Gina's Heavenly Bread

When Gina Giannini grew up in San Francisco, you could locate the neighborhood bakeries by following your nose. “You could find the bakery by the smell. This is something people don’t have today,” Gina said. She arrived at the interview with three rounds of sourdough, one of which had come out of the oven that morning. It was still very warm, and the unique sourdough aroma with its tangy notes wafted out of the bag.

Sourdough bread is a sensory experience: You see it in the deep, golden brown crust and smell its fantastic aroma—it’s unlike any other bread; you pick it up and feel its heft and density, the ridges of blistered crust, the swales and valleys riven into its surface. Then you cut into a loaf—be sure to use a good serrated bread knife because the outside has a life of its own. The greatest goal is achieved when you have cut all the way through and see the interior texture of the bread, the gaps and concaves formed by the gasses and fermentation process, all the better to hold the creamy butter after toasting or dipping into a savory tomato sauce. That’s what it’s like to cut into a loaf of Gina’s SF Sourdough.

Gina’s journey began growing up in San Francisco. Her Italian family bonded through family dinners in their home and the weekly trips to local restaurants. She had the opportunity to enjoy true sourdough bread from a young age at the family’s dining table as it was a staple of their nightly dining experience.

Sourdough starter has been around for 5,000 years, with evidence of its existence dating back to ancient Egypt. San Francisco sourdough bread became popular when it rose to familiarity during the California Gold Rush, with miners bringing it over from the East Coast and Europe. Although sourdough was made in other Bay Area locales, people took specific notice of the sourdough from

San Francisco. Isadore Boudin, founder of Boudin Bakery in 1849, attributed it to the foggy weather and the local water. These days, scientists have discovered a specific bacteria, lactobacillus sanfranciscensis, is where the special flavor derives from. Whatever it is, we all know that San Francisco is the true home of sourdough bread.

Gina relocated to Magalia from the Bay Area to care for her aging and declining father. She asked him, “Where do you get your French bread?” He replied, “You don’t!” She inquired, “What do you mean?” He responded, “There isn’t any!” She finally asked if the giant hot dog bun that said

‘French bread’ on it was really the French bread they had out here. He said, “Yup, that’s it.”

As a student of sourdough bread making, Gina had two choices, either make the seven hour round trip to get a proper loaf of sourdough or finally apply all the years of breadmaking science she had acquired. She chose the latter. What started out as making bread for the household and neighbors, turned into a cottage business.

As the sole proprietor, Gina has to wear every hat in order to operate a successful business. Her permit and licensing allows her to sell person-to-person and person- to-business, and as of last year, she is now able to ship her products within the state of California. Her products are reminiscent of the old-time tradition of San Francisco breads such as Boudin’s, Larraburu Bakery, Raymond’s, and Columbo Bread Company.

Sourdough bread making is a labor of love. It takes time, patience, and practice. San Francisco sourdough is made with San Francisco starter. It requires longer fermentation, and Gina’s method takes three-to-five days from start to finish. This is what gives the bread its crust and crumb quality as well as its longer shelf life and signature flavor. Her favorite part of having a bakery is hearing the feedback from native San Franciscans who tell her, “You nailed it; this is it!” Her customers aren’t just getting a loaf of bread delivered to them, they’re meeting an old friend.

While the typical native San Franciscan likes a batard shape (oblong), Chicoans tend to favor the boule (round), a festive, 2.5 lb loaf. “People often objected that my loaves were too big, there was no way they could eat all that; then they’d call me the next day to tell me the bread never made it to the table.” They’re large loaves, but they do go fast because you keep going back for more. For those who prefer a sandwich style loaf, that style is also gaining popularity after people asked for something easier to cut. The slices fit better in the toaster, too!

Recently, Gina acquired a set of commercial ovens to meet the growing demand for her signature loaves and pastry wares. She offers a full range of bread varieties and viennoiseries. All menu items are made with the highest quality, local and organic ingredients.

I absolutely love this bread. The taste and texture are amazing. You get the special feel of the “grip and rip” piece or slices for sandwiches, dipping into soup and chili, alongside pasta dishes, toasted, or eating the slice with fresh, organic butter. You can be assured the loaf will not stick around as long as you anticipated. Gina prefers calls over texting because she can talk and work, but reading and texting slows her down. She’s always multi-tasking and juggling. Remember, she wears all the hats. Give her a call at (530) 815-4501, and be sure to check out her Facebook page, Giannini’s San Francisco Sourdough.

One of the most important teachings to surface in recent decades is the concept of self-care, activities that individuals undertake to improve or restore their own health. There are whole industries in this country devoted to helping people take time to essentially recover from their lives, which have become more stressful and demanding in recent years. Many of us work until we burn ourselves out, or care for others—aging or sick relatives, young children, animals—when we don’t adequately care for ourselves. This can ultimately take a toll on the body, showing up for different people in different ways. Some may experience a change in their sleeping habits, laying awake half the night or waking intermittently. Others experience burnout as a physical pain somewhere in the body, and still others may experience a change in their mental health state as anxiety or depression begin to show up in unexpected and unwanted ways.

To take time for oneself is an unselfish act. When you take time to relax and do the things that make you feel good, you create space for the challenging emotions and situations that life always finds a way to put you through. There is a growing body of evidence that supports self-care as a balm for mental and physical well being, and increasingly more people are beginning to understand how important it is to book it in and show up for it. However, what one does to care for oneself looks different from person to person. Some find a long visit in the quiet of the public library to be just the thing they need to make them feel whole again, while others look to nature or meditation. Many more look to beauty treatments for a feeling of physical regeneration, and if the latter is more your thing, there are three women who have helped make Meriam Park in Chico just the place for your self-care needs.

Alicia Kepple of LunaSolé, Shuree Wesley of Nutrishop, and Tracy Riddle of Pure Hydration know how important it is to look after yourself. Their businesses are built around the concept of making people better versions of themselves by understanding their own unique physiology and making decisions based on their health needs or the goals they want to achieve. “I believe to be the best human we can be, and the best version of ourselves, our health is where it all starts,” Alicia says. Her business, LunaSolé, offers a variety of beauty services including red-light therapy, infrared sauna treatments, sunless and UV tanning, teeth whitening, facials, and professional skincare and makeup. “Health is the new wealth,” she says. “I fully believe that.”

Alicia started her business after she had her two children, who are now five and seven, back-to-back. After their births, she suffered from fatigue and adrenal issues that were outside of the norm, as well as chronic insomnia. “I started reading about how I could naturally help myself out of that,” she says. “I went to a naturopathic doctor, did my own research, and discovered that infrared therapy is amazing for sleep issues.” She knew there were other people out there, especially mothers, who could benefit from the knowledge that sunlight can be vital for recovery from chronic issues. “There are a lot of benefits from sunlight that we don’t realize exist, and that’s why I started the business,” Alicia says. “Sunlight is so much more than UV rays, and infrared therapy goes beyond just heating up the body; it’s the warmth we feel from the sun. We’ve created technology to mimic that, and what we get from it is stimulation of vitamin D production.” Though we often hear how bad the sun is for us, Alicia argues that there are benefits to exposure that go beyond just getting a tan. “We’re so focused on not aging that we hide from it, but to keep our immune system functioning at its best, we need sunlight,” she says. “If you’re not overexposing yourself and practicing safe sun exposure, there’s more good for your health than bad.”

The red-light therapy LunaSolé offers stimulates mitochondria and can also help with hyperpigmentation and psoriasis because it possesses wound healing benefits. “It helps the body to heal a little faster,” Alicia says, “And it also helps with dark scars, allowing them to lighten over time with cell turnover.” The full-spectrum sauna with chromotherapy lights offers a unique experience for the body based on harnessing the beneficial effects of sunlight. “There’s that whole aspect of the sun that people aren’t familiar with,” Alicia says. “When we see a rainbow, those are color wavelengths from the sun. Each color stimulates the body and mind in a different way and has its own health benefits as well. In our sauna, not only are you getting the full spectrum infrared heat, but you’re getting the color wavelengths as well.”

Whether you’d like a spray tan with an FDA-approved organic spray tan solution or something more intensive for comprehensive wellness, LunaSolé is just the place for pampering your body. “Our services are very complementary and essentially address the same things: selfcare, self-love, and helping your body to be able to function at its best,” Alicia says.

A few doors up Springfield Drive at Nutrishop, Shuree Wesley and her husband Marc are promoting wellness through exercise, healthy eating, vitamins, and supplements. “We help people with overall health and wellness, but we also love helping people transform and feel their best,” Shuree says. “We sell health and wellness supplements, do meal planning for people, and we LOVE working with all the local trainers and gyms. As we get to know people’s personalities and where they are in the process, we try to keep in mind who in the area would be a great fit for them.” A significant distinction exists between different kinds of trainers and gyms, and Nutrishop is happy to help people find the one that best fits their training needs, whether that’s bodybuilding, crossfit, kickboxing, or just overall health and wellness. “There are so many wonderful gyms and trainers in this community that we like to try and pair them with people who work well for them, because everyone has a different goal, including the trainers,” Shuree says. “We work hand-in-hand with the community to get the best results for our customers.”

Nutrishop stocks a variety of health and wellness supplements that provide a myriad of benefits from muscle recovery after exercise to meal replacement. Hundreds of items crowd the shelves of the store, and Shuree and her team seem to know everything about each one of them. If you’re looking to lose weight, try Gamma Lean. If you’re interested in building muscle, Hydrapro might be the right option for you. Having trouble falling asleep? They’ve got supplements for that, too. What might be most incredible about the offerings at Nutrishop, though, aside from the highquality supplements and vitamins, is the Body Scan analysis—a full-body scanner that provides a comprehensive picture of your body’s health to help keep you on track to reach your goals. “It’s a great way to track the effects of the new life choices you make after committing to bettering your health and wellness,” Shuree says.

Many people don’t understand what kinds of nutrition or dietary supplements they need to live a healthy life and can feel overwhelmed by the choices available. At Nutrishop, Shuree wants people who come into her store to feel like they’re in a place where they can open up about their needs and about the goals they have for their bodies and minds. ”We’re trained to make this a family setting,” Shuree says. “You can ask us questions and talk with us, and we want to have that conversation with you and treat you like an extended family member. Talking with one of us is like getting a nutrition coach. We talk about your sleep and your daily activities because all those things coincide with how your nutrition should evolve, just like your age and your stress level.” Shuree and her highly-trained staff make Nutrishop a must-visit community resource, offering great service and highquality products to help you reach your loftiest goals.

Next door to Nutrishop is Pure Hydration,

Chico’s very first IV hydration clinic. The business was started by Tracy Riddle in 2020 and provides hydration services in a spa-like setting complete with incredible amenities you likely won’t find elsewhere, like a built-in movie theater and beverage center. “I experienced IV hydration back in 2019 and felt amazing! The results were so profound that I researched and tried other IV hydration spa experiences from North Carolina, Texas, San Francisco, and multiple other spas in California,” Tracy says. “Each time I felt refreshed and energized!” In 2022, Tracy partnered with Dr. Barthelow of North Valley Eye Care, and the two moved Pure Hydration to Meriam Park, expanding its footprint to better serve its customers.

For those who are wondering what IV hydration is, it’s basically exactly what it sounds like. A trained nurse inserts an IV catheter into your arm, and you receive a drip containing vitamins and other beneficial supplements. You may be wondering, why would I want to do this? Pure Hydration’s customized IV infusions and boosters deliver fluids, vitamins, medications, and other supplements that can help complement an active, healthy lifestyle. Tracy said IV hydration can be beneficial for people who are experiencing the aftereffects of a hangover, are jet-lagged after a long flight, or have a chronic condition that affects how much water they’re able to drink to stay hydrated. “When you get an IV, your body is going to get 100% of what we’re giving you when we give it to you,” Tracy says.

Pure Hydration is operated daily by trained and licensed healthcare providers in a safe and healthy manner. All IVs are inserted by registered nurses (RNs) who have, at minimum, several years experience under their belts starting IV drips for patients in critical care, emergency rooms, operating rooms, and in recovery rooms. Tracy, herself, is IV nutrition certified and a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA). She is also a member of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists and the National Board Certification of Nurse Anesthesia. Dr. Barthelow, her partner in the business, is an M.D. and surgeon, as well as a board certified ophthalmologist. Together, they form a team whose credentials and experience are second to none in the North Valley’s IV hydration industry.

From immune boosts to athletic recovery and headaches to hangovers, IV hydration can benefit many people. Pure Hydration even offers vitamin B12 shots, vitamin D shots, and beauty boosts to help make skin glow. Both Tracy and Dr. Barthelow hope that if you’re on the fence, you’ll come in and take a look at their beautiful new space, which had its official grand opening in September of 2022.

Meriam Park has become a mecca for those seeking wellness in all its many forms, from pure juices to vegan ice cream, yoga, pilates, nutrition, and spa services, you can find it all in one place just south of Bruce Road.

For more information about LunaSolé, Nutrishop, and Pure Hydration, drop in and say hello or visit them on the web. You can also find all three on Facebook and Instagram.