first time participating so I only contributed for a basic basket, but oh my goodness was it a lot of food!  It filled up a laundry basket and it was so heavy I could barely get it in the house!  I wish I'd taken a photo of the pick-up location and the line waiting for baskets.  There were at least 60 people in line.  Our tiny little town is making big efforts to help people provide healthier food for their families.  It makes me proud to participate, and I love that the pick-up site is 5 minutes from my house.  I also like that Jericho is not a picky eater, and he sees healthy food in our house instead of junk.

When the kids and I got home, I quickly sorted and washed everything, then stared at it for a few minutes while I tried to decide what to do with all that food.  And where would I put it?!  I did a quick search on the Internet to find out how to freeze two bunches of celery, and when I was done, Jericho and I had a vegetarian lunch of fresh sliced carrots, yellow peppers (I already had them in the fridge), fresh tomatoes and crackers.  Personally, I am trying to eat less meat in an attempt to get more fruit and vegetables into my diet.  Being married to a serious carnivore means we eat a lot of red meat, and in recent months I haven't been comfortable with the way it makes me feel after the meal is done.  Thankfully, Bountiful Baskets will provide me with the chance to get more of that good stuff in my kitchen with less money spent and less time staring at the shelves in the commissary.  It's much easier to prep fresh food in advance than to prep packaged food and let it sit until time to serve.  Plus, it's becoming easier to just put a few different kinds of vegetables into a bowl and snack on that instead of wondering what to cook for lunch for me and Jericho. 

This week there will be no co-op because of Thanksgiving, but I can't wait to order another basket - and some bread, perhaps?  Here's a photo of this week's loot:

There are five of the largest baking potatoes I've ever seen.  There's a HUGE pineapple, three pomelos, green apples, carrots, lettuce, tangerines, celery and tomatoes.  At the commissary, this would have cost me more than fifteen dollars!

Is there a Bountiful Baskets co-op near you?  If so, check it out!  You can find more info here.