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My time here at Well Plated has been filled with surprises: two-dollar poster board is legitimate photography equipment; a corner of the internet can become a passion; if you post a recipe, real people will actually make it.

https://www.wellplated.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Mountain-View.jpg

My biggest blogging surprise, however, isn’t the fact that I regularly climb on furniture to take photos or hoard white dishes of all sizes—it’s that I met some of the best women I know, women I am blessed to call friends, online.

Group on Porch

This past weekend I joined Becky, Lauren, Annalise, Meagan, Megan, and Liz at the fabulous Deer Valley Resort in Park City, UT. We spent three straight days relaxing, giggling, sipping wine, and enjoying the wonderful activities (and food!) that Deer Valley has to offer.

Snowy Trees

We rendezvoused in Salt Lake City, where locals Becky and Annalise showed us a few of their favorite spots around town, starting at charming La Barba coffee shop, home of the best tea, lattes, and churros I’ve ever tasted.

La Barba Coffee Shop

Want proof this place is legit? Alton Brown came in for coffee while we were there. Only problem? We didn’t see him. It wasn’t until we spotted the timestamp on his Instagram post that we realized we had all been in this cozy coffee shop at the same time. I’ve almost recovered from this missed opportunity to geek out in front of one of my favorite chefs and Food Network personalities. Almost. Fortunately, we had this spread at East Liberty Tap House to help us recover:

East Liberty Tap House

From Salt Lake, it was an easy 30-minute drive to Deer Valley Resort. Deer Valley offers a wide range of housing options, and we had the ideal girls’ weekend set up: spacious condos at Lodges, perfect for lounging, chatting, and cooking too.

Lodges and Condo

Deer Valley Resort is a must-visit for any foodie. Our weekend was filled with fantastic dining experiences, starting with dinner at Fireside Dining. The moment I spied the enormous wheels of raclette (a gooey, nutty alpine cheese) melting directly onto dinner plates beside a roaring fire, I knew I was about to fall deeply, madly in love.

Raclette at Fireside

And so I did. As if the servings of melted cheese, accompanied by all manners of house-made charcuterie, breads, and mustards were not meal enough, Fireside offers three additional courses, and each is spectacular. From legs of lamb twirling over an open fire, to vibrant salads, to a bubbling pot of chocolate fondue, I was lost in a food paradise.

I also made a friend at Fireside.

Me and Anne

Meet sweet Anne, one of the Clydesdales at Deer Valley, who later took us on a sleigh ride. Little-known fact: sleighs can spin donuts in the snow. I recommend it.

The next morning, I headed out to the slopes for what would be my first real downhill skiing in 15 years. As I craned my neck upwards to the mountain peaks, I was both exceptionally excited and exceptionally nervous.

Deer Valley Mountain View

Fortunately, any unnerving visions I had of myself skidding onto my belly off of a mountain were immediately assuaged by Nick, my Deer Valley Ski School instructor, who was incredibly helpful and patient. By the end of my second morning lesson, I was able to comfortably ski all of the beginner-level slopes (green for you mountain folk), and even a few of the intermediate (blue) ones too.

Ski School

Even at a beginner’s level, skiing works up a serious appetite. After our first lesson, we skied right up to the Royal Street Café, where I enjoyed one of my favorite meals of the trip: a crab tower, turkey chili, and ahi tuna tacos, all washed down with a Blueberry Mojito (or two). Honestly, the mojito alone is reason enough to visit Deer Valley.

Royal Street Cafe

When we weren’t on the slopes (or eating), we enjoyed relaxing (and eating more) in the condo. As a treat for the girls, I made these healthy chocolate almond no bake almond bars, which taste miraculously like brownies, but are made almost entirely of fruits, oats, and nuts. (Lara Bar fans, they are quiet similar—grab the recipe here!)

Chocolate Almond No Bake Granola Bars

I was a bit nervous serving a room full of incredibly talented food bloggers, but the evidence suggests I passed: we ate every last one.

Since women cannot live on brownie-flavored granola bars alone, Whole Foods Park City graciously provided us the most incredible selection of groceries. Every morning, I had a fresh berry granola parfait (cream top yogurt—it will change your life), and for lunch one day, the Park City Whole Foods chef arrived with the ultimate treat for a group of ladies who spend most of their free time cooking: he made us lunch. We had a gourmet grilled cheese spread, accompanied by tomato bisque soup. These were not your mamma’s grilled cheese sammies. We’re talking herbed Boursin+muenster+pesto, fig+brie+bacon, and the most gloriously gooey smoked gouda.

Whole Foods Breakfast and Lunch

In addition to our lovely breakfasts and grilled cheese lunch, Whole Foods also equipped us with us with artisan cheeses, chocolates, dips, and veggies to create a beautiful après ski (after ski) afternoon spread. Many of the products were local to Salt Lake City and Park City, which gave me yet another tasty way to experience Utah.

Apres Ski Spread

Did you spy those cute purple shoes in the picture above? They are Tieks, the best thing to happen to this girl-on-the-go’s feet since the invention of the pedicure. I travel a lot (I’ve been out of town all but two weekends this calendar year), and packing shoes is my biggest downfall. I have an insatiable desire to pack multiple pairs, and they occupy an inexcusable amount of space in my suitcase. Tieks are now the only flat I feel like I need. They are ultra comfy and even fold up into a perfectly packable size, ideal for slipping into your purse or overstuffed bag.

Tieks fold

Honestly, the only thing I don’t like about Tieks is how hard it is to choose a color! I opted for the mint patent, but after seeing all of the different ones the girls picked, I’m starting to lust after other colors too. Surely every girl needs both a coral and cobalt in her wardrobe, yes?

Tieks

After a lazy condo afternoon, we headed out for another memorable Deer Valley dinner at The Brass Tag. I keep trying to pick a favorite Deer Valley restaurant (which I’ve decided is impossible), but The Brass Tag knows the way to my heart: killer whiskey cocktails, fresh and flavorful salads, and sides that are worthy to be main dishes in their own right. Plus, almost everything is served in a skillet, which I find automatically makes food taste better.

Brass Tag

The only heartbreaking part about this rejuvenating weekend was saying goodbye. I feel so blessed to have experienced this stellar resort with some of the most talented and inspiring women that I know. Cheers ladies!

Wine at the Window

And cheers Deer Valley. I hope to see you again soon. Who knows—if I come back with Ben, maybe I can even beat him on the downhill.

Ski Tips

 A sincere thank you to Deer Valley for hosting us for the weekend and to Whole Foods for stocking our fridge. I purchased my Tieks with a gift card. As always, all opinions are my own. Thanks for reliving this wonderful weekend with me!

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Erin Clarke

Hi, I'm Erin Clarke, and I'm fearlessly dedicated to making healthy food that's affordable, easy-to-make, and best of all DELISH. I'm the author and recipe developer here at wellplated.com and of The Well Plated Cookbook. I adore both sweets and veggies, and I am on a mission to save you time and dishes. WELCOME!

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17 Comments

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  1. Great recap, Erin! You are such a doll and I feel so lucky to now call you my friend IN REAL LIFE! Looking forward to seeing you again soon. And I hope you frame that picture of you and Anne. It’s adorable! XO

  2. Oh my goodness the food!! That raclette contraption is a must have in every home!! melted cheese yes please! what a fun women, so many sweet faces!  great post!

  3. What a fun trip! I loved seeing all of your pics. I was living vicariously through you and wishing I was enjoying the beautiful winter weather.

  4. Wow girl, looks like you ladies had such a fantastic time. I’ve always wanted to take a little trip to Deer Valley! I grew up skiing in the midwest, and let me tell you, it’s nothing like actual mountains. That’s where the real fun is at. My heart is like aching to hit the slopes again somewhere, and Utah would be perfect!
    Also, can’t wait to check out those almond bars, they sound amazing!

  5. I miss you like Woah already and it was such an incredible weekend to share with you and the girls. I mean it. INCREDIBLE!

  6. GAH!! Can we go back?!! I had such a wonderful weekend with you ladies. Can’t wait for NOLA 2016!!

  7. Love this!!! What a great, relaxing time. It all looks wonderful and the group of ladies you got to hang with couldn’t be better. :)

  8. Great recap and it was exactly one week ago when I was so excited to have some much needed girl time.

  9. I would’t be able to pick the best food either from those pictures. It all looks amazing!

  10. Yay, what a fun trip! Love your recap and all your photos look incredible! It looks gorgeous there! 

  11. Talk about jealous! Wowsers! What an amazing experience you had! So fun! (I think I need to get myself some Tieks now, too.)

  12. Awesome. Luxury. Ski Trip.  It’s so amazing I can’t form a sentence.

    How did “Wheels of cheese melting by an open fire…” not end up in a beloved holiday song?

  13. Such a great recap! I loved reading about it! I can NOT believe you guys missed Alton! But if it makes you feel better, I bet he was shaggy and hard to recognize anyway. From what I see on his IG, he doesn’t look much like he does on tv..travels incognito ;)

    XO

  14. LOVE this. What a lovely group of ladies and a perfect way to spend a weekend. I’m so glad you all had a wonderful time! xx

  15. What an awesome girls weekend! I think that discovering the amazing people in the  blogger community was a huge surprise to me too!