Hello Fun Seekers

High West Valley Tan Whiskey

On August 26, 2016

High West Valley Tan

Whiskey lovers and locavores rejoice! A few weeks ago High West Distillery released their Valley Tan whiskey using an updated recipe and whiskey from their own distillery rather than whiskey sourced from elsewhere. We have been waiting all summer for this revamped release.

A little history about the High West

High West was founded in 2009 by former biochemist David Perkins and his wife Jane. They moved to Park City, Utah to open the first legal distillery in the state since 1870. Thanks David and Jane! Whiskey enthusiasts in Utah applaud your excellent taste in spirits and geography.

They opened up shop at the bottom of Main Street in Park City with a small 250 gallon still and bar, quickly gaining attention and accolades in the world of whiskey. In 2015, High West took a huge leap forward by opening a gorgeous distillery in Wanship, Utah at the Blue Sky Ranch. Wanship is approximately 40 miles away from Park City and Salt Lake City.

Late last year, I had the chance to take a tour of the distillery and do a whiskey tasting in the beautiful new space. The new distillery boasts a 1600 galloon copper still. When I was at the new space in November of 2015 the second still was on its way from Scotland where it was manufactured.

A little history about Valley Tan

The fourth release of High West’s Valley Tan merited reworking the recipe as new historical information was found on how the original whiskey was produced in the 1850s by the Mormons. The name Valley Tan is thought to refer to products that were handmade and most likely initially described the tanned leather that the pioneers used.

How was it?

On recent summer night we sat around the fire pit with a glass of Valley Tan on ice. My friends and I liked the smooth taste of whiskey and agreed that it was worth the wait. There was no consensus among the group about whether Valley Tan usurped top spot as our favorite High West whiskey. I still prefer the smoky Campfire whiskey for sipping outside by the fire but a few others liked the Valley Tan better.

Where can you get it?

Valley Tan is available at both the Park City and Wanship locations of High West.

High West on Main Street

High West on Blue Sky Ranch

Book Review: The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

By Diane Hartford

On August 22, 2016

In Books

Underground Railroad image

If you are a book lover, you most likely have heard the buzz about The Underground Railroad. The book was originally scheduled to be published in September 2016 but during the summer, Oprah announced that the book would be her pick for the Oprah’s book club (her first pick in a year). The publisher pushed the release date up to August and ordered several additional printings of the book.

This lyrical work of fiction uses a metaphor of an actual physical train to describe the Underground Railroad with train cars, rails and tunnels. The term Underground Railroad was used as far back as 1840s to describe the network of black and white individuals who helped slaves escape captivity in the south.

The novel tells Cora’s story, a teen-age girl enslaved on a Georgia plantation. Her grandmother died in those fields picking cotton and her mother Mabel escaped from the plantation when Cora was 10. When Cora is 16, or maybe 17, she doesn’t know for sure, another slave, Caesar, suggests to Cora that they run away from the plantation. Their escape via the Underground Railroad begins a liberating, terrifying, and sometimes brutal journey north toward freedom.

Cora first arrives in South Carolina where she finds domestic work for a white family. Running is dangerous but staying put has its own share of perils so Cora moves on with stops in North Carolina, Indiana and Tennessee. These perils include cramped, unsafe living quarters, bounties offered for the return of escaped slaves, beatings, and public lynching.

Cora is pursued mercilessly by slave catcher Ridgeway who has a chip on his shoulder because he failed to capture Mabel and return her to the plantation when she escaped years before. Ridgeway’s maniacal obsession with capturing Cora and returning her to the Randall Plantation shadows over Cora every step of the way.

Cora is a fierce woman. Whether she is protecting her garden plot or fighting off attackers Cora’s toughness is present throughout the story. It’s inspirational. She is a character that I won’t soon forget. I would highly recommend that you read this book. It’s important. The struggles and atrocities experienced by African Americans that are described in the book are still relevant today.

But in addition to the topic being important the writing is terrific. Whitehead is a wonderful storyteller. You should consider picking up a few extra copies to give as gifts to your literary minded friends and family too. President Obama has The Underground Railroad on his summer reading list too.

New York Times book review

A different take on the underground railroad in this New Yorker article

Colson Whitehead’s website

5 Zucchini Recipes You Gotta Try

By Diane Hartford

On August 19, 2016

In Food

zuni cafe zucchini pickle

When was the last time you sneaked an overgrown zucchini onto a neighbor’s porch? Once a neighbor left an enormous zucchini wrapped in a baby blanket on my porch. I never figured out who did it but it made me laugh. I haven’t done a stealth zucchini drop on a neighbor for a long time though mainly because I have a million zucchini recipes.

souble chocolate zucchini bread

One thing you should know about me, I am a recipe hoarder. I admit it. I have an accordion file folder filled with recipes, many Pinterest boards filled with tempting recipes, and I subscribe to several food magazines. Despite the volume of recipes I already have stashed I cannot resist looking for new ones too. Here are a few that I found this summer that I had to try.

Zuni Café Zucchini Pickles – These are incredibly easy to make. I love to make quick refrigerator pickles with zucchini during summer. They are incredibly crisp and flavorful. Use a mandoline slicer if you have one, it makes the prep on this a snap.
Marinated Zucchini Salad – Isn’t this pretty? A friend of mine made this salad to accompany eggplant parmesan. It was perfect.
Zucchini Parmesan Crisps – Baked not fried yet crispy and delicious. Even my non-zucchini eating vegetarian son will gobble these up. I sub panko for the breadcrumbs for extra crunch.
Zucchini Boats– The filling is so flavorful! Such good color and crunch from the veggies and warmth from the cinnamon. Plus, the rice and lentils ensure that the dish is hearty. Great for a light summer meal especially with a glass of rose.
Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread – Chocolate + zucchini. It’s practically health food, right? This recipe calls for 2 cups of zucchini which should put a dent in supply. I subbed the butter with applesauce to cut down the fat. Perfect with a cup of coffee or tea.

Let me know if you have any favorite zucchini recipes. I have four squash plants in my garden….

5 Awesome Zucchini Recipes

Will Walk for Wildflowers

By Diane Hartford

On August 17, 2016

In Lifestyle

wildflowers_cecret

I do my best thinking while I am walking. I always have. For this reason I try to get outside for a little while every single day of the year. But, it is summertime now and I love to take advantage of the cool mountain air when the temperatures are sweltering in the Salt Lake valley as they have been much of the last eight weeks.

Indian Paintbrush

Summer in the Wasatch Mountains is famous for the glorious display of wildflowers in the Albion Basin. A short drive from Salt Lake City up Little Cottonwood Canyon just past Alta Ski Resort you will see a gravel road which leads to the Cecret Lake trail head. Little Cottonwood Canyon is a watershed area so leave your furry friends at home.

During weekends in July and August you will want to arrive early as this hike is very popular and traffic and parking can be frustrating. But, I recommend that you take advantage those long summer days during the week and get to the trailhead by 7:00a. You can get to Cecret Lake and back before work. I did this recently and it was glorious. Only a few cars were in the parking lot and not many hikers on the trail. The soft morning light was a bonus for snapping photos of the picturesque wildflowers.

Wildflower Trail The trail to Cecret Lake is less than two miles out and back. I once enticed my children on this hike by bribing them with an Egg McMuffin picnic breakfast once we reached the lake. You will want to bring a day pack with water, a light jacket (it can be chilly at that elevation even when it is scorching hot in the valley), sturdy shoes, some nuts and dried fruit (just in case), and your camera. I promise that you will be so glad that you did.

There is something humbling about spending time in the mountains where our true scale in relation to nature can quickly put the woes and aggravations of daily life into sharp perspective. It’s amazing out there. Go get you some.

More information about the Cecret Lake trail.

A hike is good for the soul

Book Review: The Lightkeepers by Abby Geni

By Diane Hartford

On August 15, 2016

In Books

Lightkeepers Pin

In this novel, Abby Geni tells the story of Miranda, a nature photographer, who has been granted yearlong residency on the wild and isolated Farallon Islands which are located thirty miles off the coast of San Francisco. The only other human inhabitants on the islands are the few biologists who live and work on the archipelago. The Farallon Islands are home to over 400 species of seabirds including puffins and cormorants. The resident biologists also study the seals, sea lions, great white sharks and humpback whales which congregate on or pass by the Farallons.

Miranda initially finds herself socially and emotionally isolated from the six biologists. The isolation is a feat given the fact that they live in close physical proximity to one another while sharing the one habitable cabin on the islands. In fact, the biologists mistakenly call her Melissa instead of Miranda during her stay on the island and she never corrects them. Through a series of letters to her deceased mother, we learn of Miranda’s past and how her mother’s untimely death twenty years earlier when Miranda was 14 has affected her relationship with her father. We learn that her adult life has been spent traveling and photographing the world; a satisfying albeit solitary existence.

The writing is sparse and dramatic which matches both the landscape of the islands and the unfolding events of her time with the biologists. This novel was not at all what I expected. I was drawn to the novel because of my interest in nature photography but enjoyed learning much about the wildlife that the biologists were studying. This isn’t your typical summer reading beach read though.

You will quickly realize that there is more going on than meets the eye. Foreshadowing kept me on edge as this thriller progressed. I found myself thinking that I knew what was coming as the mystery unfolded but I was kept enough off-kilter that I was compelled to keep reading. I thought the writing was beautiful and the story engaging. I recommend that you add this book to your reading list.

Abby Geni’s website
New York Times book review of The Lightkeepers
More information about The Farallon Islands

Five Things You Can Do This Weekend To Improve Your Health

By Diane Hartford

On August 11, 2016

In Lifestyle

Five Things Improve Health

Cook Brown Rice

Cook a pot of brown rice this weekend and set yourself up with a great base for many healthy lunches and dinners. Add some beans, black or pinto would be great, veggies, avocado, and salsa and you have a delicious burrito bowl. Stir-fry your favorite vegetables (I like broccoli, red pepper, onion, and mushrooms), and then whip up a quick stir-fry sauce like this one. Dinner will be on the table in no time at all. Use any leftover rice in a wrap with hummus, lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, and thinly sliced red onion and you can meet your brown bag lunch goals for the week too.

Stop at a Farmer’s Market or Roadside Farm Stand

Summer time is here and fresh, locally grown produce abounds. Get yourself some! I picked up peaches, plums, and melons this week which are all in season. I also bought sweet corn, eggplant, and red peppers. Once you buy the produce, spend a little time preparing the food for the week. I filled a container with melon balls which I will take as part of workday lunches and snack on when I get home from work.

Meditate

I started daily meditations in January of this year and immediately starting feeling the benefits. Both my sleep and focus have dramatically improved. There are several apps, podcasts, and websites available to get you started for little or no cost. My favorites right now are the app Stop, Breathe, & Think and the Meditation Minis podcast with Chel Hamiliton. Have you heard of Jiyo? I just downloaded this wellness app by Deepak Chopra. I will let you know what I think once I check it out.

Get Outside

As John Muir said, ‘In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.’ The world is amazing so get out there and explore a new trail, nature path, or neighborhood. Spending time outside every day can quickly, easily, and inexpensively do your body and mind good. So, what are you waiting for? Lace up your shoes and go!

Add one extra serving of vegetables each day

You know you should be eating 2 to 3 cups of vegetables every day, right? Think back to the last few weeks and recall how many servings you actually eat each day? I like to sneak some veggies in at breakfast. Try adding some spinach, chard, or kale to your smoothie in the morning. Or, on Sunday morning make a big batch of vegetable hash with onions, red peppers, mushrooms, and zucchini. Eat this for breakfast with roasted potatoes or as a filling for an omelet.

Beet Gazpacho

By Diane Hartford

On August 7, 2016

In Food

Beet Gazpacho

Beets are the jewels of the root vegetable kingdom, perhaps even, the jewels of the entire vegetable kingdom. What other vegetable commands such respect? You must tread carefully when handling them. Don’t wear anything that you care about when preparing beets or you will end up with stains that are nearly impossible to remove. I always wear gloves when handling them so I don’t look like Lady Macbeth when I am done. Only jalapenos warrant similar care when being handled. Despite that, I am dazzled by their ruby color and cannot resist their earthy taste.

This summer has been unusually hot. I am talking ten straight days of triple digit temperatures during the last two weeks. The heat makes me feel slothful. The thought of eating hot food isn’t appealing at all. Because of this I have saved dozens of recipes for gazpacho over the years and once garden tomatoes come on I make a batch every week until they are gone in the fall.

Recently though, I came across a recipe for Beet Gazpacho from Feasting at Home’s blog. The eye-popping color of the gazpacho grabbed my attention. Garden tomatoes were still a few weeks away from being ripe but I longed for a light, refreshing soup to eat at the end of hot day. This velvety soup perfectly fits the bill.

Beet Gazpacho

Recipe adapted from Feasting at Home. I like the subtler flavor of shallots so substituted them for red onions and an English cucumber in place of the smaller Turkish cucumbers. The first time I made the recipe I added sherry to the blender before realizing that they recipe called for sherry vinegar. I loved the way it turned out so now I use both. I used a high speed blender which gives the gazpacho a smooth, velvety texture.

INGREDIENTS

¾ lb. beets (4 medium beets, smaller than a tennis ball)

2 cup shallots, finely diced, divided

2 garlic cloves

1 English cucumber, chopped, divided

½ C fresh dill, divided

2 Tablespoons sherry vinegar, plus more to taste

1 Tablespoon sherry

½ teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste

¼ teaspoon fresh pepper

Garnishes- avocado, diced cucumber, diced beet, diced shallot, and chopped dill

INSTRUCTIONS

Scrub beets, place in a medium pot, and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Turn heat down to low and simmer until fork tender all the way through, about 45- 60 minutes. Chill beets and their cooking liquid.

I wear latex gloves for this part. Once beets have cooled, slip off their skins using your hands. Slice and place 3 of the 4 beets (reserving one beet for garnish) in a blender with 2 Cups of the cold cooking liquid (or veggie stock). Add the half of the chopped shallots), 2 garlic cloves, ¾ of the English cucumber, salt, pepper, sherry vinegar. Sherry, and about ⅔ of the fresh dill (saving some for garnish). Blend until very smooth. Taste and adjust salt and vinegar. Place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Beet Gazpacho Pin

Weekend Recharge: Kayaking

By Diane Hartford

On August 2, 2016

In Lifestyle

fun, kayak, summer

Kayaking at Currant Creek Reservoir

Last Sunday was the type of summer day that I dream about all winter long. The sky was blue and a gentle breeze of warm, scented air awakened me. We got up early and packed a picnic lunch. We had loaded the kayaks on the car the night before so we would be ready to roll first thing in the morning.

fun, kayak, summer

Where It Is

Currant Creek Recreation Area boasts a beautiful reservoir, campground, and thanks to the 7,683 ft. elevation, a welcome break from the triple digit temperatures. We had the reservoir to ourselves except for a few people fishing. The water was as smooth as glass and only our oars disturbed the surface. The air smelled deliciously of pine.

summer fun kayak

Why You Should Go

We paddled over to the boat launch and into a cove that is adjacent to the campground. Someone had tied a rope swing to a tree. I considered climbing on shore and hurling myself into the water. But, once I dipped my toes into the icy cold water I decided that staying in the kayak was a better course of action. We paddled nearly all the perimeter of the reservoir we headed back. When we got back to shore we guzzled our cold drinks and refueled with garden tomato sandwiches.

After relaxing at the water’s edge for a while, we loaded up our gear and headed back to the cabin with tired arms, a full belly, and sun-kissed cheeks.

Pin Image