Harmons Hosting Extreme Gingerbread House-Making Event

Gingerbread, icing and candy will be flying fast and furious as local children and adults build gingerbread houses during Harmons’ Extreme Gingerbread Event, Saturday, Dec. 10 at Harmons’ Bangerter Crossing Store, 125 East 13800 South in Draper.  Children and their parents will participate in a gingerbread house-making class on the store’s mezzanine under the supervision of Harmons’ chefs and bakers, starting at noon. Close by, inside Harmons’ Cooking School kitchen, three teams of professional architects will construct houses out of heavy-duty gingerbread as they compete for charity.

The public is encouraged to drop by to see the progress of the architects from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. or visitwww.harmonsgrocery.com to watch video updates of the event. When the houses are completed, individuals can vote for their favorites online. In the store a panel of Harmons’ associates and children will pick a winner based on imagination, creativity and technique.

The architects participating in this event are members of the Board of Directors of the Utah Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). Their unique gingerbread structures will be on display in the store until Dec. 16, when they will be auctioned off at a special Cooking School Holiday Party. Half of the auction proceeds will be used to purchase food for the Utah Food Bank and the other half will benefit The One Percent, an architectural charitable organization that provides design support services for communities in need.  

Space for participation in the gingerbread house-making class for children is limited. The public can register online at www.harmonsgrocery.com. Children must be 6 – 12 years old and accompanied by a parent at all times.

Thanksgiving Dinner is Good For You!

Since the past few weeks I've received flurries of press releases on how to cut the calories out of Thanksgiving dinner, it was refreshing to see this article posted on the SupermarketGuru.com. It pointed out that some of the Thanksgiving staples are actually packed with nutrition (although I suspect that when they're swimming in gravy, butter and cream, they can't really be considered "health food.") 

As one of my foodie friends pointed out, Thanksgiving is just one day of the year, so enjoy it. That doesn't mean we need to have three or four helpings until we're rolling from the table! But we can slowly savor every bite of your favorite dishes as we enjoy friends and family and offer thanks for the many wonderful things in our lives. 

I think my downfall isn't the meal itself, but the post-dinner snacking, where I'll polish off another helping of mashed potatoes while I'm loading the dishwasher, and grab another piece of pie just because it's there!

Here's some of the nutrition you're getting in your Thanksgiving dinner:

Turkey is a great source of lean protein, selenium, niacin, vitamin B6 and phosphorous, as well as tryptophan that is essential for appetite and mood regulation. 

Cranberries contain vitamin C, fiber, manganese and vitamin K and are known for their help in maintaining a healthy urinary tract. 

Potatoes contain vitamin C, B6, copper, potassium, manganese, iron, protein and fiber- as well as a variety of antioxidants. Keep the skin on because that is where many of the nutrients are found.

Pecans contain vitamins A and E, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, potassium, several B vitamins and zinc. They also contain fiber and protein, and are a good source of heart healthy mono and polyunsaturated fats.  The Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry found that, “pecans rank highest among all nuts and are among the top category of foods to contain the highest antioxidant capacity.”

Pumpkin contains potassium, zinc, dietary fiber and the bright orange color indicates that pumpkin is rich in the antioxidant beta-carotene, which is great for our eyesight and more.

Blue Boar Inn's Thanksgiving Feast

The Blue Boar Inn & Restaurant in Midway (www.theblueboarinn.com) will offer its annual Thanksgiving Day menu on Thursday, Nov. 24.

The fixed-price, three-course menu will feature Blue Boar salad with pomegranate seeds, feta and honey vinaigrette; roasted chestnut and forest mushroom soup with sage cream, fried shitakes and chestnuts. The main course will include garlic and herb rubbed turkey with parmesan mashed potato, spinach and ricotta stuffing, pan gravy and cranberry sauce and double-cut pork chop featuring a sweet potato puree, glazed carrot and brussel sprouts and a maple glaze.

Executive Chef Eric May will also prepare two less traditional Thanksgiving entrées: pan seared Chilean sea bass with rock shrimp, grape tomatoes and house-made Pappardelle pasta and slow-roasted prime rib prepared with sautéed brussels sprouts, white cheddar twice-baked potato, aus jus and horseradish cream.

Desserts will include individual apple pies with caramel sauce and cinnamon Chantilly cream, pumpkin mousse chocolate tart with walnut toffee crunch and New York style cheesecake with macerated berries and raspberry glaze. 

The Blue Boar Inn & Restaurant will offer the Thanksgiving Day menu from noon to 6 p.m. The cost is $45 for adults and $15 for children 12 and under. A full wine selection is also available. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 888-650-1400.

For more information on The Blue Boar Inn & Restaurant, visit www.theblueboarinn.com.

Thanksgiving Dinner at Park City Restaurants

I've always thought that Thanksgiving should be one day of the year when you have a home-cooked meal. But increasingly, that's changing. In past posts I've written about Mimi's Cafe and Marie Callender's offering take-out and dine-in feasts. Several Park City restaurants are also offering Thanksgiving dinner, at typical Park City prices.


Grub Steak Restaurant will be serving Thanksgiving dinner, as well as a full regular menu, from 3-8pm. The Thanksgiving menu includes Parsnip and Pear Puree Soup, Salad, Roasted Turkey, Cornbread and Herb Stuffing, Traditional Gravy, Creamy Green Beans, Mashed Potatoes, Fresh Citrus Cranberry Relish, Oat & Barley Beer Bread and a choice of Pumpkin Pie or Chocolate Pecan Pie. The pre fixe menu is $24.75 for adults and $13.75 for children under 12. Reservations can be made by visiting www.grubsteakrestaurant.com or by calling 435-649-8060.


The Glitretind at Stein Eriksen Lodge will offer a Thanksgiving buffet from 11am-7pm. The buffet will feature two soups, 11 types of starters and salads, a prime rib and turkey carving station, eight entree varieties and four types of desserts. A  kids' buffet will also be available. Dinner is $65 for adults and $25 for children ages 5-12. Reservations are not required. For more information, call 435-645-6455.


Deer Valley Resort will offer a to-go option for diners who prefer to have Thanksgiving dinner at home but without the preparation. Their catering menu includes roasted garlic mashed potatoes, steamed green beans with shiitake mushrooms, roasted acorn squash, house-made struan stuffing, lemon thyme sauce and cranberry stuffing. Orders must be placed by Monday, November 21 by calling 435-615-2400.
The Deer Valley Bakery will also offer made-to-order pies including old-fashioned pumpkin, sweet potato pecan, apple cheddar, traditional pecan or chocolate silk. Sweet breads are also available and include apple ginger, pumpkin walnut and cranberry orange pecan. Bakery orders must be placed by Monday, November 21 by calling 435-645-6623.
For more information on Thanksgiving menus in Park City, visit www.parkcityrestaurants.com

MOTHER'S DAY MENU

Braised beef tips         Photo credit: Valerie Phillips

I always loved it when my kids attempted to make "breakfast in bed" for me on Mother's Day.  But our morning church meetings often made it a hectic event. 

Frankly, I'm more happy when my family makes dinner (and cleans up as well). After the typical Mormon three-hour "block" meetings, our family comes home ravenous, but I'm more in the mood for taking a nap than preparing a big dinner.

This is a very easy "Sunday Dinner Solution" meal that pre-teens or hubbies can make for Mom without much room for error. You just place most of the ingredients in the slow cooker (a.k.a. Crock-Pot) and let it cook for three to four hours on high, or six to eight hours on low. About 20 minutes before serving, start cooking the rice in the microwave. and thicken the sauce with cornstarch. The end result: savory chunks of flavorful, tender beef.

Rip open a bag of salad mix or heat some frozen veggies, and you're in business. 

Save money by using less-expensive beef stew meat instead of steak. Let the slow cooker work its tenderizing magic and no one will know the difference. But Mom will appreciate your being easy on the budget,

Braised Beef Tips on a Budget

2 pounds beef stew meat

1 red or green bell pepper, sliced

1-2 ribs celery, sliced

1 onion, chopped (or 1/4 cup dried onion flakes)

2 beef bouillon cubes

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 cups water

Several grinds of pepper

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 cups rice

6 cups water

Place beef, bell pepper, celery, onion, bouillon, soy sauce, 2 cups water and pepper in a slow-cooker. Cover with lid and set on high. Cook for 3-4 hours. About 20 minutes before serving, mix cornstarch with 1/2 cup water. Whisk the cornstarch mixture into the beef mixture until smooth. Allow mixture to cook, uncovered, about 10-15 more minutes to thicken. 

Meanwhile, place rice and water in a large, microwaveable casserole bowl with lid. Cook, covered in a microwave on high for 4-5 minutes, or until water is boiling. Turn the microwave to low heat and continue cooking, covered, 10 more minutes, or until rice is fork-tender. Serve beef tips over rice.

Easter Fun

Coloring Easter eggs with my daughter Amy, granddaughter Jayden, and grandson Anthony.  We love getting creative with masking tape, buttons, glitter and tie-dying.

Hunting for Easter eggs at Aunt Christi's house in Tooele.

Hunter Nash fills his basket.

Jayden rushes to find more eggs.  "Hurry Grandma!"

Owen Nash and Jayden Phillips look for eggs, then take a break on the swing.