Valley Natural Foods’ Deli has their popular Ultimate Butter Cookie Dough available in the bakery cooler in 1 lb. packages. Each package includes a laminated how-to recipe card to make 4 different variations of cookies. Ready-made dough is the perfect item to have around, expecially for that last minute, freshly-baked plate of treats you might need for any holiday occasion! A package of Ultimate Butter Cookie dough sells for $6.99 and is available throughout the holiday season.

Ultimate Butter Cookie Do-it-Yourself Tray 

To make this tray, heat oven to 350 degrees, and cut 1 lb. Ultimate Butter Cookie dough into 4 equal pieces.

Cut-Out Cookies: roll one piece to 1/8” thick and cut into shapes. Sprinkle with colored sugars and bake 12-15 minutes.

Snowballs: roll one piece into 8 small balls. Bake for 12-15 minutes and roll while warm in powdered sugar.

Raspberry Ribbon Cookies: shape the dough into 3/4” logs. Cut into 2” lengths and using knife handle, make an indentation down the centers. Bake 8-10 minutes. Put raspberry jam into indentations and bake additional 5 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar or drizzle with frosting made with lemon juice and powdered sugar.

Almond Crescents: shape the dough into 1.5” logs and roll in 1 egg white, then into a mixture of 1/2 C. sliced almonds and 1/4 C. sugar. Shape into crescents and bake for 12-14 minutes.

For the Kids

For a quicker option that’s fun for the kids, check out our deli-baked sugar cookie kits complete with a stack of ready-to-frost cookies, frosting and sugar sprinkles. Come to our Holiday Preview event on Saturday November 7, anytime between 1:00-4:00 p.m. and the kids can decorate a cookie for free! Kits (as pictured below) will be available for $8.99 each, throughout the holiday season.

by Eileen Johnson, RN

You’ve awakened in the morning to find you have a headache and a fever, or a sore throat and chills, or that “little cold coming on” has suddenly become a full blown horrendous cough and fatigue. What do you do now?

Your first thought should be STAY HOME. Your next thought is rest and plenty of fluids. Light soups with plenty of vegetables and some form of easily digestible protein like beans, chicken or turkey can be very healing. Add miso and sea vegetables to boost the mineral content.  Hot teas with ginger, lemon, or a spicy chai sweetened with honey can be very warming and soothing to the digestive tract and the chest. 

• Beta glucan is a scientifically studied product that has been shown to stimulate many different parts of the immune system. From personal use, I found it really shortened the duration of a cold that had already taken hold. Use it for both prevention and treatment.
• Oscillococcinum, Newton’s Flu Formula, and Hyland’s Flu care are homeopathic formulas that work best when taken at the onset of flu, but also can be used once a week or once a day to prevent flu and colds.
• A warm bath can be very soothing and detoxifying. The Wellness department offers a great detox bath combination. Keep this on hand at home or make your own using the following recipe. 

Add one cup of this mixture plus one cup of vinegar to hot running bath water:

• 2 C. Epsom salts
• 2 C. baking soda
• 2 C.  sea salt
• 5  Tbsp. ground ginger

Reserve your fresh Ferndale Market turkey today by calling customer service at 952-891-1212, #221. If you shop for your Ferndale Market turkey at Valley Natural Foods, look for the Down in the Valley label. This label represents the co-op’s co-partnering with the Peterson family to bring you turkeys raised without added hormones or antibiotics.

Turkey Prices:

To learn more about the Peterson family and Ferndale Market’s delicious natural free-range turkeys, check out the current Local Profile article in our publication This is Living Naturally. Copies are available in the store or view it online at   This is Living Naturally October/November 2009.