Whole Foods, Revisited & A Giveaway

Before Thanksgiving, I had the opportunity to visit a Whole Foods Store in Tempe AZ and was able to spend some time with one of their chefs.  She suggested some new recipes (although we all decided we did NOT like beets, we did like her take on mashed potatoes!) and was very helpful.

When Lydia and I arrived at the store, she looked up at the sign -- and said "Hey!  Top Chef!!"  Yes, I'm a reality TV junkie and my daughter's favorite shows are "cooking shows"  On Top Chef, they often do their shopping at Whole Foods, so she recognized their logo.  She was excited about meeting a Top Chef, and was slightly confused when she didn't recognize Bethany :)

One thing that really struck me during our visit was how friendly and helpful ALL of the staff was. As we moved through the store, I noticed various associates offering help to customers.  Everyone I saw seemed to genuinely like their job, and was eager to provide help, advice or information.

Associates were ready to provide samples, and genuinely wanted to make sure customers were purchasing something they would enjoy.  When we asked for a recommendation for wine, Dave asked us our price range, then pulled out a bottle that was in our price range that he felt would be perfect.  We were able to try a sample, and had to agree that it was delicious!  I also appreciated the chance to try the pricey cheese before we purchased it.

The Whole Foods website is also full of helpful information and recipes.   There are thousands of delicious-looking recipes to try, and you can sign up for a Recipes newsletter to always get the latest recipe.  I also like that they split up the recipes into different categories like "Cooking with Kids", "Gifts" and "Quick and Easy."  They even have almost one thousand gluten-free recipes listed!

One thing that Bethany did mention was that people sometimes refer to Whole Foods as "Whole Paycheck"  While there are plenty of items that could eat up a food budget (plenty of yummy, delicious items I'd like to add!) there are also plenty of competitively priced items.  Choosing from the Whole Foods 365 brand for things like butter, canned goods, and other staples won't cost you any more than traditional grocery stores.

Whole Foods would like to give one of my readers a $10 gift certificate to spend at one of their stores.  If you have one near you and want to pick up some goodies for the holiday season, check out their website and leave a comment with a recipe that you would like to try.   

Giveaway will be open for comments until midnight, Monday, December 21, 2009.  Winner will be randomly chosen from the comments on Tuesday and contacted via email. (So, please make sure I can easily find your email address!)

Disclosure: I want to thank Whole Foods for providing a gift certificate for this giveaway!  

** Comments are closed!  Commenter #10 was chosen by random.org and has been contacted.  Thanks for entering! **