In full disclosure, I am a terrible cook, no, I am the worst cook in the western hemisphere. When I am left in charge of dinner, guests leave Layne Haven feeling confused and disoriented for several days. However, sometimes I forget how horrible a cook I am, and impulsively invite folks over to Twain Haven for one thing or another, and oh, dinner…
This happened the other evening when I invited half-a-dozen friends over for an unveiling of Julie’s Amazing Magical Twain Quilt, handmade for Mark Twain.
I should mention here that, along with being the world’s worst cook, I am an even worse shopper, so it happened that I purchased, upon first glance, a seven-layer bean-dip party-platter, heated-it-up, sliced-it-up, and served-it-up, as an entrée.
The room got uncomfortably quiet. I heard a sigh, and Julie asked with tears in her eyes, “So…what…exactly…is this?”
I had to admit I didn’t know, and that it was an impulse purchase. Be glad you weren’t here. I don’t know about the others, but it corked-me-up-pretty-tight for three days…
On the flipside of my culinary disasters, I am working up a Christmas Cointreau that might just rescue my reputation. In fact, it is with a spring in my step that I am shopping for the ingredients today…
First you need a bottle of brandy, and it doesn’t matter what brand it is because you are going to improve upon it. Pour that brandy into a large bell jar, add ¾ cup of sugar, and stir vigorously. Now, you need some string to suspend a navel orange above that brandy, and then, snap the jar shut, nice and tight. Place that jar where you can watch that orange sweat for thirty days, and voila! Here’s your Christmas Cointreau! But I caution you, do not, even if your best friend dares you, eat the orange. I did that once, and it might have killed a lesser man.
By the way, do not tackle this task alone. Making Christmas Cointreau requires two people because it takes three hands and sometimes four, to suspend the orange, and then seal the lid of the airtight bell jar. I shall leave a small bottle out for Santa, along with my list of wishes for Christmas…
Dear Santa, I have been good this year if you don’t count culinary, so I thank you in advance for delivering a world filled with love & justice, equality & respect, truth & compassion, oh, and peace. By the way, don’t knock this Christmas Cointreau back in one draught or you might not make it back to the North Pole by sun-up. Warm regards to Mrs. Clause, and of course, Rudolf.
PS: Please leave something for my pet blue jay, Huckleberry. He’s crazy about Beer Nuts if you happen to have any in your bag. Oh, and Huckleberry is fond of North Pole Ale also, should you happen to have a six-pack of that in your bag…
North Lake Tahoe eGift Card Supports Local Businesses!
November 21, 2022 | Member Submitted
Gift local this holiday season. Supporting local businesses in North Lake Tahoe has never been easier. Send a North Lake Tahoe eGift Card and support local businesses! The North Lake Tahoe Gift Card is accepted at 46 (and counting) North Lake Tahoe retailers, restaurants, services and entertainment providers. It’s a simple but effective way to demonstrate your love for the community.
The Incline Village/Crystal Bay locations are: IVGID Rec Center, Nina Photography, The Grille at The Chateau, Village Toys, and Diamond Peak Ski Resort.
With Thanksgiving now only a week away, the holidays are officially upon us. All of the celebratory events (some obligatory, some not) between now and the start of the new year can get a little overwhelming. Family and friends coming to visit, college kids returning (getting us used to the idea of them leaving the nest for good) and the resultant cycle of shopping, eating and cleaning more than fills all of our days.
I’m still learning how to just embrace the chaos.
On the off chance that you are looking for something to do (or just need a reminder of where your kids are) here’s what’s happening at each of our schools:
Incline Elementary School
IES is hosting their first holiday parade. The 3rd ,4th, & 5th grade makerspace classes are making floats and programming robots to carry balloons in a “parade” through the halls of the school. Who needs the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade? Interesting projects like this might be why the IES makerspace is getting the attention of Washoe County School District.
If you need a holiday gift, IES is selling SEE’s Candy. Shop online before Dec 2nd and you’ll get guaranteed delivery before Christmas. Shop the IES See’s Candy Fundraiser
Lake Tahoe School
Come out to watch the talented LTS middle school drama class production of Shrek, the Musical Jr. It’s this Thursday and Friday (11/17, 11/18) at 6pm in Duffield Hall. Admission is free!
Incline Middle School
Speaking of music… the IMS robotics class will be programming a holiday light and music show and will compete in this year’s IVCBA Northern Lights contest.
The display will run for 15 minutes on the hour at 6, 7, & 8 pm daily, between Dec 2-25th.
BTW, if you want to be a part of the fun, they are welcoming donations of light displays to integrate alongside the displays they are creating.
The first home basketball games are on Tues, Dec 6th. JV at 4, followed by the Girls and Varsity. These are non-league games against Reno High. Check the IHS website for game schedules
IHS officially welcomes back 4 alumni to coaching roles.
This winter, Brianna Barraza returns to coach Girls JV Basketball, and Cody Feliciano is bringing back Wrestling. Peter Salazar took Boy’s Soccer to State this fall and Lisa Nelson will lead the Girls Softball team in the spring.
By the way, IHS is not just a bunch of great athletes. They are civic-minded as well. IHS held a mock election last week and over 70% of the students voted, crushing the 45% of eligible voters in the state of Nevada. Way to go Gen Z-ers!
UNR at Lake Tahoe
The new UNR-LT campus is hosting Candy Cane Lane, the signature Northern Lights event on Dec 3rd from 4-6pm. Come out to see the tree lighting, sing a few carols, make some s’mores and of course, have a quick chat with Santa & Mrs. Claus.
And finally,
if you’re ever interested in volunteering at the schools, feel free to reach out to me directly. I’d be happy to connect you. We are always looking for: substitutes (it’s not as scary as you think), mentors, classroom aides, homework helpers, reading buddies, coaches (for sports, robotics or after school activities). Reach out to me at: maryd@inclineeducationfund.org
~ Tahoe Film Fest, Santa, Savings and Seasonal Events on Tap ~
The community and businesses in Incline Village and Crystal Bay, Nevada, are hosting the return of the popular Northern Lights Festival now through the end of the year. This month-long festival celebrates the holidays and promotes businesses and family-friendly events for locals and visitors to enjoy. The schedule is on the organization’s website at NorthernLightsTahoe.com, and most events are free.
“We are excited to introduce Candy Cane Village as our newest showcase event on December 3rd,” said Linda Offerdahl, Executive Director of the Incline Village Crystal Bay Community Association. “It is our community’s premiere family and lighting event and a festive part of all the events to enjoy this holiday season on the Nevada side of the north shore of Lake Tahoe.”
Candy Cane Village is hosted by the University of Nevada at Lake Tahoe on December 3rd from 4:00 – 6:00 pm. The campus is decorated with holiday lighting that includes a community tree with red and white holiday lights. Patterson Hall Patio will be transformed into a Holiday Village featuring Nevada Santa and Mrs. Lollie Claus. Other events on December 3 include “Sip and Snack” at Country Club Center venues and the Hyatt’s “S’more Happy Hour and Story time with Mrs. Claus.” From 6pm to 7pm. Self parking is complimentary at the Hyatt from 3 – 8pm.
Traditional events begin December 1- 4 with the Tahoe Film Fest. Other popular events are Brunch with Santa, sponsored by Tahoe Family Solutions and the Incline Village General Improvement District on December 11th at the Chateau and TOCCATA’s Messiah on December 12th at Cornerstone Church.
Sip and Shop Saturdays in the shopping centers and other businesses encourage everyone to shop throughout the community to support local merchants.
Deck The Halls Lighting Contest encourages businesses and residents to decorate their properties. The Griswold Award is given to the Brightest Display for residents and businesses. The Most Creative award is presented to the business with the best themed window display.
“Other ‘not-to-miss’ events are Opening Day at Diamond Peak on December 8th, the Gingerbread Display with train in the lobby of the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe, concerts in the Crystal Bay Club’s Crown Room and the Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Hanukkah services at our local churches,” said Offerdahl.
The Northern Lights Festival is organized by the Incline Village Crystal Bay Community Association (IVCBA). Community sponsors include Travel North Lake Tahoe, University of Nevada at Lake Tahoe, Incline Village General Improvement District, UC Davis Environmental Research Center, Tahoe Film Fest, Cool Mess, North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District, Hyatt Regency, Incline Spirits & Cigars, Austin’s, FUMO, Nevada Jane’s and Washoe County Sheriff’s Office.
IVCBA is dedicated to building and growing cohesiveness for the sustainability of Incline Village and Crystal Bay. We build communityby organizing events and promoting businesses and nonprofits. We invite you to join as a community member or as a business. Subscribe for free to our weekly SnapShot.
Thanksgiving, Small Business Saturday, Northern Lights events – oh my! ’tis the holiday season and the events are stacking up on the new and improved IVCBA Event Calendar. Make sure you don’t miss out on any of the festivities this season by visiting the event calendar.
Pro tip: filter by “Northern Lights” to see the seasonal events in Incline Village and Crystal Bay.
Incline Village’s newest café, Happy Tiers, is finally up and running after overcoming various forms of adversity. Its brick-and-mortar location in the Christmas Tree Village serves up delectable cinnamon rolls, quiches, coffee, slices of cake, Doughboys doughnuts, and more every day of the week.
Its owners Jason and Andrea Jurss are passionate when talking about their journey from whipping up cake batter in their kitchen to finally opening a physical café, that just continues to get better and better.
“During covid we had 86 weddings cancel on us; it nearly killed the business because we gave all those deposits back since we knew that was the right thing to do,” Jason says.
In March of 2020, Happy Tiers realized that they had to pivot quickly to stay afloat, and Andrea started making breakfast items and creative desserts like hot chocolate bombs to sell online and to her regular customers.
“The idea to open a café came about at the start of the pandemic. I laid in bed and thought, no one’s working, there’s no cakes to make, there’s nothing to do. So, Jason said, ‘go make those breakfast items you like’. I did these breakfast packs for local clients for Christmas and Thanksgiving and Jason delivered them,” Andrea says.
However, Andrea knew her clients so well that telling Jason where to go was a little bit of a humorous challenge. “Jason would be delivering, and he’d say, ‘Where do I go?’ and I’d reply, ‘Go down Donna and find that brown door second from the left with the wreath on it’ because I didn’t know anyone’s addresses,” she smiles.
Jason explains that Andrea would do these big pan quiches that feed a dozen people, then smaller groups who were here for a brief time requested personal ones that could go in a microwave or oven, ideal for vacation rentals. At the mention of it, Jason grabs a personal-sized crustless quiche for breakfast, the eggs fluffy and perfect, filled with slices of bell pepper and perhaps other veggies. Happy Tiers café also recently started serving crustless, gluten free and dairy free desserts and snacks.
The process of getting a café open in Incline Village took the Jurss’s to their limits, though, despite the experience they had in running successful businesses in Florida where Jason is from.
Both being from the East Coast, the couple met in 2010, the same year that Andrea’s parents Patrick and Patricia moved to Incline Village. Patrick (Andrea’s dad) had been coming to Lake Tahoe every winter since he was 16 to take a ski vacation. They spent their winters in Florida, which is where Andrea met Jason. Then when Andrea’s grandparents passed away, Pat and Pat decided to pick up and move Incline. Andrea followed her parents and moved to Incline with her kids in 2011, while keeping a long-distance relationship with Jason.
In 2015, Andrea started making cakes for friends out of her home kitchen and word quickly spread about the quality, creativeness, and delicious concoctions that she made for the North Lake Tahoe community. She formed a solid relationship with the Chateau, who often refers their customers to Happy Tiers in their event planning process. Then in 2017, Andrea moved to Florida to be with Jason and design a high-end dessert menu for Jason’s restaurant called Artisan. However, she kept getting calls from clients in the Lake Tahoe area wanting her to do their cakes. It was a different clientele out there in the Sunshine State, and Jason saw more of an opportunity for growth in Incline Village.
“When people flew Andrea out here to do their weddings (she did two at the Chateau while she was living in Florida), that opened my eyes to the possibility here,” Jason says.
The couple moved back here in late 2018, Jason’s own dad and brother eventually following.
“They all gravitate to us; we’re the nucleus of the family,” Andrea smiles. And grandparents on both sides love being closer to their grandkids who are in middle school and high school here.
They planned to do winters in Florida and summers here for both businesses (Happy Tiers and Artisan) but then the pandemic hit.
“I built nine multimillion-dollar concepts from the ground up. Andrea was going to do cakes and our goal was to wholesale. We were doing all the desserts for Granlibakken and local restaurants. Then covid stopped us in our tracks and we realized that we needed a direct-to-consumer concept,” Jason says.
They found a spot to open a physical café in Christmas Tree Village, signed the lease in spring of 2022, built out the space, hired staff, and did a soft opening in April, and then it all came to a grinding halt. They were forced to shut their doors on June 10th. They were closed for the next 70 days, believing that they probably lost $3,000 in revenue per day that they could’ve made over the summer.
“We were within eight days of closing for good and moving back to Florida, because everything we owned was invested in this business,” the couple says.
Jason explains that here they were paying rent, but various county and local government entities were telling them different things about what they needed to be properly permitted, causing them to throw money against the wall while trying to appease them. During the process of trying to get reopened, Happy Tiers lost seven baristas, four bakers, and two dishwashers that the Jurss’s had hired and trained.
“It’s like what Winston Churchill said, ‘If you don’t take change by the hand then it will take you by the throat.’ And Incline was taking us by the throat,” Jason says.
However, the couple is not the type to give up, and fortunately with weddings and events coming back on the scene, their clients and community saved them.
“There was no telling me I was closing the business; I worked too hard to build it,” Jason says, crediting Andrea for being the driving force and talent while he is more of the behind-the-scenes operations manager. The couple saved money for payroll, bought a new oven, rehired staff, and is now fully open once again providing products at every price point from $1.50 biscotti to $4,000 wedding cakes.
Jason says they are now focused on what is in the café’s four walls, building out their wedding design studio, putting art up on the walls, and working on their menus. They would also like to convert a corner of the café into an ice cream parlor and call it Happy Cones.
“My parents [Pat and Pat], the community, and our VIPs helped this business tremendously,” Andrea says.
“Incline’s our home, this is where we’ll live and retire. Andrea’s parents live here, my family moved here from Florida. It’s a relief that we’re open, and optimistic for the future,” Jason says.
Happy Tiers Café is hosting its official grand opening party and first annual “Black Pie day” (a play off Black Friday a week before Thanksgiving) on November 17th. From 7:30am – noon get $6 off every pie! Happy Tiers is also offering open enrollment for its VIP program from Black Pie day up until the holidays.
The LIVE.WORK.PLAY holiday issue is now available! Be on the lookout for it to hit mailboxes around 11/19, and you can view it online here.
The Holiday Issue includes details about Northern Lights Festival, Tahoe Film Fest, and Diamond Peak. In addition, it features interviews with Bowl Incline and Happy Tiers Bakery. Check out what’s happening in your community!
Did you miss out on the 11/4 IVCB Community Forum? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! You can watch the recap here.
To be alerted about future forums, subscribe to the mailing list by sending an email to ivcbcommunityforum@gmail.com.
The Incline Village/Crystal Bay Community Forum will be held the 1st and 3rd Fridays of the month at 9am in person and online using the meeting app Zoom. The Zoom meeting ID number is 815 3612 1755 and the password is 1864.
On Friday morning at 8:55am John Crockett or Amanda McPhaill from the library will start the meeting. Please join before 9am so we start on time.
If you are unable to join the Zoom meeting by computer or cell phone, you may still submit issues to be discussed to Denise Davis (ivcbcommunityforum@gmail.com).
On the 30th of November I will be celebrating Mark Twain’s 187 birthday by observing some of the secrets to his longevity, a few of which we can share here…
“You can’t reach old age by another man’s road. My habits protect my life, while they would assassinate you…
As for drinking, I have no rules about drinking, when others are drinking, I like to help. I have found that a tumbler full of whiskey in the early evening is a preventative against toothache. I’ve never had the toothache, and I don’t intend to have one.
As for smoking, well, I came into the world asking for a light, and will probably go out blowing smoke rings. But I’m smoking in moderation now. I never smoke more than one cigar at a time, never smoke while asleep anymore…never refrain while awake. This is a good rule. It wouldn’t answer for everybody trying to get to be 187 years old, but it answers for me.
As for exercise, I’ve never taken any exercise and I don’t intend to take any. Exercise is loathsome. I’ve never seen any advantage in being tired. Whenever I get the urge to exercise, I go lie down somewhere until it passes away. Oh, and never put off until tomorrow what you can put off until day after tomorrow. Whatever a man’s age, he can reduce it several years by putting a bright-colored flower in his buttonhole.”
Yet even more than celebrating Mark Twain’s birthday, I will get to celebrate the 80th birthday of lifelong friend, Bonnie McLaverty, and she’s still very much alive, much like an uncorked bottle of champagne. I just wrote Bonnie a note, a note of acknowledgment for a life lesson learned so many years ago on a school bus ride with her, well, here’s the note…
Dearest Bonnie,
I learned a life lesson on a school bus ride with you to Del Rey Elementary on the morning after your father had died. I wanted so to say something comforting to you but could not figure out what it was I wanted to say, so I didn’t say anything. All that day, and beyond, I admonished myself for not having said something, anything, to acknowledge your sorrow. I made a promise to myself to never again deliberate what to say, but to step right in and say something, anything, from the heart.
Over the many years to follow, I have, in fact, found myself in that very position, and have stepped forward to offer condolence without hesitation or a moment’s thought as to what I might be intending to say. Expanding upon that notion, it might be safe to say that we can never go wrong, no matter what the circumstance, when we speak from the heart. Sometimes a simple hug will answer.
So, Bonnie, if I failed to say so on our school bus ride down Valley View Drive toward Del Rey Elementary on that morning 68 years ago, please do accept my belated condolences, for I did indeed feel great sympathy for you in the loss of your father…
Celebrate Native American Heritage Month by learning more about the history and culture of the Washoe Peoples at the library on November 16 at 4pm. Registration is recommended in advance: register here.
The Washoe Peoples presence at Lake Tahoe and surrounding areas dates back to time immemorial as they are one of the oldest tribes and languages in the Great Basin and Sierra Mountains. Gain a greater understanding of what the landscape, wildlife, and people who lived here were like in the past and how they have persevered to keep their way of life alive today.
