Thursday, October 29, 2009

Bailey's Buying Club - No ordering this week

Please see the end of the email for notes on nuts, the customer survey link, and the link to an article mentioned previously.
R.


Hi Folks,

We're feeling ready for a blizzard over here with enough food to feed us and the neighbours for at least a month.  We're rich in food!  Our freezer is full, our pantry is full, our fridge is full and we've got about 11 squash sitting around keeping us company.  (They remind me of hens but they're quieter and don't lay eggs.)  What a blessing to be so well-stocked!

I promised a few of you that I'd email heating instructions for the meat pies and lasagna from Anna at The Nutty Bakers.  We've already snarfed our meat pies down. The pastry is lovely!  Better than any I've had from the store.  The pies are so good they inspire me to make my own roast beef and root vegetables pie!  Anna said she's going to also offer the Tortiere in November.

Heating Instructions:
When fresh or thawed - 20 min at 350.  Frozen - 40 min at 325 (lower temp so pastry doesn't burn).  Thawing first is best.

I also promised a few of you to send you info on Jerusalem Artichokes and how to cook with them.  I did not realize that Miriam meant JERUSALEM artichokes when she said she had artichokes for sale. Sorry about that surprise : )  Let's think of it as an opportunity to try something new, shall we?  I've added mine to the cabbage borscht simmering on the stove right now.  Check out this link for a description of the knobby root and how you can use it anywhere you'd use potatoes or parsnips.  We also enjoy it raw - thinly sliced. It has an impressive crunch.  http://homecooking.about.com/od/howtocookvegetables/a/sunchoketips.htm

I hope you are enjoying cooking with squash and root crops. I am! I made a most delicious butternut squash soup from the Simply in Season cookbook. It is so easy! Just boil squash (unpeeled) and root veggies and then blend with sauteed onions. The celeriac I added to the mix was a nice flavour.  The maple syrup is what pushes it over edge delicious.  I loved seeing my two year old shovelling it in and asking for "More quash soup, pease."  Warms my cook's heart...

Are your apples running low and can't wait until Nov 23 for more?  Pete the organic apple farmer says that he can deliver apples to your door if you buy 3 half bushels or more.  He'll charge you the same price you get them from Bailey's ($25 for #1 apples).  He has Golden Delicious, Spys, Cortland, and Macs available.  A few of you could place an order together from him.  He asks that you phone him to arrange an order (519-638-9996).

Did you get a copy of our winter schedule? We handed them out on Friday. If you'd like one (they are quite pretty) you can download it fromhttp://baileyslocalfoods.ca/files/Bailey's Winter%202009-10.pdf or http://baileyslocalfoods.ca/files/Bailey's Winter%202009-10.jpg or send us an email and we'll mail one to you.  It is a handy way to remind yourself when to order and pick up.  Now that we are doing Winter pick-up on Mondays, the schedule is new. Thanks to Michelle for your help on creating this!

Thank you for supporting local farmers and local food system change,
Nina
Bailey's Local Foods
www.baileyslocalfoods.ca
 

Is this your first email from us? Read more at baileyslocalfoods.blogspot.com.
 

You are receiving Nina's messages because you are a member of Bailey's Local Food Buying Club.
If you do not wish to receive Nina's messages in the future, please uncheck the Nina's messages box associated with your email address in Account Settings at https://www.100milesystems.com/baileyslocalfoods.ca/account.php
 
A few more notes:

A few emails ago Nina mentioned the article "Eat this Recession" in Alternatives Journal. If you would like to read it go to http://alternativesjournal.ca/articles/eat-this-recession

Some more tips:
I roasted the first of my chestnuts this morning. They are sweeter and easier to peel than any I've had before. I tried eating chestnuts raw for the first time too. Wow!

Sweet Chestnuts

How to prepare and eat them:

  1. Eat fresh using a paring knife to cut off the skin and fibrous covering
  2. Boil - Please sweet chestnuts into a pot with cool tap water. Cover pot while boiling ans stir occasionally on medium high for:
    • medium size - 10-12 min
    • large size 15-20 min
      Using a slotted spoon scoop out a few nuts at a time and as soon as they are cool enough to handle, but still hot, cut them in half and pop them out of their skins.
  3. Roast - First pierce the skin to allow hot air to escape while cooking. Use a sharp paring knife to cut a slash or an "X" throught the skin, but not the nut meat. The larger the cut the easier it will be to peel.
    Chestnut Pan - Roast them by shaking the pan over medium heat for 20 minutes.
Microwave oven - place a dozen chestnuts around a microwave plate and cook on high for 4 minutes
Oven -  Place chestnuts on a cookie sheet and sprinkle with water. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15-20 minutes. Place one uncut chestnut on the sheet with the others. When it "pops" they are ready to eat.

Enjoy!

How to crack a Heartnut: See http://baileyslocalfoods.ca/files/heartnut.JPG

Customer Survey
What makes local food convenient enough to be 50% of a household's food intake? Please take 5 minutes to help answer 8 short questions. We're particularly interested in hearing from people who have ordered only a few times or have yet to order.
This survey will be collated by a third party (University of Waterloo researchers) and the online host (SurveyMonkeyTM) does not track the origins of those accessing the survey. All responses will be anonymous and confidential. Should you have any questions regarding this survey please feel free to contact Steffanie Scott at sdscott@uwaterloo.ca or Court Ellingson at cellings@uwaterloo.ca
This surveywill be accessible until Friday October 30, 2009. Please take a moment to read the following note from the researchers. The link to the survey can be found following this note.

You are invited to participate in a research study conducted by Courtenay Ellingson, under the supervision of Dr. Steffanie Scott, Department of Geography of the University of Waterloo, Canada. The objectives of the research study are to determine local food distribution systems impact on improving access to local and other healthy food and sustaining rural livelihoods.  The study is for a Master’s thesis. 

If you decide to volunteer, you will be asked to complete a 5 minute online surveythat is completed anonymously. Survey questions focus on your access to local and other healthy food.  Participation in this study is voluntary. You may decline to answer any questions that you do not wish to answer and you can withdraw your participation at any time by not submitting your responses.  There are no known or anticipated risks from participating in this study.
It is important for you to know that any information that you provide will be confidential and anonymous. All of the data will be summarized and no individual could be identified from these summarized results. Furthermore, the web site is programmed to collect responses alone and will not collect any information that could potentially identify you (such as machine identifiers).
 
This surveyuses SurveyMonkeyTMwhose computer servers are located in the USA. Consequently, USA authorities under provisions of the Patriot Act may access this survey data. If you prefer not to submit your data through Survey MonkeyTM, please contact one of the researchers so you can participate using an alternative method (such as through an email or paper-based questionnaire).  The alternate method may decrease anonymity but confidentiality will be maintained.

The data, with no personal identifiers, collected from this study will be maintained on a password-protected computer database in a restricted access area of the university. As well, the data will be electronically archived after completion of the study and maintained for two years and then erased. Note you are receiving this invitation directly from your organization and, in accordance with privacy legislation, I as the researcher, have not been provided with your name or contact details.
Should you have any questions about the study, please contact either Courtenay Ellingson at cellings@uwaterloo.ca  or Dr. Steffanie Scott at sdscott@uwaterloo.ca.
Further, if you would like to receive a copy of the results of this study, please contact either investigator.
I would like to assure you that this study has been reviewed and received ethics clearance through the Office of Research Ethics at the University of Waterloo. However, the final decision about participation is yours. If you have any comments or concerns resulting from your participation in this study, please feel free to contact Dr. Susan Sykes, Director, Office of Research Ethics, at 1-519-888-4567 ext. 36005 or by email at ssykes@uwaterloo.ca .
Thank you for considering participation in this study.

If you wish to participate, please visit the Study Website at http://baileyslocalfoods.ca/survey

Take care,
Rachael

Friday, October 23, 2009

Baileys Local Food Buying Club - Weekly Pickup Reminder

If you put in an order this week it will be ready for you to pick up on Friday, October 23rd from 3:30 until 7:00PM in Hilliard Hall at the First United Church at 16 William Street West in Waterloo. You can check your order by logging in at http://baileyslocalfoods.ca/ordering.

Wow. This is week twenty-two of our weekly buying club. What an amazing season. I'm glad that you joined us for this ride. I'm thankful that you are our customer and joining us in enjoying local food.

Perry at Oak Manor has announced a 15% discount on flour in November. Keep that in mind when deciding what you need for your holiday baking.

Gone Crackers?
We will have a new kind of local cracker on the spontaneous table. Samples are available. They are melt-in-the mouth good! The crackers made in Kitchener with local wheat milled in Preston. Each box is $2.75.

Spontaneous Apples
There will also be lots of apples on the spontaneous table. Check out all the varieties!

Last Week's potatoes:
The potatoes last week we thought were no-spray were sprayed. Paul bought them from a neighbour assuming that they had not been sprayed but found out this week that they were.  He is very sorry and will refund potatoes that members bought last week.  Members should email us or go to Charlotte on Friday for a refund.  Organic potatoes are from Pfennings this week instead of from Paul. Members need to take 2 five pound bags to get their 10lbs. 

Here is an update on changes that may affect your order this week:

Changed Prices
  • Nuts from Grimo's have changed in price to reflect the true cost. The walnut prices were entered incorrectly (Persian walnuts should have been more expensive and black walnuts less expensive) and we did not take into account the packing fee we were charged. If you choose not to buy the nuts at the higher price, please tell the volunteer at checkout. I tried a Persian walnut today. Wow was it fresh and tasty!
Not available: 
  • Some peanuts are out of stock. We will bring what we have so you can try another flavour if you would like. There are no Salted and a we are a couple short of Cajun and Chili & Lime. Next month we'll have more stock and may be able to offer peanuts in the shell too.
  • We are a few short on White popcorn. You can take yellow instead. The white is 'hulless', but the yellow pops up bigger.
  • Paul does not have enough garlic for 2lb bags but he will try to fill enough 1 lb bags for $5.75 each
  • Mums and Lettuce from Selema were too frozen to sell
  • No items from Winroe Gardens are available
  • Hazelnuts are not available. They did not have enough to fill our order. They may be available in limited supply next month.
  • English Cucumbers from Pfennings are not available
  • Soiled Reputations does not have Arugula or Frisee this week due to lack of growth
  • Only 2 Chevre available!
If you haven't yet - please fill out our Customer Survey
What makes local food convenient enough to be 50% of a household's food intake? Please take 5 minutes to help answer 8 short questions. We're particularly interested in hearing from people who have ordered only a few times or have yet to order.
If you wish to participate, please visit the Study Website at http://baileyslocalfoods.ca/survey
 
Self Checkout Reminder
We continue to offer a SELF CHECK-OUT option to those of you who are paying by cheque! We hope that this will help speed up the check out process for some of you who want to work out your total yourself. We did all self check-out last year and now we are returning to our roots.
We choose to trust our members. You know that if we lose money due to missing items or math mistakes, we won't survive. We will still have the regular check-out option for those of you who prefer it. If you notice an error (ours or yours), please let us know.

Pre-Packed Orders
If you indicated that you would like your items pre-packed when you ordered they will be ready after 5pm. Please ask a volunteer to get your order. Items requiring refrigeration will be added when you arrive.

Please enter through the white kitchen door off Caroline Street.
You will find a pickup slip with your name on it listing the items that you ordered this week. Pick up all your items (including those in the fridges and freezer), check out our Spontaneous Table then head to our checkout area.

We will have extra items for you to purchase on our Spontaneous Table in front of the blue cupboards just in case you forgot anything. Anyone can purchase items from the Spontaneous Table. You don't even have to be a Member!

There will be room to socialize and mingle. Expect your pick-up to take awhile. If you need help collecting your order, please ask!

In out checkout area, please help us and our volunteers by removing all items from your bag for the checkout process. Please be patient as this area will likely be quite busy.

We accept payment in cash or cheque (made out to Bailey's Local Foods). The total from your shopping cart is always approximate. We will try to ensure that you only pay for the items available this week as local food can sometimes be unpredictable and items that are priced by the pound are approximate on the order form.

When writing cheques, please ensure that the date is correct (it's 2009!) and that the numbers you write (digits and words) match. Also, if you make your cheque out to anything other than "Bailey's Local Foods" the bank won't cash it. We need you to sign it too! Please help us to avoid these costly errors.

You need to bring your own bags to carry your items home. We have boxes, but do not have any plastic bags. A limited number of cloth bags will be available for sale.

If possible, consider walking, biking or bringing a wagon to pick up your order. If you are driving, please Park in the Waterloo Town Square Public Parking Lot. You can access the Waterloo Town Square Parking Lot by Caroline Street, Alexandra Avenue, Willis Way or King Street by the LCBO. We have been asked not to park in the church parking lot.

**Please don't forget to pick up your order! At approximately 6:30PM, if you have not picked up your order, we will call the number you provided (when you registered) with a friendly reminder. At 7:00PM we will pack up your order and add the $15 packing fee to your order total.If you have not picked up your order by 7:30PM (or when we finish cleaning up) your order will be donated - and you still get the pleasure of paying for it. We need to receive payment for this week's order before you can order for the following week.

If you are not happy with what you receive, all claims for missing/damaged items must be made at the pick-up site before 7:00PM that same day. After 7:00PM all sales are final.

Thank you,
Rachael and Nina
Bailey's Local Foods
www.baileyslocalfoods.ca
 

P.S. We can use your fruit baskets and boxes as well as jars from preserves again if you return them.

Is this your first email from us? Read more at baileyslocalfoods.blogspot.com.

You are receiving this notification because you are a member of Bailey's Local Food Buying Club.
If you do not wish to receive Notifications in the future, please uncheck the Notifications box associated with your email address in
Account Settings at https://www.100milesystems.com/baileyslocalfoods.ca/account.php

Click http://baileyslocalfoods.ca/ordering to log-in.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

One more thing...

This is another little reminder that you should place your order before Tuesday at 8:00PM.
Click http://baileyslocalfoods.ca/ordering to log-in and order.

Items that you have placed in your shopping cart will be ordered on your behalf on Tuesday at 8:00PM. There is no checkout button. If you do not intend to order, please ensure that your shopping cart is empty.

OK. So I went and counted it will be about 4 weeks until the next pickup! Wht items will you run out of before November 23? This is your last chance to get pickles, jams and spicy sauces; Oil, infused vinegars and other things that will store well. Cheese too. My kids love Montery Jack and Colby shredded together as 'marble' for making mac 'n cheese or quesadillas with corn tortillas.

While you're at it, you can get some of Niagara's tasty nuts fresh off the trees. I still have lovely memories of these nuts from last year. We had a lot of fun cracking the heartnuts, then lightly toasting them in a dry frying pan. Eating the chestnuts, after scoring the shell, then soaking (to encourage a little steam inside), then roasting them in a hot oven. The hazelnuts were small, but so very sweet and easy to crack. When I eat hazelnuts I always think of Nutella.

Most of the nuts store very well ina cool dry place. They will come in paper bags. The chestnuts like to be in a vented plastic bag in the fridge, so make a little room for them. I didn't try the walnuts last year, but I'm looking forward to trying them this week! Look for them under Other>Nuts. Supplies are limited, so get enough until next fall!

I stayed up later than I should have last night adding more ingredients for Meals that Heal and The Nutty Bakers. They are online at http://baileyslocalfoods.ca/ingredients.php if you'd like to check them out.

I have also upped the maximums on Tortilla products. Sorry about that! Go ahead and order what you need for 4 weeks! Consider buying a bulk box of chips as they keep very well!

Rachael
Bailey's Local Foods
baileyslocalfoods.ca

Click http://baileyslocalfoods.ca/ordering to log-in and order.

Is this your first email from us?
Read more at baileyslocalfoods.blogspot.com.

You are receiving this notification because you are a member of Bailey's Local Food Buying Club.

If you do not wish to receive Notifications in the future, please uncheck the Notifications box associated with your email address in Account Settings at https://www.100milesystems.com/baileyslocalfoods.ca/account.php

Monday, October 19, 2009

Ordering for October 23 ends Tuesday at 8:00 PM

This is your reminder that you should place your order before Tuesday at 8:00PM.
Click http://baileyslocalfoods.ca/ordering to log-in and order.

Items that you have placed in your shopping cart will be ordered on your behalf on Tuesday at 8:00PM. There is no checkout button. If you do not intend to order, please ensure that your shopping cart is empty.

We moved beds and kitchen to our new home this weekend. There is so much more left to do, but it is nice to have most of the essentials here and an easy trip to get what we have forgotten.
We moved about 1km. On Friday we even got a new chest freezer that already looks well stocked with peaches, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and other fruits that we took the time to put away over the spring and summer. Is there a good way to preserve ground cherries? I'm so thankful they are still available!

Have you moved? Has your phone number changed? I need to update my information and I ask you to check yours too. If we don't have your number we can't call you if you forget to come at the end of a pickup day. All your information can be changed in the
Account Settings section at https://www.100milesystems.com/baileyslocalfoods.ca/account.php 
(or you can email the change to us).

We'll be working hard in the next few weeks to get the November order ready including offering preserves that we had Naamon and Selema of Orchard Hill Produce can over the summer. I'm looking forward to Palatine peaches in a light syrup, apple and pear sauce and maybe pear slices too. I need some time to make the labels!

As always, if there are items that you would like to see on the order form, please let us know. We hope to offer local Sunflower Oil soon and maybe fair trade locally produced coffee and chocolate. These are great ides for local holiday gifts for those people who have everything (or don't like to dust 'things'). I gave my grandma a box of chocolate for her 90th birthday which we celebrated on the weekend. I left getting a card and gift to the last minute so the chocolate at the card store had to do, but as I was on the way home from the store I thought that a tasty box of locally hand made chocolate would have been an amazing treat.

I'm so glad to hear that so many of you have filled in the survey and hope that you all take 5 minutes to do it. There were three people who filled out the survey before 9am on Sunday and encountered a glitch in the ranking question. Thank you for being so eager! The error has been fixed and you three can do the survey again. If you have completed the survey successfully I believe the thank you page will show instead of the survey if you follow the link again. I have included the information below if you missed the Saturday email.

Customer Survey
What makes local food convenient enough to be 50% of a household's food intake? Please take 5 minutes to help answer 8 short questions. We're particularly interested in hearing from people who have ordered only a few times or have yet to order.
This survey will be collated by a third party (University of Waterloo researchers) and the online host (SurveyMonkeyTM) does not track the origins of those accessing the survey. All responses will be anonymous and confidential. Should you have any questions regarding this survey please feel free to contact Steffanie Scott at sdscott@uwaterloo.ca or Court Ellingson at cellings@uwaterloo.ca
This surveywill be accessible until Friday October 30, 2009. Please take a moment to read the following note from the researchers. The link to the survey can be found following this note.

You are invited to participate in a research study conducted by Courtenay Ellingson, under the supervision of Dr. Steffanie Scott, Department of Geography of the University of Waterloo, Canada. The objectives of the research study are to determine local food distribution systems impact on improving access to local and other healthy food and sustaining rural livelihoods.  The study is for a Master’s thesis. 

If you decide to volunteer, you will be asked to complete a 5 minute online surveythat is completed anonymously. Survey questions focus on your access to local and other healthy food.  Participation in this study is voluntary. You may decline to answer any questions that you do not wish to answer and you can withdraw your participation at any time by not submitting your responses.  There are no known or anticipated risks from participating in this study.
It is important for you to know that any information that you provide will be confidential and anonymous. All of the data will be summarized and no individual could be identified from these summarized results. Furthermore, the web site is programmed to collect responses alone and will not collect any information that could potentially identify you (such as machine identifiers).
 
This surveyuses SurveyMonkeyTMwhose computer servers are located in the USA. Consequently, USA authorities under provisions of the Patriot Act may access this survey data. If you prefer not to submit your data through Survey MonkeyTM, please contact one of the researchers so you can participate using an alternative method (such as through an email or paper-based questionnaire).  The alternate method may decrease anonymity but confidentiality will be maintained.

The data, with no personal identifiers, collected from this study will be maintained on a password-protected computer database in a restricted access area of the university. As well, the data will be electronically archived after completion of the study and maintained for two years and then erased. Note you are receiving this invitation directly from your organization and, in accordance with privacy legislation, I as the researcher, have not been provided with your name or contact details.
Should you have any questions about the study, please contact either Courtenay Ellingson at cellings@uwaterloo.ca  or Dr. Steffanie Scott at sdscott@uwaterloo.ca.
Further, if you would like to receive a copy of the results of this study, please contact either investigator.
I would like to assure you that this study has been reviewed and received ethics clearance through the Office of Research Ethics at the University of Waterloo. However, the final decision about participation is yours. If you have any comments or concerns resulting from your participation in this study, please feel free to contact Dr. Susan Sykes, Director, Office of Research Ethics, at 1-519-888-4567 ext. 36005 or by email at ssykes@uwaterloo.ca .
Thank you for considering participation in this study.

If you wish to participate, please visit the Study Website at http://baileyslocalfoods.ca/survey

Rachael
Bailey's Local Foods
baileyslocalfoods.ca

Click http://baileyslocalfoods.ca/ordering to log-in and order.

Is this your first email from us?
Read more at baileyslocalfoods.blogspot.com.

You are receiving this notification because you are a member of Bailey's Local Food Buying Club.

If you do not wish to receive Notifications in the future, please uncheck the Notifications box associated with your email address in Account Settings at https://www.100milesystems.com/baileyslocalfoods.ca/account.php

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Bailey's Buying Club - Ordering is now open for October 23, 2009

Click http://baileyslocalfoods.ca/ordering to log-in and order.

Please be sure to read the wavier on our website when you log in. It reminds you that items placed your shopping cart are automatically saved (there is no 'checkout' button).

Customer Survey
What makes local food convenient enough to be 50% of a household's food intake? Please take 5 minutes to help answer 8 short questions. We're particularly interested in hearing from people who have ordered only a few times or have yet to order.
This survey will be collated by a third party (University of Waterloo researchers) and the online host (SurveyMonkeyTM) does not track the origins of those accessing the survey. All responses will be anonymous and confidential. Should you have any questions regarding this survey please feel free to contact Steffanie Scott at sdscott@uwaterloo.ca or Court Ellingson at cellings@uwaterloo.ca
This surveywill be accessible until Friday October 30, 2009. Please take a moment to read the following note from the researchers. The link to the survey can be found following this note.

You are invited to participate in a research study conducted by Courtenay Ellingson, under the supervision of Dr. Steffanie Scott, Department of Geography of the University of Waterloo, Canada. The objectives of the research study are to determine local food distribution systems impact on improving access to local and other healthy food and sustaining rural livelihoods.  The study is for a Master’s thesis. 

If you decide to volunteer, you will be asked to complete a 5 minute online surveythat is completed anonymously. Survey questions focus on your access to local and other healthy food.  Participation in this study is voluntary. You may decline to answer any questions that you do not wish to answer and you can withdraw your participation at any time by not submitting your responses.  There are no known or anticipated risks from participating in this study.
It is important for you to know that any information that you provide will be confidential and anonymous. All of the data will be summarized and no individual could be identified from these summarized results. Furthermore, the web site is programmed to collect responses alone and will not collect any information that could potentially identify you (such as machine identifiers).
 
This surveyuses SurveyMonkeyTM whose computer servers are located in the USA. Consequently, USA authorities under provisions of the Patriot Act may access this survey data. If you prefer not to submit your data through Survey MonkeyTM, please contact one of the researchers so you can participate using an alternative method (such as through an email or paper-based questionnaire).  The alternate method may decrease anonymity but confidentiality will be maintained.

The data, with no personal identifiers, collected from this study will be maintained on a password-protected computer database in a restricted access area of the university. As well, the data will be electronically archived after completion of the study and maintained for two years and then erased. Note you are receiving this invitation directly from your organization and, in accordance with privacy legislation, I as the researcher, have not been provided with your name or contact details.
Should you have any questions about the study, please contact either Courtenay Ellingson at cellings@uwaterloo.ca  or Dr. Steffanie Scott at sdscott@uwaterloo.ca.
Further, if you would like to receive a copy of the results of this study, please contact either investigator.
I would like to assure you that this study has been reviewed and received ethics clearance through the Office of Research Ethics at the University of Waterloo. However, the final decision about participation is yours. If you have any comments or concerns resulting from your participation in this study, please feel free to contact Dr. Susan Sykes, Director, Office of Research Ethics, at 1-519-888-4567 ext. 36005 or by email at ssykes@uwaterloo.ca .
Thank you for considering participation in this study.

If you wish to participate, please visit the Study Website at http://baileyslocalfoods.ca/survey


Hello Local Eaters,

This is our last WEEKLY pick-up. From now until the end of May you can order MONTHLY from us. Here are the dates of our monthly pick-ups:

Nov 23
Dec 21
Jan 18
Feb 22
March 22
April 19

Put these on your calendar with the ordering period before each one highlighted (see link for calendar showing ordering periods.) Pick-Up Days will be MONDAYS November to April.
The church is not available on Fridays because of the Out of the Cold program. Let's see how Mondays go for all of us!

Hit PRINT
Print out a handy Bailey's Winter Schedule Reminder (Rachael will try to get a better copy up soon!). It is a handy half page calendar of November - April. We hope to have some printed for you on Friday.

Tips on how think MONTHLY when ordering food
Getting a month's worth of groceries requires a head shift for most of us. We have to think about what we eat each week and multiply it by 4. I also look at the calendar and see if there are any special occasions (birthdays, company coming, potlucks...) for which I want to order specific foods. At the bottom of this email you'll see my family's winter monthly grocery list to give you an idea of what a family of five would eat. It looks like so much when I write it out! Our local food intake stays pretty much the same through the Winter. The variety comes from what we pick up at the supermarket and what we pull out of our freezer.

Thanksgiving
The mushroom gravy for Thanksgiving Dinner was divine. Even the kids liked it with the mushrooms siphoned off. I think it was the first time I've cooked with shiitake mushrooms. They were lovely. Not so much amazingly better than buttons, I'd say. But they ARE funkier looking. A bouquet of mushrooms would be nice. I should've tried that. Speaking of bouquets, did you have fun making your centrepieces? After all of my great ideas I gave last week I didn't even make one. Instead of fussing over the table I decided to take a walk up to a lookout spot where we could see for miles and miles over the Muskoka lakes. I should've picked up a few twigs at least. Foster ended up making a leaf and grass arrangement on our Thanksgiving table. It was beautiful, I'm sure, but it blended in with the floral tablecloth and was quickly covered up with dishes. He didn't seem to mind. He was busy sculpting rivers and dams in the mashed potatoes.

Granola Season
This is a little pep talk to make granola for those of you who love to crunch. I finally made it yesterday after a few months of not getting to it and was reminded how very easy it is when I have the ingredients on hand. It is easy and satisfying. I have a simple recipe that a buying club member gave me last year. I'll try to get it posted on the website this week. Just oats (I use quick oats for easier chewing), honey, soybean oil and then I buy sunflower seeds and almonds or walnuts from Eating Well. Or you can buy the tasty granola form Golden Hearth! I wish we had shelled local nuts...

Local Nuts are Ready!
We WILL be offering nuts this week! So if you like to sit around and crack nuts at your house, or want to see why it is the evening activity of choice (after TV - actually, it goes well with TV), buy some of each and do taste tests. You can even crack enough for your granola. I am not able to find someone who can sell us shelled nuts but I'll keep looking. Right now we're lucky to have farmers willing to grow nuts in Ontario at all! Imported (and shelled) nuts are SO CHEAP that a farmer cannot make a living tending a nut orchard. Have you ever wondered how a nut farmer keeps the squirrels from eating the harvest? Well, if you have any ideas, pass them on to the farmers. Squirrels are a serious impediment to raising nuts. They are very difficult to deter. You've probably seen the damage they can do to your urban garden. Just think what they can do to acres of nut trees! If everyone would eat five squirrels a year, we wouldn't have this problem.

Have you ever tried a heartnut? They are actually shaped like hearts! They taste like a mild walnut. My kids love them. Now if we could just get them to crack their own. The shell is harder than a walnut and cracking is best done with a hammer and a brick or with a large vise grip (my husband's favourite method). The chestnuts are not as large as the imported ones but Rachael says they taste wonderful (Her Great Grandmother's maiden name was Rosa Castagna - chestnut in Italian - she knows).

Bulk Potatoes
Have you got a cold cellar or want to donate big bags of potatoes to the food bank? Ivan Brubacher is selling us 50 lb bags of conventional potatoes again this Fall. I'm always astounded that he sells them for so little. He has white, red or Yukon Gold. We are also offering 50 lb bags from Pfennings. Another idea for foodbank donations is to buy 10lb bags of dried beans. The KW Multicultural Centre has a list of foods needed for donations to meet our multicultural food preferences. Dried beans and lentils are on the list.

Meat Pies and Cabbage Rolls
The selection of fresh local foods is dwindling but the selection of prepared foods is increasing. I'm thrilled to have found a farmer-turned-baker who will make us meat pies and cabbage rolls. Anna Szabo and her mom, Mary, run a small bakery on their farm called The Nutty Bakers. They sell at the Stratford and St. Mary's farmers' markets. They use pork from their farm and many other local ingredients: "Our eggs come from a vendor at the Stratford market, Orval Zehr in the Millbank area, the spinach from Neubrands, also at the market. Most of the other vegetables are from Olivers who are near the Embro area. They grow cabbage, carrots, peppers..." We'll start out offering two of their meat pies, meat lasagna and the cabbage rolls. Soon we hope to offer their vegetable lasagna, famous meatloaf, beef stew and tortiere. You can find the ingredient lists here for these new foods (LINK) to help you decide which one you want to taste. They actually use local chicken to make broth (and then add bullion cubes...) and make the pastry from scratch. Here is the description of the Chicken Pie: "Chicken Pie -from a farmer near Dublin, we boil the chickens and make a broth, cut up the meat, make a gravy and it has carrots, celery, peas"

Miriam and Mervin Gingerich
Some of you will remember Miriam and Mervin Gingerich. They provided us with the world's tastiest turkey sausage last year and came to our potluck picnic with ground cherry cheesecake to share. (They do not have an inspected facility so we are not able to offer the turkey this year.) Miriam has raised us a few Fall crops that we will now carry. She is even going to store carrots and squash for us! The Gingerich's have taken the step of being certified organic this year. They have a daughter in her late teens, a sixteen year old boy who prefers to work at the neighbour's shop than in the fields, a boy about ten who gets dreadfully carsick and the sweetest five year old, Bernice, who barely speaks English. Look for Miriam's pie pumpkins, butternut, acorn, Chinese cabbage, green cabbage and artichokes.

Hamburger Prices Going Up
Noah says the ground beef prices are going to go up so stock up now. He recalculated how much the farmer is getting and it is just not enough to cover expenses. Traditional Foods ground beef price will be higher because more high quality cuts are being ground into hamburger. This means it is a leaner and higher quality hamburger.

Red October Squash - no need to peel
Have you seen the strikingly beautiful yet humble Red October Squash that Elmeda grew? I have about 4 sitting around my house - looking pretty. I have an event at work where I'll be using a few of them for decorations. My neighbour and friend Josie made us the most amazing squash, coconut and lemongrass soup from a Red October on the weekend. She said the squash was really easy to cut open despite its largess and easy to prepare. She took out the seeds, cubed it, boiled it and then blended it (no peeling). It is a lovely deep orange inside.

Where are the Chicken Breasts?
We're working on it. Sigh. Did I tell you that the one farmer I could buy chicken pieces from ships his chickens to Mississauga to be cut into pieces because he can't find someone nearer to do it?? Is it still local if the chicken travels from near Linwood to Mississauga and back before coming to KW? It just seems ridiculous. So I'm working on talking Noah into getting chicken pieces for us even though it costs more. He is afraid that people will not pay the higher prices for chicken pieces. I was trying to talk Kevin, the turkey farmer, into selling us turkey breasts, legs etc.. but he says it is too complicated. I suggested it could be a project for his teenage daughter. He said he'd think about it.

Meals that Heal is a Hit
We are hearing rave reviews from members who have tried selections from Meals that Heal. My family loved the pumpkin hummus. A friend reported that the Kim-Chi is wonderfully hot.

Dessert was Delish
It was lovely to sit down with some of you and savour a plateful of sweets after buying club yesterday. The ground cherries dipped in dark chocolate were like a work of art and somehow the chocolate made the ground cherry taste even more cherry-like. Noah and his wife sent in canned peaches and canned quince - and a cherry pie. Did you know that Quince is too hard, astringent and sour to eat raw? Pete, the organic apple farmer joined us and we had a chance to talk about the crops he and his his partner Mary might grow for us next year. He's thinking about cherry tomatoes in the greenhouse.

I'll miss chatting with you weekly. Maybe I'll send an occasional hello even when it is not time to order. Don't forget to print your handy Winter schedule or pick up a hard copy on Friday.

In gratitude for local farmers and local eaters who are changing our food system. We're doing it!
Nina
Bailey's Local Foods
www.baileyslocalfoods.ca
P.S. We can use your fruit baskets and jars from preserves again if you return them.


Bailey-Dick's Winter Monthly Grocery List For Bailey's Local Foods
6 pounds of cheese
2 containers of chevre
12 plain yogourt
16 loaves of bread
1-2 half bushels of apples
4 butternut squash
10 lbs of potatoes
2 bags of salad mix
3 celeriac
2 Chinese cabbage
25 pounds of carrots
1 bundle of leeks
10 pounds of onions
5 boxes of grape tomatoes
1 beef roast
2 lbs of hamburger
1 roasting chicken
2 packages of deli ham
2 packages of deli beef
12 packs of whole wheat tortillas
2 packages of hot dogs
2 packages of sausages
big bag of oats for granola and oatmeal
4 litres maple syrup
2 kg honey
1 kg peanut butter
4 blocks of butter
4 pounds of beets
6 pounds of nuts
4 bags of peanuts
1 lasagna (for emergencies)
1 hummus
1 Thai Green Curry
1 Chicken Pie
2 bags of popcorn
4 bottles of sparkling cider (to go with the popcorn)
4 lbs red Mexican beans
4 lbs black beans
12 kg soft whole wheat flour (for pancakes, muffins, biscuits, pie crusts....)
1 vinegar
1 oil
2 pickles
2 canned peaches
4 jars of stewed tomatoes
2 fifty pound bags of chicken feed

Groceries From the Supermarket
Bran flakes
milk
almond milk
ice cream
pretzels
avocados
hot house red sweet peppers
hot house cucumbers
OJ
sunflower seeds
almonds
walnuts
cashews
chocolate chips
fair trade coffee
whipping cream
olives
raisins

 

Is this your first email from us? Read more at baileyslocalfoods.blogspot.com.

You are receiving Nina's messages because you are a member of Bailey's Local Food Buying Club.
If you do not wish to receive Nina's messages in the future, please uncheck the Nina's messages box associated with your email address in Account Settings at https://www.100milesystems.com/baileyslocalfoods.ca/account.php

Friday, October 16, 2009

Baileys Local Food Buying Club - Weekly Pickup Reminder

If you put in an order this week it will be ready for you to pick up on Friday, October 16th from 3:30 until 7:00PM in Hilliard Hall at the First United Church at 16 William Street West in Waterloo. You can check your order by logging in at http://baileyslocalfoods.ca/ordering.

Did you forget to order this week? You're not the only one who was surprised at how quickly Tuesday comes after a long weekend.

Put it in your calendar for next Monday night and be sure to order for our last weekly pickup this year! We will continue to run the buying club monthly through the winter and hope to emerge again in the spring ready for another busy summer!

Whether you ordered or not we'd love to share some dessert with you this week.
Let's celebrate that we're changing the local food system! Let's celebrate the end of our growing season with a dessert potluck after this Friday's pick-up.  Bring a dessert (perhaps somewhat local in character - or not) and join us at 6:30.  We'll be cleaning up and checking out a few final orders. We can pull out some chairs, boil water for tea and share desserts with each other.  We'll provide plates, forks, mugs, and tea.  You bring your self. Bring your kids.  Bring something desserty. Please consider writing a list of the ingredients you used so those with allergies can eat safely. Heck, Consider bringing the recipe so someone else can make it again.

We'll kick you out by 8 so that we can go home and crash.

This week you may notice that there are boy scouts boiling hot dogs in the kitchen. They are selling apples for Apple Day and we've been asked to share the kitchen. We'll have lots of spontaneous 3L baskets of apples, but feel free to buy and apple and support the scouts too!

Here is an update on changes that may affect your order this week:

Look for
  • Organic English Cucumbers on the Spontaneous Table
The first frost hit the weekend. Due to that you won't find
 
  • Spinach from Floralane,
  • Yukina Savoy and Tomatillos from Soiled Reputation, We're hoping the Asian Eggplant is still available
  • Cheddar Cauliflower from Pfenning's
  • Canteloupe from Paul Bowman
  • Some Sweet Red Pepper half bushels will be substituted with Red Shepherd Peppers
  • Hot Dogs from Stemmler's (but that's not due to the frost)
Due to an inventory error (likely due to reading labels in the dark last Friday)
  • Oak Manor Oat Products are not available 
  • Whole Wheat Egg Noodles are not available, but Whole Wheat Pasta will be substituted
  • We are out of Whey butter. You can take Salted Alliston butter instead
Some other notes:
David Suzuki will be in town on Saturday.
Vanessa and Emily are teen volunteers with Bailey's. They are also involved in reThink Waterloo, a set of challenges designed by area high school students to encourage the citizens of Waterloo Region to live more sustainably. They want you to know that the conference (presentation of the challenges) will be Saturday, October 17th at Centre in the Square. The conference runs from 9am-4pm and is free to everyone. At 2pm there'll be a presentation by David Suzuki (which you must buy tickets for from Centre in the Square)! More information is online at rethinkwaterloo.org.

Self Checkout Reminder
We continue to offer a SELF CHECK-OUT option to those of you who are paying by cheque! We hope that this will help speed up the check out process for some of you who want to work out your total yourself. We did all self check-out last year and now we are returning to our roots.
We choose to trust our members. You know that if we lose money due to missing items or math mistakes, we won't survive. We will still have the regular check-out option for those of you who prefer it. If you notice an error (ours or yours), please let us know.

Pre-Packed Orders
If you indicated that you would like your items pre-packed when you ordered they will be ready after 5pm. Please ask a volunteer to get your order. Items requiring refrigeration will be added when you arrive.

Please enter through the white kitchen door off Caroline Street.
You will find a pickup slip with your name on it listing the items that you ordered this week. Pick up all your items (including those in the fridges and freezer), check out our Spontaneous Table then head to our checkout area.

We will have extra items for you to purchase on our Spontaneous Table in front of the blue cupboards just in case you forgot anything. Anyone can purchase items from the Spontaneous Table. You don't even have to be a Member!

There will be room to socialize and mingle. Expect your pick-up to take awhile. If you need help collecting your order, please ask!

In out checkout area, please help us and our volunteers by removing all items from your bag for the checkout process. Please be patient as this area will likely be quite busy.

We accept payment in cash or cheque (made out to Bailey's Local Foods). The total from your shopping cart is always approximate. We will try to ensure that you only pay for the items available this week as local food can sometimes be unpredictable and items that are priced by the pound are approximate on the order form.

When writing cheques, please ensure that the date is correct (it's 2009!) and that the numbers you write (digits and words) match. Also, if you make your cheque out to anything other than "Bailey's Local Foods" the bank won't cash it. We need you to sign it too! Please help us to avoid these costly errors.

You need to bring your own bags to carry your items home. We have boxes, but do not have any plastic bags. A limited number of cloth bags will be available for sale.

If possible, consider walking, biking or bringing a wagon to pick up your order. If you are driving, please Park in the Waterloo Town Square Public Parking Lot. You can access the Waterloo Town Square Parking Lot by Caroline Street, Alexandra Avenue, Willis Way or King Street by the LCBO. We have been asked not to park in the church parking lot.

**Please don't forget to pick up your order! At approximately 6:30PM, if you have not picked up your order, we will call the number you provided (when you registered) with a friendly reminder. At 7:00PM we will pack up your order and add the $15 packing fee to your order total.If you have not picked up your order by 7:30PM (or when we finish cleaning up) your order will be donated - and you still get the pleasure of paying for it. We need to receive payment for this week's order before you can order for the following week.

If you are not happy with what you receive, all claims for missing/damaged items must be made at the pick-up site before 7:00PM that same day. After 7:00PM all sales are final.

Thank you,
Rachael and Nina
Bailey's Local Foods
www.baileyslocalfoods.ca
 

P.S. We can use your fruit baskets and boxes as well as jars from preserves again if you return them.

Is this your first email from us? Read more at baileyslocalfoods.blogspot.com.

You are receiving this notification because you are a member of Bailey's Local Food Buying Club.
If you do not wish to receive Notifications in the future, please uncheck the Notifications box associated with your email address in
Account Settings at https://www.100milesystems.com/baileyslocalfoods.ca/account.php

Click http://baileyslocalfoods.ca/ordering to log-in.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Ordering for October 16 and special lamb offering end Tuesday at 8:00 PM

This is your reminder that you should place your order before Tuesday at 8:00PM.
Click http://baileyslocalfoods.ca/ordering to log-in and order.

Items that you have placed in your shopping cart will be ordered on your behalf on Tuesday at 8:00PM. There is no checkout button. If you do not intend to order, please ensure that your shopping cart is empty.


Friday Pickup without Electricity
Thank you to everyone who stayed in good spirits on Friday when the power went out at 5pm and did not come back on (especially our volunteers). The good news is that since we use calculators and pre-printed paper slips we could still help you. All of the other uptown businesses closed when the power went out. We hope this is a one time thing!

Parsnips
Eva Weber called asking if we could wait a week on her parsnips. She broke her leg the other day and this is the week the men will be busy getting the corn in, so Eva can't dig the parsnips herself and doesn't have any help while she is recovering. Parsnips are still available from Soiled Reputation.

Apple baskets
I had to recalculate how many 3L baskets we get in a bushel and change the prices accordingly. Hopefully this means we won't run out of baskets this week. Steve Martins charges $7+ for his 3L baskets, so I think you're still getting a pretty good deal. If you are looking for 3L baskets they should now be back on the order form.

Vibrant Farms Prices
With all the Thanksgiving celebrating this weekend I didn't have as much time to work on the order form as I had hoped. I put in the quantities of the new Vibrant steaks and updated the weight ranges (since there is one steak in each package, cut 1" thick) but I didn't change the calculation that shows up on the order form. You will still be charged by the pound for the piece you receive (as you are with all items we offer by the pound). We will also be offering roasts from Vibrant, but I have some smaller roasts (2-4 lb) and some larger roasts (4-6 lb) and I need to know how many we have before I can put them on offer. Hopefully they will be available next week. Thanks for your patience!

Lamb
I'm sorry that the lamb offering is a bit confusing for some. If you haven't been able to find the lamb on the regular order form try this: When you log in, there are two open offerings, the regular October 16 offering and an October 23 offering that says Lamb order from Traditional Foods. Click Place an order in the second paragraph to order your lamb! If you're already shopping for your regular items, you can click Ordering in the menu (look up by the peaches) to get back to the multiple offerings.

Like the Vibrant beef prices, the lamb prices may not be accurate as the weights were my guesses only. I got the following clarification from Marg tonight and will be changing the prices accordingly.

The chops will be in packages of 2.  The loin chops are usually 6-7.5 ounces per package, so under half a pound.  The rib chops are usually the same, though some may be bigger sometimes up to 10 ounces.  The stew and ground is around 1 lb per package.  The boneless shoulder roasts will be 1-1.5 lbs each and the boneless legs around 2 lbs.  The heart, liver and kidney are all packaged individually in brown paper, so if people only want one organ instead of all three that is fine. All other cuts are vacuum packaged in plastic. The liver is the heaviest at ~ 1 lb.  The heart is ~ 6 ounces and the kidney 5 ounces.  That may fluctuate up or down a bit depending on the lamb, but it gives you an idea.

Remember that weekly ordering will continue this week (October 16) and next week (October 23) before we go to a monthly pickup from November to April (dates to be determined). Depending on the weather we will have one or more pickups in May. Your membership fee is good for one year from when you purchase it to be fair to everyone.

Enjoy this four day week!
Rachael
Bailey's Local Foods
baileyslocalfoods.ca

Click http://baileyslocalfoods.ca/ordering to log-in and order.

Is this your first email from us?
Read more at baileyslocalfoods.blogspot.com.

You are receiving this notification because you are a member of Bailey's Local Food Buying Club.

If you do not wish to receive Notifications in the future, please uncheck the Notifications box associated with your email address in Account Settings at https://www.100milesystems.com/baileyslocalfoods.ca/account.php

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Bailey's Buying Club - Ordering is now open for October 16, 2009

Click http://baileyslocalfoods.ca/ordering to log-in and order.

Please be sure to read the wavier on our website when you log in. It reminds you that items placed your shopping cart are automatically saved (there is no 'checkout' button).

Notes from Rachael:

Traditional Foods has updated some of their prices. I haven't gotten them all entered (but I did have a lovely family dinner today) and should have them up to date by Sunday night.

We are reintroducing beef from Vibrant Farms this week. Vibrant has organic, grass fed Limousine beef. Last time they had the meat prepared by a new butcher and many of you were not happy with the cuts or the packaging. We're very sorry for that. This time the steaks are cut 1" thick and one per package. Melissa has confirmed that it is all neatly packaged this time. We've also asked for soup bones and some extra bit and pieces that you might use to feed your dogs or the birds.

New Menu Structure
Andrew just updated the menu a bit. Your choices now include 'Prepared' and 'Pantry' with other categories below. If you are looking for Jams, they are in the third level (Pantry>Preserves>Jam). You may find some items from 'other' moving to 'pantry' soon. You can even send and email and make a suggestion that will make items easier to find.

I almost forgot to tell you about the lamb! Rick and Marg Steele will be providing lamb for us through Traditional Foods. When Marg emailed in September she said The lambs "are still growing on the pasture and it takes a little longer when you don’t use growth hormones!  The weather also affects the pasture and that affects growth as well." She hoped to have them ready in a few weeks. We've waited patiently and now they would like to know how much lamb we want.

When I asked Marg to tell me a bit about themselves and their farm she sent:

We have a hundred acre farm in Huron County, which is now entirely seeded to pasture and ~15 acres of bush and our flock now numbers 120 ewes plus their lambs.  We are continuing to grow the flock with our own replacements.  We lamb once a year in May so that the lambs can go right outside with their mothers onto the fresh pasture and stay out for the summer and fall.  We have also been branching out with a few pastured chickens and hope to do pastured pork in the next couple of years.

Rick and I have 3 children; Mathew 16, Sarah 14 and Eric 12 who all help out with chores, feeding, lambing and fencing.  We have been fencing the whole farm with electric fence over the last several years so that we can do rotational grazing with the flock.  We do not use growth hormones and antibiotics (unless an animal is seriously ill and that rarely happens now. We have not used any this year).  We have been focusing on improving the flock health with clean water, healthy food and making sure they get the minerals and vitamins that they need.  Our goal is to have the lambs come right off the pasture and into the freezer, though some years the weather is against us!  We think it will become easier as our pastures become more productive and our genetics improve. We are passionate about the health benefits of grass fed meat and we eat our own product too.

The lamb offering will be separate from our normal weekly offering as  Marg wants to take the orders and then book the lambs into the butcher. She wants to get a feel for what cuts people prefer, before butchering up a large number of lambs!

Andrew (randomly?) chose to open the lamb offering Sunday October 11, 2009 at 9:41 AM and it will run until Tuesday October 13, 2009 at 11:00 PM. Pick up will be on Friday October 23 (our last regular Friday Pickup). We will offer lamb through the winter

Prices are:
1/2 leg of lamb, bone-in $11.00/lb (2.5 to 4 lbs)
1/2 leg of lamb, boneless $14.00/lb
Boneless shoulder roast $8.00/lb
Loin chops $10.00/lb
Rib chops $10.00/lb
Stewing meat (1 lb packages) $9.00/lb
Ground (1 lb packages) $9.00/lb
Heart, kidney, liver $5.00 /lb

Happy Thanksgiving,
Rachael

Hi Folks,
By the time you read this you may be done with your Thanksgiving feasting.  Did it feel like a celebration of the local harvest?  I'd love to hear stories of your feasts and your families' reactions.  When you're reading this I may be fussing over a turkey. Yes, I decided to go with a turkey after all. I got all excited about making a mushroom gravy so I needed turkey to go with it.  Next week I'll tell you how it turned out.

Ready-to-Eat Foods
This week we are excited to offer new foods from a business in Guelph called Meals that Heal. Nice name, eh?  Meals really can heal.  Caroline is offering us a scrumptious-looking selection of dips, entrées and soups such as:
  • Kim-chi in a jar (Korean cabbage salad - usually spicy)
  • Organic Red Lentil Dahl
  • Organic Carrot Hummus
  • Organic Chickpea and Potato Curry
  • Organic Feta, Mushroom, Garlic and Walnut Pate
  • Organic Tomato Salsa Fresca - Mild or Hot
  • And much more!
To see all of the foods, go to the Prepared section (formerly 'heat and serve') in the order form.
Caroline uses local and organic food in her dishes. If you want the lowdown, check our ingredients page at <a target="blank" href="http://baileyslocalfoods.ca/ingredients">http://baileyslocalfoods.ca/ingredients</a>.  We are hooking her up with the Steve and Diane, the Hillbilly Bean farmers so she soon may be using local lentils and black beans.  I'm thinking I have to try the Pâté and the Green Thai Pumpkin and Cashew Curry (yum!).

Note from Rachael: All of the foods from Meals that Heal are gluten free and most are vegan or vegetarian. Please check the ingredients to be sure. Enjoy this week's introductory prices.

Oops!
I ordered baby carrots from Pfennings assuming that they'd be local and they were imported from the States. I'm sorry! I'll be more careful not to assume that during carrot season they'd be local carrots. Pfennings said that Canada does not have the baby carrot processing facility (to cut and shave them down to look like babies).  Is this possible??  Wayne Roberts has a great article coming out in the Oct 19 Alternatives Journal where he proposes that Canada "Eat This Recession" by offering families $10 for every $100 spent on local food.  He outlines how this money would stimulate so many thousands of jobs.

Nuances of Beans
I ignorantly thought that all dried beans are similar (except for garbanzos and lentils which are obviously different) until last week.  I was so wrong!  They are like squash with different textures of dryness and moistness, and subtly different flavours. I cooked up a pot of Small Red Mexican Beans and then sautéed them with onions and garlic (like I usually do with beans). They were way tastier than the Romano beans I'd been using! This is all subjective, of course. Now I need to try each kind of bean and see what the other flavours and textures are.

In love with Celeriac
Have you discovered celeriac?  It is a humble (and ugly) root vegetable that provides much appreciated variation to the carrots, beets and potatoes of a Winter diet.  It doesn't seem very sexy to me in August when it is first available but when the Niagara fruits fade and the tomatoes and sweet peppers are gone, celeriac holds steady and starts to shine.  I love winter because it is the beginning of the soup and stew season in our family.  We still make pizza and pasta, don't get me wrong, but soups and stews become our default.  With good bread and cheese, it is a lovely simple meal.  Make it grilled cheese and the kids cheer.  Each of our kids has their favourite soup.  Foster fawns over the brothy soups.  Ezra eats a bowl of chili and asks for more. Mona, she's more fickle but if we let her plop her own sour cream in, she'll eat a bowl of just about any kind of soup - especially a cabbage borscht.  I'm telling you all of this to tell you how much we love and depend on celeriac to make these soups.  We add it to any kind of soup in place of potatoes (or in addition).  It adds a subtle celery flavour and many mistake the chunks for potatoes when they eat it in a soup.  A tip for cutting celeriac: cut off all of the knarly roots. If you try to wash them, you may end up cursing. Just cut it off until you get to the "meat" of the root and then rinse it and chop it into chunks.

The Sexy Cabbage
Why is Chinese Cabbage sexier than green cabbage? It is easier to chew and it does not cause gas.  Yes, these things matters.  Chinese cabbage (also called Nappa Cabbage) makes awesome coleslaws (try it with sweet and sour vinaigrette with toasted almonds or sunflower seeds).  It is also great in stir-frys and soups.  As the lettuces freeze and keel over, consider making Chinese cabbage your new salad-staple.  (Due to his foresight and good farming, we WILL continue to have amazing salad mixes from Antony.)

We're Famous!
A doctoral candidate from the University of Western Ontario contacted me to ask if I'd give an interview with her as part of her research to bring about a "better understanding of how regions of food sovereignty have been able to emerge throughout Ontario."  She has chosen to interview people in Waterloo Region because we have "achieved one of the most developed alternative food systems in the province."  Really?!?!  I guess we should be proud of ourselves. Or feel sorry for everyone else who has an even more messed up food system.  People are noticing what we're doing here. Here in Waterloo Region and here with this model of a local food buying club.  We're getting requests to speak and to give interviews.  People are eager to know: "Is it working?"  People are eager for a model that they can try in their city.  You're part of something significant here. You are re-localizing the food system.  You are showing how it CAN work for urban families to eat locally (even if only 10% local, that is significant).

Let's Celebrate! Dessert Potluck after Pick-Up
Last week I took the one unclaimed pumpkin pie at the end of Friday, and handed out forks to the volunteers cleaning up.  We dug into that communal pie and it was gone in mere minutes.  That gave me the idea for a dessert potluck.  We don't need to all eat out of the same pie plate this time - but we could.  So let's celebrate that we're changing the local food system! Let's celebrate the end of our growing season with a dessert potluck after this Friday's pick-up.  Bring a dessert (perhaps somewhat local in character - or not) and join us at 6:30.  We'll be cleaning up and checking out a few final orders. We can pull out some chairs, boil water for tea and share desserts with each other.  We'll provide plates, forks, mugs, and tea.  You bring your self. Bring your kids.  Bring something desserty. If you are too tired to bake, order macaroons from Golden Hearth to share.

We'll kick you out by 8 so that we can go home and crash.

Local Mixed Drink
I went to Rachael's new house last Friday to celebrate their soon-to-be home.  We sat on the wood floor in the empty house and enjoyed sparkling cider with rum - with tortilla chips (gotta love those chips!).  I think this is an untapped niche market: local mixed drinks.  Have you discovered any good combos? If so, please tell me and I'll pass on the ideas.  I can see someone making a little funky booklet with local mixed drink recipes. I'd like one for Christmas.

This week look for:
  • Gravenstein apples from Pete (Apple Creek). Wikipedia says that Gravenstein are "one of the best all-around apples with a sweet, tart flavour and is especially good for baking and cooking."
  • Hummus from Meals that Heal
  • Curry dishes from Meals that Heal
  • Soups from Meals that Heal
  • Celeriac - your new "potato" alternative
  • Chinese Cabbage - your new "lettuce" alternative

Thank you for choosing "fair trade" food,
Nina Bailey-Dick
Bailey's Local Foods
www.baileyslocalfoods.ca
P.S. We can use your fruit boxes and jars from preserves again if you return them.

Is this your first email from us? Read more at baileyslocalfoods.blogspot.com.

You are receiving Nina's messages because you are a member of Bailey's Local Food Buying Club.
If you do not wish to receive Nina's messages in the future, please uncheck the Nina's messages box associated with your email address in Account Settings at https://www.100milesystems.com/baileyslocalfoods.ca/account.php

Friday, October 9, 2009

Baileys Local Food Buying Club - Weekly Pickup Reminder

If you put in an order this week it will be ready for you to pick up on Friday, October 9th from 3:30 until 7:00PM in Hilliard Hall at the First United Church at 16 William Street West in Waterloo. You can check your order by logging in at http://baileyslocalfoods.ca/ordering.

Are you ready for the long weekend? Make sure you take some time to reflect and give thanks this weekend amid the food preparation, the visiting and the eating.

We will have an amazing spread of food available on the spontaneous table this week. Organic Yams and Squash, Pies, Bread, Cookies, Herbs and more! If you didn't order this week you may still find the final few ingredients for your Thanksgiving meal. Grab a bottle of sparking cider for the kids to enjoy or peanuts to put out for snacking. There may even be spontaneous turkeys.

Here is an update on changes that may affect your order this week:
  • BULK orders for Sweet Dumpling Squash will be filled by Pfenning's instead of Kingwood. They didn't have enough!
  • Purple Cauliflower from Pfenning's and Mesculn Mix from Kingwood Farms will not be available this week.
Self Checkout Reminder
We continue to offer a SELF CHECK-OUT option to those of you who are paying by cheque! We hope that this will help speed up the check out process for some of you who want to work out your total yourself. We did all self check-out last year and now we are returning to our roots.
We choose to trust our members. You know that if we lose money due to missing items or math mistakes, we won't survive. We will still have the regular check-out option for those of you who prefer it. If you notice an error (ours or yours), please let us know.

Please enter through the white kitchen door off Caroline Street.
You will find a pickup slip with your name on it listing the items that you ordered this week. Pick up all your items (including those in the fridges and freezer), check out our Spontaneous Table then head to our checkout area.

We will have extra items for you to purchase on our Spontaneous Table in front of the blue cupboards just in case you forgot anything. Anyone can purchase items from the Spontaneous Table. You don't even have to be a Member!

There will be room to socialize and mingle. Expect your pick-up to take awhile. If you need help collecting your order, please ask!

In out checkout area, please help us and our volunteers by removing all items from your bag for the checkout process. Please be patient as this area will likely be quite busy.

We accept payment in cash or cheque (made out to Bailey's Local Foods). The total from your shopping cart is always approximate. We will try to ensure that you only pay for the items available this week as local food can sometimes be unpredictable and items that are priced by the pound are approximate on the order form.

When writing cheques, please ensure that the date is correct (it's 2009!) and that the numbers you write (digits and words) match. Also, if you make your cheque out to anything other than "Bailey's Local Foods" the bank won't cash it. We need you to sign it too! Please help us to avoid these costly errors.

You need to bring your own bags to carry your items home. We have boxes, but do not have any plastic bags. A limited number of cloth bags will be available for sale.

If possible, consider walking, biking or bringing a wagon to pick up your order. If you are driving, please Park in the Waterloo Town Square Public Parking Lot. You can access the Waterloo Town Square Parking Lot by Caroline Street, Alexandra Avenue, Willis Way or King Street by the LCBO. We have been asked not to park in the church parking lot.

**Please don't forget to pick up your order! At approximately 6:30PM, if you have not picked up your order, we will call the number you provided (when you registered) with a friendly reminder. At 7:00PM we will pack up your order and add the $15 packing fee to your order total.If you have not picked up your order by 7:30PM (or when we finish cleaning up) your order will be donated - and you still get the pleasure of paying for it. We need to receive payment for this week's order before you can order for the following week.

If you are not happy with what you receive, all claims for missing/damaged items must be made at the pick-up site before 7:00PM that same day. After 7:00PM all sales are final.

Thank you,
Rachael and Nina
Bailey's Local Foods
www.baileyslocalfoods.ca
 

P.S. We can use your fruit baskets and boxes as well as jars from preserves again if you return them.

Is this your first email from us? Read more at baileyslocalfoods.blogspot.com.

You are receiving this notification because you are a member of Bailey's Local Food Buying Club.
If you do not wish to receive Notifications in the future, please uncheck the Notifications box associated with your email address in
Account Settings at https://www.100milesystems.com/baileyslocalfoods.ca/account.php

Click http://baileyslocalfoods.ca/ordering to log-in.