Dec
05

Local Dairies Are On the Mooove

By | Dine, GreenAcres Deli

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GreenAcres Market exists in three Midwest states: Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. In all three locations there’s one family-owned dairy that just seems to stand out, enticing all manner of customers to try down-home goodness in a glass bottle. In Kansas City, Mo., it’s Shatto Milk Company. In Kansas and Oklahoma, it’s Hildebrand Farms and LOMAH Dairy, respectively. Without a doubt, these three dairies get rave reviews from customers who enjoy the rich, creamy goodness of a cold glass of milk.

GreenAcres Kansas City carries a variety of Hildebrand and Shatto dairy products, with chocolate and strawberry milk standing tall against their paler companions. Ever hear of Root Beer Milk?  Well, Hildebrand and Shatto both make it, and both offer other eggnog and milk flavors as well as unsalted butter and ice cream to many of their dairy customers.

What all three dairies have in common is history: start-up families who worked the farm, started small,  raised grazing cows, and taught their children and grandchildren the rudiments of hard work and just reward. Shatto Milk Company has been working the farm for a century, and running a dairy for 60 years.  The family prides itself on raising cows free of bovine growth hormone, and delivering its milk from cow to store in as little as 12 hours.

As with Hildebrand, Shatto has always preferred using glass bottles to waxed paper containers. According to the company: “The milk just tastes better, and glass can be washed and reused.  Besides, it cuts down on recycling and lowers the amount of material dumped into area landfills.” Well, we all like that!

Today, Shatto’s milk products consist of whole, 2%, 1% and skim, plus a yummy variety in flavors of chocolate, root beer, strawberry, orange cream, banana, eggnog and a blue-hued mixture called “cotton candy.”  That’s enough variety to please just about anyone, but especially the youngest milk drinkers in your family.  

Pass the Oreos, please. (Or a healthy equivalent.)

 

Dec
03

The Healthiest Coffee In The World

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Last month on this site, we talked about tea. Now, we want to talk about alkaline coffee, the “healthiest coffee in the world.” If alkaline coffee sounds strange, you’re probably not alone. Food for Life Supreme’s BioCoffee is actually the first and only alkaline coffee on the market thus far. Its main ingredient is wheatgrass (!) of all things, and the rest of the vegetables—yes vegetables—in BioCoffee effectively neutralize acids in the body as they are rich in bicarbonates and other alkaline minerals.

According to the product literature. BioCoffee “actually helps to prevent your body from becoming acidic” and “helps ward off inflammation, cancer, heart disease and respiratory disorders.”

Because of the wheat grass content, BioCoffee is an oligosaccharide, which means it gets digested in the colon as a prebiotic. This means it introduces friendly bacteria into the large intestine, pushing out harmful bacteria that can cause disease.

The fiber in the wheatgrass helps to regulate the body’s absorption of sugar and cholesterol from food. And the high magnesium content in wheatgrass can sometimes improve insulin sensitivity, a boon to diabetics. The coffee is loaded with other ingredients, such as Vitamin A, B complex, C, E, and K, calcium, iron, phosphorous, zinc, cobalt and sulphur. (Sounds like it might be good for arthritis.) To seal in freshness and avoid preservatives, BioCoffee comes in sachet form. You heat up a cup of water and dunk. All there is to it.

Well, all this sounds good, you say, but does BioCoffee taste like coffee?  We had to try it.  Surprisingly, it’s a bit sweet and slightly thick, and tastes kind of like a cappuccino.  But, we want to know what you think. Consider drinking in those veggies with your morning cup of Joe. And let us know how it goes!   

Nov
14

Merchant of the Month GreenAcres

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On Saturday, Nov. 17, GreenAcres Market and Deli will celebrate its sixth anniversary in Kansas City. All six of those years, here in Briarcliff Village, have built a loyal following for the health food store despite economic downturn, drought and inflating food prices. In fact, GreenAcres remains one of Kansas City’s most popular grocers in 2012, drawing customers primarily from the Northland and the Urban Core.

The first GreenAcres concept opened in Wichita back in 1994. After Barb and John Hoffmann built it into a thriving business, their daughter Shannon decided to try bring sustainable, natural foods to Kansas City with the Briarcliff location in 2006. She credits society’s increased awareness of healthy eating with some of her success.

“People are aware of organic, urban farming, farmers markets, GMOs, and so many other terms that are part of natural living,” Shannon says. “Watching how many families are raising their kids with organic foods, hormone free and local diets–we are making a difference!”

That desire to educate consumers about food choices–not just sell them something–is what sets GreenAcres apart in the Kansas City market. Unlike Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods and other chains, GreenAcres hosts regular events with a local focus, such as the Gluten Free Festival and the summer/fall Farmers’ Market, which offers produce from Kansas and Missouri farmers. Educational seminars are also popular, including talks like “How to Have a Healthy Relationship with Food.”

“We believe we can make a difference one person on a time,” Shannon states.

The entire GreenAcres staff seems to share this passion, which makes shopping there a great experience for the customer. In addition to being friendly, the GreenAcres team is well-trained and knowledgeable. Meetings are held twice a month to cover the health benefits of new products, and national experts are brought in to educate internally.

Recently, GreenAcres opened its third location Jenks, Okla., and a fourth location is slated for 47th and Rainbow in Kansas City in early 2014. Shannon is excited about what the future holds, acknowledging that the key to future growth lies with her customers.

“I encourage shoppers of Briarcliff Village to sign up for our customer rewards program and perhaps like us on Facebook, because we are so much more than a grocery store,” she says. “Our events, classes, tastings and seminars add to the overall experience, and our commitment to health education drives everything we do. Don’t miss out on all that we offer–it may lead you to a happier, healthier life!”

Help GreenAcres celebrate its sixth anniversary in Briarcliff on Saturday, Nov. 17, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. The staff will have raffles for gift baskets, live music, and specials throughout the store.

Oct
09

Yogurt : Fewer Calories, Better Health

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Which do you prefer: sour cream or yogurt? Sour cream is made from pasteurized cream to which a starter culture of bacteria is introduced in the fermentation process. The bacteria cultures have scary names like Streptococcus and Leuconostoc dextranicum—they sound like antibiotics(!) But they produce acid, flavor and thickness. The resulting cream is then re-pasteurized to kill the bacteria and stop the process from going further.

Yogurt is also fermented, and is produced by introducing bacterial culture to milk. However, they are different cultures, and re-pasteurization is not needed when making yogurt.

Yogurt has been around for thousands of years, and today is a preferred snack item when mixed with veggies, fruit or jams. Yogurt is highly nutritious, rich in protein, calcium, riboflavin, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12.  It’s also known to boost the immune system.

There are hundreds of yogurt products on the market. Along with taste, you’ve got to look at ingredients. With the escalation of GMO products these days, it’s good to know your manufacturer– and that means knowing the farm and the animal that’s producing your dairy products.

One of GreenAcre’s favorite yogurts is Cascade Fresh. We know the farm. We know the people. We trust the products. The Cascade Fresh website tells it all: “Not all yogurts are created equal, starting at the source. Our cows enjoy lush, green pastures and are humanely treated from sunup to sundown. The result is luscious, wholesome milk that’s always 100% free of rBGH.”

We’re a family-owned company, and we like to work with other family-owned companies. Cascade Fresh likes to say its stockholders are the cows and the boardroom is its kitchen. Since the owners are accountable only to themselves and their happy cows, and have an ethical standard that guarantees their products, we prefer to stock their yogurts and recommend them to our customers.  Besides, we think Cascade Fresh is just about the best tasting yogurt around.  Every single batch contains real fruit, all-natural ingredients from hormone-free cows, and zero preservatives, artificial sweeteners or refined sugars. Our kind of folks!

But as with everything else we do, we want you to be the judge. Pick up a carton of Cascade Fresh yogurt—only 110 calories–and tell us what you think.

Sep
04

Go Nutty for Nut Butters

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If we’ve got one nut butter at GreenAcres, we’ve got dozens. Everyone loves them, from kids on up.  After all, Americans are raised on PB&J—although the peanut butter you find at GreenAcres is a whole lot healthier than what mom used to buy!

Nut butters are the original comfort food, and they supply a whole lot of nutrition on a very small budget. (Who doesn’t have memories of eating peanut butter from the grocery store when you ran out of cash in college?)

At GreenAcres, we grind our own peanut and almond butter, with the freshest, raw nuts available. We stock our shelves with a variety of peanut, almond, cashew, coconut and soy butters, all made with organic nuts, rich in flavor, antioxidants and protein–and low in carbs, sugar and salt. Here is just a taste of the variety we have to offer.

  • Dastony Coconut Butter– 100% organic, raw and stone ground. It’s creamy smooth, made the old fashioned way: one batch at a time with fresh, raw coconut flakes, and it tastes great on crepes, toast or stirred into milk.
  • Field Day Peanut Butter– Comes in smooth unsalted or chunky unsalted. The company uses two kinds of organic peanuts with high oil content for extra richness.
  • I.M. Healthy Soy Butter– Sells a net 1 carb soy nut butter that is 100% peanut free (for those with life-threatening allergies to peanuts.) The product is gluten free, dairy free and roasted with non-GMO soybeans.  No refrigeration needed after opening.
  • Ziegelmeier’s Toasted Pecan Butter– A bit expensive, but delightfully tasty. $17.99 a jar. Oil rises to the top, so you have to stir to combine. Gluten free, high in antioxidants and available in smooth or crunchy. Despite the price, customers swear by it, and at least one of our customers puts it on her carmel-pecan pie every Thanksgiving for an extra pop.
  • Peanut Butter & Co. Cinnamon Raisin Swirl and Dark Chocolate Dreams– Needs no introduction, really. The names tell us everything! Rich, creamy peanut butter blended with rich dark chocolate or cinnamon and raisins.  Kids love them. No stirring needed. $5.99 a jar.
  • Maranatha Dark Chocolate Almond Spread– Smooth as silk, and the company suggests the perfect way to serve it: slightly warmed over ice cream. Sounds good to us!
  • Walden Farms Whipped Peanut Spread– For the diet conscious, carb conscious, sugar conscious customer. Made without carbs, sugar, calories … just peanut flavoring and peanut extracts.

So, that gives you just a sampling of our nut butters and what’s in store at GreenAcres. There are a lot more to choose from, even a peanut butter powder you can mix into drinks or smoothies. Come in this fall and give it a try. It’s the perfect season to get nutty about nut butters.

 

Jul
27

Six Ways to Dress Your Greens

By | Dine, GreenAcres Deli, GreenAcres Market

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Some prefer to make their own salad dressings; others rely on tried-and-true, organic bottled dressings. Whichever way you like to dress your greens, we recommend our Grateful Harvest Organic Dressings in six flavors: Ranch, Balsamic Vinaigrette, Bleu Cheese, Sun Dried Tomato, Classic Caesar and Raspberry Vinaigrette.

Our favorite is the Classic Caesar, which has a creamy consistency and is only 130 calories per serving (two teaspoons).  Paul, a customer in the Wichita store, swears by the Balsamic Vinaigrette. He only uses it as a steak marinade, but what the heck? “The acid in the dressing perfectly tenderizes a flank steak,” Paul says. “If you’re out of the Balsamic, I just use red wine vinegar and mustard and slather that over the meat.” Hmmmmm. Good to know.

Ranch is the best seller so far in Kansas City. And you just can’t beat a good Ranch dressing. “It’s hard to find a good bottled dressing anywhere,” says Jaime, a Kansas City customer. “It’s even harder to find an all-natural, organic one. My fridge is filled with half-empty bottles of  dressings my family has decided it doesn’t like. I think the majority of them have too much salt and fat, and yet at the same time, somehow still manage to taste, well…tasteless.”

Grateful Harvest takes its all natural ingredients from premium, regional growers committed to providing artisan, organic produce and natural fresh foods. As the company says: “In our business we are always most grateful for the harvest.  It is not something we ever take for granted, nor do we underestimate its impact on our lives. Very few things in life can match the magic and mystery that occurs between a farmer and his land.”

GreenAcres understands the sentiment exactly. We can never take our customers or their preferences for any product for granted. If you’ve discovered something out there that’s healthy and nutritious and you want us to take a look at it and see what we think, we’re here to listen.  In the meantime, when it comes to organic, bottled salad dressings, we’ve got you and your salad covered!

- The GreenAcres Family

 

May
07

Farmers’ Market Now In Season

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Savor all that’s best about summer with locally-grown foods, live music and outdoor festivities. The Briarcliff Farmers’ Market, sponsored by GreenAcres, runs every Thursday from 3 to 7 p.m. until October. Join us outdoors in the Briarcliff parking lot from for some shopping, family fun, and the best local vendors in the area.

Every week, Missouri and Kansas farmers will be out in full force presenting their 100 percent organic produce, as well as jams, jellies and homemade baked goods.  You’re sure to hear us before you actually see us, since we’ll have live music on the sidewalk.  Park where you can and make your rounds to sample some of the best home-grown products anywhere.  There’s a woman who cans her own mustards; a man who makes homemade pastas; a berry vendor who has fresh blueberries, blackberries and strawberries.  Like a little spice in your life?  Check out the authentic Mexican tamales and salsas–yummm.  And Jerry’s Furniture will once again have handcrafted furniture for sale.

When you’re tired of all the seeing, visiting and buying outside, step inside GreenAcres Market for some of our own products: cheese and crackers, organic chips and dips…and to wash it all down, tastings from our wine collection.  There will be other product demonstrations, and as always, the GreenAcres knowledgeable staff will be on deck to answer any and all questions about wholesome, healthy living.  Welcome to summer!

 

 

Apr
17

Taste the Best of GreenAcres

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Foodies, rejoice. This Saturday, April 21, is the 6th Annual GreenAcres Tasting Fair at Briarcliff Village. That means free samples from all our best vendors, delicious gourmet food demos, and discounts throughout the store.

From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., enjoy specialty wines and cheeses, buffalo burgers, and platefuls of healthy goodness. We’ll have live music, a petting zoo for the kids, and a dog wash for your canine friends (a fundraiser for the National Animal Welfare Society).

Admission is free, and everyone is welcome. Plus, don’t forget to shop GreenAcres Market for special event-day savings.

For more information, contact GreenAcres at (816) 746-0010.

Feb
09

Sweet Treats for Your Sweetheart

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Looking for that perfect indulgence for your sweetheart this Valentine’s Day?  Look no further! GreenAcres has hand picked the best chocolates, caramels, bonbons, cookies, chocolate pops, toffees, and much more. You’ll find a tempting array of truffles from Lake Champlain Chocolates of  Vermont. For something a bit more playful, check out a beautifully engraved chocolate heart pop. Or bring home a box of made-from-scratch Valentine’s cookies from our deli! In the mood for some nuts? Try local Tallgrass Toffee Company milk or dark chocolate toffees. No matter what delicacy you choose, you’re sure to love the taste. And don’t forget the card, a perfect way to say “I love you.” Hurry in before all the goodies are gone!