Halloween is just around the corner and the Co-op always tries to get in that Haunted spirit. In that vein, one of our favorite breweries, Allagash, has come out with a Haunted House Porter, darker than any ghoulish soul could imagine. Doomed by a love of pitch-black Porters and their Allagash House Beer, they summoned the recipe for Haunted House. Roasted Barley and Blackprinz malt curse this beer with a gravely dark hue. Hopped with Crystal, Chinook, and Saaz hops, this beer ends with a ghost of coffee-flavored bitterness and hauntingly complex malty palate. Is it a coincidence that the ABV is 6.66%? I think not. So get in that Halloween Spirit and pick up a 4 pack of Allagash Haunted House at the Co-op today.
Beverage of the Week: Left Hand White Russian Nitro Stout
White stouts are something we’re seeing more and more of in the beer world. Instead of lots of dark roasted malts, Left Hand Brewing White Russian Nitro Stout (that’s a mouthful!) gets its creaminess from oats and lactose. Then they add a little coffee and vanilla, and you’ve got dessert in a glass!
If you like White Russians and Milk Stouts, this is a must try. This brew has 8.9% alcohol so it will give you that warm feeling we all need on a chilly fall evening, too.
This is brand new to the Co-op and it is one of Left Hand’s seasonal offerings, so make sure you get some before it goes into hibernation.
Fair Trade at the Co-op
October is Fair Trade Month at the Littleton Food Co-op and around the world. Here at the store, we are encouraging all shoppers to consider making a fair trade purchase this month. Many of your long-time favorite brands, such as Annie’s, Kashi, HiBall Energy, Larabar, Honest Tea, Taza Chocolate, and more have fair trade certified products. Other brands, like Equal Exchange and Tony’s Chocolonely, were started with the ideas behind fair trade firmly woven into their business plan. Even some well known national brands have started making progress towards joining the fair trade movement. Producer support is very important, but an equally important ingredient in the success of fair trade is you, the consumers.
Fair Trade is the idea that all members involved in a food system are treated equitably. A company can put a fair trade symbol on their product(s) after being certified by one of many independent trade organizations. There are two popular requirements that third party verifiers require.
The first is that all producers are paid a fair price for their contributions. This is especially prevalent in the coffee industry, where the price of coffee has been steadily declining for years, meaning farmers have a low and unpredictable income. In fair trade situations, farmers are paid a fair trade premium for their products, which creates a guaranteed income and frees up money for things like electricity, running water and education.
The other requirement is not using slave labor or child labor. Slave labor and child is a major issue in the chocolate industry with the harvesting of cacao. In order for farmers to meet the extremely high cacao demands, and for families to earn extra income, children are often forced to do the dangerous harvest work. Children and adults can also be tied to hard labor because of debt, creating situations referred to as modern day slavery.
Along with a number of other requirements, organizations who want to be certified fair trade must pay a fair trade premium and not use child labor or slave labor. These inhumane conditions have been around since these industries began. The large-scale fair trade movement picked-up at the turn of the century, but has still not become “the norm.”
However, what has come from the fair trade movement so far is more consumer awareness of foods’ value chains and the emergence of new companies who have started making advancements in ending such poor conditions. We still have a long way to go to complete fair trade, though. Third-party certificates have too many loopholes and transparency won’t solve such complex issues as modern slavery, but raising awareness of the issue is the first step in improving our global food systems.
As shoppers at the Littleton Food Co-op, you have the power to show your support through your spending. We hope you take advantage of your power this October in honor of Fair Trade Month, and continue to shop with a purpose through the rest of the year.
September is National Family Meals Month
Eating at home together as a family at least once a week has a positive impact on the health and well being of children (and grownups, and probably your pets, too…. everyone’s family is different!). This September we’re celebrating National Family Meals Month, a nationwide event promoting the benefits sitting down together and sharing a meal.
It seems like a simple thing, but we all know how tough it can be to make dinner happen when life is super busy. Everyone has different schedules, it’s daunting to figure out what to cook and get all the ingredients, and sometimes you’re all on weird diets or someone at the table is a picky eater (we’re not naming names).
But hey, we can help! The folks here at the co-op can totally help you figure out easy meal solutions in just about every aisle of the store. We’ve got recipes. We’ve got local, healthy, organic, fair trade, non-gmo, gluten free, and vegan ingredients – whatever you like! We can help you figure out how to cook on a budget. We can help you make a huge batch of something so you have plenty of leftovers. We can help you plan a brunch, or a picnic, or high tea, or tapas! We can help you make something gourmet. We can help you pick out a beverage and dessert to go with it. We can point you to the organic frozen tv dinners….. which are pretty tasty, actually. And we have ready-made hot specials in our deli you can just grab and take home, which is pretty awesome and convenient.
So plan a night this week to sit down at the table and eat together! Life’s too short to miss out on sitting down to eat good food with the people you love, and it makes a big difference. See you at the co-op!
Beverage of the Week: Bluet Charmat
In our last week of Eat (and drink) Local Month, I’m reviewing Bluet Charmat from Maine. Made entirely from Wild Maine Blueberries, Bluet Charmat is vinted in Jefferson, Maine. Thoreau called wild blueberries “bluets” and wrote of their “innocent ambrosial taste, as if made of the ether itself”. Bluet wild blueberry sparkling wine captures summer in Maine with the purity of a single ingredient: native Maine wild blueberries. Using the Charmat Method (the same method that produces Prosecco) Bluet is brightly and bubbly with vivid fresh berry aroma. A chilled glass of Bluet makes a fine dry apéritif on its own, but also as the foundation of a sparkling cocktail, Bluet has an affinity for a variety of ingredients. Try Bluet with a splash of triple sec over crushed ice and a sprig of mint, or give it an old-fashioned treatment with rye whiskey, simple syrup and bitters. If you can get your hands on some mead, pour over ice, squash a lemon and float Bluet on top for a perfect peak-of-summer drink.This is truly a Northern New England original, now available at the Littleton Food Co-op.
Read more about Bluet Charmat here.
https://downeast.com/out-of-the-blue-bluet/
Beverage of the Week: Jun Kombucha
Real Kombucha is a fermented beverage that typically has most of the alcohol removed. Wild Tonic makes a popular line of Jun Kombucha that has only trace amounts of alcohol. New to the Co-op this week are a couple of varieties of Wild Tonic Hard Jun Kombucha with 5.6% alcohol. Their Blueberry Basil flavored Kombucha is one of their most popular items. This Gluten Free Beverage retains all of the probiotic benefits of regular Kombucha with a little kick. A number of customers have requested a hard kombucha this summer, and we’re glad to add this new offering from Wild Tonic. Now available in the Co-op next to our chilled wine! -EdHoppy IPA Day!
The first Thursday of August has been designated National IPA Day (we thought it was every day!). Let us help you celebrate “National IPA Day” properly today – just stop by the Co-op where you’ll have over 100 different IPA’s to choose from.
Sometimes it is hard to choose, but we are here to help. Here’s just one recommendation from our staff: Mayflower New World American IPA. After all, who could possibly know more about creating a “New World IPA” than our friends at Mayflower Brewing, descendants of the original (European) New Worlders? New World IPA is a 6% unfiltered IPA, which means plenty of Haze. This IPA is built on pale malt with wheat malt added for head retention and a smooth mouthfeel. The beer is loaded with El Dorado, Mosaic, and Citra hops creating big aromas of pineapple and mango.
Try this or one of the other 99 IPA’s in stock at the Co-op to celebrate National IPA Day right!
What to Wear to the Biggest Little Farm Film Premiere
We’re all very excited for the FREE film premiere evening of The Biggest Little Farm, which is happening this Saturday August 3rd at 6pm at the Bethlehem Colonial. Besides the fact that the theme of this movie is right up our alley, due to us being local foodie / farm nerds here at the co-op, we’re also looking forward to the opportunity to get dressed up for a big night out. Before the movie starts are co-hosting a reception in partnership with Meadowstone farm , and we thought we’d have a little fun with the theme and encourage a little bit of hollywood glamour to the north country. When you’re there you can nosh on local delicacies, hobnob with the farmers who live in our area, and get your photo taken by the “paparazzi”.
But what to wear?? The theme of the evening is “Barnyard best”. To start we thought we’d take our cue from those who know the farm better than anyone – the animals that actually live there! Check out these very fancy critters for some fashion inspiration:
1. A very fancy pig! We love the fringe scarf with the frilly hat. The pom pom necklace pulls the look together! What accessories are in your closet?
Photo: Barbie the pig / Beth Redwood
2. Such ladylike ducks! This look is a little old fashioned but there is no question that the hats are perfect for summer. If you do wear a big hat, just take it off before the movie starts.
Photo: Brian Harrington
3. Such a dapper goat! The bow tie and the pocket square just scream “debonair”. Whether you’re a goat, or a guy, or a gal, a bow is just the thing.
Photo: William Selden
4. A glamorous chicken! The soft feathery grey updo really offsets the string of pearls. Put your hair up for a cool summery look.
Photo:Frenchblueandpeachypink
5. A four-legged gentleman. There is something to be said for excellent tailoring, especially in a tweed jacket. A classic blazer and a nice tie should do the trick.
Photo: William Hill/Splash
6. Tiny chick in a top hat. You’re never too tiny (or floofy) to look your absolute best. Take a cue from this adorable chicken and wear a cute hat.
Photo: Julie Persons
We hope you’ve found some style inspiration from our barnyard friends, and we will see you at the movie! There are still a few tickets left at the co-op, so be sure to come by and pick yours up before the big night!
For more info on The Biggest Little Farm premiere, check out the event page!
How to Prepare for Lobsterpalooza 2019
Our favorite Crustacean-themed holiday is just days away, and we’ve been feverishly getting ready for the big day. Here are a few tips to help you plan for Lobsterpalooza this year!
When is the best time to come to the co-op? Well, that depends. We have TWO deliveries scheduled, direct to us from the seacoast. The first delivery will be ready for our 7AM opening, which is perfect for you earlybirds. People usually line up before the store even opens, and we usually run out of lobster pretty fast! Then there’s another truck arriving mid-morning for a second round, so if you get here around 11am you can cheer with everyone else as the truck rolls up. That can vary a little bit though, because even lobsters sometimes get stuck in I-93 traffic. We hope everyone will hang out, have fun, and enjoy a lovely day of lobster-based bargains.
Also, we’re limiting lobsters to 10 per customer, so that there is plenty to go around. Lobsterpalooza is for one day only – Saturday July 27 2019, and the deals are good only while supplies last. Standard restrictions apply. Questions? Stop by the service desk and ask! See you Saturday!
Beverages of the Week: Summer Beers from White Birch
White Birch Brewery from Nashua, NH is one of the local beers that we have carried here at the Co-op since the very beginning. We were both founded in the Spring of 2009!
Lately White Birch has gotten into the summer spirit with 3 new beers that push the envelope. First up is a Pineapple Double IPA called Mahalo, which means thank you or grateful in Hawaiian. If you or a friend like pineapple and enjoy double IPA’s, this is definitely a must try – but be careful, this beer has a 9.2% ABV!
Other new items from White Birch include a couple of sours to add to our collection. Orange Creamsicle tastes like (you probably guessed) that ice cream favorite on a stick. For those looking for your antioxidants, White Birch Purple Monster would be the perfect choice. This sour has blueberry and pomegranate added. Who’s up for a purple beer?
Try these new offerings or your old White Birch favorites, now available at the Littleton Food Co-op.
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