Thursday, June 18, 2009

Lower prices, Father's day beer and bacon, and more more more!

Hi Wheatsville friends,

Scroll on down for:
Parking reminder
Mornin'
Run! For the board.
Lower prices?!? Yep.
Bacon and other product news.
Eat locally in produce.
Read this easier.

Have you visited us in the morning?
We're open earlier these days at 7:30 am. We'd love to become your morning coffee and breakfast taco stop. So come on in!

Run for the board
If you are interested in running for the board, the nominations committee will hold its first candidate orientation session on Monday, June 22nd at 6pm in the Wheatsville conference room in our admin building at 3105 Guadalupe!

Woo-Hoo! New Lower Prices!
Hot news! We were able to lower over 50 prices on items in the Grocery Department with more to come in the future! Look for the signs that say "New Lower Price" and then do a little dance!
 
Father's Day beer
This father's day why not give your dad what he really wants, a really BIG BEER! If he has a since of humor you might want to give him an Arrogant Bastards Ale from Stone Brewing Company, a great California brewery. This beer is big bold and hoppy and at just $3.99 a bottle it is a steal! As it says on the bottle, this beer is not for wimps. Another great big brew that pops will be sure to love is the Yeti Imperial Stout from Great Divide Brewing Co. located in Colorado. This big hairy beast of a beer is a very strong  stout. Rich, Complex and chocolaty, this beer is bound to please any father who likes great beer. Finally we come to something new in our beer case that would make dad a very happy man. Deschutes Red Char I.P.A.  is a bright copper beauty with a plush body and satiny caramel flavor derived from seven varieties of malt and at $5.49 it is a bargain. Why not make Fathers Day special with one of these great beers?

From the Deli:
Happy Father's Day from the Wheatsville Deli! Come on in and grab your Dad some sides to go along with all that grillin' he's sure to be doing! Potato salads, pasta salads, coleslaws, and tons of fresh veggies will be in our cases to keep you out of the kitchen and chillin' by the grill with Pops! Throw in a case of local brews, a bag of ice, and your Father's Day dining obligation is met with style, ease and that warm, happy feeling you get from putting your money back into your very own local co-op!

Bacon! Bacon! BACON!!! That's right carnivores, Boar's Head bacon is now available in the Deli! We'll add it to any breakfast taco or sandwich, plus full-blown BLT's on lightly toasted sourdough are now on the menu as well! The candy of meats, bacon has already won over much of the Wheatsville staff and it's only been available a few days! Come on in and try some salty goodness for yourself!
Also this week, Wheatsville has begun opening our doors at 7:30am for all you early birds out there, so remember to stop in early for breakfast or a smoothie to start your day the co-op way! Through June 22nd, one small organic drip coffee is yours free with any purchase, so come in extra early to take advantage of a complimentary caffeine boost as well as easy parking!
 
From Greg in the Land of Cheese
There are so many good things a brewin' in Wheatsville's good 'ol cheese department. I want to tell you it all right now…unfortunately I cannot. You will have to wait and see. I can tell you this though, Organic Valley Farms Raw Cheddar, on sale for $4.49, regularly $5.29. Organic Valley Farms Pepper Jack, Meunster and Feta, on sale now for $4.29, regularly 5.29. Organic Valley Farms Stringles 6 pack, on sale for $ 4.49, regularly $5.29.
 
From Bryan the Butcher
Hey folks have you been by the new meat freezer yet? We have lots of new things and some old favorites. There is a lot on sale right now, swing by and take a look.  Organic Prairie Frozen chubs are on sale, ranging from 50 cents off to 70 cents off per item.
 
All of our local products like Bastrop Cattle, Loncito's, Thunderheart Bison, and Richardson's farms are in there and some increased selections of those. We also have lots of new prepared seafood items like; Marinated tuna and salmon filets, shrimp scampi & coconut shrimp. These are on a promotional buy 1 get 1 free special so hurry and fill your freezer now at a great price. You can also find fresh salmon filets, peeled and de-veined medium shrimp, Troller Point halibut filets, and small pink pre-cooked salad shrimp (old favorite) these products are flash frozen so the quality is still there.
 
We also have a small area dedicated to raw food products for your dogs and cats. These include Buddy's chicken neck, Buddy's livers, beef bones, lamb bones, beef liver and ground beef heart. We have sold these products in bulk in past, and we still do, but now we also offer them in smaller quantities for your convenience.
 
We also have some new products worth mentioning in our new seafood case. We have awesome Sea Scallops; sweet, juicy, and very easy to prepare in a hurry. Lots of folks have been asking if we still carry smoked salmon and we do. The Fish Brothers wild hot smoked king salmon in garlic and pepper and found in the fish case. Also the great cold smoked sliced lox made from wild caught sockeye salmon.  Just ask and we show you the selection we have or we'll just package up what you want.
 
Don't miss this month's great member deals on Ribeyes and strip steaks. Ribeyes are - $.49 off per pound and strip steaks - $.35 off per pound. These specials are great deals on a premier steak cut and priced to please you summer grilling appetite.
 
Here's a great summer shrimp recipe you can try with some of our new products and seasonal strawberries.
Peppered Shrimp with Balsamic Strawberries
Created by Chef Michael H. Flores
1 cup long-grain Texas rice
1 pound Texas shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 pound Texas strawberries, hulled and cut in half
Fresh tarragon for garnish
Cook the rice according to the directions on the package. In the meantime, place the shrimp, extra-virgin olive oil, pepper and salt in a bowl, and toss until the shrimp is coated well; set aside. Heat a large sauté pan over high heat. Pour in the balsamic vinegar and cook for two minutes. Add the strawberries, coat with the vinegar, and continue cooking for another minute. Add the shrimp and stir well to combine. Cook for about two minutes.

Eat Locally From Your Produce Department
The national Eat Local challenge is going on from June 15th  to July 15th. This purpose of this challenge is to see if you can consume 80% of your diet from locally sourced and locally produced goods. Right now in produce we have locally grown tomatoes from Green Gate Farms and Johnson's Backyard Garden, locally grown organic beets, yellow squash, zucchini, golden zucchini, and cucumbers from Buena Tierra, local sprouts and sprout salads from New World Produce, local organic corn from Lund Produce, local bibb lettuce from Amador Farms, conventional and organic Texas blueberries, local organic herbs from Pure Luck and delicious Texas peaches. Come on in and shop for local produce.
 
Grillin'
Grilled vegetables are easy and delicious. If you plan on doing any grilling anytime soon and want some vegetable, grill them too! Complement your Niman Ranch ribeye with some locally grown golden and green zucchini. To grill them, slice them in half lengthwise, rub some olive oil on them with a little salt and pepper and grill until fork tender. They don't take that long and if you walk away to long to get that beer you might burn them, so place them on near but not on the most intense heat. You can do eggplant this way as well, only you should slice the eggplant into ¼ inch slices. Jalepenos are great on the grill and so are onions cut in half, or kept whole in foil directly on the coals. Yum. Grill it up!
 
Buena Tierra
I received a phone call from Carey out at Buena Tierra Farms on Sunday informing me that they had had a season ending hail storm out in Fredonia. If you were looking forward to their melon crop this year, I regret to inform you that they will not be able to harvest any melons. This is most unfortunate and our hearts go out to them for the damage they sustained.
 
Rush Hour Recipes
Every month we'll feature a new entree recipe (featuring a mix of vegetarian, non-vegetarian and vegan options) at the Deli Counter and on our website. We will keep an archive of recipe cards at the member center as well, so that you can pick one up and use it for your dinner shopping. You can even use these recipes to build your own recipe book. These recipes come from various co-ops all over the States, which is pretty cool. Plus they have been kitchen tested so you trust them to turn out right. Increase your kitchen repertoire with these quick, easy, fresh, entree recipes.  Follow this link to see the Rush Hour Recipes:  http://wheatsville.coop/recipeindex.html .
New for your eyes!
We now have ICU Reading Glasses and Accessories!
They are located at the Health Team Desk. There's travel and regular readers ranging from 1.25 - 2.50 for only $13.99!   Cases are $1.99 and the leashes and pendants for holding your glasses are $12.99.
Come by and check them out and say hello to the Health Team.

I hope that you have a super deluxe week!

Dan Gillotte
GM and e-mail guy

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Last week's e-mail today!

I was away at a co-op conference in Pittsburgh last week and wasn't able to produce this e-mail, but there was some good stuff in it that I wanted you to see. Please forgive me, later this week when you get a rare second e-mail.

Now open earlier for your convenience!

Yep, we're open from 7:30am to 11pm 7 days a week. THose of you that have somewhere to be by 8 or 9 am can still get to Wheatsville for coffee, breakfast tacos or to grab lunch for the day!

Come in this week between 7:30 and 8am for a free small drip coffee or before 9am to enter a raffle for a $100 gift card!

Parking and you!

Car parking is a lot trickier these days as we prepare the parking lot for new paving. Please follow the instructions of flaggers during the day to be safe. All traffic will flow one way around the building. You can see a graphic representation of this on our web-site www,wheatsville.coop scroll down for the plan.

Stone-Fruits

Yes! The day has arrived! The day I long for all season long: the day the white nectarine arrives. These are my personal favorite stone-fruits. They are better than a nectarine, YES! better than a nectarine! Our Texas peaches have been delectable this season. Also, if you haven't been seduced by the scent of white peaches, you may need to see a doctor!

Grillin'

If you're like most of us around the Co-op then you have been utilizing your outside cooking stations and not heating up your house with that meddlesome stove. Fortunately, vegetables like to be grilled too. Buena Tierra, our amazing local summertime producers, are really cranking out the grill-ables right now. Organic eggplant, golden zucchini, zucchini, yellow squash, green cabbage, and fennel all make for amazing sides or mains when slathered with some olive oil and lovingly graced with salt and pepper. Fire it up. Eat Local.

From the Deli

Our flame-grilled Greek Turkey Burgers and Middle Eastern Peace In The East Salad are two great dishes that go great together, plus they're our Fresh in the Deli recipe shares from other co-ops that will be in stock all week! Have the Deli Counter make you a delicious sandwich, Mediterranean-style using both: pile up a pita with a warmed up, sliced turkey burger full of tasty bites of feta, kalamata olives and fresh mint, topped with a big scoop of cucumber and tomato-laden, soy yogurt-dressed Peace in the East Salad, and all the extra veggies you like! One more squirt of taratoor on top, wrap it up, and you have an instant meal!

Have you tried our new, local, hand-rolled Rockstar Bagels? These true, New York-style bagels have the hearty chew and crustiness beloved by those lucky enough to have eaten "real" bagels back East! With delicious flavors including Poppyseed, Sesame, Garlic, Salt & Rosemary, Onion, Plain and the wildly popular Everything, Rockstar Bagels can be found in our bakery case at just 89 cents each – or buy 5 and get the 6th one free for a tasty and economical family breakfast! Organic Valley cream cheese singles, a slicer and toaster are all available for your use at the coffee bar, or bring your bagel to the Deli Counter and have it turned into a veggie-filled Garden Bagel or other sandwich!

We've started opening our doors at 7:30am for all you early birds out there, so remember to stop in early for a breakfast taco or smoothie to get your energy building before you start your day! From June 15th through June 22nd, one small organic drip coffee is yours free with any purchase, so come in extra early to take advantage of a complimentary caffeine boost as well as easy parking!

From, Greg in the Land of Cheese

I was talking to a friend of mine the other day. I shared my grilled peaches and brie idea, with him. He in turn shared a simple recipe with me. Take a fresh pineapple skin and core it. Cut it into rings and throw on the grill. As soon as the pineapple rings  start to soften top it with thin slices of Manchego. Remove when the manchego starts to melt. It can be served as an appetizer or desert. Enjoy!! 

Take advantage of our Owner Specials for the month of June. Organic Valley Farms Raw Cheddar, which is regularly $5.29, is on sale for $4.49. Organic Valley Farms Pepper Jack, Meunster and Feta, which are regularly $5.29, is now $4.29. Organic Valley Farms Stringles 6 pack are also on sale.

 

 

From Bryan Butler, the Butcher

It's eat local June 15th thru July 15th at Coop's nationwide and of course at Wheatsville it's always time to eat local. Check out our super local product selection in the meat freezer next to the beer case. We have several great choices for you.  You'll see: Bastrop Cattle company 100% Grass-fed beef, Loncito's grass fed lamb; Richardson's pasture raised natural pork, and Thunderheart Bison. These are great local operations that we believe in. Do your part and eat local!

                ATTENTION! Super special buy right now on great new frozen fish choices. As an introductory price we have BUY ONE GET ONE FREE on marinade wild salmon filet, wild Ahi tuna, and wild caught shrimp two ways scampi & coconut. These deals won't last long and it's a good time to fill your freezer on the cheap. Speaking of cheap don't miss the sweet deals on your favorite grilling steaks. Niman brand is renown for top-shelf, premier restaurant beef. These 100% black angus cattle are raised in certified humane conditions by a cooperative of farms that have been doing it right since the 70's. This month we have USDA choice Strip steaks for $18.99 lb members get -.35 off per pound.

In Supplements:

New  &  On Sale
Udo's Oils
3.6.9 Blend 17oz: $21.99
DHA 3.6.9 17oz: $27.99
 
New Body Wash & Shower Gels from Nature's Gate & Shikai!
 
New Alaffia Everyday Shea Moisturizing Lotion:
Unscented, Lavender and Vanilla 32oz for only $11.89!
 
I hope you have a great week!
Dan Gillotte
Wheatsville GM and e-mail guy