Ooey, gooey s’mores are a classic American campfire snack, especially when it’s frosty outside and the glow of a bonfire seems particularly cozy. This winter season, transform your s’mores into savory s’mores! Simply swap out the marshmallow for a chunk of cheese, the chocolate for a smear of spread, and the graham crackers for crackers or bread. The result is a warm, comforting bite that can be a main course before the traditional s’mores. 

 Since TikTok and Instagram launched savory s’mores onto the scene, this food trend has captured the imaginations of many content creators, camping enthusiasts, and foodies—the combinations seem endless. Referencing a variety of gourmet cheeses, cured meats, and crackers, the food concept may have sprung out of the movement towards charcuterie platters and grazing tables that spawned businesses and enhanced catering over the past few years. So, keep those pairings in mind as you prep your bonfire snacks. 

  Here are a few tips to get you started. First, use a melty cheese. Hard cheeses, like parmesan and pecorino Romano tend to crisp instead of melt. Second, don’t hesitate to add another ingredient to your roasting stick, like a slice of meat, an olive, or even a piece of fruit. Third, spreads are optional but definitely enhance the texture of your s’mores. And, finally, choose a cracker or piece of bread that both complements and fits the ingredients. Cheez-it crackers are a bit small for this snack. My top combinations: mozzarella ball, cherry tomato, pesto, and water crackers; Finnish bread cheese, salami, fig jam, and buttery crackers; and Mini Babybel, ham, cranberry sauce, and Triscuits.   

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I was recently visiting the DOMA Coffee Roasting Company Café on Atlas Rd in Coeur d’Alene, and I noticed a sign by the register promoting a new, innovative, disposable cup from GaeaStar that they started offering in September. As someone who has co-owned a mobile coffee business and faced the struggle of paper cup waste, the simple, red clay cup intrigued me.  

Single-use cups have been an environmental and sustainability issue for a hot minute. Styrofoam is non-recyclable, non-biodegradable, and takes 500 years to decompose. Paper cups are lined with plastic to make them waterproof. But, GaeaStar cups are an innovative alternative disposable cup made of clay and inspired by the traditional single-use kulhar pottery cups used for 5,000 years by food stalls in India to serve hot beverages. The GaeaStar cup is simply made of clay, water, and salt. It’s also low-energy 3D-printed, leakproof, stackable, and reusable. It’s delicate yet sturdy, and if it ever breaks, it easily returns to the dust it was before. 

DOMA has always promoted conservation and sustainability through its support and business practices, so offering this cup aligns perfectly with that tradition. “At our café and coffee lab,” says Muir Harrison, DOMA’s CEO, “we encourage people to bring their own re-usable cups…GaeaStar’s mission is to eliminate plastic waste, and we’re 100% on board with that goal.” Pick up a clay mug from DOMA, bring it back on your next visit, and get a discount on your drink. Then, see how long you can use it or smash it in your garden at the first opportunity! I plan to fill mine with steaming chai and see if it can outlive me.

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Heather and Mark Nehlich have been familiar faces in the Coeur d’Alene area for a while, and when they opened the Oh Baby! Food Truck on October 3, 2022 with partner and Seattle restauranteur Stan Moshier, they had a lot of support. The big teal truck graced the Silver Lake Mall parking lot serving scrumptious Tex-Mex BBQ until August of this year when it tucked its big self into the back of Chalice Brewing in downtown CDA.  

While I’ve been a long-time fan of their quesadillas, birria tacos, and O.G. Taco with their melt-in-your-mouth pork belly (best breakfast taco, anyone?!), I have been excited to explore more of their new menu. The most notable addition has to be Crunchwraps, stuffed with their smoked meats, made-from-scratch sauces and so much crunchy flavor. I have also grown quite fond of their BBQ Pork Taco—also known off-menu as the “Pickle Taco.” The crispy cheese layer adds a nice crunch to the smoky pork, coleslaw, pickles and sauce.  

Can’t decide on a taco? Get a “Fistfull” of three tacos for $12, Chef’s choice. Their burritos provide enough food for two meals—or to share! And, when they have it, you have to try the birria ramen. Oh, baby, seriously!  

Located through the back door of Chalice, right on Sherman Avenue, or off the alley behind, this is the perfect place to grab a bite (and a pint!) post Tubbs Hill hike, beach swim, or Higgin’s Point bike ride. Find more at Ohbabyfoodtruck.com | @ohbabyfoodtruck.

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As the former owner of a mobile coffee business as well as an outdoor enthusiast, I have gathered recipes that transport well and make great small bites to enjoy just about anywhere. One of my favorites is a cookie that you can eat for breakfast, snack, or dessert. It’s adapted from a former local restaurant’s recipe and is vegan, gluten free, nut free, and packed with flavor and protein. It’s lightweight, packable, and, if stored in an airtight container, even better a couple days after making. I imagine you could also crumble it into some milk for a makeshift “granola” if it gets dried out. Customize them by swapping the seeds and fruits for your preferred fillings or using a different gluten-free flour. 

INGREDIENTS: 1 ½ cups whole rolled gluten free oats // ½ cup gluten free oat flour // 1/3 cup organic cane sugar // ¼ tsp baking soda // ¼ tsp sea salt // ¼ tsp each: cinnamon, allspice, powdered ginger, powdered cloves, nutmeg // ¼ cup each: raw sunflower seeds, raw pumpkin seeds, dried currants, dried cranberries // ½ tsp vanilla extract // 3/8 cup quality tahini paste // 2 tsp fresh orange zest // ¼ cup orange juice //¼ cup sunflower or avocado oil 

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl, and, in a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients. Mix wet and dry together until evenly moist and mixed. Shape dough into balls (about 45 grams each) and place onto the prepared sheet with a little space between. Press gently to slightly flatten. Place into the oven. Reduce the temperature to 375°F. Bake for 13-15 minutes until just turning golden. Remove and cool completely before enjoying. Makes 1 dozen cookies.

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For a long time, Coeur d’Alene locals Dave and Kelly Dutro made a name for themselves by sharing their passion for trails through Trail Maniacs (trailmaniacs.com). But This Van Life, their vehicle window cover business, has quietly taken over a corner of the outdoor recreation market that was in dire need of diversity and competition. 

Dave’s family moved to Idaho when he was 12 years old, and he has lived in Sandpoint, Orofino, and Coeur d’Alene over the years. “I’ve always loved the outdoors,” he says. “When I lived in Sandpoint, I was always trying to get my friends to ride our BMX bikes to Schweitzer.” Over the years, Dave has pursued road cycling, mountain biking, hiking, skiing, triathlons, and trail running, and he and Kelly actually met on a trail run up Canfield Mountain in Coeur d’Alene. “We came up to the viewpoint,” Dave recalls, “and she was right behind me. I thought, man, she can run, and she’s cute!” Ten years later, they’ve run together through events, business pursuits, and many outdoor adventures.

Soon after they started Trail Maniacs, they bought a 2011 Mercedes Sprinter Van so that they could stay at events and haul their gear. While testing it in Montana, they had to stuff blankets onto the windows to try to keep the van warm. After some research into van window covers, they found the only companies offering covers were quite expensive, not made in the US, or were not insulated. So they decided to make their own.

This Van Life started with Kelly’s mom’s sewing machine under a carport in their back yard with the intention of simply meeting a personal need. After Dave used his first commercial machine, his brother-in-law convinced him to put the covers on Etsy, where they quickly sold. The years 2020 and 2021 were overwhelmingly busy for Dave and his team, but they’ve now leveled out to a steady production pace and make custom covers as well as standard covers for Mercedes Sprinter vans and Dodge Promasters.

Why choose This Van Life for your adventure van window covers? “We make them here in North Idaho—your money stays here,” says Dave. “And I honestly think we make the best covers out there. We’re the only ones that have an affordable, quality, insulated magnetic cover that folds up and stays in place, even in big windows.” Check them out at Thisvanlife.net.

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It’s been almost two decades since I made North Idaho my home, and, from day one, I noticed people speaking fondly of the St. Joe River and the time spent there year after year. Originally called the “St. Joseph” by Father Pierre-Jean De Smet, the Flemish Jesuit Catholic priest who established the Sacred Heart Mission in Cataldo, Idaho, this unique river and the surrounding area is now affectionately and officially termed the “St. Joe.” In 2022, I had the opportunity to finally experience this captivating river for myself through a whitewater rafting trip.

About the St. Joe

There is much to love about the 140 miles of St. Joe River: blue-ribbon cutthroat trout fishing, extensive roadless public lands, trails for varying recreational pursuits, wildlife, campgrounds, scenic roads, floating, the nearby Route of the Hiawatha, and some of the most exceptional beginner and intermediate whitewater rafting you can find in the Northwest.

The headwaters of the St. Joe are rooted in the Bitterroot Mountains at an elevation of 6,487 feet. The river flows swiftly through the upper, largely roadless stretch and then meanders slowly through the “shadowy” section down to its terminus at Lake Coeur d’Alene. For about a few weeks each year, from early June to early July, the rush of melting snow offers a short window where the river is deep enough to enjoy a series of sometimes surprising, always delightful whitewater runs.

Natural Water Navigation

Using rivers, streams, and other natural waters to travel and navigate forests and other terrain is an ancient undertaking. You could say that indigenous mountain people were the first American whitewater rafters. With a history of six permanent winter villages near its mouth and temporary summer camps along its upper shores, the St. Joe was called “the Gentle River” by Coeur d’Alene Tribes. Steamboats and gold prospectors traveled up the lower part of the river during the 1880s, and the timber industry moved into the upper “swiftwater” at the turn of the century, aggressively working the extensive stands of white pine and cedar for more than 40 years. Then, Idaho Senator Frank Church instigated what we now know as the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, which was signed into law by Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968.

The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act aims to protect the “outstandingly remarkable scenic, recreational, geological, fish and wildlife, historic, cultural,” and other similar values of rivers across the country. In 1978, 39.7 miles of the St. Joe were designated as “wild” and 26.6 miles as “recreational.” Today, about 74 percent of the river basin is owned, protected, and managed by the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, or the State of Idaho. The rest is privately owned.

Whitewater Rafting The Joe

What we know as whitewater rafting today quickly became an outdoor pursuit when surplus inflatable military rafts became available to the public after World War II. The Northwest itself is steeped in rafting history. In 1940, the Salmon River was the site of the first commercial whitewater rafting trip. In the 1950s, John D. Rockefeller Jr.’s float trips down the Snake River through his establishment of the Grand Teton National Park helped make this particular outdoor pursuit popular.

The upper St. Joe offers a stretch of Class II-III whitewater during late spring and early summer. Experienced whitewater boaters frequently take on this stretch of the river, but for those without the skills and gear, ROW Adventures is the only rafting company licensed to operate commercially guided trips there. Since ROW Adventures’ first St. Joe trip in 1986, the Coeur d’Alene-based outfitter has been opening up the exciting magic and serene beauty of this North Idaho river to locals and visitors year after year.

My Adventure on the St. Joe

Driving to the designated meeting spot at Gold Creek Campground near Avery, Idaho, in 2022, I felt a sense of anticipation. This was not only my first time visiting the St. Joe, but it was also my first time whitewater rafting. The group of passengers was diverse in age, experience, and gender. Our guides Johnny and Noah impressed upon us the risks involved in what we were about to do, but imbued their instructions and information with a sense of humor that put us all at ease. After donning wet suits, life vests, and helmets, we pushed off into the crystal-clear water.

Having spent many years recreating in Colorado, I think I expected whitewater rafting to be like a series of jump moments in a scary movie. But rafting the Joe was deliciously thrilling, infused with whiffs of damp cedars warming in the sun as well as a lively camaraderie in our raft and with the other rafters and guides. We stopped midway at a campground for lunch and listened to the entertaining story of The Ridge Runner, William Moreland, an “elusive loner and social misfit” who lived along the Joe, “borrowed” necessities from the Forest Service and logging companies, and mostly evaded law enforcement from 1942 until he was last seen in 1961.

Fed and enlivened, we continued our float through waves, splashes, holes, rocks, and rapids to our final destination at the Eagle Creek take-out. Boarding the bus that would take us back to our cars, I could still feel the paradox of warming sunshine and frosty water on my skin. The Joe was gently spirited with me as a first-time rafter. It now holds a special place in this resident’s heart and has whet my appetite for more rafting adventures. //

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Where to Go:

• Heller Creek to Spruce Tree Campground: 17 miles of wilderness canyon with Grade II-V rapids. Experienced paddlers only. Log jams, large waves, abrupt bends, violent eddies, and falls. No campgrounds. Accessible for a week or two in July.
• Spruce Tree to Gold Creek: 12 miles of Class II-III rapids. Six hours to float. Experienced paddlers in the spring. Lots of boulders. Accessible into August.
• Gold Creek to Bluff Creek Bridge: 7 miles of Class I-III rapids, moss-covered cliffs, and deep pools. Up to 5 hours to run. Shallow after July.
• Bluff Creek to Turner Flats Campground: 16 miles of Class II rapids. Perfect day trip for intermediate paddlers. Large waves in the spring, but fast water with no significant hazards. Do not proceed past Tourist Creek into Skookum Canyon, which is 1,000 yards of violent Class III-IV rapids!
• Packsaddle Campground to St. Joe City: 38 miles of Class I and II rapids. Two or more days to float the whole stretch, with many options for short day floats. Fishing, swimming, and paddling as well as rustic campgrounds. Accessible all summer.
• St. Joe City to Lake Coeur d’Alene: 31 miles of deep, slow-moving water. Takes two days to paddle in a canoe or kayak (watch out for motorboats), but the scenery is exquisite and accessible all summer. The lower six miles, called the “River Through the Lakes,” passes through cottonwood-lined natural levees and into three lakes. Keep an eye out for the largest colony of osprey in North America!

What to Bring

• Waterproof sunscreen
• Sunglasses with a strap
• Sun hat, visor, or cap
• Water bottle
• Food or snacks (ROW provides on guided trips)
• A dry bag (ROW provides)
• A rafting helmet (ROW provides)
• A wetsuit with booties (ROW provides)
• A swimsuit or non-cotton undergarments to wear under the wetsuit
• Synthetic socks (if cold weather)
• Wool, synthetic, or wetsuit gloves (if cold weather)
• Synthetic leggings (for under a wetsuit in cold weather)
• Towel and dry clothes for the takeout

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Owners, operators, and lake city locals, Mark and Heather Nehlich, along with their business partner and Seattle restaurateur, Stan Moshier, have been in the food service industry for many years. Inspired and motivated by the movie Chef, Mark and Heather decided to bring their love of great food and passion for this fusion cuisine to their hometown through a food truck. And maybe make people say, “Oh, baby!” with every bite in the process. “The food that we make is food that we really love,” says Heather. “Food without love and care isn’t good food, and good food is one of the best things in the world.”

Everything served at Oh Baby is made from scratch. And you can taste it! I grew up in Texas, so I deeply appreciate and savor the juicy brisket, pulled pork, and pork belly stuffed into tacos and breakfast burritos, and piled onto nachos. The birria and “pickle” fried tacos are soooo good, but comfort food like posole, queso with handmade chips, and a gooey quesadilla can’t be missed. They also make their own sauces and salsas, and they have Stan’s “Oh Baby” hot sauce available for baptizing your tacos in spicy deliciousness. Check out the menu online (ohbabyfoodtruck.com) and follow Oh Baby on Instagram for hours and menu updates.

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Spokane Area

• Northwest Winterfest (Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, December 2 through January 1) is the brightest, shining holiday lantern display and cultural celebration in the Inland Northwest. This year, the displays, entertainment, and activities are moving indoors at the Spokane Valley Spokane Fair and Expo Center where your self-guided walking tour takes you through crafted lighted lanterns celebrating winter, whimsy, holidays, and traditions from here and throughout the world. Tickets: $9.90-$12.90. Northwestwinterfest.com
• The Bing Crosby Holiday Film Festival (December 10-11) returns to the Bing Crosby Theater for two days of favorites, including “White Christmas” and live entertainment from Bing’s nephew, Howard Crosby, the Zonky Jazz Band, and the Irish trio Affiniti. Bingcrosbytheater.com
• The 8^th annual Winter Glow Spectacular (November 19-January 1) is a self-guided tour through a stunning community light display that aims to bring back the spirit of the holidays. The tours through Orchard Park in Liberty Lake are free for everyone, but donations are accepted. Winterglowspectacular.com

North Idaho

• Holiday Lighting Ceremony Parade & Holiday Light Show (November 25-January 2) in Coeur d’Alene is a favorite tradition in North Idaho. The 30^th annual parade and fireworks show on November 25 launches the lighting of over one million lights throughout downtown and on the lake. View them throughout the month. Cdaresort.com/holiday-light-show
• Hometown Holidays Festival (December 2-3 and 9-11) in Wallace is the perfect getaway to experience the holidays in Silver Valley’s most scenic and historic mountain town. Get your picture taken with Santa and then join him for breakfast. Enjoy pet and lighted parades, craft shopping, live theater, hay rides, and more all in the storybook setting of this 1890s mining town. Wallaceid.fun
• The Post Fallidays Tiny Tree Festival (December 3 from 10 a.m.–12 p.m.) is a fun and festive brunch (with a mimosa bar!) hosted by local community organizations at the Red Lion Templins. Bid on a lineup of creative tiny trees to benefit the community and non-profits. Postfallschamber.com/events
• This premier Festival of Trees & Holiday Gala (December 10) kicks off at 10 a.m. at the Priest River Event Center with Santa photos and crafts for kids.  Newporthospitalandhealth.org/event/festival-of-trees
• The Festival at Sandpoint is putting on the Orchestra Winter Concert featuring an afternoon of classical music, pop tunes, and holiday caroling favorites (Monday, Dec. 12 at 4:30 p.m.) at the East Bonner County Library. Festivalatsandpoint.com
• The Kootenai County Farmers’ Markets Winter Market (December 17 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.) will be held at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds with the best locally crafted, grown, and produced products for all your gifting and holiday needs. Kootenaifarmersmarkets.org
• Ski with Santa at Schweitzer (December 23-24). Glide down the slopes with Santa, then meet up with him in the village before he launches his trip around the world! Schweitzer.com/event/ski-with-santa

Oregon

• Enterprise Winterfest Celebration (December 10) in the Wallowa Mountains of northeast Oregon will include kids’ activities, Santaland, a light parade, and other activities in celebration of winter and the holiday season. Enterpriseoregon.org

Montana

• The Christmas Stroll in historic downtown Whitefish (December 9) is a long-standing community tradition filled with holiday music, photos with Santa, caroling, tree lighting, street artisans, and food vendors. Whitefishchamber.org/christmas-stroll.

Originally published as “Home in the NW For the Holidays” in the Nov.-Dec. 2022 print issue.

Learn about more upcoming events and Inland NW news.

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