Aromatherapy, A Potent Lifestyle Complement

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Save 20% on essential oils, soaps, lotions, cosmetics and more during our Self Care Sale January 10–16. Click here for details.

By Sarah Jaroszewski/Body Care Manager

A fascination with plants, especially flowers, began my journey into the diverse world of natural body care.

The inhalation of aromatic plant extracts activates olfactory nerves that send signals to the amygdala, the emotional center of the brain. When used carefully, essential oils can offer uplifting and nurturing therapeutic benefits. Aromatherapy methods include inhalation and topical applications.

Some of my favorite essential oils are lavender (angustifolia species), bergamot, may chang, clary sage, sandalwood, and frankincense. Essential oils or volatile oils from plants, barks and resins can be used in simple ways on-the-go and have numerous applications in the home.

Ways to use essential oils:

  • Inhalation – Simple inhalation from the bottle, nasal inhaler or a few drops on a cotton ball can be used. Using hot water for steam inhalation can help to soothe respiratory system discomfort.
  • Diffusion – Tiny oil molecules in water are dispersed into the air, many diffusers offer a multi-sensory experience combining light and color which enhance the experience.
  • Misting/Sprays – Creating personalized sprays for body, room or cleaning by combining essential oils with a carrier i.e., rose water, witch hazel, water or vinegar.
  • Massage/Skin Care – Select a carrier oil based on application/needs and add diluted essential oils. Essential oils can be added to lotions and soaps as well.

At the co-op, we offer several lines of essential oils as well as information from our suppliers. You can also check out these educational materials by following the links below.

Resources:

Pranarom

http://pranarom.us/about-us/about-us/

Aura Cacia

https://www.auracacia.com/community/about/quality

Now Foods

https://www.nowfoods.com/essential-oils/quality-safety

https://www.nowfoods.com/now/nowledge/diluting-essential-oils

12 Must-Have Oils

https://www.auracacia.com/community/essential-oil-must-haves

Free Printable

https://www.lovingessentialoils.com/blogs/essential-oil-tips/list-of-essential-oils-pdf

Types of Lavender Essential Oils

https://www.aromaculture.com/blog/the-differences-between-lavender-essential-oils

Disclaimer:

It is important to check contraindications and precautions before using essential oils. Essential oils should always be used with caution, particularly during pregnancy and/or with children and pets. Check with your medical provider for questions regarding interactions or medical conditions.

Festive Foods

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The co-op kitchen has festive foods and baked goods so you can be merry not having to do quite so much cooking and dish washing. Cassoulet, a rich white bean casserole is the ultimate comfort food!

“It is the ultimate comfort food: rich meaty stew, baked in the oven, aromatic, warm, cozy. You want to eat it in front of a roaring fireplace with your wool slippers on,” the co-op’s Chef Andrew Catalano said.

Our classic, meaty version will include house-made duck confit and roasted garlic & sage pork sausage. A vegan option will have spiced tempeh and house-made roasted garlic & sage seitan. Both will be topped with seasoned breadcrumbs and an accompanying pickled raisin salsa verde.

Look for these delicious heat n’ eat entrees in our salad bar wells starting Tuesday, December 22 through Christmas eve while supplies last. Keep an eye out for our house baked pies and cookies as well.

Please note: we will be closing early on Christmas eve at 6pm and will be closed Christmas day. Happy holidays!

2021 Owner Benefits

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Co-op owners can save up to 20% on a shopping trip during owner appreciation events four times per year in 2021. A tiered 10–20% quarterly discount has been a model we’ve used for several years that balances a tangible owner benefit with the viability of our business.

In order to prevent crowding that can occur with owner appreciation weeks, we plan to extend these events to a month-long, at least while the pandemic continues. Our first owner appreciation event will occur in February. So that means you’ll have the entire month to choose a shopping trip to save. The more you stock up, the more you can save. Here’s how the tiered discount works:

  • Get 10% off a purchase under $100.
  • Get 15% off a purchase of $100 or more.
  • Get 20% off a purchase of $150 or more.
  • Equity must be up-to-date to receive discount. Discount applies to items in stock and does not stack with case discounts.

We were happy to be able to make it a little easier to stock up by temporarily offer a monthly 10% discount in the fall-winter of 2020. Those monthly discounts really add up though and aren’t financially sustainable long-term. We will continue to communicate with you about owner appreciation events via co-op email, web site and in-store signage. Click here to sign up for email co-op news. Thanks so much for your support!

Not a co-op owner? You’re always welcome to shop and if you’re interested in learning about the benefits of co-op ownership click here.

Holiday Wine & Cheese Sale

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Traveling may be out of the question, but you can take your taste buds on a little adventure with wine and cheese from around the world. Save 20% when you buy any combination of six or more bottles of wine or specialty cheese December 2–15.

What’s specialty cheese? It is our amazing selection of hand-cut local and imported cheeses. Just look for the co-op pricing label to be sure. We hope you’ll be able to stock up on favorites and try something new.

Bowls of the World

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Fresh Deal! Get one of our signature bowls for just 6.99 (reg. 8.99) Dec 2–15

The co-op kitchen’s service counter is open for takeout daily 11am–6pm. Take a break from cooking and enjoy items from our “Bowls of the World” menu, globally-inspired meals, fast and fresh. Click here to see the menu.

To help you plan ahead during these crazy times, we’ve photographed each bowl on the menu so you can see your options before heading to the store.

There are several ways to customize. Turn any bowl into a salad by swapping rice for organic greens. You can add extra protein, veggies or sauce. And of course, you can totally build your bowl just how you like it.

Grab n’ Go

Make sure you check out our grab n’ go cooler for sandwiches, wraps, desserts, sides, pizzas, heat n’ eat entrees, dips and more. Looking for a salad? Those are currently pre-packaged in the salad bar.

Quality Food

Our cooks make everything from scratch with 100% organic produce. Our kitchen uses the same high product standards as the rest of the store. You won’t find things like artificial sweeteners, trans-fats or growth hormones in any of our food.

Stop by or give us a call if you have any questions (503) 325-0027. Thanks!

 

Board Election Results

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While the world watched to see who the next US president would be, the co-op was having an election too, albeit much more low key!  This was our first time offering electronic voting for a Board of Directors election. A total of 228 co-op owners (members) voted for two uncontested seats. Here are the results:

  • Ryan Newstrum was elected to seat 7.
  • Venus Fromwiller was re-elected to seat 8.

We’re also pleased to announce that Vance McDermott who works in our grocery department is our new Staff Director. Big thanks to Terrance Stearns for his time serving in that role. Click here to see a full list of our Board of Directors, the people representing our community-owned business.

If you are a co-op owner and did not receive an email for voting, please get in touch with lynne@astoria.coop so we can get an up-to-date email address in our system for next time. Thanks!

Thanksgiving Menu

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Our wonderful cooks have prepared a one-of-a-kind, culturally-inspired holiday offering. Heat n’ eat and ready-to-eat entrees and sides are packaged a la carte in various sizes at the salad bar Monday–Wednesday, November 23–25 (available while supplies last).

Entrees & Sides

Korean Braised Chicken Chicken Legs Marinated in bulgogi sauce, slow-cooked in dashi; a fall-off-the-bone delicious broth situation.

Thai Green Beans Seasoned with lemongrass, lime leaf, and chiles.

House-fermented Cranberry Sauce With organic cranberries from Bandon, Oregon.

Roasted Root Vegetables Agrodolce Organic carrots, parsnips, celeriac, butternut squash and onions with an Italian sweet & sour sauce.

Pumpkin Brioche Dinner Rolls Made with organic pumpkin. Buttery and soft crumb with light shiny crust.

Cheese Straws Twisted and seasoned with fresh thyme & sharp cheddar.

Dessert

We are taking pre-orders for house-made pies with whole grain einkorn crust. Stop by our kitchen’s service counter on your next shopping trip to order for pickup on November 25.

Maple Walnut Brown Butter Tart Like classic pecan pie, but better!

Pumpkin Pie Organic pumpkin, sweetened with honey.

For more options throughout the store, read our blog post: Thanksgiving 2020.

Thanksgiving 2020

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Despite 2020’s challenges, it’s the first Thanksgiving in our new store and we’re working hard to serve you a bigger, better, one-of-a-kind offering: from quality traditional fixings to mouth-watering cultural twists.

Let’s talk turkey.

Mary’s Organic and Mary’s non-GMO turkeys are now available at the co-op. The turkeys are merchandised in the fresh meat cooler and available first come, first served. So, shop early if you want to have the best selection of sizes!

Don’t need an entire bird? We realize gatherings will be null or smaller this year, so if you don’t want to tackle an entire turkey, we will have bone-in breasts available. Our skilled meat department staff will be cutting whole turkeys and offering individual legs, wings, etc. closer the holiday, depending on supply.

To accompany your turkey, keep an eye out for new stuffing mixes and brine kits from Bill Baron’s Specialty Foods. The brine kits include flavorful blends such as apple-sage, zip-top bags, herb rubs and illustrated instructions. Brining is a great way to get juicy, tender turkey every time!

Other holiday meat options include Beeler’s Bone-in hams and spiral cut boneless hams. If you’d prefer a meatless feast, we’ve got you covered with a variety of plant-based holiday roasts from Tofurky, Quorn and Field Roast.

What if you skipped cooking?!

Imagine a Thanksgiving with no pots and pans to wash! If you were to skip cooking altogether, our cooks have come up with a feast that all you need to do is heat. Our prepared food offering will be a take on traditional Thanksgiving ingredients with a culturally-diverse palate. The following items will be pre-packaged in various sizes a la carte in the salad bar wells on Monday–Wednesday of Thanksgiving week, November 23–25:

  • Korean Braised Chicken Chicken legs marinated in bulgogi sauce, slow-cooked in dashi; a fall-off-the-bone delicious broth situation.
  • Thai Green Beans Seasoned with lemongrass, lime leaf, and chiles.
  • House-fermented Cranberry Sauce Made with organic cranberries from Bandon, OR.
  • Roasted Root Vegetables Agrodolce Organic carrots, parsnips, celeriac, butternut squash and onions with an Italian sweet & sour sauce.

Displayed alongside these items will be house-made Pumpkin Brioche Dinner Rolls and Cheese Straws. Is your mouth watering yet?

Do NOT skip dessert!

We are now taking pre-orders for house-made pies with whole grain einkorn crust. Stop by our kitchen’s service counter on your next shopping trip to order the following:

  • Maple Walnut Brown Butter Tart Like classic pecan pie, but better!
  • Pumpkin Pie Made with organic pumpkin, sweetened with a small amount of honey.

Perfect Beer & Wine Pairings

Beaujolais Nouveau is arguably the BEST wine for Thanksgiving dinner! We’ll be stocked up on these fruity, not-too-tannic French wine that is easy-drinking and will not intrude on any of the food flavors you might have on the table. Another option, have you tried orange wine? White wine grapes ferment with grape skins on, giving the wine a golden-straw-like to amber color. The skin-contact gives white wines bigger, bolder red wine characteristics; the perfect amount of acid and tannin for a heavy meal.

As for beer, you can’t go wrong with crisp pilsners and pale ales to complement your meal, while our seasonal porters and stouts make for a rich after-dinner treat and pair perfectly with our Maple Walnut Brown Butter Tart!

See you soon!

This is just a snapshot of the co-op’s holiday offerings. We’ll of course be fully loaded with organic and local cranberries, potatoes, brussels sprouts and more fresh produce. Make sure to peruse our specialty cheese cooler for old favorites and new delights. We hope you’ll find everything on your list and then some!

Remember: everyone is welcome to shop every day at the co-op and if you’re a co-op owner, you can save 10% on a shopping trip when you stock up this month. We thank you for your wonderful support as we wouldn’t be here in this awesome new store thriving in the midst of a pandemic without YOU!

Please note: we will be closed on Thanksgiving so our awesome staff who make all these Thanksgiving offerings happen can relax and enjoy time with loved ones. We hope you have a safe and delicious holiday!

Bags are back!

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Did you know it’s OK to shop with reusable bags? Earlier in the pandemic, we banned them, but having learned the risk of exposure is low, we feel OK about bringing ’em back.

Demand for single-use bags has skyrocketed and mills country-wide are having trouble keeping up. Paper bag supply is limited and prices have gone up considerably. Bringing a reusable bag when you shop at the co-op helps a bunch.

The CDC says you should clean your reusable bags before each use. We’re leaving it up to our cashier’s discretion whether or not to handle your reusable bags, so you may need to do your own bagging. We are glad to be able to accommodate this planet-friendly option.