Happy Monday everyone!! Hope you're all enjoying the wintry weather. Lots going on again this week...tis the season.
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This will be the last distribution of 2015 and Conifer won't have another one until Jan. 16...so better stock up on fresh produce while you can!
The Holidays are upon us, and I was so inspired by the way you all came together and filled the MRC pantry for Thanksgiving. If you have the means, please help us again to get fresh and healthy foods on the plates of the needy in our community. Please consider contributing for an extra basket or add-on item to donate, fill out a donation form on Saturday, and the volunteers will take care of the rest. You are my heroes!
On to other news: We're working on getting protein back to Colorado. There's a voting website for our state...just click on the link, click on Conifer, scroll down and click submit. Chicken, ham, piggy packs...oh my! The site has been a little wonky, but keep trying and it should let you vote:
woobox.com/y2x6mg
And don't to forget to sign up on the new protein website:
bountifulbasketsprotein.com/
Okay, now for this week's offerings:
Conventional Basket - 50% Fruit, 50% Vegetables and 100% healthy, delicious and fun In the conventional basket we focus our buying as follows: High Quality, Low Cost and As Local as Possible… So, how hard do we try? Pretty hard! Most bananas are from Central America or the Caribbean and are grown by a couple gargantuan conglomerate growers. We get all of our bananas from small farmers in central Mexico. This saves the co-op between $4 and $7 a box, keeps money with small farmers, and helps keep the carbon footprint small.
Organic Basket - 50% Fruit, 50% Vegetables and 100% healthy, delicious and fun. Just as cool as the Conventional Basket but 100% USDA Certified Organic Produce!
Tommy Atkins Mangoes - Approx 8 lbs - Product of Ecuador. These are my favorite mangoes for drying! We make mango strips, chunks, and fruit leather to keep us happy all winter long. A healthy and sweet snack for the drive to Grandma's house!
Red D'anjou Pears - Approx 22 lbs - Product of Washington. These beautiful, ruby-red pears are perfect to grace our holiday tables! Red D'anjou pears are soft and juicy with a sweet flavor. These are perfect poaching pears! Bring to ripeness on your countertop and then hold in the fridge. Or hold them in the fridge, and move to your counter when you want them to ripen.
Citrus Pack - Add 20+ pounds of extra fruit to your basket! A variety of citrus to delight your tastebuds. We love to make up mini-citrus packs as gifts for teachers, coaches, and neighbors! Or fill your home with amazing scents by slicing and putting in water on your cooktop any combination of: citrus, cinnamon, clove, vanilla, pine needles, and cranberries. Hoping for Satsuma Tangerine, Navel Orange, Grapefruit, Lime, Lemon.
Holiday Hostess Pack - Additions to round out your holiday feast! Supper sides and crudités, they're both here! There's even a family activity just waiting to happen - roasting and peeling chestnuts! Just remember to pierce the shell so they don't explode! Our family loves the smell and the taste of roasted chestnuts. Hoping for: Green Beans, Chestnuts, Cranberries, Pineapple, Grape Tomatoes, Yams, 5Lbs Russet Potatoes, Romaine, Radishes, Carrots, Parsley, Yellow Onion.
Kris Kringle Pack - In this pack, we have all the healthy edibles you need to celebrate or start a new, fun family tradition: one pound Mixed Nuts in shell, Oranges, Red apples, Golden apples, Red pears, Satsumas, Carrots. One of the traditions my mother's family still continues today is citrus, apples, and nuts in our Christmas stocking (and one or two small wrapped gifts - usually at least new toothbrushes!). And of course we can't forget the reindeer's carrot laid out on Christmas Eve alongside a treat for Kris Kringle!
Tamale Pack - Approx 3 lb of PreMade Masa, Corn husks, Green chiles, Jalapeno chiles, Dried red chiles, Tomatillos. In many places, Christmas means tamales! We cannot wait to put up red and green tamales in our freezers for Christmas. The time spent putting them together is just as much a family reunion as it is a cooking session!
Organic Coconut Oil with scent (less processed) - 1/2 gallon expeller pressed in a glass jar. Expeller pressed and organic, this delicious and healthy treat will thrill your family. Making popcorn with it is the BEST! One of my favorite wintertime uses for this coconut oil (besides stovetop popcorn!) (besides stovetop popcorn!) (besides stovetop popcorn!) is the care of chappedchappedchapped and cracked knuckles. Want to make your brownies extra special? Use Virgin Coconut Oil! The coconutty scent comes through and is delicious!
ORGANIC Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Spain - One gallon in a tin. This is high quality with a mild, lovely olive flavor. Great for cooking and salad dressings. For dressing use 1/3 amount EVOO, 1/3 water, 1/3 vinegar of choice (red wine or balsamic are my favorites), and a dash of salt & pepper, and onion & garlic powders; shake and serve. I just picked up a bag of pre-peeled garlic cloves to make garlic-infused olive oil for Christmas gifts - and to refill my own stock of garlic olive oil!
Bountiful Baskets Bread Items
With no artificial preservatives, critters want to eat this bread as much as we do! Refrigerate or freeze promptly. Bountiful Baskets breads freeze beautifully! If you're going to use them within a month, you can simply pop the loves into the freezer. Leave the outer packaging as well for an additional layer of protection. If you want to store them longer term, wrap snuggly with a plastic grocery sack or plastic wrap. When ready to use, thaw on the counter, but remember to open the bag for the first few hours and turn it over frequently to allow any moisture to escape and keep the bread from getting soggy. You can also use frozen bread directly from the freezer for sandwiches and they'll be thawed by lunch time.
Soft Chewy Ginger Cookies - 36 cookies, approx 3 lbs/box. We love ginger cookies during the holidays! And I don't mind a little help getting to all of the cookie exchanges without living in the kitchen during December. To give them extra holiday spirit, I whip up a simple frosting and let my children decorate to their heart's content - especially that cookie for Santa! A great treat with real ingredients and no garbage! Ingredients: Brown Sugar, Bread Flour, Cake Flour, Coconut Oil, Eggs, Apple Sauce, Molasses, Ginger Spice, Invert Sugar, Salt, Baking Soda, Baking Powder.
Rolls & Cinnamon Bread Combo Pack - 40 Rolls (half Hawaiian, half Whole Wheat) and one loaf of Cinnamon Bread. Freeze for use on your feast day or enjoy for Sunday dinner! My children love the rolls for kid-sized sandwiches and sliders. Cinammon Bread makes great breakfast toast and super-special French Toast and Bread Pudding. 20-pack Hawaiian Dinner Rolls ingredients: High Gluten Flour, Water, Pineapple, Sugar, Canola Oil, Eggs, Sweetened Coconut Flakes, Yeast, Salt, Natural Enzymes. 20-pack Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls ingredients: High Gluten Four, Water, Whole Wheat Flour, Canola Oil, Eggs, Sugar, Natural Wheat Enzymes, Salt, Vinegar. Cinnamon Bread ingredients: High Gluten Flour, Salt, Sugar, Yeast, Natural Enzymes, Egg, Water, Vinegar, Butter, Brown Sugar, Cinnamon, Coconut Oil.
Lefse - Four approx 13" Lefse. Lefse is a traditional Norwegian flat bread made with potatoes and flour. Warm and make them sweet or savory! Spread with jam, cinnamon and sugar, nut butter and honey, or butter and brown sugar for a sweet treat. Or butter, sausages, ham and eggs, or mustard for a savory meal side. Ingredients: potato, wheat flour, heavy whipping cream, butter, sugar, salt, enzymes.
Artisan Sourdough Variety Pack - four loaves total: one Country White, one Country Wheat, one Cranberry Orange, and one Rosemary Sourdough. We had Cranberry Orange with turkey last Sunday, and paired the Rosemary Sourdough with homemade Chicken Noodle Soup on Wednesday. Delicious! These freeze and reheat beautifully in the oven. Defrost on the counter, bag closed. Once defrosted, mist lightly with water and place immediately in a 325 degree oven for 10-15 minutes. Perfect with soups and stews! Plain Sourdough Ingredients: Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), water, Whole Wheat Flour, Rye Flour, Enzymes, Salt *Sourdough Nutritionals: Percent Daily Values (DV) are based on 2,000-calorie diet. Serv Size 1 ounce (1 g) %DV* Serv. per container 20 Calories 60 Calories from fat 0 Total Fat 0g 0% Sat. Fat 0g 0% Trans Fat 0g 0% Cholesterol 0mg 0% Sodium 130 mg 5% Total Carb 12g 4% Dietary Fiber 1g 4% Sugars 0g Protein 2g 4%. CONTAINS: WHEAT. VEGAN.
Organic Honey Whole Wheat Bread - Organic 100% Honey Whole Wheat Bread - 5 pack. Great for toast or peanut/almond butter and jelly sandwiches!Ingredients: Organic 100% Whole Grain Wheat Flour, Water, Organic Honey, Organic Cultured Wheat Flour, Organic Vinegar, Sea Salt, Yeast, Natural Enzymes. Contains: Wheat *Percent Daily Values (DV) are based on 2,000-calorie diet. Serv Size 1 slice (25g) %DV* Servings per container 17-18 Calories 52 Calories from fat 0 Total Fat 0g 0% Sat. Fat 0 0 Trans Fat 0g 0% Cholesterol 0mg 0% Sodium 75mg 3% Total Carb 10g 4% Dietary Fiber 2g 8% Sugars 2g Protein 3g Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 0% Calcium 0% Iron 2% CONTAINS: WHEAT.
Another wonderful selection, but don't forget that quantities are limited. And with this being the last distribution for nearly a month, they may go quick. Contributions are open until tomorrow night at 10pm. Have a fantastic week and we'll see you on Saturday!!