We're having a heat wave. A tropical heat wave. The temperature's rising it isn't surprising...
Of course it isn't surprising; it's summer! And boy did it ever arrive here on southern Vancouver Island yesterday! Temperatures are soaring and records are falling. Of course, the weather made for a wonderfully sunny Father's Day. Today, however, is National Indigenous Peoples Day, where we recognize the achievements (and there are many), heritage, diversity and cultures of our First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. It's part of the Celebrate Canada program which also includes Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day (June 24), Canadian Multiculturalism Day (June 27) and Canada Day (July 1).
This week's Employee Recognition goes to our Deli Department's own Tara, the Assistant Manager! For over 11 years, Tara has been creating delicious sandwiches, platters and loads of other good stuff that you'll find in her department! But her creativity isn't just limited to the kitchen. No, Tara is a very talented artist. You can see for yourself her artistic flair with a paintbrush by checking out her work on Instagram at @tara_fisher_art. And when she's not in the studio, she can be found exploring this beautiful island of ours with her husband, Len, and their sweet doggos! Thank you, Tara, for all that you do for Pepper's!
Beat this heat with three new varieties of ice cream from Breyers! Choose from Creamsicle, Revello or Fudgsicle! Now you can enjoy your favourite ice cream novelties without the wooden stick! And in much larger quantiities! Life is short; eat ice cream!
Just a little further over in the frozen food section you'll find these new Belmont Meats Purely Crafted Grass Fed Burgers! With only a few simple ingredients and no fillers, allergens, artificial colours or flavours, you get a high protein tasty burger that grills up in no time and is sure to satisfy everyone at the dinner table!
Maybe it's just too hot to cook so you're thinking something more along the lines of a charcuterie board or antipasto plate. If so, our Deli Department has three new Italian cured meats just for you! Preferisco Bresaola is an air dried cured beef (top round) that is lean and tender. In Italy, it is most commonly served and eaten with drizzled olive oil and lemon juice or balsamic vinegar, and served with rocket (arugula) salad, cracked black pepper, and fresh parmesan cheese.
Another salami variety is Preferisco Salame Al Finoccio, a pork salami containing fennel. It originated in Tuscany during the Renaissance when the key ingredient of standard salami, black pepper, was scarce.
The taste of Tuscany continues with Preferisco Salami Toscano. Taste Atlas describes it best: Salami Toscano is a traditional Italian salami hailing from Tuscany. It's produced with pork's ham, shoulder, lean belly, lard, and spices. The meat is ground and the lard is mixed with salt. The two are combined with spices, then stuffed into natural or synthetic casings. The salami is dried and well seasoned for at least 4 months before it's sold or consumed. Salami Toscano has an intense flavour of spices and meat, and the cross-section reveals a nice distribution of lean meat and fat. It's recommended to serve it thinly sliced with cheese, wine, and bread.
We recently told you about some Spanish Sheep Cheeses from Spagnia and they proved so popular that Dora brought in another flavour! Spagnia Sheep Cheese with Truffle. The classic nutty flavour of this cheese combines with the slightly pungent, earthiness of black truffle to form an outstanding cheese you'll be proud to serve!
An excellent, high quality cheese for grating or shaving is Italissima Parmigiano Reggiano! Another great Italian import, it's made only with cow's milk, salt and rennet in the traditional manner and aged from between 12-36 months.
Sam, our Dairy Manager, has been busy bringing in several excellent items to his department. Earth Island Avocado Oil Vegenaise is a dressing and sandwich spread made from oil extracted from ripe avocados that's gluten, soy and egg-free as well as being vegan!
if we told you that you could purchase a product that tastes, cooks and bakes like butter and replaces butter 1:1 but is dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan, contains 25% less saturated fat than butter and freezes well, would you believe us? The better question is, would you try it? Because finally, a plant-based butter alternative that you'll actually want to eat is here! Becel Unsalted Plant-Based Spread has arrived! Swap out for regular butter for a healthier alternative without sacrificing anything else. It's better than butter!
Why not saunter up to Nature's Bakery and get yourself a satisfying Fig Bar in either Original Fig or Blueberry? Pick up a box of these awesome new snacks and you'll immediately notice how heavy it is! Real fruit and whole grains join forces to create a sweet (but not too sweet) wholesome snack (they don't contain any glucose-fructose) that will fuel you up and keep you going! Look for these in Aisle 1 with the cookies.
In Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and southern Brazil, Yerba Mate is consumed equally, if not more than coffee. It supposedly increases energy and mental clarity without the caffeine crash, jitters, heartburn or other negative effects associated with caffeine. So if you're looking for a natural way to boost energy and you want to stay cool, Mateina Yerba Mate Energy Infusion is a slightly sweetened, non-carbonated beverage that fits the bill. Our cold beverage cooler sees a lot of traffic this time of year but that's where you'll need to go to find these organic and fairly-traded thirst quenchers!
That's a wrap for another week, folks. Remember, in this heat, it's important to take some precautions to avoid heat exhaustion or heat stroke, two very serious conditions. Stay hydrated: drink plenty of water, even if you don't feel thirsty. Reduce your exercise intensity: don't push yourself too hard. Wear sunscreen, wear light coloured clothing and stay out of the sun during the hottest part of the day. So please, stay safe and continue to take good care!