Extreme Food Makeover

I've been pretty open about the fact that I've been in a cooking rut for about. . . .oh, I'd say 8 years or so.  If you know my kids you know that they are picky and not fun to cook for.  I was tired of everything they would eat, they were tired of me always trying new things.  Finally, about 6 weeks ago I knew I needed something different to help me inspire me in my role of Mom and "head chef". My good friend and neighbor, Carrie, told me I needed to do Bountiful Baskets.  Now, I've heard all about the Bountiful Baskets before and have several friends that swear by them, but I just didn't think it would be a good fit for our family because you have absolutely no say in what you receive each week.  I had visions of wasting a ton of fruit and vegetables each time because of my children's picky palates.  Each week that you sign up for a Bountiful Basket you pay your $15.00 and then on Saturday morning you get a laundry size basket full of fruits and vegetables. You get what they give you and that includes peaches, pears, strawberries, melons, broccoli and a lot of yummy stuff, but it also includes things like okra, green acorns, cabbage, yams, celery--all things that have never seen the light of day in my kitchen.

So, I took the plunge and got on the bandwagon.  Now, I'm a believer.

What is making the difference?

1- The "Christmas" effect.  Saturday morning is like a food Christmas.  The kids wake up and say things like, "Ooh, what did we get in our bountiful basket this week?!"  They are genuinely excited and that goes a long way when I'm spooning up a portion of green acorn squash for them to try. 

2- Quantity. The size of the basket it pretty much perfect for our family.  It is plentiful, but not so much that food will be wasted. When the kids snack, they snack on fruits or vegetables because they know we need to have everything gone before the next Saturday.  They enjoy a lot of things that I rarely buy from the store because they are so expensive when not in season.

2- Google.  I'm forced each week to decide how to make a meal out of something I would never have picked out myself.  I walk over to the computer, put it into google and wah-lah I have a ton of recipes at my disposal.  I've learned that allrecipes.com has recipes that are rated and have been reviewed by cooks all over the country.  I read the recipes, then read all of the reviews for more ideas and to learn from their trials and errors and then I dive in.  I only pick things that have 5 stars and a lot of good reviews.  Better recipes = better dinners.  The kids like a lot more of my meals now.

3- The cooks next door.  I finally figured out that my neighbors (and fellow bountiful basketeers) are fabulous cooks and have a full herb garden in their backyard which is completely at my disposal.  Yes, I have full access to fresh herbs 24-7.  Fresh basil? No problem. Oregano, thyme, rosemary? check, check, check. Knowledge about how to use them? check.  They even have patience when I ask them all kinds of questions at all hours of the day. (Thanks Carrie and Josh!)

4- Variety. I wanted variety, but it seemed I only ever got the same stuff when I went to the store. Now I really have variety.  I've eaten things I never would have eaten before and you know what? I've liked a lot of it. (Thanks to the 5 star recipe system I've been using, of course.)

5- We bought a cow.  Ok, only 1/4th of a cow, but it was the grand champion at the Caribou County fair in August so it was a good one.  Our freezer is full of fresh meat and we have a variety of cuts to choose from.  On a side note, I had my very first T-bone steak ever a few weeks ago. Wow. It was good.  The meat clearance rack at the grocery store has been holding out on me.  ha ha.

All of this adds up to the extreme food makeover that has taken place at our house during the last 6 weeks.  It was much needed.

Now, if you'll excuse me I think I'll go eat the artichoke I just steamed.  (Thanks Google, for teaching me how to cook and eat an artichoke.)