Guest User
Strawberry Salsa

Try this sweet and spicy salsa at your next backyard BBQ.

Strawberry Salsa
Blog
Guest User
Grilling Guide: Pork Chops

Our Meat Department has a case full of chops and this recipe for Grilled Lemon Rosemary Pork Chops is delicious!

Grilling Guide: Pork Chops
Guest User
Balsamic Glazed Strawberries

Strawberries are one of the tell-tale signs of early summer. They're plentiful at the farmers market, and they're plentiful in the Produce Department. If you haven't tasted the flavor of strawberry with reduced balsamic vinegar, prepare for a party for your taste buds. This dish is delicious served over vanilla ice cream or yogurt.

Balsamic Glazed Strawberries
Blog
Guest User
Toffee Matzo Brittle

Whether or not you celebrate the Jewish holiday, Passover, we dare you to only eat one of these sweet and salty treats!

Toffee Matzo Brittle
Guest User
Natural Easter Egg Dyes

If you look forward to dyeing eggs every Easter, but like to avoid chemicals too, try these simple dyes made from food items. We used white eggs, but you can use brown, too. Just keep in mind that the colors will be darker and perhaps brighter.

Natural Easter Egg Dyes

Broccoli Beer Cheese Soup

Broccoli_Cheese_Soup.jpg

By: Co+op, welcome to the table

Recipe Information
Total Time: 30-40 minutes
Servings: 6

It’s cold outside, so why not warm up with a cheesy, hearty soup? If you just stocked up on broccoli after our amazing 12 days of good food deal, you’ll definitely be prepared. Looking for more great deals? Substitute Old Amsterdam’s aged Gouda, currently at $5 off per pound. For the beer, we recommend something rich and flavorful, like North Coast’s Old Rasputin Imperial Stout, or Paradise Creek Brewery’s MooJoe Milk Stout.

Ingredients

  • 1 yellow onion, diced

  • 2-3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 2 tablespoons butter

  • 1/2 pound russet potatoes, peeled and diced

  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

  • 3 cups vegetable or chicken stock

  • 1-12 oz. bottle dark beer

  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme

  • 11/4 pounds broccoli, finely chopped

  • 1 cup milk

  • 1/2 pound cheddar cheese, shredded

  • Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

  1. Heat the butter and oil in a stock pot over medium-high heat.

  2. Sauté the onions and garlic until soft and translucent, then add the diced potatoes and stir in the flour.

  3. Add the vegetable or chicken stock, beer, mustard, and thyme and bring the liquids to a simmer.

  4. Simmer about 10 minutes and then add the chopped broccoli.

  5. Simmer for another 10 minutes until vegetables are very tender.

  6. Turn down heat and puree the soup with a stick blender on low speed (or blend in a blender in small batches). Add the milk and shredded cheddar cheese and stir until well blended.

  7. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serving Suggestion

Serve with crusty bread and a salad for a warming weeknight meal.

Sustainable Gift Wrapping

Screenshot_1.png

Part of the fun of opening presents during the holiday season is the surprise – what’s in the box or under the tree beneath the paper? As we all look for ways to be a little more environmentally friendly, we can extend that into the holidays beyond the food on the table and the actual presents by looking for earth-friendly packaging and gift-wrapping options. Traditional shiny wrapping paper and clear tape isn’t always the easiest to recycle, and glitter, while festive, is often made from plastic. With a little creativity, you can devise some delightful and sustainable gift-wrapping options that are truly – pardon the expression – outside the box!

IMG_20191217_232153243.jpg

Brown paper is easily customized and provides a great creative canvas – you can make your own gift tags or paint and draw on the paper. Just open up some Co+op grocery sacks and take off the handles and voila – recycled and recyclable! Instead of using transparent tape, use washi tape (available in the scrapbooking or crafting section), which is made from natural fibers and easily recycled. Use newspapers- the Sunday comics section makes great wrapping paper for kids. Get even more creative and try using fabric or scarves as reusable wrappers or bags – make the wrapping part of the present! The sky is the limit when it comes to making the holidays merry, bright, and sustainable.

When wrapping with recycled bags choose other natural products to adorn your gifts with. Like paper gift tags, twine, cotton ribbon, cinnamon sticks, pine cones, juniper sprigs - the list goes on and on. I would have loved to use dehydrated orange slices but I think my darling pets would have enjoyed it a little too much. (Don’t worry, my chocolate-wrapped goodies are put somewhere safe the pets can’t get to)

I cut off the bottom and just below the handle. I noticed when I tried to use the part with the handle the tape would just come up and it was more hassle then it was worth. I liked the pop of color so I chose to have the printed side showing. Plain is also an elegant choice,

Tip: when wrapping with recycled bags, pre-fold the edges.

Don’t forget to make a bow! I found this easy template online but there are so many different ways to make a paper bow. Click here for the template . For that extra awe factor I tucked in some juniper sprigs.

Using the small bags are helpful for those odd shaped packages like Ocho chocolate. Simply just fold the bag back, tape it down then punch two holes for the ribbon and voila. Easy but elegant wrapping option. This also works great for the large bags plus you can put multiple goodies in them.

Tip: I cut off the handles so it looks cleaner.

There you have it, a sustainable, easy, and elegant way to save money that is also bertter for the environment. Happy Holidays from all of us at Harmony Co-op!

Reposted with permission from the Harmony Co-op Happenings Blog. Photos by Jessica Mahlberg.