Heber Valley Life

Author: Rebecca Tibbits

  • Sweet Tooth

    Sweet Tooth

    Growing up in the Heber Valley, Stefanie Richardson always had a sweet tooth. After all, she had spent a lot of time hanging around her grandpa’s donut shop, Wally’s Donuts, in Salt Lake City. “He was a hard worker, and he inspired me,” she says of her grandpa. (I’m sure anyone whose livelihood was making donuts all day would put stars in the eyes of a young child.)

    As she got older, Stefanie continued to nurture her sweet tooth; taking up baking and experimenting with making different goodies to eat and to share. She never forgot about her grandpa’s donut shop, even long after he retired. Stefanie dreamed of opening up a shop like that of her own one day. She was still dreaming about it when Judy’s Donuts opened in Midway in 2019. That same year, in August — on her birthday — a friend delivered homemade chocolate roses to her, and she thought, “Nobody does this…let’s make this a thing!” Undeterred by missing the boat on her donut dreams, Stefanie saw an opportunity in those little chocolate roses and wanted to bring the art of treats and sweets to the valley in a unique fashion.

    She asked her friend for the recipe and started crafting ornate chocolate roses as gifts. Soon she added on chocolate-covered strawberries, which turned into caramel apples in the fall and themed treats around the holidays. Each holiday brought new ideas for specialized sweets, and soon — a business was born. Originally called Pebbles Goodies & Gifts, Stefanie was working up a storm, creating delightful goodies and handcrafted gifts.

    After a year and a half of working out of her home; she had built quite a following of local fans who wanted her to put something together for a birthday, holiday, or special occasion. Consistent custom orders helped her build the business, and, in the summer of 2020, she decided to move into a storefront. Just what everyone was thinking in the middle of 2020, right? Let’s take a huge financial risk and start a business! Stefanie admits that one of her biggest challenges has been launching her brick and mortar shop in the middle of the pandemic, but she says enthusiastically, “If I can survive Covid, I can survive anything!”

    The newly named Pebbles Drinks & Treats has all the favorites that her customer base has grown to love — chocolates, caramel apples, and even some of her handmade home decor — she has also added more treats to the list of delicious little goodies that she offers. Listed on her Facebook page as a “sugaring service,” Pebbles Drinks & Treats has cases filled with cookies, bars, chocolates, and more. I had the pleasure of sampling a hot cocoa bomb on a cold wintry day that left me wanting to come back again and again. The shop also offers dirty soda drinks and a full ice cream parlor (toppings galore!) featuring our valley’s own small batch ice cream, Wasatch Creamery.

    “Some days are busy; some days are slow,” Stefanie says. And she would know, because she single-handedly runs the business as her own one-woman show! She’s in the shop every day, baking away and serving up her treats to her loyal customers. Over the holidays she gets really busy and as a fledgling business owner, she doesn’t want to turn down any orders. She’s still trying to find her rhythm and figure out how to balance running her business while raising a family at the same time. One thing that is nice about having the shop — even during COVID — is that she can be at work when she’s at work and be at home when she’s at home. Having the physical divide between her business and her family has helped her be more present where she is at each time.

    On the slow days at work, Stefanie thinks about how to get the word out. Tucked away around the corner off Midway’s Main Street, the shop is in the heart of Midway, but not so readily visible for passersby. Stefanie says she’s keeping her fingers crossed that people in the valley want to support local small businesses. She has a stream of steady fans, and the shop is especially popular with the local kids. (Remember, all kids have stars in their eyes for treats!) Stefanie says that one of her favorite parts of the job is watching the kids come in and get treats. “I love to watch them as they savor what they are eating, and, as a mom, I hope that something sweet that they’re eating is making their day better.” I suppose she’s paying forward that joy that she got from eating donuts in her Grandpa’s shop all those years ago.

  • Wasatch Women in Business

    Wasatch Women in Business

    When Ida Sapp was a new mother, her daughter became very sick. She was underweight, experienced severe allergies, and her skin was raw from eczema. Ida took her to numerous doctors, naturopaths, and homeopaths, begging each to determine what was wrong with her child. “She just got sicker and sicker,” Ida explains. “At one point, she couldn’t walk because she didn’t have skin on her legs. When she was seven, she started showing memory problems, which was really concerning.” Discouraged and desperate, Ida took her daughter to a chiropractor who also worked with energy healing. The chiropractor pushed on her daughter’s belly and rubbed his hands over her head — then he sent them on their way. What happened next felt miraculous. Almost immediately, Ida’s daughter could walk again, and within ten days, her skin was completely clear. Her digestion improved, and Ida’s seven-year struggle was finally over as her daughter’s health began to improve consistently.

    Whatever this was that healed her child, Ida had to find out more about it. What she discovered was the deep and fascinating world of energy work. After delving into her research and exploration, Ida felt called to work in the field, helping others who were struggling, just like her family had been for so long. She researched several modalities, ultimately finding that what resonated with her the most was The Body Code technique.

    The Body Code is a particular form of energy work that relies on the principle that everything is energy. We are supposed to experience emotions, learn from them, and then let them go. Sometimes, these emotions become “stuck,” and these unprocessed emotional energies manifest in real problems with our health, relationships, and careers. Anyone who has ever experienced stress headaches or gotten an upset stomach from nervousness knows how emotions can appear as physical problems in the body. The Body Code focuses on correcting imbalances in our subconscious that create barriers to moving forward in our lives. Ida found her passion in helping people break through those barriers to become the best version of themselves. After a few years of studying and practicing, Ida became a certified Body Code Coach.

    We have all wanted to make significant strides in life. We yearn for better health, more enriching relationships, and a stronger sense of balance in our lives. Yet, for many of us, these goals frequently feel like dreams on the horizon, just out of reach, and we don’t know how to make them a reality. If you’ve ever felt like you’ve had unmet expectations (oooooh, me!) or like you’re a bit stuck where you are (also me!!), you may be struggling with breaking past blocks in your subconscious that are holding you back from reaching your potential. If given the opportunity to have someone step in and give you the boost you need to correct your energy imbalances and live a more empowered life, would you take it?

    Well, I did! Despite my skepticism for anything that falls heavily into what I call the “woo-woo, New Agey stuff,” I agreed to let Ida work on me — and you know what — it works! In the year since I began doing Ida’s Body Code sessions, I have made some pretty significant changes. Here are just a few; I was able to unload a project taking a great deal of energy and causing a large amount of stress in my life. I broke through some financial barriers that I couldn’t have imagined a short time ago — I bought a bigger house, doubled my income, and got out of debt. And I found more clarity about what I want — and what I don’t want — in my life.

    I’m not the only client of Ida’s who has had success; another client of Ida’s had been suffering for almost twenty years from back pain and severe arthritis due to two broken vertebrae that hadn’t healed properly. She worked with Ida for two months, and, in that time, her back pain decreased tremendously. Her mobility increased to a point where she finally felt like she had her quality of life back.

    When another client’s marriage was affected by her chronic headaches, insomnia, heavy feelings of despair, and deep emotional anguish, she began taking the Body Code sessions. After working with Ida, she finally started sleeping again, her headaches subsided, her marriage improved, she found a new job, and has a newfound joy for life. Now her husband is working with Ida, too! These are the stories that inspire Ida every day and make her excited about her work.

    One of the reasons why I believe Ida is so good at what she does is because, as fulfilling as her job is, balancing her work with raising a family is something that she struggles with too. She gets her clients. She understands them. Ida works out of a shed in their yard that her husband converted into an office, and she tries to fit all her hours in while the children are at school. “There are also the normal daily requirements of cooking, cleaning, shopping, and running the kids around,” she says. “Some days, I feel like a taskmaster instead of an ally and champion to my children. I have had to work hard to build intentional, relaxed time with my children into my day.”

    Seeing her clients make radical transformations is what keeps Ida going. She loves being able to watch people make positive changes in their lives due to her work. Knowing how hard it is to look for answers and come up empty-handed, she is excited to offer people an opportunity to affect real change in their lives. Ida has expanded her business to include coaching, which allows her to increase her Body Code sessions and use her breadth of knowledge to support clients in moving forward and achieving significant growth. “I love seeing people empowered,” Ida says. “Lately, I have been working with several women who are at a crossroads in their lives. The transformation that takes place and the sense of empowerment that they gain over a short period of time has been very rewarding.”

    To learn more about Ida Sapp and her work, visit idasapp.com.

  • Meet The Wildflower Kristi Gelas

    Meet The Wildflower Kristi Gelas

    Local businesswoman Kristi Gelas had a toddler at home, was pregnant with her second child, and worked a busy corporate job in administration and business management when she recognized that her life needed an overhaul to balance it all. Like many new moms, the struggle of juggling family life and career was going to take some creativity.

    Kristi’s background was in the corporate world, most recently as a business manager for a multi-million dollar company, working on auditing, payroll, invoicing, and financial reporting. Kristi knew that she had always had a propensity towards numbers, and she was good at organization and analysis. But it was her experiences running small businesses — a small coffee shop and a guide company — that drove her towards helping other small businesses manage their books. “I knew that most small business owners don’t have that experience, and they try to do everything themselves.” Combining her affinity for business and numbers and recognizing a need to be filled, a seed was planted, and the idea for Wildflower Bookkeeping began to grow.

    Kristi was excited about the prospect of helping business owners with financial goals and planning and quickly got to work, developing a two-year plan to launch her new company. Hoping to create more flexibility in her professional life, she planned to build the bookkeeping business by working at home, while continuing to work her corporate job. Once she had reliable income from her new business adventure she would leave her corporate career. Kristi enrolled in a bookkeeping course and began building a website, and then — five months into her two-year plan — she was laid off from her job. Some people might have been devastated by that news, but not Kristi. “It was a sign!” she explains, undaunted by the sudden acceleration in her plan.

    Forced into quick action, she decided to lean into her new path and get to work. Kristi finished her course, put the finishing touches on her website, and became the proud, new owner of Wildflower Bookkeeping. She announced her opening on Facebook and received her first client through a friend. And just like that, Wildflower Bookkeeping was born!

    Wildflower Bookkeeping provides monthly bookkeeping services for small businesses, offers payroll support, and helps with document management. By building relationships with her clients, Kristi listens to their business goals and helps them with organizational tools and financial support to help keep their books in order. “I really love the relationships I have built with my clients over the past few years. I’ve met some amazing people. I know their kids’ names and ages, and some have become friends,” Kristi says of her clients. “A bookkeeper needs to be a trusted advisor you can go to with your questions, someone who can offer support for your financial needs.” That kind of trust has made her a reliable bookkeeper and a close friend to many of the business owners she supports. This reliability and trust have helped her business grow from one client to nearly twenty in a little over two years.

    Like many women in business, Kristi finds herself balancing the growth of her small business and life with her husband and two young, high-energy boys. Kristi says the best thing about being self-employed is the freedom. “I love being able to be here when someone in my family needs me.” Being a mom and running a business has its struggles too. When asked about what has been the most challenging aspect of being self-employed, she laughs as she says, “The freedom.”

    Those two high-energy boys are kicked out of her home office multiple times during our conversation. “It’s like a three-ring circus,” Kristi sighs. And most women can agree; anyone who tries to raise a family and run a business at the same time will most likely peek over their shoulder from time to time to see when the clowns are making their entrance. No sooner than the little footsteps and voices had been ushered out — I heard them nearing again.

    Before we finish up, I ask Kristi for her best (free) financial and organizational advice. “Keep your receipts!” she says. “And keep good records!” Kristi shares that, despite conflicting opinions, businesses make it harder on themselves when they are disorganized in their recordkeeping. She continues by stating, “File and pay your quarterly taxes on time, and set aside enough money to budget for this every month.” Kristi says that businesses wait until they have a crisis at tax time before they commit to this. Better to avert the crisis and do it now.

    Kristi has excellent resources and recommendations to help make bookkeeping more manageable. Her million-dollar advice is something I believe rings true for everyone, either in business or out. “If you’re overwhelmed by your goals, make each step a mini-goal so you are slowly achieving your goals and feeling accomplished along the way. Does that make sense?” Yes, Kristi, it does. It really does.

    You can learn more at wildflowerbk.com.

  • Meet Me At The Corner

    Meet Me At The Corner

    Imagine yourself on a warm summer evening, dining al fresco under twinkly cafe lights with a light breeze blowing. A bearded man plays a recognizable tune on his guitar from the corner of the patio, softly serenading you as you dine on dish after dish of delectable cuisine. The sun is setting beyond the trees, a lush green lawn spreads out beneath you like a blanket, and the glow of chandeliers from inside is illuminating your table as the stars slowly start to appear.

    Now imagine that you don’t have to imagine it at all! You can find all of this right in our valley at Midway’s The Corner Restaurant. Although a new fixture on Midway’s main drag, The Corner Restaurant carries a long history. Longtime residents may remember when former mayor Gene Probst and his wife Darlene owned the Burgermeister restaurant in the heart of Midway. The Burgermeister (which means “mayor” in German) was a cozy gathering place where people could eat good home-cooked food and make memories, and many people did until 1997 when it closed down. The couple’s grandson, Burkley Probst, grew up at the Burgermeister and really missed Midway’s family gathering spot. He decided in 2017 that Midway still needed that sort of community place where friends and family could gather together and make memories over a table of great food. Together with his dad, Karl, he opened The Corner Restaurant.

    In 2018 when plans to renovate an old home into a restaurant were deemed implausible, Burkley and Karl enlisted the expertise of local architectural firm Lythgoe Design to build from the ground up. Together they created a new space with elements of community and family thoughtfully incorporated into the building. The result was a restaurant with sleek design that was both welcoming and meaningful. Visitors can instantly pick up on the warm decor and inviting space that The Corner Restaurant provides, but most don’t know the effort that has gone into creating all the special touches housed within the building. For example, the front door faces the Midway Town Hall, which the majority regards as the heart of the town. The stone on the front of the building is potrock, a stone native to Midway, found when excavating the site where the building now stands. Even the gladiolas at the counter when you walk in pay homage to Darlene Probst, Burkley’s now deceased grandmother and original owner of the Burgermeister. They were her favorite flower.

    Their menu is rife with comfort food and good ole’ Americana cuisine, but with a strong foodie influence. A touch of paprika oil gives that extra something to the clam chowder, and a blackberry chipotle barbeque sauce brings a sweet and savory kick to their chicken drumettes. Those who remember the original Burgermeister Ham & Swiss will not be disappointed, because it’s on the menu too! Years of history in the making blend the old and new into The Corner’s menu, and you can feel the perfect balance of old and comfortable with new and trendy.

    My favorite thing about The Corner Restaurant is the ambiance. Inside, the natural woods and chandeliers warm the space. The staff has taken care to ensure that surfaces are sanitized and that they are adhering to all health and safety recommendations. Now, in the age of social distancing, the patio is the perfect place for those who feel safer in the open air of outdoor dining. Those adhering to stringent precautions can still enjoy The Corner’s delicious food by partaking in the extensive take-out menu. You will miss out on the twinkly lights and the cool breeze, but you can still enjoy a hearty stroganoff or a nice steak dinner without having to do the dishes.

    The Corner Restaurant is a family. Burkley is the front-of-house manager, and Karl is the pastry chef, baking those delicious bread rolls (his wife’s recipe) and whipping up cream pies. Cousins, Carol and John, work with the financials. Burkley’s wife and Karl’s wife and daughter are also part of the team. And those who are not blood-related are part of the family as well. Everyone who works there loves talking with the patrons and hearing their stories, sharing the delicious home-cooked family recipes, celebrating their birthdays and anniversaries, and welcoming them to the family.

    The Corner Restaurant is located at 195 West Main Street in Midway. For more information, check out midwaycorner.com.

  • Süss Cookies

    Süss Cookies

    By Rebecca Tibbits

    My dad always said he never met a cookie he didn’t like, and I’ve also inherited this gene. I’ve recently committed to the fact that cookies are my favorite food. I kid you not when I say I’m a bit of a cookie connoisseur, and I’ve been on the quest for the Most Delicious Cookie in the World. There are some definite runner-ups, but Süss Cookie Co. in Midway really takes the cake….er, the cookie.

    Jess Larson, owner of Süss Cookies, baked cookies out of her house with a cottage license and her mom’s special chocolate chip recipe prior to taking a leap in 2017 to start what is now the official Süss Cookie Company. Tucked away in what looks like a garage, the cookie-making factory is more like a secret location for picking up illegal contraband, and the cookies are so good they should be against the law.

    Locals Tip: You can sample cookies when you go in!

    You can pick your poison from over a dozen different flavors, and there’s usually a special flavor of the month as well. Whether you’re a classic chocolate chip kind of person or a more daring cookie monster, there is something at Süss for you. Girl Scout Cookie addicts might like the gourmet version of a Samoa in the Cocamel. Enjoy a Ginger Snap in the winter or a Key Lime in summer…or just go nuts and order Peanut Butter (with chocolate chips!)

    While you can find Süss Cookies individually wrapped and sold in places like Lee’s Market or Quench It around town, my favorite way to enjoy Süss is to go all-out and order a dozen cookies straight from the source, then share them and watch people’s faces light up. And I’ve just learned that you can order these magical little (NOT little!) pieces of joy and mail them anywhere in the U.S. for the bargain price of $1.00!

    If you’re curious about the name, “süss” is the Swiss German (yay for Midway heritage) word for sweet or cute. Delectably sweet, but too large to be called cute, these cookies will have you yodeling all the way home. You say you’re going to eat just half now and save the rest for later, but go on and eat the whole thing. I won’t judge….

  • The Day the Earth Stood Still

    The Day the Earth Stood Still

    On Thursday, March 12th, 2020, the sports teams stopped, and the universities closed. The theatres canceled performances, and the churches canceled services. On Friday the 13th, the schools were dismissed. On Saturday, the resorts shut down. On Monday, the restaurants were required to suspend all dine-in services. They told us not to go to the movies. Don’t take your kids to the park. Gather in groups less than 100, less than 50, less than 10. One by one, businesses limited their hours, closed their doors, and we were all sent home. Chaos ensued: families suddenly had to figure out how to work from home, homeschool their kids, and find toilet paper. Kids full of energy were limited to run and play in their yards. Couples who had lost their way felt compelled to talk to each other. People living alone were faced with profound loneliness. But in the midst of it all……something beautiful also happened.

    We were forced to STOP. Stop filling our days with appointments. Stop running our kids from school to lessons to classes to playdates. Stop the rat race of running here and there and everywhere all day long every day of the week forever and ever amen. And what we found in the stillness was wonderful.

    We started to reconnect with our families. Hours of togetherness meant having more conversations, doing more things together, and enjoying being with one another. We got creative with all that time and played games, did art projects, and cooked meals together as a family.

    We started to reconnect with our friends. We called each other, had long talks, had virtual happy hours, held Zoom meetings, and FaceTime chats with people who we just hadn’t had the time to pick up the phone and call since who knows when. We reached out to others–friends, neighbors, and strangers–simply to see how they were doing and if they were okay.

    We went outside more. We took more walks, played in the yard, sat on the porch, ate picnics on the lawn, hiked, ran, turned our faces toward the sun, and breathed in the fresh air. We planted our gardens and waited for our flowers to come up and colored with chalk on the sidewalks.

    We began to search for ways to help and serve. We got really good at finding innovative ways to fill the day. We found pleasure in simplicity and discovered we could still laugh and experience joy.

    As I write this, it’s difficult for me to say what happened next. We are only in the first weeks of “social distancing,” likely with many more to come. Some people will lose their jobs, and some people will not be able to pay their rent or their bills. Some people will be hungry. So many of us will lose so much. But my wish for us all is that we will gain so much as well. In our new life that is slowed and simplified, we will find our way back to family, to our joy, and our humanity.

    So what will you do when the worst has passed? Will you forget everything you’ve learned from this experience? Or will you carry it with you into whatever comes next? Will we need to be reminded of what is important? What is essential? Will we still help each other? One day we will be through this, and we will return to our jobs and our schools. We will fill our days with appointments, and we will eat standing up at the kitchen counter. We won’t be able to remember the last time we called a good friend only to check-in, and we will have a stack of books on the nightstand that never seem to get read. And when we are there, I want you to cut out this list and hang it on your fridge.

    DON’T FORGET TO…

    • Take a walk.
    • FaceTime a friend.
    • Call your mother and ask her how she’s doing.
    • Cook together with your kids.
    • Play a game.
    • Look for ways to help people.
    • Read a book.
    • Color your sidewalk with chalk.
    • Support a local business.
    • Make time for your family.
    • Make time for your hobbies.
    • Cancel just one thing that isn’t really necessary.
    • Breathe slowly.
    • Sometimes, spend a whole day in your pajamas.
  • The Social Experiment

    The Social Experiment

    Most local foodies are already familiar with Main Street Social’s beautiful patio — a charming, shady oasis to enjoy in summer for fantastic food, crafty libations, and live music. Talented restaurant team: Ashley and Vanessa Chapman, and Erik Zabriskie have been innovative and conscientious in running a quality dining experience in the historic brick building in the heart of Heber. With the restaurant’s success quickly snowballing past the original vision, Main Street Social recently decided to rethink the dining experience in the Heber Valley and launched The Social Experiment.

    Described as Heber Valley’s only supper club, The Social Experiment is open Friday and Saturday nights, with a single prix fixe menu that changes weekly. With theme-based dinners like French Cuisine, Cattleman’s Dinner, and Street Food of Southern Italy, their thoughtfully designed menus treat you to a three-course feast meant to be enjoyed by the entire table. Many dishes are served family-style and use locally sourced ingredients. For those who partake, theme-appropriate cocktails are available to complement each unique meal.

    Social Media With A Side Of Beef Wellington

    After being tempted for weeks by varying mouthwatering menus featured on The Social Experiment’s website, social media, and email, a picture of beef Wellington on their Facebook page finally lured me in. I grabbed a friend on a chilly evening, and we took refuge within the cozy brick walls of the main dining room, a tiny space with no more than half a dozen tables. The space is intimate, perfect for a romantic date night or a relaxing night out with a friend or two.

    The food trickled out in stages and was nothing short of divine. The only fault of the snug space was the inability to mask my moans as I relished each dish they brought out. In true Main Street Social fashion, they were able to take a seemingly ordinary food item and make it extraordinary. For example, the first course started with pigs in a blanket, but these were not hot dogs wrapped in bread. Perfectly spiced sausages with layers of flavor were wrapped up in fluffy dough and served with delicious, whole grain mustard for dipping. A tiny mug of leek and potato soup was like a hot vichyssoise that warmed me up from the inside out. Even the deviled eggs were artisanal, infused with subtle hints of cumin and topped with candied bacon. And that was just to start!

    The main course featured what was most definitely the pièce de résistance: the picturesque beef Wellington, a remarkably tender and bright red filet of beef blanketed in beautifully browned phyllo dough with picture-perfect criss-cross cuts fit for Instagram. The savory truffle-infused mashed potatoes and maple glazed root vegetables were served family-style. (Somehow, they even made turnips taste good!)

    Our fantastic feast ended with rich bread pudding for dessert. I barely tasted the deep flavors of raisins and pecans, drizzled with light vanilla custard, because I was too stuffed at this point to fit anything else into my belly. Then home again, home again, jiggity-jig to put on my comfy pants and recline on my couch in a meat coma.

    An Exciting Future

    I couldn’t have been more pleased with my first experience at The Social Experiment. If you’ve visited Main Street Social before, you won’t be surprised by The Social Experiment’s well-designed menu, incredible quality food, and impeccable service. However, you might be surprised by how enjoyable the new format of this Supper Club is. I’m sure you’ll be pleased and delighted by the cozy and intimate space, being pampered with a three-course meal, and not having to make any decisions — except for which week(s) you will go!

    Vanessa describes the new format as “an ambitious undertaking” but finds it fulfilling to be able to highlight their creativity. The team is still discussing what steps to take next, and there are some exciting possibilities for how the restaurant will operate after this season. What the future holds is unknown, but one thing is for sure — The Social Experiment is bringing foodie culture to the Heber Valley.

    Learn more information at 98 S Main St, Heber, 435-657-6534 or mainstreetsocialutah.com

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