LASSENS – NATURAL FOODS & VITAMINS
Oda Saw She Could Help Solve that Problem When I came into the Lassen family and learned that Oda owned and ran a Health Food Store, I just sort of thought, “Oh, that’s cool.” It wasn’t until about ten years ago that it really hit me how astonishing that was. Oda was born in August, […]
Lassen's Started with a Brave Woman and a Problem to be Solved Read More »
A Delicious, Rich, Summery Treat I love to make this Danish dessert whenever we have guests come to dinner because it is different from anything they have ever had. We always make a game of having them guess the main ingredient, and they can never figure it out. It’s simple to make and so delightful
We Call it Dessert, and it's Perfect for Summer! Read More »
When the Hilmar and Oda Lassen family immigrated from Denmark to California in the early 1950s, their first order of business was to find a way to earn a living. Hilmar and Oda had always been hard workers, and the trial of the German occupation of Denmark during World War II had strengthened their persistence
From Immigrants to Entreprenuers Read More »
The Fields are Bursting with Berries! This Danish Strawberry Porridge is one of the first Danish recipes that I tasted when I met the Lassen family. Simple and tasty, it takes advantage of the beautiful fresh berries we have in California. It makes a wonderful stand-alone dessert (served with cream or coconut cream), but can
A Danish Taste of Summer! Jordbær Grød Read More »
The End of the War The end of World War II was a huge relief to the Lassens and to all of Denmark. They were able to relax a little and resume their lives. They had another little girl, Doris, and Hilmar started a business making, repairing, and selling canvas tarps. Oda was always a
The Lassens Immigrate to America — A Leap into the Unknown Read More »
Salad, Side Dish, Appetizer, Sandwich Topping — You Will Love this Simple and Easy Recipe! If you have enjoyed a Danish Smörgåsbord (or Swedish, for that matter) you have probably noticed a multitude of small serving dishes with little pickles of all kinds, red cabbage (rødkål, see Oda’s recipe here), peas and carrots, cucumbers, pickled beets, and
Danish Cucumber Salad Read More »
It’s Been Almost 10 Years! In honor of the 42nd Anniversary of the opening of the first Lassen’s, I thought I’d take you back almost 10 years to when we opened the Bakersfield store! It was 2003 And this was an ambitious project. At approx. 17,000 square feet, this would be our
Blast From the Past–Bakersfield! Read More »
Let’s Celebrate with a Recipe Straight from Oda and Hilmar! These are no ordinary pancakes–they are Danish Pancakes from the recipe file of Oda and Hilmar Lassen! They look like crepes, but since they came from Denmark, they have their own Danish, Natural Food twist! Like most pancakes, the ingredient list is pretty
Lassen's 42nd Anniversary! Read More »
Meet Jay! Now here’s a friendly face! This is Jay, the Manager of our Bakersfield store. Jay has worked for Lassen’s for 15 years. He started in Thousand Oaks, and eight years ago became the manager in Bakersfield. He happily “lives the lifestyle,” which means that he not only really believes in natural
Team Member Spotlight — Bakersfield Read More »
The year was 1986… After a few years of working in the family business, Peter and Gayle decided to take the plunge and open another store. Pep Boy Plaza (behind our current store) was the location, and man, do those old cars date us! (The “ocean-liner” car was Hilmar and Oda’s, and the Toyota
Ventura Blast From the Past Read More »
Forty-One Years ago in History… Body Ecology Look what I found! (Sorry the picture is a little blurry, but you know old newspapers!) This article appeared in the Camarillo paper in 1972. Oda Lassen (on the right), and her one and only employee Jeannie Green, in the first Lassen’s Health Food Store.
Blast From the Past Read More »
We Honor, Thank, and Miss Oda and Hilmar Look at these two adorable people! This is Oda and Hilmar Lassen, the founders of Lassen’s. We are so sad to announce that we have lost them both. Hilmar passed away on November 11, 2012 at the age of 98 and one-half, and Oda