Member-owners of Valley Natural Foods are invited to socialize over light appetizers, screen Fresh, The Movie (click here for Press Release) and meet with the board of directors. Not a member yet? Join now at customer service, RSVP for the annual meeting by October 15 and attend the meeting on October 18!

EARN A 15% DISCOUNT IN NOVEMBER!

To receive a 15% discount in lieu of your monthly member discount for the month of November, you must:
• RSVP online or at 952-891-1212, #221, or in person at customer service by Oct. 15 and
• Register in person at the Oct. 18 membership meeting.
You must be a member-owner of Valley Natural Foods, RSVP and register to receive this special discount.

Don’t miss this annual event!
Location: School of Environmental Studies (Park in the MN Zoo Tiger Parking Lot)
Date: October 18, 2010

Agenda:
• 5:30-6:30 p.m. Light refreshments (served while food lasts)
• 5:30-7:00 p.m. Registration, Social Time and Information Booths
• 7:00-8:15 p.m. Movie Screening of Fresh, The Movie
• 8:15-8:50 p.m. Annual Meeting, member discussion
• 8:50 p.m. Prize Drawings (including $100 co-op gift card)

Exercise your right to vote!
Access the Annual Report, Annual Membership Meeting details and online Ballot at: www.valleynaturalfoods.com. Computer available to all member-owners at customer service. VOTING ENDS OCTOBER 15. Vote online, vote green!

 You may have noticed there’s a new look and name for our sales flyers. Co-op Advantage is now Co+op Deals and Member Specials have become Member Deals. Deal dates have changed from monthly sales periods to 2 or 3 week sales periods. Refer to the chart above for flyer dates.

Over 100 co-ops are working together and leveraging our purchasing power to get great prices for our customers. You’ll now see new sale items twice a month! To special order case quantities of our great deals, make sure to order 2 days prior to the deal deadline date. You can refer to our chart for dates, or check with customer service next time you shop for details.

Date & Time:
Friday, October 8, 2010, 7:00 to 10:30 p.m.

Location:
Eagan Community Center
1501 Central Pkwy
Eagan, MN

What is Flying Home:
A celebration, a community event, a fundraiser and more! On the evening of October 8, 2010, Dakota Woodlands will be holding their 5th annual Flying Home Event. They will have appetizers, desserts, beverages, celebrity decorated birdhouses, other birdhouses attached to items for live and silent auctions, entertainment and lots of fun. Dakota Woodlands is working on some great surprises and a big goal of raising over $60,000.

Why Flying Home:
Families at Dakota Woodlands are in “flight.” They are “flying” to better jobs, more education, new homes. They are all flying toward a destination—and it’s Dakota Woodlands that ultimately helps them to find their way home. The event will feature stories and beautiful photos of former residents who have already flown home.

Features of this Year’s Event:
Beautifully decorated birdhouses (an art show), attached to items for live and silent auction. One of those birdhouses was decorated by Valley Natural Foods front end manager, Charlotte Gouette!

Visit www.dakotawoodlands.org for more information.

 Join us anytime between 3:00-5:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 2nd for a demo and tasting experience at the Valley Natural Foods demo kiosk.

Click here to see this weeks Produce Possibilities recipe

Click here to see all the Produce Possibilities Menus

Produce Possibilities this week is all about fruit! Apples, pears, and figs are featured in our recipes, with a delicious accent splash of flavor from Meyer lemons.

The apples in the Apple-Pear Salsa recipe are local and may come from one of three orchards we purchase from. The first, which we have had our longest relationship with, is Cedar Hills. They are located in Hutchinson and provide our HoneyCrisp and Haralson apples. The next is Whitewater Valley Orchard. They are located near St. Charles and they provide many different varieties throughout the season including; Regent, Fortune, Freedom, Northern Lights, Red Baron, Enterprise, McIntosh, and Sweet Sixteen.  Applewood Orchard, located in Lakeville is our newest supplier for Zestar, Cortland and Sweet Sixteen apple varieties.

The rest of the fruit in our recipes may not be local, but definitely a part of the fall flavor. Figs are available for such a short time, and you don’t want to miss these exciting fruits! Pears are now in full swing for the season and are at their peak in quality as well. Meyer lemons have just shown up and are the heralds of the upcoming citrus season. Explore these and many more exciting combos with Produce Possibilities!

Click here to see this weeks Produce Possibilities recipe

Click here to see all the Produce Possibilities Menus

Fall is a time of bounty. A phrase repeated over and over but still, it really does apply, especially in Minnesota. Apples are now coming in left and right. onions, potatoes, and other root veggies are now all harvested and waiting for us to use throughout the fall and winter. Squash of so many sizes and shapes to even know what to do with are stacked high. Crucifers, like broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts are now getting to their sweetest and most delicious time for harvesting. Yes indeed, bounty is abound. This is what we celebrate for this week’s produce possibilities.

Our recipes this week deliver a delightful combo of sweet and salty. Mixed with fresh herbs and some wonderful accents, we can accomplish a symphonic dining experience where all the flavors harmonize to create pure enjoyment. The Maple-Pecan Glazed Root Veggies combine earthy flavors of roots and tubers with sage and garlic as well as Cippollini onions. Topped off with pecans and drizzled with pure maple syrup, this recipe can’t help but remind one of fall traditions. The second recipe, Bacon Wrapped Brussels Sprouts, delivers a salty punch of fun flavor. With Parmesan-thyme butter on the inside to bring out the Brussels better side and the bacon wrap on the outside to get that smokey satisfaction, these sprouts are nothing to scoff at.

The popular meeting groups for ADHD, Autism, & Other Disabilities on the Spectrum for the 2010-11 season are meeting at Shepherd of the Valley Church.

Please click here for dates, times and location details. Or, stop by Valley Natural Foods to pick-up their pink brochure, located in the foyer near the exit doors.

Purpose:

• An educational opportunity to learn about ADHD, Autism, and Other Disabilities on the Spectrum
• A network of people who may help to ease feelings of isolation
• An opportunity to ask questions in a safe environment

Another Minnesota-produced product is now on our shelves at Valley Natural Foods! Smude Virgin Cold-pressed Sunflower Oil can be used just like olive oil. The saturated fat is 1.5g per serving verses olive oil at 2g per serving. This oil is great for popping kettle popcorn, frying fish, potatos,eggs, etc.

Here are some of the benefits listed by Smude:

Less processing
No chemicals
Greater nutrient retention
All Natural and no preservatives
High-Oleic
Low in saturated fat
25% of the daily value of vitamin E per serving
Light flavor

Look for this great Minnesota-produced sunflower oil located alongside our other fine oils, near the produce department.

Check out this cool website with downloadable coupons that you can print from Mambo Sprouts! Many of the coupons they offer are for products you can find on the shelves here at Valley Natural Foods. What a great way to trim your grocery tab! You can even sign-up and have coupons and other offers sent directly to your e-mail inbox.

Click here to see this weeks Produce Possibilities recipe

Click here to see all the Produce Possibilities Menus

Orange and green foods are great eaten together, so here’s an idea for two delicious dishes that celebrate these rich colors. 

Butternut squash is gorgeous orange, and by nature sweet. This recipe balances this flavor with the heat from the Aji Amarillo Chili, and the bitterness of raw chocolate. The touch of vanilla, salt, and honey highlight everything. In the end, we want to taste the squash mostly, but with complimentary flavors to give it context.

If you haven’t noticed, this is the time to enjoy some extraordinarily beautiful broccoli. Ours is coming from very nearby (Gardens of Eagan) and is truly not-to-be-missed. This recipe uses everything but the tough skin on the stalk, and is a good companion dish to the sweet/spicy squash.  

Enjoy the colors and flavors of the harvest season!

Introducing a safe, gentle but tough cleaning product! SimplyNeutral is now on our shelves, located in Trail 8 with our other natural cleaning products.

Stop by our Valley Natural Foods Demo Kiosk on one of the following dates to experience a demo on this wonderful new product:

• Monday, September 27, 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
• Sunday, October 10,  12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
• Saturday, October 30, 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.