Hello pretty people! My wonderful boyfriend volunteered my hands and random writing style to take up the Mountain People's blog. This is Natalie, for those of you who don't know me I am a relatively new(since August) employee at the co-op. I am there 6 days a week, so if you shop there, it is likely we have encountered one another.
I am going to try and write some interesting and fun ideas and stories... observations, news, and whatever else floats my boat. For starters I'll give you a heads up about who I am and what I am doing here, here being Morgantown, or here being Mountain People's. My boyfriend Brian and I just moved to Morgantown in April. I am a born and raised Californian, from a city called Santa Rosa about an hour north of San Francisco. Brian talked me into road tripping across the country and moving here with him so he could go to grad school and get his masters in Mechanical Engineering. To be quite frank one of his chief luring devises was the fact that the town had a health food co-op. Wooo! Well that trip is a whole different story.
So here I am in Morgantown, working at the co-op with some fabulous people. I am taking over the blog writing until the Force tells me otherwise. I'm not too sure what would be best to write about or what would most interest you... you being the person that may be reading this. Are you there? Can anybody here me? No really, I'm curious if anybody follows along in co-op realm. Let me know.
Something must be said in this first entry that bring the co-op to the stage.... so.. I'll tell you about the strange and wonderful dinner we just made. I brought home some of the brand new gluten free mung bean pasta, pretty good stuff, very mung beany. Then I made my standard "iron sauce". Don't let it scare you, it's actually pretty tasty. I start by grinding up pumpkin seeds, nettle leaves, kombu, sesame seeds, chia seeds, parsley, and turmeric, then I stir in some tahini and a dash of flax seed oil, water, and sometimes my homemade herbal iron tonic vinegar. It's yummy, and feels so good on the body. We usually eat the sauce with quinoa and steamed kale and other veggies, but the veggie situation was sad tonight, so sauce, carrots and mung bean pasta it was. I liked it, Brian liked it, there are things I would change for sure. Now I can't decide if I want to make a vegan, gluten free pumpkin pie for dessert or go for the usual chocolate hemp milk ice cream that I special order a little too often.... :)
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
Member Meeting
Our Member Meeting is Tuesday, April 21, at 6 PM, in the gym of First Presbyterian Church, 456 Spruce St. We will have a potluck dinner, update on the Co-op, membership information, vote for a change to the bylaws, and meet your candidates for the Board of Directors election. There is a kitchen facility available to heat food, and we will have plates and silverware available. Drinks will be provided. Thanks to First Presbyterian for providing us this space free of charge. We hope to see you there!
Our Member Meeting is Tuesday, April 21, at 6 PM, in the gym of First Presbyterian Church, 456 Spruce St. We will have a potluck dinner, update on the Co-op, membership information, vote for a change to the bylaws, and meet your candidates for the Board of Directors election. There is a kitchen facility available to heat food, and we will have plates and silverware available. Drinks will be provided. Thanks to First Presbyterian for providing us this space free of charge. We hope to see you there!
Thursday, April 09, 2009
Cleaning Workshop
Are you ready for spring cleaning, but you want to avoid all those chemicals in commercial cleaning products and you want to save money too? Come to the Green Spring Cleaning Workshop and learn just how easy and inexpensive it is to make your own household cleaning products, and try them out on real dirt so see how they really work! This workshop is co-sponsored by Our Studio, an environmentally-focused, community art studio that offers classes for children and adults and a series of summer children's day camps (www.ourstudio.org). The workshop will be held on Thursday, April 16, 7:00 PM, at Our Studio, 601-D East Brockway Ave. There is a $10 fee, which covers the cost of a recipe booklet and a choose-it-yourself natural home cleaning kit. To register, email mpcboard@gmail.com.
Painting Rescheduled
The Co-op's new coat of exterior paint has been rescheduled for Sunday, April 26.
Are you ready for spring cleaning, but you want to avoid all those chemicals in commercial cleaning products and you want to save money too? Come to the Green Spring Cleaning Workshop and learn just how easy and inexpensive it is to make your own household cleaning products, and try them out on real dirt so see how they really work! This workshop is co-sponsored by Our Studio, an environmentally-focused, community art studio that offers classes for children and adults and a series of summer children's day camps (www.ourstudio.org). The workshop will be held on Thursday, April 16, 7:00 PM, at Our Studio, 601-D East Brockway Ave. There is a $10 fee, which covers the cost of a recipe booklet and a choose-it-yourself natural home cleaning kit. To register, email mpcboard@gmail.com.
Painting Rescheduled
The Co-op's new coat of exterior paint has been rescheduled for Sunday, April 26.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Co-op Painting Rescheduled!
Due to the high likelihood of inclement weather this Sunday, we are rescheduling the event. Please stay tuned for details!
Due to the high likelihood of inclement weather this Sunday, we are rescheduling the event. Please stay tuned for details!
Friday, March 20, 2009
We're giving the Co-op a fresh coat of paint!
On Sunday, March 29, volunteers will be giving our Co-op's building a spring sprucing-up. We will be painting the exterior of the store with an earthy, updated color scheme - we think it will look something like the image at right (please pardon my less-than-spectacular photo editing!). Volunteers will meet at 1 PM. In case of bad weather, the painting party will be rescheduled. If you would like to work on the paint crew or donate money toward the purchase of paint, please call the Co-op at (304)291-6131. We'd like to give a big thank you to Co-op member Joe Super for organizing this event!
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Chunky Noodle Soup
This vegetarian soup doesn't claim to taste like chicken, but it sure is satisfying!
Ingredients
2 medium potatoes, cut in ½ inch chunks
6 oz. whole grain udon or soba noodles
6 c. water
1 medium onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 carrots, diced
3 Tbsp. canola or other light-flavored oil
2 - 3 cloves minced garlic
½ c. whole wheat flour
3 c. dairy or non-dairy milk (unsweetened)
½ c. nutritional yeast flakes
1 tsp. sage (dried)
2 Tbsp. parsley (dried)
1 Tbsp. Frontier Salt-Free Herbal Seasoning (if you don't have this, you can use dill, but the depth of flavor is better with the Frontier blend)
2 tsp salt
1 lb tofu, cut into approx. ½” chunks
1 ½ c. frozen peas
Boil potatoes in 6 c. water. When they begin to get soft, add udon or soba and cook for 9 more minutes. When done, turn off heat but do not drain.
Meanwhile, sauté the onion and carrot in 1 Tbsp. oil in a stockpot. When the onion gets soft, add the garlic and sauté for one more minute. Remove from pan. Add the flour and 2 Tbsp. oil, mix well, and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring. Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly to achieve a smooth consistency. Whisk in the nutritional yeast. Stir in the onion-garlic-carrot mixture, sage, parsley, Frontier seasoning, and salt. Add tofu and frozen peas, then pour in the potatoes, noodles, and their water. Stir and heat until warmed through. Serves 4 - 6.
This vegetarian soup doesn't claim to taste like chicken, but it sure is satisfying!
Ingredients
2 medium potatoes, cut in ½ inch chunks
6 oz. whole grain udon or soba noodles
6 c. water
1 medium onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 carrots, diced
3 Tbsp. canola or other light-flavored oil
2 - 3 cloves minced garlic
½ c. whole wheat flour
3 c. dairy or non-dairy milk (unsweetened)
½ c. nutritional yeast flakes
1 tsp. sage (dried)
2 Tbsp. parsley (dried)
1 Tbsp. Frontier Salt-Free Herbal Seasoning (if you don't have this, you can use dill, but the depth of flavor is better with the Frontier blend)
2 tsp salt
1 lb tofu, cut into approx. ½” chunks
1 ½ c. frozen peas
Boil potatoes in 6 c. water. When they begin to get soft, add udon or soba and cook for 9 more minutes. When done, turn off heat but do not drain.
Meanwhile, sauté the onion and carrot in 1 Tbsp. oil in a stockpot. When the onion gets soft, add the garlic and sauté for one more minute. Remove from pan. Add the flour and 2 Tbsp. oil, mix well, and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring. Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly to achieve a smooth consistency. Whisk in the nutritional yeast. Stir in the onion-garlic-carrot mixture, sage, parsley, Frontier seasoning, and salt. Add tofu and frozen peas, then pour in the potatoes, noodles, and their water. Stir and heat until warmed through. Serves 4 - 6.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Barlean's Total Omega Vegan Swirl
Barlean's is well known for their flax oil and fish oil supplements. Last year, they launched their Omega Swirl line - smoothie-like liquids that are great for people who don't want to swallow bulky pills or choke down a spoonful of oily, fishy-tasting nastiness. There was a fish oil Omega Swirl to provide brain-healthy* DHA and a vegetarian flax oil Swirl for those who want omega-3's without the fish. But flax oil does not contain DHA, and individuals' ability to convert flax omega-3's to DHA varies greatly, so some felt that fish oil was a better supplement.
Fish get their DHA from the algae they eat, and now we can too. Vegetarian DHA is isolated from algae, and since it doesn't come from fish, it is less likely to contain certain environmental contaminants that fish can concentrate. Barlean's Total Omega Vegan Swirl contains flaxseed oil for essential omega-3's and lignans, borage oil for GLA, and algal oil for DHA. Check out the Barlean's web site for more information.
Does it taste good? In one word, yes. Even my 9-year-old son liked it, and given that he complains loudly every time I try to give him any other liquid omega-3 supplement, that is a victory.
The flavor is pomegranate/blueberry, but I don't think it tastes particularly strongly of either - I would call it more of a "mixed berry" flavor. It's sweetened with xylitol, a natural sweetener that is low in calories and used in chewing gum as an alternative to sugar that doesn't promote tooth decay. The texture of Omega Swirl is thick and smooth, and not oily at all. Sometimes flax oil tastes fishy to me, but this is not at all fishy. In a nutshell, I don't have to think of creative ways to hide the flavor of this omega-3 liquid in cereal or yogurt or pasta sauce... it's good to go just as it is.
I did want to mention one important thing about Omega Swirl. The package information warns not to feed it to your pets. This is because of the xylitol used to sweeten it. Xylitol has been shown to be harmful to dogs, and even a small amount can rapidly bring their blood sugar dangerously low and potentially result in death. Dog metabolism is very different from that of humans: chocolate, raisins, grapes, onions, and other human foods are toxic to dogs as well.
-KW
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.
Barlean's is well known for their flax oil and fish oil supplements. Last year, they launched their Omega Swirl line - smoothie-like liquids that are great for people who don't want to swallow bulky pills or choke down a spoonful of oily, fishy-tasting nastiness. There was a fish oil Omega Swirl to provide brain-healthy* DHA and a vegetarian flax oil Swirl for those who want omega-3's without the fish. But flax oil does not contain DHA, and individuals' ability to convert flax omega-3's to DHA varies greatly, so some felt that fish oil was a better supplement.
Fish get their DHA from the algae they eat, and now we can too. Vegetarian DHA is isolated from algae, and since it doesn't come from fish, it is less likely to contain certain environmental contaminants that fish can concentrate. Barlean's Total Omega Vegan Swirl contains flaxseed oil for essential omega-3's and lignans, borage oil for GLA, and algal oil for DHA. Check out the Barlean's web site for more information.
Does it taste good? In one word, yes. Even my 9-year-old son liked it, and given that he complains loudly every time I try to give him any other liquid omega-3 supplement, that is a victory.
The flavor is pomegranate/blueberry, but I don't think it tastes particularly strongly of either - I would call it more of a "mixed berry" flavor. It's sweetened with xylitol, a natural sweetener that is low in calories and used in chewing gum as an alternative to sugar that doesn't promote tooth decay. The texture of Omega Swirl is thick and smooth, and not oily at all. Sometimes flax oil tastes fishy to me, but this is not at all fishy. In a nutshell, I don't have to think of creative ways to hide the flavor of this omega-3 liquid in cereal or yogurt or pasta sauce... it's good to go just as it is.
I did want to mention one important thing about Omega Swirl. The package information warns not to feed it to your pets. This is because of the xylitol used to sweeten it. Xylitol has been shown to be harmful to dogs, and even a small amount can rapidly bring their blood sugar dangerously low and potentially result in death. Dog metabolism is very different from that of humans: chocolate, raisins, grapes, onions, and other human foods are toxic to dogs as well.
-KW
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.
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