Confession

Hello.

My name is Ami.

And I'm addicted to Bountiful Baskets.

 

If you do not have a Bountiful Baskets site near you, or you do not know anything about it, then stop reading now. Turn away while there is still time. In sharing my addiction, it is not my intention to create other addicts. Others who, like me, hover over their keyboard, debit card in hand, at 11:59 every Monday, ignoring the rest of the world with a single-minded focus: to get your baskets (and add-ons! Don't miss the glorious add-ons!) before your site sells out (36 minutes this week!)

 

Then begins the long wait until Saturday's pick-up. It's a lot like Christmas: sometimes you know exactly what you are getting, like the 20 lbs of peaches.

 

 

Soooooo juicy and sweet, much better than those I've had from the grocery store.

 

Other times, you know vaguely what you are getting, like the juicer and Asian vegetable add-ons:

 

 

And then there is the main basket. You know it will have fruits. You know it will have vegetables. Beyond that, it's anyone's guess.

 

 

This is really a bad representation. You can't see the gigantic baking potatoes, donut peaches (flat, white inside, REALLY sweet!), mangoes, oranges, bell peppers, grapes, plums... This is two of the regular baskets. I got a third for my mil, who picked it up already.

 

Some people carefully rinse their produce, arrange it artistically on the counter, and take pictures. I have small children 'helping' me put things away, so...yeah, that doesn't happen here.

 

So, how did I get started on this path to fruit and vegetable decadence? I place full blame on a woman whose initials are K. F. There I was, minding my own business, supervising the crafts in Preschool Story Time - a safe place, you would think! - when she casually asks if I have ever heard of this produce coop. Now, I'll admit, I was easy pickings: I love to cook. I love to have a full freezer. And, I'm cheap. Just the kind of person these pushers are looking for. I had no idea this normal-looking woman with the sweet toddler was actually on her way to being a site coordinator!

 

She lured me in with an invitation to join the Facebook page. I saw tantalizing pictures posted by other addicts, and read the recipes they were trying. It wasn't long before I had my own account, and was ordering my first basket from the site the next town over. From there, it was just a matter of time before I found myself, just this past Saturday, not just filling my van with baskets, but volunteering! Yes, I am now enabling others in their addictions!

 

Just to make sure I am in it for good, BB even feeds my OCD needs. From the unloading of the truck ("Swiss chard next to the red leaf lettuce!") to the numbering of the baskets (with coordinating numbered poker chips), to the filling of the baskets ("Grab a partner. You take potatoes. Your partner holds the boxes, you put four potatoes in each basket. Bell peppers, you are behind the potatoes"), there is enough efficiency and organization to make my little complexes sing.

 

So, obviously, it is too late for me. There is still hope for you, though! If you hear a group of Mommies talking about cherries for $1.25 a pound, run! Run far away!!! As for me...I have jam to make...

 

...and greens to rinse...

 

...and onions to carmelize...

 

...and peaches to grill...

 

...and...