Thursday, April 21, 2011

Happy Happy Happy Spring! Earth Day tasting and more!

Hello Wheatsville friends and fans!

I hope that all of you celebrating Passover had an excellent Seder and I hope we were able to supply you with some of what you were looking for this year!

We're excited for Earth Day and Easter coming right up!

Hopefully, you can come in tomorrow for our Earth Day sampler from 4-7pm. We've got a lot of cool local and organic samples lined up for you including:

New Belgium Mothership Wit Organic Beer

Parducci Organic Wine

Austin Organics organic salad mix

Nile Valley Tea

Thunderbird Energetica bars

Windy Bar Ranch Grassfed Beef

Chameleon Coffee

And more!

WHEATSVILLE'S ONE BIG THING

Every week, Wheatsville staff picks the product we're most excited about right now! In honor of the fast-approaching Easter Sunday, we decided to spotlight our exciting selection of EASTER CHOCOLATE!

What do we like about EASTER CHOCOLATE?

1)   We've turned the endcap between aisles 3 and 4 into a one-stop EASTER CHOCOLATE shop—come by and check it out!

2)   The chocolate bunnies and eggs are all organic and fair trade. You just need to decide whether you would like vegan or non-vegan EASTER CHOCOLATE.

3)   From individually wrapped Sjaak's Mint Mill candies (chocolate and mint squares) for $0.69 to Sjaak's Gourmet Vegan Truffles (packaged in a handmade tree-free paper gift box) for $16.99—and many tempting treats in between—there's an EASTER CHOCOLATE option for everyone.

4)   Not needing a chocolate fix but still looking for Easter candy? Wheatsville has plenty of Yummy Earth Organic Jellybeans, Gummy Bears and Gummy Worms. We've even got Annie's Organic Bunny Fruit Snacks on Co-op Deals for just $3.29 reg. $4.49!

 

Wheatsville will be open regular hours on Easter Sunday, so stop by for that last-minute Easter basket addition! Click here to learn more about Sjaak's Organic Chocolates.

We're also particpating in the Give 5% bacl to Mother Earth program Friday, so join us and we'll donate 5% to local groups working for the environment like the Texas Land Consewrvancy. Learn more here and here.

Wheatsville is sponsoring the Austin Funky Chicken Tour on Saturday from 10am-4pm. So please check it out, too! It's fun and free and you can visit as many or as few coops as you like! http://www.fccooptour.blogspot.com/

 
Scroll on down for:

Beer and wine tasting!

Bulk up for Earth Day

Deli Easter brunch!

Sustainable seafood and Easter Ham plus pineapple glazed ham recipe

Green Grocer

Bodycare demo and more

Housewares for Earth Day, Easter and everyday

Co+op saving for you

Earth Day beer tasting. This Friday Wheatsville is hosting a beer tasting from 5:00 to 8:00 featuring New Belgium Mothership Wit Organic Wheat! New Belgium's first venture into organically-produced beer, Mothership Wit Organic Wheat is brewed with wheat and barley malt, as well as coriander and orange peel spicing resulting in a balance of citrus and sour flavors held in suspension by a bright burst of carbonation.

http://www.newbelgium.com/home.

Earth Day wine tasting! This Friday from 5:00 to 8:00 Wheatsville is hosting a wine tasting  featuring  2008 Parducci Sustainable White, 2007 Parducci Sustainable Red, and 2009 Parducci Pinot Noir. Parducci is Family Farmed, locally owned and operated in California's Mendocino County and are committed to sustainable winegrowing practices while protecting the environment.

http://www.parducci.com/

Celebrate Earth Day with the Bulk Department!

Earth Day is coming up this Friday and a great way to celebrate is by stopping by the Bulk Department!  Shopping in bulk is environmentally conscious is many ways, such as reduced packaging, and a focus on Organic and local products.  To celebrate Earth day we currently have Tiny Footprint Coffee on sale.  Tiny Footprint defines itself as a "carbon-negative" coffee company, because they donate enough money from each pound of coffee sold to plant enough trees to effectively offset their carbon footprint.  Their Light Roast is on sale for $9.49/lb reg $10.49, the Timor blend is $9.99/lb reg $10.99, and the Decaf blend is $10.49/lb reg $11.49.

Another great reason to stop by the bulk department this Earth Day is to try some great local food, such as Capital Crunch raw granola and Whispering Hills Organic Pecans.  We'll be samplings these products and more this Friday from 3pm-7pm.  Happy Earth Day everybody!

Good Friday, Easter & Earth Day Specials in the Deli!

This upcoming weekend is shaping up to be a delectable one at the Wheatsville Deli, as we will be preparing a wonderful array of treats for Earth Day and Easter Weekend, from a sustainable Catfish Fry on the hot bar for Good Friday April 22, to Easter treats like Carrot Cupcakes and Buttermilk Cookies in our bakery all weekend, and a fantastic Easter Brunch hot bar on Sunday April 24 with Holiday Ham in Apple Jus, Garlicky White Bean Cassoulet, Spinach & Mushroom Frittata, Fruity Baked French Toast and lots more! Plus, our Deli has extended the hours for our Hot Bar, so it will be open from 11am-8pm with no breaks every day!

If you'd like to order something special in advance for your holiday celebration this weekend, take a look at our new, affordable Catering Menu, featuring a complete assortment of platters and trays ranging from Raw Veggies, Sliced Meats & Cheeses, Popcorn Tofu, Bakery Bars, Cut Fruit, and Whole Cakes! Check out our website at http://wheatsville.coop/catering.html and call us at the Deli to place your order: 512-478-1164!

In celebration of Earth Day, the Deli has made some internal changes to help reduce our environmental impact this year – we are very excited to have begun a composting program for all of our in-house kitchen waste that will one day be used to nourish our community gardens! Also, we have made the move from cornplastic containers to 100% post-consumer recycled plastics for much of our Deli food packaging, which is not only better for the environment, but these containers snap shut so tightly, they'll keep your salsa safe and sound on that bumpy bike ride home, no rubber band required!

As the weather keeps getting warmer, our cool Deli drinks are more popular than ever! So much so that we are now featuring a Grab'n'Go Beverage Box in front of the Deli Counter filled with our icy beverages for you to grab with no wait! Expect to see our fruity, allergy-crushing Gingerade, infamously eye-opening Iced Coffee Toddy and the oh-so-pink and refreshing Hibiscus Mint Iced Tea, on sale now for owners, just 99¢, reg. $1.69!

Our Just Peachy Smoothie is delicious – organic almond butter, cinnamon & vanilla add awesomeness to this peach cobbler-style frozen drink! In fact, all of our all-fruit, no-filler smoothies are delicious! Try a Blueberry Banana Dream with peanut butter or a Strawberry Smoothie with rice milk and almond butter next time!

Fresh-baked muffins & scones await you in our Bakery case every morning! Come on in & start your day with a tasty pastry – perhaps our brand-new, light as a feather Corn Muffin with a pat or two of butter? & don't forget to grab a fresh-brewed espresso drink from our Coffee Bar! How about our current Featured Coffee, the Iced Agave Latte? Organic, fair-trade espresso is freshly brewed with your choice of organic milk, lightly sweetened with local, organic agave & chilled for a fantastic, addictive pick-me-up!

Looking for lunch? Come on in and get a fabulous pecan and apple-studded Classic Chicken Salad Sandwich made with local, all-natural Buddy's white meat chicken at our Deli Counter, just $4.99 for owners right now, reg. $5.39!

Sweet Serrano Salsa is a true staff favorite! Sweet peaches & spicy serranos are mixed with vine-ripened tomatoes, fresh cilantro & red onions! This addictive salsa is on sale for owners right now, just $3.99/lb, reg. $4.99/lb! Stock up!

Classic cold cuts on sale: Boar's Head Turkey Pastrami at $9.49/lb, reg. $9.99 and Muenster Cheese, $4.99/lb, reg. $5.99! Sounds like a great time for a Reuben!

From the world of meat

Lent is drawing to a close but there is still time to get some great deals on sustainable seafood.

We, have Yellowfin Tuna on sale @ $8.99/lb. reg 10.99/lb.

This Friday is Good Friday and the last of the Fish Fridays.  We have Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon on sale @ $16.99/lb. reg $ 17.99/lb. For something a little more versatile in the kitchen, try some Arctic Cod on sale for $12.99/lb reg. $14.99/lb. New to the fish case is whole Rainbow Trout @$9.99/lbs. This trout is farmed in Idaho and is sustainable. Over in the Wheatsville blog I have left a couple of whole trout recipes for the grill.

Sunday is Easter and we have some great Entrée selections for your meal time center piece. Niman Ranch Uncured Smoked Hams are a great way to celebrate. We have boneless Half Cut Hams and Petite Hams. There will be Pineapple Slices next to these Hams and over at the Wheatsville Blog there is a recipe for Glazed Ham With Pineapple,

We have Niman Ranch Brisket @ $5.99/lb. We also have a Market Trimmed Brisket @ $8.99/lb if you are shopping for something a little smaller than a whole Brisket.

We also have plenty of Lamb options for you. We carry a variety of steaks but can also tie you up a roast if you're looking to feed a number of people. For a Shoulder or Leg Roast, a days notice would be really helpful. New to the store are bone-in Lamb Loin chops. A little t-bone of lamb that is great on the grill or in the oven. In the blog is a marinade that I use at home when I grill or roast lamb.

On Coop Owner Deals we have Applegate Farms Slow Cooked Ham @$3.59 reg.$5.99.

When you're over by the the freezer you might see some new faces inside. There are a couple new gluten free options. Ian's GF Fish Sticks @ $5.49, and Applegate Farms GF Chicken Nuggets @ $5.99. Also from Applegate Farms, Chicken and Sage Breakfast Sausage @ $5.79.

There are some new frozen Seafood options in there as well. Ahi Tuna Steaks @ $4.99 and Flounder Filets @ $5.99. These are two to a pack and individually frozen and wrapped. These are sustainable and brought to us by Orca Bay. Here is a link to their website.

http://orcabayseafoods.com/ and I highly recommend checking it out.

We also have Richardson's Unsliced Pork Belly. If you're interested in making your own bacon this would be the place to start. Here is a link to home curing Bacon. http://ruhlman.com/2010/10/home-cured-bacon-2.html This is from the Food52 blog that is also worth checking out. Right now there is a Charcuterie contest going on. It is a great place to learn about this aspect of meat preparation.

Cheese Island

We are going to put our New York Sharp Cheddar on sale through the Easter weekend. It will be at a great low price of $6.59/lb, regularly $8.59.

We also have cheeses for those fajita tacos, hot dogs and hamburgers. We also have cheeses for those cheesy side dishes, such as Mac and cheese, Potatoes au gratin, baked potates. We also have cheeses for cheese plates as an appetizer.

Here are our other sale items:

We have our in-house packaged Fetas on sale. The Domestic Cow's Milk Feta is on sale for $4.99/lb, regularly $6.29/lb. Romainian Sheep's Milk Feta is on sale for $5.99/lb, regularly $7.99/lb. And Bulgarian Sheeps Milk Feta is on sale for $6.29/lb, regularly $7.29/lb

Also, we have our Port Salut on sale for $13.99/lb, regularly $17.99/lb.

From Your Green Grocer

Make sure you stop by the produce department this Friday to meet Joe Rosanova of Austin Organics, Wheatsville's newest local farmer.  Joe is providing us with a great line of locally grown, certified organic salad mixes.  He'll be here from 4 – 7pm on Friday in a "meet the farmer" capacity for our Earth Day event.  Joe's a wealth of knowledge and he's eager to share it with us.  Don't miss it!

We're featuring Austin Organics Salad Mixes this week.  Currently, we're carrying three mixes: Salad Trio, a mix of red leaf, green leaf, and romaine lettuce, a Romaine Blend of just baby romaine lettuces, and Crazy Greens, a mix of 14 different greens, including heirloom French and Italian lettuces, arugula, endive, frisee, chard, and radicchio.  The Crazy Greens aren't for the faint of heart!  They're full flavored and great in a "salad as a meal" setting with some pan seared tuna steaks or roasted chicken.

This Sunday is Easter!  Easter always makes me think of spring and new growth, and nothing says spring quite like asparagus.  In recent years, American consumers have been spoiled by year-round asparagus, grown in Peru using environmentally destructive growing practices.  At Wheatsville, we feel strongly about eating food seasonally.  You get the absolute best flavor and freshness for the best cost.  US grown organic asparagus is really only available in until late April/early May.  Asparagus is great steamed or grilled and it's one of those vegetables that doesn't require much doctoring – add some butter, salt and pepper, maybe a squirt of lemon juice and you're golden.  Try some at your Easter brunch!

Don't forget the flowers!

We'll have plenty of lovely lilies, sunflowers and daisies for your Easter centerpiece!  Come check our selection and we'll help you set a beautiful table.

SUPER SALES GOING ON IN OUR BODYCARE DEPARTMENT NOW!

This week in bodycare we have tons of great stuff on sale!   Locally made right here in Austin, Ann Webb's entire product line is on sale for 20% off—a great time to stock up on all of your favorites!  The ever popular Badger sunscreen regularly priced at $13.59 is on sale for $11.99 and beginning today all 32 ounce sizes of Dr.Bronners liquid soaps regularly priced at $13.99 are on sale at the incredible low price of $9.99! Wowza!

Introductory Sale on tpECOmat Plus from Kulae

Kulae yoga mats are 100% biodegradable, 100% recyclable, and contain no PVC, latex, heavy metals or rubber.  They come in the coolest color combinations and right now you can score a 5mm tpECOmat Plus, regularly $45.99, for just $39.99!

Wheatsville Anniversary Tees 20% Off!

We still have our 35th Anniversary T-Shirts on sale and now they're just $7.99, shop now for the best selection!

Easter Basket Goodies in House Wares

Putting together an easter basket this weekend?  We have adorable Sparrow's Nest Paper Clip Holders in fun spring colors.  And don't forget to include eggs to symbolize rebirth of Mother Earth.  Try a beautifully carved 100% beeswax egg candle from Sunbeam Candles, just $9.99.  Happy Spring Time!

Co+op Deals on comfort food!

How does an all American favorite comfort food sound? We have Amy's Mac & Cheese available in five delicious varieties; Amy's Whole Wheat Mac & Cheese made with organic pasta is now $2.49 reg. $2.99, Amy's Mac & Soy Cheeze made with organic pasta that is cholesterol & lactose free now $2.49 reg. $2.99, Amy's Mac & Cheese in Low Sodium now $2.49 reg. $2.99, Amy's Rice Mac & Cheese made with organic rice pasta that is also gluten free now $2.99 reg. $3.79, Amy's Rice Macaroni with Dairy Free Cheeze made with organic rice pasta that is gluten free, dairy free and soy free now $2.99 reg. $3.99. Click here for more Co+op Deals valid Wednesday, April 13th – Tuesday, April 26th.

Owners chip in!

One of our most popular potato chips is on Owner Deal this week! Kettle Foods Organic Potato Chips are available in three classic flavors; Organic Sea Salt now $2.29 reg. $2.99, Organic Chipotle Barbeque now $2.29 reg. $2.99 and Organic Salt & Black Pepper now $2.29 reg. $2.79. Click here for more Owner Deals, valid April 13th – April 26th!

I hope you have a most excellent spring week!

Dan Gillotte

Wheatsville GM and e-mail guy

  

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