Blog Posts

Cheers to the Weekend! Local Bars and Breweries to Support

This has been a unique year for us all, and we want to support local businesses and restaurants as much as possible. At Acero Haagen Park, we’re just minutes away from some of the best and unique bars and breweries in the area. There’s so many awesome breweries around here we’re going to need another blog next week! Read on for a quick list of local bars and breweries you can support in Vancouver, WA this weekend. Vault 31 Nestled in a strip mall just a few minutes from Acero Haagen Park is Vault 31 , a video game bar with fun for all game lovers! They’ve got an incredible collection of video games ranging from old school arcade games to Playstation and GameCube favorites, as well as popular Xbox games and boardgames. They have an incredible drink menu with cocktail kits to-go and a food menu that has all the bar bites you could want! We’re talking pizza, mozzarella sticks, burgers, etc. Plus, their virtual events are super fun! Check out their website and order out this weekend. Hopworks Urban Brewery Vancouver Can you say next-day beer delivery? HUB has become a local favorite in a short amount of time. Less than 15 minutes down Mill Plain is this fantastic brewery with a variety of ciders and beers on tap. They’ve got Same-day beer and food pick-up at their Vancouver location, as well as next-day home beer deliveries. Check out their website to learn more and take a look at their menu. Victor 23 Brewing Victor 23 is a neighborhood craft brewery on Fourth Plain about 15 minutes west of Acero Haagen Park. We can’t wait to be able to sit inside again, but in the meantime we can order to-go this weekend to make sure they stay in business! They’ve got a variety of cans to take home with wonderful Pilsners and more to choose from and one of the best grilled cheese sandwiches in town. That’s it for this week! We hope you have a fantastic weekend and if you order take away, post about it on social media and encourage others to support local and shop small. Come back next week for more food and fun in Vancouver, WA!

Holiday Food Recipes

The winter holidays are here! Hanukkah started yesterday, and Christmas is right around the corner. Celebrate the holidays with good food and good company. We’ve got a few quick recipes here for tasty drinks and snacks that the whole family can enjoy. Read on for a diverse holiday recipe roundup. Mulled Wine Don’t let the wine part fool you, this can be made without alcohol so that the whole family can partake. This warm, spicy holiday drink carries delicious flavors of wine, oranges, and star anise. The best part is that it doesn’t take much time at all to brew. Simply mix your mulling spices, wine, oranges, and sweetener in a pot to boil and you’re all set! This recipe from Gimme Some Oven has a delicious combo of flavors. Check it out! Latkes You don’t need to celebrate Hanukkah to appreciate the classic latkes! These crispy potato pancakes are a Hanukkah staple, and they’re so easy and tasty that we could honestly eat them year-round - and probably will now. This recipe is from Jake Cohen, a famous Jewish chef who has gone viral on social media with his easy to follow recipes. Check out the ingredients below, you’ll probably have most of it at home already! Fruitcake Cookies This recipe combines the flavors of a classic fruitcake in cookie form. Fruitcakes can be heavy with all of that tasty filling, so we love that these cookies are a lighter take that still packs in all the winter spices and fruit flavors. Here’s a quick list of ingredients you can pick up from Winco, just across the street from Acero Haagen Park! We hope everyone is having a wonderful December so far. Take a photo of your favorite holiday recipe and share it with us on Facebook or Instagram! Come back next week for food, fun, and more in Vancouver, Washington.

Christmas Tree Farms in Clark County

One of the best things about living in Vancouver is the proximity to both the city and rural areas! That means we can get the best Christmas trees straight from the source. If you’re celebrating Christmas and you’re looking for a Christmas tree, check out this list of the best Christmas Tree farms in the area. Joe’s Place Farms Joe’s Farm is less than 10 minutes from Acero Haagen Park off 112th Ave. This is the last year that you can get trees here as Joe himself is retiring at the end of December! This farm has been around since 1946, and we are sad to see it go. Show your support and give Joe’s one last hurrah! They’ve got a great selection of Grand Firs, Nordmans, Oriental Spruce, and more! You can get a pre-cut tree or they can custom-flock any tree on the lot for you. Klopman Farms We can’t think of anything more cheery than wandering around a gorgeous tree farm, sipping cider with the smell of pine in the air. That’s exactly the kind of experience you’ll have at Klopman Farms ! Nestled in the hills of Washougal about 25 minutes away, this family owned and operated Christmas Tree farm has a large selection of sturdy fir trees and pines to take home for Christmas. They’ve got a family-friendly environment with free hot cocoa and cider to take with you as you browse through their gorgeous selection of trees, wreaths, and decor. There’s even a u-cut option, where you can ride a tractor to where the trees are planted and cut down your own tree. Make some happy Christmas memories this weekend at Klopman Farms. Glenwood Tree Farm Glenwood Tree Farm is about 20 minutes from Acero Haagen Park. This family owned and operated Christmas Tree farm is settled on a gorgeous plot of land that’s often used for weddings and special events. They offer pre-cut and u-cut options. Check out their website to learn more! That’s all for this week! Take a photo and share with us on social media if you happen to visit any of these Christmas tree farms! Come back next week for more food, fun, and holiday cheer.

Holiday Attractions around Vancouver, WA

It’s the most magical time of the year! We could all use some holiday cheer, and this year we have tons of fun holiday attractions around Vancouver and Southwest Washington to kick off the holidays with. Read on for a list of the best holiday attractions and winter events going on in Vancouver, WA and around Clark County. Christmas Ships Parade The Christmas Ships Parade is taking place along the Columbia River, with wonderful views from the Waterfront Renaissance Trail and the Grant Pier at the Vancouver Waterfront. The ships will come sailing by the pier between 7:30 pm and 8 pm on December 8, 9, 10, 16, 17, and 21st. Come out to the waterfront for a crisp evening stroll with a cup of hot cocoa, and enjoy the pretty lights sailing by. You can view the Christmas Ships full schedule on their website , along with all the locations on the Columbia River they’ll sail by this December. Vancouver Symphony Orchestra The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra holds a stunning performance every year, and this year they will be live streaming the event for viewers to enjoy at home. They will be performing December 12th and 13th at the Skyview Concert Hall with a program full of Christmas classics and holiday favorites. Check out ticket prices and the full program and famous musicians on their website today. Tickets sell fast! Winter Wonderland at Portland International Raceway This is a holiday family favorite! The Winter Wonderland at PIR is a drive-thru holiday light show. You get to drive along the racetrack where they’ve set up intricate light displays with holiday music playing. This year the proceeds will go to Sunshine Division’s hunger relief program. This year they aren’t taking cash, so make sure you purchase tickets online beforehand! Re-Imagined Radio: A Christmas Carol The Kiggins Theatre has always been a home for unique cinema and nostalgia lovers, and this performance of a Christmas Carol has a unique spin. Re-Imagined Radio is a mixture of live public and performance art that re-imagines classic radio dramas with local performers and during non-Covid times the audience can participate too. With the event this year being virtual, the audience can still have an immersive experience via social media. It’s a great way to build community, as well as support local actors, sound artists, and the historic Kiggins Theatre. Learn all about it on their website , the show will take place on December 24th! That’s just a few of the events going on in our community! Check out Visit Vancouver and Oregon Live for more information on events happening in the area this year. Come back Friday to find out where to buy Christmas Trees locally!

Thanksgiving Recipes and Where to Buy Local Ingredients

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and we are so excited to gather around and share a meal together! We are thankful to be happy and healthy during these uncertain times, and are looking forward to celebrating at home with a tasty feast next week. Read on for a few of our favorite Thanksgiving recipes and where to buy local ingredients in Vancouver, WA. Apple Cider Mimosa Start the festivities off with a festive take on a classic mimosa! It’s the perfect Thanksgiving drink with warm fall spices, and it won’t feel out of place whether your family starts their feast at 11am or 3pm. You can’t go wrong with this brunch cocktail. Here’s a great recipe from What The Fork ! Ingredients: 2 oz. apple cider 2 oz. champagne cinnamon sugar, optional apple slices, optional Instructions: Dip the rim of a champagne glass in water. Dip in cinnamon sugar to rim the glass. Pour 2 oz. of apple cider in the glass and top with 2 oz. (or more) of champagne. Garnish with apple slices, if desired. Serve immediately. Cast Iron Hasselback Potatoes We could eat an entire meal of just potatoes, and this dish would definitely be on the table! These potatoes are simple to make and packed full of flavor. They take about an hour to cook so you can get these going and then multi-task and cook other things at the same time! The ingredients are super simple, and you can easily multiply this recipe from Country Living without breaking the bank for a large family meal. Ingredients: 5 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and divided, plus more for pan 6 medium russet or Yukon Gold potatoes (about 2 pounds) 2 tsp. M5 Spice Rub, divided 2 tbsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley Sour cream, for serving Directions: Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease a 12-inch cast-iron pan with butter. Cut each potato crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices without cutting all the way through to bottom and leaving about 1/4 inch of potato intact (this will help them hold together). Arrange potatoes in pan 1 inch apart. Brush with 2 1/2 tablespoons butter. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon spice rub. Cover pan with aluminum foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove foil and drizzle potatoes (which should have opened up slightly) with remaining 2 1/2 tablespoons butter and 1 teaspoon spice rub. Bake, uncovered, until potatoes are crispy on edges and soft in the middle, 15 to 20 minutes. Garnish with parsley. Serve with sour cream alongside. Fresh Herb Stuffing The traditional stuffing side dish is given new life with this delicious blend of herbs! Whether you cook this in the bird or not is entirely up to you, but this recipe was designed to be cooked outside the bird. The instructions are quite lengthy so we’ve linked them here . Ingredients are listed below so you can see what this recipe entails and all the wonderful flavors! Ingredients: 3 tbsp. olive oil, plus more for pan 1 loaf country bread, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 12 cups) 2 medium onions, chopped Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 4 stalks celery, chopped 3 c. chicken stock 1 c. fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped 2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves 2 large eggs, beaten You can find all these ingredients at local grocery stores such as Chuck’s Produce, Fred Meyer, New Seasons, Trader Joes, and Winco just across the street from our brand new apartments. Come back next week for more food and fun in Vancouver, Washington!

Give Thanks and Give Back | Vancouver WA Charities and Food Banks

Thanksgiving isn’t just a time to give thanks, it’s also a time to think about how we can give back. People need help now more than ever, and Vancouver has numerous opportunities for volunteering and donating throughout the year. Last week we talked about the Clark County Food Bank . This week w e’ve linked a comprehensive list of local charities and volunteer opportunities at the end of this blog. Read on to see a few of the major Vancouver charities and food banks you can give back to this winter. Winter Hospitality Overflow (WHO) The Winter Hospitality Overflow is an incredible organization that works with the homeless community in Vancouver, Washington to help those in need during the winter’s coldest months. Guests are offered a warm place to sleep, a hot shower, and a meal. These are basic human needs that are often hard to come by for the homeless community, and the winter is an especially tough time. WHO usually has hundreds of volunteers, but this year they’ve had to resort to paid staff instead of volunteers to ensure safety and hygiene precautions. To meet these costs, they need to raise $50,000 to ensure that the WHO program can continue to serve the community during these trying times. Visit their website to learn more, and donate today! The Giving Closet The Giving Closet ’s motto is “no one should be hungry, unclothed, or unloved within our reach,” and they really live up to that! Founded by the Vancouver Church back in 2000, The Giving Closet has a 9,000 sq. foot free community store that supplies basic life essentials such as clothing, toiletries, food, and household items. They also provide books and toys! Visit their website to learn more, and donate some much needed winter clothing. Share Share has been serving the people of Vancouver for over 40 years! This organization has helped thousands of people in need, providing services to individuals and families in a variety of ways. They work with numerous Share partners to provide housing for people experiencing homelessness, including the Share House, Share Homestead, and WHO. They have an Outreach program that services over 1,100 hard to reach and hard-to-serve homeless individuals each year. Share provides everything from clothing and hygiene to laundry and showers. They also have case managers who can meet with clients and help assist them with existing social services, find stable housing, and more. Learn more on their website , and consider donating this winter. There are so many more non-profit organizations and charities in the area. You can find a full list here , and research which ones you would like to support before donating. If you decide to donate or volunteer, share your story with us on social media! Come back next week for more Thanksgiving food and activities going on in Vancouver, WA.