Yum Yum, Brussel Sprouts!

Oh YES I did!

Has anyone actually tried Brussel Sprouts? They are mini cabbages and when prepared correctly, they totally rock. (This may in small part have to do with my mom being half Irish and cabbage was here and there regular in the diet)

All you need is to put down some foil on a cookie sheet or some kind of pan. Then drizzle them with olive oil, salt and pepper. For more flavor you could add some Parmesan cheese. Put them in a 350 degree oven until slightly crispy on the outside, roughly 20-30 minutes depending on size. Cut off hard bottom and enjoy!

So easy and great for summer. Weekly we do a Bountiful Basket to make our food budget more cost friendly. Bountiful Baskets is a food co-op that runs mostly in the Western half of U.S. and on Mondays you order your basket online. Then you pick it up Saturday afternoon. It is ALWAYS at least $50 worth of fresh fruits and vegetables (50/50) for $15 plus a $1.50 handling fee. (Your very first time there is a $3 fee for the actual baskets to hold your produce)

And there is never a guarantee of what is going to be in it. There has been items I have to look up on the internet what it is! But I have NEVER been disappointed. They also offer for extra bread at $2 a loaf and so good (5 loaf packs), cases of fruit or veggies of one kind, 7 dozen tortillas in a variety back for $12,  a Mexi-lovers pack with everything to make fresh guacamole and so on. I encourage you to check out the site. My children eat fruit like crazy and this way does not hurt your wallet. A lot of women wait to make their weekly meal plan until they get their basket then go to the grocery store to buy the rest of what they need.

If there is not one where you live, you can email the people in charge to try and start up your own pick up site. It is all volunteer based, no one is paid to be there. Some people have even had their homes as a site so their area can have a location. Usually it is at a place of business. 

You just have to take something to put your food in and take it home. Ours last about a week. We are now ordering weekly. Before Lilly was on solid food we only ordered twice a month. 

So go grab some Brussel Sprouts and shake up your summer cuisine!

Bethany