We’re giving you options—to grab ‘n’ go!February 15, 2013
Filed under: Deli, Natural Living, Organic, Savings - greenacres @ 1:03 PM
· We pride ourselves on our house-made hot case meals, made from scratch daily with the finest ingredients. We aim to provide a variety of low-calorie favorites anchored with a choice of fresh veggies and free range, organic chicken and/or beef, pork and sustainable fish. Potpies and bierocks are customer favorites. One bite and you know why!
· Our soups are to die for! We choose from our fresh, fresh produce, beans and protein and whip up old favorites and new combos to satisfy the most discerning customer.
· Salad anyone? We really don’t like to brag, but there isn’t a salad bar anywhere that can compare with ours. Just the condiments alone are worth a trip: fresh, organic fruits, nuts and seeds; olives, scallions and cheese; chicken and tofu; fresh-made croutons, and more. Don’t forget our dressings. They are house-made, too!
· Need a little sweet after you eat? We’ve got you covered. Our house-made baked goods cover the gamut from gluten free cookies, cakes and muffins to low glycemic berry pies, biscotti and nut bars. Our bakers can make the most decadent desserts for your dinner parties. All it takes is a phone call. Give us 48 hours and we’ll create a masterpiece.
The next time you get tempted to pull into a fast-food restaurant, pull into GreenAcres instead. We’ll be waiting for you!
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Meet Tencia, our chief cook extraordinaire!January 31, 2013
Filed under: Deli - greenacres @ 5:03 PM
Tencia has been in our Wichita store for two years. She started out helping Vince, our potpie man, bake bierocks, and gradually worked up to salads, mixing up the Vegenaise and the lemon juice and olive oil, making sure the deli looked fresh every day. Tencia was the woman waiting in the wings, happy just to be “the helpful one” in the kitchen, never expecting to be anything other than a sous-chef for the rest of her life.
But Barb, our boss, had other plans. There came a day when Tencia was asked to take over as lead cook. At first, she demurred, “I’m just a helper bee,” she said. “I’m not a chef!” But Barb is never one to take no for an answer. Next we knew, Tencia was pouring over recipes, sautéing chicken thighs, grilling fresh salmon, learning about gluten free cooking. Barb had unleashed a tiger—and a genius in the kitchen! Tencia had become “our very own prize chef” and she took over the reins of the deli as if she were born to the spoon.
In her everyday life, Tencia is married and a mother of five. She learned her craft at home at her mother’s knee and at school. “I always loved home ec,” she says. “I took as many classes I could.” Today, her oldest son, Antonio, works the afternoon shift, helping Kevin in the kitchen. From watching his mom and learning from others, Antonio, who once thought cooking was only “women’s work,” is now helping out at home, peeling potatoes for hash browns, making pancakes and occasionally baking a cake. He still wants to become of pilot or an engineer, but he’s no longer afraid to jump right in at home and help his mom cook.
Tencia’s cooking specialties lie in three areas: Mexican, Italian and Asian cuisine. We’ve tasted her chicken enchiladas (to die for) and her Tusan black beans and her cilantro-lime white rice. But we’ve yet to try her eggrolls and fried rice, which admittedly are labor intensive and maybe take on a few more calories than GreenAcres likes to offer its customers. After all, this is a health food store and we pride ourselves on gluten free, low cal, nutritious menu items. Still, Tencia is a whiz at paring down the calories in a dish and still making it scrumptious. Maybe one day we’ll see egg rolls on the menu.
Until then, Barb’s first instruction:“Make it healthy and flavorful.” And so, everything we offer in our hot case and deli is just that. To help launch our other kitchens in Kansas City and Jenks, OK, Tencia has sent down some of her prize recipes. Have you tasted her beef tips and gravy? Delish! Tencia is known for her tender, moist meats and poultry. The beef tips are actually seared first, then boiled and boiled and boiled. Who knew? The chicken thighs are seared off first, then finished in the oven—usually at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Fish? That’s 350 degrees for 18 minutes. Roasted sweet potatoes? That’s 400 degrees for 20 minutes. How does she know if she’s cooking too long or too short? “By touch,” she says matter of factly, “I just know.”
So what does Tencia like to do for fun and personal enjoyment? “I love to read cookbooks,” she says with a smile. “It’s a challenge to find just the best tasting, low calorie, gluten free recipe, then put a little of my own twist to it to make it perfect.”
We, at GreenAcres-Wichita, are happy to have Tencia and all our great cooks with us, and we hope you, our faithful customers, enjoy our food!
Green with envy!December 13, 2012
Filed under: Deli, Organic - greenacres @ 6:29 PM
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The envy comes from all those over 50-somethings who somehow missed out on this new fad that has taken health food stores and juice bars by storm. But wait, they are about to catch up. At GreenAcres, we sell an enormous amount of green drinks and smoothies—way more than even our popular chocolate energy drink or our carrot/apple drink. It’s green-on-the-go all the way, everyday. And many of those customers are in their 50s, 60s, and 70s and up.
“I just don’t feel quite right,” says a customer, a mother of two, “if I don’t have my green drink at least twice a week. It just gives me a boost. There’s something about instant nutrition…well, I don’t know how to explain it.” We think she explained it just fine. It’s all about energy; changing those Omega 6s into 3s; not feeling guilty if there’s no time to sit down to a big salad. “It’s kind of like a runner’s high,” says one young man. “It just gives me a jolt that lasts the whole day. Better than a cup of Starbucks.”
Boutenko recommends starting a green drink regimen with one cup of greens, plus fruit, plus water, and then working up to several quarts a day. That would be the equivalent of eating most of your meals through a straw—a little severe for most of us, still, there’s a lot of science behind liquid green.
· Greens are the most nutritious foods on the planet. The only nutrient not found in greens is Vitamin B-12.
· Greens are an abundant protein source, rich in chlorophyll and the original source of Omega 3s. They improve assimilation, stomach acid production and pH.
· The chlorophyll in greens has been described as “liquid sunshine” which has a long list of healing properties affecting all of the body’s systems.
· It’s safe to give greens to children and pets…it’s just an all-‘round healthy food.
Boutenko builds her case for greens with an interesting thought: “The dramatic reduction of green vegetables in our diet is by far the most detrimental choice we’ve ever made. Just look at our jaw structures. There’s no room in most jaws for wisdom teeth, and most need braces. The same with earlobes. They’re much smaller than those of our ancestors.” Hmmmm. Never thought of that!
So what’s so good about drinking your greens? Again, Boutenko makes her case:
· Most people have low stomach acid and don’t chew thoroughly, hence many nutrients are lost when taken in conventionally.
· We can assimilate several times more vital nutrients from the small particles in blended greens.
What are the best greens? Boutenko suggests choosing greens, one for every day of the week, from among these: kale, collards, spinach, romaine, bok choy, chard, mustard, radish tops, turnip greens, wheatgrass, lettuce, parsley, watercress…the list is endless.
Each green contains a type of alkaloid that is benign in small quantities. By rotating greens, no single alkaloid builds up in the body. Also, fruit plus greens does not ferment in the system (no gas). And that’s a good thing!
Next time you’re in GreenAcres, ask our deli crew about the green drink or smoothie, and see if you like it. Don’t be envious of your neighbor who looks like he’s got tons of energy. You can too!
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Is life really greener…if you eat grass?!September 17, 2012
Filed under: Deli, Natural Living, Organic, Supplements - greenacres @ 4:35 PM
For example, Garden of Life’s Perfect Food brand of green superfoods uses only RAW and USDA Certified Organic grasses in its supplements. The grasses are grown only in the Southwestern United States by family farmers who have passed down the techniques of four-season planting in rich, volcanic soils. The cereal grass farmers must be committed to re-investing in the harvesting of grasses that meet stringent Garden of Life standards. No “big box” foreign or domestic conglomerates for Garden of Life. It’s strictly, “grow small or no go.”
Harvesting the grass you ingest is big business, but it’s got to be done right. Some companies harvest their grasses like you would the grass in your yard: the tops are clipped and bagged…but as the season progresses, the blade loses strength…and that kind of “mowing” would not do for the nutrients we want in our green drinks.
Garden of Life harvesters pluck the entire blade, leaf and all, so that all nutrients stay intact. This translates into pure vibrancy inside the body. “After all says Barb,” one of our GreenAcres supplement team members, “whole grass is live food. When you eat or drink it in whatever form you choose, the digestive system doesn’t have to work as hard. You have renewed energy and strength. It’s amazing how good a little grass will do you.”
In a recent issue of Extraordinary Health, published by health guru and supplement formulator Jordan Rubin, Garden of Life lists the properties in grass that make them beneficial to you.
· Barley Grass – A powerful nutrient that dates back 3,000 years. Contains vitamins A,B,C,E and K, and traces of another 50 or so vitamins and minerals.
· Alfalfa Grass – While technically a legume, alfalfa has a leaf that contains tons of amino acids, calcium, magnesium and potassium as well as vitamins and chlorophyll.
· Kamut Grass – Contains more protein than wheat grass and has higher levels of minerals such as selenium, zinc and magnesium.
· Oat Grass – Rich in antioxidants due to its huge supply of chlorophyll, protein and amino acids.
· Wheat Grass – Chlorophyll is the biggest component in wheat grass, along with ample amounts of Vitamin E.
When you use powdered cereal grass, the nutrients are concentrated—more punch to the ounce. We’ve asked our Green Drink and Green Smoothie customers why they prefer liquid green.“It just makes me feel better,” they continue to say. “Hard to put a finger on it, but if I don’t have my Green Drink at least once a week, I just don’t feel well.”
Green for Life, a book that capsulizes the Green Smoothie revolution, by Victoria Boutenko, looks to the Chimpanzee diet for clues in defining optimum nutrition. “In our world,” says Boutenko, “we brought illness to the animal. Why can’t we turn that around, study the creatures closest to our DNA and learn from them?”
In researching for her book, Boutenko went to Jane Goodall and her life-long study of the Chimpanzee for both the questions and the answers. “I discovered the Chimp’s eating wheel looked something like this: half the pie was live fruit; three quarters of the remaining half was live greens (not root vegetables)—leaves, blades, flower blossoms. The rest was seeds, bark and insects. To learn that greens composed almost half their diet was a revelation to me. It led me to conclude that humans are supposed to eat far more greens than I originally thought.”
Boutenko’s observances sent her on a love affair with green that will never abate. She recommends eating two quarts of Green Drinks or Smoothies a week, mixing fruit and seeds into the VitaMix. She and her family consume a Green Smoothie once or twice a day and seldom find they crave their old way of eating. In fact, Boutenko eschews food after 6 p.m. and finds she awakes refreshed and eager to meet the day. Colleagues and friends say she looks years younger, and she certainly feels that way. Boutenko describes going on a hike with her husband after she discovered Green Drinks and began salivating as she passed the green foliage growing along the path. She knew then that she had become a convert.
“The extraordinary ability of all living organisms to repair themselves is the only power that can heal any illness,” says Boutenko, “by ingesting live food, we nurture our bodies along. And since deficiency and toxicity are the main causes of disease, it’s best if we both nourish and cleanse our bodies. For the sake of fiber and elimination, drink your Smoothies regularly.”
So, is there more life when the grass is greener? It would appear so!
What’s your favorite summer food item, and how do you prepare it?August 03, 2012
Filed under: Deli - greenacres @ 4:25 PM
Cheryl:“Our family loves bacon-wrapped asparagus and green beans. We brush with a little olive oil, salt and pepper, wrap bundles in bacon and grill. With the beans, we blanch first to soften.”
Kira: “I adore grilled fresh pineapple. I peel and core, then slice into rounds, toss in brown sugar and grill till grill marks appear. I put slices on beef burgers with gruyere cheese. Yum.”
Manu: “Organic peaches are my favorite. Just wash and eat. I love them in Greek honey-vanilla yogurt for breakfast. And I also love the ground lamb that GreenAcres carries. I mix my patties with a little mint, feta cheese, salt and pepper and toss on the grill. I serve my burgers with a yogurt/mint/cucumber sauce—just like Kevin does on the grill here. So good!”
Cate: “My dad and I love to make guacamole, so avocados are my favorite summer produce item. We put avocado, red onion, tomatoes, jalapenos, cilantro and lemon juice in a bowl and mash it up till smooth. Serve with El Milagro chips.”
Juan: “At my house, we love tomato gazpacho made just the way we make it here—with tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, bell pepper, parsley, celery, garlic, salt and pepper, a little olive oil and red wine vinegar. Ceviche is another favorite dish. I make it with tilapia, lime, cilantro, jalapenos, tomatoes and white onion. I coat it with lemon and let it sit in the refrigerator for three hours. Then I spread mashed avocado over a tostada and spoon the ceviche over it.”
Tencia:“My favorite recipe is simple—cucumbers and tomatoes tossed in sherry vinegar, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper and celery seeds. Sometimes, I put a little horseradish in it and a few crushed red peppers. Makes a very refreshing salad. I could eat it every day!”
Bonnie:“I look forward to kale’s first showing. I make a great green drink each morning with kale, fuji apples, 2 handfuls of spinach, 1/2 cucumber, juice of 1 lemon and 1T. chia seeds.”
Tien:“Strawberries! My family loves strawberries. My daughter, Tristen who is eight, makes a yummy chocolate fondu. She dips the strawberries in chocolate than puts them in the refrigerator to firm up. She’s so proud of herself when she presents them to her dad and me after dinner.”
So there you have some of our employees’ favorite dishes. We’d like to know what you like, or what you’d like to see in our deli or hot case. “Like” us on Facebook and post what you’d like to see our cooks cook!
Who says GreenAcres doesn’t have it all—especially for kids during the summer?!July 11, 2012
Filed under: Deli, Gluten Free, Natural Living - greenacres @ 4:41 PM
Start at the front door. There’s fresh fruit galore: organic peaches, pears and mangoes--sweet, juicy and delicious.
Cruise down the dairy aisle. All natural yogurts, string cheeses, CHOCOLATE AND STRAWBERRY MILK! There are tasty protein drinks, mint-flavored waters, coconut water beverages with fizz. It’s a virtual kids’ paradise.
Round about the deli and the grab ‘n’ go. Check out the “always fresh” house-made tuna and chicken salad on gluten-free or wheat berry breads. Don’t forget the salad bar for those choosey kids who love to pick through the healthy “condiments”—black olives, sliced water chestnuts, fresh strawberries, gluten free croutons, nuts, seeds…there’s so much to choose from (!)
Come through the dried snacks aisle. Just Tomatoes puts out a product that tastes just like it says: Just peaches…Just peas…Just all kinds of vegetables and fruit you can eat out of the bag. And it’s all natural. No preservatives. Nothing added.
Don’t forget the dried fruit bins—beautiful slices of fresh dried pineapple, bananas, mangoes and papaya—without any extra sugar! Check out the raw, organic trail mixes made with cashews, almonds, raisins, dried pineapple and more. Kids love to keep those in plastic baggies and stuff them into a pocket, bike rack or back pack for extra energy.
There’s really shelf after shelf of kid-friendly goodness—freshly-ground nut butters, all natural hot dogs, gluten-free fish sticks, soy free ice cream bars. We could go on forever. So, as you plan your summer menus and snack times with kids in mind, think GreenAcres. We really do have it all.
Besides the Tuna, what makes tuna salad so tasty?!May 28, 2012
Filed under: Deli, Organic - greenacres @ 2:28 PM
If you’re watching calories, please note Canola oil is the lowest of the saturated fats of all the edible vegetable oils and has a neutral taste, which means it can bind together tuna, salmon or chicken and not influence the flavor negatively. Grapeseed oil is a premium oil with a much more distinctive taste and is known for its uniquely healthful properties. Grape seeds contain powerful antioxidants which some naturopathic doctors believe help treat any number of conditions from cancer to aging skin.
But where food is involved, it’s always a matter of taste, so we invite you to ask our deli cooks which Vegenaise flavor they use in the salads you like, then take home a bottle to use in salads of your own. GreenAcres uses Vegenaise in its chicken, tuna, salmon, broccoli and cold slaw salads. Our cooks swear by the product, and recommend, since there are no preservatives in Vegenaise, you put it directly into your refrigerator so that it stays fresh for weeks.
While you’re perusing the dairy case, check out the Vegenaise tartar and horseradish sauces. Yummy as well and a staple for any grilling you might do over a weekend. Memorial Day is upon us, but GreenAcres will be open its usual hours to serve you!
Go Green!May 17, 2012
Filed under: Deli, Natural Living, Organic - greenacres @ 4:02 PM
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What’s the secret behind the Green Smoothie Revolution?
It’s becoming the rage, and the perfect way to get your daily dose of greens when you’re on the go and just can’t take time to grab a salad. Think kale, cuke, parsley, cilantro—all blended with ice to become a salad you can drink through a straw.
Now, we won’t kid you, it’s an acquired taste. If at first it’s too tart, or just not sweet enough for palates that have grown too used to sugar, you can blend peaches, apricots or bananas into your smoothie. You may have tried our fruit smoothies--and we have an excellent mocha energy drink that was invented by one of our owners--but here at GreenAcres, we sell the “Green Smoothie” more than any other drink. It has apple, avocado, spinach, cucumber and a healthy dose of fresh lime juice. Men seem to be our biggest customers.
Victoria Boutenko, author of 12 Steps to Raw Foods and her updated Green for Life, has made a life-long study of the effects of raw foods and the abundance of protein in greens. Her research shows there is a tremendous correlation between stomach acid and disease. The body that is more alkaline than acid resists disease. “There is a healing power in Chlorophyll,” says Boutenko, “It’s more important than sunlight! People are finding after a month of salad smoothies, they feel more energetic, more restored, more alive.”
It’s been said the body heals itself, but it needs a little help from the endocrine system, countless bodily substances, such as lymph, hormones, blood and more. These have to be maintained within optimal parameters to promote healing by a physiological process called homeostasis. Sounds “science-y,” but the more you know about how the body works, the more you know how to help good health along. We encourage you to check out our books on " going green" the next time you’re in our store.
Eating greens in smoothie form is assimilated so much faster than chewing a salad. We welcome you to GreenAcres to try one of our smoothies. See if it doesn’t make you want to go green!
Let Us Work for You—Made-To-Order Trays From Our Deli!December 01, 2011
Filed under: Deli - greenacres @ 1:01 PM
'Tis the season for holiday parties. And usually that means stress...and a nice big mess for your kitchen. But it doesn't have to! Let our deli work for you. We have all kinds of pre-order catering options available, including our Holiday Dinners--a fully prepared turkey dinner with all the trimmings!--catering trays, and more!
Check out our regular catering trays offered below, but don't feel wed to them. We'd be more than happy to make equivalent substitutions to make your special event to your taste and to your guests'. So don't wait, call us up today and find out how you can take advantage of all our incredible special order options!
24 Hours’ noAdditional fees apply for delivery orders. Substitutions may be made according to product availability.
Baked goods are also available for catering orders. You can either call the deli at (816) 746-0010, or print out the order form and fax it to the number provided. Additional notice is appreciated for all bakery special orders.
- Good Morning! - A breakfast “trifle”: layers of yogurt, granola, fresh fruit and/or berries surrounded by mini-muffins and breakfast breads
- Fruit Tray - Fresh seasonal fruits surrounding a brown sugar-yogurt dipping sauce. Cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon, pineapple, kiwi, strawberries, and grapes.
- Veggies & Dip - A fresh mixture of raw veggies: carrots, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumbers, tomatoes, radishes, zucchini, yellow squash, bell peppers. Choice of dipping sauce: Buttermilk Ranch, Spicy Peanut or Feta Cheese.
- Cubes & Curds - Sharp Cheddar, Smoked Gouda and Creamy Havarti Cubes and three flavors of Locally-Produced Cheese Curds.
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Meat & Cheese Tray - All Natural Sliced Meats and Fine Cheeses: Oven-Roasted Turkey, Ham and Roast Beef plus any three of the following cheeses: Swiss, Cheddar, Provolone, Monterey Jack,
Pepper Jack, Mozzarella. Includes lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles and condiments. Served with local artisan breads. - Specialty Cheese Platter - A selection of beautiful domestic and imported cheeses surrounded by fresh and dried fruits, nuts and crackers. May have a combination of Brie with cranberry-orange relish, Point Reyes Blue, Beamster, Windsor Red, Sage Derby, and Goat Cheese encrusted with pistachios.
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Baby Buns - Small artisan rolls filled with any three of the following:
- Salads: All Natural Chicken, Albacore Tuna & White Bean, Wild-Caught Salmon, Tofu No-Egg, or All-Natural Curried Chicken Salad
- Grilled Vegetables: Portobello Mushrooms & Goat Cheese with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto, Eggplant & Goat Cheese with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto, or Red Peppers and Mozzarella with Basil Pesto
- Salads - Wonderful Salads to accompany any tray, available by the pound: Pharaoh Salad, Potato Salad, Sweet and Sour Cole Slaw
