Hello Wheatsville friends and fans!
I hope the end of August is treating you well! Yep, we've almost made it through the hottest part of the year! Yay us!
We want to give a welcome and a welcome back to students new and returning as well as all of our friends that work in our schools! We're so glad to see you back!
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We love our eggmen and women!
Co+Deals are coming
Deli welcomes students!
Meat for lunch PLUS we can't stop talking about BLTs!
Bulk Change
Shampoo, Lunchboxes, Ginger tea and more!
Beer Tasting THIS week!
Last of the Texas Peaches
We at Wheatsville understand the importance of having healthy food and would like to inform you that during this scare of egg contamination we carry an abundance of local and certified organic eggs that will not have the salmonella risks that are being produced from the Iowa based plants even our Cal-Maine eggs are produced and packaged here in Texas.
The two local egg producers that we have are H&J ranch and Alexander Family Farms both are stocked up in the dairy cooler. We also carry Vital Farm eggs which are local and certified organic. So there is no need to worry about our egg supply they are all safe and delicious.
Goodbye Co-op Advantage Program….Hello co+op deals!!
Our sales program has a fresh new look and name: the Co-op Advantage Program is now Co+op Deals! This program now offers our owners and customers more deals more often on the products we love. Beginning this September, we're turning up the volume to enhance our sales flyer. You'll discover a vibrant and enticing flyer filled with appetizingly delicious food, rich content and better Co+op Deals for you and your family. We're also streamlining our signage of sale items in the store, making it easier and more efficient to quickly know what's on sale and how much you're saving. Even better, all of this information is available at the top of our home page on our web site at www.wheatsville.coop! Just click on the Co+op Deals icon and you'll know instantly what's on sale!
We have also spiced up our monthly Owner Specials. Owners will enjoy fresh new specials twice a month. This is a great way to get to know more about the fabulous products we carry and how they can make every meal more interesting. In addition to providing so many creative ways to save, we're enhancing our Co+op Deals Coupon books. These coupons will be good for three months, which gives us all more time to stock up on the products we love most.
We're making these tools and improvements available to you through our partnership with the National Cooperative Grocers Association (NCGA). As a member of NCGA, our partnership gives us an important competitive edge because we're able to leverage our purchasing power to get the lowest possible prices, which impacts everyone's bottom line. NCGA provides Wheatsville with these resources as a benefit of membership, allowing us to increase savings to our customers and to focus our energy on making Wheatsville the best grocery resource in Austin.
Are you interested in learning more about how Co+op Deals are nourishing communities? Join the conversation around our table and learn more at www.strongertogether.coop.
Welcome Back Students and Teachers!
To welcome back all of you who have been away for the summer, the Wheatsville Deli has so many new items to whet your palate! We are super-excited about our brand new vegan Greenburgers! We use great ingredients like fresh zucchini, chickpeas, fresh herbs and spices, and fry 'em up to get a crispy, crunchy outside and tender middle! We are delighted to present our Greenburgers as an incredibly tasty and affordable new item! Greenburgers are available in the Deli full service case for $2.49 each as a patty, or $4.99 as a sandwich option!
Another new dish we've quickly come to love is Quinoa Polenta Corn Cakes with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce! Combining quinoa, polenta, roasted corn and red peppers, these gluten-free little cakes are chockfull of goodness and go for just $1.99 each with a bonus side of smoky red pepper sauce! We are selling tons of these tasty little treasures!
Beat the heat with our Strawberry Daiquiri Smoothie, for just $3.99 each, as this month's special blends strawberries and lime juice for a creamy, cold treat! Or, if you're in need of a caffeinated wake-up call, Wheatsville's home-brewed Iced Coffee Toddywill fit the bill nicely, $1.99 each. August's salsa of the month, the brown sugar and ginger-spiked Roasted Pineapple Salsa,$7.99/lb, not only tastes great over a black bean taco, but works as a delicious chutney for fish and pork entrees – luau anyone?! Speaking of ginger, have you tried our brand new super fantastic staff favorite Gingerade?! This incredibly refreshing drink is made with fresh ginger and a blend of three juices, just $1.69 each.
Looking for a deal? August Owner Specials are also ready for you in the Deli! Blueberry or Raspberry Smoothies are on sale, $4.49, reg $4.99! Also, you can get an Applegate Farms Roasted Chicken sandwich for just $5.99, reg. $6.99! And our best-selling Ginger Tempeh Pasta Salad is also on sale for $7.99/lb, reg. $8.49/lb! Come on in and get a deal!
And don't forget, Labor Day Weekend is just around the corner! Come by to pick up all your picnic and grilling supplies – we'll have more fresh and tasty deli sides than you can shake a stick at!
Welcome Back!
Are you interested in gluten-free products? Wheatsville's meat department has several choices for those with concerns about gluten in their diet. The Niman Ranch brand of meat is a great place to start. All of their pre-packaged products are gluten free. This includes salamis, bacon, sausages, and BBQ products like the pulled pork and St Louis style ribs. Also all the lunchmeats we sell are also gluten-free. We sell Applegate farms & Organic Prairie lunchmeats; Natural and Organic. Our Summer sausage and snack sticks from Uncured Natural meats is also no gluten. We also have several other choices in the freezer like; Applegate farms & Ian's brand chicken nuggets, and all the Shelton's turkey products. So no matter what your hungry for you can shop the meat department with confidence. If you're unsure just ask we love to help!
Speaking of lunchmeat… What a great way to get back into the groove with a simple & convenient sandwich. It's an inexpensive and healthy way to get the nutrition and energy you need for a long day of work or school. We excited about our new selection ofOrganic Prairie sliced lunchmeats. Being certified organic and certified humane treatment is a great way to start off the new school year, & guilt free, too! We have smoked chicken breast $6.99 6oz, roast beef $7.69 6oz, roasted turkey $7.59 6oz,smoked turkey $6.99 6oz, and smoked ham $6.99 6oz. Organic Prairie is great line of products that also use 50% less packaging material than most zip seal packages. Organic Prairie products are a cooperative group of farmers with a belief in sustainability and humane treatment. Also look for $1 off coupons for Organic Prairie products! And don't forget to swing by the cheese case for a great selection Organic Prairie sliced cheeses.
Need a quick easy snack? Enter the humble B.L.T. One of the easiest & tastiest snacks anyone could ever want. It's simple to make and affordable too. Let's break it down. The B: Bacon or "pork candy" to some. Wheatsville has plenty to choose from. Niman uncured smoked bacon $7.99/lb has a nice thicker cut than others. It cooks great with no shrink. Applegate provides us the best variety. We have Organic Uncured Bacon $7.99/lb, Uncured Bacon $5.39/lb, and Turkey Bacon $5.39/lb. Applegate Farms bacons are thinner sliced and are best if you love crispy bacon. And our most popular is also most affordable. Boar's Head Baconin 1/2 lb package $2.99. Great when you only need a little. We even sell vegetarian and meatless options. No matter what you choose it's going to be great. Why? Cause it's bacon!!
The lettuce choices range from green leaf, romaine lettuce, butter leaf, red butter leaf (my personal favorite) to iceberg. If you want something different try spinach, arugula greens or any other micro-green for a more elegant BLT. Tomato season is winding down so our local choices are a bit limited. But be sure to pick up some great Fredericksburg local tomatoes. Bread is important too. Really, it makes the sandwich. Sliced bread works great and we have many choices; everything from gluten-free to organic and everything in between. We have Rudy's Organic sliced breads on sale this month as an added perk! But I personally love a great piece of artisan bread, like the great fresh-baked La Brea breads in the deli. Pain Rustique is a favorite of mine, as is the Roasted Garlic. Sliced thick, buttered and grilled. Boy, now that's the makings of an earth shattering BLT.
Specials for the month!
Natural sea cod filets and sticks $4.69 8oz, regular $6.59
Niman Ranch all natural pork tenderloins $13.99/lb in 2 piece cryovac, regular price $14.49/lb
Buddy's natural chicken bone-in split breast $5.29/lb, regular $5.49/lb (customer requested!).
Cheese Island
This month we have a few sales at Cheese Island. Our fresh Mozzarella is on sale for $7.49/ lb. regularly $9.99/lb. We have introduced a product that we have carried, but in new packaging. Saint Andre Triple Cream Brie now comes in a 6 oz. size and anintroductory price of $4.99 ea. It will retail for $6.99. Also, Smoked Goat Gouda is on sale for $8.39/lb, regularly $9.99/lb.
Welcome back students from your friends on Cheese Island! We know how busy you are, and sometimes there are not enough hours in the day to get everything done. But you need sustenance and we have great snacks that will keep you nourished without bogging you down. We have wee cheeses that would go great with a nice apple, pear or a handful of grapes. We also have a great selection of spreadable cheeses that would go great on crakers or a crusty bread.
One more week and it is the first game of 2010 Longhorn Football season. Keep a look out for tailgating recipes, gameday recipes and cheese and beer pairings. While you are waiting take look at this website The Cheese and Burger Society. For some awesome burger and cheese pairings to take your tailgating to the next level! You're in college now after all!
Cha-Cha-Cha-Changes…..
Slowly but surely over the weeks the bulk department has been getting a face lift. We would like to thank-you for bearing with us and helping to make it a success. Our coffee section is brand new and has expanded to include two new local roasters, Third Coastand Fara Coffee. The bulk herbs and spices have moved to a more visible and convenient location. The dried fruit will soon have its own section near the nut butters and the oats will move into extra-large, easy-to-use gravity bins where the dried fruit bins used to be. We have also done away with twist ties and stickers in favor of writing directly on bags and containers with sharpie markers or tape, in order to cut back on trash and expense. Thank you again for helping us do our part to clean-up our store!
Another change for Bulk is the hiring of a new buyer. Janelle Buttery will be heading back to Michigan to pursue her own business and Riley Luce will continue on with making Wheatsville's bulk department a wonderful place to shop!!
News from the Health Team
New in Bodycare:
Three new shower gels from Griffin Remedy. This super-clean line of bath and body products contains no parabens, no sodium laurel sulfates, and no petro-chemical derived ingredients. We offer their moisturizing shower gel in 3 fragrances: refreshing Orange Blossom, soothing Bulgarian Lavender, and invigorating Peppermint Tea Tree, and all are made with real essential oils! Visitwww.griffinremedy.com to learn more about this company's commitment to quality.
New in our Bulk Herbs and Teas Department:
All-Purpose Seasoning, $14.39/LB $ .90/oz. This is a savory blend of dried onion, parsley, basil, lemon peel, thyme, garlic, celery, red bell pepper, and lemon powder, no salt added! Perfect in pasta salad, soups, or mixed in plain yogurt to make a tasty veggie dip.
Organic Lemon Ginger Tea, $19.39/LB $1.21/oz. A staff favorite, this is a delightful tea featuring roasted chicory root, ginger root, orange peel, lemongrass, lemon essential oil, hibiscus flowers, coriander seed, and cinnamon chips. It makes a soothing hot drink and an incredibly refreshing cold beverage. We like to make a large pitcher and keep it in the fridge for post yard-work bliss.
Featured in the Housewares Department:
Stainless Steel Tiffins from T-Go Ware, http://www.to-goware.com. We have the Classic, 2-tier, and 3-tier designs, as well as 2-tier and 3-tier "action packs" with recycled cotton carrying bag. Tired of using disposable utensils? Check out their nifty bamboo cutlery sets, including a knife, fork, spoon, and chopsticks in a sleek carrying case made from recycled plastics. Never used a tiffin set before? Here's a neat video of these stackable containers in action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tc1Ue0UaHs
Packing your lunch in reusable containers isn't just good for our environment, it's a smart and economical choice you can feel good about! http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6316063129229678651#
Beer is good!
Magic Hat Sale and Tasting! Please join us this Thursday from 5:30 to 7:30 for a tasting from Vermont's Magic Hat Brewery. Magic Hat Night of the Living Dead Variety 12 Packs now$12.99 regularly $14.99, Magic Hat Hex Ourtoberfest 6 packs now$7.49 regularly $8.49 , and Magic hat #9 Not So Pale Ale 6 packs now $7.49 regularly $8.49, so now is the perfect time for a little magic!
Produce news!
Johnny Livesay, long-time Wheatsville staff person and most recent Produce Manager has moved on to his dream job of creating the delicious food of our soon to open sister co-op, Black Star Co-op Brew pub at the mid-town commons on Lamar. We're sorry to see Johnny go, but wish him well. (Check out the new issue of the Wheatsville Breeze for more on this…)
We are excited, though to welcome our new produce manager Adam King. Adam hails from La Montanita co-op in Albuquerque New Mexico and comes with years of experience. He'll be joining the team next week and we're delighted to have him. Give him a great big Wheatsville welcome when you see him!
Eat your Texas peaches while ye may!
The produce department is sad to say that the epically good Texas Peach season is ending THIS week. We have the LAST of the peaches we expect to have for the year in now. So, pause and reflect on the wonderfully juicy and delicious season we had, thank the farmers and the trees for their bounty and STOCK up! You may even want to "put some up" via canning or freezing to get some of that good Texas peach taste after the season's gone.
Here's a link to a great blog that can help you get started:
http://www.pickyourown.org/peachvarieties.htm
and a video with a pretty simple canning demonstration:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVugd8o_q6Q&feature=related
We're also excited that our organic grapes continue to be sweet and delicious. We've got Green, Red and Black right now, so remember to enjoy these sweet treats, too!
Have a great week!
Dan Gillotte
Wheatsville GM and e-mail guy
