Wheatsville Co-op Austin, TX

[Dan Gillotte <gm AT wheatsville.com>]

HI folks!...

Jampacked with information this week!

Scroll down for:

The board bylaws project

Expansion news you can use

Deli update including meat and cheese

Staff Picks

Beer is refreshing

Blog Love!

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

Important Expansion news for you! (Expanion-asana motto: be flexible and remember to breathe!)

We have some additional parking available in the main parking lot along the new retaining wall. It's a dirt area between two fences, but has room for 3-5 more cars. These spaces should generally be available for the foreseeable future. 

YOu may have noticed that the new entrance area has had concrete poured in it. They made really good progress and we are nearing a new phase of the project. On Thursday night, we'll be up at the store over night relocating our registers and some other equipment to give the contractors room to install our new sliding entrance and exit doors at the Southwest corner of the building. (Near the first register where bulk pet food is right now.) They will be installing the new doors next week. During that time, you will encounter a slightly more congested front end and some stuff in slightly different places. If you don't see what you're looking for, please ask someone and we'll show you where it is.

Around the 18th of August, the new entrances will begin being used (temporarily) while demolition and new construction takes place on the remainder of the patio. During this time, we will have some seating on the new patio near the new entrance, but it will be a somewhat tight squeeze. Entrance will be through the new doors, so that will take a little getting used to.

We're committed to making the transitions as smooth as possible, but some disruption is unavoidable. We hope that by communicating as much as possible will help make things go as well as they possibly can. If you have Wheatsville friends that aren't on this e-mail list (or don;t read the blog) could you let them know? Thanks!

We'll have some pretty big parking changes coming in September and I'll let you know about that a little later into August.

Thank you for your patience and incredible support through our project so far!

The deli makes food for you!

Beat the heat with our Strawberry Daiquiri Smoothie, as this month’s special blends strawberries and lime juice for a creamy, cold treat! Or, if you’re in need of a caffeinated wake-up call, Wheatsville’s home-brewed iced coffee toddy will fit the bill nicely.

August’s salsa of the month, the brown sugar and ginger-spiked Roasted Pineapple Salsa not only tastes great over a black bean taco, but works as a delicious chutney for fish and pork entrees – think Hawaiian!

This week, grilled ahi tuna steaks, locally-raised Loncito’s lamb meatballs, and tomato-braised tofu share deli case space with our new Fresh In The Deli special for August, Basil Asiago Chicken Salad, a pasta dish full of chunky chicken and veggies with a tangy, creamy dressing made with Asiago cheese.

And be sure to check out the Deli’s self-serve case for grab’n’go dishes of pasta shells with homemade Bolognese meat sauce, made with all-natural beef and pork, and topped with Pecorino Romano and chopped parsley!

And, don't miss our new Roasted Eggplant Bruschetta, a delicious topping for toasted bread or crackers, or even a pita sandwich filling unto itself with the addition of some briny feta cheese or olives, lettuce, cucumbers and taratoor sauce.

 

Come on in and try something new (or your regular favorite/ old standby)!

 

Words from the Meat department

Hey guys don’t miss this month’s member coupon specials in the meat department!

 

We have Bison Provisions sausage (Bison & Pork and the Venison & Pork sausage flavors) regular $5.99 each, with coupon you get $.25 cents off.. Bison provisions sausages are great on the grill or used as seasoning in beans or kale.

Richardson’s Farms all natural pork products, this includes the link-style sausage, pan style sausage, and bone-in pork chops. $.50 cents off total price.

 

Be sure to explore our Sustainable seafood choices:

Wild Caught Alaskan sockeye $17.39lb

Wild caught Alaskan Coho Salmon $15.99lb

Hand caught Wild Mahi-Mahi $12.99 lb

Wild Caught Alaskan Butterfish $24.99 lb

Wild Alaskan Artic Cod fish $14.39 lb

Wild caught Smoked Sockeye Salmon $31.99 lb

Also for a quick dinner with out the fuss, try the American Farmed Ruby Trout from Buhl Idaho.  It is crusted with Panko bread crumbs and almonds and easy to prepare!!! with just a little olive oil, pan fried for 4-5 minutes on each side.

 

How about saying Cheese?

Hey vegan cheese lovers! 

The Cheese Department here at Wheatsville stocks an array of vegan delights just for you! 

From delicious Vegan Rella to Follow Your Heart Vegan Cheeses (The Parlor uses Follow Your Heart Mozzarella on their vegan pizza and Dan takes his shredded to Salvation Pizza!) we've got you (and your favorite foods) covered!  And if you like pesto, P/2 Organics makes an excellent Vegan Sweet Basil Pesto (this makes fast meals in a hurry with some Bionatura whole wheat pasta!). 

 

We also stock the heck out of White Mountain Wheat Roast which is an excellent product for vegans, vegetarians and omnivores. 

 

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. 

 

This week, Bryan Butler our Meat & Seafood Buyer shares his awesome favorites!

 

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!

 

 Beer of the Week (AGAIN!)

Stella Artois pints were so flippin’ popular last week that we’re keeping it on as the ‘beer of the week’ for another week! For years we’ve offered 6-packs of Belgian favorite, Stella Artois. Now, we have pints in the singles cooler. Stella Artois is famed for its full-bodied and distinctive flavor. Its refined, high bitterness is well balanced with the barley malt flavor, giving it a particularly clean and refreshing finish. Try a pint today!

 

 

 Also, new Wheatsville Pint Glasses! Keep one frosty cold in your freezer! Only $5.99

 

 

Check out this great blog post about vegan Texas  beers! It includes many of our favorite beers, I'm pleased to say!

http://vegantreehouse.blogspot.com/2008/08/texas-beers.html

This week's bloglove

Our new blog-friend Deb made good by her promise to come to the co-op after her Tecolote Farms CSA ended and she wrote a really great blog post about it:

http://austinagrodolce.blogspot.com/2008_07_01_archive.html

Have a great week!

Dan Gillotte

Wheatsville GM, e-mail guy and heavy equipment lifter...