and we have 2 accts..one with local cu, and local big boy bank...to tell you the truth don't have a clue why we've kept both, other than cu doesn't offer lock boxes and big boy does...

What's in it, is giant glass jewels including a couple of very cool thick stars (I've never seen these before), and a "change of face" for potatohead! I hope this pic shows it ok. While I'm at it, Cathy asked me to post a photo of her amazing bank - she brought it over to my house last night for a visit. I think her artist's name is Ramona, forgive me if I'm wrong - I think she posted the photo also, since I definitely remember the tail ruffle! The colors are very beautiful. Gold metallic grout. We thought she looked good on a scarf I brought back from Venice.

Nice score!. And supporting your locals. We are doing the veg/crisper drawer dance as well. I have more than usual. Actually have never had this much. DH used to do the weekly shopping from a very organized list. I always did the week before Thanksgiving, a few days before xmas/New Years and before a bbq/party. I'm much better at seeing what looks good and making substitutions. Always enjoyed those shopping trips. Asian market and Fairway, (similar to WFoods but better) Right now I have 5 red beets and 6 big golden yellow beets. More fresh greens and celery/onion/carrot/leek etc than usual. And 5-6 various winter squash, limes/lemons, cucumbers... I also wrap whole beets, then give them a 15-20 minute head start on a sheet pan around 375ºF. prep some halved potatoes, whole garlic...they go in, then 10 minutes later,... winter squash and sweet potatoes cubed...etc. Fresh beans or asparagus or similar tossed on top the last 10 minutes. Beets also can become a nice cubed cold salad. Roasted veg is good the next day or two with so many things like a breakfast hash and as a side to a protein. One thing I've never done before is making a big 'sofrito' and freezing. Last night I had two 4 quart Staubs on the two back burners. Low simmer. One was a planned braised chicken dish and while I had everything out, I made a big mirepoix 'sofrito'. Did this a few weeks ago as well. Got it going, then pulled out the crisper drawer onto the counter and added anything needing used up. Last batch I did flat packed quart zip-locks. This one last night made 8 1/2 pints. Any dish that needs it is an easy straight from the freezer into a small sauce pan. No chop prep needed. All ready for a soup, pasta salad, chicken dish, etc. Cooks down nice and juicy making a rich veg broth. Freezes nice being so wet.

I do not like or eat honey. I do not even like the smell of it. But I do believe it has some healing properties. It is anti-bacterial and anti inflammatory. But its no miracle worker or replacement for a lot off modern medicine. When I was a teenager and young adult I had really bad acne. Someone recommend that I put honey on my face for 15 minutes a day and brought me some raw, unfiltered local honey. It cleared it up a little bit and reduced the inflammation some but my skin never did get better until I went on BC pills. Within a month of starting those my skin was completely clear. My sister has honeybee hives on her property. She gets lots and lots of honey and her family loves it. The man who owns the property behind me told me when he first bought it that he has some hives not far from the property line, and would I please not spray my flowers or fruit trees with anything that can harm them. I do not anyway, and his bees come over a LOT to pillage my plants. They are welcome to do so. They made me a bit mad when they started to invade my hummingbird feeders though. I was so enjoying my hummingbirds, I had close to a hundred hummers coming all day every day to my feeders. Toward the end of last month, the neighbors honeybees started stealing the nectar and would run the birds off. So I took them down and washed them out and stored them for next year and was mad about it. My other closest neighbor had a strange bee swarm on her pear tree. She called the bee neighbor to see if they were his, they apparently were not. (HOW does he know?) So, I called my sister, who sent her oldest boys and hubby over to her house, and somehow got them into a hive to take back to their house. So, more honey for them! Last I asked, they were thriving and producing well! Can't get more local than ones own backyard!