Bountiful Baskets for 12-21

Yesterday was a great day for baskets.  The pick up at Willowbrook Plaza is in the afternoon and it was a beautiful 80 degrees.  It was a little windy which add some challenges of volunteers chasing baskets and paperwork but all in all it was great weather for December.  I got there a little early for volunteer time and waited for the truck to arrive.  The driver, George, was on time and cheerful just like always. 

This i a picture of the truck and the first pallet of produce to unload.  The volunteers snap into action as soon as George gets those pallets open and starts to unload.

Once all of the produce is unloaded and we do a count to make sure we have everything, volunteers start placing the wonderful fruit and vegetable bounty into the baskets.  Each basket gets a certain number of each item and we try to look for any bad produce and remove it.  That way the quality of the baskets is good.  After everything is evenly distributed there are always some leftovers that we call case ends.  This is the reason baskets even from the same site vary.  We take those case ends and one by one an item is added to each basket until we run out.  Our site numbers the baskets and participants never know what their number will be until they sign for it and pick it up.  There are 2 baskets for each number 1 with the fruits and one for the vegetables.  We also have a separate table for add ons but I don't have a picture of that set up.  Add ons and organic baskets are kept separate from everything else with an extra checkout sheet.  That way there is no accidental mix ups and everyone gets what they contributed for.

  
This is the conventional basket from this week.  We got romaine lettuce, english cucumbers, green bulb onions, corn, yellow squash, sweet potatoes, broccoli, pomegranate, oranges, bananas, blackberries, and red grapes.

I also contributed $8.50 for a Mexican Veggie Pack.  It had cilantro, 10 tomatillos, 4 anaheim peppers, 2 jalapenos, 1 large yellow onion, green onions, 2 grey squash, 4 large dried chilies, 4 chipotle peppers (small shriveled pepper), garlic, 4 avocados.

I got the Hard Squash Pack for $9.50 with 2 spaghetti squash, 3 acorn squash, and 2 butternut squash

 

Last I contributed $26.50 for 1 gallon of organic extra virgin olive oil.  This stuff is a steal at that price for the quality.

My total price for all of this goodness was $66.  It seems like a lot to spend but I dare you to check out the prices at your local store and find this variety for less.

Happy Holidays 

~Jennifer

Holiday baking and a Saturday of Waiting

I am taking a break from the busy pre-holiday things to write about the last couple of days.  We have been busy with crafts, cooking, baking, and decorating.  I have the crown roast for our feast and today I will pick up my Bountiful Basket and add ons.  Sometimes it is hard waiting for our afternoon pick up time but I know it is worth it.  After I see what we got in the basket, I can finish the grocery list and head to the store.  The promise of a great basket today will hopefully give us most of what we need for our holiday dinner.

Yesterday I spent the day baking cookies, making fudge, and a nice big pot of chicken and dumplings.

I was lucky with the cookies to find some red and green holiday chocolate chips.  Hooray for my normal oatmeal chocolate chip cookies becoming Christmas cookies.

This is a slightly modified version of the Quaker Oats container Vanishing Oatmeal  Cookies recipe.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies:

1/2 cup of butter, softened
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups of flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
3 cups of oatmeal
1 12oz bag of chocolate chips (minus what the kids eat while mixing)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a large bowl beat butter and sugars on medium until creamy and a little fluffy.
3. Add Eggs and Vanilla and beat well.
4. Add combined flour, baking soda, and salt and mix well.
5. Add oats and chocolate chips and mix well (supposed to stir in but I just use the mixer).
6. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto lined (silicon or parchment) or lightly greased (cooking spray) cookie sheets.
7. Bake about 10 minutes until light golden brown.  Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet before removing to cooling racks.  Makes about 4 dozen cookies.


 The fudge was more of a problem since I needed a double batch and my stove is less than consistent on temperature (the joy of renting).  It made a huge mess as I watched it bubble over but the end result was a 14X11 pan of tasty fudge (and a lot of scrubbing the stove).

 I used this recipe from a friend and  it will probably become a favorite for making fudge.  Because I needed a double batch I will post what I used.  Also be warned this bubbles up a lot and I would recommend a large pot.

Cocoa Can Fudge

originally from Hershey’s

Ingredients

6 cups sugar
1 1/3 cup cocoa
2/3 teaspoon salt
3 cups milk
1/2 cup real butter, no substitute
 2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Line 14X11-or 13X 9-inch pan with foil, extending foil over edges of pan. Butter foil.
2. Mix sugar, cocoa and salt in heavy 2 gallon or bigger saucepan; stir in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to full rolling boil. Boil, without stirring, until mixture reaches 234°F on candy thermometer or until small amount of mixture dropped into very cold water, forms a soft ball which flattens when removed from water. (Bulb of candy thermometer should not rest on bottom of saucepan.)
3. Remove from heat. Add butter and vanilla. DO NOT STIR. Cool at room temperature to 110°F (lukewarm). Beat with wooden spoon until fudge thickens and just begins to lose some of its gloss. Quickly spread in prepared pan; cool completely. Cut into squares. Store in tightly covered container at room temperature.


As for Chicken and Dumplings, this is a family favorite.  I always add a little more salt and pepper and a carrot or 2 when making the stock.  Even when I mess it up and it isn't as great, it is still good.  I should have known something wouldn't go right as I rushed to get dinner done.  Apparently I didn't add enough milk and the dumplings were a little tough but it still received rave reviews from the kids and husband.  Next time I will measure the milk instead of eyeballing it.  Sorry no picture since everyone was starving and it was almost instantly wiped out.

Happy Saturday
~Jennifer

Contributions are open!

Woo Hoo!  I am a day late but this weeks contributions are open until 10pm MST today.  This is the last Bountiful Baskets for the yeart\ and our next contribution date isn't until the 13th of January.  That means I need to get enough to spread it out for 4 weeks.  Luckily they have some great add on choices this week.

 ORGANIC Bosc Pears - Approx 40 lb - $26.50 ea

 Junami Apples - Approx 40 lb-
$31.00 ea

Wrap Pack - 12 in. diameter wraps Approx 10 Count each of Chipotle, Spinach, Tomato & Basil, Garlic & Herb-12.75 ea

 

Case of Pineapple - Approx 21 pounds -$12.50 ea

Hardshell Winter Squash Pack - A variety pack. -
$9.50 ea

Plus:

ORGANIC Olive Oil - From Spain 1 gallon Extra Virgin in a tin-$26.50 ea

Hostess Pack - Hoping for: Grape Tomatoes, English Cucumber, Cranberries, Green Beans, Potato, Yellow Onion, Radish, Pineapple-
$15.00 ea

 Veggie Lovers Pack - Mexican Theme -
$8.50 ea

Round Ginger Cookies - Approx 1 dozen ginger cookies. -$4.50 ea

Pumpkin and Cranberry Loaf Cakes - 1 each -
$10.00 ea

ORGANIC Multigrain Bread with Omega-3 - 5 loaves - $12.00 ea

*Note actual items may vary from pictures. I pulled photos from online and past contributions.

With choices like these it is hard to decide what to contribute for but I wouldn't want to miss out on these deals.  It saves my family so much money participating in Bountiful Baskets and I know the gap in contributions for the holidays is going to be tough but maybe with a couple of add ons and my regular basket I won't have to spend twice as much on produce at the store.  To contribute go to bountiful baskets and participate now

~Jennifer

I want the Cheaper Chicken!

Ha!  If you get the old movie reference good for you and if not, that's ok too.  I recently got an email from Zaycon Foods telling me about a wonderful upcoming deal for Hinesville.  They are having a Chicken Event on February 11, 2014 at 1pm.  You can get a 40lb case of boneless skinless chicken breasts for only $1.89 per pound.  According to their own website:

• 100 % natural chicken with no added hormones, additives or artificial ingredients
• Comes directly from the processor and has never been frozen

So you get fresh high quality chicken for less than the hormone filled breasts from the local stores.  Since it is 40lbs the price looks high but that is about 30+ meals for my family and worth putting into meal sized portions to freeze.  Our grocery bill is our biggest expense (next to rent) and saving money off that bill is a great help. You can sign up here and joining the Hinesville Chicken Event and get notified when other events are being held in this area.  Even if you aren't in Hinesville, check them out.  They have events in other areas as well.

~Jennifer

Saturday's Produce Haul

This past Saturday was our Bountiful Baskets pick up date.  I have to say for the price, I am always impressed by the quantity, quality, and variety that we get.  Saturday was no exception.  As the volunteers start unloading the truck there is excitement in the air.  We had bananas, pineapple, apples, mangoes, oroblanco, cauliflower, green bell peppers, broccoli, romaine lettuce, Anaheim peppers, an rainbow carrots.  Most had never before seen carrots that weren't just orange.  The excitement of trying a purple carrot that the likes of which they had never seen before.  Then there were the add ons that could be gotten in addition to the regular conventional basket.  There were fresh flour tortillas, cases of Satsuma tangerines, cranberry walnut granola, tropical fruit pack, guacamole packs, ginger cookies, and more.  Once the truck was unloaded and we looked to make sure we had everything we were supposed to, we went about distributing the produce evenly into the baskets.  Once we had evenly split everything we could, we started with what we call the case ends.  After the initial distribution there is always a few of each thing left and not enough to give to everyone.  At this point we take those wonderful case ends and go one by one into each basket until there is nothing left to add.  This causes the baskets to be mostly the same but slightly different.  All of the produce goes into the baskets.  After all, we all contributed the same amount toward buying the bounty before us.  Once this is done the volunteers and anyone who is waiting can show their confirmation and sign the checkout sheet.  The beautiful baskets are numbered and once you sign, you are told what number you get this week.  There is also a take one, leave one basket started if you would like to trade.  You can also ask around and see if any other participants would like to swap items with you.  Once participants sign for their baskets, they come over to the add on table to pick up the additional items they contributed for, take a peak at what things are, and even grab a sample if one is out.  This week I shared the granola with those that came by.  Overall I was thrilled with all I received.  I was able to trade my apples for carrots.  My romaine was traded for more Anaheim peppers and a few friends decided to just give me the peppers this time around.

 

This is a picture of my friends basket, since mine was so altered.  A typical basket this week had 1 head of romaine, 1 bunch of organic broccoli, 1 pineapple, 1 cauliflower, 4 rainbow carrots, 8 apples, 8 bananas, 3 oroblanco, 2 green bell peppers, 2 mangoes, 4 on the vine tomatoes, and 9 Anaheim peppers.  All of this for a contribution of $15.

 

 

This is a picture of the guacamole pack add on.  A huge yellow onion, cilantro, green onions, 6 avocados, 3 lemons, 5 jalapenos, and garlic all for an additional contribution of $8.50

 

This was the tropical pack.  1 pineapple, 1 coconut, 3 mangoes, mint, 6 kiwi, 2 vanilla beans, 8 key limes, and some ginger for under $10.

 

 

 

Of course personally I got the conventional basket ($15), a guacamole pack ($8.50), tortilla pack (7 dozen total $12), and the cranberry walnut granola ($10).  That comes to $45.50 before the surcharge of $6.50 which makes my grand total $52.  There is no way I could get all of this from the store for near that price.

 

~Jennifer

Welcome to the Hinesville Wholesome Eating Blog!

I am hoping to use this blog to share tips and recipes with people and to also promote the Hinesville-Willowbrook Plaza pick up location for Bountiful Baskets in Liberty County Georgia.  If you haven't heard of it before, Bountiful Baskets is a volunteer run non-profit food co-op for families that want to have more fresh produce for less money. The Co-op offers a conventional produce basket every other week which is generally ½ fruit and ½ veggies. The monetary contribution is $15.00 and is generally worth $50.00 retail. Organic baskets require a contribution of $25. The amount for add-ons varies depending on the item.

There is a first time basket fee of $3.00, and the processing fee is $1.50 and for Georgia there is a $5 fuel surcharge, which must be paid every time you contribute. Your entire contribution is spent on food, so the $6.50 is necessary to cover card processing, servers, fuel and other expenses.
To participate visit http://www.BountifulBaskets.org/ and check the schedule to see when your state is available (Monday 12 noon to Tuesday 10pm) to make your monetary contribution using a debit or credit card. Then, pick up your basket on Saturday at the time and place you chose when you contributed! Willowbrook Plaza is located 1 Block from intersection of Veterans Parkway (formerly known as Frank Cochran Drive) and Hwy 196.

Bountiful Baskets is not only available in Georgia but has locations all over the country and is expanding.  It has been a great way for my family to eat healthy and save on the grocery bill.  We often like to have little contests for participants to have some fun and sometimes we have snacks at the pick up site.  Yesterday we had cookies and some granola to try.  Currently our location has volunteer time at 3pm with the pick up at 4.  Please follow our blog and stop by and like our Facebook and Pinterest pages.

https://www.facebook.com/HinesvilleWholesomeEating

www.pinterest.com/hinesvillewe/

~Jennifer