Thursday, November 05, 2009

November is a favorite month for us!

Hi Wheatsville friends and fans!

I don't know if you know this or not, but November is one of our most favorite months around here! The weather is cooler so people are actually cooking AND it's the month of THE food holiday, Thanksgiving! We're looking forward to having the biggest and best Thanksgiving ever in our awesome new digs and we are gearing up to help you have a great one! Over the next couple of weeks, we will be heavily talking up Thanksgiving in the coming weeks, but for now here are a few things to consider:

Organic Prairie Organic Turkeys at the incredible price of $2.99/ lb! We've ordered 500 turkeys this year, 4 times more than we've ever sold in anticipation of a huge demand. We are not planning on doing pre-orders for turkeys since we have so many. We'll take delivery of the turkeys on Nov.19th and they'll be available after that.

We have a great deal on Tofurky Roasts at an amazing $8.49 each!

Our entire Thanksgiving menu is available at http://wheatsville.coop/
And, this year we're even cooking turkeys for you! The deadline for pre-ordering pre-cooked turkeys and pies is Nov. 15th.

Let us know how we can help you have the best possible Thanksgiving that you can. Here is a link to 20 reasons why one should choose Wheatsville for Thanksgiving. Please consider sharing with your friends!
http://www.facebook.com/inbox/#/photo.php?pid=3905554&id=655349275

And, while I'm linking to stuff, check out this article by KVUE news on the crosswalk outside Wheatsville. Last week, the city told us that they are putting in a new style crosswalk to aid people in crossing safely.
http://www.kvue.com/news/Dangerous-Crosswalk-68989302.html

Don't forget to vote in the Wheatsville election! http://wheatsville.coop/election/index.html
Scroll down for:
Wine Steal!
New in supplements!
By owner request
In grocery
From the deli
Cheese island
Proud of our ground and eat more salmon (as long as it's sustainably harvested!)!


We've got an incredible deal on wine for a little while longer!
Now is your last chance to get Santa Rita Cabernet Sauvignon at just $5.99 a bottle, Regularly $10.99 a bottle . Brilliant ruby red color. An intense bouquet developed through a combination of mature red fruits and plums and vanilla tones with a fine toast from the barrels. Medium body, a fine structure and a nice ending characterize this wine. Also, I am happy to say Oskar Blues Ten FIDY is back! Ten FIDY Imperial Stout -winter seasonal beer is immensely viscous and loaded with neck-deep flavors of chocolate, malt, coffee, cocoa and oats. It's the beer equivalent of decadently rich milkshake made with malted-milk balls and Heaven's best chocolate ice cream. Ten FIDY is about 10% ABV and is made with enormous amounts of two-row malts, chocolate malts, roasted barley, flaked oats and hops. Its huge-but-comforting flavors hide a whopping 98 IBUs that are deftly tucked underneath the beer's mountains of malty goodness.

NEW! in Supplements
From Hyland's Homeopathic
Kid's Kit:Aconite 30X, Arnica  30X, Belladonna 30X, Chammomilla 30X, Ferrom Phos. 30X, Hepar Sulph. 30X, Bumps'n Bruises Ointment
Mucle Therapy Strips with Arnica, Nerve Tonic Stress Relief, Insomnia, Calms, PMS, Menstrual Cramps, Bladder Irratation, Restful Legs, C-Plus Cold Tablets.
Also NEW from NuNaturals we have Level Right for Blood Sugar Management. It contains Chromium Polynicolnate, Chromium Picolinate, Gymnema Sylvestre Extract,
Fenugreek Extract, Bitter Melon Extract, Alpha LIpoic Acid, Cinnamon Bark Extract,Banebe Extract and Vanadium.
In Housewares, French Press Coffee Makers are Back!
 
By Owner Request
This week's spotlight is on the owner requested item Field Roast Sausages. These meat-free, soy-free sausages are delicious! Made with a blend of grains, veggies and spices, they are available in three flavors:
Italian-featuring eggplant, red wine, garlic and fennel this variety goes great with spaghetti and a salad
Mexican Chipotle-a spicy hot blend of smoked Chipotle peppers, Chili de Arbol peppers, garlic, onions, cumin seeds and oregano this one is PERFECT for chorizo style breakfast tacos!
Smoked Apple Sage-a unique combination of Granny Smith Apples, Yukon Gold Potatoes, sage and ginger, try these with breakfast or dinner. (Dan interjection: !!! I had one of these links yesterday and am still thinking about it! So good! None of the components draw undue attention to themselves, but the overall flavor is subtle and delicious.)
 
These tasty sausages can be found in the north end of the dairy cooler. In the freezer, just in time for Thanksgiving, we are carrying the owner requested Field Roast Celebration Roast- a yum-tastic handmade vegetarian stuffed roast. Check it out: http://www.fieldroast.com
As always, we welcome your product suggestions! Just fill in your latest favorite on the 'Wish List' at the Hospitality Desk and we will consider it.
 Thanks! –Niki Nash, Wheatsville Merchandising Manager
 
 In The Grocery Aisle
 Terra Chips Crinkles:
That's right. We've got new Terra Chips on sale at Wheatsville. Terra Crinkles come in four interesting flavors, and we've got them all at 2 for $5. There's Jalapeno Chili Blue, Garlic Mashed Yukon Gold, Bloody Mary Red Bliss, and Candied Sweet Potato Chips. The color and unique nature of these chips make them the perfect snack bowl item for guests around the holidays. Check 'em out athttp://www.terrachips.com/products/terra-crinkles.php Long-time Wheatsville owner and former staffer Eric facebooked us the following endorsement FYI: "Holy legal crack, those new Terra Crinkles are goooood!"  Justin Merrifield, Grocery Buyer
 
From the Deli
Yay! It's November in the Wheatsville Deli and that means we've got Thanksgiving on the brain!! But before those days of celebrating with family and friends arrive, there's so many more new seasonal specials and tasty treats in our Deli to let you know about!

Our two Fresh in the Deli specials, available through November 15th, celebrate the season with harvest vegetables and autumn flavors! From Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op in Sacramento, California comes "Raw Cranberry and Squash with Pecan 'Rice'!" This raw vegan recipe works as a main dish or side dish, and is perfect for fall. The mix of wonderful flavors, a nice crunch and the vibrant colors of orange butternut squash and dark purple cranberries mixed with fresh cilantro and pecans will be a delight on any table.

And from Sevananda Natural Foods Market in Atlanta, Georgia, our bakers have been making the huge Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies, which are so buttery you'll be surprised they're vegan! Sweet and delicious, crisp and chewy, we've added a little extra flavor to this all ages favorite with cranberries and pecans. Makes a perfect treat for the holidays.

The Deli Counter will taunt your tastebuds this month with our Pumpkin Pie Smoothie! Blending apple juice with pumpkin, cinnamon and graham crackers, this frozen orange treat is an annual favorite!

November's Salsa of the Month is the staff favorite Sweet Mango Fire! Sweetness from apples and mangoes combines with the heat of spicy, fresh habanero peppers to create a beautiful and irresistible salsa that will keep your chips dippin' until the end!

This month, the Deli Counter is running a special on Boar's Head Honey Maple Ham, usually $8.99/lb, and on sale this month for $8.49/lb. Also on sale is Boar's Head Imported Swiss Cheese, regularly $9.49/lb and selling in November for only $8.49/lb! Speaking of Swiss Cheese, it's the Fresh in the Deli featured cheese for November! Made from cow's milk and characterized by small to walnut sized holes throughout the block or wheel, Swiss is ivory to pale yellow in color with a mild, sweet and nut-like flavor. Swiss is easy to melt and often used as a fondue, on sandwiches and in salads. Try pairing Swiss cheese with apples, pears, grapes and thinly-sliced ham or roast beef!

Wheatsville Co-op Owners will also find some other Deli items on sale this month! Our infamous and best-selling Popcorn Tofu Po'boy – which just won the Austin Chronicle's Best of 2009 "Best Riff on Nawlins, Vegan-Style"! – is a giant vegan sandwich full of battered and fried tofu nuggets and on sale now! Also on sale through November are our savory, house-made Black Olive Hummus available in our self-serve Grab'n'Go case, all flavors of our Bakery's buttery Buttermilk Scones and both sizes of our organic and fair-trade Coffee Bar's classic Wheatsvillain, a freshly brewed cup of coffee with a shot or two of espresso to wake you up! With so much going on this month, you'll have plenty to keep you full til Turkey Day!
 
Go to our website to see the Holiday menu!  We have lots of great goodies for your Thanksgiving meal.  Pssst, little secret….we will be serving our Thanksgiving sides on the Hot Bar the week of Thanksgiving, YUM!

From Bryan, the Butcher

We take pride in our ground beef; ground in-house daily from humanely raised animals

Hamburger meat is a staple is most carnivores kitchens. Hamburger is versatile, and easy to prepare. Recently the NYT ran an article about the practice of adulterating meats in commercial processing plants. Basically it the practice of using trim meat from different cows and different sources to make ground meat. The NYT article focused on the making of conventional commercial hamburgers patties. This article had some pretty scary stuff in it about the state of the conventional meat industry.

So what does that all mean to Wheatsville shoppers. Well let's clarify what Wheatsville uses in our fresh ground meats. Firstly we grind meat fresh everyday to keep up with a (growing) demand. We make a variety of blends and species. Wheatsville makes ground chuck, ground round, ground sirloin, ground pork, and on occasion ground chicken. Ground beef has percentages on fat and lean contained in each batch. An example would be 85/15 (or 85% lean 15% fat) ground sirloin. How does the meat make it to the shelf? In the course of a day, the meat market will cut fresh meat. Out of this meat there will be "trim" that doesn't make the cut for a roast or a steak. We organize this trim into small batches, sometimes only 5-6 pounds. What were able to do at a smaller meat market, is assure you that it's always fresh, usually made that day. It always comes from the same part of the cow it supposed to. Example: Ground sirloin IS top sirloin steak. This makes ground sirloin very tasty, it pretty much a ground steak. Most larger grocery stores believe in using fat to determine the kind of grind it going to be, cause it easier and faster. For us it's far more traditional approach. I believe different grinds should have a certain flavor, specific to where it came from like ground sirloin for example should taste like a sirloin steak, which makes it a great choice for hamburger patties or Salisbury steaks. We focus on sanitation in the meat market to unsure the products wholesomeness. And, unlike large meat-packing facilities, we aren't mixing up grind from hundreds of different animals shipped from all over the world.

Of course the best thing is we're staring with top shelf beef from Niman Ranch 100% Black Angus cattle. Which comes from a closed system, as in cows don't come and go from the herd. Niman Ranch has the highest protocols for safely in food quality in the industry. You can trust in that.

Let us know if you ever have any questions about any of our products! We're proud of the meat we sell at your co-op!
 
EAT more salmon! Why? It's on the Seafood Watch super green list. Alaska Salmon runs are abundant due to careful monitoring and management.  Alaska Wild Caught Salmon is a "best choice". We sell Coho ($18.99 lb) & Sockeye ($17.99 lb) at Wheatsville's full service seafood counter. You can also find IQF Wild Salmon in the freezer in 4 oz. portion $4.49 each.
 
Looking for something new? Check these new items:
Ready to cook crab cakes in the full service meat counter $14.99 lb.
 Niman Ranch dry cured Salami. Two flavors: dry italian $6.99, and herbed $7.49.
Niman Ranch BBQ pulled pork. Fully cooked and ready to eat. 1 full pound $8.49.
Fresh Rainbow trout.  Farmed in Wisconsin by rushing water fisheries. Eco-friendly and fully sustainable. Head-on and boneless $18.99 lb.
Bastrop Cattle Company grass-fed T-bone steaks. $18.99 lb.
 
Check out these specials for November:
Fresh made sausages, link and bulk. $7.49 lb, reg $7.99 lb.
Niman Ranch choice boneless beef chuck roast $8.49 lb reg $8.79 lb Niman Ranch choice boneless pork shoulder roast $4.49 lb reg $4.99 Niman Ranch choice boneless ribeye steak $14.99 lb reg $16.99 lb.
Later this month Organic Prairie  certified organic whole turkeys $2.99 lb.
Got turkey?
 
From Greg, on Cheese Island
The Cheese Department will be having some great sales for the month of November.  Organic Valley Shredded Parmesean will be $3.49,  regularly $4.29. Organic Valley Blue Cheese Crumbles will be $3.49, regularly $4.29. Blue Cheese Crumbles are also new to the cheese case, so try them out and let us know what you think! Organic Valley Pasteurized Sharp Cheddar will be on sale for$4.49,  which is regularly $5.29.
 
Don't forget to try some of our great cheeses to share with your family such as Cypress Grove's Purple Haze!
 
I hope you have a great week!

Dan Gillotte
Wheatsville GM and e-mail guy and November enthusiast!