Chili. That’s what sounds good to us right now (it’s been rainy and cold in Austin lately) and that’s what we are focusing on for this edition of “Best Meal of the Week.” Some chili recipes simmer away all day on the stove; others can be tossed together quickly on a weeknight. For this post, we’re providing links to recipes from our website as well as tips and favorite additions from our team members. What’s your best chili made of? Let us know in the comments section below.
Chili Faves
My chili, whether I do a quickie version or an all-day cook, always includes a little bit of ground clove for depth of flavor. I also add some oregano or marjoram, but not too much or it will taste like spaghetti sauce! And I often use beer for some of the liquid.
—Susannah Read the rest of this entry »
What school won the healthy lunch coaching session from Chef Ann Cooper? Drum roll, please…it’s the Albert Einstein Academies in San Diego. Congratulations!
Julie Black submitted the entry on behalf of the Albert Einstein Academies. She has a 4th grader attending the school and really believes that if one school in the San Diego district can make a change, then the other schools will jump on board – “the kids are going to be so excited.”
Tell Us About Your Favorite 365 Everyday Value® Product and You Could Win
It was definitely not news when I learned that 82% of those in a Harris Interactive survey said that the way they shop for groceries has changed in the past year or so, that they’re using more coupons, comparison shopping and buying more grocery store brands. Sales of our own branded 365 Everyday Value® products have indeed grown as shoppers discover their value…great pricing on natural and organic, without the artificial additives often found in value brands. Can you tell we’re proud?
We know you’re buying them-thanks!-so tell us which is your favorite 365 Everyday Value® brand product and how you use it. We’ll choose a winner at random from the responses we receive and that winner will receive a $50 Whole Foods Market® gift card plus A Better Bag filled with some of our favorite 365 Everyday Value® items. Get on it! The deadline for responding is October 19th.
And, if you haven’t already, be sure to sign up for The Whole Deal e-newsletter. You’ll hear from us a few times each month about in-store specials and money-saving tips…and future contests, too.
Tune in to our Whole Story blog each Wednesday in October for a special value-focused weekly contest!
Wow! We received over 300 responses to this past week’s Value Guru giveaway, where you shared how you get the good stuff for less. Thank you all for your great tips and congratulations to our randomly selected* winner…
Liana: I shop sales, buy store brands (Helllllloooo 365 Everyday Value products!), buy in bulk when possible, buy dried instead of canned (ex: dry beans are usually less expensive than canned beans), and in general shop at Whole Foods! Oh, and make a meal plan for the week & stick to it — that really helps, too!
Liana will be receiving a $50 gift card and a Better Bag loaded with some of our pantry favorites. Keep an eye out tomorrow and all this month for more great value giveaways on The Whole Story!
——————————————————
* This comment was randomly chosen using random.org.
October brings shorter days and a chill to the air along with the final harvest in most parts of the U.S. Out of that final harvest comes an item I look forward to every year with great anticipation: pumpkins! Yes, pumpkins and winter squashes have arrived and Halloween is not far behind. Like every year I gear up for the one day I get to practice my hand at a fleeting but wonderful art form – Halloween pumpkin carving!
Our home garden crop
Our home garden crop was harvested a few weeks ago from our “mystery bed” – seeds we saved from our favorite jack-o-lanterns the year prior. My son Aidan nursed our prize winner through the summer, feeding it every few weeks and watering it every day until we wrestled the 125 pounder out of the garden along with the rest of our harvest (which totaled 21 medium-sized and 50 or so smaller squashes and pumpkins). It’s also time to harvest the compost from our last halloween. What’s left of the 46 pumpkins we carved last season is now a rich, dark humus; ready to feed our fall and spring gardens.
Growing up in Hawaii gave me great exposure to Asian culture and food. I remember my first “Hawaiian” Thanksgiving. We were invited to a large gathering at a friend’s home. We had a turkey, but we also had sushi, sashimi, steamed pork buns, umeboshi (pickled Japanese plums), and plenty of seaweed — something I had never had before. I soon became a fan of these ocean vegetables and often found myself munching on the many different varieties.
I think we can all agree that seaweed is not a terribly appealing or appetizing word. As such, many enthusiasts refer to them as sea vegetables or ocean vegetables. Whatever you want to call them, these amazing ocean plants are packed with valuable, time-honored nutrition. According to Margaret Wittenberg in her book New Good Food, “Seaweeds have long been known for their nutritional attributes. Traditional Chinese medicinal texts as far back as 2700 BCE mention seaweed’s medicinal qualities,” including its ability to nourish the thyroid. Read the rest of this entry »
Most of us can attest to a time when a home-cooked meal lifted our spirits. Well, it’s true what they say about the food mood connection. It’s not just your physical body that benefits from healthy food choices! Get the nutrient and supplement facts on nutritional approaches for mood balance from nutritionist Malia Curran, MS, MPH.
Tim Mercier has been picking apples since he was seven years old on the North Georgia orchard where he was raised and now lives with his children and grandchildren. Tim and his crew hand-pick dozens of varieties of apples over 200 acres that will ship out to Whole Foods Market the very next day, making them the freshest bushels of apples available straight from the tree to the market.
Every month, we are pleased to add many new products to our shelves that have passed the testing and tasting and met our strict Quality Standards. And each month, we choose a dozen or so to call to your attention. Look for the “what’s new” poster and shelf signs for new products — or new varieties of old favorites — that we think you’ll especially enjoy.
Cascal Non-Alcoholic Effervescent Sodas
Upgrade your lunch or dinner with handcrafted Cascal, an ingeniously delicious bubbly born in France and fermented for a “grown-up” taste. Available in Crisp White, Light Red and Fine Dry.
Coconut Secret Organic Coconut Aminos
Made from the nutrient-rich “sap” of the coconut tree, these are raw, gluten-free, sugar-free and vegan alternatives to soy sauce, dressings and marinades with less sodium and more beneficial ingredients.
Dr. McDougall’s Ready-to-Serve Soups
Delicious and filling with whole pieces of vegetables, beans and pasta, but limited calories and salt. BPA-free, eco-friendly packaging sourced from FSC certified forests. Try Lentil, Vegetable, Black Bean, Chunky Tomato, Split Pea, Minestrone and Roasted Pepper. Read the rest of this entry »
In 1998 I was visiting our Northern California Whole Foods Market stores and I came across a new cheese when dining in a local restaurant. It was a tasty cheese, very creamy with a luscious mouthfeel. It wasn’t like any imported brie I had tasted before – the flavors were quite unique. It was fresh with soft overtones of mushrooms. I loved it. Later I found out this was a triple-crème cheese named Mt. Tam. When I asked the waitperson about the cheese, she confirmed it was made in Marin, across the bridge from San Francisco. I was surprised to learn of this cheese and wanted to find out more. This started my quest for this unforgettable Marin County cheese and the Cowgirls who made created it.
Coincidentally, in 1998 I was living in Washington, DC, and was invited to attend an event put on by the American Farmland Trust. This event was honoring Marin-based Ellen Strauss with the “Steward of the Land” Award. I met this dynamic person and her family. I was so impressed with the rich history of her dedication to organics, being the first organic dairy farmer west of the Mississippi. I was interested in the mission and passion of the Strauss family. It was here that I begin to understand the synergies developed with the commitment of the farm and the cheesemakers from Marin. Read the rest of this entry »
Welcome to Whole Story, the official blog of Whole Foods Market.
Don’t know us? In a nutshell, we are the world's leading natural and organic grocer and we’re passionate about healthy food and a healthy planet. Learn more about us.
We’re lucky to have a whole bunch of smart, passionate people doing incredible things in areas like organics, supporting local growers, green practices, fair trade, micro-lending and all kinds of food related stuff. We’ll use this blog to share some of the cool things going on around here.
Of course, what makes this blog really exciting is YOU — so join the conversation!
Subscribe via RSS
It was definitely not news when I learned that 82% of those in a Harris Interactive survey said that the way they shop for groceries has changed in the past year or so, that they’re using more coupons, comparison shopping and buying more grocery store brands. Sales of our own branded 365 Everyday Value® products have indeed grown as shoppers discover their value…great pricing on natural and organic, without the artificial additives often found in value brands. Can you tell we’re proud?
And, if you haven’t already, be sure to sign up for The Whole Deal e-newsletter. You’ll hear from us a few times each month about in-store specials and money-saving tips…and future contests, too.
Non-Alcoholic Effervescent Sodas
Organic Coconut Aminos
Ready-to-Serve Soups
