Getting fit and saving money this summer

Hey, here's some fun news which has also saved me money. There is a farm near Rochester (there are several like this, from what I understand, but this one is Windy Meadow Farms in Walworth) that will deliver 12-17lbs of fresh produce right to your door for $15/week, or to a close-by pickup location for $10/week, through November 23. What is in it varies each week...here is this week's as an example: http://www.windymeadowfarms.com/weekly%20selection.html.

Anyway, I thought this was a great deal and so I signed up for it last week. We got lots of great stuff, I cooked and made salads, etc. There is so much in your shipment that you can freeze it, too, so I froze the strawberries to use in smoothies. Anyway, you get amounts off for referring people...and so what I did was mention them in my e-newsletter last week, which goes out to 6000 parents. Well, the woman emailed me tonight and told me that the newsletter made such an impact, so many people signed up, that I get the whole 23 weeks of this year's season for FREE. I understand that if you act as a drop-off point, you get free produce, too...so maybe this is a national trend and there is a farm in your neck of the woods. Just an idea.

Cool, eh? How's that for saving money and eating healthful food all in one fell swoop.

And speaking of swoop, no, make that SCOOP:

A client who sells kitchen appliances sent me an ice cream maker. It arrived yesterday. It's a nice one that requires no rock salt or ice, all you do is freeze the main cannister overnight, mix up your ingredients, stick the cold canister on the turning mechanism, add the ingredients, and watch it mix and thicken for half an hour. We made ice cream today: 2 cups heavy cream, 1 cup milk, 3/4 cup sugar, and some vanilla. And MY GOD there is nothing like how delicious and fresh this was. Better than regular ice cream, and much cheaper, too. On the other hand, not so healthful. I can console myself on one dimension, but not the other. I have a recipe book with lower-cal recipes, though, so we'll probably try some of the fresh sorbets. Maybe with the strawberries I get from this Friday's delivery...