Author: Evan Friedley

Since 2008 Better Life has been developing and sharing their natural cleaning products. The inspiration started one afternoon when two lifelong friends watched as their children crawled across freshly cleaned floors. They began to express concern about the safety of their children and whether or not they were picking up potentially dangerous residue caused by traditional cleaning products. With a background in chemistry and an optimistic mind-set they set out to develop effective and safer cleaning products. After 6 months of preparation and a solid line of products they took a giant risk and pitched their business idea on the show “Shark Tank”. Like any pitch on the show they were greeted with a lot of criticism at first, but then one of the judges suggested that since their products were so safe they should spray it in their mouths to

Have you ever wanted to brew your own Kombucha or Kefir? Or have you wanted to experiment with making your own sourdough? Well now you can! We now carry the following Cultures for Health Starter Kits for making at home: Kefir Kefir has a tart, yogurt-like flavor and contains beneficial yeast and probiotics. Since this is a powdered culture it is easier to maintain than a grain-based kefir starter kit and it comes with two packets. Once prepared, the culture can be used 2-7 times when a small amount is reserved from the previous batch. Kombucha Their Kombucha Kit is a great way to learn how to start your own kombucha at home. Their kit includes one kombucha starter culture with specific, but easy to follow instructions. You can even transfer the culture from one batch to the next. Since you have to add tea

As the end of the month draws near there are still those last minute shoppers trying to find the perfect holiday gift. If you’re like me, time is of the essence, so you’ll need to find something quick and convenient. You can browse our housewares selection while making your way to our customer service counter. There you can purchase a gift card for you or your loved ones. Gift cards can be used in-store and at our drive-thru for a quick pick-me-up. Or maybe you have someone on your list who has been contemplating becoming an owner of the co-op. Although you cannot physically purchase a membership for someone else at customer service you may purchase a gift card that can be used towards ownership. Not an owner yourself? Ownership at Valley Natural Foods is a one-time investment made to purchase equity shares,

This week’s focus is all about inspiring you to put together the perfect gift basket. At Valley Natural Foods we have plenty of unique items for creating the perfect basket, well almost… Although we do not sell baskets, we do sell great basket substitutes, like our Valley Natural Foods Reusable Rag Bags or Golden Road Imports Fair-Trade purses and backpacks. To me, gift baskets (or themed gift bags) are a great way to make a gift more personal, and it’s easy to cater to your budget. Here are some ideas to create a cohesive gift with items available at Valley Natural Foods: For the Bloody Mary Enthusiast My recent acquired taste for Bloody Mary’s inspired this gift basket idea. It all began when we started carrying Suckerpunch Gourmet Bloody Mary Mix. The name alone drew me in, and as I took a

Every year I like to come up with unique gifts for my friends and family, but this year I seem to be running short on time for being as creative as I once was. Instead I’ve turned to Valley Natural Foods for my gift giving needs. Stay tuned, each week as I’ll be offering suggestions on some of my favorite gift items and gift ideas available at Valley Natural Foods this holiday season. This week my focus is all about the essentials… essential oils of course!  My love for essential oils started last holiday season when I attended a craft party. Each guest brought a different craft idea and enough supplies for everyone to create unique, hand-made gift items. One of the crafts included making gifts from essential oils, like sugar body scrubs and carpet deodorizers. They were so easy to

A new seasonal item has joined the shelves of our produce department, Gourmet Garden Herb Pastes.  We carry 4 of their varieties including: basil, lemongrass, dill, and Italian herbs. Their pastes can be stirred into soups, stir fries, sauces, and dressings or used as a marinade. Their herb pastes can help reduce prep time and will maintain best flavor within 3 months of opening. Gourmet Garden is an herb farm based in Queensland and Victoria, Australia. Their team has dedicated their work to producing and researching fresh herbs and perfecting their herb products. Their herbs are picked at the peak of freshness when the essential oil yield is high which is important for the plant’s flavor, aroma and color. Once picked their herbs are transported in a temperature-controlled vehicle to an herb prepping facility where they are washed, cut and prepared within

  Celebrate art and creativity in our community! On Saturday, November 19th, area Rosemount and Apple Valley High School families and students gathered in-store to take part in Valley Natural Foods’ 15th Annual Visual Arts Exhibition Invitational reception. During the reception, 47 student artists, with fifty-eight art forms now on exhibit around the store, were awarded and recognized for their excellence. The showcased art was juried by two local art professionals, Lavonne Loerch and Beth Torstenson and two Rosemount High School National Art Honor Society members Samantha Jimenez and Kiera Newson.  Dr. Roger McGaughey, retired art teacher at Apple Valley High School, is the exhibit coordinator.  The Valley Natural Foods Visual Arts Exhibition Invitational fulfills the store’s commitment to serve the arts by supporting the flow of creativity and connectivity that helps sustain our youth and creates a healthy community.  The exhibit will be open

If you’ve been to Valley Natural Foods recently you may have noticed that we have removed yeast from our refrigerated bulk bin section due to lack of sales.  However, we still carry yeast for baking purpose in small, single-use packages of active dry yeast, and large, 1 pound packages of instant yeast. You can find these packages in our baking aisle (aisle 5) and above the bulk liquid containers in our bulk section. If you're looking for brewer's yeast you can find it in Aisle 6. Yeast has been used for more than 5,000 years for fermentation and bread leavening purposes. It wasn’t until recent years that yeast was identified as a living organism. Yeast is a single-celled fungi that is used today for fermentation, leavening bread, molding cheese and producing useful mold for antibiotics. So how does yeast work? Yeast cells,

Let’s Do… Organic Holiday baking can be a challenge when the entire family comes together. There are traditions, picky eaters, and special diets to consider.  Here at Valley Natural Foods we have a great selection of traditional and non-traditional baking items. A few new items have been added to the collection to fit your non-dairy baking needs. Non-dairy baking is now easier than ever with Let’s Do… Organic’s Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk and Heavy Coconut Cream. Let’s Do… Organic’s Coconut products contain no added preservatives, extenders or enhancers and only contain pure organic coconut. The coconut will add good fats and a rich nutty flavor to your holiday baking. For more information and recipe ideas visit: http://www.edwardandsons.com/index.itml  Navitas Naturals Cacao butter is back! Navitas Naturals takes ground cacao nibs from organic cacoa beans and cold presses them into a paste using low temperatures to ensure

Gut Shot Farmhouse Culture Gut Shot sounds scarier than you think; in fact it’s quite good for you! Gut Shot is a probiotic rich drink that is made from organic vegetables. The juice is pressed from fermented vegetables and full of live active cultures. With such a small serving size of 1-1/2 oz. you can add it to smoothies, use it as a salad dressing, or drink it plain. Gut Shot helps keep your gut happy and healthy and are organic, non-GMO, vegan and gluten-free. We now carry the following flavors of Gut Shot: Classic Ginger Beet Kimchi Gut Shot comes from the same makers of Farmhouse Culture Sauerkraut products that are also carried at Valley Natural Foods. If you like their sauerkraut go ahead and give Gut Shot a try. For more information and recipe visit: farmhouseculture.com.   Bone Broth Protein A trendy new “superfood” has made an