Garden Fresh Salsa is our STAFF PICK of the WEEK!

Valley Natural Foods is committed to providing the freshest, healthiest fare we possibly can. That’s why our garden fresh salsa is definitely worth a mention. Made almost daily on-site by produce staff, it’s as fresh as you can get! We commit to using fresh organic ingredients when they’re available including tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, cilantro, lime juice and sea salt—most are locally sourced throughout the summer and early fall seasons.

What’s your game day plan? If you’re craving a fresh, healthy, no-cook snack for game day, make it a super bowl of house-made garden fresh salsa from our own produce department here at Valley Natural Foods!

Garden Fresh Salsa Facts:

• At least 350 pounds of salsa (sometimes more) is produced each week at Valley Natural Foods—that means we make it almost every day!
• Eight years ago, this recipe was used only for demo purposes to help promote items in our produce department—eventually there was a growing demand for actually selling this stuff!
• Initially, produce staff chopped all ingredients by hand until they couldn’t keep up with the ever increasing demand for our salsa!
• After investing in commercial kitchen size food processing equipment, Valley Natural Foods can process about 70 pounds of fresh salsa a day!
• Chopping fresh cilantro and squeezing fresh limes is still done by hand.
• Starting with this week, we are estimating about 500 pounds of our garden fresh salsa will be sold each week, leading up to Super Bowl weekend!
• Our salsa pairs nicely with locally produced Whole Grain Milling Chips. Visit our produce department—we are sampling these items together almost every day!

LOOKING FOR A COUPON? Save $.75 on one container of our garden fresh salsa with an online coupon! Coupon good through January 31, 2012.

If you are looking for gluten-free, healthy cooking, nutrition or gardening classes, be sure to check out our  class lineup for January-May 2012 at Valley Natural Foods.

NEW FOR 2012:  We have implemented an online class registration system for added convenience.

How it Works: Simply click on the class you want to sign up for, select the number of tickets you would like based upon whether you are a member or non-member, pay with your credit card and be sure to bring your printed receipt/ticket to the class for verification! If you are a member, write your member number on the ticket and give this to the instructor when you enter the class. Please note that we use PayPal to process class payments (this a secure payment method) . You will need to set up a very basic PayPal account (name, email and credit card information) to register for a class. You do not need to set-up a full PayPal profile.

Also, pick-up our  latest printed version of Education at the Co-op is available for FREE  in-store or online.  This is the most current listing of our classes as some are not available for online registration. You can continue to register in-store at customer service or by calling 952-891-1212 ext. 221.

Also, be aware of Valley Natural Foods two NEW class series. Sign up for our January 17 Class: FRESH & LOCAL: From Soup to Nuts on the Bulk Trail today!

FRESH & LOCAL  Bulk Foods Series
January-March 2012
Learn the best ways to traverse our bulk food department! Discover new bulk food items, lots of recipes, meal planning ideas, and storage suggestions.

Let’s Cooperate to Prevent Diabetes
 April 2012
Join Valley Natural Food experts Eileen Johnson, RN and Naomi Lundberg, BS, DTR, for this four-week coaching session to learn how to implement a healthy diet, exercise and stress relief program that works for you. This class takes a holistic approach to diabetes prevention, unlike programs through your regular practitioner. Its focus is not only on physical health, but also psychological, emotional, social and environmental wellness too.

It’s organic, it’s locally produced, it’s Seven Sundays Artisan Muesli! With four unique and delicious varieties to choose from, healthy-breakfast lovers are in for a real treat. This Minnesota company sources their whole grains from a MN family farm and mill as well as unpasteurized honey from a MN processor—you can’t get any more local than that! The dried fruits contain no sulfites, and the nuts and seeds are only lightly toasted to maximize flavor yet maintain their nutrition.

Valley Natural Foods carries all four flavors—Ginger Pear Macadamia, Vanilla Cherry Pecan, Original New Zealand and Bircher Unsweetened. Welcome to our store, Seven Sundays!

What exactly is Muesli? Click here to learn all about it!

Stock Up and Save with the Co+op Deals Coupon Book!

The January-February edition of the Co+op Deals coupon book offers money-saving coupons on several brands including Celestial Seasonings, Nature’s Path, Rudi’s Bakery and more! And, good deals become great deals when you combine coupons with items already on sale.

Check it out:

Traditional Medicinals Teas are on sale for $3.49. Shop with a $1.00 off coupon – final cost $2.49!
Pacific Natural Foods Organic Pho Soup Starter is on sale for $2.49. Shop with a $.50 off coupon – final cost $1.99!
Many more sale items can be found in the coupon book!

Coupon books are available at the co-op right now and are valid through February 29, 2012.

By: Loris Sofia Gregory, Healthy Kitchen Coach, Apple Valley, MN

If “eat healthier,” “try new foods” and “save more money” are on your list of resolutions for 2012, consider the dazzling diversity of our bulk foods trail from nourishing soups to energizing nuts. Our new helpful booklet, available in mid January, entitled “Discovering Bulk Foods: A Cooperative Guidebook” and my FRESH & LOCAL classes from January through March will show you how to easily buy and prepare package-free and earth-friendly bulk foods, while saving an average of 30 to 50% on our 300+ choices.  You can now register for these classes online.  Most of us are not looking to “get bulkier” in this New Year. So what’s the real story behind “buying bulk”? Read more to realize the benefits of shopping on our bulk trail.

First of all, don’t confuse “bulk foods” with buying in bulk from a big box store. For instance, when you purchase eight cans of soup in bulk at a big box store, you might get the soup in cans that are usually placed in a half box, and then wrapped in plastic. When you purchase fresh bulk foods out of package-free bins, you buy as little or as much as you need. Bulk foods are economical, fun to explore, easy to use and guarantee less waste for you and the earth.

Read more about the benefits of shopping the bulk foods department..

Lemons are cheerful fruits. The bright color, fresh scent, and refreshing taste of lemon zest and juice enliven both sweet and savory dishes, from quick breads, bars, and tarts to fish, poultry, and grain salads. Spirals of lemon peel make an everyday side of steamed broccoli or garden peas just a little bit more special. A wedge of lemon adds a thirst quenching pucker to plain water, black tea or fruit juice. Lemon is also refreshing in make-it-yourself cleansers and room sprays. When looking for zest in recipes of all sorts, lemon is the fruit of choice!

What to Make: Thai Fish Soup and Lemon Bars

You can pick up recipe cards in our produce department. Or, check out the January 4  Co+op Deals flyer or Stronger Together website for recipes.

Looking for a coupon? Save on some of the ingredient for Thai Fish Soup and Lemon Bars with online coupons! Coupons good through January 17, 2012.

We have a new product on our shelves here at Valley Natural Foods and we’re loving it! Visit the wellness department and ask our staff about VEGA Complete Whole Food Health Optimizer. It’s an all-in-one natural plant-based formula available in berry or vanilla chai flavors for making meal replacement smoothies, or for using as part of a smoothie recipe.

Right now, you can get a FREE Blender Bottle with the purchase of any 34.9 ounce tub of VEGA Whole Food Health Optimizer. Limit 1 per customer While Supplies Last. Ask about this promotion in the wellness department.

Would you like to give VEGA a try? Enjoy a VEGA Green Smoothie Deal (made with vanilla almond milk) at our deli juice and java counter—$5.69 for a 16 ounce size. Save $.75 with an online coupon

 If you are a reader of Mix publication (available bi-monthly at Twin Cities Co-ops) they would like your feedback regarding the publication and your experiences at natural food stores in your area.  This is not a sales effort of any kind.  Please be assured that your responses will be kept strictly confidential and will be used by the Mix in aggregate form only.  Your individual responses will never be revealed.  This survey should take less that 10 minutes to complete.  When you have completed the survey, you will have an opportunity to enter the Mix drawing to win one of three $50 gift cards from one of the Twin Cities natural food co-ops of your choice.  Limit one entry per person and household, please.

Click on this link to begin the Mix reader survey.  Or access the survey on the Mix website.

Thank you for participating in this research!

The spotlight is on food co-ops for the world premiere of Co+op, Stronger Together’s video series celebrating 2012 International Year of Cooperatives and hosted by celebrity chef Kevin Gillespie. You can keep tabs on Kevin by joining him on Facebook.

On January 21, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. CST, join us online for a virtual premiere featuring the first three episodes that share stories of co-ops and their communities across the country. Be there when the co-op stars come out to shine, including our very own Valley Natural Foods!

For live premieres, several Twin Cities Co-ops will be hosting “virtual premiere parties.” Visit our home page for participating locations.

Want to learn more about 2012 International Year of Cooperatives? Visit Stronger Together’s website for more information.

It’s a unique baked cheese named Juusto™, and is locally produced by Pasture Pride Cheese in Wisconsin. The full name is juustolepia, a Finnish word meaning “bread cheese.”

Juusto™ is a buttery-flavored, flat and squeaky cheese with a baked caramelized crust. The traditional and best way to serve this cheese is to warm it slowly in a skillet until the crust glistens. You can also use a microwave or toaster oven. Cut the warmed cheese into strips or cubes and serve as is or dipped in a complementary sauce.

Valley Natural Foods carries four tasty varieties. After warming the cheese, try some of these serving suggestions from Pasture Pride Cheese:

Juusto Plain – Drizzle  with maple syrup, berry jam or honey for dessert or breakfast. (Try it with Lucille’s Pepper Jam!)

Juusto Italiano – Dip into your favorite pizza sauce or marinara.

Juusto with Jalapeno Peppers – Dip in salsa or your favorite bean dip.

Guusto™ (made with goat’s milk) – Eat as is for a special treat, drizzle with maple syrup or pair with a fig chutney.

LOOKING FOR A COUPON? Save $.75 on one package with an online coupon. Coupon good through January 3, 2012