Author: Evan Friedley

By
Education, Featured

We’ve just introduced our new tagline at Valley Natural Foods, which is Know, Believe and Belong ™. However, while taglines are supposed to sound cool, be memorable and epitomize the brand experience, some struggle to evoke an authentic vibe. Most sound fun but only exude marketing jibberish. That is not what we wanted for Valley Natural Foods’ tagline. I can tell you wholeheartedly that when we were designing our tagline, we wanted it to evoke a genuine feeling of what it is really like to shop and be a part of our co-op as a customer. When I spoke to Valley Natural Foods co-op owner John Penrose of Bloomington, MN, our tagline seemed to come to life through his own words without any prodding. In fact, I had no preconceived notion or agenda for our conversation – I just wanted to

By
Featured, Fresh Deli

The whole idea behind smoothies, hence the name, is that they are healthy, smooth drinks full of chunks of blended fruits or vegetables. You can also add liquid (fruit juice, milk, or yogurt), ice and nutritional add-ons such as protein powders for a consistent texture to meet your individual taste desires. Click here for tips on making your own smoothies from National Co-op Grocers. However, dependent upon the amount of liquid, and the fruits and vegetables used, some smoothies are not as smoothly blended as others. And have you ever been on a quest to find the smoothest smoothie of them all? My quest ended when I tried our Emerald Pineapple Smoothie, available in our deli’s Coffee and Juice Bar. Our employees love this smoothie so much they chose it as their “Love List” item of the week! It’s a great treat

By
Featured, Produce

When glancing at this picture, one would think this strange, yellow apparatus is part of a Halloween display, perhaps representing some ghoulishly freakish goblin fingers. Yet I bet the last thing you would guess is that this large yellow spindly thing is edible and that it is actually a fruit. Called Buddha fingers or Buddha's hand, this fruit is a member of the citrus family although it looks nothing like an orange, lemon or lime. It also features bright yellow, segmented finger-like sections with a thick peel, which can infiltrate any room with a strong, fragrant, citrus aroma. In fact, in Asian countries, a primary use for this fruit is as an air freshener along with it being the base of perfumes and fragrances. Yet similar to traditional citrus, one can eat Buddha's hand, but not necessarily directly as people commonly

By
Departments, Featured, Grocery

**As the temperatures dipped and all the social gatherings of the holidays subsided, an unwelcome guest traveled with me into 2016. I’m sure this unwelcome guest is familiar to most people this time of year as it brings congestion, sinus pressure, leading to headaches, along with a minor sore throat. Yes, I am talking about the common cold. Although I stocked up on various homeopathic products from the co-op’s wellness department, which helped to varying degrees over a couple days, it wasn’t until I discovered Garden of Life’s raw organic extra virgin coconut oil on the third day of my cold that I truly felt relief. I thought that now is the time to try it as it is almost half price through January 31, 2016 at $9.99 for 16 ounces. I simply swirled around a teaspoon of coconut oil

By
Departments

Chad's thinking of a New Year's grab & go party idea: his Smoked Salmon Dill Dip, sold in the meat department. When you meet Chad, who works in our meat department, be ready to laugh until you cry because this guy is beyond entertaining and hilarious. He perhaps missed his calling as a stand-up comic because his witty, amusing stories could brighten even the dreariest of days. To say that his humor and flair for amusement may have gotten him into a bit of trouble as a young country boy growing up on a farm, perhaps is an understatement. However, his now 92-year-old Grandma was always there to keep this country boy in line. Chad recalled fond memories of Grandma going around the kitchen with a spoon in her hand saying, “Get to work or get out of the kitchen!” When

By
Departments

Jane Gess, who works in the HR Department at Valley Natural Foods, may be the first self-proclaimed cheese ball fanatic. Her fascination with cheese goes back to childhood where she used to make pictures on the table and floor using cheese puffs! Her love for cheese as an adult has become a bit more sophisticated as she relishes in coming up with creative ways to serve the co-op’s holiday cheese balls at gatherings with family and friends. Now is also a great time for you to be creative with the deli’s holiday cheese balls because they are only $5.99 through January 5 as part of our Fresh Deals program! “Working at Valley Natural Foods, it is fun to be creative and explore new foods, not only for health reasons, but just to learn how to do fun things to good food,” adds Gess. This

By
Community, Departments, Education, Featured, Fresh Deli

Add Susan's  fruitcake, sold in our deli, to your LOVE LIST this December. It makes the perfect gift to give this holiday season! Each loaf is $12.99. “There has always been a stigma around fruitcake; either you like or you don’t,” said Susan McGaughey, Valley Natural Foods’ General Manager. One of the most severe cases of disliking fruitcake that McGaughey can remember is when one of her pastors lambasted it from the pulpit several years ago! So in defense of fruitcake, she decided to present him with her homemade version as a gift, and guess what -- he liked it! People have enjoyed McGaughey’s fruitcake so much over the years that they have prodded her to go into business but she shies away from that by saying “it takes some of the joy out of it.” For McGaughey, it is all about having a giving,

By
Featured, Grocery

A grin lightens her face and her eyes open wide with excitement when I ask her about her meal planning skills. The one thing you will soon learn when you are around Brittany, who has worked in the co-op’s grocery department for two years, is that she is always bubbly and enthusiastic.  What’s great is that her effervescent personality is infectious and you will find yourself smiling and laughing more when talking to her. Brittany’s wonderful sense of humor bleeds into how she talks about meal planning, proclaiming that she has almost no ability to cook. This inability has made her gravitate toward easy-to-make meal products at Valley Natural Foods. One of her absolute favorites is Near East rice pilaf, of which select varieties are on sale December 2-15 and select varieties of Near East couscous are 3 for $5 during that

By
Featured, Fresh Deli

Over the last six years she has been working as a deli shift lead, Sandy is amazed at the amount of food the co-op’s little kitchen produces and the large amount of customers it is able to serve daily. Now she feels the deli’s breakfast options, which include breakfast sandwiches, yogurt parfaits, and hot oatmeal, fill a nice niche that was missing before. It pleases Sandy how the co-op seeks to meet more and more needs over time, which relates to the store’s mission of helping to create a healthy community. And when you are driving to work in the morning, hopefully the deli’s breakfast options can meet your need for food fast! The deli’s drive thru opens at 6:30 a.m. Monday thru Saturday and at 8:00 a.m. on Sundays. Besides the breakfast options already mentioned, you can also stop by to get your coffee, juice,

By
Meat & Seafood

Courtesy of National Co-op Grocers: • Remove the giblets from turkey cavities after thawing.Cook separately. • Set oven temperature no lower than 325° F. • Place turkey or turkey breast on lower rack in a shallow roasting pan. • For even cooking, bake stuffing in a separate casserole dish,versus in the bird. Use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of the stuffing. The center should reach 165° F. • If you choose to stuff your turkey, the ingredients can be prepared ahead of time. Separate wet and dry ingredients, and chill wet ingredients (butter/margarine, cooked celery and onions, broth, etc.) until ready to prepare. Mix wet and dry ingredients together just before filling the turkey cavities.Fill the cavities loosely. Cook the turkey immediately. Use a food thermometer to make sure the center of the stuffing reaches 165° F. • Whole turkeys should be cooked to 165° F. To check for doneness, insert a food thermometer in

13750 Co Rd 11, Burnsville, MN 55337

Call us during store hours at: 952-891-1212

Valley Natural Foods Co-op works in partnership with the South Metro community to support health and well-being through education and expertise in local, sustainable food and wellness services.

Store Hours:

8:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. Daily

Coffee & Juice Bar In-Store Hours 8:00 a.m. –7:00 p.m. daily

Coffee & Juice Bar Drive-Thru Window 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Tuesday, December 24 – 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. (early closing)

Wednesday, December 25 – Closed for Christmas Day

Tuesday, December 31 – 8:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. (early closing)

Wednesday, Jan 1 – 10:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m. New Year’s Day Hours

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