Tuesday, May 25, 2010

NEW WEBSITE!!??
CHECK OUT OUR UPDATED NATURESGARDEN website and be sure to check out the VIBRANT LIFE WEBSITE as well! Everything can be found right on the home page of our website! Thank you Sue, our awesome webdesigner, Thank you Jenna for the new banners and cool pics, and for all our amazing children for making dinner often so we could get all our businesses pulled together on one site. IT LOOKS AMAZING!!! We are sooooo excited for the future!!! Become a fan of Natures Garden on FACEBOOK!

CLASS:TASTY Grilling....with a Conscience!
It is that time again, the best time of the year for many of us. Come taste the amazing flavors available from your grill with our tasty class. Try a variety of vegetables, salmon, citrus chicken, marinated veggies and corn on our grill. Don from Prairie View Carpentry will be grilling and you WON'T be disappointed! Learn quick marinades, tricks and enjoy a delicious evening with us at Nature's Garden! YUMMMM starts at 7:00 PM

PLANTS & SEEDS:
What does Memorial Day have in common with your green thumb? Coming to Natures Garden Health Center to purchase the rest of your plants and seeds!!! Get them TODAY! Seeds from last year on SALE, and the plants outside our store are yelling at us to be planted!! Have fun with your gardens everyone!

HORTICULTURIST NEEDED:Our friend Dee has a beautiful organic farm near West Bend and is looking for new help! Please give her a call either between 7-8am or 7-8pm at 262-675-0190 if interested! She is looking for someone to live on the property on a new efficiency apartment. This can be for a single person or a couple. Apartment comes with the use of an attached sunroom, heat, water, fresh food grown by the team, use of 5+ acres, sheds, rototiller, tools, 1-acre deer fence with 1000 lin. of trellis area, pond, 5000 gal of rain barrels etc...Must work 5 days a week with your knowledge of planting vegetables, herbs, seed propagation & saving, biointensive methods, marketing, root cellaring, season extensions etc...year 1: small upfront volunteer contribution request for farm establishment overhead, with profit split...Year 2: profit split that increases through sales! This start up mini-farm will be doing either on or off-premise sales! You will be living on a BEAUTIFUL, peaceful Wisconsin property so CALL TODAY as they are looking to hire someone immediately. Man this sounds like a great opportunity!

RAW BARS:THEY ARE IN! Raw Green Superfood Bar, Raw Goji Berry and Maca Bar, Raw Nutty Chocolate Bar, Raw Chocolate Coconut Bar, and Raw Pumpkin Fruit and Nut Bar! THEY TASTE GREAT!!!! CHECK OUT THE INGREDIENTS when you buy them!!! THESE bars are "Living Fuel for Your Living Body!" LABELS ARE A KICK! Come get yours today! So filling! So delicious! Boy, do we have fun in the kitchen!

FRESH FRUIT:As summer is now HERE this means we have some new organic FRUITS! Come in and get them while they're fresh: Nectarines, White Peaches, D'anjon Pears, Red Pears, Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Kiwis, Kumquats, Mangos, Clementine’s, Navel Oranges, Grapefruits, Pineapple, Bananas and Apples: Granny Smith, Gala, Pink lady, Cameo & Braeburn! YUMMY Our happy large family made two (gotta have extra….) delicious pans of organic Rhubarb Cobbler this past weekend! YUM What a way to celebrate the summer!

AIR CONDITIONING: YES! We have it, so don't be afraid to come out to our country store! Our children LOVE working in the store during the summer...wonder why?

BAGS:We are running out of plastic bags! Thanks to ALL who have donated them in the past. We ALWAYS will take them and use them for your groceries.

MEMORIAL DAY:YES WE WILL BE OPEN MEMORIAL DAY! Come get your grocery needs! Brats? Beef Hot Dogs? Organic Beer? Raw Dehydrated Burgers? Come on...we are in Wisconsin and its Parade Day! THANK YOU TO OUR VETERANS AND US TROOPS. Freedom is not free.

New York City:
So what else do you do when you have nothing going on?? That's right, book a ticket to NYC! One of our family friends is a senior in high school and made it to nationals for her opera singing and will be competing in Times Square! That was the straw on the camel’s back because my brother, who is an AMAZING production manager for an off Broadway theatre, is in charge of building his company's NEW 5 Theater complex under a NEW hotel building right off Times Square! PLUS I have 1 little NYC nephew who is literally pulling my heart strings when he says "Hi aunty Karen" on the phone!! Jenna (my daughter and tour guide) is coming along (no way she would let me go alone) as we venture to the big big city. As Jenna lived in NY, she loves the busy streets and has the friend hookups so we are staying in NY for FREE! Love having kids...it's fun! I won't let go of her camera bag though...I might get lost and I know she won’t let go of that! HAVE A GREAT week everyone, see you soon!

Monday, May 17, 2010

NEW PRODUCTS

Calimyrna FIGS! These babies are great! Try adding a few to your green drink with some vanilla and cinnamon….YUM!, NEW maple Syrup! You will love the local flavor and the GREAT local price!, NEW raw coconut that saves you MONEY and tastes great! I have been working with a newer company and we just brought this in…..BEST price and BEST flavor….see for yourself!. NEW teas that we bag: Sassafras, memory, blues, chamomile and red raspberry – it’s loose so grab the infuser!, APRICOT Kernels! These are known throughout the health world as natures chemotherapy, a new product line called: Stops Acid Reflux and Stops Leg Cramps – WONDERFUL Amish recipes in a bottle, Maca Powder, Italian Dressing base (made salt free by master herbalist Chris himself…my favorite Italian dressing), Creole Seasoning - salt free as well, and look for our two new tinctures from Chris – Blood Circulation and Glandular System. Our new Herbals Calcium is GREAT as well, we give it to the family every day, and we will have 4 oz refills available soon! And guess what! We found Organic Evaporated Cane Juice– the best sugar out there, for you in bulk! Not bagged yet…but will be this week!

NEW size Granola Bars

We made our granola bars back to the way we did when we first started…square and ¼ more per bar! ENJOY!

LARGE KRAUTS

Our 24 oz krauts will be available as soon as the labels are done. Check out this price point: $11.95 – now can you find a better price for organic raw nourishing kraut anywhere else? YEAH! With the feedback on our new veggie krauts, we will have those available within a couple weeks. THEY WERE GREAT! (well they still are….but not enough to share!)

PLANTS for SALE!

We brought in a great variety of organic heirloom veggies and herbs – so please enjoy! We are selling them for $1.99 a pot (some are $3.25 – but they are HUGE) so don’t wait too long! (if you do, they will all end up in our garden! YEAH!)

WEDDING SEASON

The wedding season is upon us. If you come on a Friday or Saturday and see an outdoor wedding…don’t worry! Just pull in to the front of the store. We always leave parking open in front of the store for our health food customers….so come on in!

Monday, May 10, 2010

Retreat Retreat!

Now, that doesn’t mean run away…..It means COME! We have scheduled five Vibrant Life! Rejuvenating Retreats. We have three day (two night), five day (four night), and seven day (six night) retreats that are ALL designed to put YOU back in charge of your optimum health! These full retreats will teach a variety of subjects on raw food preparation, healthy eating, cleansing, and holistic health. During the longer retreats you will not only enjoy massage, reflexology, muscle response testing and yoga, you will learn how to do it all yourself! Heck, being a mom and a conservative woman, I look at money and want to learn all I can so I can help my own family. THIS is an opportune time to learn from local certified professionals these life promoting techniques, so you can care for yourself and your family. We will have detailed handouts about these retreats soon, but I could not wait to share the dates with you! Please let us know if you are interested in signing up for one of the retreats. The retreats do have a participant limit, so call us soon! The dates, locations, and fees are as follows:

Monday June 14th – Saturday June 19th Cedar Valley Retreat Center Log Home www.cedarvalleycenter.org cost $ 989.00
Thursday June 17th – Saturday June 19th Cedar Valley Retreat Center www.cedarvalleycenter.org cost $ 395.00
Thursday July 22nd – Saturday July 24th Shalom House Retreat Center www.aquietplacetobe.com Cost $395.00
Monday August 23rd – Friday August 27th Cedar Valley Retreat Center Log Home www.cedarvalleycenter.org cost $ 798.00
Thursday September 16th – Saturday September 18th Shalom House Retreat Center www.aquietplacetobe.com Cost $395.00
Monday November 1st – Saturday November 6th Cedar Valley Retreat Center Log Home www.cedarvalleycenter.org Cost $989.00
Thursday November 4th – Saturday November 6th Cedar Valley Retreat Center www.cedarvalleycenter.org Cost $395.00

All retreats will end with a FANTASTIC dinner and the very special individual “paper plate” award ceremony. (Sorry, can’t disclose any information on that secret award ceremony….for participants only!) Guests will be welcome to join us for dinner and entertainment (ok, the paper plate ceremony IS very entertaining…) for just $26.95.

Comment Box RIGHT here!

For the new Vibrant Life! Expo website we need YOUR comments! You do not need to include a last name, so please consider responding to this newsletter with a comment on your experience at the Expo. We need both participant and vendor comments, so please send them no matter who you are! PLEASE!! Thank you!! (By the way, we also booked the Waukesha Expo Center for March 18th. Vibrant Life is coming to you! Looking at Fox Valley area and Madison now…..) Please Email comments to naturesgarden@nconnect.net

Computer Savvy?

We need someone to help us put together our shopping cart. Is there anyone out there who has done this? We have looked at so many options, and they are all a bit overwhelming….and time is not available to learn all the details of each opportunity to choose one or the other. SO if you can help, please let us know!

DEHYDRATOR SALE!

Until Thursday we are holding our DEHYDRATOR sale! ALL prices include shipping:
4 tray starter unit – black 108.95
5 tray economy- black 155.00
9 tray family - black 179.00
5 tray heavy duty - black or white 180.00
9 tray heavy duty –black or white 218.00

Check out the prices and more detailed info on all of our main appliances and products at our store! We have new handouts~!

STARTER Organic Vegetable and Herb Plants for Sale!

This week we are bringing in all of the vegetable and herb plants that we had especially grown for us! You will LOVE them up! Emily and Eva both own organic small farms, and were wonderful in helping us this year. Each summer we are happy to sell products from both of their farms as well as my good friend Chuck with Full Harvest Farms (never had better lettuce yet, have we!?). I am very glad that these three farmers have gone to the extents they have in becoming inspected, approved, and educated ….and in Chuck’s case certified as organic farmers. THANK YOU! Here is what is coming, please EMAIL an order to us if you want some of the following organic heirloom plants reserved in your name:
Eggplants:
Florida Highbush: Vigorous upright well-branched plants. Large purple fruits with pure-white flesh are held high off the ground. Disease & drought resistant, hardy & ever bearing. 76-80 days from transplant.
Pingtung Long: Dark lavender, slender fruits up to 12" long & just slightly more than 1" in diameter. Hardy, vigorous plants are disease resistant. 65-75 days from transplant.
Casper: White variety can be used for fresh eating in early summer. Compact plants produce snow-white 6" x 2" diameter fruits with mild flesh. Peeling is not necessary if eaten when small. 70 days from transplant.
Tomatoes:
Amish Paste: 6-8 oz red fruits that are oxheart to tear-drop shaped. Meaty fruits are juicy, good for sauce or fresh eating. Indeterminate. 85 day from transplant.
Wisconsin 55: Good all-purpose tomato, great for canning. 5-8 oz fruits. Indeterminate. 80 days from transplant.
Nebraska Wedding: 3-4" round fruits with shiny orange skin & orange flesh, very meaty. Produces fruits in clusters, good yields. Plants require staking, but typically are less that 36" tall. Determinate. 85-90 days from transplant.

Red Brandywine: 8-12 oz. fruits. Deep red in color. Indeterminate, 80 days from transplant.
Mexico Midget: Very prolific plants continue producing throughout entire growing season. Hundreds of 1/2" fruits, riche tomato flavor. Indeterminate, 60 - 70 days from transplant.
Blondkopfchen: (a.k.a. Little Blonde Girl) Small golden-yellow 1" fruits with excellent sweet taste. Fruits are borne in giant clusters, enormous yields. Bears until frost. Indeterminate, 75-80 days from transplant.
Peppers:
Red Habanero: Caribbean favorite reportedly 15-2- times hotter than jalapenos. Plants 36: tall & produce enormous amounts of fruits. 90-100 days from transplant.
Beaver Dam: Crunchy fruits are mildly hot when seeded (3 out of 5 in hotness.) Larger fruits. 80 days from transplant.
King of the North: Best bell pepper for northern gardeners where seasons are cool & short. Blocky fruits with sweet flavor. 70 days from transplant.
Chervena Chushka: Bulgarian heirloom traditionally used for roasting, but also a great sweet pepper. Flesh is bright-red a & very sweet, almost candy-like. Tapered fruits are 2" at the shoulder by 6" long, ripen from green to brown to red. 85 days from transplant.
Aji Cristal: 1" by 3 1/2" fruits on large 3' plants. Waxy fruits ripen light green to yellow to light reddish-orange. Excellent hot citrus flavor is best when immature, great for salsa (especially green sauce.) 90 days from transplant. (4 out of 5 in hotness.)
Celery, Red leaf lettuce and Green Leaf lettuce
Herbs:
Flat Parsley, Borage, Yarrow – white, German Chamomile, Chervil, Lemon Balm, St. Johns wort, Greek Oregano, Feverfew, Lovage, Sage ( culinary), Anise Hyssop, Catmint, Basil and Epazote: Fresh leaves are ground or crushed for seasoning corn, beans (often black beans) & sauces used in Mexican dishes. Medicinal: A strong tea rubbed on the skin repels insects & reduces irritation from insect bites. Also helps reduce flatulence from beans & relieves indigestion.

Upcoming Classes:

This Thursday: The RAW kitchen! Learn how to set up and use your raw kitchen to the MAX! This is GREAT class for anyone just entering our world of living foods. You can be a person who eats 10% - 90% raw foods and still learn something new so COME! This class will be taught by Cassie and Chad, as I will be at West Bend Mutual Insurance Company giving the Living with Energy presentation….do you think I need to behave in an insurance building?  nahhh

The Third Tuesday – May 18th is our Living with Energy Class! Join us for an entertaining look at YOUR body! Bring friends, family, foes, it doesn’t matter just COME learn why FOOD Matters!

Photography BOOT CAMP

As many of you know, we have a few children…..ok, more than a few… and here on this exciting newsblast you often get to here about them! Well what do you expect? We are a family business you know! Jenna our oldest daughter has been taking pictures professionally since she was 16. She is an amazing photographer and you can see that for yourself at www.jennajuliane.com. She has been allover the country taking seminars and working with the top photographers in the world. You will see that quality and art in her work. As her passion grows she wants to share it so here you go! YOU get to come and tap her amazing brain in her five hour “Ultimate Photography Training Seminar” BOOT camp July 17th 3:0 Pm – 8:00 pm for only $59.00! Ya HOOOO! (I am coming because I can’t shoot anything! Do I need to pay????)

Check out her website www.jennajulianne.com for details and invite your friends or ANYONE who wants to improve their photography skills. She may be our daughter….. but she is AMAZING!

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Class Tonight! Milwaukee EXPO

DEHYDRATOR CLASS TONIGHT!

We needed to change our class tonight due to circumstances beyond our control but….you will LOVE our substitute! Tonight we will take you into the world of dehydration…….food dehydration that is! And we will keep it RAW! Everything you taste and learn to make will be under 108 and contain all living ingredients…….yum yum yum.
Come make fruit leather, breads, crackers, bars and just plain dried fruit with us! This will be a tasty class; so come with excited taste buds! We will also be offering the Excalibur Dehydrators on SALE through Saturday. Class starts at 7 pm and costs $15.00…..see you then!

Vibrant Life Health Expo in MILWAUKEE!

Mark your calendars and get ready for another AWESOME expo! October 23rd 2010 we rented the Wisconsin Expo Center at the State Fair Park Grounds…isn’t that great! This next 12 months will be hopping, watch for the Vibrant Life Expos to come to Waukesha in March 2011, Washington County Fair Park Grounds April 8th & 9th 2011 and then off to Madison in May!

Garden Play

Many of you have inquired into helping with the wedding gardens this spring. Well we are busy at work weeding, planting, and grooming so if you want to work or volunteer, let us know! We are looking for help this week and next week. We will be re-lining the pond as well as building new benches so there is MUCH to do! Call us at 262-629-4300.

Natures Garden HEALTH CENTER – just got BUSIER!

Because we have been swamped lately organizing retreats, Expos, and helping dozens of new people each week we have made a few changes. We moved the main offices, so we can actually get work done during the day! If you want to set up an appointment to meet with Karen, please do so. But in order to keep sanity in my family (I am Karen by the way…the one who writes all the infiltrating emails), and continue to be a good mother (soccer games, concerts, laundry, good meals, college boxes and date nights) I need to keep my time at work controlled. What does this mean to you? Well not much I suppose, except that when you call our office you will most likely not be able to speak to me. PLEASE speak with Rita and Sheri. They are wonderful! Just as me, they can only offer their opinions to you. HOWEVER I will return calls if there is something of importance that cannot be handled by the other ladies and that great gentleman (my husband) in the store! Please know you can always set up a consultation to meet together. As of right now, we have doctors referring people here to move to the raw diet as well as many of you bringing your friends and family, so the only way to help everyone is to be able to have more one on one time with them. Thus a consultation is the best answer! PLUS we will always have the Living with Energy class the third Tuesday of each month! Please try to remember that although I may try to do more than humanly possible, I am one person, and our family needs to be our first priority! GLAD they are as interested in all this health stuff as we are! We sure make a great team!

NOTE: we are up to a lot of exciting things right now….so if you hear from others some tidbits, they may just be true! MUCH TO share with you soon!