Construction Begins On Dick's Sporting Goods At Canyon Park West

Dick's Sporting Goods is one of several new retailers that is moving into the new Canyon Park West Shopping Center. Construction crews have started construction on the new Dick's Sporting Goods. Ross Dress For Less & Bed Bath and Beyond are also expected to build at Canyon Park West.

A coffee shop and sandwich type cafe are also expected to build at the new shopping center. While building permits are pending for both the names of the coffee shop and cafe have not been released.

Perrine Bridge Work Could Slow Traffic

ITD will be doing inspections and work on the Perrine Bridge today and tomorrow (October 7th through the 8th).

The inspections will be taking place on both the Northbound and Southbound lanes of the Perrine Bridge and traffic could be slowed to one lane. Delays are possible.

Coffee Wars Take Shape In Twin Falls

As we reported last week, "The Dutch Are Coming". A banner beside Randy Hansen showcases the soon to be built Dutch Brothers Coffee, the first Oregon based coffee chain to be built in Twin Falls or for that matter the Magic Valley.

The coffee war is definitely on in Twin Falls. What's your favorite coffee?

Dutch Brothers Coming To Twin Falls

It's Official. Dutch Brothers is coming to Twin Falls. The Southern Idaho Journal has confirmed with the coffee chain that Dutch Brothers is looking to build on Pole Line Road near Randy Hansen.

Dutch Brothers will be required to have a special permit from the Planning and Zoning Commission, a permit that will be reviewed on October 14th.

Flash Flood Watch Issued Through Tonight

A Flash Flood Watch has been issued for Gooding, Jerome and Twin Falls Counties until tonight. Heavy rain and flooding is possible.

New Starbucks To Open On Friday

The new Starbucks Store being built in Twin Falls located on the north side of the Magic Valley Mall across from Taco Bell is set to open this Friday.

The Starbucks will be the second Seattle based coffee shop to be built in Twin Falls. The first located at the corner of Filer Ave & Blue Lakes Blvd. is plagued by a small parking lot and often long lines at the drive through. 

The new Starbucks appears to be a bit larger than the first store with a more modern design. In other coffee related news a building permit has been filed for a coffee shop in the new Canyon Park West Mall. The name of the coffee shop has yet to be announced. Stay tuned coffee lovers as the coffee scene in Twin Falls is heating up. 

Biscuits & Gravy

What better way to start the day then with biscuits and gravy for breakfast! Biscuits and Gravy are such a comfort food that most people love. They can be served alongside other things for breakfast or they can be a meal themselves.

Ingredients For Biscuits
2 1/2 Bisquick Mix
2/3 Cup Milk
1 Tablespoon Sugar

Ingredients For Gravy
1 lb. Pork Sausage
3 Tablespoons Flour
2 Cups Milk
Salt & Pepper

Directions
1.  In large mixing bowl, stir together Bisquick mix, milk and sugar until dough forms. Place dough on surface lightly sprinkled with Bisquick mix, knead until smooth about 10 times.
2. Roll dough out to be 1/2" thickness. Use a drinking glass to cut dough into biscuit's.
3. Place biscuits onto greased cookie sheet. Bake in 450 degree oven until golden brown 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Remove from oven and place on cooling rack.
5. Brown pork sausage over medium heat, stirring occasionally until no longer pink. Whisk in flour and milk and cook over low heat until gravy forms. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Serve gravy over biscuits and enjoy!

Chicken Parmesan

Chicken Parmesan is an Italian dish that has become a staple. You might have had Chicken Parmesan at Olive Garden or other Italian restaurants but I guarantee it is not as good as what you can make at home. This is a time consuming meal to prepare but it is one of those that is worth the time and work. Serve this to your family or even friends and you will have everyone talking for days!

Chicken Parmesan 

 
Ingredients For Chicken

4 Chicken Breasts (however many desired) 
2 Cups of Italian Bread Crumbs

1/3 Cup of Grated Parmesan Cheese plus some for garnish

4 Eggs

2 TBS Milk

Olive Oil

Italian Seasoning

Garlic Powder

Salt & Pepper

Ingredients For Sauce

1 28 oz Can of Diced Tomatoes

1 8 oz Can of Tomato Sauce

1 Small Sweet Onion

2 Cloves of Garlic

Garlic Powder

Italian Seasoning

1 tsp of Sugar 

Salt & Pepper To Taste

Directions

1. Mince cloves of garlic and chop sweet onion and saute over medium heat until onion are translucent. 

2. Over medium heat pour in can of diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. Season with garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper until desired taste is acquired. Cook over low heat for 15 minutes stirring occasionally. Stir in sugar, reduce heat to simmer and continue to cook for 30-45 minutes stirring occasionally.
3. Roll out a piece of aluminum foil and flatten Chicken with a mallet or you can even use a bowl or glass (just be careful not to shatter if using a bowl or glass).

4. Crack eggs into a bowl and pour in milk. Whisk the eggs and milk until they become scrambled consistency. 

5. In a shallow dish place Italian bread crumbs, Parmesan Cheese, and a pinch of salt & pepper. Stir together until combined. Spread out into a thin even layer.

6. Dip Chicken into egg mixture and then into bread crumb mixture coating evenly on both sides.

7. Repeat step 6.

8. Place frying pan on stove top over medium-low heat and coat pan with olive oil. Place breaded pieces of chicken into frying pan one at a time.

9. Cook on each side for 10-15 minutes depending on thickness of the chicken. Add additional olive oil as necessary. 

10. Garnish Chicken with prepared sauce and top with Parmesan Cheese. Serve with a side of pasta and garnish pasta with prepared sauce.

New Businesses Announced For Canyon Park West Mall

It's official. At least two new businesses are coming to the Canyon Park West mall.

Bed, Bath and Beyond announced that they will build at the new Canyon Park West mall next to the previously announced Dick's Sporting Goods. 

So far those are the only two building permits that have been issued by the Twin Falls Planning & Zoning Office. Two other building permits have been filed (the names have not been released). Those permits contain special permits for drive-through windows (presumably some type of restaurants or coffee shops).

A Look At The Twin Falls County Fair

Do you go the Twin Falls County Fair? The Fair offers something for everyone. With plenty of agriculture and animals, to hundreds of food options, rides lining the midway and of course the rodeo, the Twin Falls County Fair is a Labor Day Weekend Tradition in the Magic Valley.

Thursday Night was Tough Enough To Wear Pink Night at the rodeo. Dozens of Breast Cancer survivors gathered together to release pink balloons in memory of those breast cancer patients who didn't win the fight. 

The Tough Enough To Wear Pink group also raised money which is used to help offset the costs of mammograms and raise awareness for the deadly disease.

The first night of the rodeo also took place Thursday Night.

And while the rodeo was a good as usual the crowd seemed a little thin compared to previous years. The rodeo was competing with the first Boise State Football game of the year, likely a culprit in the slightly lower than normal attendance.

But of course the best part of the fair. And that's the food.

We want to know what your favorite food is. Head over to our Facebook page - www.Facebook.com/SouthernIdahoJournal and let us know what your go to food at the fair is!

Tree Roots Causing Havoc On Downtown Twin Falls Streets

Have you been driving through downtown Twin Falls, particularly on 2nd Street North? If you have  you've probably noticed that there are some huge humps in the road. The problem? Tree roots.

The tree roots are growing under the street and pushing up the pavement. But good news. It appears that the Twin Falls City Street Department is working to fix the problem. We'll keep an eye on this bumpy issue and we'll post updates in the upcoming weeks.

Grilled Garlic Lime Corn-On-The-Cob

Corn on the cob is a summer favorite of most All-American households. There are so many ways to cook corn on the cob from boiling it, microwaving it, baking it in the oven and cooking it in a campfire. My new favorite way to cook corn is on the grill. It is so easy and most meals that we eat corn with are cooked on the grill so its easy to prepare everything and not have to tend stuff cooking inside and outside. Try this corn recipe for something different with a little bit of a kick to it.

Grilled Garlic Lime Corn-On-The-Cob
 
Ingredients
Ears of Sweet Corn (however many desired) 
Black Pepper

Spray Butter

Garlic Powder

Lime Salt (can substitute sea salt)

Directions

1. Light gas fired barbeque grill and place on low. Temperature should be around 250-300 degrees 
2. Husk corn removing husk and silks. Rinse to remove any lingering silks. Dry corn with a paper towel.

2. Roll out a piece of aluminum foil or plastic wrap to prepare the corn on for an easy clean up. Place ears of corn on aluminum foil or plastic wrap.

3. Spray ears of corn with butter spray coating entire ear evenly. Sprinkle each ear evenly with black pepper, garlic powder and lime salt (or sea salt).

4. Place on preheated grill and cook for 20-25 minutes turning each ear 1/4 turn every 5 minutes. Remove from grill.

5. Serve and put spray butter on the table in case guests want a little more butter.

Heavy Rain & Thunderstorms Expected This Afternoon & This Evening

More heavy showers and thunderstorms are anticipated this afternoon and this evening. Our FutureCast shows gusty thunderstorms with heavy rainfall impacting much of the Magic Valley between 4:00 PM and 7:00 PM. A few strong storms and minor flooding are possible.

Baxter's Dog Park Is Now Open In Twin Falls

After the idea was born in 2005 and years of hard work, the first dog park in Twin Falls officially opened on Saturday.

Baxter's Park is located at the corner of Shoup Ave W and Blake St. 

"Baxter's Park is going to be the city's first official off leash permanent dog park," said Twin Falls Park Superintendent Dennis Bowyer. 

The Magic Valley Canine Social Club helped raise money for the dog park. The community raised nearly 70,000 to help with the creation of the dog park, an idea that the City Staff first started considering in 2007. 

An empty field was the site that was chosen to create the dog park. The park includes two fenced areas, one for large dogs and another for small dogs. There are also restroom facilities at the park.  

Snyder Winery Steakhouse Review

It's a Friday evening and you want someplace different to go for dinner. There's a private steakhouse tucked away in the Western Magic Valley. And it's only open for dinner on Friday and Saturday.

Just outside of Buhl, the beautiful Snyder Winery features a private steakhouse that is open from 1:00 PM until close on both Friday and Saturdays. Reservations are required.

Our reservations were made and we arrived at Snyder Winery on Friday, August 22nd just after 6:00 PM.

When we arrived we were seated to a table that had already been set for us. Our dining experience came with an amazing view, included free with your meal!

The Snyder Winery is known for what most claim to be incredible steaks. Their menu is very simple. You can pick from a New York Steak, a Ribeye or Filet Mignon wrapped in Bacon for $49.99. The three course steak dinner includes an appetizer, salad and your steak with an Idaho baked potato. If you aren't a steak fan they also offer a three course baked salmon dish for $29.99.

No experience to Snyder Winery would be complete without a bottle of wine. And there Desert Rose, "Born in the soil of Idaho" is a soft Rose' wine made from Syrah Grapes, and it's one of Nick and my favorites. 

After sipping our wine and marveling out the beautiful vineyard, our very attentive waitress returned to take our order. I ordered a Filet Mignon wrapped in bacon while Nick ordered the baked salmon which was prepared in an Asian Sauce. 

One of the most impressive parts of the dining experience at the Snyder Winery is their attention to detail. 

Our three course dinner began with an appetizer which changes each Friday and Saturday Night. We were served Artichoke and Spinach Crostini which paired excellent with our wine. Following the Crostini we were served our side salads. I'll be the first to admit that salads aren't my favorite dish. But I ate every single bite of my side salad. The savory salad was prepared with a delicious homemade blue cheese dressing. 

Our salads were served with a piece of cheesy garlic bread, which something as simple as garlic bread even tasted fantastic. 

One of the things that we enjoyed during our dining experience at Snyder was the pace of your dining experience. Nothing is rushed. The staff gives you time to enjoy the experience and your dinner. And of course time for your food to digest (something you'll need with such a large meal).

And the grand finale. Our entrees were served. My Filet Mignon wrapped in a crunchy and juicy piece of bacon served with a large Idaho baked potato with sour cream, butter, chives and green onions. And Nick's Baked Salmon in an Asian sauce with a baked potato. 

Both the Filet Mignon and Baked Salmon were perfect. Both garnished for a beautiful presentation and both cooked to perfection with a wonderful taste. Our waitress never let us run out of water (a personal pet peeve) and constantly checked on us to ensure our food was to our satisfaction. 

We unfortunately ran out of room for desert so we will have to save that for another trip.

Our opinion: You can't go wrong with this quaint beautiful steakhouse in such an amazing and breathtaking valley. If you are looking for a unique dining experience to celebrate a special occasion or you just want to treat yourself to a great dinner, Snyder Winery a short 30 minute drive from Twin Falls is a great choice.

Nick's Rating: 5 Stars

Brandon's Rating: 5 Stars 

Severe Thunderstorms Dumps Heavy Rain & Hail On Twin Falls

A Severe Thunderstorm moved through Twin Falls around 8:00 PM Friday leaving heavy rain and lots of hail behind.

These pictures were taken by the Southern Idaho Journal Staff on Addison Street just West of the old hospital.

So much hail fell that it covered the road and clogged drains across the Western side of Twin Falls. Minor flooding was reported across the Magic Valley.

The Magic Valley Regional Airport reported over 3/4 of an inch of rain in an hour. 

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings Issued For Mini-Cassia

A Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued for Southern Minidoka & much of Cassia County including the City of Burley until 9:30 PM. A Severe Thunderstorm Warning also remains in effect for Twin Falls and Eastern Twin Falls County and Southeastern Jerome County until 9:00 PM. Damaging winds up to 60 mph, quarter size hail and lots of heavy rainfall are likely with these severe thunderstorms.

Severe Thunderstorm & Tornado Warning For Lincoln County

It's a crazy busy day again with showers and thunderstorms across much of the Magic Valley. A Severe Thunderstorm Warning is in effect until 3:45 PM for Southern Blaine and Northern Lincoln Counties including the City of Carey.

A Tornado Warning is in effect for Southern Lincoln County. Seek shelter immediately!

Parmesan Garlic Baked Broccoli

Steamed broccoli is great don't get me wrong but it is nice to have another healthy alternative such as this one. This broccoli is a big hit, I have made it when we have friends over for dinner and everyone raves about it. Good way to make a vegetable that has good flavor but is still healthy. The recipe yields one 13 x 9 pan that will serve 4 to 6.

Parmesan Garlic Baked Broccoli

Ingredients
1/4 Cup Olive Oil (I used Avocado Oil)
2 tsp Black Pepper

4 Crowns of Broccoli

1/4 Cup Lemon Juice + 2 Tbsp For Garnish (Fresh Squeezed or From A Bottle) 

1 Tbsp Garlic Powder

2 tsp Salt or Sea Salt

Parmesan Cheese (Grated or Canned) 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Spray 13 x 9 pan with non-stick cooking spray.  

2. Wash broccoli crowns and cut into florets (the smaller you make them the faster they cook). Place florets into a bowl add oil, garlic, 1/4 cup lemon juice, black pepper, sea salt and desired amount of Parmesan Cheese into the bowl. Stir until oil, seasonings and cheese are evenly distributed. 

3. Bake in oven for 45 minutes to an hour.

4. Remove broccoli from oven, drizzle with 2 Tbsp of lemon juice and sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese. 

5. Serve and be prepared to hand over your recipe since all of your guests will be asking for it!

Baked French Fries

 French fries are so good but I feel guilty every time I eat them. This is a great alternative if you still want to have french fries but want to be healthy!

Baked Fries

Ingredients:

4 Baker Potatoes
1/4 Cup Olive Oil (I used Avocado Oil)

1 Tbsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Black Pepper
1 tsp Salt or Sea Salt

1 Gallon Size Zip-Lock Bag 

Directions:

1. Wash potatoes, slice each potato into three chunks long ways and cut every piece into 1/2" by 1/2" by however long your potato is.  

2. Preheat oven to 400 F. Spray cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray (If you want less mess you can line the cookie sheet with aluminum foil)   

3. Soak cut fries in a large bowl with ice and water for 30 to 40 minutes.  

4. Drain potatoes and pat dry with a paper towel.  

5. Place fries, oil and seasonings into a Zip-Lock bag, close the bag and shake until oil and seasonings are distributed.

6. Pour the fries out onto prepared cookie sheet into a single layer and leave space in between them.

7. Bake in the oven for 35-45 minutes or until desired crispness is achieved. 

8. Serve with ketchup, fry sauce or your favorite dipping sauce and be prepared to never eat deep fried fries again!

Egg Cups

These are such a quick and easy thing to make for breakfast! I like to make them the night before and then all you have to do is heat them up in the microwave in the morning. They are very simple to make but yet a healthy and delicious breakfast.

Egg Cups

Ingredients:

Eggs

Non-Stick Spray

Shredded Cheese

Desired Seasonings

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray ramekins with non stick spray.
2. Crack one or two eggs into a ramekin add desired seasonings and cheese.
3. Bake ramekins of egg cups on a cookie sheet for 15 minutes for one egg and 20 for two eggs.
4. Remove from oven let stand for 5 minutes and serve or refrigerate. If you refrigerate cover with plastic wrap before placing in the fridge.

5. To reheat simply remove from the refrigerator, remove plastic wrap and heat in microwave for about 45 seconds.

Cauliflower Smashed Potatoes

I went to a friend's house for dinner and had these Cauliflower Smashed Potatoes. I swore they were mashed potatoes and when I found out they were made from vegetables I was so excited. A healthy alternative to mashed potatoes and they are super easy to make!

Cauliflower Smashed Potatoes

Ingredients


1 Head of Cauliflower
3 Tablespoons Sour Cream
¼ Cup Bacon Bits
½ Cup Shredded Cheese
2 Tablespoons Butter (I use I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Spray)
¼ Cup Milk (Add more if you want them thinner, or less if you want them thicker)
1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic
Pinch of Salt
Pinch of Pepper
¼ Cup Shredded Cheese (garnish)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Wash Cauliflower and cut into medium chunks, boil 1 inch of water in a pot and add in Cauliflower. Place lid on pot and steam for 8 minutes.
3. Place Cauliflower in food processor and add in remaining ingredients, run food processor on high and add milk until desired consistency is reached.
4. Scrape Cauliflower Smashed Potatoes into a bowl, top with cheese and bake in the oven on 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
5. Serve and see if anyone notices they are vegetable mashed potatoes and not potatoes.

Joe Mama's Car Show Kicked Off Tonight

The 4th Annual Joe Mama's Car Show kicked off tonight in Jerome. The two day event started off with over fifty cars participating in a cruise. The cruise which starts at the Con Paulos Chevrolet ends at the North/South Park in Downtown Jerome, the site of all of the Joe Mama's Car Show Events.

Following the cruise, a rib eating contest took place right in the center of Main Street in Downtown Jerome. Eight teams participated and were judged by Sheriff McFall, City Administrator Mike Williams, Dave Richey with the Jerome Building Department and Director of the Jerome Chamber of Commerce Brandon Redmond. Each team had to eat four pounds of ribs, three buns and drink all of the rib sauce to win the contest.

The Joe Mamas Car Show will continue on Saturday. The actual Car Show will begin at 9:00 AM at the North/South Park in Jerome and continue through much of the day.

Nick's Banana Bread

Start making this delicious bread with leftover bananas that would otherwise be thrown away. The chocolate chips make it delicious and the sour cream help this banana bread to say very moist. Turn trash into a delicious treat with this simple recipe.

Ingredients: 

1 stick of butter
1 and 1/3 c sugar  

2 eggs  

1 tsp vanilla  

1 c sour cream  

2 c flour  

1 tsp baking powder  

1 tsp baking soda  

3/4 tsp salt  

1 c mashed ripe bananas  

1 c chocolate chips  

1/2 c chopped pecans (optional - I left these out!)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°. In a large bowl cream butter and sugar. Then mix in eggs, vanilla and sour cream. In a separate bowl whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add to sugar mixture and stir until combined. Fold in bananas, nuts, and chocolate chips. Pour into 2 large loaf pans or 4 small loaf pans. You can also make 24 muffins. Bake for 1 hour in a loaf pan, 35-45 minutes in a small loaf pan or 25 min in a muffin pan. You want the bread to be lightly browned. Make sure it comes clean with a toothpick.

2. Once the bread is cooked, remove the bread from the pan and place on a cooling rack.

Severe Thunderstorm Warning For Twin Falls County Until 4:15 PM

A Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued for Twin Falls County until 4:15 PM. A Severe Thunderstorm which is moving Northeast towards the City of Twin Falls is capable of producing hail up to the size of golf balls, damaging winds up to 65 mph and frequent lightning. This is a dangerous storm. Seek shelter and stay away from windows.

Severe Thunderstorm Watch Issued For The Magic Valley

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch has been issued for all of Southern Idaho including Twin Falls, Jerome, Burley, Gooding, Mountain Home, Ketchum and Hailey until 8:00 PM tonight. Damaging winds, large hail and frequent lightning are possible. Stay alert and be weather aware this afternoon!

Severe Weather Threat Again Today

More strong and severe thunderstorms are possible this afternoon across Southern Idaho and the Magic Valley. Yet again today the National Weather Service has placed us under the rare risk for severe thunderstorms including damaging winds and large hail. Be weather aware again today and take any watches and warnings that may be issued seriously. We'll have the latest information on the weather throughout the afternoon here on the Southern Idaho Journal.

Power Outages Reported In Sun Valley & Ketchum

ALERT: The Power is out in all of Ketchum and Sun Valley.Idaho Power has crews dispatched. There is no estimated time on power restoration.

Severe Thunderstorm Warning For Twin Falls & Jerome

Twin Falls & Jerome listen up - the National Weather Service has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Twin Falls, Jerome and Gooding Counties. The Warning includes the City of Jerome & Twin Falls until 6:15 PM. Destructive winds in excess of 70 mph and quarter size hail are likely with this severe thunderstorm. Take shelter immediately!

Storm Update

Power lines have been reported down on US Highway 30 near Mile Marker 177 (River Road) between Hagerman and Bliss. Idaho Power has been contacted.

An accident (unknown on injuries) has been reported on Westbound Interstate 84 near Mile post 144 in Gooding County near Bliss. Slowed traffic is possible.

Severe Thunderstorm Warning For Hagerman, Wendell & Gooding Until 4:15 PM

A Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued for Northwestern Twin Falls, Gooding and Western Jerome Counties until 4:15 PM. This warning includes Hagerman, Wendell & Gooding. Destructive damaging winds up to 70 mph, half dollar size hail, frequent lightning and very heavy rainfall are likely with this severe thunderstorm. If you are in the path of this storm seek shelter immediately!

Severe Thunderstorm Warning For Gooding & Elmore Counties until 4:15 PM

A Severe Thunderstorm Warning is now in effect for parts of Southeastern Elmore and Northwestern Gooding Counties including Glenns Ferry and parts of Interstate 84 until 4:15 PM. Destructive winds up to 70 mph and hail are likely with this severe thunderstorm.