By Lisa Van Orman Hadley

Bad news, my fellow Beehive-Staters: the honey bees aren’t doing too well right now. In the last three years, more than one-third of the honey bee colonies in the U.S. have disappeared. Scientists still aren’t sure what’s causing the Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD).

So, why is this so important? Well, making honey is just a tiny part of what honey bees do for us. (In fact, the average worker bee will only product 1/12th teaspoon of honey in its lifetime.) The honey bee’s biggest contribution is pollination. Bees pollinate more than 100 crops, including fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. We rely on honey bees for one-third of our food supply. No honey bee equals no peaches, no melons, no avocados, no almonds, no honey.

Hopefully, scientists will figure out soon why the bees are dying and what we can do to save them. In the meantime, here are five ways to help:

1. Plant a bee-friendly garden. I know, I know, it’s autumn. But some things can be planted now. Find out how to attract bees to your garden here: www.nature.berkeley.edu/urbanbeegardens

2. If you discover a swarm of bees in your yard, don’t kill them. Instead, contact a local beekeeper through the Utah Beekeepers Association to come to the rescue (usually free of charge). www.utahbeekeepers.com

3. Buy a carton of Haagen Dazs ice cream (as if you needed the excuse, right?) They’re funding research to help save the bees. www.helpthehoneybees.com

4. Buy local Utah honey and hive products, such as Miller’s. www.millerhoney.com

5. Feeling extremely adventurous? Learn how to keep a hive and help it thrive. Two books I found are The Backyard Beekeeper and The Beekeeper’s Handbook.

*Image via helpthehoneybees.com

It’s time to light it up, ladies. Light what, you say? That beautiful creature lying within your weary bones—the one that’s often caged up and bogged down with spreadsheet-making, e-mail-typing, diaper-changing and other various forms of updating the TPS Report. No doubt she’s one cranky animal.

Time to set her free. How’s about a two-day event centered on your creative well-being? At Spark the Event, taking place in Salt Lake City on November 6 and 7, you can mix and mingle with artistic types, as well as unleash your own. You’ll take photography courses, mixed-media journal & book classes, and you’ll learn about fabric/sewing as well as whip up your own jewelry.

Tickets for the two-day fun extravaganza include classes and supplies, speakers, food, snacks, plus a goodie bag. And that’s something worth buying into. Get the lowdown here.

{Spark It Up}

Spark the Event
November 6 and 7
This is the Place Venue, 2601 E. Sunnyside Avenue, Salt Lake City
www.sparktheevent.com

{Doorprize} We got a golden ticket! Perhaps with your name on it. We know you want in on the creative fun, so here’s what you have to do. Our friends over at Spark are feeling awfully generous and will be handing out one free all-inclusive ticket to one lucky YHO reader. Leave just one comment on this post before midnight on Monday, October 5.

Fall, meet our friend apple. Apple, allow us to introduce you to cider. Cider, it’s time you meet donut. Wait, donut? Here’s something we’ve never had the pleasure of meeting. Fall is here, and YHO reader Steph is looking for someone who makes/sells apple cider donuts to celebrate the season. And we thought we’d like to know, too. This is an acquaintance we would like to make this fall and next.

Any ideas out there?

Spotted: Small cupcakes for the taking at Mini’s new-ish Sugarhouse locale.

Where: 1751 S. 1100 East, Salt Lake City

Good for: Satiating little cravings

How Much: Cupcakes are $2 a pop, as per usual

By Beth Vermillion

Why not start thinking Christmas presents? Here are a few that won’t break the bank:

For the “little” on your list. See it here.

The DIY-er’s new project. See it here.

Try fitting this one under the tree. See it here.

Geeks need gifts, too! See it here.

The newlyweds will thank you. See them here.

And wrap ‘em all up on this new desk. See it here.

Good Times Stroll: If cool clothes are something you’ll step out for (or into), check out the biggest-ever Salt Lake Fashion Stroll this Friday on East Broadway (300 South). Local boutiques and designers come together to put on the fun-for-all that includes live music, runway shows and shopping. Get the skinny here.

White Out: Locally-directed “White on Rice” begins showing this weekend at Cinemark 16 in Provo and Century 16 in Salt Lake City. Friday and Saturday, you can sit in on a limited number of Q&A-style screenings for locals only. Plan your inquisition, and get the details here or here.

Save Saans: Host to such likeable gigs as “The Holga Show” and “The Earthscape Show,” Saans Downtown is in need of your help in order to keep the pics on the wall. Help keep this photography gallery in business by making a donation and receiving a nice, archival art print. Do so here.

Oh Glory: Shop Splendor Beauty Emporium for their One Year Anniversary and you’ll be treated to free product demonstrations, drawings each hour, gifts with all purchases and free treats and bevies. The party’s on in Salt Lake City at Foothill Village on Wednesday from 4 – 8 p.m.

And if you need to burn some post-summer calories, hook yourself up with the U of U’s Homecoming 5k Race. Running alone really isn’t the way to do it.

Thought “Savannah Smiles” and “SLC Punk” were the only flicks putting our backyard on the silver screen? As much as we love that brown-eyed girl and Salt Lake’s punk rock underbelly, it’s time we introduce the latest indie comedy film to come from Utah stock.

“White on Rice” has already debuted in L.A. and San Francisco, and now makes its way to our neck of the woods. Directed and co-directed by Utahns David and Megan Boyle, and starring Hiroshi Watanabe (“Letters from Iwo Jima”) and James Kyson Lee (“Heroes”), this comedy-that-could has been touted as “an Asian American film that keeps its identity in its heart rather than on its sleeve,” by The San Francisco Chronicle.

See it. Not only to show support for your peeps, because we know you like to laugh. Get started here or here. “White on Rice” is playing at Cinemark 16 at Provo Towne Center and Century 16 on 3300 South in Salt Lake City this Friday through October 1, with Q&A screenings this weekend only.

So, as they say, get on it.

{Rice Above}

“White on Rice”
Playing in Utah Friday through October 1
Cinemark 16, Provo Towne Center and Century 16, 3300 South in Salt Lake City
Provo Q&A screenings:
Cinemark 16, Provo Towne Center
Friday, Sept. 25, 6:30 and 9 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 26, 11:55 a.m. and 2:10 p.m.
Salt Lake City Q&A screenings:
Century 16, 3300 South
Saturday, Sept. 26, 7:15 and 9:30 p.m.
www.whiteonricethemovie.com

By Caroline King

Today’s Sweet: Chocolate Loaf Cake from “How to be a Domestic Goddess” with my very own blueberry compote

Like many foodies out there, I had to see Meryl Streep and Amy Adams as beloved American chef and doting protoge in “Julie & Julia.” The film leaves you inspired by two women, finding and making their own within kitchens under completely different circumstances—and maybe a little hungry, too. And probably like you, it inspired me to try even more.

I tend to get really comfortable with the recipes I know and love, or ones I grew up on or have simply been making as my staples for years. In an effort to keep things fresh, I’m taking on a new challenge. “How to be a Domestic Goddess” is one of my favorite cookbooks, and my girl Nigella knows the art of comfort baking like no one else. So, a friend and I are going to whip up almost each and every recipe within the “Goddess” pages.

This is just recipe number two and it’s already a go-to favorite. It’s made by a goddess, for a goddess. And I added my blueberry compote not only because I’m fairly obsessed with blueberries, but also for a nice, extra touch.

Chocolate Loaf Cake Ingredients:

1 cup soft unsalted butter
1 and 2/3 cups dark brown sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 oz. best bittersweet chocolate, melted and slightly cooled
1 and 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons boiling water
9×5 loaf pan

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, grease and line loaf pan with parchment paper. This is an important step, since this cake is so dense and damp. You’ll see why when you take it out of the oven. Put pan on a cookie sheet in case of any drips.

Cream the butter and sugar, then add eggs and vanilla, beating in well. Fold in the melted and now slightly-cooled chocolate, blending well. Combine flour and baking soda, then alternately add a spoonful of flour. Then add boiling water until you have a smooth and fairly liquid batter. Pour mixture into lined loaf pan and bake for 30 minutes. Turn down oven to 325 degrees and continue to cook for another 15 minutes. Because of its texture, when the cake is checked with a cake skewer, it won’t come out completely clean. But it shouldn’t be too mushy, either.

Cool bread in the pan on the rack, pull out of pan by the parchment paper.

Blueberry compote ingredients:

2/3 cup blueberries
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and stir while bringing to a boil. Boil mixture until it becomes thick. Serve on chocolate bread.

Try not to eat the entire loaf in one sitting.

By Courtney Buell
Photography by Cody Buell

For the longest time, I thought Thai food meant meat and veggies cooked with curry, curry and more curry, along with a generous helping of coconut milk. Thai curries are good, but if your knowledge of Thai cuisine starts with green and ends with red, like mine, you’re only getting started. Admittedly, I needed to vamp up my Thai know-how (I knew there had to be more than the same old creamy sweet curries). I’m pleased to announce I was right on. And so was Salt Lake City’s Tasty Thai.

Almost everything at this reasonably-priced eatery can be made-to-order with your choice of protein. Stop in for lunch, and you’ll get even lower prices (about $7 per plate) in exchange for smaller portions and a slightly truncated menu—though it’s likely you’ll still come home stuffed.

Lunches are served with a small-but-satisfying garden salad. I took mine with the house vinaigrette: light and tangy with good, spicy kick. For a slight departure from the traditional Pad Thai, go for Pad See Ew, a savory combination of wide rice noodles, broccoli, egg, rich dark soy sauce and your choice of meat or tofu. If you like heat, try Pad Phed. Ours was made with chicken, red curry paste, fresh peppers, bamboo shoots and fresh basil—a mouth-watering variation from the red coconut curry you usually order.

If you’re feeling even more “brave,” you might like the Yum Neur salad, served with more tender flank steak than lettuce and its spicy lime dressing keeps it cool with just a touch of sweetness. If you’re a stir fry kind-of-gal, go for the Pad Him Ma Parn. It’s a lighter mix of meat, cashews, veggies and garlic sauce.

Sure, this culinary excursion may have only scraped the surface of the wondrous culinary traditions of Thailand. But education has to begin somewhere. And if it’s coming in the form of savory and tangy dishes (plus coconut milk, from time to time), Tasty Thai makes a good classroom.

{Thai It On}

Tasty Thai
1302 S. 500 East
Salt Lake City, Utah
(801) 467-4070

What do you get when you put a perpetual student, recreational aide, waitress, artist, nanny, sandwich-maker, college art instructor and library worker together? Before you get too creative, we’ll tell you. You would get Utah printmaker Eva Jorgensen, the undoubtedly well-rounded mastermind behind uber loved (and deserving) Sycamore Steet Press.

The now-Heber-based letterpress studio is known foremost in the stationery and blogging communities for bringing together true artistic style and cheeky expressions, but also for taking colorful and inventive illustrations to the press—giving any and all access to a really cool print or two from any number of artists.

Our girl Eva, who received a BFA from Brigham Young University and an MFA from the University of Utah, didn’t uncover her love (or talent) for letterpress until she gave Frosty Darling’s stationery rack a gander and thought to herself, “I could do that.”

And how! She and husband Kirk head up Sycamore Street with help from Stephanie Ford, Kristin Mills, Amy Shaffer, Natasha Wheeler and a slew of guest designers. If you want a full run of the gamut, try a membership with the Sycamore Club. Otherwise, get started at her site, Etsy shop, or blog.

Welcome back the land of the Best Snow on Earth, Eva! And now YHO gets the skinny….

Name: Eva Jorgensen

Occupation: Owner/Designer/Printer for an independent letterpress studio

When I grow up, I want to be: What I am now. Only I’d like to add mother, photographer and heirloom gardener to the list.

The best thing about growing up in Utah was: Family and friends

If/when I have 24 hours in Utah, I always:

• Float down the Provo River
• Go to the old school photobooth at Kmart in Orem
• Shop at D.I., Savers or Thriftown
• Check out the zine collection and art exhibit at the SLC Main Library
• Eat dinner at Mazza in SLC, followed by a shake at Dairy Keen in Heber
• See Ok Ikumi and The Boy Who Could Fly

Utah has the best: MLS soccer team, Real Salt Lake!

Now I live in: Heber, Utah

Heber has the best: Clear blue skies

If I could be anywhere right now, it would be: A sandy beach in the Greek Isles

Five hearts:

• Junky Heirloom (the owners/designers Amy and Kristin also design the “Lark” line for Sycamore Street Press)
• Salty caramel ice cream from Jeni’s
• The Simply Radiant blog (Stephanie also designs the “Pop” line for Sycamore Street Press)
• The Clumsy Bird Flickr photostream
• The view of Timp from our studio windows

Five hates:

• Getting out of bed
• Strawberry milk
• Humid summers/humid winters
• Arguing over politics
• The idea of making phone calls (once I’m actually on the phone, I’m alright)

I can’t live without my: To do list

The last party I went to was: Our friends’ wedding at the Columbus Athletic Club

And I wore: A 1950′s-style dress with a mess of pearls and chains hanging from my neck

Favorite product on your site: Kirk’s “Bon Appetit” print for the Sycamore Club

Favorite product on earth: Swedish Hasbeen’s Jodhpur boots

From within Utah’s borders:

Printable 2010 “Forget-Me-Knot” Calendar / $7 / By Little Paper Dog

“Bicyclette” Wooden Sign / $17 / By Dela Flamant

“Little Miss Sunshine” Baby Booties / $25 / By Peek a Boo Monkey

Dorothy Wizard of Oz Dress / $49.50 / By Rae Gun

Houndstooth “Little Guy” Tie / $13.99 / By Buttered Toast

Oktober Already: Head to the hills (Snowbird) this weekend or next to partake in the your favorite Bavarian festivities. Oktoberfest comes complete with tunes from Polkatonics and all the authentic foods you could ask for. Check the schedule here, or get more information here.

Art in Bloom: Remember to take a breather at the Garden of Art this Friday and Saturday. Could be your chance to load up on unique birthday gifts for fall, or simply spend time with your lady friends, and listen in on local music. Details here or here.

Falling For You: The leaves are starting to change, and fast. Don’t miss out and cruise any of these high-ranking stretches of highway: Highway 89 between Logan and Bear Lake, Guardsman Pass from Brighton to Park City (partially dirt road) or the Alpine Loop from American Fork to Provo.

Suh-weet Sadie: Pull out your inner crafty shopper, round up your favorite divas, and head to Oh Sweet Sadie art and boutique sale in Daybreak this weekend. Catch the details here.

Stroll-A-Long: Put your walking shoes on for Salt Lake’s Gallery Stroll tomorrow evening. Standouts include “Making A Splash” at Horne Fine Art; Wendy Chidester and Erin Berrett at Williams Fine Art plus “Architecture/Archetype” at the Kayo Gallery and Schedules here.

Or, you can shop it up at Abode’s last flea market for the season on Saturday.

Have you heard? Sadie is the word. If you don’t already know about the Oh Sweet Sadie crafty extravaganza (and we don’t take that description lightly), it’s time we fill you in. Think over 80 locals putting up handmade clothing, home decor, retro toys, gift tags, petticoats  and more … like designer jeans and photography and artwork for two days only.

It all happens this weekend at SoDa Row—the latest retail development at South Jordan’s Daybreak. The party won’t stop for anything. Not even the live music that goes down from 3 – 5 p.m. on Saturday. Be there or be square. Cut some rug, and shop to your heart’s delight.

{Sweet SoDa}

Oh Sweet Sadie Art and Gift Show
Friday and Saturday, 9:30 a.m. – 8 p.m.
SoDa Row at Daybreak (4821 Littlefield Lane, South Jordan)
www.ohsweetsadie.com

By Lisa Van Orman Hadley

I love books. I have been known to give up eating lunch in order to buy a book and that’s saying a lot because the other thing I love is food. My books are like old friends—we’ve been together for a long time, I hang out with them a lot, we never get sick of each other, and I have no intention of ever getting rid of them.

But there are books on my shelf that I read once and never picked up again. Or the ones I never got around to reading at all and probably never will. Or the bestseller that was a sweet gift but just isn’t my cup of tea.

Meanwhile, somewhere out there, there’s someone who would love to have those books I’ve been neglecting.

Say hello to BookMooch. BookMooch recycles your books by giving them to the people who want them and you, in turn, get to pick up new reads from your fellow moochers. Here’s how it works: You sign up at BookMooch.com and list the books you’re willing to give away. Other moochers send requests for your books and you send them off to their new loving homes (you pay for shipping). You get points for every book you send. Then you search the database for the books you want and use your points to “buy” new reads from your moocher friends (they pay for shipping).

Everyone wins: Your old books find new, loving homes and then you have room on your bookshelf for your next BFF. (Book Friends Forever.)

{Exchanging Words}

www.bookmooch.com

By Courtney Buell
Photography by Cody Buell

Everyone ought to have a go-to place when they want good Chinese food—preferably one without its own line of panda bear-stamped takeout packaging. Our most recent food find, complete with pretty wood furnishings and real flatware is Salt Lake’s Hong Kong Tea House.

Like us, you should consider starting off with hot and sour soup or pan-fried pot stickers. The soup is intensely flavorful (keeping up with its name) and super affordable at less than two dollars a cup. Pot stickers come stuffed with warmly spiced meat and veggies, seared in a skillet to give them a pleasant crunch.

The chow mein comes with a combination of different meats like pork, beef, and shrimp, tossed with green onions and bean sprouts which made for a great combination—and came highly recommended. Like it should, the dish brings together crunchy and savory with nicely-cooked meat (a big step up from your average takeout) and delicious noodles. The pepper chicken was another hit with sauteed meat and vegetables in a bold black pepper sauce.

If you’re up for dim sum and then some, give the Tea House a try, where the small plates are said to be the best this side of San Francisco. In the meantime, next time you find yourself craving Chinese flavors, skip the soggy, mass-produced box of fried mystery food and treat yourself to the fresh and authentic Hong Kong Tea House. One taste, and you’ll kick your panda habit to the curb.

{Tea Time}

Hong Kong Tea House
565 W. 200 South
Salt Lake City, Utah
(801) 531-7010

Who takes a little scherenschnitte with their screenprinting? How about Photoshop with some flower arranging? InDesign with Etsy-ing? That’s certainly how we would have liked to be drawing up our semester schedules, back in the glory days.

School gets fun this fall with Nicole’s Classes. The Art Weekend is hitting the road and coming to Salt Lake City November 5 through 7 and your choices for areas of study include the good stuff (see ya later BioChem) like photography, Photoshop, Illustrator (making cards & gifts), screenprinting, blogging, papercutting, bookbinding and a whole lot more. This also gives you a chance to meet some of your favorite bloggers, artists and crafties, might we add.

Prices range from $30 – $45 per class, depending on how many courses you want in on. Read all about it and sign up here.

{Back 2 School}

The Art Weekend
Offered by Nicole’s Classes
November 5 – 7, 2009
Salt Lake Plaza Hotel (122 W. South Temple)
www.nicolesclasses.blogspot.com

By Beth Vermillion

Some pieces from the classifieds that might be worth a second or third look include:

All this piano needs is paint job. Maybe like this one. See it here.

Know anything about reupholstery? This chair needs you. See it here.

This one’s perfect for back to school. See it here.

Get organized with this IKEA Expedit shelf system. See it here.

Here’s a stately chair for your living room. See it here.

Bring the diner home with you. Having a crowd over? There’s an extra leaf. See it here.

Spotted: A baby boom! A tiny tiger, giraffe, meerkat, leopard and more have taken up residencies in Utah. And debuting tomorrow: a brand-new baby elephant. You can even take your turn at naming the big little critter.

Good For: Watching cute get cuter.

Where: Hogle Zoo (www.hoglezoo.org)

How Much: Adults, $9; children, $7; children 2 and under, free

Fair to Remember: Be an animal or see an animal at the Utah State Fair, beginning today at the state fairgrounds. The next eleven days promise contests, cowboys, concerts and carnivals. Probably cotton candy, too. See here.

Dine-O-Round: Catch an apres-stroll bite at any of the local restaurants participating in Salt Lake’s Fall Dine O’Round, on now through September 27. You’ll get two-course lunches for $10, or three-course dinners for $15 or $30. Make your picks here.

Indian Summer: An eight-acre-big festival includes Indian entertainment and cuisine, plus art, photography and cultural exhibits when India Fest heats up at Spanish Fork’s Sri Sri Radha Khrishna Temple this Saturday. A big dose of culture never was so affordable. ($3 admission.) Details here.

Go Greek: The big fat Greek Festival starts today and continues through Sunday. Whipped up by Salt Lake’s Greek community, the Mediterranean spread includes souvlaki, dolmathes, spanakopita and other delicacies whose names we can’t pronounce but which we are happy to sample. There’s even a 10k run if you need to work it off. More info here.

What backyard art and gift show features hot eats and cool treats, plus a live concert, all in one? If you guessed Garden of Art,taking place next weekend, you deserve a pat on the back, my friend. The ladies behind this extravaganza deserve a pat on the back, too.

Just for you, they’ve lined up two days of early fall fun including (but not limited to) pretty things like mixed media artworks, handmade jewelry and children’s clothing, organic skincare products and glass art for sale—-plus a salad bar and performance by Bronwen Beecher. So pull up a chair and stay awhile. The good times are just getting started.

{Garden Tour}

Garden of Art
Friday, September 18, 3 – 6 p.m.
Saturday, September 19, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Bronwen Beecher performance Friday, 7 – 9 p.m.
2110 Friar Way (7280 South 2125 West)
West Jordan, Utah
www.gardenofartshow.blogspot.com