food

Dream Dinners helps busy families in Parker CO

December 3, 2011 By Chrissy Morin Leave a Comment

DREAM DINNERS

WHERE QUICK & HEALTHY MEALS BECOME REALITY

What’s for dinner?

Do you ever come near the end of a busy day and wonder, “What’s for dinner?” At Dream Dinners in Parker we answer that question for you. Our monthly menu includes over 17 different recipes each month, along with additional pre-assembled dinners, sides, breads and desserts ready for purchase while in one of our stores. A wide variety of options means there are plenty of meal preparation choices to satisfy everyone in the family.

We provide everything you need to assemble delicious dinners from easy-to-follow instructions to fresh, pre-cut ingredients. Learning how Dream Dinners works is easy.

Come in and give us a try!

At the beginning of each month we host a free menu launch where guests are invited to try some of the month’s dinners before placing their order. Details can be found each month on our Facebook page here

Save $25 on Your First Order from Dream Dinners in Parker

New customers will receive $25 off their first order of $199 or more! Simply use the coupon code DDNC252012 when you check out.

We look forward to seeing you soon and showing you how Dream Dinners can help you save time and money and ensure that your family is eating healthy.

Dream Team
Dream Dinners Parker
10530 S. Progress Way #102
Parker, CO 80134
(303) 840-3030

village_parkerco@dreamdinners.com

www.dreamdinners.com

<Sponsored Post>

Filed Under: Business, Deals - Coupons, Family Activities, News & Events Tagged With: Business, Catered meals, dream dinners, food, ready made meals

One Stop Holiday Shopping Boutique in South Denver

September 28, 2010 By Chrissy Morin Leave a Comment

It’s fall gift and craft show time again and a few local business owners have gotten together to create a unique shopping experience to help you kick off your holiday shopping season.

When: Friday, October 1, 2010

Where: Prescott Club House 3150 S Tamarac Square Dr. Denver, CO (MAP)

Time: 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Kick off your holiday shopping with Creative Crystal Apparel, A Gift from the Heart custom gift baskets, Wine with Nina and Silpada Jewelery.

Carrie Johnson
Creative Crystal Apparel
303.726.0711 Phone
720.851.9348 Fax”Putting a little Sparkle in your day”

A Gift From The Heart (since 2005)

www.agiftfromtheheart.info
“Custom Gifts in Everything but Wicker…Most of the Time!”
Sloan D. Waters, owner/designer

303-513-3517

The goal of Wine Share Denver is to increase awareness of and drive traffic into local Denver businesses.
The Wine Share travels to a different business each month and interested parties may contact Kim Tracy, 303-872-3869. www.winesharedenver.com
Meet Up: http://www.meetup.com/Denver-Wine-Share/

Filed Under: Business, Things To Do Tagged With: Business, Christmas and holiday season, Denver, food, Gift, Shopping

Tagawa Gardens classes and events for October 2010

September 22, 2010 By Chrissy Morin Leave a Comment

October 2010 Classes and events at Tagawa

Sat., Oct. 2:  Garlic Festival! NOW is this time to plant garlic! Organically Grown garlic bulbs available for purchase, plus learn about how to plant and cook with garlic and sample garlic-y treats 11-1 while supplies last!

9:30-10:30AM, Garlic in the Kitchen, Deb Whitakker, Herb Gourmet.
Learn the difference between ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ neck garlic from the culinary viewpoint. Discover how to make safe garlic oil, how to cook garlic without getting that bitter taste, and Top 10 ways to wow your friends with value-conscientious, fast, easy roasted garlic. No charge for this class, but please register so we have enough samples for everyone!

11 AM-1 PM, Garlic Food Tasting. Recipes prepared by Tagawa staff. While Supplies last, enjoy samples of great, garlic-y treats!

1:30-2:30 PM, How to Plant Garlic, Our Garlic Experts. Fall is the time to plant garlic for the best harvest next year! Learn how easy and fun it is to grow your own garlic!
Sat., Oct. 9: 9:30-11AM, Birds In Your Fall & Winter Garden, Leslie. Imagine drinking hot chocolate on a snowy morning and watching the birds outside your window! Learn the tricks to attract wildlife to your yard this winter. Providing food, water and shelter during the winter can help bring a variety of birds and other critters. Leslie Anderson is a Habitat Steward with National Wildlife Federation and an eleven-year Tagawa Gardens employee.
11AM-12Noon, Pansy in a Pumpkin Centerpiece for Children, Miss Becca & Grandma Mimi. Kids will learn how to make a delightful centerpiece out of a pie pumpkin and pansies. Limit: 15 children accompanied by an adult, max. three children per adult. Mat. fee: $7, please register for this class.

Sun., Oct 10:
1-3 PM, Soapmaking, Christina Blume. This a demonstration class where you’ll learn how easy it is to make cold process soap in your own kitchen! Homemade soap contains moisturizing glycerin and is free of the harsh preservatives and other chemicals found in commercial soaps that can be so drying and irritating to skin. You’d never believe that soap making was this easy! Warning: soap making is addictive, but you’ll never lack for a birthday, hostess, or shower gift for families and friends. Take home an extensive handout full of recipes, web sites, and resources plus a bar of the handmade soap and a bottle of fragrance oil and a sample packet of soap pigments. Limit: 25, Mat. fee $25, please register for this class!
Oct. 16 & 17, 23 & 24: Pumpkin Festival! 11 AM-3 PM all days, No entry after 2PM, All activities end at 3PM!

$10 admission per child, $4 per adult, includes all activities listed below. $1 of every admission goes to Food Bank of the Rockies SHARE Project. All events are INDOORS! Activities include: Decorate a Pumpkin; Educational Petting Zoo; Airbrush Face Painting; Balloon Art; “Reckless Abandon” local country/light rock band (12 Noon-2 PM each day); “Endangered Species” puppet show (15 min. performances at 11:30 AM, 12:30 & 1:30 PM—more activities to be listed ASAP!

Nov. 6 & 7:
Holiday Gifts for Pets & Their People, 10 AM-3 PM Both days. Hey Pets!* You and your guardian* are invited to our fourth annual craft/artisan event featuring unique, hand-crafted gifts for pets and their guardians! Many animal rescue groups will provide Pet Photos with Santa, gift wrapping, bake sale, caroling, unique craft items and lots more–10% to 100% of each sale goes to non-profit animal rescue organizations.

(Vendors accept cash and checks only, thank you!) Last year’s event provided over $15,000 to animal rescue groups! Bring a donation for the pet supplies drive and get entered into the raffle! See HolidayGifts4Pets.com for additional information and a list of items needed for the drive. !

Thank you to Chris Collins of Licks & Snuggles Pet Sitting for coordinating this event.
*Pets must be leashed or in carriers, and owners agree to assume responsibility for damage caused by their pet. More details will be listed at they become available!
Nov. 10, 11, 12 & 13: Grandmother’s House Holiday Boutique
Wed., Thurs. & Fri., 9:30AM-5PM , Sat. 9:30-4PM, Admission: $4. We are honored to once again host this locally famous holiday gift event! Over 70 artisans and vendors feature unique items for everyone on your Holiday gift list! Visit GrandmothersHouseBoutique.com

Visit Tagawa Gardens for more information.

Filed Under: News & Events, Parker Tagged With: boutique, centennial, christmas, Colorado, crafts, food, garden, Garlic, National Wildlife Federation, parker, pets, Produce, Shopping, Soap, southlands, Taste

Smokin Brew BBQ Saturday & Sunday in Parker CO Labor Day Weekend.

September 3, 2010 By Chrissy Morin Leave a Comment

If you missed it tonight its ok because the best BBQ is yet to come. If you live near downtown Parker you’re likely to wake up and be extremely hungry. Over 60 champion BBQ’ers have their smokers going all night and the wood smoke, brisket, pork and ribs aroma is going to be intoxicating! BRING CASH! No credit cards are accepted for ticket sales. There are at least 6 banks on the corner of Parker and Mainstreet along with an ATM inside of the Falcon Brewery just South of the event.

Smokin’ Brew BBQ is a Kansas City Barbecue Society (KCBS) sanctioned competition and Rocky Mountain Barbecue Association Cup event. As such, hungry BBQ enthusiasts get to sample hundreds of tasty samples for $1-2 dollars a piece and getting to vote on the Peoples Choice Award for each category of the competition including:

Ribs
Brisket
Pulled Pork
Specialty category which included a show favorite of the Deep Fried Snickers Bar, roasted corn on the cob, catfish, sausages, wings, ribbon fries, chocolate covered strawberries.

This BBQ & Brew Fest happens over Labor Day Weekend

Saturday 11-10 p.m.
Sunday 11-8 p.m.

Parker Station Building on Mainstreet and Victorian Place

55 BBQ teams will be on hand for the competition, some of them offering samples and some of them just there hoping to earn a ribbon, trophy or just plain bragging rights.

This is some of the best BBQ you might ever have tasted, so eat light the rest of the week to save room in your stomach for the likes of these BBQ grill masters. Last year Rick Gregg, a home smoker and BBQ’er from Denver learned that he’d been smoking his ribs all wrong to get the most moist and flavorful meat, proving that these guys and gals are a friendly group who are happy to share their tips and secrets with festival goers.

Admission is free with tickets for food, beer, wine and soft drinks sell for $1 each.

Bud, Bud Light and Shock Top draft beer and bottles of Michelob Amberbock, Bud Light Lime, Bacardi mojitos and a selection of wine for five tickets.

BBQ Schedule

Friday, September 3, 2010

Saturday, September 4, 2010

10:00AM OPEN to the Public
11:00 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. Live Entertainment
9:30PM- Last Call
10:00PM Closed

Bands take the stage all day Saturday

11-1:00 p.m. Entertainment from another local favorite “The Bluzinators” Doug Root & Company entertained last year at the BBQ fest, were one of the mainstage acts at Parker Days and have been performing at the Victorian Peaks venue this summer as well.

2:30 – 5:30 p.m. Road House Joe – www.roadhousejoe.com - winners of the first
round of the International Blues Challenge competition in Boulder CO.

6:30 – 9:30 p.m. Daddy Issues

Sunday, September 5, 2010

* 10:00 a.m.Open to the Public
* 11:00 a.m. Live Entertainment Starts
* 5:00 p.m. Awards Ceremony
* 7:30 p.m. Last Call
* 8:00 p.m. Closed

Entertainment

11:00 – 1:00 p.m. – Sugarhouse

2:00 – 5:00 p.m. - Doc Brown Blues Band

Smokin’ Brew BBQ Event Details

This event is sponsored by the Cherry Valley Rotary Club of Parker and all the profits from the weekend go towards various fundraising efforts right in Dougas County CO.

Local Rotary Projects include:

* 3rd Grade Dictionaries
* Kindergarten Four Way Test Program
* Douglas County Women’s Crisis Center
* Project Sanctuary
* Trick or Treat on Mainstreet
* Douglas County Support Center
* Legend High School Student of the Quarter

International Projects

* Project Cure – Nigeria
* Shelter Box – Philippines and Haiti
* Shallow Water Wells – Tanzania
* Micro Credit Program – Zambia
* Polio Plus – Worldwide
* Exchange Student Program – Worldwide

Smokin’ Brew BBQ 2009

Filed Under: Arts & Entertainment, News & Events, Parker, Things To Do Tagged With: Barbecue, bbq, beer, food, Labor Day

Parker Farmers Market Sweet Corn Salsa Recipe

August 26, 2010 By Chrissy Morin Leave a Comment

Olathe Sweet Corn Salsa – Recipe & Directions

After visiting your local Parker or Highlands Ranch Farmers Market you should be able to have all of the ingredients for a fabulous Grilled Corn Salsa with a little California twist.

Visit your local farmers Market this week and purchase:

6 ears of Olathe Sweet Corn,
2 Poblano Peppers,
1 Jalapeno or Anaheim Pepper (optional)
1 bunch of cilantro (optional)
1 red pepper (optional)
1 red onion
1 Tbsp local honey
Juice of one fresh lime juice
2 avocado’s (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Turn your grill on to medium to preheat.
Leave the husks on the corn and soak them in water. Remove the silks but leave the husks on. The water trapped inside the husks steams the sweet corn for the most amazing results. . it’s ok if they look burned.. it will be fabulous! Grill on medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes.
Place your peppers on the grill for 15 minutes or until they are blistered. Take them off the grill and immediately put them in a plastic bag. This makes it much easier to take the outside skins off. After a few minutes in the bag, peel the skins off, pull off the stem and the inside membranes and chop.
Chop the red onion and cilantro finely.
Shuck the cooled corn and hold either on the top of a bunt pan like the video shows or with a smaller bowl inverted into a bigger bowl and slice the kernels off of the corn cob.
Into the bowl of corn, combine all of the ingredients of choice above. If you love avocado chop it in the skin into cubes and add at the last minute so it keeps its shape.
Spread tortilla chips on a baking sheet and heat at 400 for 3 minutes. Even if your chips are a little stale this will make them taste fresh, crispy and hot.
You can even eat this with a spoon it’s so wonderful.
To round out your meal brush olive oil and season salt and pepper your protein of choice and grill it after you take the corn and peppers off.

See the video of how to cut the corn off of the cob easily here.

More photo’s on the original article here on Examiner

Inspiration for this Grilled Corn Salsa From Vino Luci

The real Parker Farmers Market is back on Mainstreet this year

Filed Under: Parker Tagged With: corn, food, Maize, olathe sweet corn salsa, Onion, recipe, salsa, Sweet corn

Smokin Brew BBQ competition at Parker Station Parker Colorado

August 24, 2010 By Chrissy Morin Leave a Comment

The Smokin Brew BBQ hit Parker last Labor Day weekend and residents did not know what to expect as they’d never seen a barbeque competition of this type before.

Brisket
Ribs
Pulled Pork
and Other, which included a show favorite of the Deep Fried Snickers Bar
(photo in slideshow)

Friday 4-9 p.m.

Saturday 11-10 p.m.

Sunday 11-8 p.m.

At the Parker Station Parking Lot on Mainstreet

55 BBQ teams will be on hand for the competition, some of them offering samples and some of them just there hoping to earn a ribbon, trophy or just plain bragging rights.

Admission is free with tickets for food, beer, wine and soft drinks sell for $1 each.

Happy Hour from 4:00pm-6:00pm will feature:
Bud, Bud Light and Shock Top draft beer. for three tickets.
Michelob Amberbock, Bud Light Lime, Bacardi Mojitos and a selection of wine for five tickets.

BBQ Schedule

Friday, September 3, 2010

* 4:00 p.m. Open to the Public
* 5:00 – 9:00 p.m. Ashley Buchart Concert
* 5:00PM-6:00PM Happy Hour

* 9:30PM- Last Call
* 10:00PM Closed

Entertainment opens with a Parker local act Ashley Buchart , the Colorado Country Angel who’s been seen at the Victorian Peaks Concerts on several occasions as well as other fund raising events in the area.

Saturday, September 4, 2010

* 10:00AM OPEN to the Public
* 11:00 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. Live Entertainment
* 9:30PM- Last Call
* 10:00PM Closed

2:30 – 5:30 p.m. Road House Joe – www.roadhousejoe.com - winners of the first
round of the International Blues Challenge competition in Boulder CO.

6:30 – 9:30 p.m. Daddy Issues

Sunday, September 5, 2010

* 10:00 a.m.Open to the Public
* 11:00 a.m. Live Entertainment Starts
* 5:00 p.m. Awards Ceremony
* 7:30 p.m. Last Call
* 8:00 p.m. Closed

Entertainment

11:00 – 1:00 p.m. – Sugarhouse

2:00 – 5:00 p.m. - Doc Brown Blues Band

Vendor Schedule

Lodging information can be found here.

Smokin’ Brew BBQ Event Details

This event is sponsored by the Cherry Valley Rotary Club of Parker and all the profits from the weekend go towards various fundraising efforts right in Dougas County CO.

Local Rotary Projects

Smokin’ Brew BBQ 2009

Filed Under: Arts & Entertainment, News & Events, Parker Tagged With: Barbecue, beer, food, Labor Day, meat

Two Mexican restaurants bite the dust in Parker CO

August 6, 2010 By Chrissy Morin 2 Comments

Bamba’s Mexican Restaurant and Moyotes Restaurant.

moyotes mexican restaurant in Parker CO goes out of business July 2010

Goodbye Moyotes

Parker CO has seen many restaurants come and go throughout this economic downturn and two more have joined that long list.

Bamba’s Mexican Restaurant which moved into the Shari’s Restaurant Building several years ago closed it’s doors a few days ago and Moyote’s Restaurant which served a unique blend of Mexican and Hawaiian food are both now closed. The Bamba’s space has a “For Lease” sign up and Moyote’s spot has been re-leased to a new New York Pizzaria. Parker could use a great pizza place so we will all have to just wait and see what they’ll have to offer.

Going to Bamba’s was like visiting a large friendly family who would quickly learn your name and had one of the BEST Margarita’s in Parker if you asked for a special one. Moyote’s never got a liquor license which hurt their popularity with the folks who like to have a Marg or a Corona with their enchiladas. Moyote’s was also family owned and operated and Moy and his family will be missed by the regulars.

Please let these closures remind residents to support the locally owned restaurants and other small businesses in Parker so they don’t follow in the footsteps of these two.

All photo’s Copyrighted by Christine Morin. Do not use without permission.

Slide show of Mexican food here.