Hello Wheatsville friends!
I hope that you are having a most excellent December and that if you're planning on celebrating Christmas that you have wonderful plans with friends and family!
Remember, shopping at Wheatsville during holidays (well any day, really) is just easier and less stressful than the other guys, especially at Christmas and New Years. We've got great last minute gift ideas, yummy holiday snacks, treats and libations as well as delicious meal ideas for a simple or fancy holiday dinner. Don't stress out, Wheatsville has your Christmas completely covered! (and next week, your New Years eve and day, too!)
Our hours are different for the holidays:
Christmas Eve 12/24 7:30am-7pm
Christmas Day 12/25 CLOSED
Sunday 12/26 SPECIAL HOURS- 10am-10pm
Did you get your rebate?If you spent $480 or more between 6/1/09 and 5/31/10 and are an I nvested owner, you probably have a patronage rebate available at the Hospitality Desk. Come in, claim it and use it to buy product or cash it in.
Scroll down for:
Last minute gift ideas that people will REALLY like including local, eco-friendly and fair trade items!
Holi-deli: yummy food from our deli for Christmas and New Years!
Green grocer news!
Sweet Christmas! In bulk w/ recipe
Wine: mull it over
Sweet and Savory Holiday savings
Cheese trays and parmigianno!
Holiday hams, turkeys and seafood
Owner deals
A Wheatsville Gift Card can make even the grinch happy!
When you give a Wheatsville gift card, you give your loved ones the opportunity to buy themselves a fancier than usual lunch, groceries during tight times, a nicer beer than usual, or that beautiful aromatherapy candle they couldn't justify spending their money on. You also financially support Wheatsville and share your love for your co-op.
Gift cards can be purchased with any Cashier or Hospitality Clerk in any denomination you wish. We've even got the wrapping taken care of for you. For any denomination gift card, we'll give you a free holiday card. With a gift card from $25.00 up, we have stockings available. For gift cards valued more than $50.00, we have lovely metallic boxes with bows. All these goodies are stored at the Hospitality Desk; feel free to come take a look.
Thanks for giving the gift of a Wheatsville trip!
Celebrate Christmas with Holiday Foods from your Wheatsville Deli!
If there's one thing the Wheatsville Deli loves most, it's our tasty holiday dishes! And with Christmas just around the corner, all of our holiday classics are once again available for your dining pleasure, including Vegan Cornbread Stuffing, Creamy Coconut Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Roasted Fall Root Vegetables, Green Beans with Mushrooms, Leek-Roasted Carrots with Tempeh, Niman Ranch Pork Sausage Bread Stuffing, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Vegan Mushroom Gravy and Cranberry Orange Relish! Take some home for your holiday feast from our grab'n'go self-serve case all week long, or have our Deli Counter staff portion you out just the right amount from our full-serve case!
This Thursday and Friday, December 23rd and 24th, we'll have ready-to-go Complete Holiday Sides bags in our self-serve case, with enough goodies to go alongside your turkey or Tofurky to feed 4 to 6 people, including heaping helpings of Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans, Cornbread Stuffing, Cranberry Relish, Mushroom Gravy, Roasted Roots and Coconut Mashed Sweet Potatoes!
Also available at the Deli are all of our holiday favorites like Garlic Chive Cheddar Cheese Balls, Vegan Rosemary Biscuits, LaBrea Wheat Dinner Rolls, Walnut Pecan Pate, Vegan Coconut Cream Pies, Vegan Pumpkin Pies, Classic Pecan Pies and Classic Pumpkin Pies, both whole and in slices! Come in and stock up now on all of our homemade delights to make the most of your holiday celebrations!
And don't let the holi-daze make you forget all of our other fantastic Deli items that are perfect for celebrating too, like our brand new, old school Spinach Feta Dip, much-loved Cashew-Tamari Dressing – great as a raw veggie dip, a multitude of tasty salsas and hummus for your hors d'oeuvres table, a trip to our Tiny Brinies Bar for olives and other treats, and an assortment of veggie dishes from our cases to round out your table! Also, put together an easy salad for your holiday table by loading up on your favorites from our Salad Bar and make your holiday prep so much easier!
On Wed, Thurs and Fri, December 22nd through 24th, we will be running our Festive Feast Hot Bar, featuring sliced Holiday Ham with Apple "Jus," vegan Garlicky White Bean Cassoulet, and sliced vegan Tofurky with Gravy, alongside an assortment of our holiday fare, so you can get a head start on your noshing, or just grab some great, hot holiday food to go!
So spend time with your family and friends, and leave the cooking to us! Your friendly, neighborhood co-op has got you covered this Christmas at the Wheatsville Deli!
News from your Green Grocer
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
If you're still planning your Christmas dinner and are looking for some inspiration, look no further than the delicious sustainably grown sucrine lettuce we're carrying from Lillypad Farmsin San Marcos. Prized by gourmet chefs, sucrine has a fantastic, complex flavor: it's got a buttery texture that starts off sweet and transitions into bitter on the finish. Lovingly hand crafted, we're selling these beauties for $2.99 each. That might seem like a lot to pay for a head of lettuce, but trust me, it's at least twice as good as any lettuce you've ever tasted. Come by and I'll give you a free taste! While you could serve it in a sandwich, sucrine really ought to be eaten in a salad. You can make a simple but delicious citrus salad that will really complement this delicious lettuce. Since we're in the peak of the citrus season, we've got plenty of choices for your citrus salad. We're still stocking five pound boxes of Clementinetangerines at $6.99 each, organic daisy, Satsuma, and Texas grown tangerines, all under $2.00 per pound. We've also been rolling with some great Texas organic rio star grapefruit, which has really turned out to be a great pick; it's not too sour with plenty of flavor.
Pears are fall season fruit, but even though it's now officially winter, there are still plenty of great tasting organic pears to be had. Our favorite is the bosc pear. It's sweet, and has a great, firm texture that's never grainy. We've got them perfectly staged; you can find a pear at any stage of ripeness, whether you want to eat one today, tomorrow or this weekend.
Deschutes Jubelale six packs are just $7.49 regularly $8.49! This in the perfect holiday beer Brewed with dark crystal malt creating a luscious holiday note with bountiful hops to excite your taste buds. For the past 16 years, Deschutes Brewery has selected a local Oregon artist to create an image evocative of the season's festive atmosphere. This year, Oregon artist Natasha Bacca's unique "creation of light" adorns the label.
The Sweeter Side of Bulk
Hi folks, I'd like to put the spotlight on a wonderful product available in the bulk dried fruits area. Sweetened Tart Cherries are made from Montmoricey tart cherries that are sweetened with cane sugar. These come to us from King Orchards in Michigan, and they have a very unique sweet and tangy taste. These cherries are delicious and they would make a great addition to any sort of holiday baking (fruitcake anyone?). Here's a great recipe for trail mix cookies that uses these wonderful cherries:
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup dried tart cherries
3/4 cup sliced almonds
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 c oats
1 cup wheat flour
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup flax seed
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1c yogurt
Directions:
Mix yogurt and sugars in a small mixing bowl. Drizzle in honey and vanilla, mix well, add eggs. Set aside.
Sift flours, powder and soda in another medium size bowl. Add egg mixture to flour mixture. Stir in oats, flax seed, chocolate, almonds and cherries.
Spray muffin pan wells with non stick spray. Place one heaping tablespoon of batter into each well.
Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
Yield 2 dz.
Mulled Wine! This holiday season why not try mulling some wine, It makes any get together special and with Simply Organic Mulling Spice it couldn't be easier. Pick a bottle of your favorite red wine and just follow the directions on the back of the package to create a spicy, warming holiday treat!
Sweet & Savory Holiday Goodness & Great Savings! – Brooks Wood, Wheatsville Co+op Deals Assistant
Co+op Deals are loaded with wonderful breakfast options to make the holiday easy and delicious. Shady Maple Farms Organic Maple Syrup is now $9.49 reg. $11.99, Arrowhead Mills Pancake Mix now $2.99 reg. $3.89, Bionaturae Organic Fruit Spread now $2.99 reg. $3.89, Shelton's Turkey Sausage now $3.59 reg. $4.99, Rudi's Organic Bread now $2.99reg. $4.39 and Barbara's Puffins Cereal now $2.79 reg. $4.39.
The holiday's are here and what better way to celebrate than with our most popular chocolate – ChocoLOVE! Have you tried the Peppermint in Dark Chocolate bar yet? It's the perfect combination of dark chocolate and peppermint. The Chilies & Cherries in Dark Chocolate is amazing and nothing beats the Almonds & Sea Salt. We have oodles of wonderful flavors to satisfy every taste. And they make excellent stocking stuffers! These are on Deal for $1.79 reg. $2.39. Organic bars are $2.29 reg. $2.99
The perfect complement to chocolate is our beloved Ciao Bella Sorbet & Gelato. Our variety of flavors are phenomenal! Best selling customer favorite is Key Lime with Graham Cracker Swirl. The other must-try flavors are Chocolate Hazelnut, Pistachio, Tahitian Vanilla, Mango, Blood Orange, Coconut and Raspberry. These are on Deal for $3.49 reg. $4.79
Remember, our Deals are easy to reference. Go to http://www.wheatsville.coop and click on the Co+op Deals link.
CHEESE ISLAND
We have cheese trays to meet everyone's Christmas Eve needs. I have a small and simple yet delightful small domestic cheese tray for $15. Also, we offer a large domestic cheese and fruit tray containing 5 domestic cheeses and seasonal fruit, for $50. We offer 2 new trays. One tray is a Local Cheese tray. It is filled with offerings from Pure Luck Dairy, Veldhuizen Family Farms and Brazos Valley Cheese Company for $100. There is also a very elegant Brie and Preserve tray for $50. It will be the star of the appetizer table.
Parmigiano Reggiano is on sale for $18.99/lb, regularly $21.29/lb. We are now stocking Vermont Butter and Cream's Crème Fraiche. It is $4.99 for an 8 oz tub.
We have brought in a few new cheeses for the holidays. We have two new Montechevre goat cheese logs. One is chevre and honey and the other is a chevre with figs. Both are$3.29 each. And I also brought in a Wenslydale with cranberry $15.29/lb. We have also brought in Le Roule Garlic and Herb cheese spread and Aloutte Roasted Sweet Pepper and Olive Tapanade Torta and their Sundried Tomato and Garlic Torta. I also have a new local cheese for the holidays. We are stocking Brazos Valley's Von Sormon. It was created because of a mistake in the production of their Montassio. Instead of throwing the wheel of chees away Mark decided to rub the rind with cinnamon and vanilla. The taste of the vanilla and cinnamon become stronger as you get closer to the rind. We have also brought in a fig and almond cake. It is made in Spain from Pajarero figs and Marcona almonds and is traditionally eaten along with cheese. It can be eaten by itself or on a salad. It definitely is a great component to any cheese plate
I don't think I will ever outgrow this Christmas song. Happy Holidays everyone!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzTG0fTLAlU
From the World of meat
Christmas is almost here and we've got what you need for Christmas dinner. If you're looking for Turkey we've got Natural Harvest Natural Turkey's for $2.99/lb and Organic Turkey's for $3.49/lb. Most of our Turkey's are weighing in at 10-13lbs. The rule of thumb for deciding your turkey needs is 1.5/lbs per person if you're looking for some leftovers. We also have a nice selection of Niman Ranch Fully Cooked Applewood Smoked Cured Hams. We have Quarter and Half Cut Boneless Hams and a Spiral Bone-in Half Cut Ham, with glaze packet. We also have some other traditional options for your holiday feasting. We can cut and tie a Niman Ranch Rib roast for $19.99/lb. Also from Niman, we can cut and tie Lamb leg Roasts both boneless and bone in.
For something a little less traditional we have plenty of seafood options. We have Coho and Sockeye Salmon sides. The Halibut is a fine option for an entrée, and the Sablefish is also a fantastic fish that we always carry. If you're looking for some Surf and Turf, our Sea Scallops from Trollerpoint fisheries or our peeled and deveined organic shrimp from Northern Fish will pair fantastically with a Niman Ranch Flat Iron steak. These are all great options for a New Year's Dinner.
If you're looking for some party options our Smoked Salmon Lox from Fish Brothers is a great addition to your festivities. Our Summer Sausage from Uncured Natural Meats or the Italian and Herb Salami's from Niman Ranch will fill out any cheese and cracker plate.
If you are interested in more information on Uncured Natural Meats here is a link.
We also just brought back Oysters from Northern Fish. Here is a simple and quick recipe for fried Oysters. You will need:
12 Oysters
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup bread crumbs
Salt and pepper
First, dry the oysters. Add salt and pepper to your favorite bread crumbs. Coat oysters with the beaten eggs, then cover them with the bread crumbs. Allow some time for them to dry and set up then slide them into a pan or wok of your favorite, hot, frying oil until golden brown.
Don't forget to get in on the last week of the Sheltons Turkey Breakfast Link and Patties on Co-op deals for $3.59 reg. $4.99 in the freezer.
Co+op Owner Deals just for the Holidays! – Brooks Wood, Wheatsville Co+op Deals Assistant
Our Frozen Department has several Owner favorites on Deal: Wholly Wholesome Apple and Pumpkin Pies now $6.29 reg. $7.99, Wholly Wholesome Cherry Pie now $7.29 reg. $8.99 and Wholly Wholesome Dairy-Free Pumpkin Pie now $6.99 reg. $8.99
Our Bulk Department has delicious Sunridge Farms Yogurt Covered Pretzels now $4.99/lb reg. $6.99/lb, Sunridge Farms Organic Pinto Beans now $1.19/lb reg. $1.59/lb andSunridge Farms Sliced Raw Almonds now $3.49 reg. $4.69.
Our Grocery Department is stocked with savings! Food For Life Organic Original Sprouted and Organic Golden Flax Cereals now $4.29 reg. $5.89, Ginger People Ginger Syrup & Ginger Spread now $1.99 reg. $2.89, Stretch Island Strawberry, Grape, & Apple Smooshed Fruit Rolls now $3.49 reg. $4.29 and Shelton's Turkey Sausage Patties & Breakfast Sausage now $3.59 reg. $4.99.
Remember, our Owner Deals are easy to reference. Check them out on our web site @ http://www.wheatsville.coop and click on the Owners link.
I hope you have a great week and that if you're celebrating a holiday that it is cheery and bright!
Dan Gillotte
Wheatsville GM, e-mail guy and Santa enthusiast
