Category Archives: Uncategorized

Introducing…

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When I bought Wheatgrass Saloon, previously known as the Drawing Room, September 1, 2012, I never planned on nor imagined having the need for 9-10 employees to help run the Saloon. As it turns out, there is a high demand for nutritious food and drink in Livingston, Montana and beyond. And, so, there is a need for employees. At long last, I am pleased to introduce to you the stunning souls without whom Wheatgrass Saloon would not exist. I would have given up long ago without the hard work, good ideas, dedication, humor, kindness, energy, inspiration and creativity of the following people.

cindy
Cindy

Cindy was born in Minnesota and came to Livingston as a child. She has two grown children and a grandchild, Daniel, who lives in Germany with his parents. She has been at Wheatgrass since the Saloon doors opened on December 1, 2012. She is invaluable to the business and to me and holds a very special place in my heart.

Tasha

Tasha Enjoying Life Beyond the Saloon Doors

Tasha moved to Livingston in 2013 and is in the process of obtaining her master’s degree in social work, with the goal of becoming an LCSW.  When she is not studying she enjoys hiking with her partner, David, and their dog Liam.  Tasha loves cooking from scratch, gardening, running, reading, and watching movies.  Her favorite items at Wheatgrass Saloon are the Little Red Corvette, Kale Caesar Salad, and We Got the Beet.  I cannot imagine what I would do without the presence of Tasha in my business life. She has the wisdom and maturity of a sage and her energy is a joy to experience.

Alyssa

Artwork by Alyssa

Alyssa was born and raised in Livingston. One of her favorite things to do in her spare time is sketch and paint. She loves working at Wheatgrass Saloon and learning new recipes that inspire her to be creative with healthy food choices at home.

angie

Angie Says Cheers

Angie is an artist, crafter, horror movie junkie, animal lover and co-owner of Raised by Wolves Studios. She finds inspiration in all things vintage and macabre.

 

Two of our staff members will leave Livingston at the end of the summer in order to go on to college:

 

michelle

Michelle

Michelle has grown up in Livingston, MT. She will head south to attend university in Prescott, Arizona to study art and psychology. She is passionate about holistic health and nutrition, and is looking forward to see what the future brings. 

 

siobhan

Siobhan with Lily & Rosie

Siobhàn was born and raised in Paradise Valley. She will attend Amherst College in Massachusetts in the fall where she plans to study biology with a focus on genetics.  She loves skiing, hiking and her weiner dogs.

 

Wheatgrass Saloon is fortunate to have three very awesome high school students who have been training this winter by closing the juice bar after school and by working some Saturday shifts in preparation for the summer. I very much look forward to having their enthusiasm and good work help us out in big ways during the upcoming months. They are Nacoya, Peter and Zoe:

 

nacoya

Nacoya on the Ice

Nacoya is also Livingston born and raised and loves the Montana outdoors. She enjoys playing ice hockey and traveling and looks forward to seeing you at Wheatgrass Saloon.

 

peter gym

Peter Upside Down

Peter is a sophomore at Park High. You might run into him on the soccer field or see him doing back flips on skis as he races down the mountain.

 

zoe

Zoe Looking Crafty

Zoe is a student at Park High School. She loves to play tennis. She also enjoys making jewelry and being crafty.

 

When I look at the calendar for the months ahead, I am overwhelmed by all the events. Let me introduce you to some of them now:

  • Fourth Thursdays at Wheatgrass Saloon will fall on Thursday, March 24th this month. Ten percent of net sales will go to McNair Skate Park .
  • Breathing Room Yoga will host its Spring Equinox 108 Sun Salutation Celebration Friday, March 18th 6-8pm. After finishing your 108 sun salutations you can enjoy a shot of  Greentini juice from Wheatgrass Saloon to celebrate the return of the sun and get a coupon for $5.00 off the Juice Cleanse at Wheatgrass Saloon.
  • Tap into Montana takes place April 4th – 9th. Wheatgrass Saloon will once again host Art on Tap . This year Parks Reece will teach a finger painting class and Craft Beer and Brats will be served. Sign up at Wheatgrass Saloon or by calling 333-2330.
  • One April 29th, Wheatgrass Saloon will serve vegan ice cream at this year’s Taste of Livingston which benefits Montessori Island School.
  • Summer hours will begin May 2nd. Wheatgrass Saloon will be open Monday – Saturday, 10am – 5pm.
  • Wheatgrass Saloon Upstairs Gallery is currently taking submissions for two art shows for the Livingston Summer Art Walks: Icons  and YNP Hot Pots.
  • This year, the Art Walks will take place on the 3rd Fridays of the month June – September.
  • The first art walk of the season will take place June 17th and will feature the work of  Angelina Froke and Carol Liljedahl of  Raised by Wolves Studios.

That’s enough introductions for now. Get outside. Things are blooming!

Winter Days at Wheatgrass Saloon

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After a beautiful holiday get-away with my family of four children and one husband in Belize, we are up and running again at 120 North Main. In the Boutique there are a few new items that traveled home with me from Belize. The items were handmade by a Mayan Women’s Coop in Dangriga, Belize. There are children’s dresses and bibs, table runners, pillow covers, handbags, potholders and coin purses. Come take a look. They are colorful pieces and help to support a group of women who are keeping alive their traditions and creating a living for their families.

Here is local model, Neko Ensing, age 2 wearing one of her favorite Mayan dresses.

notcrepe

Neko Ensing modeling her Mayan Women’s Coop dress.

In the Saloon we are now offering a different soup each day of the week. Something to help warm you until the days get longer. On Saturdays, in addition to our regular lunch items, we will have raw vegan berry crepes and vegetarian (not vegan) pesto quinoa bowls with a sous-vide local egg from Julie Serafin’s hens. Julie grows our wheatgrass and her hens are free range and fed, among other vegetables, the trays of clipped wheatgrass from the Saloon.

reddress

Raw Vegan Breakfast Crepes with Organic Berries and Chantilly Cream

This month’s 4th Thursday will take place on January 28th. Ten percent of all non-consignment sales will go to the Park County Senior Center.  Bring a friend for lunch! Thursdays are our miso soup day. It is “country miso” – – hearty and filling.

 

In case you are in search of good chocolates next month. We have two options available. One, Righteously Raw, is raw vegan and comes in bite-size pieces and in bars. The other, Burnt Fork Bend Chocolate, is made in Stevensville, Montana. Both are year-round customer favorites.  Burnt Fork Bend chocolate is handcrafted in Stevensville, Montana using fair trade, minimally processed ingredients. The process begins with raw cocoa beans coming from various countries such as Ecuador, Ghana, Trinidad and Belize. Each bag of beans has a distinct flavor and aroma giving each batch of chocolate its own unique taste. It is handcrafted in small batches, allowing a full range of flavors to develop in each and every batch of chocolate.

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Burnt Fork Bend and Righteously Raw Chocolates at Wheatgrass Saloon

See you soon!

 

 

10, 9, 8, 7…

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In the Eco-Boutique:  

Apparently we are on the “10 Fridays Until December 25” countdown. Although, since I became aware of this last week, we might now be down to just 9 or 8, maybe.  

Oh, the retail world. Stuff. So much stuff. Keeping that in mind and as the owner of a business that sells plenty of stuff, I have put some energy into what is on the shelves. The goal being individuals and villages that in turn support the planet and the people on it. Small business rather than enormous planet- polluting corporations that resort to slave labor conditions to make things en masse.

At Wheatgrass Saloon we have local and regional hand-crafted jewelry by Patricia Buckley and by Sarah Homan and, of course, Beth Gregory‘s awesome pieces!

There is an array of jewelry, clothing, soaps, totes, scarves etc. from co-ops in India and Bolivia whose products sustain jobs for people who have been handcrafting artisan goods for generations. These co-ops partner with women’s groups, minorities, people with special needs, urban slums and isolated rural communities to empower artisans through dignified, sustainable employment. They value safe work conditions, education, the well-being of their partners and the safety of children.

From Montana we have recycled items, like the CAN-dles made in Polson and the earrings, belts, rings and necklaces made in Whitefish using recycled skateboards as well as body care items made in Whitefish, 406 t-shirts printed in Missoula, key fobs hand-crafted in Bonner, locally roasted coffee, and more.

Patricia's Silver Rose Chalcedony Earrings

Patricia’s Silver Rose Chalcedony Earrings

In addition to all of the other downtown Livingston shops available to you,  keep Wheatgrass Saloon in mind if you are out and about shopping for friends and family in the next 9 Fridays before December 25th. There is also an excellent used bookstore, Elk River Books, here at 120 North Main.  One-stop shopping, lunch included.

4th Thursdays

This month’s 4th Thursday is October 22nd and Meals on Wheels, Paradise Valley will be the recipient of 10% of non-consignment sales. Please feel free to come and make a direct donation to them. We will have a tin on the counter at the Juice Bar for direct donations.

Because Thanksgiving falls on November’s 4th Thursday, we will be donating 10% on Small Business Saturday instead. Montana Roots will be the recipient for 10% of sales on Saturday, November 28th.

Montana Roots is a non-profit based in Livingston, and has designed and contructed a 6000 gallon recirculating aquaponic system where they grow food year-round for the community. Wheatgrass Saloon is happy to be able to get our weekly supply of nutrient dense and very beautiful microgreens from Montana Roots. If you have had a Dragon Bowl, you have experienced Montana Roots.  Additionally, Montana Roots partners with Montana Awareness Education and Equine Rehab Association (MAERA) to offer a year-round, free program to middle school and high school students that focuses on sustainable agricultural and nature awareness. Students learn how to plant, care, harvest and cook their own food in soil and aquaponically as well as sell their produce at the farmers market.

In the Juice Bar:

As fall turns to winter, we are adding miso soup to the menu. It is made fresh daily and filling enough to be called a meal. Miso Soup is a traditional Japanese soup consisting of a stock called “dashi” that is made with the sea vegetable kombu, pictured below. Into the stock, fermented soy bean paste, called miso, is whisked to create a richer soup base. Many ingredients are added depending on regional and seasonal recipes, and personal preference. At Wheatgrass Saloon, we have a variety of add-ins such as brown rice, adzuki beans, wakame, daikon, bok choy, carrot, shitake mushrooms and beech mushrooms, many of which are sourced locally. It is delicious, easy to digest and warming. The health benefits of miso soup are many and wide-ranging.

Miso soup on the menu!

Miso soup on the menu!

and eat more kombu

and eat more kombu

On Saturday, November 14th, Wheatgrass Saloon will be serving juice samples at the Fall Health Festival from 7-11 am. Get your blood drawn for the health screen and then come enjoy a flight of our juices: Greentini, Ginger ‘n’ Juice, We Got the Beet and Al Green.

In the Gallery:

Wheatgrass Saloon Gallery Upstairs will host a reception for Ledger Artist, Alaina Buffalo Spirit on Friday, November 6th at 6pm.  Alaina is a Cheyenne woman who draws & paints on antique ledger paper just as her ancestors did in the 1860s. Through her art, she becomes a story teller, sharing the images of women and horses.

“Alaina Buffalo Spirit is a self-taught artist from the So’taa’ee band of the Northern Cheyenne Nation, whose work honors the women that made a difference in her life. Alaina Buffalo Spirit’s artwork is based on the traditional ledger art, originated by Indian warriors who were incarcerated in the 1800s. Using the materials that were available to them, these warrior artists recorded their powerful stories through images made on the ledger paper issued by the government for tallying and record-keeping. Inspired by these early images which depicted life on the Plains, both before and during times of conflict, Ms. Buffalo Spirit uses ledger paper made during this period in much of her work.

Ms. Buffalo Spirit began her artistic career in 2004 and has participated in the Northern Plains Indian Art Show in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the Summer Art Market at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center in Great Falls, Montana and at Kentucky Crafted, in Louisville, Kentucky. Her work has been featured at the Ancient Traders Gallery in Minneapolis, Minnesota as well as throughout Montana. In 2008, her work was on display at the Museum of the Plains Indian in Browning, Montana and in June of that year was chosen as the cover art for the University of Washington Medical School’s Pediatrics Archives Journal. Most recently, Alaina’s work has been showcased in Kalispell, Montana at the Montana Arts Council Art Showcase.”
-Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation, 2013

The show runs from October 28th through November 20th. For questions, call Lisa 224-3895.