|  Springtime is all about unearthing and rediscovering the beauty of nature. This being said,“Dig”a surprisingly appropriate name for a spring seasonal beer. Rediscover the joys of the American Pale Ale with this special micro brew from New Belgium Brewing,available now in the Co-op’s beer aisle.
It’s perfect for unwinding after a hike on a warm spring day or perking up a gray and rainy Washington spring day! Dig Pale Ale from New Belgium Brewing in Fort Collins,CO. 5.6% alcohol by volume / 36 IBU. This unusual American Pale Ale is about hop flavor celebration. Bright,tropical fruit flavors abound with a bouquet of international hop varieties. First notice the exotic Sorachi Ace hops from Japan,as they provide a fresh zing of incredible lemon aroma. Then New Zealand native Nelson Sauvin hops burst forth with bright flavors of passion fruit,mango and papaya. Dig also features American favorite hop varieties Cascade and Centennial to round out this crisp,clean Pale Ale. Read more Skagit Brew Corner:Can You Dig It? …  Stop in now to find amazing sale prices on macaroni and cheese meals from Annie’s Organics and Back to Nature. Browse a selection of kid friendly natural and organic meals with a range of pasta styles,including shells,spirals,tubes and “Crazy Bugs”.
Annie’s Organics mac-n-cheese is made with organic wheat pasta and organic milk and cheese produced without antibiotics,synthetic hormones or persistent pesticides. Their meals offer a good source of calcium,protein,Vitamin B1,and Folate. Back to Nature mac-n-cheese meals are also made without any artificial preservatives or flavors. Boost your nutrition by trying the “Harvest Wheat”variety made with 9 grams of whole grain per serving. Feed your inner and outer child and stock up your pantry. Mac-N-Cheese Quick Recipes A few fun ways to jazz up your macaroni and cheese,ready in 20 minutes or less:Read more Macaroni and Cheese Quick Recipes …  To commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the Skagit Valley Food Co-op,we are now celebrating local cheese makers and offering a great deal on Medium Cheddar from Skagit’s own Golden Glen Creamery. Handmade on the Jensen family farm,this artisan cheese is aged for 3 to 6 months to develop a mellow and buttery flavor.
The small herd at Golden Glen is made up of Jersey,Guernsey and Holstein cattle that are never treated with rBST or rBGH. The cows graze on pasture land in scenic Bow,WA for most of the year. The artisan cheese makers at the farm produce their tasty curds using an older form of pasteurization known as “vat pasteurization.”This method uses lower and longer,slower heating times to gently pasteurize the milk without altering the natural taste. Visit the Cheese Department now and take home a wedge of delicious Golden Glen Creamery Medium Cheddar. Regularly $16.99 per lb,now on sale for $9.99 per lb! Posted by Claire  Try a new type of heat-and-eat ready meals from Fishpeople Seafood. Each bite of these locally made entrees showcase ingredients from the Pacific Northwest,from freshly caught premium seafood to herbs and vegetables grown on family farms in Oregon and Washington. New to the Co-op these flavorful meals are on sale now!
Choose from four gourmet flavors: - Salmon in Chardonnay Dill Cream Sauce featuring free range,Fall-run Columbia Chinook salmon,lightly poached in a refreshing dill cream sauce with a hint of Cooper Mountain Chardonnay. Serve with freshly grilled vegetables such as seasonal asparagus and new potatoes.
- Thai Coconut Lemongrass Tuna stars freshly poached Albacore caught off the Oregon Coast,swimming in healthy coconut milk with hints of lemongrass and Kaffir lime,with basil,shallots,and Northwest farm-grown red and yellow sweet peppers. Serve atop fresh pasta or rice. Read more Fishpeople Local Seafood Meals …
Don’t get too distracted by the beautiful weather outside because you won’t want to miss awesome sales here at the Co-op! Especially for items that keep in the pantry and help enhance your springtime meals and snacks.  Startled by the rising prices of organic nut butters? Stock up on MaraNatha’s organic peanut butter,available in crunchy,creamy,no stir and salt free varieties. MaraNatha 16 oz. Organic Creamy and Crunchy Peanut Butter is regularly $8.89,but now on sale for only $5.99! Read more Amazing Pantry Staple Sales! …
 Hunks of tasty Grana Padano! Gear up your taste buds to welcome a recent arrival in the cheese department –authentic Italian Grana Padano. A younger cousin of Parmigiano Reggiano-style,this complex curd is made from raw cow’s milk and is the most widely consumed cheese in Italy. Grana Padano has a hardy,grainy and dry texture with a nutty and moderate tangy bite that makes it useful in the kitchen in a number of ways. This versatile cheese is available right now for a limited time at the Co-op for $8.99 per lb,less than half the price of authentic Parmigiano Reggiano. So hurry now to enjoy a chunk or two of this delicious high quality cheese! Add flavor by grating Grana Padano over steamed vegetables,pasta,salad or soups. Enjoy sliced thinly with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and seasonal tomatoes,or try using it in the following recipe. Read more The Cheese Whisperer:Grana Padano Recipe …  Springtime inspires activity. Getting your hands dirty in the garden,cleaning the house and more. Feeling the effects of such activities in the form of swollen muscles? I found myself answering “yes”to that question and a friend recommended using Epsom salts for a soothing bath.
So I did a bit of sleuthing. Epsom salt is affordable and available in bulk at the Co-op’s Wellness department for only $1.29 per lb! When I soaked my tired feet in Epsom salt and warm water I experienced tremendous relief. So much so that I cannot recommend it enough for those in need of a good soak. As with many minerals and supplements,please consult your healthcare provider before using Epsom salts. According to many sources Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate MgSO4) is named for a bitter saline spring from the town of Epsom in Surrey,England and has been used to treat a variety of complaints,including reducing swelling,relaxing muscles and exfoliating skin. Read more Epsom Salt Soaks …  It’s officially Springtime! Perhaps you or someone you know is having a baby?
Visit the Co-op’s 2nd floor Mercantile department and you’ll find a wonderful selection of eco-friendly,natural and organic baby accessories,books,toys and games. One of our favorite new products are Organic Farm Buddies by Apple Park. The company was founded in 2009 by San Francisco-based design Angie Ting with a mission to create toys for her two children from organic and sustainable materials. As Ting read about the increase in asthma and other serious medical issues in children and links to chemicals in the environment,she decided she wanted to offer naturally hypoallergenic toys free from harmful chemicals and carcinogenic materials. Read more Organic Farm Buddies in Mercantile …  Giant chocolate eggs!  Stop by now and pick up handmade treats to celebrate Easter!
These sweets and chocolates are sourced from local and artisan chocolatiers and candy makers. Try Fran’s Chocolates’Milk Chocolate Bunnies and Gray Sea Salt Caramels. You’ll also find beautifully wrapped filled chocolate eggs from Judy’s Candies. Visit the Co-op Deli for an assortment of delicious seasonal treats,including Jam Filled Shortbread cookies with that Easter bunny shape. Hurry now –these goodies are flying off the shelves!  Yummy local Skagit eggs! For many families the Easter holiday means eggs:finding and eating them. Many children have the good fortune to be included in Easter egg hunts,searching for colorful dyed eggs and chocolate bunny rabbits. Planning your own Easter egg hunt? Check out Jill’s Make a Natural Egg Dye post from earlier this month for some great natural egg dye recipes. Perhaps not surprisingly,there is quite a history surrounding springtime festivals and those oval treasures. Whatever religious activities were involved –from ancient Egyptians,Persians and Romans to Christian Easter and Jewish Passover traditions –eggs seemed to be a part of it. One of my favorite recipes for eggs is simple with a twist. Adding curry powder and fresh apple to the egg salad adds a sweet and slightly spicy dimension that compliments the rich and creamy quality of the eggs. It also makes a great topping for green salads and crunchy crackers. Read more Egg It Up with Curried Egg Salad …  Try some local honey. Tasty and maybe effective in helping with allergies. It’s a bright,sunshine-y day out there. But alas,for some the cheery aspects of seasonal change are accompanied by allergic reactions to pollen. Fortunately there are plenty of natural remedies for allergies. Visit our Wellness Department and you’ll discover a host of possibilities,including consuming local honey and using Neti Pots with a mild salt solution to relieve nasal congestion. Another option to treat allergies is to eat nettles for a boost of natural antihistamines. The time is ripe to look for fresh,locally harvested nettles in the Produce Department –but be careful as raw nettles can sting the skin and you must boil them before eating! Understanding allergic reactions can help us understand how to deal with them naturally,without pharmaceuticals. Allergies occur when grains of pollen enter nasal passages and latch onto the soft mucous membranes that line our bronchial and nasal passages. Read more Sniffles and Sunshine:Natural Allergy Remedies …  Local Scuttlebutt Ales on Sale! Slide into Springtime with a couple of classy sipping brews from Everett’s own Scuttlebutt Brewing –on sale now! Support this local,husband and wife-owned company that sources all of its ingredients from Northwest producers. Beer is mostly water,and Scuttlebutt uses pristine drinking water from the Spada Reservoir in the Cascade Mountains. Their barley comes from Vancouver (WA),hops from Yakima and Mabton,with a proprietary yeast strain from Odell,OR. The brewery also recycles its spent grain to help feed a herd of 120 beef cattle on a local farm outside of Arlington,WA. Now on sale for $6.99 per six pack: Tripel 7 Belgian Style Ale from Scuttlebutt Brewing,Everett,WA –9% alcohol by volume / 11 IBU. This approachable and substantial Belgian style ale somehow manages to pull off delicate aromas of tropical fruit,banana,spice and white pear. Read more Skagit Brew Corner:Local Scuttlebutt Ales On Sale …  This St. Patrick’s Day join us at the Co-op in appreciating the culinary accomplishments of the good folks of Ireland. You’ll find plenty of authentic and delicious Irish foods throughout the store.
Also be sure to check out our Deli and bakery case to find Shamrock jam filled cookies and plenty of chocolate and Irish cream inspired desserts and coffee options.  Irish Porter Cheddar Fortunately the Irish are great fans of dairy products! In honor of the great Emerald Isle,the Co-op’s Cheese Island is also sporting several new Irish offerings and some great classics. - Old Irish Porter Cheddar –this naturally aged white Irish cheddar has curds studded with smoked porter beer. It has a rich,bold flavor with a pleasant creamy tang. Perfect for snacking or melting in your favorite recipe. Read more Everyone Eats Irish on St. Patrick’s Day …
 Co-op’s Own Corned Beef with Beet Powder! Be sure to pick up some handmade corned beef for St. Patrick’s Day on Sunday March 17th! Our spectacular Meat Department has been hard at work seasoning delicious beef just for your table. Traditionally corned beef is made with a blend of salt and spices,including nitrates like saltpeter (potassium nitrate). This year the Co-op is using hormone and antibiotic free pasture raised Country Natural beef and beet powder as a source of natural nitrates to preserve color and flavor. Prepare this tasty dish by heating your oven to 325˚F. Pour one cup of ale (use Guinness dark lager or stout) or water over meat,cover with foil and bake for 3 hours or until tender. As you enjoy this festive meal,remember that cattle have been revered in Ireland since ancient times. But corned beef is not actually an everyday Irish food,as many North Americans have been lead to believe. Read more Co-op’s Own Corned Beef for St. Paddy’s Day …  This is a craft-tastic idea for dying Easter eggs using food and herbs from your kitchen.
How To Make Vegetable-Dyed Eggs Keep in mind the effect of the dyes varies depending on how concentrated the dye is,what color egg you use,and how long the eggs are immersed in the dye. I used half a purple cabbage,shredded,to dye four eggs. Err on the side of more rather than less when creating your dye. Read more Make a Natural Egg Dye … |
Need help finding Gluten-free options? Look for this label in the Store  |
