Monday, May 17, 2010

BOUNTIFUL BASKETS!!

5 Tomatoes
12 BrusselSprouts
10 MORE BrusselSprouts (for helping)
1 Watermelon
6 Mangoes
7 Ears of Corn
8 Bananas
12 Apples
3 Butternut Squash
1 Head of Romaine Lettuce
9 Limes
12 Peaches
1 Bag of Baby Carrots
ALL FOR $15 ($16.50 includes the handling fee)
(I actually split all of this with my friend Julie & only paid $8.25)

I know this is a really random post, but I am pretty excited about it. Plus, I wanted to explain how it works. So if you already know about this then I am sorry, it's old news... BUT... if you don't you have to check this out.
Well I kept hearing about this Bountiful Basket thing. I checked out their website & didn't quite understand it. (I guess the website is under remodeling so it's not that user friendly). Anyway, for those of you that love veggies & fruit this is a sweet deal!!
This is how it works:
On Monday's you go to their website & make sure they have a location near you. (For those of you in Cedar/Enoch.. they have like 6 locations. Those in Delta they also have 1 location. They also have a ton of locations up north & several other states. Sorry Aud, only 1 in Texas & I don't think it's by you:(. ) You have to remember that they only have a certain amount for each location. So you want to sign up first or you may be too late.
Anyway after you find a pickup location you select how many baskets you want. You pay $15 each (plus $1.50 for a handling fee) for a total of $16.50.
So the question is what is in the basket & do you get to choose. Well you don't actually get to pick what fruits & veggies you want. That's the fun part! Everyone that purchases a basket gets the exact same thing & you don't know what it is until you pick it up. (P.S. pickup day is usually on a Saturday) You for sure know that you get 50% fruits & 50% veggies. You also don't get an "actual" basket. When you get there everything is seperated into baskets and then you transfer it into whatever you take there to take it home with, baskets, sacks or whatever.
On the website you can also choose from breads, tortillas & some produce for a mexican meal. Not sure exactly how they are but heard the bread is awesome. You buy 5 loaves for $10.

So I signed up last Monday with a friend (wasn't sure how much to expect & wanted to share it). I just went on the internet & paid. Then I waited until Saturday (they only do it once a week) to go to the local Elementary to pick it up. (That was the pickup location I chose from on the website). I couldn't believe how many people came to pick up their baskets. There were at least 50 people and this was only 1 of the many locations they have here locally. All I know about the actual company or how it works is: there are two women that get this produce from some farmers in Arizona at a really good cost & they decided to share it with others. All of the work is done by volunteers.
When I arrived on Saturday I thought I had to be there at 7. Well I woke up at 7:30 and raced out the door. Only to find out that it was actually 8. Don't worry though the volunteers were already there separating the produce. Before I knew it I became one of those volunteers so they could get done faster. I will stop rambling, but anyways I hope this makes sense. Let me know if you have questions. Not only is it healthy & good for ya at a good price. But I like how it is a surprise & you get to try new things & recipes. Before I don't know if I would necessarily buy some of these items on my own at the store. But now, for example: the Mangoes we got were so delicious! I have never bought or tried one before & now they're a favorite!!
We have decided to do this every other week & it should keep us well stocked!
P.S. I also heard (but haven't checked yet) that if you search bountiful baskets on facebook they keep some really good recipes that include the food you get each week??

2 comments:

Alan and Mindee said...

I love Bountiful Baskets! When I heard about this I thought it was neat, but wasn't sure if they came to Delta, and sure enough they do!!! It has been fun trying new things that I might not otherwise buy and I love how fresh everything is!

Unknown said...

Check you out. Sounds pretty cool, we may have to try it.