Expansion news, Bylaws, and our food is delish!

HI FOLKS!!!

I'M YELLING BECAUSE WE HAD A LOT OF NOISY CONSTRUCTION HAPPENING THIS WEEK!!!

Ok... that's better. It's been loud, but progress is being made. This weekend and week have a lot of monumental actions happening.

We'll be moving into our new office/ break room/ meeting room space! Yay! Finally out of the 85 degree cramped, brokedown 25 year old "temporary" office trailer and into our new digs. We're excited. Next week, I'll write about the cool features of this new space, but suffice it to say, WE ARE SUPER EXCITED AND CAN'T WAIT TO MOVE IN!!! (sorry.. yelling again.)

On Saturday, the old office get demolished and recycled!

On Monday, we get temporary refrigeration and storage and move out of the metal building affectionately called the Shed. Then on Wednesday, it gets demolished and recycled.

After that, we start on the main addition! Wowza!

We'll continue to do work on the front of the store over the next couple of weeks. We hope to be using our new entrance toward the end of September as they begin work on the second half of the patio at that time.

During September, also expect to see the City expanding the sidewalk on Guadalupe and adding a crosswalk and relocating the bus stop closer to our new front doors! We've been waiting a long time for a crosswalk and we're excited about this. (The crosswalk will basically be where the current bus stop is.)

We do have quite a bit more parking back on the eastern side of the property. This is not paved, but is well packed dirt and gravel and is totally ready for your use!

Thanks again for your continued patience as we work to improve your co-op!

The board wants your input on the bylaws THIS SUNDAY!!!

The board is hosting an Owner's Forum to discuss the Bylaws on Sunday, Sept. 7th from 1 to 4 pm in the Episcopal Seminary of the Southwest room 210. Please mark your calendar if you want to participate in the bylaws update process!

You can also learn a lot more about this huge board project on-line at  http://wheatsville.coop/bylawsrevision.html

The deli is so yummy!

September brings two delicious new Fresh In The Deli items to Wheatsville: Corn and Cilantro-Stuffed Baked Tomatoes, filled with a southwestern mix of veggies and herbs and topped with cheddar, and Wild Rice with Roasted Hazelnuts, a sweet and chewy blend of wild and brown rice with oranges, dried cranberries, apples and nuts. The smoky Salsa de Otono is our featured salsa this month, made with garlic, red bell peppers, organic apple juice and ancho chiles. Our smoothie special for September is Blueberry Banana Dream which combines blueberries, bananas, and soymilk in a cool and fruity refresher. Also in today's Deli case are our tangy Tomato-Braised Tofu, always-sustainable Crispy Fish Cakes, hearty Tempeh with Roasted Leeks and Carrots, garlic-butter Grilled Ahi Tuna Steaks, Roasted Potatoes with Green Beans and Cherry Tomatoes, and oven-baked, all-natural Honey and Ginger-Glazed Chicken Wings. New from the bakery this week are tangy, cake-like Glazed Buttermilk Cookies – take one home today!

 

If you see the Curried Lime Chicken Salad in the case- try adding it to a sandwich for only a dollar more than our regular Chicken Salad sandwich! We also have a few new faces behind the deli counter, so stop by and say hi!

 

 

Meat Case:

 

Hey guys don't miss our monthly specials!

            Buddy's boneless skinless breast: $.25 –off with member coupon

            Pederson's uncured apple smoked bacon: $.25-off with member coupon

 

Here's a nice easy summer recipe that incorporates both of our great specials. Bon appétit

 

BACON WRAPPED CHICKEN        

 

You need:

Boneless chicken thighs or breasts

Thinly sliced bacon

Portabella mushrooms

 

Slice chicken and mushroom into strips. Take one strip of chicken and one strip of mushroom, wrap with a slice of bacon. Skewer each with a round wooden toothpick which has been soaked in water for 1/2 an hour.

 

Grill over hot white coals until the chicken is cooked through and is no longer pink.

 

From the land of cheese:

 

Hey, Vegans!  Don't forget to stop by the Cheese Department to get your favorite "cheesy" treats!  We carry a variety of vegan cheeses, as well as White Mountain Wheat Roast, and Vegan Sweet Basil Pesto from P/2 Organics.  Mmmmmm  . . . . ."cheese".

 

 

Check out our "Staff Top Ten Picks" posted throughout the store, we work here and shop here!!!

Look for the green signs in front of the products. 

 

Featuring Tyler Cannon, Deli Counter Shift Lead

 

1. Lone Star- The old stand-by, my fridge feels empty without it.

2. Almond Breeze- Vanilla- Mild almond aftertaste, much more pleasant than the beany aftertaste of soy.

3. Maine Root Beer- Local and organic, this is what root beer should taste like.

4. Buddy's Chicken Sausage- A local, healthy alternative to pork sausage. Great for BBQs.

5. Chocolove Toffee and Almonds in Milk Chocolate- Super rich and buttery. Crushed almonds add a subtle crunch.

6. Smoked Goat Gouda- The smokey flavor balances the tanginess of the goat cheese.

7. Pamela's Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies- The most satisfying gluten-free cookies I've tasted.

8. Happy Dogs Hot Sauce- Respectably hot, but mild enough to retain flavor with its burn.

9. Pirate's Booty- Like a combination of popcorn and Cheetos, the perfect snack food.

10. Salmon Jerky- Great portable protein snack when fresh fish isn't an option.

 

Beer of the Week

 

Stone IPA

 

Featured in the new issue of the Wheatsville Breeze Stone IPA, has a light-medium malt character with a heavy dose of over the top hops! Two full weeks of "dry hopping" give this beer its abundant hop aroma and crisp hop flavor. Look for it on the top row of our chilly singles cooler.

 

http://www.stonebrew.com

 

Bloglove

Our new best friend Deb continues to write about us glowingly! Thanks Deb! (By the way, we like her blog because the writing is good, not just cuz she is nice about us!)

http://austinagrodolce.blogspot.com/2008/09/what-do-i-like-about-wheatsville.html

I hope that you have a swell week!

Dan Gillotte

Wheatsville GM and e-mail guy!

Labor Day, board forum, last chance to vote for Wheatsville!

Hi Wheatsville friends and fans!

The deadline for voting in the Austin Chronicle Best of Austin reader's poll is this Monday. We would love to win Best Neighborhood Grocery. Will you help? It just takes a couple of minutes at http://www.austinchronicle.com/feedback/bestof/08/ Thanks a lot!

The board wants your input on the bylaws

The board is hosting an Owner's Forum to discuss the Bylaws on Sunday, Sept. 7th from 1 to 4 pm in the Episcopal Seminary of the Southwest room 210. Please mark your calendar if you want to participate in the bylaws update process!

You can also learn a lot more about this huge board project on-line at  http://wheatsville.coop/bylawsrevision.html

Labor Day specials in the deli!

Labor Day is the traditional end of summer (for us, it's like the midpoint! But, you should still have a picnic or grill out. Why the heck not?)

In the deli, find Picnic macaroni salad, 3 bean salad, vegetarian German potato salad, and Meme's coleslaw.

In the cheese department, we're featuring picnic style cheeses; gouda, cheddar and dill havarti. Look for the nice display in the cheese case!

From the Meat department!

Labor Day is just around the corner and we have some great specials to help make the most of any BBQ! Last chance to get great specials with member coupon on Richardson's Farms pork products; $.50- off this includes bone-in chops, link sausage, pan sausage, pork cutlets. Richardson's farm is a great product, locally raised, and this your last to get the member coupon discount. Also Bison Provisions both varieties $5.99 ea $.25- off with member coupon last chance this month!

Other specials you'll see this week:

Coleman Natural ground round overstock special! Regular $6.29 now $5.79 lb!

Coleman Natural Pork Baby back ribs $9.99 lb. (9-1)

Pederson's Natural Apple smoked bacon $7.29 ea $.25off with member coupon (9-1)

Want something special this Labor Day? Just give Bryan a call and talk. As always we'll have Coleman briskets, ribeye steaks, top sirloins, NY strip steaks, thick pork chops, Buddy's whole fryers (split on request) and more kinds of sausage than you can shake a stick at (or put on a stick and cook over an open flame!)!

Here's a great recipe for some special Labor Day hamburgers, enjoy!

 

Garden Fresh Hamburger

1 egg, best if free-range
1-tablespoon catsup
¼-teaspoon pepper
½-teaspoon onion salt
½ teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1 cup zucchini, chopped
¼-cup bread crumbs
1-pound ground beef or lamb
Catsup for brushing meat
Hamburger buns
Salad dressing
Spinach or lettuce leaves

Procedure:

Beat the egg. Stir together egg, one tablespoon catsup, the basil, onion salt, pepper, zucchini and bread crumbs. Mix in the ground meat and stir thoroughly. Form into four patties about ¾ inch thick.

Place patties into heavy skillet or grill over low or medium low heat until only the faintest pink remains in center of patties. Turn and brush with catsup once during cooking.

Split and toast hamburger buns. Spread salad dressing over toasted buns. Brush catsup over patties, place spinach or lettuce leaves and patties on buns. Serve while hot.

 

NEW & ON SALE in the land of beers!

 

Floreffe Triple and Prima Beers

 

Floreffe Triple owes its considerable reputation to the pungent hop-bitterness and touch of caramel that are apparent in its flavour. As is the case with the other Floreffe beers, it is not filtered and may appear cloudy when served very cold. Brewed to an old formula belonging to the monks of Floreffe abbey, it is refermented in the bottle with the addition of yeast and sugar.

Prima Melior was the Special Reserve Ale exclusively for the use of the Abbot and his guests. 
A brown beer of high strength, it is reinforced with a powerful seasoning of anis and coriander. When the fermentation and clarification are complete, doses of yeast and brewing sugar are added for refermentation in the bottle. This is based upon the brewing tradition of Floreffe abbey. Prima Melior is ideal with a mature hard cheese, possibly selected in the range of cheeses of Floreffe, or perfect when used in the preparation of rabbit.

Want to know more? Check this out: http://www.brasserielefebvre.be/

 

ON SALE THIS WEEK- regular price: $7.99/ sale price:$4.99

Have a great weekend and go on over to the Chronicle site and vote for your favorite Austin businesses!

Dan

Wheatsville GM and e-mail guy!

 

Yummy beverages and even more local products!

Hi friends!

Our monthly board meeting will be held on Tuesday August 26th at 6pm at the Episcopal Seminary of the Southwest. Go to our web-site for the agenda and directions. This should be the last off-site board meeting as we hope to be ready to be hosting our future board meetings in our new meeting room space! http://wheatsville.coop/bodagenda.pdf

Cold new refreshment!

Virgil's Draft Cola is a new hit among some of us at the co-op. We've long been fans of Virgil's high quality, high flavor Virgil's Root Beer, so it was very excitrng to learn about their newest craft soft drink. Check it out if you are a fan of cola. This one has some real nice notes of vanilla as well as more traditional cola taste.

BEER OF THE WEEK! (again!)

 

North Coast Blue Star Wheat Beer

 

It's so great that we're going to feature it again! We love this beer! American barley and wheat malts are combined with a blend of noble hops to create this light, fruity, refreshing beer. Brewed in the style of the American beer renaissance, Blue Star is unfiltered, the yeast adding a complex note to the flavor profile. Delicious!

 

 

Words from Bryan, our meat guy!

Well last week I told you folks to get out and grill, and it rained all week. So I'm saying grill all year long! Maybe we'll get some more rain... Don't let the rain put you off, maybe slow it down alittle this week and make yourself a home cooked meal. We have great items still on member coupon.

We have 2 new products in from Richardson farms, pasture raised bacon and pork cutlets. The bacon is uncured and free of hormones and antibiotics, and belive me delicious. Also pork cutlets are great for shinitzle (chicken fried steak). They are very lean and nice small portions. All Richardson farms pork products are $8.49 lb, $.50- off with member coupon. It's a great time to try this fantastic local product!

 

Also check out our Coleman Natural Sirloin tip roast for $ 5.99 lb, great for slow cooking (crock pot is awesome) with potatoes, carrots and celery. Coleman ground round $ 5.79 lb regular $6.39 lb. Our ground round is 90% lean meat 10% fat, great for burgers and cassaroles with ground meat. Since it's naturally lean you don't have to drain fat because it not greasy.

 

 Here's the latest from Chill Buyer Mike Crissey:

 

FRESH FROM THE FARMERS' MARKET

REMEMBER WHEN BUTTERMILK!!

 

We're continuing to add more products from one of our newest Texas farmers in the dairy cooler, Remember When Dairy. Bakers should especially enjoy Remember When's farmstead, mostly grassfed buttermilk in pints ($1.49) and quarts ($1.99). Austin Chronicle Food Writer Virginia Wood and her friends are big fans of the buttermilk. "We are all bakers at heart and spent an entire week regaling each other with stories of tall, feather-light biscuits; tender, savory corn bread; and delicate chocolate and Italian cream cakes made with that marvelous buttermilk," she wrote in her July 11 column. "I'm so besotted with the old-fashioned goodness of the buttermilk that I was inspired to replicate one of my grandparents' favorite treats – a glass of cold, tangy buttermilk with corn bread crumbled in it." We're also going to begin carrying gallons of skim milk ($5.69) in addition to half-gallons of skim and whole milk ($3.59) and gallons of whole milk.

 

OAK FARMS PHASE OUT

 

The growing popularity of low-temperature pastuerized, non-homogenized milk from Remember When Dairy has prompted us to scale back our offerings from Oak Farms, our conventional (and local) brand of cow's milk. We will continue to sell reduced fat (2%) in pints, quarts and gallons and whole milk in pints and quarts. Everything else we'll be switching to Remember When Dairy. If you haven't tried Remember When, I'd like you to give them a taste. Half-gallons and gallons of Remember When are only slightly more expensive than Oak Farms was.

 

LOCAL PRODUCTS ARE CASH COWS IN THE COOLERS

30% of Dairy Sales Are Local Products

 

Did you know that on average one out of every four dairy items we sell is produced locally? Did you know that 30 cents of every dollar spent on a dairy item is for a local product? In the first six months of this year,  25.6% of dairy items rung up at the registers was produced locally (in Texas) and 30% of the total dairy sales dollars was from local products. That's pretty encouraging, considering that only 11% of the food available in Central Texas is grown locally, according to the Sustainable Food Center. By some estimates, only 1 or 2 percent of the food bought nationwide is produced locally. It also indicates that we're making progress on the goals we've set for our cooperative. Part of our cooperative's mission is to provide "healthy food and related products, with an emphasis on local, organic, fair trade and sustainable production." I'm proud to offer our array of local products and proud of all of us for supporting these farms and companies. See more details in the upcoming issue of The Breeze.

 

The board wants your input on the bylaws

The board is hosting an Owner's Forum to discuss the Bylaws on Sunday, Sept. 7th from 1 to 4 pm in the Episcopal Seminary of the Southwest room 210. Please mark your calendar if you want to participate in the bylaws update process!

You can also learn a lot more about this huge board project on-line at  http://wheatsville.coop/bylawsrevision.html

Have a great week!

Dan Gillotte

Wheatsville GM and e-mail guy

Amazing specials and more!

Hello Wheatsville friends and fans!

I'll have more expansion updates next week, FYI.

The board wants your input on the bylaws

The board is hosting an Owner's Forum to discuss the Bylaws on Sunday, Sept. 7th from 1 to 4 pm in the Episcopal Seminary of the Southwest room 210. Please mark your calendar if you want to participate in the bylaws update process!

You can also learn a lot more about this huge board project on-line at  http://wheatsville.coop/bylawsrevision.html

Barbecue, Bread and Burritos! Have we got a deal for you!

There is a new Kettle Chip called Backyard Barbeque which is a delicious new chip. BUT, more importantly, they are doing a cool promotion to support the National Wildlife Federation's Backyard Habitat project. Click here for more information, or read the back of a bag in the store: http://www.nwf.org/kettlefoods/ Great chip, greater cause!

Bread prices got you down? Then stock up now on Rudi's Organic bread. It's at a killer price and it freezes well!

Amy's yummy Burritos are also on an amazing deal this month at a savings of 80¢ per burrito! Wow! Stick up on these for sure!

More deals available through the Co-op Advantage specials on our web-site: http://wheatsville.coop/CAP%20flyers/SW0808.pdf

The deli cooks so you don't have to!

 

Rainbow chard enchiladas, baked lemon tamari garlic tofu patties, grilled spice-rubbed ahi tuna steaks, broccoli with cashew-tamari, forbidden rice with sweet potatoes and red peppers, beets with feta and honey-herb dressing… these are just a few of the delicious items in today's Deli case, with more homemade goodies coming out of our little kitchen every day! Our self-serve section is stocked with Wheatsville classics like Buddy's all-natural, all-white meat chicken salad, tasty and light tuna salad, tofu-based eggless egg salad, creamy garbanzo bean spread, healthy hemp hummus, rich walnut pate and thick baba ganouj, for a quick and filling take-home fix. Tempeh chili Frito pie, black beans and rice, sandwiches and tacos round out the Deli's classic offerings – there's always something to fit your cravings! And be sure to check out the Bakery's ongoing wheat-free Wednesdays with a growing assortment of gluten-free muffins, cakes, cookies and brownies available to satisfy your sweet tooth!

 

Mmmmmmeat!

Can't seem to beat the heat? How about turning of those stoves and firing-up that grill! This month we have two great items on member coupon. Richardson's farm pork products are on special coupon for a savings of $.50 off total price. This includes the Link style, bone-in pork chops, pan style sausage, and boneless pork cutlets. Richardson's farm is super special because they are local and their pork is pasture raised.   Their link sausage is one of our Deli Manager's all time favorites!

Also Bison provisions sausage, both varieties, $.25 off total price with coupon. These are a must when grilling.

 

Say Cheese!

Don't forget the cheese department when you're looking for your poolside munchies!  Classic cheddar is always great with fruit & crackers or pretzels.  Or make it a bit fancier with Holland Goudas or Havarti with Dill!   

 

 

Check out our "Staff Top Ten Picks" posted throughout the store, we work here and shop here!!!  Look for the yellow signs in front of the products. 

 

Featuring Bryan Butler, Meat & Seafood Buyer

 

1. Wild caught Alaskan Butterfish. This stuff is awesome, and a great healthy protein substitute for beef or chicken.
2. Real Ale Fireman's no.4. Great refreshing summer beer, local to boot.
3. El Milagro tortilla chips. When I'm done with the bag there's always crumbs left, so I use the crumbs to make my own migas for breakfast. Yum!
4. Organic grapes. My new all the time snack food. Usually out of the freezer is my favorite.
5. Cashew linguini. Delicious!
6. Tamari almonds. Another favorite snack food of mine.
7. Brown Cow Peach yogurt. Really this one is kind of like an addiction.
8. Smokey Hill medium or hot Salsa. I've eaten lots of salsas but the added flavor of the mesquite makes this one really unique.

9.   Bastrop cattle company Grass-fed ground beef. When I do have hamburger this is the only one I buy. Healthy and tasty.

10. Guayaki Yerba Mate. My substitute for coffee and it works!

 

Recipes in a hurry!

You may have seen the Rush Hour Recipe brochures on the member center counter.  If not, check these out.  This is a new program that we have, featuring recipes from other Co-ops, plus snazzy color pictures along with a shopping list to help you find the ingredients for the recipes.  Some of the recipes that we currently have are vegetarian meatballs, ratatouille, garlic roasted chicken and black bean & corn salad. 

BEER OF THE WEEK!

 

North Coast Blue Star Wheat Beer

Back by popular demand (they have really been demanding it!) Choice American barley and wheat malts are combined with a blend of noble hops to create this light, fruity, refreshing beer. Brewed in the style of the American beer renaissance, Blue Star is unfiltered, the yeast adding a complex note to the flavor profile. Delicious!

I hope that you have a great weekend!

Dan Gillotte

Wheatsville GM and e-mail guy!