Bon Appetit!
November 2, 2009 by Robin Salts Beckett

Members of the Bon Appetit dinner club trade laughs while in the kitchen.
Photos by Chad Bremerman
Today’s foodies might find themselves in a bit of a pickle: loving to cook, yet lacking the time it requires to don an apron, turn to the dog-eared page they’ve been salivating over for weeks and get chopping.
Enter the dinner club.
Coeur d’ Alene Resort
November 2, 2009 by Heather Caro

By Heather Caro
Photos Courtesy of the Coeur d’ Alene Resort
According to Coeur d’Alene lore, the city in northern Idaho got its name from French Canadian traders and their description of indigenous Native Americans’ keen trade practices with European settlers. Translated literally “Heart of the Awl” or “sharp hearted,” Coeur d’Alene has a rich history filled with tales of a pioneering spirit.
Today the thriving resort community bears little resemblance to its name’s historical roots. In fact, the town of 41,000 christened “The Playground of the Northwest” has become synonymous with the idea of luxury and year-round outdoor recreation. That reputation is due in large part to The Coeur d’Alene Resort.
Hockey Goals: The Women of the Yakima Sting
November 2, 2009 by Heather Caro

A player gets ready to hit the ice for practice.
Photos by George May
In recent years, ice hockey has enjoyed a surge of popularity from fans around the globe. Long-term residents of the Yakima Valley may recall that this attention is not entirely unprecedented on a local level. Since it began operations in the 1960s, the Yakima Ice Rink has been host to a variety of hockey teams. During its heyday in the 1970s, its small section of bleachers was often packed to overflowing with hockey fans young and old, and games were broadcast live on the radio. Read more
“Best” Hostess Gifts
November 2, 2009 by admin
Our Best Hostess Gifts
Don’t get caught empty handed this season. Here’s a few gems to keep on hand for those last minute holiday parties.
What the Holiday Kneads
November 2, 2009 by Christina McCarthy
What the Holiday Kneads
Photos by Chad Bremerman

Making bread during the holidays is a great family activity.
Close your eyes and picture the perfect holiday home. Imagine the decorations, twinkling lights or flickering candles, your favorite holiday music floating in the air, interrupted by bursts of laughter from children happy with the knowledge they have no school to attend for the next few days. Read more
A Cup of Joe
November 2, 2009 by Robin Salts Beckett
More than a Cup of Joe
Photos by Andy Sawyer

Inside Le Cup coffee shop in Yakima, Wash.
Local coffee shops offer more than just your morning cup
Don’t be fooled by its diminutive size – Le Cup packs a lot more into its storefront than your favorite soy latte. Keri Roehl, who opened Le Cup earlier this year on Front Street, makes brown-bag lunches, English Muffin breakfast sandwiches, and a popular Saturday morning breakfast that changes each week (anyone for a blueberry and bacon waffle?). Read more
Master Gardeners
November 2, 2009 by sperry
Holiday Ideas for the Gardener
The weather outside is chilly, the garden tools are all put away, the garden is sleeping, but the gardener is busy getting ready for the holidays.
The bustle of preparations for seasonal entertaining and gift giving can have special meaning for the gardener who has been preparing since spring (or even last fall) for favorite foods, decorations and gifts for the holidays. Read more
Social Pages – Nov/Dec 2009
November 4, 2009 by admin
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Turkey two ways in the Yakima Valley
November 4, 2009 by Heather Caro
Turkey Two Ways in the Yakima Valley

Make your turkey a different way this Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving Day is often a busy affair for wineries throughout the valley as they prepare for hundreds of guests over Thanksgiving in Wine Country Weekend. Somehow, they all find time to celebrate the bounty of the season in their own – if sometimes nontraditional – way, with family and friends. Read more
Notes from Heather – Nov/Dec 2009
November 5, 2009 by Heather Caro
Coming home to the Yakima Valley was a decision my husband and I did not take lightly. But two years ago, after many late night discussions around the dining room table, we eventually agreed it was time to move back to the sleepy rural town where I had been raised.
After living in Bend, OR and Coeur d’ Alene, ID for many years we had grown accustomed to the easy, outdoorsy – if slightly granola-ey – lifestyles that characterize those towns, and we were hesitant to leave. But the lure of raising our children near family and the comfort of hometown values eventually won out. So, with much trepidation, we packed our bags and moved our little family back to the valley.
I’m so glad we did.

