FACETS
JULY 2020
The magazine for women.
FACET FACETS
Contributors
ADVERTISERS To advertise in Facets magazine, contact Mary Beth Scott at (515) 663-6951
The magazine for women. MARLYS BARKER RONNA FAABORG DAVID MULLEN Contributors KYLEE MULLEN SARA JORDAN-HEINTZ ROBBIE SEQUEIRA DAVID MULLEN KILEY WELLENDORF KYLEE MULLEN ROBBIE SEQUEIRA Design KILEY WELLENDORF
CHELSEA PARKS Design
CHELSEA PARKS
Tribune Editor
MICHAEL CRUMB
ADVERTISERS PHONE To advertise in Facets magazine, contact Mary Beth663-6923 Scott at (515) (515) 663-6951
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of Gannett.
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MADDIE SEVERSON’S GARDEN AREA MEASURES 20 FEET BY 25 FEET. SHE BOUGHT ALREADY GROWING PEPPER AND TOMATO PLANTS (PICTURED), WITH THE OTHER VEGGIES STARTED FROM SEEDS. PHOTO BY SARA JORDAN-HEINTZ
see PAGE 11 & 12
Nevada High School senior, Calissa “Callie” Derrick, poses with her book, “Cubbie and the Perfect Gift.” Photo by Marlys Barker see PAGE 4 & 5
ON THE COVER
BROOKE KRUGER’S 7-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER CORALINE HELPS MAKE LASAGNA AS PART OF AMES’ LASAGNA LOVE INITIATIVE. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
see PAGE 6 & 7
ON THE COVER
Katherine Kerns, of rural Ames, says if we all make minor changes in the way we consume single-use containers, the ripple effect will be profound.
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see PAGE 6 & 7
FACETS Table of contents Features 6
Showing community love and support
Lasagna
13 Story County has achieved gender-balance Representation statewide stagnates
18 Foster families needed in Story County COVID-19 creates new challenges
Spotlight 4
Nicole Whitlock brings student perspective
8
Boone Iowa River Valley Festival 2021
9
Pandemic Haiku book
11 Story City woman takes time out for vegetable garden 15 How to avoid burnout when working from home 16 Sidewalk etiquette for social distancing
Savor 20 Tired of banana bread?
Try these fluffy banana muffins
22 Chocolate chip cookies
DoubleTree hotel recipe
FACETS | JULY 2020 | 3
Spotlight
Nicole Whitlock hopes to bring student perspective and issues of equality to ex-officio role
By Robbie Sequeira Gannett
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s the freshly-minted ISU student ex-officio student City Council member of the Ames City Council, Iowa State University rising senior Nicole Whitlock hopes to keep her fellow students engaged with the local politics of Ames, even as the COVID-19 pandemic keeps them away from campus. “At the last (Ames City Council) meeting, we discussed how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the city of Ames and also the university, and that’s valuable information that is pertinent to students,” Whitlock said. “I want to be a resource to keep students engaged and involved with what’s going on with the local politics, throughout the summer and with everything happening with the pandemic.” A double major in elementary education with endorsements in mathematics and reading and a minor in women’s and gender studies, Whitlock was sworn in May 12, taking over the reins of the position from Devyn Leeson. The role of ISU student ex-officio is a one-year appointment courtesy of the ISU Government of the Student Body, and while they are a representative of the student body, the ex-officio student City Council member holds no official voting power in city council meetings. Despite that, Whitlock credited her predecessor Leeson, also a rising senior, for being a vocal proponent of student matters at city council meetings during his time as ex-officio meetings. “Devyn did a wonderful job being a voice for students during meetings, raising concerns and issues that he was hearing to the mayor and council members,” Whitlock said. “I hope to bring my own spin to the positions, using my background as women and gender studies minor to discuss equality for all residents in Ames.” Whitlock has been very involved in the political scene at the university, serving as vice president of Iowa State University Democrats, philanthropy co-chair of the Honors Student Board and was a precinct leader at Fischer Theater for this year’s Iowa Caucuses. She said her interest in the position was largely due to the direct impact that local politics have on all Ames residents, including ISU students. One particular issue
A DOUBLE MAJOR IN ELEMENTARY EDUCATION WITH ENDORSEMENTS IN MATHEMATICS AND READING AND A MINOR IN WOMEN’S AND GENDER STUDIES, NICOLE WHITLOCK WAS SWORN AS THE ISU STUDENT EX-OFFICIO STUDENT CITY COUNCIL MEMBER OF THE AMES CITY COUNCIL MAY 12, TAKING OVER THE REINS OF THE POSITION FROM DEVYN LEESON. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
she plans to bring attention to is rental codes and student housing rights. “Student housing rights is an evergreen issue that continues to be applicable to students here,” she said. “I think further discussions on the city’s rental codes, how students can navigate situations with local landlords can help provide the student with resources and better access to housing.” Whitlock said one of the responsibilities of the position is writing a full report of each meeting and sending it to all university students for feedback and questions. In hopes of fostering a growing engagement with students and city
Spotlight NICOLE WHITLOCK, continued from page 4
council, Whitlock plans to make surveys and questions tabs to gauge the opinions of ISU students on various topics of city government. “It’s important for city government to continue engaging with the ISU students and getting a pulse on their experiences here in Ames,” she said. “I have my email and phone number available to (students) when I sent out my reports because I also want to be a resource for them each Tuesday.” Student representation on the council dais has greatly increased over the past year, following the December election of then-junior Rachel Junck, who defeated two-term council member Chris Nelson
in a run-off election. Whitlock, who described Junck as a “close friend” said she’s looking forward to working with her to heightening the voices of students and building stronger connections between Iowa State students and the City of Ames. “I’ve worked closely with Rachel in the past and she’s been really helpful in helping me get acclimated to meeting times, responsibilities and how to work with council and city staff,” she said. “I look forward to working with her in this capacity, to amplify what’s affecting our student body most.”
FACETS | JULY 2020 | 5
Feature
BROOKE KRUGER’S 7-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER CORALINE HELPS MAKE LASAGNA AS PART OF AMES’ LASAGNA LOVE INITIATIVE. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Showing the community love and support by making lasagna By Kylee Mullen Gannett
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eighbors have been bringing casserole dishes to one another in times of need for generations, and the COVID-19 pandemic is no exception. That’s why a group of Story County residents are stepping up to keep their community fed. It started when Ames resident Brooke Kruger was talking to a friend from San Diego, who had started delivering lasagna to people in need. Kruger loved the idea, she said, and was inspired to organize her own branch of the initiative in Story County. It’s called Lasagna Love — an initiative which has quickly spread beyond San Diego and Ames, and now has groups in Des Moines, Fox Cities, Wis., and Sedona, Ariz. Kruger, along with a handful of local volunteers, has made dozens of lasagna dishes for people throughout Story County and surrounding cities. “It’s a really great way to give back to the community, because people are really, really struggling right now whether it’s financially, or because you have kids at home and they’re making you crazy, or for whatever reason you can’t pull it together to make a meal,” Kruger said. “We have food insecurity on top of that, and we just thought it was a really great way to help people, just by making some lasagna.”
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Why lasagna? According to Kruger, it’s something anyone can make and it’s a “hearty meal that fills you up.” When Kruger first started Lasagna Love in Story County, she put a call out on Facebook for volunteers and got an overwhelming response from residents willing to buy supplies, cook meals and deliver them. “I posted on (Facebook) asking for a volunteer to deliver a meal out of town, in Jewell, and I had four people within 10 minutes who said they would be happy to drive it there,” Kruger said. “It’s just super nice that so many people are stepping up to help. It’s really cool.” Now, while Lasagna Love is still in need of donations, she is looking for more people to either nominate themselves or someone they know to receive meals. “I really just want to let more people know that it exists, because I want to help more people,” she said. “I want to make sure we can help as many people as we possibly can.” Kruger said Ames’ branch of Lasagna Love is serving all the communities in and near Story County, and “I don’t know if there is really a radius,” but it largely depends on where volunteers are able to transport food. So far, they have served lasagna to homes in Story City,
LASAGNA, continued from page 6
Nevada, Huxley, Colo, Jewell, Madrid, Luther and Boone. They also make the lasagna to order, when possible, for certain diet restrictions or allergies. “We’ve made gluten-free lasagna, meat-free lasagna, lasagna with no onions, and if lasagna is not possible, we could even make a rice casserole if someone asked and couldn’t have gluten or cheese,” Kruger said. At the end of the day, she just wants to ensure no one, be it a large family, an elderly resident or a college student, goes hungry, she said. “In San Diego, people are lining up for help. In Iowa, we’ve gotten a problem where people don’t say when they need help. Their neighbors will nominate them, but they won’t nominate themselves,” she said. “Everyone seems to think, ‘oh, someone might have it harder than me so I don’t need it,’ but I want those people to know that it’s okay for them to have help too.” People in need of a meal can contact Lasagna Love at https:// www.begoodtomama.com/lasagnalove. Kruger is the main organizer of Ames’ Lasagna Love initiative, but said she wouldn’t be able to do any of it without the volunteers who have stepped up to help out — local residents including Marnie Johansen and her daughter Amara, Erin McGlothlin Selsby, Amy Svacina-Benz, Bridgette Hare and Jessica Fears. She also credits two of her youngest volunteers, her daughters, 7-year-old Coraline and 15-year-old Aurelia. Kruger said she hopes being a part of Lasagna Love will help further their “perspective, empathy and compassion for others.” “I believe in being a good human, that’s the motto I teach my children,” Kruger said. “Part of that is taking care of our community, taking care of each other, and that’s what this means to me. It’s doing my part, and if I am in a position to help then I am going to help. “There’s a widely-circulated phrase by Mister Rogers, to ‘look for the helpers,’ and, well, I have a 7-year-old, and we talked about how we’re being helpers.” Kruger said she does not know how long Lasagna Love will last — will it disappear when the COVID-19 pandemic becomes a memory, or will it continue to grow and spread nationwide? Either way, she said, the group of community members who are taking part will be there for as long as they’re needed. “I don’t know what the future holds for it. Maybe it will continue, but that depends on how long there is a need and how long there are people out there who have time and are willing to keep helping,” she said. “But for now, we are at least filling the gap.”
Feature
BROOKE KRUGER’S 7-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER CORALINE HELPS MAKE LASAGNA AS PART OF AMES’ LASAGNA LOVE INITIATIVE. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
PANS OF LASAGNA LINE THE COUNTERTOP AND ARE READY TO BE DELIVERED. BROOKE KRUGER, OF AMES, STARTED A GROUP TO DONATE PANS OF LASAGNA TO STORY COUNTY FAMILIES. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
BROOKE KRUGER’S 7-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER CORALINE HELPS MAKE LASAGNA AS PART OF AMES’ LASAGNA LOVE INITIATIVE. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
FACETS | JULY 2020 | 7
Feature Spotlight
By Kiley Wellendorf Gannett
Boone Iowa River Valley Festival 2021 to feature same musical lineup
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ext year, the Boone Iowa River Valley Festival will feature the same musical lineup that was scheduled for this year’s postponed festival, the organization announced. In mid-June, festival goers were informed the same music artists pledged to come back to the festival next year as this year’s fourth annual event was postponed in March due to the pandemic. Jennifer Hanson, festival coordinator, said the organization feels both relieved and grateful to be able to offer the same acts for next year’s lineup. “We floated the new date tentatively and one-by-one they agreed,” Hanson said. “We’re very grateful for the whole lineup to join us in 2021.” The lineup will include headlining and multi-platinumselling band Night Ranger, along with special guests SKID ROW and Great White Band. The festival is scheduled to occur over Memorial Day Weekend in 2021, over the same days and at the same location, the festival wrote in a post online. The Boone Iowa River Valley Festival was created four years ago by a group of volunteers who were looking to bring something new to the Boone area, according to Hanson. During discussions, the idea of hosting an event outdoors continued to be of shared interest among the group, she said.
“I said, ‘Guys, wouldn’t it be fun if we did a festival that celebrated the outdoors,’ and we hyped it up with some great music,” Hanson said. During the festival’s second year, an outdoor worship service took place, she said, which had not been done before in Boone County. “It just became this collaborative effort with so many different entities in Boone,” Hanson said. The festival is not just focused on music, as events for all ages take place throughout the weekend. Prior to this year’s festival cancelling due to the COVID-19, some of the weekend events included a kick-off and block party, a family run, adventures in outdoor photography, a “wild” hike and geocaching at Ledges State Park. “I would say some level (of the festival) has grown every year,” Hanson said. “Whether it being the activities we’ve offered, or whether it’s the number of people that have come.” The concert tends to be a popular attraction, according to Hanson, where those from out of town visit to stay for different hikes and fishing trips, she said. “We just are so excited about being able to offer more things to more people,” Hanson said.
THE BOONE IOWA RIVER VALLEY FESTIVAL, SCHEDULED FOR MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND, WAS POSTPONED DUE TO THE PANDEMIC. HOWEVER, THE SAME MUSICAL LINEUP SCHEDULED FOR THIS YEAR’S CELEBRATION HAVE COMMITTED TO JOIN THE 2021 FESTIVAL. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
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Spotlight
Pandemic Haiku book details Story County, countrywide accounts of pandemic
By David Mullen Gannett
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haiku written by an Ames resident has united writers county- and countrywide in documenting their pandemic experiences and now is part of a book of their work, “Pandemic Haiku: Volume One.” Robin Schinnow, an Ames resident and licensed therapist, thought of the haiku, a traditional Japanese 17-syllable poem, at the end of March during the beginning of the statewide period of social distancing and felt an urge to write more and share them with others. “I thought I’d share it on Facebook, but then I decided to start a group and connect some of my friends,” Schinnow said. Friends of Schinnow’s began joining the group and inviting others, and the number of posts each day grew dramatically. Today, the group has more than 800 members, including in Story County and across the country. “I didn’t realize it would blow up like it has,” Schinnow said. Tracey Stoll, an Ames resident, said that on some days during the COVID-19 pandemic, she has felt sluggish and lacked motivation. But she said she always has found serenity in writing, whether it was a journalism assignment, a poem or even a haiku. “I had a lot of anxiety the first few weeks being stuck at home … and I’m an extrovert, so not having the ability to get a lot of human contact other than with my neighbors was tough,” Stoll said. At the beginning of April, Stoll stumbled across the newly formed Facebook group Pandemic Haiku, created by her neighbor, Schinnow, and decided to join. She said that besides gardening as much as possible, and between FaceTime sessions with her family, Stoll has been using Pandemic Haiku as a way to escape reality. “For me (the group) is a way of connecting with people, and a lot of people like what I write, which has made me feel validated,” she said. Like Stoll, other Ames residents found the Facebook group. They included Tim Gosset, who asked Schinnow if she would be interested in turning the haikus into a book. “The haikus just seemed to tap into kind of a different way of exploring what was happening in people’s lives,” Gossett said. “That was different from what we would normally be reading, especially at the start of a pandemic. There were just a lot more emotion and real life experiences represented there, and it wasn’t just about you.” Schinnow was enthusiastic about the idea and reached out to her friend, Cathie Gebhart, editorial coordinator and writer for Dan the Fish Publishing in Boone. The company
“PANDEMIC HAIKU: VOLUME ONE” IS AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.COM. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
was instantly on board. “I think this pandemic is a historically significant event, and we are living through it. People’s feelings, questions, and support are an important part of recording this event,” Gebhart said in an emailed statement to the Tribune. “Firsthand accounts are the best way to get an emotional feel for what is happening.” The first official copy of the book “Pandemic Haiku: Volume One” became available on Amazon on April 18 and contains over 100 haikus written by members of the group, totaling 55 pages. All proceeds from the book will be donated to the Outreach Program in Des Moines, which provides food to people in need. “So many people, especially with kids, are struggling to make ends meet and feed their families [right now] so we thought (this is) a great way to help and provide some meals,” Schinnow said. As of Friday, the book was ranked as the 20th best seller in the Japanese Poetry and Haiku category, according to Amazon. Because of that success, a second book is in the works. Schinnow said she is still surprised by what has sprung FACETS | JULY 2020 | 9
Spotlight HAIKU BOOK, continued from page 9
from the simple act of posting a haiku online. “I never would have expected any of this to happen when I first started the group,” Schinnow said. “People use this platform, however they chose to, whether it’s posting a haiku every day, or commenting and reading others’ haiku. It’s nice to have this sense of a community during these times.” And to members like Stoll, the group’s sense of community is noteworthy. “I love this (community) and it’s become a very supportive community for many of us, and a lot of us have become friends,” Stoll said. “It’s just a great thing to have during the current times.”
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A haiku by Robin Schinnow: This brain child of mine Birthed from a need to connect Has eased so much pain — from “Pandemic Haiku: Volume One”
Spotlight
Story City woman takes time out for a vegetable garden By Sara Jordan-Heintz Contributing Writer
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addie Severson, of rural Story City, decided this was going to be the year she started a vegetable garden of her own. Growing your own food is economical, and it’s an easy way to stay healthy while social distancing in the midst of COVID-19. A native of the Roland/Story City area, Severson said she had grown up with a small garden and wanted to continue that tradition with her husband Jake and their one-year-old son Emmett. “When I was young, we always grew a small garden: tomatoes, peppers, and we made homemade salsa. I always thought that was really fun as a kid,” she said. By day, Severson is employed part-time doing accounting and payroll for a farm. Her husband is an electrical lineman for the city of Story City. While they both still worked outside the home during the COVID-19 shutdown of many businesses, Severson found she had her afternoons free to devote time to creating a garden. Previously, she said she had a garden on an acreage owned by her parents, but nothing compared to having the opportunity to grow produce on her own land. “I learned it’s really hard to garden somewhere you don’t live, because you can’t see it all the time,” she said. “We bought our acreage about two years ago, and late last spring finished building our home, but the yard wasn’t ready yet to put in a garden.” She began work on her dream garden in mid/late April 2020. “It worked out perfectly being stuck at home more this spring, having the time and availability,” she said. The garden area measures 20 feet by 25 feet. She bought already growing pepper and tomato plants, with the other veggies started from seeds. “My green beans would have been growing more by this time in the season, but we’ve had so much rain,” she said. “The seeds have been washed away twice, and I had to replant them.” In addition, her garden harbors corn, potatoes, onions, cucumbers and broccoli. “It gave us something to do this summer, and I want to teach my son the value of putting the work into it and how it tastes so much better when you grow it yourself,” she said. Severson and her husband put in the labor, borrowing a tiller from a friend. “My husband has maybe been more stuck at home because of me than the virus, with me making him stay and help me with the heavy lifting involved with the garden, like the fencing and the tilling,” she said with a laugh. Online resources shaped Severson’s vision. She joined a vegetable gardening group on Facebook called Iowa Vegetable Gardening.
MADDIE SEVERSON SAID SHE WANTED TO TEACH HER SON EMMETT THE VALUE OF PUTTING WORK INTO A GARDEN AND ENJOYING HOW GOOD HOMEGROWN FOOD TASTES. THE PHOTO BY SARA JORDAN-HEINTZ
“I got a lot of ideas from other people on there,” she said. “It has a very positive feel to it as a group. People are very helpful — not looking down on the people new to gardening. Tips usually involve learning that every garden is different.” She gained insights including how much her plants will yield, helpful tips on what plants thrive best together, what plants attract different bugs, etc. She did a free trial of the “Old Farmer’s Almanac Garden Planner,” designed to help you find the best layout for your space, in addition to providing planting and harvesting dates. She said this was a great help, compared to relying only on hand-written sketches. By late April, the ground had been tilled and a fence put up. Weekends were spent planting. “Right now, the main thing is just keeping everything well-hydrated. You get into periods of heavy rain and heavy drought. Also, the worst thing is the weeding, keeping myself motivated to weed each day,” she said. Severson said she encourages people who have never kept a garden to give it a try, even if it only consists of pots kept on an apartment patio. “I definitely think everyone should try to start a garden. It’s a humbling experience. You hope you do everything right and the (plants) come up. When they do, you’re super happy inside,” she said. “You don’t have to have a fancy space and it brings you joy when you see it finally pop up.” For home gardening tips, visit the National Agricultural Library of the U.S. Department of Agriculture at www.nal. usda.gov/topics/home-gardening.
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Spotlight
MADDIE SEVERSON, OF RURAL STORY CITY, DECIDED THIS WAS GOING TO BE THE YEAR SHE STARTED A VEGETABLE GARDEN OF HER OWN. WHILE IT’S STILL IN ITS EARLY STAGES, IT WILL SOON BE BURSTING WITH PEPPERS, TOMATOES, CORN, POTATOES, ONIONS, CUCUMBERS AND BROCCOLI. PHOTO BY SARA JORDAN-HEINTZ
MADDIE SEVERSON’S GARDEN AREA MEASURES 20 FEET BY 25 FEET. SHE BOUGHT ALREADY GROWING PEPPER AND TOMATO PLANTS (PICTURED), WITH THE OTHER VEGGIES STARTED FROM SEEDS. PHOTO BY SARA JORDAN-HEINTZ
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Feature
PARTICIPANTS LISTEN TO SPEAKERS AT THE PAST READY TO RUN IOWA WORKSHOPS. THE WORKSHOPS ENCOURAGE WOMEN TO RUN FOR POLITICAL OFFICE. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CATT CENTER FOR WOMEN AND POLITICS
Story County has achieved genderbalance, however representation statewide still stagnates By Robbie Sequeira Gannett
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espite women outnumbering men in 90 of Iowa’s 99 counties, their membership on local boards and commissions has yet to reach 50 percent, a new report from Iowa State University’s Carrie Chapman Catt Center shows. That’s despite a 2009 law that requires gender equity and balance on Iowa’s municipal commissions, committees, boards and councils. The report, based on 2020 data, found that 14 counties — including Story — have achieved gender balance on seven appointed boards and commissions, but that the improvement in equity has been slow since the first few years after the law took effect. “Since the law came into effect, (gender-balance) has improved, both in terms of the number of women holding seats and the numbers boards that are gender-balanced,” said Kelly Winfrey, assistant professor at ISU and coordinator of research and outreach for the Catt Center. “But the biggest improvement was when the law was
enacted in 2012, and when we did our next data analysis in 2014 — and it’s still improved but it’s much more gradual.” The other counties that have met gender-balance requirements, according to the Catt Center data, are Allamakee, Clayton, Dallas, Floyd, Guthrie, Hardin, Harrison, Lee, Madison, Ringgold, Van Buren, Wapello and Winneshiek. In Iowa, if a board carries an even number of members, a particular gender cannot make up more than one-half of the total membership. For odd-numbered boards, the rule for gender balance is half minus one. The Catt Center created the Gender Balance Project to compile the data because the state does not require cities and counties to track or report gender-balance statistics. The new report shows an increase in gender-balanced boards from 59 percent in 2018 and 67 percent in 2020. Winfrey said, however, that the number of women being appointed to leadership positions on boards and commissions has not increased. FACETS | JULY 2020 | 13
Feature
STORY COUNTY HAS ACHIEVED GENDER BALANCE, continued from page 14
Not only did the number of seats held by women on municipal boards and commissions decrease slightly from 2018 to 2020, there is a disparity in the number of women holding leadership positions on city and county boards, she said. At the county level, the report shows only 33 percent of board members are women and 25 percent are chairs. “The caveat is we aren’t seeing much of an increase in women’s representation, which suggests women are just being placed on different boards,” Winfrey said. “Gender balance is important because of the different perspectives that women can bring to a group or board, and how these can help shape decision that can benefit a wide variety of people.” Winfrey said one way boards and commissions can improve representation is through recruiting. “When I talk to women who are interested in serving on boards and commissions, many of them aren’t sure where they can find vacancies or how to” apply, she said. “I think counties and cities generally need to do a better job at publicizing that and getting more women involved in the process.” Winfrey recommended that recruiters send notices of vacancies to advocacy groups such as the League of Women Voters and its Ready to Run Iowa: Campaign Training for Women workshop.
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Future studies, Winfrey hopes, can dive into data of intersectionality — figuring how many women of color are serving on these boards and commissions. “We contact city managers and administrators for information on their boards and commissions and oftentimes they don’t have demographic information available,” she said. “While we don’t have data on it, there’s certainly no better representation at elected levels, which is not good.” Nine municipal boards and commissions were studied for the report, including the Airport Board, Civil Service Commission, Historic Preservation Commission, Housing Services Board, Human Rights Commission, Library Board of Trustees, Planning and Zoning Commission, Water Works Board of Trustees and Zoning Board of Adjustment. Seven county boards studied were Adjustment, Compensation, Conservation, Health, Planning and Zoning, Review and Veteran Affairs.
Spotlight
How you can avoid burnout while working from home By Kiersten Willis The Atlanta JournalConstitution
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emote work has become the norm as the coronavirus pandemic continues, but if you’re getting worn down by continuing to work where you sleep, you’re not alone. A survey from Monster.com showed more than 50% of people working from home amid the pandemic said they are experiencing burnout and 52% of survey takers don’t plan to take time off to unwind. Even before work from home became the norm, a 2018 Gallup study found that one in five American employees experienced burnout always or very often. Healthline reports burnout is “a state of mental and physical exhaustion that can zap the joy out of your career, friendships and family interactions.” If you want to take steps to avoid this, here are five ways you can do so, according to Healthline and Today.com.
SET BOUNDARIES AND LIMITS
It’s important to take breaks throughout the day and also know when to shut off your laptop for good. “Just because your boss knows you’re home doesn’t mean you have to be constantly available to them,” Dr. Lisa OrbéAustin, a psychologist and executive coach in New York City, told Today.com. Remote employees should also have a firm start and end time for their workdays.
GET SOME EXERCISE
Along with taking breaks, it can be beneficial to get outside and go for a brief walk to incorporate some movement throughout your day. Even short workouts can prove beneficial.
ESTABLISH A SCHEDULE AND MAKE NECESSARY ADJUSTMENTS
ASK FOR HELP
TAKE A DAY OFF
If you’re balancing working at home with family, you may need to change your work schedule so you can focus more on tasks and have time for your loved ones. Orbé-Austin said if you’re able, talk to your boss about adjusting your work hours to have more flexibility. Sometimes, you may be so deep into a project or assignment that you may not be aware if you’re drifting toward burnout. Have your friends and family check in on you and you can check in on them, too. Perhaps you’re already experiencing burnout. If so, a day off may be in order. Do your best to take the day to relax and do something completely unrelated to work. Practice a hobby, meditate or catch up on a favorite TV show.
WORKING FROM HOME CAN CAUSE BURNOUT, BUT THERE ARE THINGS YOU CAN DO TO HELP KEEP A HEALTHY MINDSET. PHOTO BY DREAMSTIME/TNS
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Spotlight
Scoot over, stop talking and keep walking: Sidewalk etiquette for social distancing By Rachel Hutton Star Tribune (Minneapolis)
MINNEAPOLIS — Abigail Johnson has spent most of her adulthood car-free, living in New York for nearly a decade and then in Uptown Minneapolis for the past two years.
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s chair of the city’s Pedestrian Advisory Committee, she has been encouraged by how many other walkers she’s been encountering during the pandemic. “I’m hoping it leads to people realizing that walking is just such a wonderful way to do a lot of daily activities,” Johnson said. “People are slowly realizing how good walking is for your mental and physical health. You’re combining all these wonderful aspects of being with your community, in your community. You’re getting exercise, you’re running errands, and you’re smiling at people face-to-face.” Bill Lindeke, an urban geographer in St. Paul who pens the Twin City Sidewalks blog, concurs. He calls the walking trend “a silver lining” to the crisis, and ticks off a list of positives: It’s healthy, it’s fun and you observe things that you normally wouldn’t see if you’re driving. But one of the things Lindeke has observed, as have so many others out on foot, is how ill-equipped our sidewalks are to handle increased pedestrian traffic — especially for those trying to social-distance.
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“Our streets and sidewalks aren’t really ideally designed for a lot of walking,” he said. “A lot of cities that are designed for walking have much wider sidewalks than we do in the United States.” Most residential sidewalks in the Twin Cities are about 5 feet wide — too narrow to maintain a 6-foot buffer when parties pass one another. A once-simple stroll can now feel like a real-life version of the video game Frogger, dodging other walkers and joggers. Although professor Ingrid Schneider studies recreational trail users’ behaviors and attitudes, some of her research might help us better understand these encounters, which she’s heard described as “sidewalk chicken.” Through her work for the University of Minnesota’s Department of Forest Resources, she has been seeing density and spacing issues on trails long before the arrival of coronavirus. Her decade-old survey of Minnesota trail hikers found that nearly half of respondents had experienced conflict from other recreationalists passing too closely or not yielding. Now that the threat of coronavirus has made “a seemingly simple navigation so much more complex,” she recommends that walkers use kindness and common sense and watch the “sidewalk rage.”
SIDEWALK ETIQUETTE IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT NOW; MAKE SURE YOU’RE FOLLOWING IT. PHOTO BY DREAMSTIME/TNS
Spotlight SIDEWALK ETIQUETTE FOR SOCIAL DISTANCING, continued from page 16
The pedestrian equivalent of road rage, which has been documented by University of Hawaii researchers, is backed up by Schneider’s survey of trail users, which found that roughly 20% of respondents said they reacted to an interference by expressing anger to the person who caused the incident. Following a few simple guidelines for sidewalk etiquette should help improve the experience on city sidewalks or parkland trails.
BEFORE YOU GO
ENCOUNTERING OTHERS
Plan your route: Lindeke encourages pedestrians to select lesstraveled routes when possible, avoiding the city lakes and rivers, as well as other popular areas with natural amenities. Better to walk in residential neighborhoods around where you live, or to explore other less-busy areas farther afield. Be aware: Pay attention to people you’re going to encounter half a block ahead and those coming up behind you. Be especially mindful if you’re on your phone or have earbuds in. This isn’t really the time for deep thinking or daydreaming during walks. “Try not to get too self-absorbed,” Lindeke said. Give a sign of acknowledgment: A quick hello, head nod or smile (for the unmasked) is a good way to start. “I think it gets people out of their shells when you have to talk to a stranger,” Johnson said. “I think you wake up a little inside and it softens the edges.” Scoot over: There’s no need to invent a new set of hand signals to indicate your intentions, Johnson said. Just move over as soon as you see someone approaching. She often crosses to the other side of the street as soon as she notices another party coming her way, “just to let them know, like, ‘Walk in peace, I’m already far away.’?” Make room if you can: “Able-bodied folks like myself who are in relatively good health and spry enough to go jogging have a responsibility to make sure that we’re not inconveniencing people with more mobility challenges,” Lindeke said. Forget the hierarchy: Should a parent pushing a stroller move over for a kid learning to bike? Does a dog walker defer to someone carrying a parcel? Don’t bother engaging in a complex calculus of whose needs trump whose, “Just get out of the way,” Johnson
said. “It doesn’t matter who it is coming at you, how physically able they are, who they are, what they’re doing,” she said. “Do it for everybody.” Dodge adventurously: Johnson suggests seeing your walk as an adventure and turning front lawns, boulevards and streets into your personal parkour course. “If you’re physically able, hop in the grass, jump off the curb, do a somersault up the steep hill on the side of your apartment building — just get out of the way,” she said. Queue up and hush up: If you’re in a group, get into single file as you pass others. “One of you falls back behind the other until you pass,” explained Juliet Mitchell, a St. Paul etiquette trainer. Extend the courtesy even further and stop talking as you pass. While a brief foray through someone else’s airspace constitutes a low risk for virus transmission, closing your mouth can be a sign of respect. “You are giving the indication: I can’t control everything, but I care enough about you to be inconvenienced for a few seconds,” she said. Joggers should hit the streets: Heavy breathing by runners can disperse aerosols further, increasing the chance of spreading infection and making those around them anxious. Mask-less runners, especially, should consider eschewing the sidewalks for low-traffic streets, Johnson advised. WHEN CONFLICTS ARISE Don’t scold: If a cyclist is riding cautiously through a nearly empty pedestrian parkway, there’s really no need to scold them, Johnson said. Neighbors congregating on the sidewalk to chat may not realize they’re blocking the walking lane — cut them some slack. Say “Excuse me”: If you have limited mobility and someone’s in your way, politely ask for space. Mitchell suggests saying, “Excuse me, I’m social-distancing,’?” in a lighthearted tone. Keep walking: If another person makes a rude comment about your sidewalk etiquette or social-distancing practices, Mitchell advises ignoring the remarks. “Keep a-steppin’,” she said. “Don’t give them the satisfaction of knowing they riled you up. Don’t give them your energy. Life’s too short. You don’t have to always respond. Just notice it for what it is and keep moving.”
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Feature
TRICIA, NATHAN AND ANNABELLE STOUDER
Foster families needed in Story County, even as COVID-19 creates new challenges By Kylee Mullen Gannett
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I
t takes a village to raise a child, and for one Story County foster family, being a part of someone’s village is “the most rewarding experience.” And while being a foster family is no easy task, especially during a pandemic which causes additional challenges, Nathan and Tricia Stouder, of Huxley, are encouraging area families with a little extra room in their homes and hearts to consider stepping up to the plate. “Can you love on them? Can you support them? Can you give them some encouragement and guidance … to make their life a little easier while they’re going through something hard? I think most people think it takes extraordinary feats, but it doesn’t,” Tricia Stouder said. “We are extremely ordinary people, we just figure out ways to say yes.” The Stouders became foster parents in 2018, and “caring for kids is something that has always been on our hearts, and it’s something that’s been important to us for as long as
we’ve been together,” Tricia Stouder said. In some ways, the process of making it a reality started when they adopted their daughter, Annabelle, through a private agency, she said. “We learned through the circumstances of our daughter’s adoption a little bit more about the legal process of caring for kiddos,” she said. “I think we both became very aware of sort of the privileges of our own upbringing. … With that, we wanted to make sure we were doing the best we could to help kids and do whatever we could to sort of be a stability point for (them).” They attended a no-obligation orientation in 2016 through Four Oaks Family Connections, an organization contracted by the Iowa Department of Human Services to recruit, train, license and support Iowa’s foster and adoptive families. Emily Easton, a recruiting coordinator for Four Oaks Family Connections, said the orientation gives prospective
Feature FOSTER FAMILIES, continued from page 18
foster families an opportunity to “learn about foster care and have a place to ask questions.” Though the pandemic has made in-person sessions impossible, “we are still offering those orientation classes online.” By fall of 2017, the Stouders were ready to begin the 10-week series of classes which would lead to the couple becoming licensed foster parents in January 2018. During the classes, Easton said, “we talk about things like how to partner with birth families, and the value of that connection, appropriate ways to manage behavior with kids who come from hard places or backgrounds of trauma, and helping kids who are struggling with attachment. “We just really try to focus on really practical parenting things that will help our kids coming from hard places to be successful in their homes.” Those classes are also taking place online during the COVID-19 crisis, Easton said. After completing the 10-week class, Four Oak Family Connections’ caseworkers visit the prospective family’s home to “talk with the family, get to know them, look at their home to make sure it’s safe.” Those home visits are still happening, though some are being done over video. “We want to make sure we are doing our due diligence and make sure all families are a good fit,” Easton said. “(Home visits) may look a little bit different, but they are definitely still happening.” Foster families needed in Story County Easton said 1,729 Iowa kids were referred to and matched with a foster home in 2019, not including kids placed in residential care or with family members. Forty of those children were from Story County, and 345 children were from Polk County. When recruiting foster families, Easton said they look for a wide variety of applicants. “You can be single, you can be married, you can rent a home or own a home. You can be any age 21 and over. We need a wide variety of foster parents, so I would encourage everyone that’s interested to come to an orientation session,” Easton said. Easton said it is completely up to the foster family to decide which children are placed in their home, and “we recognize that different families are going to fit with different kiddos, and vice versa, kids are going to feel more comfortable in different families.” In Story County, specifically, Easton said the biggest need is for families willing to take sibling groups, “because we really don’t want those siblings to be separated whenever possible,” and families taking older kids including elementary-aged and teenagers. The Stouders foster babies and toddlers, and had their first foster child placed in their home at the end of February 2018. Since then, the family has been in, according to Tricia Stouder, “the perpetual toddler stage.” And while having multiple toddlers in the home has been a “fun parenting challenge,” she said, it’s all made easier by having a solid support system to lean on, and the knowledge they are being a part of someone else’s support, too. “There are a lot of things that you get to share with (the kids) as they grow up in your home. From birthdays and first steps, you’re a part of that. Sometimes, that’s bittersweet because you are doing
that instead of their biological family,” she said. “That’s why it’s also important to be kind of supporting their biological family as they’re going through the loss of some of those moments — sharing it with them and keeping them involved as best you can.” Navigating as a family through COVID-19 The main goal of the foster system is reunification with birth families, unless a judge decides that it is not appropriate, Easton said, so keeping the birth families involved is vital. However, COVID-19 has created an obstacle in doing that, as well. “We do a lot of video chats,” said Tricia Stouder, who explained the birth family’s visitations with their children have been taking place virtually to prevent the spread of the virus. “For us, as foster parents, it means that we’re sitting down with a toddler and doing video chats a few times a week with their birth family. That’s always challenging.” And outside of visitations, the pandemic has also caused some stress for the Stouders when it comes to working from home; Tricia works at Iowa State University and Nathan works for U.S. Bank in Ames. “You’re just working at home with two kids running around, and it’s a challenge. We’re taking them and trying to give them structure while also trying to work full-time,” Nathan Stouder said. But still, even considering all of the challenges the COVID-19 pandemic has posed, he said the biggest challenge is always when it comes time to say goodbye to the children they’ve cared for. “It’s a roller coaster of emotions that comes with foster care,” he said. “Even though it is foster care and you know what you’re getting into, you get connected to these kids and it’s difficult (when it’s time to say goodbye.) That’s probably the hardest thing for me, but it’s what we signed up for and we love it.” Easton, who is a foster parent herself, agreed that it is the biggest challenge. However, she said, it’s also the biggest reward. “I’m gonna love these kids with all that I’ve got for the time that they’re with us, and then I am going to send them on their way. I know that, with that goodbye being so good for the kid, it’s still a loss for me,” Easton said. “I am going to continue to say yes to that personal loss over and over again because I believe that those kids are worth it.”
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Savor
BUTTER PECAN BANANA MUFFINS. PHOTO BY GENEVEIVE KO/LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS
Tired of banana bread but still want to bake? Try fluffy muffins instead By Genevieve Ko Los Angeles Times
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verripe bananas seem to keep multiplying on my kitchen counter. I was about to start another batch of banana bread when my daughter begged, “Please, not another loaf. Can you make muffins instead?” I thought she was just too lazy to cut slices, but she insisted she sincerely prefers muffins. She has a point: Banana muffins aren’t just mini versions of bread. Because they bake much more quickly at a higher temperature, they’re fluffier than hearty, dense loaves. That makes them ideal for whole wheat flour, which tends to make slow-rising bread dry or heavy or both. Whole wheat has health advantages over white flour, but its real appeal is in its complex, almost nutty flavor, which pairs perfectly with the funky sweetness of bananas ripened to black.
Pecans complement that duo, especially when toasted and buttered as they are here. You get even more of their crunch and buttery richness because they bake on top of the muffins instead of softening in the batter. That extra touch makes these muffins more than just a way to use up bananas and transforms them into a breakfast that’s as delicious as dessert.
BANANA MUFFINS, continued from page 20
BUTTER PECAN BANANA MUFFINS Time: 30 minutes Yields 12 muffins 1 cup chopped pecans 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter 1 1/4 cups whole-wheat flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1 cup mashed ripe bananas 3/4 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1 large egg, room temperature
Savor Variations: Spiced Banana Muffins: Add 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom to the flour mixture. Nuttier Banana Muffins: Substitute toasted walnut or other nut oil for the vegetable oil. Stir 1 cup chopped toasted pecans into the batter before sprinkling the buttered nuts on top. Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins: Stir 1 cup chocolate chips or finely chopped chocolate into the batter. Substitutions If you don’t have buttermilk, mix 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or fresh lemon juice into 1/2 cup milk and let stand 5 minutes before using. You can substitute granulated sugar for the brown sugar, which can be dark or light. You can use whole wheat flour, white whole wheat or whole wheat pastry flour. You also can substitute 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour. Make Ahead: The muffins can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw before reheating in a toaster oven or oven set to 350 degrees.
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Coat a standard 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray or line with paper liners. 2. Spread the pecans on a small rimmed baking sheet and bake until toasted, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the oven, add the butter and toss until evenly coated. Cool on the sheet while preparing the batter. 3. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Whisk the banana, sugar, buttermilk, oil, egg and vanilla in a medium bowl until smooth. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Fold gently with a silicone spatula until no traces of flour remain. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups and sprinkle the tops of each with the buttered pecans. 4. Bake, rotating the tin halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, 16 to 18 minutes. Cool the muffins in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then unmold. Serve warm or at room temperature.
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Savor
DOUBLETREE SIGNATURE COOKIES. PHOTO BY RICK NELSON/MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE/TNS
You’ll want to bake the DoubleTree Hotel’s chocolate chip cookie recipe By Rick Nelson Star Tribune (Minneapolis)
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S
ome hotels use frequent-guest points programs to foster customer loyalty. The DoubleTree chain, a part of the Hilton universe, obviously believes in following a more instant gratification route by offering free chocolate chip cookies to its guests. The numbers speak to the program’s popularity. The company says that it serves more than 30 million cookies a year at its 500-plus properties around the world. That averages out to about 165 cookies a day per hotel, every day. Good news: For the first time, DoubleTree is sharing its popular recipe. “We know this is an anxious time for everyone,” said DoubleTree Senior Vice President Shawn McAteer in a statement. “A warm chocolate chip cookie can’t solve everything, but it can bring a moment of comfort and happiness. We hope families enjoy the fun of baking together during their time at home, and we look forward to welcoming all our guests with a warm DoubleTree cookie when travel resumes,” McAteer said. DoubleTree isn’t the only major company to recently reveal its culinary secrets. Chipotle shared its guacamole recipe and Ikea released instructions for its famous Swedish meatballs.
The DoubleTree cookie differs from its classic Toll House chocolate chip cookie counterpart in several key aspects. For starters, it really packs in the chocolate and the nuts, in noticeably greater volumes. Slightly larger amounts of granulated sugar and vanilla extract also set it apart; what cookie isn’t improved by more vanilla extract? Rolled oats give this cookie added heft, although the inclusion of small amounts of lemon juice and ground cinnamon don’t seem to contribute much. There’s also a lower oven temperature and a longer baking time. (That the recipe includes instructions on freezing and thawing indicates that the hotel relies upon the ease of premade dough — a kind of Cookies on Demand program — which means that you can, too. I know I’ll keep a stash of this dough in my freezer.) All the tweaks add up to a winning formula. Bake it, you’ll like it.
AND THERE’S MORE
Interested in other appealing chocolate chip cookie recipes? We’re here for you. Several years ago, I conducted a bake-a-thon that eventually narrowed to five alternatives to the Toll House ritual.
CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE RECIPE, continued from page 22
The best, from the New York Times, relies upon a mix of cake flour and bread flour, a serious investment in bittersweet chocolate and a 24- to 36-hour refrigeration period; the results are exceptional and worth the additional effort. Find the recipe at strib. mn/1DG8DCa. Four others from the case study also have their merits. They stand out, in part, because they also invoke out-of-the-box ingredients, including almond flour, milk chocolate, toasted pecans, cold butter, dark brown sugar and corn syrup. Find them strib. mn/1CZxlij. A few years ago, local baking blogger and cookbook author Sarah Kieffer made headlines with her flattened, wrinkled twist on the standard chocolate chip cookie, published in her “The Vanilla Bean Baking Book.” Find the story — and the terrific recipe at strib.mn/2yfvvPO.
AN URBAN MYTH
Finally, the release of this DoubleTree recipe recalls a similar corporate reveal, years ago, when Neiman Marcus shared the formula for its famous chocolate chip cookies in response to incorrect reports that the restaurant charged for the recipe. It’s an outstanding cookie, and a great story that existed even in the early 1980s when Taste readers would send outraged letters about this recipe to the staff. “Our chocolate chip cookie is the subject of a classic ‘urban myth,’?” writes chef John Garvin in “Neiman Marcus Cookbook.” “Honestly, no one at Neiman Marcus has ever, ever, charged for this recipe. My very first week on the job, I received a letter complaining about someone who knew someone who had been charged for the cookie recipe. “I took the note to our public relations department and asked about it. I was quickly brought up to speed about the infamous hoax regarding our chocolate chip cookie recipe. It had started years ago as a kind of chain letter sent through the mail that circulated around the world,” wrote Garvin. “I was assured that the rumor had been squelched, but back in the mid-1990s, the internet was opening up in a big way. Everyone was getting online, it seemed, and we witnessed this urban myth traveling the world again through cyberspace! “I suggested we come up with a real recipe for chocolate chip cookies, and after extensive testing and tasting, this is the result. Next, we published it on the Neiman Marcus website for all to have for free. “So now, if the subject comes up, you’ll know the inside scoop — and own the authentic recipe. And, by the way, it is a chocolate chip cookie without rival.” DOUBLETREE SIGNATURE COOKIES Makes about 2 dozen cookies. Note: Unbaked dough, formed into balls made from 3 tablespoons of dough, can be frozen, and there’s no need to thaw the dough before baking. From DoubleTree by Hilton. 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature 3/4 cup plus 1 tbsp. granulated sugar 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar 2 eggs 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice 2 1/4 cups flour
Savor 1/2 cup rolled oats 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt Pinch ground cinnamon 2 2/3 cups semisweet chocolate chips 1 3/4 cups chopped walnuts Directions Preheat oven to 300 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper. In a bowl of an electric mixer on medium speed, cream butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar for about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low, add eggs, vanilla extract and lemon juice, and blend for 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium and mix until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down bowl as necessary. Reduce speed to low, add flour, oats, baking soda, salt and cinnamon, blending for about 45 seconds. Do not overmix. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts. Portion dough with a scoop (about 3 tablespoons) and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake until edges are golden brown and center is still soft, about 20 to 23 minutes. Remove from oven and cool cookies on baking sheets for about 1 hour. NEIMAN MARCUS CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES Makes about 2 dozen cookies. Note: This dough must be prepared in advance. Instant espresso powder, such as the Medaglia D’Oro brand, can be found in the coffee aisle of most supermarkets. From “Neiman Marcus Cookbook” (Clarkson Potter, $45). 1 3/4 cups flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 cup packed light brown sugar 3 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 egg 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups (or more) chocolate chips or coarsely chopped chocolate 1 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso powder Directions Preheat oven to 300 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder, and reserve. In a large bowl of an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter until creamy, about 30 seconds. Add brown sugar and granulated sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg and vanilla extract and mix until thoroughly combined. Reduce speed to low, add flour mixture to butter-sugar mixture and mix until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips and instant espresso powder. Using a 2-tablespoon scoop, drop dough 3 inches apart onto prepared baking sheets and lightly press down on dough to spread the dough into 2-inch circles (there should be room for six or eight cookies at a time). Bake until cookies are nicely browned around edges, about 20 minutes (bake a little longer for crisper cookies). Remove from oven, cool cookies on baking sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. FACETS | JULY 2020 | 23
