Attention: Be sure you read all the way to the end of the Raisin Rack Natural Food Market's Retailer Story! Raisin Rack Natural Food Market has customized a special offer ending June 7th you won’t want to miss!

By Marsha Bonecutter It was a wonderful day for all of us when teachers, Don and Paulette Caster decided to quit their teaching jobs to open a health food store. In 1978, the couple, only in their 20’s, opened their business in a small converted house on the corner of 39th Street and Cleveland Avenue in Canton, Ohio. An unfortunate set of circumstances led Don Caster to begin his research into nutrition. Don’s mother, who was stricken with cancer and receiving treatments, needed an alternative diet. Pure, natural and healthy foods were difficult to come by. Protein shakes and other additions to the diet of someone who was ill were not readily available in the mid to late 70’s. Don’s research expanded and evolved. He saw a need for products and education and he and Paulette decided to launch the business. “Paulette...and I set off on the venture of providing nutritional products in a one room store. Our goals were not lofty but grounded on sound health principals.”

The decision was made; plans were being implemented---now for a name! As Don and Paulette pondered name possibilities, inspiration came to Paulette, in of all places, her own livingroom! There were several art decoupage wall hangings mounted on old wooden racks used to dry raisins. The creator of the pieces had its company logo, RaisinRak, affixed to the bottom corner of the mountings. The name seemed like a natural fit. Thus, Raisin Rack was born. “The name said something natural,” Don said, “about the history of food, the natural way that food came to be. The name says something about America and what it was. Raisins are a transformation, just like our store has evolved.” The Casters are happy they decided on a name with broad appeal. “We wanted something that would work if we ever had multiple stores,” Don said. “At the time, we never knew that the business would expand.” In Westerville and Canton, the name has been embraced by thousands of satisfied customers and continues to appeal to new shoppers every day. Raisin Rack expanded to the Columbus area when Don and Paulette moved there. “In 1983, we moved to Columbus to establish another store. Today, our two stores are dramatically larger in size but remain just as focused on the basic principals that were in place in the beginning.” said Don, “ We believe in giving customers products that can make a positive impact on their health and appearance. We stock products that respect the environment and the values of our customers.”

For a time the store was located in downtown Columbus, the French Market and on Sawmill Road. These locations consolidated and in 2006, Raisin Rack moved from their previous location in Westerville just across the street to a wonderful 25,000 square foot facility. You can find them at 2545 Schrock Road in Westerville, only 15 minutes from downtown Columbus. The Canton Raisin Rack has also been upgraded and expanded to meet the growing needs of their loyal customers. Visit this location at 4629 Cleveland Avenue North Canton, Ohio Whether you choose to shop in Raisin Rack in Westerville or Raisin Rack in Canton, you will find an unparalleled selection of organic milk and dairy, organic fruits and vegetables, gluten-free foods, dried fruits and nutritional supplements—just to name a few favorites! Check out the salad bar in the Westerville location, it’s the best in town!

For 32 years Raisin Rack has made it easy for anyone to improve their quality of life. With the stores vast product selection and fair prices, Raisin Rack can fulfill all your wellness needs. “With our knowledgeable and friendly staff, we believe that we have created a unique shopping experience that you will enjoy. Nothing is more important than your satisfaction!” Thank you, Don and Paulette Caster for making your life’s work a blessing for us all! To quote Don Caster in a recent Canton Repository article: Steps to improve your diet 1. Go organic as possible. Start with milk and other dairy products. 2. Eat fruit, not fruit juice. 3. Get more fiber. Try for 20 to 25 grams a day. 4. Take a whole food-based multiple vitamin. 5. Drink black or green tea (not decaffeinated) to help your liver function properly. 6. Drink lots of water.

*******Raisin Rack Natural Food Market Special Offers*******

25% Off All Berlin Natural Bakery Breads and Pizza Crusts

Take advantage of this special offer today by saying to the cashier “I saw the retailer story on Raisin Rack Natural Food Market at Berlin Natural Bakery’s Website and would like to take advantage of the discount on my purchase of the [bread/pizza crusts]” Special Offer Expires June 7, 2010.

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We’ve had a very interesting spring here in the Ohio Valley. It started with record high temperatures in March, and progressed into an indecisive April. Always wavering on whether to remain cold, shift into warm or advance right on into hot. Take today for example. Temperatures this morning when we awoke were in the mid 30’s, but by the end of the day, they will be in the lower to mid 70’s! Although amazing….a 30 to 35 degree temperature increase within a 6 hour time frame is not unusual for us at this time of year. Talk about making it interesting in knowing what to wear! This morning I put on the Capri’s I planned to wear to work, but then added socks, tennis shoes, a hooded sweatshirt and a coat to wear in order to first take our little dog Woodrow to the park. I looked ridiculous but thank goodness no one else was at the park at that time! I must admit though, that it is such a marvelous feeling when you walk outside later in the afternoon and the brilliance and warmth of the sunshine overwhelms you. Truly one of those “ahhhhh” moments! With the arrival of the warm weather, so also arrive thoughts of summer picnics and family reunions. The recipe I am sharing this time is a dish that my mom usually makes every year for our Moser family reunion. It is definitely always a hit and quickly gone. It has no fancy name, but the name itself pretty well describes the dish. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that mom just named it herself. May you have a wonderful summer surrounded by family and friends with much laughter, making great memories. Until next time…..Happy Baking.

Chicken in Dressing Crust

Crust: 1 – 8 oz herb seasoned dressing/stuffing mix (I used half a loaf of Berlin Natural Bakery White Spelt bread, cut into cubes and seasoned with 2 tsp parsley, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp garlic salt, and 1/4 tsp of sage. You could add other seasonings such as poultry seasoning too, but I personally prefer less seasonings). ¾ cup chicken broth 1/3 cup melted butter 1 egg beaten. Mix together and place in the bottom of a 10” pie pan. * Filling: 1 - 4 oz can mushrooms 1 ½ tsp. salt (or to taste) 2 tsp. Flour 2 Tbsp. diced pimento (optional) ½ onion, chopped 1 Tbsp. Parsley flakes 1 Tbsp. Butter 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce 3 cups cubed chicken or turkey ½ tsp. dried thyme 1 cup peas ½ tsp garlic salt 1 cup carrots, chopped 4 slices American cheese or cheddar or cheese of your choice ½ tsp black pepper 1 – 10 ½ oz can chicken gravy or cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup Drain mushrooms, reserving the liquid. Mix mushroom liquid with flour. Sauté mushrooms and onion in butter. If using raw carrots, cook slightly before adding. Add all ingredients to the mushroom/onion mixture except the cheese. Cook and stir well until slightly thickened. Turn into crust. Bake at 375 F until bubbly (approx 45 minutes). Add cheese to top of casserole and bake another 5 minutes until cheese is melted. * You may want to double this recipe and put it in a bigger casserole dish…something like a 9”x13” pan. (A couple notes: I stewed a whole chicken {which was enough for a double recipe} and used the broth from it for both the crust and in place of the can of gravy or soup. After sautéing the onions and mushrooms in the butter, I added 1 ½ cups of chicken broth to the pan and brought it all to a boil. I added 2 Tbsp flour to the mushroom liquid instead of 2 Tsp. and mixed well. Once the broth was boiling I added the flour mixture to the broth, stirring constantly and basically made“homemade” gravy. Then I added everything else according to the recipe and poured it into the crust. If you use fresh mushrooms, just add the flour to water…2 Tbsp flour added to ½ cup water).

By:  Joy Schrock - President Why do I have a wheat allergy? Isn't spelt wheat? If I have a wheat allergy why can I eat spelt? I constantly hear these same questions over and over and over again.  I guess the fact that I own a bakery that produces products in the wheat alternative niche appears by some standards to make me a bit of an expert.

Unfortunately, I am not an expert when it comes to this dreaded condition.  As far as I'm concerned, no one has really conquered the issue.  I've never read an article or a research document that I thought "gee, they finally figured it out...problem solved!"  Instead I am left feeling quite the opposite. 

Every article I read just leads to more and more questions.  It is so frustrating.  I am sure you can all relate. No one that knows me would argue the fact that I am a total research and information junkie.  I have this never ending need to understand things and how they work together in the big picture. 

The thing that really bothers me about wheat related illnesses is that everyone is focusing on diagnosing and treatment.  No doubt that's hugely important.   But I want to know more than how to diagnose it and treat it.  I want to know what is causing it.

As far as testing for it goes, why is it so difficult?  The last several months I've been hearing stories from people that are being tested positively for wheat allergies that have never even suffered any symptoms.  What is that about?  I believe it is being referred to as a false positive. 

Once you are finally properly diagnosed you have one option for treatment.  Quit eating any foods that contain wheat.  Oh, OK, that sounds easy enough...until you start reading ingredient labels.  Now you realize that this is a much bigger problem then what you originally thought.  For adults it's tough enough, but for children it is downright heart breaking.

It's very interesting to me that the diagnosis is always referred to in some way as "wheat" itself being the culprit.  Even the new allergen labeling laws that were put into place to protect those with celiac disease from products that contain gluten, instead chose to have the words "contains wheat" on the label.  Very interesting indeed. Over the years the only real conclusion that I've been able to come up with and why this issue is so difficult...is because there are many contributing factors that must be taken into consideration.  No doubt, avoiding any and all "wheat" products solves all of them.  It's much easier to tell people to avoid wheat for life, then it is to try to educate them regarding the various growing, processing, storing, milling and baking techniques that could aggravate the condition...and perhaps even be the cause of it.

Over the next several weeks , I will be writing a series of articles that contain information that most companies don't want you to know.  Why?  Because when you become educated you just might hold them to a higher standard. These articles will be focusing on what I believe are the top contributing factors of the rapidly increasing food/wheat related illnesses and allergies America is facing.

What will make this series a bit unique is that they will be written from a manufacturers viewpoint.  Initially the information was gathered while we were evaluating every step of production...from seed to sandwich.  That was how it started...but it sure didn't end there.  Research and ongoing education are just a way of life for us now.  Not just because we are manufacturers, but also because we are consumers...just like you.

Listed below are the articles that will be posted over the next several weeks.

1)  Two slices of bread please: hold the bran and hold the germ.   How we became a nation of white bread eaters.

2) What happens during the milling process of grains and how improper storage of grain and flour can negatively affect your health.

3)  Genetically modified foods...what we don't know, what we do know and why you need to care and get involved NOW.

4)  Beware of additives, preservatives, chemicals, fads, trends and most importantly savvy marketing.

To ensure that you don't miss any of these articles be sure to get blog updates by putting your e-mail address in the box in the top right corner of this blog and pushing the "Get Blog Updates" button. You will be sent each article as it is published from here on out after you confirm your subscription.

Also one more thing to share with you that will also help you... In an effort to create a support group we have also set up a new page on Facebook called "Wheat Allergy Awareness".  We will post articles that are related to helping to improve the quality of peoples lives that suffer from wheat related issues. 

We hope you become a fan and share your stories with the others in the group.  The articles we post won't just be our own and I'm sure some will be very controversial.  We want all view points to be discussed freely.  We believe that we can learn so much from you and hope you'll take the time to join.

Wishing you all the best of health,

Berlin Natural Bakery

Attention: Be sure you read all the way to the end of the Chestertown Natural Foods Retailer Story! Chestertown Natural Foods has customized a special offer for June 2010 that ends on the 6th!

By: Marsha Bonecutter Trish Gruber, owner of Chestertown Natural Foods in Chestertown Maryland, discovered her life’s passion at an early age. A family friend worked at a local park as an Interpretive Naturalist and took 12 year old Trish along on a nature walk. Trish was hooked. She began “learning the ropes” and to identify plants, birds and wildlife. Soon she was conducting her own walks and continued to work at the park every summer until age 17. Trish was born in the beautiful rolling hills of Pennsylvania, but chose West Virginia University at Morgantown for college, because they offered courses specifically for a career as an Interpretive Naturalist. While in college, Trish met her husband, Jim. “Part of the marriage agreement was that I’d move to Chestertown (Jim’s hometown),” laughs Trish. “It was a very big adjustment leaving my beloved hills of Pennsylvania for the flat Maryland farmland, but while there were no hills, the beautiful Maryland sky made up for it.”

Another difficult aspect of her adjustment was due to allergies. Food sensitivities made it impossible for Trish to shop at regular grocery stores. To add to the dilemma, the closest health food store was almost an hour away, making it very inconvenient for weekly shopping. As the saying goes, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going”. Trish did exactly that—she “got going” organizing a natural foods buying club in 1989. “I figured, if I was having this problem, there must be others”, said Trish, “so I put an ad in the local paper to find members.” Trish found a distributor who would deliver to their small rural area and the membership grew. The group met and placed their orders once a month and a team would meet the truck and fill the orders. As time passed, more and more of the work was being done by fewer and fewer people, until Trish was running the buying club by herself. “I gave the members a choice to either promise me reliable help, or let me take it over as a business.” They were more than happy to let Trish do that, and Chestertown Natural Foods opened its doors on June 19th, 1993. For three years the store flourished in their small first location, until “growing pains” compelled the move to their second store at 214 Cannon Street where they remained for 10 years. In January 2007, Trish “packed up” and moved just up the street to 303 Cannon Street, where you can find them today. “We made the entire move in 4 ½ days over the New Year’s holiday.” says Trish. “We didn’t want to be closed for an extended time, so we wrapped our fully stocked shelves in plastic pallet wrap and just rolled them up the street!” The old building was a blank slate and Trish was able to choose the entire decor and of course, she chose all “earth friendly” materials. Chestertown Natural Foods now employees 10 people in their 2,300 square foot facility.

One can find a vast array of natural products on the shelves at Chestertown Natural Foods. From fresh organic produce, Greek yogurt, the entire line of New Chapter supplements, (Trish’s favorite), to Berlin Natural Bakery Sprouted Biblical Bread, (also a favorite), you can certainly find everything you need to live a healthy lifestyle. “We will do everything we can to help you find the tools you seek to create wellness and we will do it with honesty and integrity.” promises Trish. The deep love of nature and our planet that Trish has nurtured since childhood has served her well over the years. Her background in environmental education and naturalist teaching has helped many people create wellness in their lives. “The health of ourselves and the health of the planet comes down to one simple thing—the food we choose to put in our mouths; how and where that food is grown and how it’s processed. I wanted to share that knowledge with others and then provide them with products that were a better choice for them and the planet.”

*******Chestertown Natural Foods Special Offers*******

Berlin Natural Bakery Product Specials at Chestertown Natural Foods 20% off on White Spelt Bread 20% off Sprouted Biblical Spelt Bread 20% off Amish Country White Spelt Noodles. Take advantage of these offers today by saying to the cashier “I saw the retailer story on Chestertown Natural Foods at Berlin Natural Bakery’s Website and would like to take advantage of the discount on my [Bread/Noodles]” Special Offer Expires June 6, 2010.

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By: Cindy Widder, Berlin Natural Bakery General Manager In our busy lives, there’s just something so welcoming when the opportunity arises to have a weekend free, or a special get together with friends and family. The recipe I’m sharing this time enhances that warm and cozy feeling that such times can bring. This recipe a layered, savory breakfast strata that is made ahead of time and is the perfect weekend brunch or can be used for any meal of the day. Strata is Italian for a baked egg and bread layered casserole and can be filled with meat, cheeses, and/or vegetables. The recipe has all of the above. Instead of spending a lot of time in the kitchen, you just stick this hearty casserole into the oven and get back to relaxing, reading a great book or spending time with your loved ones.

Hearty Farmer's Strata

Ingredients: 1 pound sliced bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces 2 cups chopped fully cooked ham 1 small onion, chopped 10 slices Berlin Natural Bakery Spelt Bread (any variety) 1 cup cubed cooked potatoes (Can used frozen hash browns that have thawed) 3 cups (12 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese 8 eggs 3 cups milk 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon ground mustard Salt and Pepper to taste Directions: In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp; add ham and onion. Cook and stir until onion is tender; drain. In a greased 13-in x 9-in baking dish, layer half the bread cubes, potatoes and cheese. Top with all of the bacon mixture. Repeat layers of bread, potatoes and cheese. In a large bowl, beat the eggs; add the milk, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt and pepper. Pour over all. Cover and chill overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake, uncovered, at 325 degrees, for 65-70 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Yield: 16 servings. That’s it…..simple and delicious. Until next time…..Happy Baking!!