Bountiful Basket 1

Have you guys heard of Bountiful Baskets Food Co-op (BBFC)?  It is a wonderful co-op that allows anyone to purchase produce or goods on any given week to be picked up (for us it is Saturday mornings).  It allows you to have fresh, inexpensive produce weekly without bothering to go to the grocery store.  Here is the description on their website:

"BBFC is a group of people who work together for mutual benefit. This is a grassroots, all volunteer, no contracts, no catch co-operative. Since there are no employees at Bountiful Baskets, we as a group pay rock bottom prices on your food. This also means the co-op would not happen without volunteers. If you are interested in the co-op continuing, please volunteer occasionally. All it takes is a little time, energy and a smile. Volunteer opportunities include helping prepare the baskets, breaking down boxes, assisting with the distribution, and packing up. To help out, simply arrive an hour early dressed and ready to work with water to drink."

My mom has been getting a bountiful basket just about every week for well over a year and very much enjoys it.  She likes the mystery of what might be coming each week and trying some of the more unique items she hasn't before, while enjoying some of her regular favorites.  I haven't participated in it all too often because I am generally the only one who eats the produce in my house, and can't always get through everything before some things go bad.  Now, however, I'm going to be optimistic enough that I can get away with only getting produce from BBFC and grocery shopping only for dried or canned basics like brown rice, oats, nuts, and beans when I need to.  I'm also being optimistic for hoping that Kevin will partake in eating a bit of the produce.  He was quite excited to see blackberries in the basket that I picked up this Sunday:

This time I got a bag of apples, blackberries, strawberries, bananas, romaine lettuce,
asparagus, oranges, grapefruit, leeks, cucumbers, zucchini, and broccoli.

This week I split the bountiful basket with my mom.  Her and my dad just got back from a 20 day cruise (20... I didn't mistype), and their fridge was as bare as I have seen it in years!  So far this week I have been enjoying the fruit (except for the bananas, which will be ripening for a while), broccoli, zucchini, and cucumbers.  I have special plans for the asparagus, the rest of the zucchini, and the leeks.  Perhaps I will post about the outcome if all goes well.

This weekend Kevin and I took a small road trip with friends to go into western Montana for an overnight visit to Quinn's Hot Springs.  We enjoyed some time relaxing in the wonderful hot spring pools while enjoying the snowy forested surroundings.  There was (gloriously!) hardly any cell service, so I and mostly everyone else left their phones in the cabin and just enjoyed the scenery and company.  I did manage to snap a picture of Kevin and I just before we left.  Here we are with the cabins behind us (and my new knitted cowl and headband that I finished on the drive to the resort):

I'm just a bit squint-y... and with no trace of makeup.  It was actually quite liberating!

I hope everyone is having a great week so far!  Does anyone have some good plans for Valentine's Day?!