It's A Bountiful World!

I just love fresh fruits and vegetables!  Raw or cooked I prefer having lots of veggies and not so much meat.

I have found that eating lots of vegetables and fruits and eliminating or greatly reducing heavy carbs has really made keeping my weight under control much easier.

I recently joined a Food Co-op out here in Utah called Bountiful Baskets!  I love it!  By "contributing" weekly in an amount of about $22 I get two laundry baskets full of lovely fresh vegetables. 

I am just discovering what a wonderful idea this food co-op really is.  Volunteers appear at the distribution sites each week at about 5:30 am to unload the truck, separate the vegetables into baskets (dividing them evenly) and then distribute them to people who have contributed for the week. 

I have found it amusing on the blog for Bountiful Baskets that many times people have no idea what precious jewels they have in their baskets.  Last week, for instance I saw a lady ask what something was - sent a picture - it was a Persimmon.  Then another picture appeared and the individual wanted to know what it was - hmmm, it was a yam!  Wow, what a great way to introduce people to new fruits and veggies that they might not try in the grocery store because they are unfamiliar with them.

Bountiful Baskets Blog allows the participants to share not only information on WHAT the vegetables and fruits are, but recipes and ways to use them.  I think this is the greatest thing ever!  I am happy to report that there are currently about 94 people participating at this one location!  Wow!  Not only are they saving money, they are feeding their families healthy fruits and vegetables and saving money at the same time. 

I wish this way of cutting out the "middle man" and saving money were available in more areas.  Oh, we still need grocery stores, but so many people avoid buying those "expensive" fruits and vegetables and opt for processed foods instead to save money.

I would like to encourage you to seek out a co-op in your area.  The only drawback if you could call it one, is that you can't "order" specific veggies and fruits...whatever comes on the truck is what you get - high quality assortment! It's time to try something new too!   You can order additional things as they are offered.  They even offer bushels of some fruits and veggies if you like to can. 

This week I made a lovely fruit salad ...
 2 pears finely chopped
1 apple finely chopped
1 pineapple finely chopped
4 Persimmons finely chopped
6 ounces blackberries
1 lime
4 packets Truvia (Stevia) sweetener

Combine all the chopped fruits and berries and squeeze juice of lime over all and sprinkle Truvia...stir gently and serve!  GREAT!!!  and healthy!

PEACE - LOVE & JOY

Linda