Order Gourmet Burgers at Kiosks inside Utah McDonald's

By Victoria Saley from obSEUSSed

If you haven't been to McDonald's this month, you'll be surprised at the changes you'll see inside. Utah is a test market to try a new dining experience and when I tried it this month, I can tell you this is a game-changer for McDonald's. 

Marissa and I had fun trying out the kiosk.

Walk inside your local McDonald's and you'll notice the Create Your Taste touchscreen kiosk (60+ restaurants will offer this in Utah by the end of 2015. It is brand new!). It allows you to customize your perfect burger. In addition to the traditional sesame seed bun, there are now options like artisan breads, ciabatta rolls and lettuce wrapped burgers. You can make it any way you want.
 

To tell you the truth, the only negative thing I could notice is that it took a little longer to order at first because I wanted scroll through to see all the 20+ toppings like guacamole, sriracha mayo, chili lime tortilla strips, caramelized onions and more.  The first time you try it, just plan to take your time to see all the options. Once you know the basics, you'll be a pro in no time. 

Pay at the kiosk and they deliver your food to your table in stylish wire baskets. It takes 5-10 minutes for them to freshly prepare the food but I enjoyed my time waiting as I sipped on my soda, looked at my phone (gotta love that free wi-fi at McD) and watched my kids play in the play land. The 2nd and 3rd visits I ordered for just myself (not my whole family), the order was done just under 5 minutes.

It was so much fun customizing my burger to my taste. I tried a gourmet burger on an artisan roll with pepper jack cheese, guacamole and Sriracha mayo.  Yes, it had a kick! You can tell a difference in the meat and how it is prepared. They have a separate grill to pan sear the burgers. McDonald's explained each restaurant has hired 2-3 additional staff to run Create Your Taste, (including a chef to run the grill) so computers are not replacing jobs.

I was so impressed with this new gourmet burger dining experience at McDonald's. 

I'm excited Utah is one of the few test markets to start offering Create Your Taste.  Look for the logo outside your McDonald's. Check this link for a location near you: Create Your Taste Locations. 

 

 

GIVEAWAY:

We want you to try it out too. I Heart Salt Lake is giving away a $25 McDonald's Arch Card (gift card).


To enter the giveaway fill out the form below.
The winner is Cathie P!
Giveaway ends at midnight Decemeber7, 2015.
Winner will be chosen at random. 


Bonus entries
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Follow McDonald's Utah on Instagram

Follow McDonald's Utah on Twitter

 



*Disclaimer: I was provided a free meal to test this out and gift cards to share with readers of iHSL. All opinions are 100% my own. (seriously impressed with the changes at McD!)

New York Take and Bake Pizza {Sugar House}

  By Victoria Saley from obSEUSSed

New York Take and Bake Pizza Co. of Utah opened a new location in Sugar House just before Christmas. 

You can find them at 675 E 2100 S next to Kid to Kid off of 700 East. They also have a location in Fort Union.

You can order by phone (801-487-6591), online or by their app (search New York Take and it pulls up). They make it fresh, customized for you, then just stop by to pick it up and bake it at home.

You’re probably wondering how this place is different than the other take and bake pizza place in the neighborhood.  Well, New York Take & Bake is locally owned and operated. It has some similar items to the chain but there are more unique specialty pizzas and a larger variety of salads, not to mention flavored Italian sodas.

Their ingredients are all fresh and locally sourced.  They don’t get their food off a truck like other chain restaurants.  They have five different salads to choose from. My family loved the pasta salad.  I normally try to make a salad at home to go along with our pizza when we order it, but at this price ($6-$7/fed 4 of us) it is much cheaper than if I bought all the ingredients myself (and much tastier). I want to try their spinach poppy seed salad next. I would order these just to go with other meals at home or grab one to split for lunch.

We tried the Margherita and the Chicken BLT pizzas.  Instructions say to cook them until lightly brown on the edges and top of cheese. It turned out just right. The Margherita has huge slices of mozarella and had a sweet, tangy sauce. The Chicken BLT has the alfredo sauce and bacon. You had me at Bacon! The touches of spinach and feta really set this apart.

All their pizzas have the New York style thin crusts. The owner, John, has owned and cooked at the Italian restaurant, Michelangelo’s for 11 years. He grew up just outside of New York City and has always loved thin crust pizza. He started developing new recipes and tried them out with friends and family and finally decided to create the New York Take & Bake Pizza Co. They opened in Fort Union early last year and have done well so they recently started the Sugar House location.

Reader Discount:
Stop by and tell them I Heart Salt Lake sent you and you’ll get 10% off your order. Say hi to the owners, John & Katie.
Follow NYT&B on Facebook and Instagram for daily or weekly special deals. They also accept EBT.

New York Take & Bake Pizza Co

Sugar House: 675 East 2100 South

Salt Lake City, Utah 

(801) 487-6591

Fort Union: 2416 East Ft. Union Blvd.

Salt Lake City, Utah 

(801) 942-2109

Disclosure: We were given some pizzas, salad and Italian sodas for review purposes only. All opinions are 100% my own. Try it for yourself.

Discovery Gateway’s Service Station and Dr. Seuss Celebration

By Victoria Saley from obSEUSSed 

New Ken Garff Service Station Exhibit
Discovery Gateway: The Children’s Museum of Utah in Salt Lake City will open its newly renovated Service Station Friday, Feb. 27.  Ken Garff sponsored the update to the exhibit by adding a top to the previous Jeep (which came from a kiddie ride at Lagoon originally).


Now kids can role play being on a Ken Garff mechanic team by pretending to check the engine under the hood, change the oil, and replace the fluids. Additional kid-friendly tools will be available, and children will now be able to roll under the vehicle to make sure it's running in tip top condition. Kids can still play with the fuel and air and now learn how they work as part of the STEM initiative.
I saw this exhibit a few months ago and I’m excited to go back to let my kids try out these new features.  Plus, we have a red Jeep with a top and they are drawn to Jeeps.

Dr. Seuss's Birthday Celebration



Saturday, Feb. 28 | 10 am - 1 pm
FREE event in the Kem and Carolyn Gardner Theater
Museum admission may be purchased separately.
Discovery Gateway and KUED Kids celebrate Dr. Seuss's Birthday with Read Across America and a visit from the Cat in the Hat! Roll up your sleeves for some hands-on activities with the Salt Lake County Library, Natural History Museum of Utah, Utah Society for Environmental Education and Bad Dog Arts.

I’ve been to this event in past years and it is always a hit with my kids.  There are always fun crafts and activities to celebrate Dr. Seuss’ birthday.

I also blog at obSEUSSed.com sharing children’s books and activities.  If you’re looking for some ways to celebrate at home or in a classroom, stop by for some simple ideas of how to celebrate Dr. Seuss and reading. Dr. Seuss’ actual birthday is March 2.




Discovery Gateway: The Children’s Museum of Utah is located in the Gateway shopping plaza downtown Salt Lake City at 444 West 100 South. They often have special discounts that can be found on their website and if you sign up for their emails you can learn when special promotions for discounted membership are available.

Discovery Gateway Children's Museum and a Giveaway

By Victoria Saley from obSEUSSed 

The Discovery Gateway Children’s Museum in Salt Lake City is ready to celebrate Halloween with their Spooktacular Halloween celebration this Friday, October 31, from 11 am – 7 pm. They’ll have Trick-or-Treating, puppet shows, a princess meet and greet, magic show and more. Tickets are $5 for members, $10 for nonmembers.
They also have a Dia de los Muertos celebration Saturday, November 1 from noon to 4 pm.
Changes at the Museum: 
I was able to take a look around this month to see some nice updates they’ve made since I visited this past spring. They put in a giant tree this past year that my son immediately climbed. I also noticed new signage and wall décor in several of the exhibits which helped it look updated. The helicopter pad has been greatly improved with the addition of the operation room that has more interactive technology aspects.



They have a new Sensory Room designed to help families with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.  Children explore their senses through lights, water bubbles, touch boxes, vibrations and plasma balls.  It is one of only 2 rooms like this in the country.





The construction zone and grocery store will be updated during the winter months.



Remember admission is only $6 after 5 pm on Friday and Saturday and all day on Sunday with a coupon from DiscoveryGateway.org.  Click here for the coupon.

GIVEAWAY
We also have a family day pass to give away this week on I Heart Salt Lake. The winner will receive one ticket good for: One time use, for up to 6 people on 1 visit. Valued at $51.  Winner must be 18 years old with a valid Utah mailing address.

GIVEAWAY INFO.
To enter the giveaway fill out the form below.
This giveaway is closed. The winner is Evonne S! 
Giveaway ends at midnight November 6, 2014.


Bonus entries
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Bruges Waffle and Frites in Sugar House

By Victoria Saley from obSEUSSed 

Bruges, the popular Belgian waffle and fry (frites) restaurant downtown Salt Lake City recently opened an additional location in Sugar House.



Bruges Waffles and Frites offers a simple menu of it’s classic Belgian Leige waffles and frites, along with a specialty Belgian burger and amazing dipping sauce mayos.



Take a look at this list of Mayos.  I tried the popular Andalouse sauce and loved the pops of pepper taste.



I’ve eaten there several times now and plan to keep going back. I enjoyed the rich Belgian hot chocolate, Leige waffle with cream and strawberries, burger and frites. Next time I’m going to try the torpedo waffle that has two sticks of Belgian chocolate in between two Liege waffles.
Bruges is perfect for brunch but I also enjoyed lunch there. You can order at the counter or walk-up window from outside. They have a few tables inside, and out, making it a great place to meet a friend for a quick bite.

Bruges in Sugarhouse
2314 South Highland Drive, Salt Lake City, UT 84106

Sugarhouse Location Hours

Mon. – Thu.    9am - 9pm

Fri. – Sat.   8am – 10pm

Sun.   Closed

Bruges Downtown
336 W 300 S (Broadway), Salt Lake City, UT 84101
(801) 363.4444 info@brugeswaffles.com

Live Nativity in the Glen, Dec. 5

By Victoria Saley from obSEUSSed 

One of our favorite annual holiday traditions is viewing the Live Nativity in the Glen.

 Wednesday, December 5, 2012 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.

1050 South 1500 East in Salt Lake City, UT 84108

Get there early. The line gets long but is worth it. Bring some non-perishable food to donate to the Utah Food Bank. Enjoy free hot cocoa and bread.



This experience transports you back to different world and time. Pass by the guards as you wind your way down a hill into the city of Bethlehem. Wander around the village market to find a treat. Huddle around the fire pit while you listen to live choirs. You'll often notice live camels or donkeys along the luminary-lit path. Look up to the star to lead you to the stable where you’ll find Mary, Joseph and the Christ Child laying in a manger. Listen to the story of Jesus’ birth as you view the shepherds with their sheep on the hill and the wise men bringing gifts. This magical experience will help you feel the spirit of Christmas.



To see a short video on You Tube click here.
Join their Facebook page so you’ll know when it takes place each year.

We Wish U a Merry Christmas

By Victoria Saley from obSEUSSed

Need a quick and easy gift for your neighbors and friends in Salt Lake City? Try making these quick and inexpensive ornaments along with this free printable tag to say “We Wish U a Merry Christmas.” Perfect for all University of Utah fans.


DIY Ornaments:
You’ll need a package of red ornaments and a silver glitter glue pen.
I grabbed a package of 12 red ornaments for $1 at Dollar Tree. They also had glitter glue on their craft isle but I used some I had previously bought at Joanne’s.  Try out your glitter glue in advance before putting it on the ornaments. Some types are more runny and that won’t work well to keep the letter shape.


You’ll also want to have the front of the ornament facing up when writing. Place them in egg cartons or a basket that will stabilize them. I took the picture above when the glue was more dry.
FREE PRINTABLE CHRISTMAS TAGS:
Just copy and paste the image below into your word document or save it and print them how you’d like. This is set up as a 4x6 jpg.
We Wish U a Merry Christmas, University of Utah gift tags.


Attach the ornament and tag to a bag of your favorite treats (I made chocolate dipped pretzels) and your neighbors will love ‘U.’
{I also made some tags for my neighbors that were BYU fans that said ‘I’m Dreaming of a Y’t Christmas’ just to be nice. I also made blue ornaments with a Y on them.}



We Wish U a Merry Christmas, from I Heart Salt Lake!

Natural History Museum of Utah

By Victoria Saley from obSEUSSed


Utah’s historic dinosaurs, land forms and artifacts appear larger than life at the Natural History Museum of Utah. It may remind you of the movie Night at the Museum with dinosaur fossils looming over you. In fact, the design of the building and exhibits are so modern and professional it reminds me of the museums I’ve visited in New York City and Chicago. This is a museum I’d be proud to take my friends and relatives to when they visit Salt Lake.  It’s also a perfect place to take your kids during school breaks or even take a date.

This state-of-the-art, technology-friendly (they have free wi-fi and interactive programs) building is located next to Red Butte Garden near the University of Utah.  I recently had the opportunity to visit the museum during a blogger’s tour.  The museum kindly gave us a 4-pack of day passes to give away on I Heart Salt Lake so one of you can take your family to check it out for yourselves. (See giveaway details below.)

Dinosaurs:  Of course, my son loved the dinosaur exhibits.  He fit perfectly in the footprint of a dinosaur.  He also loved watching a room full of paleontologist working on newly found fossils.  Then he got to dig for fossils himself in their outdoor gravel box (they also have an indoor digging pit in a large, well ventilated, room).

They have a whole room of archived exhibits. They open this room occasionally to  the public for a behind-the-scenes look.

You will find hands-on exhibits around every corner teaching about earlier life in Utah.

 
And because I’m ObSEUSSed with children’s books, I really enjoyed The Chickadee Society {Preschool Adventure Club}.
This preschool program takes place the fourth Thursday of every month from 10:30-11:00 a.m. for children ages 3-6. They incorporate science-themed stories, hands-on-activities, gallery exploration and more. We were able to attend the September class.  It must be the coolest preschool room ever with Utah’s red rock caves to crawl in, a water feature to catch play fish and bug center with real bugs and dress-up costumes.  The program is included with admission. During the tour another mom and I realized that the yearly family membership is only $95, which is cheaper than an average month of preschool fees. You could take your child here several times a month and explore a different section each time making the membership a great value.

The museum has a large variety of events for children, parents, families and schools. Choose from workshops, field trips, sleepovers, day camps, birthday parties, the Bug Brigade (see the kids loving the frog in the above photo) and more. Click here to see their current schedule of events.

Location:

Natural History Museum of Utah at the Rio Tinto Center, 301 Wakara Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84108

Hours:

Open daily from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm, Wednesdays 10:00 am – 9:00 pm. 

Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Admission:

Day passes: Children 2 & under are free. Ages 3-adult vary $8-11. A yearly membership for a family is $95.

Pass Giveaway:
The winner will receive four individual day-passes to attend the Natural History Museum of Utah. The passes are valid through 12/31/12. Winner must be 18 years of age or older and have a valid Utah address.  Winner will be contacted and given 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be selected.

To enter the giveaway fill out the form below.
Giveaway is closed. The winner is Audrey Merrill
Giveaway end at midnight on October 24th.
Do you want a few bonus entries?

Follow I Heart Salt Lake on Google Friend Connect

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Disclosure: I was given a free tour of the museum, provided lunch and two additional day passes. All opinions are 100% my own. I will happily return with all my kids and pay to attend this amazing museum.  

Top 10: Family Fun at the State Fair

By Victoria Saley from obSEUSSed


The Utah State Fair is an annual tradition for our family. Here are our top 10 favorite things to do to make it a fun family outing.

1. Kids Fish for Free
Volunteers help bait the pole, kids get to cast and reel the fish in (take a picture), then volunteers take the fish off.  This is my kind of fishing.  Our kids look forward to it every year. No fishing license, gear or mess required.

2. Toddlers on the Farm
Little Hands on the Farm is a perfect activity for toddlers through grade school ages. Check out all the stations they have set up. It is very hands-on and the kids earn a token at the end for their hard work and turn it in for a treat at the country store.


3. Active Animals
Walk through the large barns to see the prize winning pigs, sheep, cattle, chickens, bunnies and more. This is always a hit with the kids, although they may complain about the smell a bit. The fair does provide hand gel at the doors of most animal buildings to use after petting. Check out the butter sculptures too. Last year was farm version of the Royal Wedding.


4.  Free Nikon Camera Rental from Pictureline

Get into the Fair Free:
You can pre-purchase discount tickets (2 for $10) to participate in the Utah State Fair Photowalk sponsored by Pictureline. Then you'll get a $10 credit to Pictureline when you check out your camera. The free camera rental (trade in your ID) allows you to try out a great Nikon with different lenses to use during your own tour of the State Fair. Available Fri. and Sat. Sept. 7 and 8 from 3:00-9:00 p.m.  Click here for more details.  I did this last year and used my own SD card to save the pictures (otherwise you can purchase the SD card- or use that $10 credit) then enter your picture in their photo contest. It was fun to try the Nikon out but I’m still loving my Cannon.    ** Remember to walk through the Photography exhibit. It is one of my favorite things to do too.


5. Daily Entertainment and Exhibits
Our kids loved the seal show and clowns walking around. This year they’ll have Olympic style diving shows. We also enjoy looking at the food and crafts kids enter in the 4-H center.


6. Last Minute Contests
Check the schedule for last-minute contests. We came across this Keebler Cracker Stacker contest last year and signed up right there.  I won 2nd place and earned a huge ribbon and tons of crackers. The kids had a separate contest too. There are often food eating contests, like the good ol' pie eating contest, if you're up for it.


7.  Fried Dinner
They have a variety of restaurant stands, tables and food vendors surrounding the fair.  If you want the real fair experience try the ‘fried oreos’, funnel cakes, corn dogs and more.  I always love the fresh corn on the cob slathered in butter.


8. Carnival Rides and Booths
We often skip these because of the high prices ($2 per ride down a big slide?) but that is also because we save our money for a few carnival rides at Brigham City Peach Days the same week.  There are enough free activities to keep the kids busy at the State Fair to skip the rides but if this is your only chance for the year and the tradition you look forward to, then go for it.

9. Nightly Entertainment
Our kids loved watching the square dancers at night but they also have free music concerts (with admission, you’ll need to pick them up the day-of at noon). This year Blues Traveler, Jars of Clay and Sheena Easton are a few bands playing.  Also stop by the rodeo arena.  My favorite to watch is the barrel racing on opening day.

10. You can wear your cowboy boots, even if you aren’t a cowboy.
There aren’t many places you can get away with this but now is the time to pull your boots out if you have some. Our little ones love to have a place to wear their boots.

The Utah State Fair runs Sept. 6-16, 2012. Sun.- Thurs. 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., Fri. and Sat. open until 11 p.m. Utah State Fairgrounds located on North Temple and 1100 West.
The Best Day to Go: Opening Day Discount $5/person (thanks to Questar normally $7-10 each) Other package deals available. Children ages 0-5 are free.
Remember your $6 cash for parking and bring more cash for spending money.
See the Utah State Fair website for more details.

Weller Book Works at Trolley Square

By Victoria Saley from obSEUSSed

 Weller Book Works has been a destination for Salt Lake City book lovers for more than 80 years. Originally known as Sam Weller’s Bookstore, located downtown on Main Street, they just moved to Trolley Square earlier this year. They are now known as Weller Book Works as they offer a variety of book options including new, used, out-of-print and rare books with plans to incorporate e-books. This is Utah’s oldest and largest independent bookstore.



You’ll find them in the south west corner of Trolley Square mall where the old movie theaters were located. Those tall theater ceilings allow for an upstairs loft filled with rare and religious books and plenty of natural light.



I really enjoyed this open feeling compared to their previous location on Main with the basement. I asked for a certain book and their employee took me right to it within 20 seconds.  They know their stuff.

They have Story Time for children on the first and third Thursday each month at 10:30.



LIT KNIT happens on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday evenings 6-8 pm for a night of crafting and conversation.



They also have author signings and visits so check their calendar to see what they have coming up.



Operation Book Drop:
Look out for Free books around Salt Lake City. Weller Book Works has dropped 878 books randomly around town with instructions inside to read it and leave it randomly for someone else. What a fabulous idea! I hope to find one someday.

WELLER BOOK WORKS

607 TROLLEY SQUARE
SALT LAKE CITY, UT
801.328.2586
MON - SAT 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM
SUNDAY 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM