On Saturaday we picked up our first bountiful baskets order. Here is what we got:

3 grapefruits (which we discovered were pomelos when we cut into them, not my favorite but we made a yummy spinach salad with them)
5 fuji apples
4 cucumbers
5 small yams
2 tomatoes
strawberries
spinach
honeydew melon
bananas
pineapple
butternut squash
mushrooms
baby bella mushrooms
elephant garlic
oregano
rosemary
basil
flat-leaf parsley
6 corn
2 big onions

For $27. The herbs were $7.50. So I could have gotten the other fruit and veggies for about $20. A steal! And so far everything has been fresh and yummy.

The food is not really as "local" as I thought. Most of it is from Arizona and some from Northern Mexico, but I guess that is closer than Chile. So I hope it is somewhat more ripe when it's picked and the shipping times are shorter.

The site also has guidelines on storing the food, which is really helpful. For instance, you can put the fresh herbs in a glass of water the same way you would cut flowers. Then put the entire thing (jar and herbs) in a plastic bag and seal the top. My herbs are still fresh after a few days. I made some pesto with the basil and added pinenuts and olive oil but no cheese. It's still dee-lish.

http://www.bountifulbaskets.org/FoodStorageInformation.aspx

I am really digging this whole cleanse thing. Losing 5.5 pounds in a week probably has a lot to do with it. But what I really like is the food I get to eat. I don’t feel like I’m starving. I do miss ice cream and peanut butter toast, but I know they are not forbidden forever. Essentially they will be controlled substances after the cleanse. And I will be the one having to control them.

Here’s a sample day’s menu:

Before workout--some carrots, 9 almonds

Breakfast--2 eggs, 2 pieces Canadian bacon, half grapefruit

Lunch--salad with chicken, romaine, cucumber, tomato, avocado, little olive oil and balsamic vinegar

Snack—apple, almonds

Dinner—2.5 oz. of steak, green beans, Greek salad with tomatoes, sweet onions, green pepper, red pepper, cucumber, olive oil and rice vinegar

Snack—celery, hummus

Water—try to drink a gallon throughout the day

You can basically eat as many fruits and veggies as you want. So if you feel hungry, you can have some fruits and veggies.

I think one of the secrets to enjoying this is getting really yummy, fresh fruit and veggies. A crisp gala apple tastes great to me, but a soft or woody apple is sick. A nice, red, ripe tomato is dee-lish, but a hard, half green one is yucko. Costco is doing it for me, but it is 40 minutes away.

So my latest adventure is joining a fruit and veggie co-op. You “contribute” to the co-op and get a box of local fresh fruit and veggies. I also selected the “Italian” extras. They are hoping for basil, rosemary, and other fresh herbs. And I admit, I selected the Valentine’s cookies made with real butter, no trans fat, and whole foods. I will be finished with the cleanse by then. You pay around $30 for what would cost you about $50 at a regular grocery store, but of course, you don’t really know what you’re going to get. You just know it’s going to be fresh and local. Here’s the web address:

www.bountifulbaskets.org

I pick up my basket full of surprises on Saturday.