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Wednesday, May 3, 2017

No Breakfast and About Blackberries

While I was initially hopeful, I finally decided there was no way I was getting up at 5:30 am or 6am, depending on how I wanted to look at the free breakfast. Actually, I needed information and wanted that more than a free meal or socializing. I have a telephone!

I have since lined up a few more free meals!

A vendor gave me a tomato that had been punctured and was on its way to the trash. I cut off the part around the puncture and gave it to Dominique. A large portion of a head of lettuce that cost me $0.69 for the head and some Miracle Whip was a refreshing taste from my youth. A reduced ham steak added made my dinner last night cost less than $1.

Since on Saturday I bought three pints of grape tomatoes for $1/pint, another really nutritious meal is planned tonight with more of the ham. If I can find cheese in the refrigerator, I will add that and eat an apple after the meal.

The only deals I have found in today's paper with ads are Kraft Cheese products and blueberries at Sprouts. I will stock up on the blueberries and buy a bit of cheese, not as much as usual.

My plan was to buy boneless, skinless chicken breasts this week, but there is no good sale. I think I will use ground pork to make this dish that is called taco casserole. Since I make it in the crock pot, I suppose it will be more like taco soup. Since it will barely be in the 50s here on Friday, the taco soup will be welcome!

About blackberries~~I have eaten blackberries all my life, but not like the ones I bought. These blackberries had a center that was just too tough/hard. Usually, blackberries are not tough in the center.

Your turn
Do vendors at markets ever give you produce that is fresh and had an accident? What is it with these blackberries? I did buy them at the store, so shipped in. So, what is going on with blackberries that cannot be mashed or chewed?

7 comments:

  1. I love the flavor of blackberries but not the seeds so I rarely buy them. I would be teed off if they were hard in the centers.
    I have never had a vendor give me free fruit or veggies, but I do have one farmer I buy from at the Farmer's Market on Findley. He saves me all his misshapen peppers, tomatoes and all other veggies and he sells them to me for 3 or 4 bucks a box. (Usually about 10-15 pounds) because he knows I will process it and don't care at all what it looks like, just that it is fresh.

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    1. Anne,
      I'm glad to know the hard centers would be a turn off for you, too. That is a great price for ugly produce. Some day, I will get to the market on Findley. When I studied and worked in B'ham, I always planned to go their one day. The Farmer's Market in Memphis was the last huge market I attended.

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  2. We have loads of free blackberries in the summer here as they grow all over (invasive species). My only experience with hard ones is when they are picked to unripe or if they lack watering they dry up. Weird on commercially sold ones though

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    1. cheapchick,
      This a core almost as large as a pencil or feels so in my mouth. They taste good. If I ever get brave enough to buy more, I will take they back after the first bite.

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  3. Linda are you referring to the blackberries as big as your thumb? Another case of breeding out the flavor like those giant Styrofoam strawberries. Blackberries are a super food though so I put them in smoothies. Do you have produce year round in your area, I mean growing there?

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    1. carol,
      Yes, large ones. Funny thing is the strawberries I buy in the grocery store are better than the local ones. Local ones are only red on the surface. Store-bought are red all the way through. So, I gave up on local strawberries. There is a season for all our produce. Of course, greens, cabbage and other things produce late in the fall. The farmer's markets have a season they sell their produce. All that must be local.

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Okay, hoping the annoyances have gone away.