As excitement bubbles for the inauguration of our 44th president, hordes of supporters are flocking to Washington D.C. to witness this historic event in person.  If you happen to be in the area, check out one of our seventeen DC/Baltimore Metro area stores.  Find your nearest store using our store finder.

Having a celebration of your own at home?  We have some delightful recipes that we think will work perfectly – regardless of how you plan on celebrating.

How about a casual gathering with a decidedly Chicago-twist?  Try out this recipe for Classic Chicago-style Hot Dogs with Root Beer Floats.

Leaning towards a luau?  Celebrate Obama’s Hawaiian roots with a Fresh Pineapple Salsa or a Pineapple Ginger Chutney with Macadamia Nuts to accompany succulent and crisp Panko Crusted Pork Chops.

And finally, what better way to top off the election season that lasted a lifetime than with an arugula-studded meal?! Start with a fresh and healthy Arugula Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash and then, as a main course, serve a rich and delicious dish like this Savory Fig and Goat Cheese Tart with Arugula. Certain to please Republicans, Democrats, Independents, Libertarians, Green Partiers and anyone else you might invite!

Happy eating and please do let us know what you plan on making come Tuesday!

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We just wanted to send out a big congratulations to two of our Local Producer Loan Program recipients who are now making an impact beyond our shelves!

Dr. Melina

Melina Jampolis of Dr. Melina is CNN’s new health and diet expert. She is a board certified internist and physician nutrition specialist (one of only 200 in US). She specializes exclusively in nutrition for weight loss and disease prevention and treatment.

She was the recipient of a Local Producer Loan from Whole Foods Market that aided her in rolling out her specially formulated protein bars and other products.

In her new role at CNN, she is advising people with a variety of diet and exercise related health concerns.

Justin’s Nut Butter

As mentioned on the Today Show, Justin’s Nut Butters are an excellent choice to keep on hand for healthy snacking.  His nut butters are produced in small quantities from the highest quality natural and organic ingredients and come in convenient single serving packs for taking on the road, keeping at your desk in the office, throwing into your bag, etc.

Whole Foods Market in Boulder was Justin’s first retail outlet for his nut butters, and our Team Members have worked with him to grow his business. Justin’s Nut Butter can now be found in five of our eleven regions! He’s using his loan to expand his production of the single serving packs.

If you have any questions about our Local Producer Loan Program, check out the FAQ section of the web page or contact the program coordinators directly at LPLP@wholefoods.com.

The whirlwind of the holidays (and my own post holidays travel schedule) have finally settled and in its wake, I find a messy house in desperate need of a good deep clean.  Pots and pans in my sink, spots on all my mirrors and a sadly neglected wall-to-wall carpet are all weighing on my mind.  Yet, somehow, I’m still using the excuse of an empty cleaning supplies drawer as an excuse to not take on these tasks.  Thankfully, our wonderful customers and their helpful tips are giving me a bit of a kick start – vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice and essential oils?  I have all those hanging around in my kitchen and bathroom and what better way to get clean than the natural way?

Remember, each week, we choose customer tips to be featured in our weekly The Whole Deal™ blog post. Every chosen tip gets a $25 gift card, so submit your tips and recipes here.  Please note that this weekly giveaway will be ending at the end of this month on January 29th, so get your tips in soon!

From Holly:

here are just a few handy helpful hints: lemon juice removes stains from clothes as does the sun. salt works as a lovely scrubber when cleaning. vinegar and water can clean almost anything. baking soda is a great cleaner and deodorizer. adding a few drops of dishwashing liquid to a bucket of warm water will do wonders for linoleum floors. plus, your home will smell wonderful and your pocket book will thank you. also, my beautician told me, do not wash your hair everyday, washing will ruin it. wash every other day. anytime you can use cloth products as opposed to paper, please do.

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So we’re nine days into the new year – how are you doing with your resolutions?

Still going strong? Excellent.

Not doing so well? Well, it’s all right. Many of us set lofty goals for ourselves at the beginning of this year and are at a loss as to where to start.  Oftentimes the biggest changes we want to set into motion in our lives require small pushes. Whether you want to be healthier, more environmentally minded or happier – all of these goals are attainable with a bit of a nudge.  Check out what we’re reading this week to inspire us into taking those first steps toward achieving our goals. What are you doing?

Fresh Start for a New Year? Let’s Begin in the Kitchen

Mark Bittman strips the cupboards bare and then stocks them back up in his NY Times column.

While you’re stocking up, you might clear out a bit of the detritus that’s cluttering your shelves. Some of these things take up more space than they’re worth, while others are so much better in their real forms that the difference is laughable. Sadly, some remain in common usage even among good cooks. My point here is not to criminalize their use, but to point out how easily and successfully we can substitute for them, in every case with better results.

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Hello 2009! I still can’t believe how quickly the holiday season passed and now, as we recover from weeks of decadent eating, it seems like healthy, budget-conscious eating tops most everyone’s New Year’s Resolutions list. Treating both our bodies and our environment with more respect is something we should keep in mind year-round, but it’s nice to have a moment to step back and reflect.

Just in time, we have our latest edition of The Whole Deal™ quarterly value guide in stores now — loaded with money-saving tips, sure deals, coupons, recipes and budget-friendly meal solutions. Along with the great customer tips below, you’ll have lots of help in keeping your recently made promises to yourself.

Remember, each week, we choose customer tips to be featured in our weekly The Whole Deal™ blog post. Every chosen tip gets a $25 gift card, so submit your tips and recipes here.

From Grace:

Eating healthy can be difficult when you are a poor college student but my boyfriend and I make a weekly meal plan and go grocery shopping once for the week. We make a big list and use the sale flyers as well as the Whole Deal newsletter to plan meals that include sale items. It is important for us to use seasonal, organic fruits and veggies and we have recently tried to make at least one or two vegetarian meals to cut back on the cost of meat. We LOVE the salad bar, if we don’t feel like cooking, we bike over to our local Whole Foods and create our own salads at about $4.00 per person and grab a piece of fruit for dessert. We have also found that buying bulk meat packages and separating them into 1 lb portions is a great way to ration the meat and save money! I am constantly online checking the sale flyers and finding recipes that go with the products that are on sale.

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We hope that you are all having a delightful last day of 2008!

Need some last minute help in ringing in the New Year?  Check out our Champagne Primer to make sure you’re serving the perfect bubbly for your taste and budget.  Having guests over?  Take a look at our Entertaining with Wine and Cheese guide.  And remember, above all else – celebrate safely and responsibly!

Kwanzaa is an African American and Pan-African holiday that celebrates family, community and culture. Celebrated from December 26th through January 1st, its origins are in the first harvest celebrations of Africa from which it takes its name. The name Kwanzaa is derived from the phrase “matunda ya kwanza” which means “first fruits” in Swahili, the most widely spoken African language.

A traditional Kwanzaa celebration feast includes rich and comforting dishes such as fried okra, chicken & sausage gumbo, cornbread and collard greens.  If you’re looking for some new inspiration, check out some of these recipes from our expansive recipe collection:

• Chicken Gumbo with Fresh Okra
• Buttermilk Cornbread
• Spicy Collard Greens
• Roasted Pumpkin Bisque
• Sweet Potato Pancakes
• North African Style Grilled Vegetable Salad
• Caramelized Plantains

What are your favorite dishes for Kwanzaa?

Here’s wishing you and your loved ones a joyous and healthy Christmas Day!

Need last minute help on your holiday meal prep?  Check out our recipes and tips pages!

Whoa, is it already December 19th?!  The holidays have crept up faster this year than ever before and I haven’t even started making all the wonderful homemade gifts I’d been planning on.  My lofty goals of handknit scarves with matching hats and little oil paintings for all my loved ones are seeming more and more out of reach each day.  But I’m still all for homemade and filled with love – so what’s a girl to do?  Thankfully, some of my favorite blogs are filled with inspiration for making excellent, creative gifts.

Tele-Graham Crackers: Sweet Treats in the Mail

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Especially in the midst of a busy holiday season, it’s easy to forget the basics.  Every day, Whole Foods Market offers excellent ways to help you shop smarter and within your budget.  Did you know we offer case discounts or that you can ask for samples  of our food?  Have you taken one of our value tours – showcasing lower cost items and tips on how to shop healthfully and within your budget?  Check out this week’s customer tips from The Whole Deal™ to see the everyday value you may have been missing.

Remember, each week, we choose tips to be featured in our weekly The Whole Deal™ blog post. Every chosen tip gets a $25 gift card, so submit your tips and recipes here.

Belinda:

I have two daughters, ages 4 and 1. My 4 year old is a VERY picky eater. I used to buy things that I think she would eat, but often times it’s something she ends up not liking. I would also try to fix dishes I think she’d like but she usually ends up turning it away. This causes alot of waste through trial and error, and a frustrated mom who usually ends up eating much of the left overs or having to throw some of it out. This can get expensive over time.

My tip is this — I love to bring my girls to Whole Foods to just sample the food in every department. This way if they like something, I know I have a sure winner and that is usually what I end up making that night for dinner. I have also purchased lunch, snacks, treats, etc using this method. No food is wasted as we already had a taste test ahead of time at Whole Foods! You can’t lose — if my daughter doesn’t like a sample… we simply move onto the next! And the best part – the samples are FREE! Whole Foods hardly ever has the same sample twice, so every trip to the store is a new experience.

Catherine:

I have started asking about case discounts, and this has saved me quite a bit of money. I realized that there are items that I buy large quantities of, that I might as well buy a case of at a time to save considerable money. There are also items that I buy every month regularly, so it is smarter to buy more at once and get a discount. You can ask in just about any department, including even produce. I eat a lot of raw foods and raw vegetables, which can be expensive, and if you buy by the case, it is a lot cheaper. Or if you have a big family or even a one-time gathering, it’s smart to ask about discounts. It never hurts to ask.

I also ask about special-ordering certain cheaper cuts/types of meat and fish in the meat and seafood departments. The seafood department especially, is very nice about special-ordering anything. And in the meat deparment, they will often cut things for you, take the skin off for you for free, etc. I try to be more creative and think outside the box to save money, and it pays off. I recommened always asking about anything!

Leann:

First and foremost, shoppers should sign up for the Whole Foods Value Tour, an hour-long trip around the story by a knowledgeable staff member, during which bargain items are highlighted and pointed out, and department heads are introduced. This was a big help to those of us who find grocery shopping in a large supermarket filled with so many wonderful items to be a tad overwhelming!