Wheatsville Co-op Austin, TX

[Dan Gillotte <gm AT wheatsville.com>]

Hi Wheatsville friends!

OK, can we just get it out in the open? I know that Valentine's Day is a pretty silly holiday, likely fabricated by the greeting card industry. But, that doesn't mean that we can't have fun with it? RIght?!

At Wheatsville each year, we get in the spirit by setting up our Valentine making station at the member center. Write your sweetie, your friends or your favorite sandwich maker a Valentine and we'll hang it in the front window for all to see! It's a good way to show that you care to the whole Wheatsville community! (Extra points if it rhymes!) So, get into Wheatsville soon and espouse your love (or like) on pink and red hearts!

We also have some special food and gift ideas if you want to get something more tangible for your loved ones.

How about skipping the annoying wait at your favorite restaurant and make dinner for your sweetie?

We have a simple (and heart healthy) way to impress your favorite boy or girl by showing your cooking chops (even if you don't have them!)

Get some fresh local made pasta for your sweetheart and combine it with our Florentine meatballs in the deli case. Add our Middle Earth Pasta sauce to make a great, impressive meal.  Grab a chunk of parmesan from the cheese case and grate it freshly over the pasta for an even more deluxe finish! Still not awesome enough? Get some New World Ciabatta, toast it and serve it with some dipping oil. (Olive oil with a little salt, pepper and garlic can do the trick.) 

How about a picnic? (picnics can even happen in your living room) Try our Brie in the cheese department –Fromage D Affanois & Tour de Marze 60%...yum! These our cheese buyer's favorite. Pair this up with some fresh fruit or some Pepper Creek Farms raspberry chipotle glaze from the grocery department

 

 

Our Bakery is jamming for Valentine's! 

Vegan Raspberry Chocolate Cake – shaped like a heart!!!!! With black cherry frosting!

Linzer Cookies – the most impressive shortbread cookie……two cookies with raspberry jam sandwiched inbetween, sprinkled with powdered sugar. Pretty and tasty!

Chocolate Pecan Tartlettes – enough for you and your sweetie! (You don’t have to share, you can each have your own.)

 

Chocolate is the way to nearly all women's (and most men's) hearts! 

But, it's even better when it's local, organic or fair trade. Wheatsville can set you up with chocolate that shows you care about more than JUST your loved ones. Green and Black Organic Chocolate is on sale this month as is Chocolove (featuring my favorite flavor Almonds and cherries!!!) 

We've also got local chocolate in our freezer from Innocent Chocolate. These decadent treats are delicious and made from really healthful ingredients!

Now some news from our Refrigerated department:

SO LONG EASTSIDE SALSA

 

We're sorry but the co-op will no longer be selling Eastside Cafe's salsas in the refrigerated section. The local restaurant, which grows its own vegetables, stopped selling its salsas to retailers earlier this month because they were losing money. Eastside may resume selling their salsas, but in the meantime Refrigerated Buyer Mike Crissey is looking for suggestions for a tasty local refrigerated salsa. Drop him a line.

 

EGGS-ELLENT NEWS

 

Production appears to be picking up for some of our local farms. Henry Ludwig from H&J Ranch, the white carton eggs and our third best-selling eggs, says his chickens are laying more, likely because of warmer weather and more sunshine. Mike imagines that Alexander Family Farms, the pink cartons and our second best-selling eggs, should see production grow as well. Mark Burow from Wateroak Farms also reports that his goats are making more milk, meaning supplies should rebound.

 

BRING 'EM BACK

 

In other eggs news, Henry Ludwig says he'd like us to bring back his white cartons so he can re-use them. Both Kim Alexander and Henry Ludwig have raised their eggs prices in the past year to offset higher feed costs. Every carton you bring back saves these guys about a dime, helping them keep their prices lower.

 

FREE MILK? NO WHEY!!

 

This week we put the finishing touches on a frequent buyer program with Horizon Organics. Mike last talked about the program in the January Breeze. As a reminder, the program is buy five (5) half-gallons, get the sixth one free. Here's how it's going to work. Customers save the UPCs (barcodes) and their original Wheatsville receipts for the five gallons they bought in a handy envelope provided by Horizon. When they're ready for their free half-gallon, customers give all the UPCs and receipts to a cashier. Wheatsville is a test-bed for this program, and the co-op and Horizon are interested in any feedback you guys have. The program will run through the end of May.

 

 I hope that you have a great week!

Dan

Wheatsville GM and e-mail guy!