Bountiful Basket Update

When I signed up for Bountiful Baskets, I was worried about the food going to waste. For the most part I am really proud of myself.
Last Saturday my basket included:
A bag of potatoes
3 red peppers
A head of cauliflower
A head of lettuce
5 tomatoes
2 artichokes
A bag of green grapes
A container of strawberries
10 plums
7 apples
A head of cantaloupe
10 bananas

Here is how I used (or am going to use) my produce:

I haven't used the potatoes yet. One of my favorite soups is potato soup. I was going to make it last week but never got around to it, but I plan to make it in the near future.

I ended up with 6 red peppers because my cousin didn't want hers. The first pepper I added to some meatballs I made last week. Last night we had Hawaiian Haystacks for dinner and we used two bell peppers in it. Tonight I am making Meaty Manicotii and I am going to add a red pepper to the mixture. I also want to try to make some Philly Chicken Sandwiches so I have a red pepper saved for that. On Thursday I thought one of the red peppers looked like it needed eaten soon, but I knew I wouldn't be home that night, so I took it, along with all the tomatoes, to work and donated them to the salsa fund. Every week in the summer and early fall, work makes a patch of salsa while every one has fresh stuff from their gardens. I don't eat it, but I knew that was the best way to make sure my tomatoes didn't go to waste.

To go along with our dinner tonight, I used my cauliflower and made Twice Baked Cauliflower. I really wasn't sure what I was going to do with my cauliflower, but when I saw that recipe that had cream cheese and bacon, I figured those would make up for the cauliflower. It was sooooo good! I will defiantly make this dish again some day.

Yesterday I boiled one of the artichokes and ate it for lunch. I think I will boil the other one and save the heart in the freezer for later use.

The lettuce is the one thing that went to waste. I'm so mad at myself. I put it in my fridge and then forgot about it. I will do better next time!

The grapes and strawberries I ate for breakfast just about every morning last week. They were so good! I also ate a few of my apples and plums that way. On Thursday, Jessica made Aunt Kay's Buttery Caramel Sauce and sent a bottle home with me. It was so good, I licked the pan clean for her. I have just a little bit of sauce left and two apples left. I wanted to eat it all, but I thought I would save them for Josh.

Josh and I ate a few of the plums, but I then I decided to use the rest of them to make Plum Cake Tatin. It was the perfect finish to a great dinner. I was so busy cooking today that my oven was on from 3:00 - 7:00.

That leaves just my bananas. I am going to use them to make Banana Nut Bread.

I thought I would have to miss the next Bountiful Basket because I am going to the city with Jessica, but since Josh shot his elk this weekend, he won't be hunting next weekend and he offered to go pick my basket up for me. He is such a sweetie!