St. Honoré Holidays

Ever have a favorite holiday food that you look forward to every year? Well, we now have a new one! A Yule Log. OK, obviously this isn’t the kind of log you burn on the fire. This is a log that you can really sink your teeth into and it is from St. Honoré Boulangerie. Chef Dominique Geulin told us about the Yule Log, also called the Bûche de Noël. This is a special treat for many families and can only be found this time of year. They also make the Pain de Noël, a Christmas sweet bread. Other holiday treats include Sable Diamant (French style shortbread cookies), Galette des Rois (known as Kings Cake and eaten on the Epiphany) and Eggnog Pudding, in addition to many other holiday treats. They can also cater your holiday with savory foods in addition to the sweets they offer. If you are looking for something special, or just need a little help feeding all those holiday guests, stop by St. Honore’s

Holiday Wines

The holidays are filled with gatherings with family and friends. It can also be a time of stress! Even when it gets down to picking out the right wine for your dinners or parties. To get some good solid ‘wine’ advice we stopped by Stoller Family Estate (503-864-3404) and talked to our friend Melissa Burr, the winemaker at Stoller. She had some good practical advice for everyone. First of all don’t stress! These get-togethers are meant to be fun. She suggests that you bring a bottle of wine that you like. This should be a bottle that you can tell people about… ‘I really love this wine because…’ It is much more fun when you are sharing something that you enjoy. It also becomes even more personal when you can tell people about it.

But what if you are serving food? Once again the number one rule is to go with something you like. Now, if you are looking for a wine that will bring out the best in your holiday meals, then there are some characteristics that you should look for. Chardonnays are generally fruity and very food friendly. Chardonnays pair well with soups, cheeses and cream based dishes. William’s favorites, cabernets, tend to work well with meats and proteins because they tend to be a heavier wine with tannins. If you are looking for a good wine that can pair well with just about anything, look for a nice pinot noir. Oregon pinots are some of the best in the world and you can find a nice one without breaking the bank. These tend to be a little lighter on the tannins so they are not so overpowering.

Now with the New Year approaching you could be looking at an expensive ‘bubbly’ to enjoy, but Melissa told us to think local too. There are a lot of local sparkling wines and lighter wines that you can choose from. Stoller has a great variety of wines to choose from and they can also help you in picking out the right one. Give them a call or drop by the tasting room to sample some of their great vintages and then relax and enjoy the holidays.

Fall & Winter Equipment Maintenance

It is the time of year that we are putting away our power tools for the season and to keep them in the best condition for the next year; give them a tune-up for the winter. Wayne from STIHL tools talked about how important it is to either get the old fuel out of your equipment or to add a fuel stabilizer so the fuel stays viable and doesn’t gum up your machine. He also talked about the new electrical and battery operated equipment that is now available. Remember to keep those batteries from freezing to prevent damage to them as well. You will also want to check the cutting edges and moving parts of your mower, blower, chain saw and other equipment for the cold months ahead! The benefit of doing it now keeps your tools in the best condition so you have less maintenance in the future. Check air filters and spark plugs. Sharpen blades/chains and clean all surfaces. If it sounds like too much to tackle, you can always take it to your local STIHL tool dealer.