Hello Wheatsville friends and fans!Winter is really here! Time for soups, sipping on warm beverages and holiday cheer! Make sure you come in, enjoy our twinkling lights with a peppermint mocha and make a snowflake to add to our front windows. We have all been amazed at your creativity and snowflake snipping abilities. Thanks for making our windows so beautiful! And speaking of a community of creative people coming together to make change... Thanks to all of the owners that voted in this year's Annual Wheatsvile Election which officially closed yesterday at 5pm. We had a record-breaking vote - over 700 owners cast a ballot! And now, the results! Board of Directors To the Board of Directors we welcome and congratulate incumbents Kate Vickery, Reyna Bishop, and Doug Addison as well as our newly elected candidates, Ellison Carter and John Vinson! Thank you to all of the candidates who thew their hat into the ring and participated in this process. We sincerely appreciate all your hard work and time spent being a part of the Board of Directors and this election. Your continued dedication and vision is what makes our co-op so successful! Community Action Wednesday Recipients Congratulations to Capitol Area Food Bank, SafePlace, People's Community Clinic, Sustainable Food Center, Hospice Austin, Meals on Wheals and More, OutYouth, Austin's Yellow Bike Project, Ecology Action and write-in winner Austin Pets Alive! We will be supporting each of these non-profits throughout 2012 with donations, food drives, volunteer efforts and more! Thanks again to all the owners that participated in this democratic process. Being a co-op means that you have a voice - we are thrilled that so many of you participated and cast your vote. Scroll on down for:WHEATSVILLE'S ONE BIG THINGThis weeks One Big Thing is.....Deli Catering Trays! Why do we love them? 1. They are great for parties, crowd pleasers all around! 2. They are yet another way that Wheatsville can make your holiday festivities hassle free! 3. They come in a wide array of varieties, vegan vegetarian and omnivore friendly so you can be the hero of the hour at your next holiday party! 4. Any dish you see in the Deli or at the hot bar can be made for Catering! Eat Your RainbowsThis week, we're featuring two great seasonal items in the department: Organic Rainbow Chard grown by Johnson's Backyard Garden here in Austin and Organic Satsuma Tangerines. Satsuma tangerines are possibly the perfect portable fruit for kids. They ride well in a lunch box, they're easy to peel, have very little pulp, and are virtually seedless. They've got a great, mild and sweet flavor that suits most any palate. Plenty of vitamin C to fight off winter colds and boost the metabolism. What's not to like? One of my all-time favorite ways to eat chard is in enchiladas. My old co-op, La Montanita Food Co-op in Albuquerque, New Mexico, kept their amazing rainbow chard enchiladas on the hot bar rotation all year long and they sold tons and tons of it. Enchiladas are super easy to make and they're great because you can put all kinds of greens inside them. You don't have to use a ton of sour cream or cheese, either, so they can actually be a very healthy dish. There are numerous enchilada recipes to be found on the internet, but they are all pretty similar: using corn tortillas, you make little taquitos with your fixins inside (chard, cheese, meat or substitute, beans, onions, garlic, etc), put them in a 9x12 lasagna dish, cover with a can of enchilada sauce and some more cheese. Boom. Seasonal SippingDelicious, hot, seasonal drinks are available now from our Deli Counter to get you in the holiday spirit! Looking for a caffeinated pick-me-up? Sidle up to our organic, fair-trade espresso bar for a Peppermint Mocha, where we combine the great tastes of chocolate and mint in one delicious beverage! Or maybe you'd prefer the Eggnog – or Soynog! – Latte! This holiday treat trades out the classic Latte's milk base for delicious, creamy nog! Our Hot Chocolate, made with your choice of milk plus a few squeezes of our organic chocolate syrup at our Deli Counter, will warm your heart and soothe your soul! Wanna get in the holiday spirit but lose the caffeine? Try a hot Caramel Apple Steamer, made with organic apple juice and caramel syrup! Or, if you're feeling more spicy than sweet, have a cup of our fantastic, caffeine-free Hot Gingerade! This house-brewed, staff favorite beverage is on sale for owners, a 16oz cup for just 99¢, reg. $1.69. Our Gingerade is made with fresh ginger, spices and a blend of three fruit juices, and can be served iced or hot! If you've only had it cold, it's time to try it heated up! It's an allergy-destroyer and tummy-tenderizer all in one, and boy does it taste good too – stir in some local honey and cayenne for an extra immunity booster! Click here to read about all of our Deli deals & specials! Say Cheese!It is Christmas party time and what better way to celebrate than a cheese tray. We have some wonderful cheeses that would be a great addition to any cheese tray. We have an aged cheddar from Black Diamond. A smoked cheddar would also be great and I recommend Carr Valley's Apple Smoked Cheddar I would also recommend the English Stilton. It is salty, creamy and sharp. Now we do not want to give the to much space on the plate to the cow's. I have a nice assortment of chevre. We carry two local Chevres. Wateroak farm is tangy and creamy and is not overly goaty. Pure Luck Chevres are delicious. They have a cakey consistency and the flavor is amazing. My favorite is their herbed covered chevre. They also make a wonderful Bleu. Their Hoplessly Bleu has won many awards and after tasting it you will understand why. We also have other local cheeses that I think would be great. We have Veldhuiezen's Red Neck cheddar and their very own special creation their Dublin Karst. Speaking of Dublin we have Kerrygold's Dubliner. Nutty and sharp, this cheese will bring a smile to everyone's face. Here are some video's for assembling a cheese tray: Cheese Board 101 and Making the Perfect Cheese Platter As an additional service, we are always available to assemble a cheese tray for you. Simply pick and purchase the cheeses and we will happily create a beautiful tray which will include grapes, berries and garnish for only twenty dollars. *This process does take time so when ordering please allow for this. Celebrate!Time to celebrate because Sierra Nevada Celebration is here! Wonderfully robust and rich, Celebration Ale is dry-hopped for a lively, intense aroma. Brewed especially for the holidays, it is perfect for a festive gathering or for a quiet evening at home. Bulk Dark Chocolate Mercy me it is getting cold out there, isn't it. Why not stay in and turn on that oven to make some delicious cookies for any party or gathering you might be enjoying this season. Here is one of my favorite recipes for you to enjoy. And why not use the new Dark Chocolate Chunks now over in the bulk department for only $7.69/lb. Also don't forget about those Black Eye Peas ($1.79/lb) for new year's and start the year off with a bit of good luck. Greetings & GiftsBuy Holiday Greeting Cards Now to Mail On Time! Say Happy Channukah, Blessed Solstice, or Merry Christmas to your friends and family with hand-written holiday cards. We have a fantastic selection of boxed cards, including nature photos from Sierra Club, classic designs by Frank Lloyd Wright and Dard Hunter, and a variety of hand screen printed cards from Great Arrow. 3 Great Gifts Under $20 Looking for an awesome gift to fit your budget? Check out our wall calendars and page-a-day desk calendars! From Cute Overload to the New York Times Crossword Puzzles, we have the perfect calendar for everyone on your list. Know somebody who is just not a morning person? Make their a.m. a little more cheerful with a cute designer alarm clock, just $15.99. For the chef in your life we have fun and colorful Cook & Serve Dish Sets! Each set includes two oven-safe ceramic dishes with silicone lids for only $18.99. 5 Super Gifts Under $10 We have lots of fun goodies that won't break the bank! The Pi/Pie Jigsaw Puzzle is two puzzles in one and comes in a cute little tin for $5.99. Safari Stix make using chopsticks fun and easy for beginners of all ages, a steal at $2.99 each! Add some fun to your holiday table with mushroom or songbird salt and pepper shakers just $4.99-$6.99. Nesting red glass amaryllis tealight holders from TAG are only $6.99 for a set of 3! Share your Co-Op pride with a Wheatsville coffee mug for $7.99. Stocking StuffersWe are overflowing with all types of awesomeness to stuff your Christmas stockings. From local bar soaps and perfume sprays to silly moustache shaped bandages, fortune gumballs and pickle lip balm! So "pucker up" and stock up while supplies last! New Chapter & Herbalogic on Sale!We have some great "line-drives" for the month of December in Vitamins. "Line Drive" is when a company puts their entire line of products on sale! All New Chapter on sale now!!! New Chapter makes an incredible Immunity formula, Turmeric Force, Ginger Wonder Syrup, and awesome multivitamins, just to name a few. You can get 72 servings of my favorite multi-vitamin, the Every Woman's One Daily Multivitamin, regularly $54.49, on sale now for only $37.99, and we have $4 off coupons. I can feel how this multivitamin supports my hormone balance and nutritional needs. The herbs and cultured whole-food vitamins & minerals in New Chapter's Multivitamins work together to promote optimal health and deliver condition-specific benefits – not just address nutrient deficiencies. There is one for "Every Man" too! All Herbalogic on sale now!!! Herbalogic is a local herbal company, owned and run by a local Acupuncturist. Their Easy Breather has become our top-selling allergy formula. The 2 oz size is regularly $19.99, now on sale for $15.99 . And, even better, now it comes in the new large economical size of 4 oz, too, regularly $30.99, on sale now for onlyl $24.79! New at Wheatsville!Tejava Micro Brewed Unsweetened Iced Black Tea 1 Liter bottles, Reg. $2.99, or 12oz 4-packs, Reg $5.89 Tejava's natural, micro brewed ready-to-drink iced tea is made entirely from select, handpicked tea leaves from the island of Java. For the best tasting tea only the top few leaves from each branch are picked, and only from May through October (the optimum harvesting months). Tejava's unique micro brewing process eliminates bitterness and yields a rich, distinctive, full-bodied taste. Unsweetened and calorie-free, Tejava is made with no added tea flavors, sweeteners, preservatives, or artificial ingredients. Tejava is simply pure and refreshing black tea. Eden Foods Organic Tomatoes in Amber Glass Crushed, 14oz, Reg. $2.99 Crushed, 25oz, Reg. $4.39 Pizza Sauce, 14oz, Reg. $3.79 Fresh, unpeeled, red ripe organic Midwest Roma tomatoes are packed within hours of harvest for maximum flavor, aroma, and nutrients. The only tomatoes in the U.S.A. in amber glass jars protecting them from photo-oxidation of nutrients and flavor components. A good source of antioxidant vitamins A and C, Eden tomatoes also deliver 1.281 mg of lycopene per serving. Ghirardelli 100% Cacao Unsweetened Baking Bar 4oz, Reg $2.79 Many cooks prefer to use unsweetened chocolate because it gives them better control of the sweetness and flavor of the final product. Ghirardelli's 100% Cacao Unsweetened Baking Bar starts with the finest cocoa beans, which are then carefully roasted and milled for pure, rich chocolate taste. This baking bar melts into glossy puddings and rich-tasting brownies and will give your desserts the delectable essence of pure chocolate intensity. Fig Food Co. Organic Soups Tuscan White Bean, Kabocha Squash, or Chickpea, Tomato & Thyme 17.6oz, Reg. $3.49 All Fig Food Co. soups are certified organic, certified kosher, and 100% plant based. Seasoned with a light touch, each serving only contains 200-260mg of sodium, making these soups a great option for those watching their sodium intake. Alexia Potato Bites, 3 Cheese or Spicy 7.7oz, Reg. $4.29 Mozzarella, parmesan, and provolone cheeses combine with sweet russet potatoes sprinkled with sea salt for the most delectable 3 Cheese Potato Bites to ever come out of your freezer. Prefer some heat? Reach for Spicy Potato Bites, with the tangy zip of chipotle chili pepper and the savory flavors of mozzarella and cheddar cheeses. Both can be found in the appetizer section of our frozen department. Bronco Bob's Smoked Bacon Chipotle Sauce 15.25oz, Reg. $5.99 The authentic Southwest flavor of chipotle (smoked jalapenos) pairs with everyone's favorite, bacon! Bronco Bob's Smoked Bacon Chipotle Sauce is deliciously versatile in the kitchen for grilling, dipping, or for use in easy-to-make hors d'oeuvres. We love it poured over a mound of soft cream cheese set out with some sturdy crackers. Co+op DealsThis is the last full week of the current selection of Co+op Deals! So in anticipation of the current sale coming to a close, be sure to stock up on our most popular frozen fruit to sweeten your holidays - Woodstock Farms Frozen Blueberries are now on Deal for the great price of $3.99 reg. $4.79. Click here for more Co+op Deals valid Wednesday, November 30th – Tuesday, December 13th. —Brooks Wood, Co+op Deals Coordinator Owner DealsThis is the last full week of our current selection of Owner Deals! So be sure to stock up on the current lower the price of Annie Chun's Seaweed Snacks – all varieties are now $0.99 reg. $1.49. This is the perfect time to stock up and save! Click here for more Owner Deals, valid Wednesday, November 30th– Tuesday, December 13th. —Brooks Wood, Co+op Deals Coordinator Events!5th Annual Edible Austin's Eat, Drink Local Week through Saturday, December 10th. Celebrating local seasonal food and foodmakers in Central Texas and raising money for Urban Roots and Sustainable Food Center,
Saturday, December 10th: Local Brew Fest . Presented by Black Star Co-op and Wheatsville Co-op. Meet our finest Texas craft brewers and sample their wares at this popular Eat Drink Local Week event. Delicious nibbles and bites provided by Wheatsville Food Co-op, Pure Luck Farm & Dairy, Veldhuizen Farm, Windy Hill Farm and Red Rabbit Co-op Bakery 1–5 pm. $20. Buy your tickets now! I hope you have a most excellent week! Dan Gillotte Wheatsville GM and e-mail guy | 
