the
INSIDER
created by the swarthmore food cooperative
november 2013 issue 006
! e m take ree! ’I m F
What’s Inside You Said It page 3
How To page 11
GM’s Corner page 5
Frequent Buyer Club Rewards page 11
Recipe 101 page 8
10 For 30 Specials page 13
features
follow
us
@swacoop
Confessions Of A Raw Vegan page 7
Not All Fats Are Created Equal page 9
Just For Kids page 10
designed by HILLARY WICKLINE published by SWARTHMORE FOOD COOPERATIVE printed by SWARTHMORE FOOD COOPERATIVE
do you want to advertise with us? Contact HILLARY WICKLINE for a rate schedule marketing@swarthmore.coop (610) 543-9805
‘
WED-SAT 11-6
Daytime Prison Tours Every Day 10 am to 5 pm
you said it The frequent buyers club is a great idea! I’m a thrifty shopper so I often mentally note prices and compare at various stores. Your Burt’s Bees tinted lip balm is even $.49 less than Target! I never would have guessed that. I love your store and will buy some up next time I’m in! - Claire Spampinato
ness ww edenlles day every w
I just had to write to you and tell you what ednesday a fantastic job you and from your entire team are doing at the Co-op. The prices are getting better all the time and the quality is top drawer. Besides that, I am amazed at what I can find at the Co-op that isn’t always in other stores.
11 AM - 2
PM
I’m a student at Swarthmore College and each week I make ice cream sandwiches for a student run cafe on campus. When I can, I buy my ingredients from the Co-op. I love your selection of great products. I make sure to use A&E butter in my cookies and Merrymead dairy in my ice cream. Thanks for stocking great tasting and local products!
Also, it’s a pleasure to be there. Unlike a regular supermarket, when we go to the Co-op, we feel like we are out on a social event that is actually a lot of fun. We know many of your team members and always run into many of our Swarthmore friends. Your team members are the most courteous, friendly, competent, and caring people that we have ever met in any retail establishment. My hat is off to the entire Co-op staff! Keep up the good work.
- Sera Jeong
- Annon.
GM’S CORNER
real cooking; standing next to my Jewish mother grating potatoes by MARC BROWNGOLD and onions for latkes. I enjoyed every tear and every cut the grater love food. Not in the way that you love put on my hand. Fast forward to working at my cousins catering food, because for everyone it is an emo- business from the age of 14, working in my grandfather’s Italian restaurant in Haverford, working for Steve Poses in Philadelphia where tional, personal, beautiful thing. Let me I met my wife, working in a butcher shop and for caterers, then tell you a little bit about myself and my finally settling into my first gourmet food store and restaurant in relationship to food. Bucks County. Believe me when I tell you that I love food so much, I always loved to be around food and I like to watch water boil and the feel of kosher salt in my hands. I I got my first cookbook when I was five years old. The Snoopy Cookbook was full would get so excited about the perfectly cooked rack of lamb that I of complicated recipes and I soon had my would blush when it looked at me. I have held my breath when I put a chocolate mousse in the walk-in and wondered if it would firm up. favorite - a homemade pizza made with I’ve even held in my pee during so many rushes in the restaurant a slice of white bread, catsup, and pep(this is common in the biz) that I joked that there would be a home peroni. I should have known that I was doomed to spend my life in the biz when for retired chefs that could not hold their bladders. As I stated before, I met my wife cooking in the first restaurant I would not put that pizza in the toaster oven until the pepperoni slices were sym- I ever worked in and spent many nights at my restaurant working next to my sons, who are now grown and enjoy cooking for their metrically aligned and once in the oven, wives. I could not have asked for a better twist, and the answer to could not be pulled out until the sides of a lot of food questions that I had, when I answered an ad on Craigthe bread were golden brown, the catsup slist, and joined the Swarthmore Co-op about four years ago. started to caramelize, and the pepperoni curled just so. I later graduated to some read more at swarthmorecoop.wordpress.com
I
GreenWay WASH, WAX, POLISH & SEAL
The Greenway uses the world's finest all-natural ingredients to detail your vehicle all in one application, without using any water.
www.TheGreenGuyz.com
CON fessions of a
VEGAN
by MARIA CONTINO
U
p until about three weeks ago, I had no idea what a raw vegan was, or that such a lifestyle even existed. But, during my morning shift at the Co-op, I struck up a conversation with
Maria Contino takes us inside her week as eating strictly raw vegan.
a customer who is a raw vegan. His purchase - a bag of walnuts and a gallon of water – intrigued me. After expressing his love for all of the nuts and seeds we carry, specifically flax and chia, he explained that he only eats fruit, veggies, seeds, and nuts, often made into juice and smoothies. Though I only gained a small bit of information at that time, his lifestyle piqued my interest and I began researching the benefits of the diet that evening. Fruit, veggies, seeds, and nuts; that’s all a raw vegan (RV) eats. And, as the name implies, nothing can be heated over 118 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s easy to take this out of perspective and imagine raw vegans as people with sunken eyes eating uncooked broccoli and figs washed down with water. Even though I knew little about this lifestyle, I thought people who chose to adhere to such strict
diets were a bit strange and misinformed. But as I researched further, I found being a raw vegan can cleanse the body of toxins and help with weight loss. And these are just a two of the many benefits. With a moderate amount of information I had, I took the plunge the very next day and packed a lunch of sliced peppers and almonds. Not looking forward to only eating sliced veggies and raw nuts, I researched more recipes at home. While fronting the grocery shelves at work, I was able to think of new ways to use products like dates, tomatoes, and hummus. Armed with my terrible, old blender and even more terrible food processor, I began my experimentation. Creating smoothies without milk or yogurt was a challenge, especially when trying to incorporate veggies. Carrots? Kale? Yes! Bell
What you need
recipe 101
MARIA’S RAW VEGAN PROTEIN
BARS
peppers? No! My hatred of wastefulness was the only thing that made me drink that veggie smoothie. Don’t make the same mistake I did - don’t put peppers in smoothies. Fortunately, not all of my ‘cooking’ turned out that bad. In fact, most of it was great. Nutritious energy bars can easily come together in a food processer with ingredients like almonds, dates, and chia seeds. As someone who loves cooking and kitchens, this was one of my favorite things to make, provided the recipe doesn’t require nuts to be any more than coarsely ground, which is the best my pitiful food processor can endure. Although I don’t have a juicer, many raw vegans enjoy making fresh juice with produce from the Co-op too. After a week of eating a strict raw vegan diet, I decided to return to eating cooked foods, including meat and dairy, but with a newfound knowledge of nutrition and sense of discipline. Rather than eating chips while watching TV, I munch on healthier foodspomegranate seeds, and I am always looking for new and interesting ways to enjoy vegetables. It is likely that someday I will go back to eating only raw foods, and perhaps for a longer time, but for now, I am looking forward to implementing many of the positive and healthy things that I learned.
1 cup raw almonds, 1 ½ cups medjool dates, 1 cup dried apricots, Vanilla extract (optional)
instructions Measure almonds in your food processor and grind them to a consistency you like, but not too fine - I usually coarsely grind them. Add the dates and apricots and process them until everything is broken up and starting to clump together. Add a splash of vanilla and process until combined. Pack the ‘dough’ into the bread pan (or something similar) until it’s flattened. Place in the fridge until the bars is cool enough to cut. Cut ‘dough’ into individual bars, at any size or shape you like. (store in the refrigerator.) This recipe is very forgiving-feel free to experiment with it. Not only can you use different nuts and fruits for the base, you can add chia seeds, cacao powder, flax seeds, citrus zest, cinnamon, protein powders, wheat germ, agave nectar, etc.
The Swarthmore Co-op carries a number of coconut oil varieties, including Dr. Bronner’s fresh pressed, unrefined coconut oil
Not All
Fats Are
Created Equal
by HILLARY WICKLINE
Previously Blacklisted, Coconut Oil Is Back And Healthier Than Ever
C
oconut oil has come a long way since its social exile in the 90s. Due to its large saturated fat content, the Center for Science in the Public Interest found that a large movie theater popcorn, sans butter and popped with hydronated coconut oil, had the same amount of saturated fat as a whopping six Big Macs. To no surprise, the FDA banned coconut oil to the ‘unhealthy list’ immediately. But, it’s important to remember that not all fats are created equal. Hydrogenated oil has additional hydrogen atoms that were manually added while the oil was heated, also known as trans fats. The benefit of hydronated oil is that it prolongs the shelf life of products, often saving large corporations tons of money. However, there are no benefits to the consumer, as nutritional and health benefits are completely lacking.
it’s the
However, thanks to vegans and healthnuts, who use the oil as a non dairy substitute, we’ve become more knowledgeable about coconut oil and its benefits. While coconut oil is a naturally occurring saturated fat, it is a medium chain fatty acid, or medium chain triglyceride (MCT), a fatty acid that is easily digestible, boosts metabolism, and promotes a healthy immune system. Coconut oil also contains lauric acid (also found in breast milk), which contains
holiday season order your holiday favorites in store this year!
anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-protozoa properties. Because of this, coconut oil is often used to treat the ill and keep athletes strong and healthy. In the grocery store, seek out unrefined or virgin coconut oil to ensure that the oil is in its raw form, embodying all of the natural health benefits. In the kitchen, coconut is considered a safe cooking oil because of its high smoke point, reducing the amount of kitchen fires. Use coconut oil in a stir-fry or in a sauté. It’s also great in baked goods, such as breads and pastries, and can be used as a lighter tasting butter spread. The taste is mild and nutty, and surprisingly, does not carry the potent coconut taste many are used to.
Coconut oil isn’t just for the chef either. It works well as a body and face lotion, as a leave in conditioner for hair, and as a makeup remover. It’s also a great base for natural deodorant and lip balm. But, before you go dipping your hand in a big jar of coconut oil, remember you only need to use a little bit at a time. A fingertip full is plenty for your face and ends of your hair, a nickel size for both of your arms, and a quarter for both of your legs. Coconut oil is truly one of nature’s miracles. With the amount of natural, healthy fats and nutritional benefits it carries, it has jumped from the FDA’s naughty list to a healthnut’s household staple.
Just For Kids It’s no secret that kids are hard
to please, especially when it comes to
eating healthy foods. With the increasing numbers of childhood obesity, we are making an effort to educate kids on health and nutrition. The Co-op Sprouts program is a new program we developed for all children under the age of twelve. All children are encouraged to join regardless of membership. Upon signing up, sprouts will receive a complimentary piece of fruit and a passport booklet. When sprouts present us their booklet, they will receive a sticker or stamp for shopping with their parent or guardian. Sprouts can redeem their stickers and stamps for a number of prizes and healthy snacks. Our goal for the Sprouts program is to create an environment where children will enjoy learning about local and nutritional foods. By congratulating kids on their efforts to shop at the Coop, we hope this information will positively impact their lives today and in the future.
member
how to Shop The Back To Basics Program
With Over Forty Products, Learn How To Create Tasty Entrees On A Budget Created at the beginning of September, the Back to Basics program aims to keep food staples at a low price. Back to Basics food stuffs range from chicken breasts to peanut butter, pasta to tuna fish. We’ve even included other household items such as dish soap, toothbrushes, toilet paper, and paper towels. Below are three recipes that you can make using our Back to Basics products. Rice Pilaf 1/2 onion 1 tbsp butter 1 cup uncooked rice 1.5 cups chicken broth
Tuna Pasta 1 lb. spaghetti 1 can tuna fish 3/4 cup fresh/canned/frozen peas 1-2 tbps olive oil
Melt butter in a pan and sautee onions. Combine everything in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
Cook spaghetti to liking, while steaming peas. Drain tuna. In a large bowl, combine spaghetti, tuna, and peas. Drizzle with olive oil and add salt & pepper to taste.
Lemon Chicken Soup 6 cups chicken broth 1/3 cup lemon juice 1 bay leaf 1 cup cooked rice 2 cups chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces Bring broth, bay leaf, & lemon juice to a boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Remove bay leaf and add chicken until cooked through. Remove from heat and stir in cooked rice.
frequent buyer club
rewards One of our newest member benefits, the frequent buyer club allows you to save on some of your favorite Co-op products. Points and rewards are redeemed automatically - track them at the bottom of your receipt. Buy 10 COFFEES, get the next free Buy 10 deli SANDWICHES, get the next free Buy 10 HEALTH IS WEALTH frozen products, get the next free Buy 10 VESPER BROTHERS pasta sauce, get the next free Buy 10 SOUPS, get the next free Buy 10 JOHN WM. MACY specialty products, get the next free Buy 3 GRIGGSTOWN pot pies, get the next half off Buy 5 $10 GRAB & GO DINNERS, get the next half off
November Specials navel oranges $0.49 ea reg. $0.69 ea
brooklyn brine pickles 2 for $12
festivals of the
NATIONS
reg. $6.49 ea
nature’s path instant oatmeal 2 for $8 reg. $4.99 ea
ground beef $0.50 off per lb
traditional mashed potatoes $5.95 lb
catfish $8.99 lb
reg. $6.95 lb
pumpkin cheesecake $4.00 ea
reg. $9.99 lb
reg. $4.50 ea
vesper brothers pasta 2 for $6 dr. bronner’s large castile soaps $9.99 ea
reg. $3.49 ea
reg. $11.99 ea
dr. bronner’s small castile soaps 2 for $8 reg. $4.99 ea
black forest ham $11.99 lb reg. $12.99 lb
maple sugar ham $9.99 lb queso blanco $7.99 lb reg. $8.99 lb
reg. $10.99 lb
pepper ham $7.99 lb reg. $8.99 lb