The Yelm Food Co-op, More than Meets the Eye

I don't know about you, but when I hear of a Co-op grocery store I think of healthy food, and that's about where it ends for me. I had no idea that this little gem of a store in a town like Yelm would carry gourmet and specialty items I normally would have to travel to the city to buy.

I first wandered into the Yelm Co-op maybe 6 months ago. I was surprised with what I found. They do have healthy food, in fact all of their produce is organic and priced reasonably. Most items in their store are local and organic. And they carry many items that aren't available anywhere else in Yelm. The raw Jersey milk from Dungeness Valley Creamery is very popular. I was told by volunteers that if you've never had raw milk you are in for a treat. The cream even forms to the top, I don't think you could get any fresher or purer unless you milked the cow yourself. (Please call first to make sure they have it, it goes fast!)

But to me it was items like culinary lavender that got me excited. Culinary lavender in Yelm! Geez, I couldn't believe my eyes! Organic crystallized ginger, (this is an ingredient I love for ginger cookies and gingerbread, and other baked goods) , organic cocoa, high quality extracts, and many other ingredients you would otherwise have to travel to Olympia to purchase.

The more I shopped there, the more I discovered how wonderful it really is. This is a store owned by it's members. Here are some facts from the Yelm Co-op's website , "Cooperatives are a specialized form of business with a legal structure that guarantees they will be governed democratically." So I felt not only do they have these great products, but I can feel good about supporting local businesses. Quoting Stay Local.org, "Your dollars spent in locally-owned businesses have three times the impact on your community as dollars spent at national chains. When shopping locally, you simultaneously create jobs, fund more city services through sales tax, invest in neighborhood improvement and promote community development."

Here's even more good news about the Yelm Co-op. You don't need to be a member. If you choose not to become a member, or you just want to check it out before committing, hey, no problem. You pay an extra 10 percent of the price on the shelf. But if you wish to become a member, the price is for full/regular membership, $135.00, or for Low income/senior, $75.00. That price is not per year, it's for a LIFETIME membership! Lifetime! And you don't even need to pay it at once. You can put $15.00 down and pay it within 12 months.

Another great thing for us with B&B's (and any student attending an event) is they stock up on ranch supplies when events are coming, with items like soup that you add hot water to. Also recently for Blue College shopping they charged foreign students member prices! I took my guests there and they loved it. They bought items like, fruit, soups, and trail mix.

So whether you are a local, or a student attending an event, do yourself a favor and check out the Yelm Food Co-op and see for yourself how wonderful it really is.

Yelm Food Co-op (it's across the street from JZ Rose)
404 1st St.
Yelm
360-400-2210
yelmcoop.com

Hours 10-7 Tues. through Sat.

**EDITED TO ADD- Tom, the manager of the Co-op notified me the payment for membership is now in full at time of application, or pay off in a maximum of 4 payments in a maximum of 6 months.

Jeanna, a wonderful volunteer

The famous Dungeness Valley Creamery Raw Jersey Milk

Unbleached Parchment Paper and waxed paper, and eco-friendly plastic bags!

Lots of Bob's Red Mill products
Organic produce
Beauty Products

These high quality Frontier extracts have a wonderful taste. (I've used the maple to make maple buttercream for pumpkin cupcakes in the fall.)
Culinary Lavender! You can't find this at Safeway. I plan on making Lavender Honey Ice Cream in the Spring.

Let Them Eat Cake

I love to bake anything. But I think my favorite thing has to be cake. I love making it and creating new flavor combinations, but most of all, I love to eat it. And serve it to guests of course! I'm glad when we have guests because to me that means I have an excuse to create a fabulous cake (or other dessert, I do love all desserts!)

Here are some of my latest creations.

white velvet cake with Jasmine Tea Cream

This cake I created for a contest for an online baking group I belong to. The contest was "ingredients you've never used before in baking". I chose Jasmine. I won! Yay!

White cake with blackberry cream and blackberry buttercream

the middle

This cake I made for a recent dinner party. I had some blackberries in the freezer from Summer I wanted to use (blackberries grow like crazy here, and we have a lot on our property.) I'm glad I did, this cake was really delicious.


Toffee Cake with Mascarpone Cream

This one I made for a party we had around the New Year. This cake was divine. I'll definitely be making it again.

Bettye Johnson's book signing

Me and Bettye

Saturday I attended Bettye Johnson's book signing for her latest book, Mary Magdalene, Her Legacy at the Blue Bottle. It was wonderful. I got to talk to Bettye for a few minutes in between signings. Here's a few things she told me about the new book, which is a sequel to Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls.


Bettye has done extensive research on Mary Magdalene throughout the years. Bettye said, "This book is more about Mary Magdalene's lineage. There's no validity from anyone about the lineage." Both books are fiction. But with her research mixed in. She says, "Although it's fiction, it's plausible. History is very fluid. For example, your experience might be different from my experience." She says, "Certain parts of the book would make a good topic in a study group."



Bettye told me she was surprised that so many people already knew some of these facts about Mary. For example, that she was Ethiopian, and a black woman. Bettye traveled to France in 2001 and saw many churches dedicated to Mary and she saw many black Madonnas. This is of course much different from the portrayal we get from the Catholic church here in America. Mary and Jesus are always shown with white skin.



"Most readers like the books because they capture their attention." Bettye says about the feedback that she has gotten from the books.



"It's been a great journey!" Bettye told me.



Congragulations, Bettye! I can't wait to read it!

Chicken and Dumplings

“It [soup] breathes reassurance, it offers consolation; after a weary day it promotes sociability...There is nothing like a bowl of hot soup, it's wisp of aromatic steam teasing the nostrils into quivering anticipation.

”Louis P. DeGouy, Chef at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel for 30 years

The weather has been beautiful here lately. The sky is clear and blue, the sun is shining, it's only when I go outside for my walk am I reminded it's still winter. As I walk around our land my feet crunch the ice on the ground, and the wind is cold on my face. It definitely puts me in the mood for something heartwarming like Chicken and Dumplings. This dish is simple, but really delicious. The stew is hearty, and flavorful, and the dumplings are light and fluffy, just the way a dumpling should be.

Using homemade stock is key here. Many chefs these days are singing the praises of homemade stock. Anthony Bourdain says in his Les Halles cookbook, "What's missing in your home cooking? Why doesn't that dish you painfully re-created from the chef's recipe taste like it does in the restaurant? What's wrong with your soups, sauces and stews? The answer is almost certainly stock." Restaurants make it, most home cooks buy it. Simple as that.

I usually buy chicken whole for this very reason. Any bones will do, if you prefer to buy only breasts, buy them on the bone. Every time I have bones, I just put them in a ziplock bag and put them in the freezer until I'm ready to make it, then I make a large batch at once. After I make it I store it in different size containers in the freezer including freezing some in ice cube trays and then putting them in a baggie so if I need a small amount it's handy.

The way I see it, is those bones came with the chicken, they're free. And I just need to add a few vegetables and other ingredients that I have on hand anyway. If I bought the stuff that's in a can, not only would it be salty and well, flavorless, I would have to pay for it. Ouch. This is definitely a win win situation.

I don't really use a recipe for the stew, but here are some components.

cooked chicken
celery
carrots
potatoes
salt
pepper
2 bay leaves
homemade chicken stock-or carton, or canned chicken broth-if you must (carton is better than canned, usually)

Dumplings
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup milk
3 Tablespoons butter, melted

Put all ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Then turn down and have stew simmering to add dumplings.
To make dumplings, mix flour, baking powder and salt. Add milk and melted butter. Stir gently just until the dough comes together. Don't mix it too much or else they will get tough. Drop dough into simmering stew by the tablespoon. Cover and cook on low heat, keeping the stew at a simmer for 15 minutes. Don't remove the lid during this time because the dumplings need to steam. After 15 minutes you may test them for doneness by inserting a toothpick into center of dumpling, and if it comes clean, they're done.

Bettye Johnson Book Signing, this Sat.!

This Sat. Jan 26th, Bettye Johnson will be having a book signing and Celebration for her new book, "Mary Magdelne, Her Legacy" at The Blue Bottle Cafe in Yelm from 2-5 pm.
This book is the sequel to the acclaimed "Secrets of The Magdelne Scrolls."

She will have books available for purchase.

Im definately going to be there!

Banana Bread

Banana Bread, Oh Banana Bread, How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

1. You are delicious.

2. You are quite easy to make.

3. You are a wonderful use of my overripe bananas.

4. You make a wonderful gift. In fact, people adore receiving you! I have a friend who loves my baking and is happy to eat whatever I serve him, but most of the time he will say, "Oh, but it's not the banana bread!" Everybody loves you, but deservedly so.

This is my favorite banana bread recipe. It's full of bananas, and the sour cream
makes it incredibly moist.

This recipe makes 3-4 loaves, if you'd like to make less, you may halve the recipe.

Ingredients
3/4 cup butter

1 1/2 cups white sugar

1 1/2 cups brown sugar
3 eggs
8 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 (16 ounce) container sour cream (2 cups)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking soda
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

grated nutmeg (optional) (I use approx. 1/2 tsp fresh grated nutmeg)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease four 7x3 inch loaf pans, (or if they are larger), 3 pans.
In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar and brown sugar. Mix in eggs, mashed bananas, sour cream and vanilla. In separate large bowl mix together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg (if using). Add dry mixture to wet mixture. Stir in nuts. Divide into prepared pans.
Bake for approx 45 min to 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Live Stream-JZ and Ramtha Jan 19th and 20th

There will be a Live Stream of JZ and Ramtha, today Jan 19th, and tommorow, Jan 20th from Mexico, Open to the Public! Go to Ramtha.tv for more details.

***EDIT JZ's stream Jan 19th, today was cancelled due to technical difficulty, but Ramtha is still planned for tommorow, Jan 20th. 1:00 Pacific time, 3:00 Central.