World-class & local:
EXPERIENCE MARRIOTT’S TOP SPAS WITHOUT LEAVING ALABAMA From relaxing massages to invigorating facials and body treatments,
Montgomery and the Spa at Ross Bridge are in the Top 7, followed closely
Marriott is known globally for having great spas. In North America, five of
by the Battle House in Mobile. All five of these spas are part of the RTJ
the top Marriott and Renaissance spas are found in Alabama. For guest
Resort Collection and feature innovative treatments inspired by Southern
satisfaction, the Spa at the Marriott Shoals in Florence remains the top
Hospitality. Clearly great golf and spas work well together in Alabama.
ranked Marriott spa in North America. The Spa at the Grand Hotel in Pt.
Come experience them for yourself.*Renaissance and Marriott spa guest
Clear also is in Marriott’s Top 10. For Renaissance Hotels, both the Spa at
satisfaction rankings in North America, as of Oct. 1, 2014.
FLORENCE · HOOVER · MONTGOMERY · MOBILE · POINT CLEAR The
Resort Collection on Alabama’s Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail · rtjresorts.com/spacard
ANKATO M magazine
FEATURE S december 2014 Volume 9, Issue 12
26 Let there be light Gustavus’ Lucia festival burns brightly.
17 Gifts from the heart Homemade gifts say so much more.
20 It’s not about the elk
Traditions are born and honored on hunting trips with Dad.
About the Cover
The Kiwanis Holiday Lights celebration has become the region’s dominant holiday event. It shows up in several places in this issue. MANKATO MAGAZINE • december 2014 • 3
MANKATO
DEPAR TMENTS
magazine
6 From the Associate Editor 8 This Day in History 9 The Gallery
9
12
14
Megan Rolloff and Ian Laird
10 Chit Chat 12 Beyond the Margin Lighting up our lives 14 Day Trip Destinations Shopping the Hwy. 169 corridor 24 Then and Now Broad Street remembered 35 Food, Drink & Dine 36 Food Gluten free! 38 Wine Christmas vintage 39 First Draught Summit Bohemian 40 Happy Hour Putting the ‘gin’ in Virginia 42 What’s Cookin’? Hungry guests 44 That’s Life Christmas list time 46 Garden Chat There’s always next year 50 Your Style New life to old jeans 56 Coming Attractions 59 Faces & Places 64 From This Valley The annual Christmas letter
44 Coming in January
50 4 • december 2014 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
64
It’d be easy in late November to hibernate, head south or simply spend the winter months really, really crabby. But that’s not how we roll in Minnesota. We embrace the season that defines us.
You are
Mankato.
We are Mankato’s clinic. You make this region strong. Because you know what matters most— family, friends, community. It’s who you are. And it runs generations deep here. It’s who we are too. We are Mankato’s clinic. Committed to the health of this region. Dedicated to caring for you and your family for generations.
� mankatoclinic.com
MANKATO
From The Associate Editor
magazine
November 2014 • VOLUME 9, ISSUE 11 PUBLISHER James P. Santori EDITOR Joe Spear ASSOCIATE Robb Murray EDITOR CONTRIBUTORS Nell Musolf Pete Steiner Jean Lundquist Sarah Johnson Leigh Pomeroy Bert Mattson Ann Rosenquist Fee
PHOTOGRAPHERS John Cross Pat Christman PAGE DESIGNER Christina Sankey ADVERTISING Ginny Bergerson MANAGER ADVERTISING Jen Wanderscheid Sales Theresa Haefner ADVERTISING Barb Wass ASSISTANT ADVERTISING Sue Hammar DESIGNERS Christina Sankey
CIRCULATION Denise Zernechel DIRECTOR
Mankato Magazine is published by The Free Press Media monthly at 418 South Second St., Mankato MN 56001. To subscribe, call 1-800-657-4662 or 507-625-4451. $35.40 for 12 issues. For editorial inquiries, call Robb Murray at 344-6386, or e-mail rmurray@mankatofreepress.com. For advertising, call 344-6336, or e-mail mankatomag@mankatofreepress.com.
6 • december 2014 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
By Robb Murray
In the season of giving, we give you stories of light
E
ver since I first came to the company now known as The Free Press Media, I’ve been fascinated with the Festival of St. Lucia at Gustavus Adolphus College. It’s just so ... pure. And good. And, with its crown of candles and majesty and rituals, it is uniquely interesting. The college’s signature yuletide event is, of course, Christmas at Christ Chapel. And that event is spectacular. The chapel is stunning, the singers are in fine form, the spirit of the season is in the air — you leave wanting to launch a oneperson campaign to spread love and good cheer throughout the world (or at least sing carols in the car on the ride home.) But the Festival of St. Lucia ... Now that’s different. In The Free Press newsroom, the crowning of St. Lucia is sort of like fall colors, any appreciable snowfall and standardized test scores: Whether they’re interesting or not, those phenomenon are going to find their way onto the news pages without fail, every year. The Lucia story, however, always comes with a little dark humor from one of the newsroom clowns, something about how the only time the crowning actually warrants coverage is when the fire department responds. All joking aside, the Festival of St. Lucia is beautiful, and stands for everything that our young women should strive for. Each year the girl crowned Lucia is someone voted on by their peers. And for the girls who wear the crown, it means a lot. This month Mankato Magazine brings you the story of the Festival of St. Lucia. We visit with a handful of women who have worn the crown and get to the bottom of what
makes it such an honor. Our other holiday story introduces you to people who — instead of elbowing their way through shopping malls each holiday season — make their own gifts. When the holidays approach, it’s easy to give in to the siren call of the mall. And online shopping makes it so you don’t even have to leave your house to get all your shopping done. But folks, there’s another way to do this whole giftgiving thing. And our story this month reminds us of the kind of thoughtfulness that can go into the season of giving. Our essay this month comes to us from Jessica Beyer, who works for Blue Earth County. It’s rare even in these parts to find young women who love to hunt. Rarer still is the young woman who makes it a point to hold strong to a hunting tradition with her father. Ms. Beyer takes regular elk hunting trips to Colorado where she and her dad, well, shoot stuff. But along the way they’re relationship has grown and gotten stronger. And that’s a good thing. Her story is a touching one, and one you won’t want to miss. As always we bring you great ideas for places to visit, glimpses from southern Minnesota’s past and lively voices from award-winning columnists and photographers. Oh, and don’t forget to check out our Food, Wine and Dine section. It’ll make very hungry, and very thirsty. M Robb Murray is associate editor of Mankato Magazine. Contact him at rmurray@mankatofreepress.com or 344-6386
Contributors Leticia Gonzales Writer
Jean Lundquist Writer
Leticia Gonzales has contributed to the Mankato Magazine and Free Press since 2007. Born and raised in the desert southwest of Las Cruces, New Mexico, Gonzales moved to Minneapolis in 1997. Gonzales has called southern Minnesota home for the past 10 years.
Jean Lundquist lives on a small hobby farm near Good Thunder with her Husband, dogs, cats, canaries and chickens. She has been an avid gardener for her whole life, and became a master gardener nearly 20 years ago. Jean loves to read and she loves to write. She has been employed by Blue Earth County as the Recycling Coordinator for 20 years.
Ann Rosenquist Fee Writer
Peter Steiner Writer
John Cross Photographer
Bert Mattson Writer
Pat Christman Photographer
Leigh Pomeroy Writer
Ann is the executive director of the Arts Center of St. Peter and a vocalist with the Mankato band The Frye. She blogs at annrosenquistfee.com.
John Cross is a longtime, awardwinning photographer for The Free Press Media. For nearly 40 years, John has chronicled the region, its people and its natural beauty in photographs and video. An outdoors enthusiast, John lives in St. Peter with his wife. He has three grown children.
Pat has for a decade provided awardwinning photos to various publications of The Free Press Media. He is an avid sailor and outdoors enthusiast. He lives in Mankato with his wife.
Nell Musolf Writer
Nell Musolf grew up in Illinois and moved to Mankato with her husband, Mark, and two sons in 1996. Nell has written for a variety of publications including the Christian Science Monitor, Chicago Tribune and Minneapolis Star Tribune newspapers. She enjoys spending time with her family, reading and watching movies.
Pete Steiner was the black sheep of a family with a long business tradition. His grandfather and uncle started Lloyd Lumber, and his father was a founding partner of the Insurance Center downtown. He hosts Talk of the Town, Monday through Friday on KTOE Radio. In his spare time, he plays guitar and writes silly songs.
Bert is part owner and manager of the iconic Mickey’s Diner in St. Paul. A gourmet chef, Bert trained at the Culinary Institute of America. He’s also a beer lover, and knows exactly what to serve with any brew.
Leigh’s wine intellect has been described as savant-like. And as a gifted writer, he knows how to tell a tale. Put those two things together and you get a well-ripened wine critic. And he’s ours.
Sarah Johnson Writer
Sarah Johnson is the mother of three grown children and two dogs. She is an MSU journalism grad and a professional cook. Her hobbies include camping, tree hugging and long walks on the beach … looking for agates, of course.
MANKATO MAGAZINE • december 2014 • 7
This Day
in
History
By Jean Lundquist Wednesday, December 12, 1956 Mankato Stores Open tonight ‘Til 9 O’Clock Mankato members of the retail merchants division will keep their stores open until 9 p.m. tonight as one of the special late evening Christmas shopping days. Stores will also be open until 9 p.m. on Friday night. Christmas eve day the merchants will open their stores at 9:30 a.m. instead of at noon, but will close at 5 p.m. Wednesday, December 26, 1906 Miss Walrath Finds $60 Employe at Wysongs Laundry Finds Roll of Bills and Proves Her Honesty A Roll of bills containing $60 was found in a white vest within the past few days by Miss Ida Walrath who promptly reported the find to Mr. Wysong who returned the money to the owner of the vest, a guest at a local hotel. Miss Walrath received a reward but it is not equal to the reputation he has established. When Mr. Wysong returned the roll of currency the transient said he had missed it, but did not know how he had happened to lose it. However, he was very glad to get it back. Friday, December 29, 1916 Silk Skirts Stolen Suspect Young Men Two men apparently between 23 and 30 years of age who loitered about the back of Richard’s Dry Goods store for about half an hour last Saturday afternoon are suspected of having stolen about 10 silk skirts which were missed when the men went out. The skirts were valued at $10 and $15 each. The men said they were waiting for their wives and one of them even called up somebody on the telephone as if making arrangements for his wife to come to the store. It was shortly before 3 p.m. when the men left after hanging around the silk skirt department for half an hour or more. J. B. Richards and others eyed them rather suspiciously while they were there, but could hardly refuse them the privilege of waiting for their wives. The men said they would return after about 20 minutes and they never showed up again. It is supposed that they walked off with the silk skirts hidden under the large overcoats that they wore. A third man who also loitered about the store for a while is suspected of belonging to the same gang. Three men believed to be the same gang, one tall and two short, were on the same afternoon at the Kern Department Store looking at furs but as only one article was brought out at a time there was not a chance for a theft. It is thought the same three were also in the F. W. Kruse store looking over furs. Whether anything was picked up or not is not known. A satchel was stolen from the Arcade saloon the same afternoon. It is believed the thieves took out to carry off the silk skirts. Saturday, December 30, 1930 Gearing up for football Coach Louis Todnem’s Scarlet cagers will have their first opportunity of the season to test their strength and give the mentor opportunity to select his 1931 first string when they clash in their annual game with the high school alumni Tuesday at 7:45 o’clock at the Lincoln gym. The high school squad of 14 has been holding daily workouts during the vacation period and is rapidly rounding into form. Although handicapped by size, the quintet will consist of several veterans and will have a world of speed.
To learn more, call us at 800-729-7575
Corporate Graphics Your Printing Solutions Company 1750 Northway Drive North Mankato, MN 56003 www.corpgraph.com
orporate Graphics
The Gallery — Megan Rolloff and Ian Laird | By Nell Musolf
Megan Rolloff and Ian Laird work at the Design Element in Mankato. Photo by John Cross
Brothers and sisters! Rolloff and Laird have grown as artists, siblings
A
lthough they grew up in a small town outside of Sioux Falls, brother and sister artists Ian Laird and Megan Rolloff have become actively involved in the arts scene in southern Minnesota. Rolloff, who lives in New Ulm with her husband, has been a board member of New Ulm’s Grand Center for Arts and Culture since 2009. Her brother Ian joined the same board three years ago. For Rolloff, serving on an arts board has helped fill a creative gap in her life. “I received a degree in art education from MSU in 2003,” Rolloff said, “but after graduation I decided that I didn’t want to teach art. Getting involved with The Grand has been a wonderful way to stay involved with the artistic community in the area.” Laird agreed. “The Grand is a place for artists to have an artistic hub. There are a lot of artistic people in the New Ulm area but, until The Grand came together, there wasn’t a centralized place for them to get together and share art.” In addition to the administrative duties that serving on an arts board entails, both Rolloff and Laird find
the time to pursue their own artistic creations. Laird has a BFA in drawing and printmaking from MSU. He says that the pieces he creates are “very cerebral but not at all emotionally deep.” “There is always a thought and a question in anything I create,” Laird said. “And there’s usually some humor too. I like to make things that are definitely open to interpretation.” His sister says that her art comes from a more emotional place. “Lately, I’ve been trying to figure out what my point of view is at the moment. I’m a Midwestern female in her mid-30s so a lot of what my art is about is body image, in particular female body image. I’ve also been thinking about how women especially are brought up thinking that we can have it all — a domestic life, work, children — and I’m asking myself do I really want it all? I’m not at all domestic,” Rolloff said. “I don’t like to cook or clean or do any of that kind of stuff. That’s what is coming out in my art.” In addition to being board members together, Rolloff and Laird also both work at The Design
Element/Lights On Madison in Mankato. Rolloff is a designer and Laird is a lighting specialist and performs graphic design duties for the companies as well as handling anything and everything technical. “He knows everything there is to know about light bulbs,” Rolloff said about her brother. Rolloff believes that working as a designer is a perfect fit for her artistic nature. In addition to using many of the skills that she learned in college, such as scale drawings, designing other people’s homes is fulfilling in a different kind of way. Both Rolloff and Laird acknowledge that their boss, The Design Element’s owner Margot Weyhe, has been instrumental in their careers. Rolloff began working for The Design Element first and was followed by her brother a few years later. “I was working a lot of part-time jobs,” Laird recalled, “such as for the Brown County Historical Society and the New Ulm Parks and Rec before coming to work at The Design Element. It’s been nice to have one job to go to everyday instead of a handful of smaller ones. Margot has been great about letting me work on other projects too. She’s been very generous to both of us.” “Margot has been very supportive of any extracurricular activities that we might have,” Rolloff added. “She comes to all of The Grand’s fundraisers. She’s a great boss.” While many people can’t imagine spending the holidays with their siblings, working together and serving on an arts board together hasn’t been an issue for either Rolloff or Laird. “There is a five-year age difference between us,” Rolloff observed. “When we were growing up, we really didn’t have all that much to do with each other. It wasn’t until Ian went to college that we became friends. “ Future plans for the brother and sister artistic pair include continuing to create thoughtful art pieces as well as working toward making The Grand Center for Arts and Culture grow. A joint art show isn’t out of the question either. “I think it would be cool if we had an art show together,” Laird said. MANKATO MAGAZINE • december 2014 • 9
Chit Chat - Ask the Expert
Do yourself a favor; get your car ready for the worst-case scenario By Leticia Gonzales
W
ith yet another harsh winter predicted by the Farmer’s Almanac and other forecasters this season, it’s important for motorists to take the topic of emergency preparedness seriously. “Make sure you have some basic items in your car, because even if it isn’t a matter of life safety, you don’t want to be uncomfortable,” said Julie Anderson, spokesperson for the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Some of those basic items include a blanket or sleeping bag, as well as warm hats and gloves. “They don’t have to be fancy, they don’t have to be beautiful,” said Anderson. She even suggested saving old boots that may have been destined for the garbage or donation bin, and instead keep for emergencies in your vehicle. These items are extremely important, especially if you are traveling with an elderly person. “If you don’t have a warm blanket or hat or mittens, something to prepare that older person, they can get cold very quickly,” Anderson said. “It’s a matter of life safety.” Anderson suggested purchasing a smaller emergency blanket from a camping store. Scheel’s in Mankato sells survival blankets ranging in price from $2 for a 82x52 blanket, and $8 for a thicker 60x96 blanket that can be used for one or two people. (can delete if you think it’s too much like an advertisement.) It’s best to keep the blankets in the front of the car, along with other supplies, she said. “You don’t want to keep everything in your trunk,” in case you get stuck in the snow and can’t get to the back of the car. “If you’re’ venturing out, try and have some foods in your car that will stay good; granola bars, chocolate bars for energy, in case you have to stay there for a while,” she added
Selling One Yard At A Time! 507-508-2229 BETH ANN LEONARD
422 Park Lane, Mankato, MN | www.NuStarMankato.com
10 • december 2014 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
“People think it won’t happen to them,” she said. Or, they think, “I can tough it out.” Even 15 minutes waiting in a stalled car in the dead of winter can be cumbersome. “Your body temperature can drop very quickly,” she said. “Again, even if you are close to home, and not going in the rural areas, why be miserable?” Other tips include making sure you have a full tank of gas and your tires have proper air pressure. “You want to do everything you can to make sure your car is in good working order, so your car doesn’t break down and you don’t send up on the side of the road,” said Anderson. If you do end up stranded, make sure you have a red or brightly-colored flag in your vehicle to signal authorities. Anderson advised motorists stay in their cars until help arrives. Pay close attention to your location, such as mile markers and highway exit sights, especially if you are in a rural area. As a precursor to any winter traveling, Anderson said, “Make sure to tell people where you are going and what time you will arrive.” And most importantly, “Try not to head out into a winter storm if you can at all avoid it,” she said. “It’s best to stay off the roads.” M
12 • december 2014 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
Beyond
the
Margin
By Joe Spear
hope
Season of light shines on T
he busy holiday season allows us very little time to contemplate the universal nature of light even though it grows exponentially this time of year and has implications beyond our normal assumptions. Every variation of Christmas lights overflow store shelves the day after Halloween. By Thanksgiving, stockpiles have already dwindled. We’re consumed by the need to grab those snowflake twinkle lights without considering if we really need them. Of course we do. The human desire for light is as old as our civilization. Cave people had fire. Centuries later, Thomas Edison and some British gents before him discovered how to use electricity to create an incandescent bulb. Edison made it commercially viable and we have him to thank for today’s low energy LEDs, where there is no limit to the number of strings you can plug together. The desire for light manifests itself in aisles of the big box discount stores where we can wet our Pavlovian appetites for self-actualization through the purchase of a 300-pack of multi-colored icicle lights, with 19 feet of cord and 12-inch drops. Light emanates from nature mostly, so our relation to light begins when we are born. But our need for holiday light is primed as winter approaches. Fall leaves would lose their luster without the setting sun hitting them at a near horizontal angle, making them appear bigger and brighter. When the autumn sun hits the Kasota stone of the Mankato Post Office on Second Street, it creates a red glow on the otherwise sandy-colored rock. Our senses have been primed by those Guinness neon signs beaming from a corner pub that seem to take on a warmer glow as twilight and happy hour coincide. “Good Food” and “Miller High Life on Tap” are signs that surely beckon more this time of year. We’re wired to seek light. Very few of us enjoy or thrive in darkness. Most of those who do, it seems, learned through some life experience that darkness is better than light and that is indeed a tragedy. Light is survival for most of us. So we seek it in the aisles of the Christmas villages in stores, in warmly lit pubs, and in living rooms with blazing fireplaces. We eventually acknowledge the comfort and healing of light and take action to bring it to others. Hundreds of volunteers each year join with the members of the Downtown Mankato Kiwanis Club and string more than a million lights in Mankato’s expansive Sibley Park. These kind of displays and efforts are good for a city and its people. They create an explosive supply of light, easily
accessible to those near and far. Light is a great gift and the volunteers provide it at no cost. Light brings hope, a commodity sometimes in very short supply. The Globescan Foundation, a charitable arm of a worldwide business research group, for the first time this past September measured the amount of hope in the world. Its Hope Index Poll of people in 12 countries revealed that 60 percent believe the “social, environmental and economic challenges” we face today are more difficult than those of all human history. Two thirds believe we’ll be able to overcome those challenges. The other third have doubt. The Hope Index varied much by country. Higher score equals more hope. Regrettably, the U.S. was at the bottom of the Hope Index, with a score of 16, while the highest score came from Indonesia, with 75. The average hope score across all 12 countries was 40, leaving the U.S. well below the average. Of course, America’s a big place. Mankato’s hope score is likely above the U.S. average because we nurture light — consciously or not. The Kiwanis Holiday Lights are joined by the Jackson Park Christmas tree lights, and lights on street lamps in North Mankato. The two-story glass wall at the front of River Hills Mall becomes a waterfall of lights come holiday shopping season. We know there is risk in Christmas lights coming and going. Enthusiasm died for the North Broad Street lights years ago. When children grow up most of us downsize our home lighting displays. Still, we can be confident light will be around for a while. The story goes that about 2,000 years ago some astrologer/magi types used a star as their light of hope. It’s debatable whether that same star ever appeared again, but that may not matter. Space Today Online notes that the light of some quasars takes 10 to 15 billion years to reach earth, suggesting a longevity beyond our comprehension. The Milky Way has 200 to 400 billion stars. That’s a lot of light. A lot of hope.
M
Joe Spear is editor of Mankato Magazine. Contact him at 344-6382 or jspear@mankatofreepress.com MANKATO MAGAZINE • december 2014 • 13
Day Trip Destinations: Shopping Highway 169 |
By Leticia Gonzales
Shopping local can mean the people in your life get a unique gift this year for Christmas. Photo submitted by Dandelion Rose Gift Shop
Breaking the mold W
Get out of that mall rut and try something different
ith the holiday shopping season in full swing, the bustling crowds, excessive store displays and cookiecutter gifts can easily become overwhelming. If you have run out of gift ideas aside from the cliché kitchen gadgets, candles, and patterned-ties, you might want to scale down your search by shopping at local small businesses. Sarah Nelson, a 34-year-old resident of St. Peter, is doing just that. “The number one thing that sets small businesses apart from larger chain stores is the relationship you are able to build with the smaller businesses,” said Nelson. “You can walk into a store in St. Peter and someone working will know you and will be able to work with you for what you need, and will remember you the next time you come to their store.” Whether it’s a simple food item, or a large appliance, Nelson said she makes an effort to shop locally, especially during the
14 • december 2014 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
holidays. “I like knowing that my purchases will go to support the community that I live in and that the people working in the stores know who I am; this makes shopping much more enjoyable,” said Nelson. This season Nelson plans to check out what Sticks and Stones, the St. Peter Food Co-op, Mary’s Flowers and Contents in St. Peter. will bring in for the holiday season. “The wonderful thing about St. Peter is that you are able to get anything you need for a wide variety of ages and interests,” she said. “There are so many selections in town that you just need to walk down Minnesota Avenue (Highway 169) to find anything you need. With the range of items in St. Peter, I will be able to find something for my three-year old-niece, my parents and everyone in-between.”
Shopping along the River Valley As you begin to map out the unique possibilities, shopping along Highway 169 can quickly become an adventure. From St. Peter and Le Sueur to Henderson and Jordan, there is no shortage of local treasures. Starting in St. Peter, you will find more of an artistic flare, when you encounter the local shops along Minnesota Avenue. Sticks and Stones, which has a location in Mankato and St. Peter, offers women’s clothing, accessories, handmade jewelry and scarves. “My daughter and I go to Haiti to teach women how to make jewelry,” said owner Sonja Swenson. “So we carry a lot of that.” Whether it’s seeds from Haiti bead bracelet, or a pair of Flying Monkey-brand jeans that were made in the U.S. you can be sure to find a gift that stands apart from the rest. Unlike chain stores, Swenson said, you can’t just go to the backroom and find “more and more of the same thing.” If you shop at a local shop like Sticks and Stones, “everybody isn’t going to get the same thing for Christmas,” she said. “It does become more personal and unique.” Dandelion Rose Gift Shop and The Branch flower shop is another place to stop by if you are looking for more personal gifts. It is tucked away on south Main Street in Le Sueur. and showcases baby items, cards, clothing, and stepping stones. “We have walking sticks, we have framed art, soaps handmade by the consigners, locally made items,” said Owner Bernie Ingersoll. Some of her popular gift items include hand lotions and Poinsettias, as well as other seasonal plants and flowers. For a more customized gifts, a trip to Henderson Classical Glass should be on your list. Opened in 2004 and located on Main Street in downtown Henderson, Henderson Classical Glass features one-of-a-kind custom stained-glass windows, among other things. From popular designs to the obscure, Owner Dee Thomas said “anything they can show me a picture of, we can probably incorporate it into glass.” She also offers a variety of other fits, all glass related. “I don’t put anything in here unless it’s glass.” In addition to fuse necklaces and ornaments, Thomas also imports vases and ornaments from Russia, Murano glass from Italy, and Polish glass. “I do Turkish plates, just because they are gorgeous,” she said. “We probably have the best selection of Tiffany lamps in southern Minnesota. I try to have 100 on hand at any particular time.” For an even more personalized gift, customers can bring in chipped plates or other momentums to create a customized creation. “I have people bring in plates that belong to great grandma, and we put in a plate in the window,” Thomas said. Crochet items as well as other dishes and photos can be incorporated into a window for display. Thomas also offers gift certificates for her stained glass classes, which will start again
next summer. To wrap up your trip, head further north on 169 to Jordan to visit Pekarna Meat Market. The same family has owned and operated the business for the past 121 years. John Pekarna, who is 60 years old, has been working at the market since he was 13. “I have been here my whole life,” said Pekarna, who co-owns the business with brothers Greg and Ken. From Pekarna’s great grandfather, to his grandfather, to his father, and now him and his brothers, the meat market has spanned four generations. “I like just making people happy,” said Pekarna. “It’s nice when they enjoy their product. I put in a lot of time into my product, and it’s nice when people appreciate it.” During the holidays, Pekarna said his market sells about a ton of season prime rib, a ton of bone-in hams and at least three tons of barbecue ribs. “It’s starting to become their annual holiday thing,” said Pekarna about the popularity of the barbecue ribs. “People like to have our stuff for the holidays,” he said, as he recalled one customer who always purchases meat before visiting relatives in Colorado. Perkarna Meat Market also ships across the U.S. “We have people from California we UPS stuff; New York, Maine,” he added, when they “get a hankering for something.
M
If you go
Sticks and Stones 303 S. Minnesota Avenue, St. Peter (507) 934-4449 Dandelion Rose 207 S. Main Street, Le Sueur (507) 665-2004 Henderson Classical Glass 515 Main Street, Henderson (will be temporary relocated during December on Main Street) (507) 934-4449 Pekarna Meats 119 Water Street, Jordan (952) 492-6101
MANKATO MAGAZINE • december 2014 • 15
Gifts
from the
Story by Nell Musolf | Photos by John Cross and Pat Christman
S
ome people like to do their shopping online. Others prefer a mall where the selections seem as endless as check-out counter lines. But there are other people who enjoy making gifts for the people on their Christmas list and who can’t imagine a holiday season without whipping up at least a few homemade treats for their family and friends. When asked why she preferred giving homemade gifts as opposed to ones purchased at the mall or online, it didn’t take Jane Laven more than a few seconds to respond. “When you give something that you’ve made, you’re really giving a part of yourself,” she said. “The love that goes into a 16 • december 2014 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
homemade present is always apparent to the person who is receiving it.” Laven grew up making things on her family’s farm in Gaylord and recalls having art classes in school where students regularly made presents for their parents. “I still remember a project where we took a pie plate and decorated it with cotton balls,” Laven said. “It was a gift for our mothers and I thought it was the most beautiful thing that I’d ever seen.” As a young adult, she began her Christmas cookie baking at Thanksgiving, freezing each batch so that by the time
MANKATO MAGAZINE • december 2014 • 17
Lynn Callahan taught art in Mankato public schools for 30 years. She uses those skills to craft unique Christmas gifts for friends and family. December 25 rolled around she had plenty of cookies to give to her friends and family. In addition to baking, she also gave gifts that she had sewn or made out of plaster and ceramic items that she painted. Over the years, Laven has taken her natural ability for crafts and turned it into a business called Minnesota Sno Flakes — crystal sun catchers that she sells or gives away as Christmas presents. “I give away some of my sun catchers but I still bake and crochet a lot of my gifts. When my son Aaron was in high school, I helped him make a chocolate chip cookie mix in a glass jar for his grandma. She loved it and I think Aaron enjoyed making it for her,” Laven said. “I know that I enjoyed helping him put it together.” Laven acknowledged that homemade presents don’t necessarily translate into saving a lot of money when all is said and done. “I’d have to say that often you don’t really save a lot of money when you make a homemade gift. But whether people realize it or not, when you bake or sew or knit a pair of mittens in addition to the actual gift, you’re also giving your time and showing the recipient that you’re thinking about them.” Another plus of making gifts instead of buying them is the quiet time Laven enjoys while working on either her sun catchers or gifts. “I so look forward to any free time I can find when I get to immerse myself in my hobbies,” Laven said. “So in that 18 • december 2014 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
respect I’ve never thought of it as a bother. Instead it’s an accomplishment.” Laven especially enjoys the reactions she gets when one of her gifts is opened. “That is the best,” she said. “Sometimes I’ll hear a comment like ‘what a day brightener!’ That makes me happy.” Another local gift maker and giver, Marie Mott, has been making ornaments for family and friends for several years. Every year Mott has chosen a different ornament to make with the end result a keepsake that recipients will be able to enjoy Christmas after Christmas. Mott has made crocheted ornaments, beaded ornaments, painted wood forms, bobbin stitched ornaments and quilled ornaments. Quilled ornaments are intricate paper creations made from thin strips of paper that are then rolled into delicate designs that become ornaments. For Mott, the bobbin stitched ornaments and one of the beaded ornaments she made were among the most challenging. “I made a beaded gold pinecone that was one of my favorites — once it was finished — but to make it again would be just short of water torture,” Mott said. Other favorites of Mott’s include a crocheted snowman and a crocheted wreath that she embellished with tiny pinecones that she collected from her family’s home up north, adding a sentimental and even more personal touch to the finished product. When asked why she takes such great pains creating homemade ornaments, Mott explained.
“Thinking about other people and caring about them is a precious commodity these days,” says Marie Mott. The ornaments she makes are shown in the center photo, including the time-consuming pine cone concoction. “To make something yourself feels like you are showing the receiver that you care for them enough to spend your time to make them happy and to show them that you are thinking about them. At least, that’s what I hope the people I care about take away from the gifts I make for them,” Mott said. “Thinking about other people and caring about them is a precious commodity these days.” For this Christmas season, Mott has started making crocheted angels with acorn heads and hats for the lucky people on her gift-giving list. “I have always thought that acorns with their tops still on looked like a head wearing a hat. When I found a pattern for a small angel to crochet, I altered it to be headless and created a large collar for the acorn to sit in. I only have one mocked up so far but I think they will be cuties,” Mott said. Lynn Callahan taught art in Mankato public schools for over 30 years so it’s a natural fit that she would continue to make things after retiring from teaching a few years ago. Another natural fit for Callahan is to give away the majority of the things she makes. “My mother was a knitter and often gave people things she had knitted. My father was an architect at heart and made things such as dollhouses that he gave to my cousins so I guess making things and giving them as presents is something of a family tradition,” Callahan said. Callahan creates a diverse catalog of gifts ranging from a hand-painted ornament of a beloved pet to wine cozies
(stocking hats and scarves to adorn wine bottles) as well as felted pot holders, holiday aprons, knitted fingerless gloves and glass blocks with winter scenes painted on them and that light up. “You can buy glass blocks at Michael’s,” Callahan shared, “that already have a hole cut out where you can put in Christmas lights. Before I found those, my husband had to drill a hole in the side of a glass block and believe me, that wasn’t easy. My husband broke several drill bits putting in the holes for me.” Callahan has also begun repurposing books. “I find a book that no one is ever going to read again and turn it into an art object,” Callahan explained. “You drill the books shut and put on a wooden twig as a closure. Then you paint a pretty new cover on it. I’ve given a few of those away as gifts too.” When asked why she goes to the trouble to make gifts for friends and family, Callahan echoed the sentiments of Laven and Mott. “It isn’t trouble,” she said. “I never think of making gifts as ‘trouble.’ When you make a present for someone, it comes from your heart. Besides, making gifts is fun and it’s a great way to relax. Making something from the heart isn’t about ‘better.’ It’s about one of a kind and it hopefully leaves a lasting mark on whoever receives it.” M
MANKATO MAGAZINE • december 2014 • 19
So much more than hunting: A Father/Daughter Tradition Story and photos by: Jessica Beyer 20 • december 2014 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
The views on an elk hunting trip to Colorado are spectacular.
I
consider myself fortunate to have grown up with a father that has a love of the outdoors and a passion for hunting. From an early age, my Dad has valued the importance of sharing his love with me by always making sure that I had exposure to the wide variety of activities he was drawn to. Growing up, Dad never thought twice about sharing his knowledge with me about guns, hunting, camping and other hobbies he enjoyed. For that, I am grateful to my Dad and appreciate the quality time he has spent with me over the years teaching me. Some of my earliest memories of hunting experiences included tagging along with my Dad and my Grandpa, known to me as “Pa,” during some of the crisp, fall harvest moon nights throughout various woods in northern Iowa and southern Minnesota raccoon hunting. As a child, it was a magical adventure with my favorite part of the night getting to ride on my Dad’s shoulders as we crossed a river or a stream with our head lamps shining on the water. Throughout my childhood I have fond memories of taking part in many outdoor activities with my Dad, some of which included ice fishing, summer fishing in northern Minnesota, cutting wood, riding three-wheelers, asparagus hunting in the ditches of Iowa, shooting trap and of course riding along on many types of hunts and excursions. I feel fortunate to have an exceptionally close relationships with both my parents and attribute that to the importance they placed on always including me and making our time together a priority. A proud day for my Dad was when I shot my first jack rabbit with a shotgun. However, what really started our father/daughter hunting traditions together was pheasant hunting. For my tenth birthday my parents gave me the greatest gift of all — a yellow lab that we named “Houch.” Of course, Houch became my best friend and I went from feeding wild pheasants in our backyard to starting to hunt them (outside our acreage) with Houch, my Dad and family friends as I grew older. During that time, the pheasant population in Iowa was exceptionally good and it was the perfect time for me to learn and experience the sport with my Dad and our next dog, Gauge. Over the years, we’ve had
many great hunts together and we haven’t missed participating in a pheasant season between Iowa, Minnesota or South Dakota since.
Beginnings of Elk Camp
Our tradition of elk hunting as a father/daughter team started in 2002 when I was in college. My Dad had been out west on a handful of trips elk hunting with friends and fell in love with the sport and the uniqueness of hunting in the mountains. He asked me if I wanted to try it and I thought I’d give it a shot. So we planned our first father/daughter trip for that fall. Late October rolled around and we loaded up my Dad’s truck with all our gear and headed to the mountains of Colorado to set-up camp. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but between the sheer beauty of riding horseback in the mountains and beginner’s luck of getting my first elk on opening morning, I was hooked. Since then, my Dad and I haven’t missed a hunt together. Throughout the years, the trip has become a tradition for us. We’ve made it a priority to carve away time from our busy schedules to venture out west together for a little father/ daughter bonding, and to re-connect with some of the wonderful hunting friends we’ve met at elk camp. Some incredible memories have been made as part of our time in the mountains with a wealth of stories to share, as any hunters tend to have.
2014 Trip
Our hunt this year was no different. We spent the months leading up to the trip preparing and making sure we had all the supplies we needed to make the journey and to stay in the mountains for just under a week. In Colorado, there are four elk seasons for rifle hunting. This particular year we were able to get cow tags for the third season. We made the long trek and arrived the Thursday before the start of hunting season on Saturday. Typically, we arrive a few days early to set-up camp, pick up the horses that we rent from a ranch and scout for elk prior to the hunt. Scouting days are an opportunity to get familiar with our horses, check different MANKATO MAGAZINE • december 2014 • 21
Elk hunting trips have been the perfect opportunity for father/daughter bonding. areas that we might want to hunt later in the week and take some time for capturing photos and exploring. Once season opens, we focus on the hunt by either stationing ourselves on various hillsides or by riding a majority of the day looking for tracks and signs. A typical day during elk season starts well before sunrise. We generally get up around 4:30 a.m. We eat a quick breakfast, feed and saddle the horses, put our guns and packs on the horses and head out when it’s still dark by headlamp to get further into the mountains by daybreak. Basically our day is spent searching for elk and taking in all that the mountains have to offer. We sometimes sit and watch, other times we walk certain areas. For the most part, we put on a lot of miles by horse. We probably rode around 75 miles over the course of our trip. It’s amazing how fast the day can go by when you’re immersed in the scenery and nature within the mountains. Your day is spent watching for movement and paying close attention to what’s going on around you. We usually stop a few times throughout the day for a few breaks and then travel back to camp before sundown to get the horses unsaddled, fed and situated before dark sets in. If you get an elk, your day becomes much longer with quartering the animal and packing the meat out by horse. It’s a full day; I’ve learned to be prepared for whatever conditions might occur. The weather can switch in an instant from a sunny gorgeous day to wind, rain, snow and brutally cold temperatures. Getting snow at elk camp is like Christmas coming early for hunters. Snow helps bring the elk down from higher elevation, makes them more visible moving along the mountainsides and to better track where elk are moving. At times when I’m about frozen, I’ve joked with Dad that a more relaxing and warmer November vacation might be lying on a beach somewhere. However, when I look around and think of how many people have never experienced nature in 22 • december 2014 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
this regard, I’d never trade the incomparable beauty. It is an adventure like no other. When large snowflakes start to fall and you take in the fresh scent of the dark timber as you’re riding along on horseback — it’s an incredible sense that makes you feel like you’re in another place and time. At times I feel like a cowgirl in some old western movie. The mountains have a way of humbling you and making you aware of your insignificance. One of my favorite aspects of elk hunting is that Dad and I can sometimes ride all day without seeing another person. We are totally free from cellphones, technology and society because it is extremely difficult to find cell service in the mountains. It’s time away that forces you to be present in what you’re doing and just experience nature. We discovered a bear’s den, spied a coyote trotting through a grove of aspens in the early morning fog, watched beavers swim around carefully constructed dams and mule deer drink from a mountain pond. We watched the magnificent colors of daybreak surface above snow-covered mountain tops. We had a great father/daughter trip this season; one of the best in the books. I think as the years go by we appreciate our time together and the significance of the opportunity even more. As far as the hunting goes, we both didn’t find the success we had hoped for — but that’s sometimes how it goes. We at least got to see a bull, tried to get ahead of some cows and had some adventures tracking elk once the snow came. On an elk hunt, nothing is guaranteed, and some years you have better luck than others. Through the years we’ve been fortunate to see a lot of elk and much of the time bring elk meat home. For us, the trip is about the experience and the time we get to spend together doing something that we love. Riding around on horseback together in the mountains hunting is the true gift. Getting an elk is icing on the cake.
Beyer says her relationship with her father has always been a close one. She says it never occurred to her that such hunting trips would be considered rare.
Honoring the Tradition
Building the tradition of elk hunting together has meant a great deal to me. Even though I enjoy taking part in a number of other activities with my Dad, this one is different. It allows us to truly get away from all the other things going on in life and have pure, un-interrupted time. Even when we go pheasant hunting for the weekend, up north to the cabin or on a motorcycle trip — cell phones still ring and other life distractions are present. There is just something amazing about the mountains. For me, whether we stop on a hillside to look around and have a conversation we probably wouldn’t have back in Minnesota, or are riding around on horseback without speaking a word, the experience grants me a sense of closeness to my Dad that words fail to express. My Dad and I share a unique father/daughter bond that continues to grow as we make our journey through life. Our elk hunting expeditions have contributed to and strengthened that bond through the different experiences we’ve encountered together. I have tremendous respect for my father and all he has taught me about the importance of working hard and experiencing the incredible aspects of life. Women, let alone father/daughter hunting teams, are rare at elk camp. The majority of the years I have been the only woman at elk camp. I never really realized this until others commented about the uniqueness of our tradition. I’ve grown up hunting pheasants and other game with my Dad and “the guys” — so to me it’s nothing out of the ordinary. In Minnesota it seems much more common for women to hunt deer and other game. In fact, my husband and I also hunt together and are excited to get our new yellow lab, Josey, acclimated to pheasant hunting this season. Through the experience of elk hunting, I’ve learned so
The author claims to still own these boots. much about myself, grown a great deal of skills and have developed confidence in my abilities from our time in the mountains. I’ve inherited my father’s love and admiration for the outdoors. Throughout life, nature has always been my outlet. Being in the mountains allows me the escape and ability to recharge that I need. I’m proud to be an elk hunter, appreciative that my Dad invited me to share in the experience 12 years ago and I look forward to building upon our tradition and continuing the legacy for many years to M come.
MANKATO MAGAZINE • december 2014 • 23
Then
and
Now: Holiday Lights
By Jean Lundquist
Pictured here is the late Lee Schweim, one of the purveyors of the popular Broad Street lights.
When
North Broad Street was
grand
Before Kiwanis Holiday Lights, a different part of town attracted thousands of holiday light lookers 24 • december 2014 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
Last year the Kiwanis Holiday Lights added a skating rink.
T
he Mankato celebration of lights started on North Broad Street, thanks to the vision of three neighborhood residents and the devastation Dutch elm disease had wrought on the boulevard. According to a 2007 Mankato Magazine story, some of the residents had always “decorated heavily” with lights for Christmas. While there was no evidence of competition, there was camaraderie in creating a cohesive neighborhood display of lights. Lee Schweim, John Busch and Tom Marthaler happened to find themselves standing on the street one night in the summer of 1987 looking over the newly planted replacement trees when Schweim asked the fateful question, “Why don’t we light up the boulevard?” as Marthaler recalled it. Letters were sent to neighbors asking for donations for the effort. Small donations totaled $6,500, and decorations were purchased. Meanwhile, individual homeowners invested more heavily in light decorations for each residence. One home sported poinsettias on the porch, and a cardinal in the backyard by the creek flowing through the yard. These decorations were cutting edge lights at the time. The City of Mankato championed this display as a tourist attraction, and soon, busloads were coming from the Twin Cities, Iowa, and all of Southern Minnesota to take in the sights. The local Chamber of Commerce and the City of Mankato donated funds to keep the event going, but the labor fell mostly to the residents of North Broad Street. By the turn of the century, however, residents were ready to let it all go. The residents were aging, the maintenance was overwhelming, the trees were growing larger and, according to Shweim, 100 buses a night made it seem too commercial. Fast forward to 2012. That’s when a couple of years of planning by the Mankato Downtown Kiwanis Club came to fruition and Sibley Park lit up for the Holidays. Kiwanis Holiday Lights President Scott Wojcik says his club was looking for a project that broke out of the golf outing fundraiser genre. While visiting his parents in Marksfield in central Wisconsin, he found an idea he brought back to Mankato. It was a holiday light display.
Wojcik says in the two years leading up to the first Mankato display, he visited with other clubs who offered elaborate displays. He also met with residents of North Broad Street and Mary Circle in North Mankato, and visited displays in LaCrosse, WI, and Sioux Falls, SD. One of the most important tips was to purchase all LED light strings. “It’s more expensive at the front end, but they don’t burn out as often, and they use a lot less energy.” Wojcik says with a million plus lights lit for several hours each night during the season, the cost for electricity is less than $50 per night. Volunteers are relied on each night of the display to direct cars and accept donations. “We had to put a cap on the number of volunteers we could accept,” Wojcik says. “We give money to each group that helps. The first year, we gave out $25,000. Last year we gave out $40,000 to nonprofits.” New light displays this year will include an animated snowball fight, and a new Santa and reindeer display. There will also be a 19-piece nativity scene. The first night of the display is set for Thanksgiving. The display will be available every evening through December 31. Wojcik says the first year they offered the lights, “We just hoped someone showed up.” Last year he says 130,000 people saw the display. One of the frequently asked questions on the Kiwanis Holiday Lights website is if there is a way to make the line move faster for cars in the cue. The answer is: “We’re sure happy that Kiwanis Holiday Lights has been so popular! We want to make sure the display is enjoyable for everyone, so there really isn’t any way for us to rush people through. Also, from what we’ve noticed, the cars travel pretty quickly through the displays. In order to avoid the lines, we encourage you either come early or on a week night when traffic is lighter. Or, park outside of Sibley Park and walk in. We feel walking through the displays is the best way to enjoy the lights — especially with the addition of our new ‘dancing lights’ walking tunnel!” With the understanding that people are waiting in line in the park, Wojcik hints that more of the park may be lit up in the future. MANKATO MAGAZINE • december 2014 • 25
Christina Swenson was crowned Lucia in 2013.
Let there be
Light! Santa Lucia Festival maintains its tradition of light and service
Story by Rachel Britz Photos courtesy of Gustavus Adolphus College 26 • december 2014 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
Celebrating the festival of St. Lucia is a Gustavus Adolphus College tradition that goes back 75 years.
O
n a November day in 1980, Brita Taracks was whisked away from her Gustavus Adolphus College dorm room by fellow classmates to a secret meeting place, ostensibly to make plans for the college’s annual Saint Lucia Festival. She’d soon find out that, for her, the festival was about to get much more special than she’d originally thought. The festival of St. Lucia has become a famous one for Gustavus. In addition to crowning one of its young female students with an iconic crown of candles, it has become a sought after achievement for young women who value and display community service and strong character. It is a tradition that dates back 94 years at the college. And for Taracks, the story of Lucia had enchanted her from an early age. “I felt like I was being trained as Santa Lucia all my life,” Taracks said. During her childhood, her mother and father introduced her to the Swedish customs that surround the legend of Lucia. They’d wake up early on Dec. 13 to make saffron buns, and Taracks would dress up in a white gown, red sash and crown of lights (imitating the real St. Lucia) and parade down the street delivering Lussekattor rolls to neighbors. It was a family tradition. “It’s a beautiful thing, it really is,” she says, tearing up. “That both my parents focused on the meaning (behind the tradition). They really instilled that you celebrate the meaning and the rest is secondary. When someone gives you a tradition it is a beautiful thing.” So when she got to that secret room that night in 1980, she did so with years of memories on her side, as well as a boatload of anticipation. And it was then that she learned that she’d been chosen. “It was an exciting time,” she recalled. “I remember getting a sore throat from all the singing.” Gustavus Adolphus College in Saint Peter introduced the Santa Lucia custom 75 years ago. It was a way to celebrate the heritage of their Swedish roots by highlighting five sophomore females who demonstrate a “recognizable strength of character.” Each year in December, one candidate is chosen
by her classmates as Lucia to don the Crown of Light. The real Lucia was born in 284 AD in Sicily to a Christian mother. When Lucia became engaged, her mother fell extremely ill and it is said that Lucia prayed fervently for her healing, promising to give her money to the poor if God spared her mother’s life. When her mother eventually recovered, together they went out to show their thankfulness to God by giving her dowry to those in need. Except, Lucia’s fiancé wasn’t too enthusiastic about his misfortune, so he turned her into the authorities and she was martyred — burned at the stake — for her faith. As legend has it, many years after Lucia’s death, during a time of great famine in Sweden, villagers of Lake Vanern believed they witnessed Santa Lucia show up on a boat with food that saved them. Since then, she is remembered because of her kindness to the poor and hungry as well as her courageous faith. The tradition of honoring her sainthood and goodness to mankind has since been locked into the culture of Sweden, Italy and other Scandinavian countries. Since her college days Taracks has invested her time into raising three boys, “My sons love the tradition,” she explains “but since I never had a daughter of my own to dress up I ended up adopting (not literally) my college roommate’s daughter, Elizabeth Johnson. I was able to pass the tradition onto her the way my mother did with me.” Ironically, Taracks’ “surrogate” daughter went on to study at Gustavus too and in a legacy-like twist of fate was selected by her classmates into the 2011 Lucia court.
The more things change …
Today, Barb Larson Taylor oversees the festival for Gustavus. She says the selection process has evolved. “Although the process has changed over the years our emphasis is on seeking students that demonstrate courageous leadership, service to the college and others, compassion and a strength of character. Both literally and figuratively, we MANKATO MAGAZINE • december 2014 • 27
The Lucia tradition is a strong one at Gustavus. want to recognize those who are being a light in the world.” The initial process allows sophomore women to choose three students they believe exemplify these characteristics. From there, the senior women on the Guild of St. Lucia review the candidates and add two more sophomores to the pool, allowing the entire campus to vote on a total of five women for their choice of the best Lucia. Lucy DeRemee was studying art at Gustavus in 1953 when she was crowned Lucia. When asked how she felt she was qualified, she said she couldn’t pinpoint it. “I have no idea, that was more than 61 years ago!” she said. “Perhaps it was because I was blonde and 100 percent Swedish.” DeRemee credits her mother for influencing her life with a God-honoring character. Fast forward to today, DeRemee lives in Rochester and has initiated a Saint Lucia celebration at her church, Mount Olive, which has Swedish roots. “During our designated Sunday church service the legend is read, Lucia and Star Boys dress up and parade down the aisle while the beloved song Sankta Lucia is sung in Swedish. After the service the traditional buns are served.” Since graduating from Gustavus DeRemee has spent her life raising her children and passing onto them many beloved Swedish customs, including that of Santa Lucia. In fact, two of her daughters followed in their mothers footsteps and attended Gustavus Adolphus. One was nominated into the St.Lucia court and the other, who’d been trained since early childhood, was Brita Taracks.
Modern Times
Christina Swenson, crowned Lucia in 2013, says her experience has caused her to be more aware of the impact she 28 • december 2014 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
has on people. “It’s easy to take for granted the simple things like saying ‘hello‘ to someone.” She describes her crowning as a boost of self-esteem. “That others saw those qualities in me was such a wonderful confirmation of who I am.” Swenson continues to serve on campus as a Collegiate Fellow, a person who lives in the freshman dorm and is a resident assistant. “I feel like I’m more aware of the things my residents are going through and have learned to just be there for them. Listening and being a joyful person on campus is fun. It feels good.” In addition, she participates in the Gustavus choir (which will be heading to Europe next year), running club, and Prepare Ministries. Swenson credits her faith in Jesus as the light she is able to shine into the world. “The difference in me comes from him. Jesus is the light, I just get to shine it.” This year the Gustavus Lucia festival day is set for Dec. 11th. The court of women will arise early, around 5 a.m., and mark the day by caroling through the residence halls. Afterwards, they will enjoy a light breakfast before attending the chapel service which includes a full choir singing hymns, children dressing up as Star Boys, and the famous crowning of this year’s Lucia. Immediately preceding the service a full Scandinavian inspired luncheon is offered in support of the Gustavus Library Association. Says Taylor, of Gustavus, “This holiday season is frantic and it’s a very busy time of year. The St. Lucia festival feels like it’s a pause to remember the bigger message of generosity, light and friendship. It’s a moment of peace in the midst of a crazy season.” M
Business is complicated. Banking shouldn’t be. Tired of paying fees on your business checking account? Do you choose the bank that puts you through a lot of red tape or the one with local decision makers? At Community Bank, we make things happen quickly. You get fast, informed decisions right on site by bankers that understand your market and your needs. Community Bank. The right fit for your business. MONEY MATTERS. WORK SMART. LET COMMUNITY BANK HELP YOU BRING THE TWO TOGETHER.
ERIC BOELTER
VICE PRESIDENT COMMERCIAL LENDING NMLS ID 815775
MANKATO - SAINT ANDREWS DR. 507.385.4444 MANKATO - MADISON AVE. 507.625.1551 VERNON CENTER 507.549.3679 AMBOY 507.674.3300
Know Your Risk
it!
Take charge of your health with monthly self-exams and annual mammograms
With Music… All is Calm, All is Bright www.scheitelsmusic.com
Mankato Clinic joins us in raising awareness of the importance of early detection in the fight against breast cancer and the importance of continued support for breast cancer research.
MANKATO MAGAZINE • december 2014 • 29
Reflections
By John Cross
30 • december 2014 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
F
or what it’s worth, winter officially arrives this year at around 5 p.m., Dec. 21. Of course, seasoned Minnesotans know better. The winter solstice, marked by the moment the North Pole is tilted furthest away from the sun and marked by the shortest period of daylight of the year, might mark the astronomical start of winter. However, most Minnesotans are inclined to herald winter’s arrival, usually at a much earlier date, on a much more basic level. They feel it in their bones. M
MANKATO MAGAZINE • december 2014 • 31
Paid Advertisement
Julee Johnson, Certified World-Wide Diam Julee Johnson, of Juleeʼs Jewelry in St. Peter, has made another trip to buy diamonds in
Julee tilts a diamond to see its brilliance
Antwerp, Belgium. As a member of the exclusive Retail Jewelers Organization (RJO), Julee had the opportunity to become certied as a World-Wide Diamond & Gem Importer in 2008. This certication qualies her as a diamond broker, allowing her to purchase diamonds in the most direct way possible, from the diamond cutters. This eliminates the middlemen, therefore, avoiding the markups of U.S. importers and distributors. As a personal Julee holds a 20 carat diamond diamond importer, Julee can pass these savings on to her customers. Most stores do not, and cannot, make these trips overseas. It is a privilege of very few. Although she buys many diamonds domestically, there are advantages to buying in Antwerp. Julee has a pre-sale program for her customers and guarantees to come back with bigger or better than what is paid for. Customers also like the romanticized story of their diamond coming direct from Antwerp.
Buying directly from the siteholders means the diamonds are freshly cut, so Julee is the rst, or one of the rst, to pick View while walking in Antwerp from the parcels. This process can take an hour or more. Each parcel is sorted to the carat weight, the color, the clarity and shape of stone. Julee narrows her selection from hundreds until she nds just the right one. One wonders how anyone can purchase a quality diamond site unseen, when the experts know exactly what characteristics are needed, and they still thoroughly examine the diamonds before they buy. A trip to Antwerp is over 6,000 miles and can be about a 16-hour ight, but the ight can vary. -Advertisement-
� 32 • december 2014 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
Paid Advertisement
mond Importer, Returns From Antwerp Juleeʼs Jewelry is proud to
comply to the Kimberley Process which prevents conict diamonds from entering the diamond trade, and Julee is able to import conict free diamonds into the United States. Every diamond bought and sold at Juleeʼs Jewelry is mined and processed to the highest VISIT ethical standards, in accordance with government-mandated guidelines. 120 S Minnesota Ave, St. Peter, MN When Julee isnʼt buying directly from the siteholders, 507-934-3344 she ensures she only does business with legitimate, JuleesJewelry.com regulated diamond suppliers, and follows a zerotolerance policy against conict diamonds. This has What’s Happening at Julee’s Jewelry? been an important part of her Diamonds are arriving from Antwerp-best your money can buy business since opening 15 � (most are kept in safety deposit box) years ago. New Computer Design Center for custom jewelry Diamond & Gem Mine is opening at Juleeʼs Jewelry Direct diamond importing is (kids can earn a mining certicate) just another aspect of what � Menʼs night every Thursday in Dec weʼll be open late Julee loves about her Free cookie to kids on their birthday (big kids too!) business. She gets excited Free diamond or gem off our Christmas tree with purchase to be a part of the moments (Buy more and support Our Gate foundation - grief support) that make peopleʼs lives � New website soon, with online purchasing! special. Itʼs an honor to know
Juleeʼs Jewelry
an engagement, or other special event, is about to happen and no one else knows. While in Antwerp she often is in touch with her customers via phone, text, Facebook or email so they can be in on what is happening. She frequently takes customer-specic photos in Antwerp and even at the store for the customers to add their experience and help them create cherished memories.
Few jewelers can offer what Julee, your local jeweler can do. Weʼre fortunate to have her as our -Advertisementhometown jeweler. MANKATO MAGAZINE • december 2014 • 33
SANTA FOUND THIS YEAR’S PERFECT GIFT HISTORIC FRONT PAGES: 1857-2014
UNIQUE
T I M E LESS
• Hardcover, 160 pages, archival quality. • Monumental newspaper front pages.
COLLECTOR’S ITEM • Covers national and local events. • Available online now - Limited Supply.
BOOK DETAILS: The Free Press is pleased to offer a beautiful, coffee table book featuring memorable front pages. Relive monumental historic moments, like the sinking of the Titanic, the great flood of 1936, the end of World War II and the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centers, through the eyes of newspaper readers from 1857 through today. Order your copy now at $39.95 (plus tax/shipping) while supplies last.
Hurry, this book is in limited supply! Order yours today: Have your books shipped by ordering online at
freepressfrontpages.pictorialbook.com Free shipping available for online orders of two or more copies
sponsored by
Help Preserve History: 25% of net goes to Blue Earth County Historical Society fund
E
—
Robb Murray, Associate Editor, Mankato Magazine
southern mn style
ven the grinchiest among us has a soft spot for the holidays. It is a time for family, a time for friends. It’s the season of giving, the season of Santa. It’s a time to reflect on the things that are truly meaningful in our lives and make sure those around us know how important they are to us. It’s also a really good month for consumption. Of all kinds. The holidays provide a natural setting for gathering. And when we gather, we eat and drink. Some of us maybe eat and drink a little too much, but that’s a discussion for a different publication. In the Food, Drink and Dine section of Mankato Magazine, we like to stay positive and fun. Which is why we’re happy our wine and beer guys have given you plenty to think about when you’re choosing spirits for your Christmas meal. Take their advice. These guys know what they’re talking about, and if you can’t go a little crazy on Christmas or New Year’s, when can you? Our food writer, Sarah Johnson, offers an education on the “glutenfree” movement. And you’ll love her regular “What’s Cooking” column, where she discusses the singular pleasure of a college-aged son coming home for the holidays to raid the refrigerator. Happy holidays, and enjoy!
food, drink & dine
This Christmas, treat yourself
Food
By Sarah Johnson
southern mn style
“Going Gluten-Free: Wise Choice or Just Another Fad?”
Y
ou probably know somebody — maybe it’s yourself — who’s following a gluten-free diet. Perhaps it’s someone with celiac disease or gluten intolerance, or maybe someone trying to lose weight or resolve a health condition — with claims ranging from feeling more energy to alleviating autism, rheumatoid arthritis, thyroid disease and multiple sclerosis. The truth is, for many of these people, going without gluten isn’t making any difference. Who should avoid gluten? Certainly people diagnosed by a physician with either celiac disease or gluten intolerance. Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition affecting 1 percent of the population in which the body can’t digest gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye and barley; it’s marked by damage to the small intestine that leads to deficiencies because nutrients can’t be absorbed. A blood test is used to diagnose celiac disease. Symptoms include gastrointestinal distress, fatigue, joint pain, mouth sores, rash and weight loss, among others. It can lead to delayed growth, behavioral problems and malnutrition in children. Gluten intolerance is a condition with similar symptoms but lacking the intestinal damage as seen in celiac disease. These two groups should definitely avoid gluten. Everybody else? It’s probably not going to help much with whatever’s ailing you, according to registered dietician Amelia McQuery, RD, LD, CDE, at the Mankato Clinic’s Diabetes and Nutrition Education Center. She should know: She and her son have celiac disease themselves. McQuery, 35, has type I diabetes — another type of autoimmune disease — and was diagnosed with celiac disease five years ago; although she wasn’t suffering any symptoms, diabetics are often routinely checked for other autoimmune diseases. Her 7-year-old son was diagnosed with celiac disease at age 4. So far her other son has not shown signs of the disease. “But if it happens, it happens,” she says. “I know they’ll be fine.” The family’s transition to gluten-free eating hasn’t been too traumatic.
36 • december 2014 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
“For me, it hasn’t been huge. The more you do it, the easier it gets,” she says. “It hasn’t been a terrible transition.” Since her husband and other son can tolerate gluten, “we kind of have half and half in our house,” she says. At first she lost weight due to fear of cross contamination, but she’s got it under control now. She uses gluten-free pasta and baking mixes for family dinners. Why has the “gluten-free” label become such a fad among the health conscious? “I’m not really sure how people have come up with the idea that gluten-free is healthier,” McQuery says. “Having so many new glutenfree products is great for those who need to eat glutenfree, but I am not sure why anyone who didn’t need to would stop eating it. Cost, flavor and nutrient content are all reasons to question it. “Many GF products out there are low in fiber due to using rice or tapioca flour with corn or potato starch to get the same results as regular flour. Also, GF products can be much lower in other important nutrients. Some meal staples like bread and pasta are widely available (in gluten-free versions) and have improved, but usually are not quite the same as their glutencontaining counterpart. (And) most GF foods cost much more than the regular version.” In other words, eating gluten-free products is often more expensive, less nutritious, and tastes worse. But that hasn’t stopped the market for gluten-free products from proliferating. Stores stock what customers ask for, after all. (Attributing miracle powers to gluten-free diets has not gone unnoticed by critics. South Park even ran an episode in which gluten was blamed for, among other things, males’ genitalia spontaneously flying off. Wheat fields were torched, pizza parlors quarantined, and eventually a vaccine against gluten was developed, saving the world from a gluten apocalypse.) The problem? Many of the products that are touted as gluten-free are either in the junk food category or close to it. And junk food is junk food, gluten or not. “I have found that most GF products out there are snack foods like cookies, crackers, muffins and cupcakes,
which there is a place for in a healthy diet, but are not necessary,” McQuery notes. “There are many naturally gluten-free foods: meats, cheese and dairy, nuts and seeds, vegetables, fruits and many GF grains like rice and quinoa” that are much better choices for gluten-free diets. Is going gluten-free a wise way to lose weight? “No!” says McQuery. “Many people who lose weight due to eliminating gluten do so by cutting out certain foods which overall reduces their calorie intake. Many GF foods are higher in calories than the regular version. I would never recommend it for weight loss.” If much of your diet comes from large portions of wheat-based foods like pasta or bread, then you will probably lose weight if you cut all that out. But following a gluten-free diet doesn’t necessarily guarantee a slimmer waistline. Many gluten-free products have more sugar and fat than their gluten-filled counterparts. Large portions of gluten-free processed foods can make you pack on the pounds, too. If you do suspect you have trouble with gluten, don’t self-diagnose. If you need to get tested, your test results may not be accurate. See a doctor first, and follow a proper dietary protocol after that. Claims about gluten-free diets helping people with autism and certain autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis have not held up in medical studies. One more factor: Going glutenfree can make dining out a nightmare. It’s not impossible, but you have to be very, very careful to avoid cross-contamination by asking about every single ingredient in your meal, what oil it is prepared in, the surfaces and equipment and utensils the food will come in contact with. And you’d better really, really trust those cooks. “You have to ask lots and lots of questions in restaurants and in others’ homes,” McQuery notes. “And I very much appreciate it when restaurants tell you they’re not the best place to eat (glutenfree).” On second thought, you might just want to eat at home.
Nightly Dinner Features!
Making smiles merry & bright
Preventative & Cosmetic Dentistry Mention this ad to receive $500 OFF Invisalign treatment
New Patients Are Always Welcome
Tom Pooley DDS 507.388.3384 • 124 Walnut St., Mankato www.RVDofMankato.com
Located in the Landkamer Building, above the Restaurant Number 4
Wishing you a delicious holiday!
Since 1979
228 Mulberry St. Peter, MN 56082 | stpeterfood.coop | Open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. | everyONe iS welcOMe every day.
MANKATO MAGAZINE • december 2014 • 37
Wine & Beer
Wines By Leigh Pomeroy
Winter and Wine
W
southern mn style
ith the holiday season approaching we often think of the three “f”s: festivities, food and fermented beverages. The festivities come in droves, sometimes too much this time of year. Food the same. And with fermented beverages, especially as one grows older, the feeling can be similar. The answer? Quality, not quantity. One measure of quality I like to use is “go local.” Yes, the Mankato Farmer’s Market may not convene in the winter months in the Best Buy parking lot, but purveyers will be selling their products at Drummers Garden Center several times during the dark months. Two local eateries that are attempting to source their ingredients locally are Flour Power Bakers’ Café in the Civic Center Plaza downtown and Friesen’s Bakery just up the street in Old Towne. Kirsten Markiewicz at Flour Power Bakers serves a wonderfully tasty — and healthy — lunch buffet Monday through Friday sourced from as many local ingredients as she can. Just one trip through her selection of soups, salads, entrées, side dishes and sandwiches is enough to fill one up for two meals. Of course, winter can present a mighty challenge in Minnesota if one is looking for local foods. But here’s where Minnesota Valley Action Council’s Food Hub comes in. Working with dozens of small-farm families, the Food Hub not only provides local foods directly to consumers but also at the wholesale level to area restaurants, schools and colleges — think Gustavus Adolphus College for one. But where’s the wine? you might ask. Well, I’m coming to that. While the Minnesota River Valley and its environs are hardly known as the Napa Valley of the Midwest, one former denizen of the Napa Valley is now firmly ensconced in our midst and bringing to our area the skills he’s gained while making wine at several of Napa’s most presitious wineries, most notably Far Niente and Luna. He is Mike Drash, now the winemaker at Chankaska Creek Winery in Kasota. Mike is a native of the South, but his wife is a midwesterner by background, and with a young family they were looking to return to a lifestyle more like the ones they grew up in. Voilà! The opportunity opened at Chankaska Creek and here they are. In just one conversation with Mike you know that making wine in Minnesota for him is an exciting challenge, perhaps much more so than in California where the weather is more favorable and the options so “been there, done that”: e.g., “Honey, what will it be today? Cabernet or Chardonnay?” As for the holiday season, Mike mentions three Chankaska Creek offerings for dining and festivities. One is the Marquette Rosé, deeply-hued wine, almost Pinot Noir-like in color but bursting with cranberry and cherry flavors ahead of a dry finish — perfect with any turkey dinner. And the fruit is sourced from a vineyard just 30
38 • december 2014 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
minutes away. The other two offerings are on the dessert or just-forsipping end of the spectrum. The first is a maple walnut cream liqueur called North Forest Valnott (“valnott” is Norwegian for walnut). First, Mike makes an apple wine from Minnesota grown apples, then adds maple syrup and the essence of walnuts, both from sources within a few miles of the winery. The third wine is Chankaska Creek’s Coeur de Colline, a port-style dessert elixir made entirely from fruit from the estate’s Frontenac vineyard, fortified to 19 percent alcohol and aged 10 months in Minnesota-grown oak barrels. While Chankaska Creek is relatively new, Morgan Creek Vineyard south of Cambria has been around for well over a decade. Owned by Georg and Paula Marti, the winery’s recent thrust has been to map out flavor profiles involving wine, beer and food. Beer? Yes, because Georg’s brother Ted owns Schell’s Brewery in New Ulm. For the holiday season the winery is reviving its now famous Black Ice wine, the first bottling since 2010 when it won all kinds of Minnesota cold-weather wine awards. The reason for the long wait, Paula says, is that the La Crescent grape from which the wine is made has become an increasingly rare commodity in Minnesota with growers pulling up the vines to plant Marquette instead. So if you’re a fan of this lusciously rich dessert wine, and I know many folks who are, it’s time to stock up again. Morgan Creek is also offering its seasonal Saint Wenceslaus wine. It’s a lusciously sweet red blend with a touch of oak. When I ask Paula what’s in it, she says, “It’s a secret, so I’m not going to tell you.” But then, I love secrets, and so should you. Finally, let’s not forget Indian Island Winery east of Mankato and south of Smith’s Mill. An oasis in the middle of corn and soybeans, Indian Island has been a weekend gathering spot for local denizens looking for wine, fun, food and music. For this holiday season, says winemaker Angie Netzke, the winery is offering a unique, German-style spiced wine called Wita-Pa (pronounced “weetah-pah”), meaning “spice island” in Ojibway. It’s styled to go with the classic holiday meal of turkey, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie. And if you’re looking for a gift for a family member or friend who has everything, Angie suggests Indian Island’s Midnight Fantasy, a chocolate-infused wine elixir. All three of these wineries are open during the holiday season. Go to their websites — indianislandwinery.com, morgancreekvineyards.com and chankaskawines.com — to learn about their hours and special events. Go local. Go quality. Go Minnesota. God jul. Leigh Pomeroy is a Mankato-based writer and wine lover
First Draught By Bert Mattson
Hoppy holidays!
A
holiday, by definition, is a day in which one is exempt from work. Add the word “winter” to “holiday” and the phrase casts scenes of hearth and home, snowbound and sleepy. In practice, the holiday season is weeks of work, crowned by a dramatic day. That final day is often as fussy as a tree top finial. Heck, hearths have to be swept and folks have been known to lose sleep behind snowblowers. Suppose the secret to the season lies in pausing to sincerely appreciate the people we love and the pageantry we labor over. And beer. The two types of beer for me, come Christmas, are the kind sipped with company and the sort savored after everyone is off to sleep, sitting alone, serenaded by the Yule log: baby, it’s cold outside. Food is fundamental to the holiday experience, though the way we gather is a matter of taste. A smorgasbord calls for a versatile beer; a style too distinctive stands a chance of battling items on the buffet. To a set-table, the selection may be a tad more tailored. As a rule, it’s best to begin sampling beer with styles of lesser intensity. Pilsener is a light option that leaves room to move up the ladder. Low alcohol lends it to social sipping. It works with an array of food, entree to appetizer. Its carbonation cleanses the palate between bites. Pils pairs well with bloomy rind cheeses such as brie. The lager’s subtle sweetness contrasts the tangy rind while floral hops compliment brie’s grassy character. Bake a wheel in puff pastry to mimic the
brew’s bready malt qualities. A dab of marmalade makes a bitter-sweet bridge between brie and a beer like Summit Brewing Company’s Bohemian-style Pilsener. This version can cut a creamy pasta salad -- in which an herb like basil will resonate with the spicy, herbal profile of the Saaz hop variety. Salty-sweet smoked trout poses a counterpoint to the beer’s malt backbone. Sour cream seals the deal. On the sweet side, sip one with Carr’s Ginger Lemon Cremes. Dial up the intensity for a table setting. Belgian-style Tripel Ale, redolent of honey, compliments a glazed ham whose spice (and sometimes smoke) is echoed by phenolic flavors and aromas often seen in this style. Curing salts set off sweetness in the ale. Stealthy alcohol content, moderate-to-high carbonation, and a hint of hops help bear the richness of scalloped potatoes and ambrosia salad — the fruit of which echoes estery flavors lifted from fermentation. New Belgium Brewing Company’s Trippel is a value purchase in the six pack. Save a bottle for Santa to savor with a chunk of aged Manchego dressed with chestnut honey. After everyone is off to bed, tune into Boom Island Brewing Company’s seasonal Yule Ale. This baby warms the buds at around 12 percent alcohol. It is dark, malty, spiced, layered with fruit flavors, and Minnesota made. Bonny bottling (it comes corked and caged) makes it a good gift for someone who doesn’t mind the extra work. Mattson is a chef and writer Bert based in St. Paul. He is the manager of the iconic Mickey’s Diner.
{ GIVE THE GOOD STUFF } Receive a Pub $5 BONUS CARD for every $25 you spend in gift cards. (Limited time offer. Purchase must be made before 12.25.14)
Let us help you with your holiday parties–your place or ours.
CITY CENTER MANKATO www.pub500.com
Coupon must be presented at time of purchase. Exp. Sept. EPA & Recycle charges included. Exp. Dec.3031
MANKATO MAGAZINE • december 2014 • 39
Drinks
Happy Hour
southern mn style
T
By M. Carrie Allan |Special
to
The Free Press
They put their gin in Virginia, and Virginia in their gin
here’s something about drinking with people you’re fond of that makes lighting out for the territories seem not only appealing, but possible. You’re just buzzed enough to think, “Hey, let’s not go in to work tomorrow. Let’s go to the beach instead! Let’s start a rock band! Let’s become stand-up comedians, because we are the funniest people in town or at least within hearing distance, especially now that all the other patrons have inexplicably moved away from our table!” There’s probably at least one great band out there that started after a night of sweet drunk talk. The rest of the dreamers, though, go back to their day jobs, their chatter leading to nothing but a mild hangover and more comforting sweet drunk talk later on. Count Jonathan Staples and his partners at James River Distillery among the talkers who have actually followed through. For years, Staples — a Richmond, Virginia, native who now lives in Frederick, Maryland, and has had a long career in fundraising, real estate and restaurant ventures with his wife, Hilda Staples — had been talking with some of his friends in the beer and restaurant industry about opening a distillery. They’d even scouted locations in Maryland. And then last year, preparing to take his daughter to field hockey camp down in Richmond, Staples heard from his father, who still lives in the city, that a distillery was being auctioned off right down the road. (The distillery is the former home of Cirrus Vodka, which lost it to foreclosure.) “When my dad called me, it was like, okay, do we want to do a distillery, or do we want to sit around bars and talk about doing a distillery?” Staples called one of his fellow sweet drunk talkers, Matt Brophy, brew master at Flying Dog Brewery in Frederick, and told him he planned to check it out the next day.
40 • december 2014 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
Brophy hopped in the car and headed down to meet Staples. One auction and $375,000 later, “at the end of the day, we had a distillery,” says Brophy. Staples’ teenage daughter — now in college — placed the winning bid on what’s now James River Distillery. The group handed her the paddle knowing that Brophy had been recognized; they feared that a well-known beverage guy bidding would drive up other bidders’ confidence. “I don’t know that it worked,” Staples, 48, says ruefully. “I hadn’t been thinking about the fact that macho guys bidding on a distillery might have been more willing to lose to Matt than to a teenager.” Though the group initially planned to move the distillery north and make rye whiskey (historically a major spirit in Maryland), partner Kristi Croxton helped persuade them to stick to Richmond. They decided to home in on gin. To produce their first, they talked to bartenders in the District of Columbia and Richmond who provided feedback about what they’d like to see coming out of the stills. Their first product, Commonwealth Gin, is made from organically grown Virginia corn, which the crew hand-mills. Staples says he hopes down the line to produce a gin that’s “as close to 100 percent Virginia” as possible; he’s putting in hops at a family farm in Lucketts, Va., for future use. The company’s commitment to Virginia agriculture has personal roots. “My mom’s family is from out in western Virginia — Botetourt, Floyd County — and I always felt one of the biggest tragedies in Virginia history was the temperance movement,” he says. “So many of my ancestors had small farms in the Roanoke mountain areas, and the way they were able to survive on a 10-acre farm was by making spirits, making them legally. . . . And the temperance movement kind of
squeezed them out, and all those relatives of mine and everyone else ended up going to work at the sawmill or the coal mine, and all those farms were lost. So I’ve always had a special hatred for the temperance movement, because I feel like it destroyed a part of Virginia agriculture.” Commonwealth’s incorporation of hops is still a relatively new trend in spirits, though they’re a natural botanical for a gin produced by a team that includes brewers. But don’t expect the hoppy punch of an IPA here. “We’re getting the essence of the hops without capturing the bitterness that you’d get in a beer,” Brophy says. “What we pull away from the hops is some floral and citrusy notes that complement the other botanicals.” The result is a clean, citrusy, peppery spirit with a more subtle juniper note. For Staples, one of the best payoffs so far came when he stopped by Society Fair in Alexandria, Va., and shared Commonwealth with one of its co-owners, Todd Thrasher, who is also the general manager and “liquid savant” at Restaurant Eve. Thrasher liked it enough to use it as his spirit when crafting cocktails for the Chefs for Equality fundraiser for the Human Rights Campaign this past September. “It was such a cool moment, because Todd didn’t know me from Adam. Kind of like if you got a band together and made a CD, and a DJ you really loved played your song,” Staples says.
Local Goldsmith and Artists Beautiful Artwork Custom Jewelry
Pam Davey Realtor ®
507-381-4323 I see property from a unique perspective… yours Top Individual Sales Volume 2012*
100% Award 2012
Dynamic Agents 1720 Adams St., Mankato, MN superhouseseller.com *Source: RE/MAX North Central 1/1/2012-12/31/2012. Based on individual sales within one office.
Toasting the Holidays Locally Owned & Operated
Largest Selection of
• Liquor • Wine • Beer • Mankato 201 Victory Dr. 625-2420
Great Gift Idea
North Mankato 1755 Commerce Dr. 387-2634
St. Peter 100 N. Minnesota Ave. 934-8964
Hours: Monday-Saturday 8 am - 10 pm ATMs at all stores
Check Weekly Specials: mgmwineandspirits.com/mankato
Patty Conlin, Goldsmith/Gallery Owner 420 N. Minnesota Ave., St. Peter 507.934.5655 www.stonesthrowgallery.org MANKATO MAGAZINE • december 2014 • 41
Food
What’s Cooking By Sarah Johnson
southern mn style
A very welcomed guest T
he College Kid is coming home for Thanksgiving, which means I better start cooking today. And I’m writing this column in October. This is a kid who can eat. He’s not particularly large — not quite 6 feet tall, medium build — but when he’s feeling those hunger pangs, beware. Watching him putting away food is like witnessing a slow-motion avalanche: It just all slides inexorably in, with no chance for escape. When College Kid was 5 years old, just a tot really, he wanted to order the biggest thing on the menu at Taco John’s: Super Potato Oles, which is a huge pile of fried tator-tottish things topped with a mountain of ground beef, lettuce, sour cream, guacamole, two kinds of cheese and possibly an entire village of unfortunate Mexican people. This Great Pyramid of Food was as big as his head. I let him order it to teach him a lesson in “your eyes are bigger than your stomach”. He proceeded to eat every bite and licked the plate. And he never looked back, downing piles of wontons, acres of pizza, gobbets of cow, blizzards of ice cream, bagloads of burritos. He often only ate once a day, like an anaconda who grabs a pig and is good to go for a couple of weeks. College Kid was the main reason I had to grocery shop a lot. A very lot. The good news was that he wasn’t a picky eater, just a lazy one. As long as he didn’t have to cook it or clean up afterwards, he would eat ANYTHING you put down in front of him. Many times I would hear him remark after
eating, “Mom, that (fill in the blank) was not good. Don’t make that again.” But his plate would be empty. “Why did you eat it, my son, if you didn’t like it?” Blank look. Like Hillary climbing Mt. Everest, he ate it because it was there. Duh, Mom. Meanwhile, Little Brother would be busy trying to foist that nasty (fill in the blank) on the dog; this kid had no interest in eating many, many things. Two boys less than two years apart in age, yet at extreme ends of the “will I eat it?” scale. Which just goes to show that one’s eating habits are not genetic. At least if the one kid wouldn’t eat it, I could just shove his plate over to the other kid and there was a good chance he’d finish that plate off, too. So we made it work. These days College Kid is very interested in Thanksgiving. Not so much the main meal itself, mind you, although it’s always a joy to eat until the groaning starts. But it’s the leftovers he’s got his eye on. I must always make more, much more, than we can eat at one meal. There must be several more meals worth to feast on later. Must. Be. More. This year I’ll be ready for the leftover parade with my new recipe for dumplings (one personal favorite) made with the uneaten stuffing (another personal favorite). I’d better triple the recipe. Sarah Johnson is a cook, freelance writer and chocolate addict from North Mankato with three grown kids and a couple of mutts.
Turkey Soup with Stuffing Dumplings 2 large eggs 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more as needed 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more as needed Freshly ground black pepper, to taste 2 cups leftover stuffing (if chunky, chop finely) 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 large onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 2 carrots, peeled and sliced 2 stalks celery, sliced 2 sprigs fresh thyme 10 cups turkey or chicken broth, homemade or canned 2 cups shredded leftover turkey meat 1 cup leftover corn kernels
42 • december 2014 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt and some black pepper together until smooth. Add the stuffing and mix until well combined; cover and reserve. Wipe the stockpot clean with a paper towel. Heat the oil in the pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and garlic and cook until soft and translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the sliced carrots and celery, thyme sprigs, and reserved broth and bring to a simmer; cook vegetables are just soft, about 10 minutes. Roll level tablespoons of the dumpling mixture into balls with wet hands (if mixture is too sticky add a little more flour) and drop into the simmering soup; cook until dumplings float, 3-4 minutes. Gently stir in the turkey meat and corn, season with salt and pepper, and simmer until heated through. Serve immediately.
BE INFORMED. MAKE MEDICARE WORK FOR YOU.
Wondering which Medicare plan is right for you? As your local, licensed agent, I can guide you, whether you’re just becoming eligible or you’re already enrolled. Matt Barnes 1704 N. Riverfront Dr., Suite 102 Mankato, MN 56001 507-388-2968 TTY 711
Contact me to learn more about Medicare and health and prescription drug plans from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota and Blue Plus. [
]
Blue Cross and Blue Plus offer HMO-POS, Cost and PDP plans with Medicare contracts. Enrollment in these plans depends on contract renewal. Plans are available to residents of the service area.You can also call Blue Cross or Blue Plus for plan information or to enroll. Call 1-877-662-2583,TTY users call 711, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., daily. H2425-002_092112_N03 CMS Accepted 09/26/2012 H2461_092112_N04 CMS Accepted 09/26/2012 S5743_ 092112_K02_MN CMS Accepted 09/26/2012 Authorized independent agent/agency for Blue Cross® and Blue Shield® of Minnesota and Blue Plus®, nonprofit independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
MANKATO MAGAZINE • december 2014 • 43
That’s Life By Nell Musolf
For Christmas presents, form now lags far behind function
F
or a long time I had a Christmas wish list that never varied much from year to year. At my designated spot under the tree I wanted to find: new boots, cute sweaters, a glamorous movie star-ish robe from a nice department store and possibly a book or two. After I got married and had children, I pretty much dropped the whole wish list idea and, for several years, everything I asked Santa to bring was for our kids. Such self sacrifice ended once Joe and Hank no longer had wish lists that required second mortgages and I happily returned to writing one out for myself and leaving it on the mantle for Santa every December. My list hasn’t changed all that much. I’d still like new boots, sweaters, a bathrobe and books along with a few extras. But the items themselves are vastly different. When a person is growing up, function definitely follows form. By that I mean that the boots on my list had to look great even if they pinched my toes and made my insteps ache. The sweaters I wanted didn’t have to be warm but they did have to be stylish and I preferred that they come from one of the nicer department stores. My wish list bathrobe had to be pretty instead of warm and the books I requested were invariably lurid bestsellers. That was when I was young and shallow. Now that I’m not-so-young but still pretty shallow my Christmas list reflects items that have gone from looking good to making me feel good. The boots I want can make me look like I’m walking around on a couple of U-boats as long as they aren’t tight in the toe box and keep my tootsies dry. I no longer care if sweaters are “cute.” Now my Christmas sweaters can resemble a wooly mammoth’s outerwear as long as
they’re warm and don’t itch. Robes? Forget glamour. I’ll take something plush and washable, thank you very much, and purchasing it at Sears or Walmart is just dandy with me. Why pay for a name when I’m the only one seeing it? Oh, and books no longer need be bestsellers. Now I’m far more interested in self-help tomes that might explain to me just why I’m so amazingly shallow. Of course, this whole form-follows-function idea isn’t restricted solely to clothing and reading materials. It extends far deeper than that, all the way to my very favorite Christmas catalogue — the one sent out by the people at Harriet Carter. My earliest recollection of reading the Harriet Carter catalogue goes back to high school when I used to glance at my grandmother’s copy. Thumbing through and gazing with horror at things such as chinstraps, age spot remover cream and bunion straighteners, I was horrified that such items actually existed and that people apparently bought them. “Eeew!” I thought as I quickly tossed the catalogue down and reached for the one from Marshall Field’s. “Who would ever want to wear bunion straighteners? I hope I NEVER get a gift from the Harriet Carter catalogue!” Time and tide wait for no man. I could add to that expression, “Time, tide and Harriet Carter wait for no man,” because now I think most of the items from Ms. Carter’s catalogue would make simply dandy Christmas presents. Such as “Ouchy Butter — a soothing butter for all of life’s ouchie’s.” Or a Hot ‘n Cold Gel Support backpack for that annoying lower back pain that arrives — and sets up permanent residence — after childbirth. How about a deluxe De-Tox Foot Spa? Are you kidding me? Please, Santa, send that one my way! Not being a completely self-centered person, I also think about my husband Mark as I circle items in my Harriet Carter catalogue. Mark, too, could benefit from a few of Harriet’s gift suggestions such as a Magnetic Knee Brace, Therapy Gloves and the Original Sciatica Saddle. I have a pal who might appreciate the Melatonin Sleep Cream and I’m fairly certain that my sister would love the Grande Face Lift Serum. Our sons are too young to qualify as recipients of Harriet Carter inspired gifts but just wait. They’ll get there. So I’m working on that list for Santa. Boots-check. Sweaters-check. Robe-check. And a gift card for the Harriet Carter catalogue, please, because I’ve been — for the most part — a fairly good girl. Nell Musolf is a mom and a freelance writer from Mankato.
%# # ' # # #
. -INNESOTA 3TREET s (OURS -ON s 4UES 3AT s 3UN #LOSED
& # ' & # #
(! $
''' '
Garden Chat By Jean Lundquist
Next year my tiller and I will keep up with the garden
W
ell, it didn’t happen this fall, so I doubt it will happen in the spring. We didn’t get the grass seed planted. It’s easier to retire a portion of the garden when one is tired of the garden, and the hard work is a fresh memory. Come spring, hope springs eternal and enthusiasm expands as the natural world around us explodes with life. Everything is possible in the springtime, even a very large garden. Even now, in the cold, dark days of winter, I have some hope and enthusiasm. Everything I could have thought to ask for as a Christmas gift, I already have. One of those things is a rear-tine tiller. The difference in the ease of operation between front-tine tillers and rear tiners is almost unbelievable. If you believe in tilling, as I do, you have got to get one for your garden! Many years ago, my sister watched me struggle with my tiller as we attempted to put in a strawberry patch in my yard. She was already on the rear-tine tiller bandwagon. She said, “Boy, I’m glad I don’t have to work that hard.” At that time, almost 30 years ago, I had no idea what she was talking about. I thought a tiller was a tiller. The only difference I knew was that the front-tine tillers all fit my budget much better than a rear-tine model would. Rear-tine tillers cost more than their front-tine cousins. A lot more. Now, I have insight into why. My rear-tine tiller even has reverse! No need to drag that heavy beast backwards to make a turn. What will they think of next? And the best part of the deal is that I found it, gently used, on Craigslist. At the end of the season, the price was just right. It cost me about $50 more than a new one would cost on closeout. Next spring, both will bring in a lot more money. It’s kind of like selling a motorcycle, convertible or boat in the fall — wait until spring and it will be worth a lot more money when the buyer can jump right in and use the item. Same with tillers. If you read this before the sellers do, go out and buy yourself a rear-tine tiller right now, and get a great price. Now with this device I don’t need to wrestle with, perhaps I CAN keep up with my garden next year. Just because it got away from me this year doesn’t mean I can’t keep up next year. Especially with my brand new (to me) tiller. Another item I would have put on my Christmas wish list was a new chicken coop. I was using a plastic garden shed from Menard’s as a chicken coop, and had been for years. Larry modified it for me with a closable chicken door cut into the side, so the chickens could get in and out
46 • december 2014 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
without us having to open the larger. But then raccoons figured out how to pry their way in and there just wasn’t an efficient way to keep them out. They apparently love chicken for dinner. Then there was that wily baby skunk I thought was so cute. That coop was not just irksome, it was costing me a lot of money and personal serenity. There was no way to really put in roosts, no way to keep the feed off the floor where they wasted more than they ate when they scratched it out of the “feeder” bowl I used. Thanks again, Craigslist! I found the most beautiful chicken coop there. The Taj Mahal of coops. Again, it had been gently used, so because it was no longer new, someone else had taken depreciation. The owner and I negotiated, and though the fact that it was not insulated was not a big deal in the spring, I knew winter was coming, as it always does. With a little ingenuity and a lot of struggle, I was able to insulate it myself using the money I had saved with my negotiating skills. And I do mean myself. Larry offered suggestions for tools and method, but I did it myself. It’s not pretty, but it’s insulated. Now, as I write this, Larry is in town buying me a drill press. What more could I want for Christmas than these things? More on the drill press next issue. Jean Lundquist is a master gardener who lives near Good Thunder.
Your TRUE Real Estate Professionals.
Opening early 2015
Dynamic Agents
The #1 Real Estate team in Southern Minnesota!
Call
507.345.TRUE (8783)
today!
Now Enrolling! Ages 6 weeks - Kindergarten Preschool program Licensed staff with 46 years combined experience Locally owned by Brandon & Brooke Olson
Give us a Buzz! (507) 720-6441
lilbeesmankato.com 1821 Basset Dr, Suite 103 Mankato, MN 56001 (behind Sam’s Club)
Bee Happy. MANKATO MAGAZINE • december 2014 • 47
Kids finally move out? Time for a makeover. The carpets you've always wanted are softer than ever. Come in and see our latest collection of luxurious floors from Shaw. Carpet | Area Rugs | Tile & Stone | Hardwood | Laminate | Resilient | shawfloors.com
FLOORING EXPERTS SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE!
RICKWAY CARPET 507.625.3089
1107 Cross St. | North Mankato Mon-Thurs 9am–8pm | Fri 9am–6pm | Sat 9am–4pm | Closed Sun.
www.rickwaycarpet.net
The Trusted Pair in Elder Care With 18 years of combined experience in the elder care industry you can trust the team at Water’s Edge to provide knowledge, expertise, and compassion at a time when you and your loved one need it most. To learn more about Water’s Edge please call Rachel or Brooke today!
Peaceful, Easy, Living
Brooke Olson Director of Operations
48 • december 2014 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
Rachel Carpenter Director of Marketing
WatersEdgeMN.net 507-388-5582 800 Agency Trail, Mankato, MN 56001
Gift Cards
Always the right color. Always the right size. “It’s All About the Food” $
A LITTLE
LUXURY Madison Ave Hilltop Mankato 507.625.1625
5 BURGER Every Monday
FOOD • DRINKS • CATERING STEAKS, SEAFOOD, CHOPS & SANDWICHES
Downtown New Ulm 507.354.2613
1025 N. Riverfront Drive 507-344-1554
pattersonsdiamondcenter.com
pappageorge.net
THE GIFT THAT ALWAYS FITS
Buy $25 in Culver’s Gift Cards and get a
ICATE
GIFT CERTIF
Gift Card
FREE Value Basket
WITH A GIFT CERTIFICATE FROM ENCORE
1856 Madison Ave, Mankato 507-344-1554
311 N. Riverfront Dr., Mankato 507-386-0861
1680 Commerce Dr., N. Mankato - 507-345-1680
encoremankato.com
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 10-6; Sat. 10-4; Sun. 12-4
For every $25 purchased, receive a $5 gift card free! Also ask about our Wash Books – great stocking suffers! 1990 Madison Ave. Mankato. MN 507-304-6785
www.culvers.com
C & S Supply True Value “The Eve
” rybody Store
Holiday Shopping just got easier. 1951 N. Riverfront Drive Mankato 507-387-1171
candssupply.com
Your Style By Ann Rosenquist Fee
Beyond Nice Jeans & Shiny Top
What to wear this year that’s not what you wore last year
T
here’s nothing wrong with what you wore last year. In fact, it’s a great starting point for this year’s holiday attire. Why go through a stressful, dehydrating mall visit if you can work with what you’ve got? I don’t think you need an overhaul, but I do think you can take it up a notch. Bring some depth to your look, some fresh flair to old pieces. A new sense of purpose to the rhinestones on the back pockets of your last-year holiday jeans. Let’s start there. Across world religions, winter holidays share the common theme of light as a reprieve from darkness. It’s the kind of light that comes in small, potent doses when we need it most, when we’re ready to go crazy because it’s dark before work and it’s dark after work, both, and why bother with a hairdo when earmuffs are necessary just to go out and start the car? And why not change into pajamas by 7 p.m.? Why not? Because who cares. Who’s looking. It’s too dark to see each other anyway. It’s just, so, dark. This is when a certain light shows up. A menorah that burns from evening till dawn. An Advent wreath lit one candle at a time in a five-week crescendo. A Yule log, a Solstice bonfire, the single star in a cold black sky. And now, beginning this holiday season, the back of your pants. The rhinestone jeans you bought last year might feel like has-beens on the verge of being sent to Goodwill. I urge you to reconsider. Pull them out. Admire the constellation of studs, the metallic stitching, the delightful fact of bling where it’s unexpected. It’s not impossible that this was the purpose of the trend in the first place. Give them the benefit of the doubt, and wear your sparkle-pants this season with the gravity and poetry they deserve. Let’s take, say, a sheer black scarf. Let us wrap it sarong-style around our hips so that the rhinestones show 50 • december 2014 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
through. Light in the dark. A glimmer, a promise. And lo, last year’s jeans are re-conceived as the common denominator among world religions. Right?! Own this. Religious unity looks supercute on you. If you’ve already cycled the jeans out of your wardrobe, here are some other ways to embrace the theme: • Get some LED necklaces from a party supply store. Nestle them deep in an infinity scarf, drop them inside the neckline of a loose-weave sweater or scrunch them up inside bunch hand-warmers. And boom, you’re a walking woolen menorah. You’re a burning Solstice bonfire. And you’re warm! • Buy the cheapest of cheap glitter lotion, or powder, and go nuts on your face, hair, hands. Whatever shows. And honestly, not much needs to show. You can bundle head-to-toe in fleece and wrappy-wrap warmth, and just as long as you give a tiny stylish nod to the universal beauty of light in darkness, you’re set. You’re festive. And you smell great. • Go higher-end with a light-up skirt by Mankato’s own Amy Sinning, a designer whose formalwear is getting noticed this season as part of Brilliance! Made Here, a Minneapolis walking gallery showcasing artists who interpret light using photographs, videos, textiles, drawings and fiber art. (Details at madeheremn. org). Not every holiday party is the right place for a lit-up plastic tutu — for instance, parties where people wish to sit down — but even if you’re not looking to buy, take a peek at what Sinning has created. Know that she made it all during the same recent winters we all lived through here in the river valley. If nothing else, her work might urge you to get artsy or crafty when the dark starts getting you down. You don’t have to launch a fashion line. But if you’re going to stay here, and stay stylish, you do need to find ways to
make light. Cheap bracelets. Glitter lotion. Universal truth. See you at the party.
Ann Rosenquist Fee is executive director of the Arts Center of Saint Peter and a vocalist with The Frye. She blogs at annrosenquistfee.com.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Something for Everyone on Your Christmas List!
Independent & Assisted Living
Hand and Power Tools Western & Flannel Shirts Automotive Accessories Winter Outerwear Ertl Farm Toys Printed & Embroidered Sweatshirts Carhartt Casual Wear Radio Flyer Wagons Fleecewear Year-Round Workwear Housewares Winter Workwear Horse Tack Western & Work Boots
We provide stress free living year round with a long list of amenities.
Old Main Village
Do you love Minnesota, but not the hassle of winter?
• Air Compressors & Accessories • Weber Grills and Grilling Accessories • Barco, Cherokee, Dickies & Peaches Nursing Uniforms • Echo & Stihl Power Equipment
Gift Cards Available!
• • • •
Scheduled transportation Heat included in your monthly rent Robust calendar of activities Health and wellness programs including a heated indoor pool • Chef prepared meals • Pet friendly environment To simplify your life, call Kate today for a personal tour at 507-388-4200
301 South Fifth Street Mankato, MN 56001
(507) 388-4200
www.oldmainvillage.com A Platinum Service® Community Managed by the Goodman Group
5
$
00 OFF
any regular priced purchase of $20.00 or more (limit one coupon per customer) Excludes Gift Cards EXPIRES DEC. 24, 2014
507-388-1559 LivSalonSpa.com
WRAP UP YOUR HOLIDAY SHOPPING
Employee owned - Local company since 1957 1951 N. Riverfront Dr. Mankato
387-1171 or 1-800-879-1938 www.candssupply.com Holiday Hours: Nov. 29-Dec. 23rd Mon.-Fri. 8am-8pm • Sat 8am-5pm • Sun. 11am-5pm
Would your employees enjoy a bit of wellness and relaxation? We would be delighted to customize a collection of Aveda gifts. MANKATO MAGAZINE • december 2014 • 51
Cut Your Own
Christmas Tree Pre-cut Trees Garland & Wreaths made fresh daily Spruce Tops, Boughs Birch Branches and Poles Evergreen Pots, Tree Stands
Evergreen Train Rides Fri., Sat. & Sun. Bring Your Camera! Pictures with Mr. & Mrs. Claus in Sleigh
Our designers will help you fall in love with your kitchen again.
HACKERS
Tree Farm, Nursery & Greenhouse 507-794-2462 Sleepy Eye www.hackerstreefarm.com Mon.-Sat.: 9-7 • Sun. 10-5
Make your holiday sparkle! Beautiful Homegrown Pointsettias Fun & Unique Gifts Holiday Decorating & Entertaining Ideas Fresh Bouquets with Fragrant Evergreens
Gift cards make the perfect gift
A Beautiful Way to Flower Your Holiday
219 S Victory Dr | Mankat o 507 | 345 | 7009 ipaf@hickorytech.net independentpaintandflooring.com
HOURS : Tue & Wed & Fri | 9 am to 6 pm Mon & Thu | 9 am to 7 pm Saturday | 9 am to 4 pm
WINTER IS COMING... Better Sell that House! (507) 381-4747 One of Mankato’s Best
DAN WINGERT
885 E. Madison Ave. | 507-387-7908 www.hilltopflorist.com 422 Park Lane, Mankato, MN | www.NuStarMankato.com 52 • december 2014 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
MANKATO MAGAZINE • december 2014 • 53
Dr. AngelA Schuck Dr. keith FlAck
You Deserve Comfortable Care Every Time. Sedation - Complete Relaxation with Just a Pill Invisalign - Clear Alternative to Braces Botox & Fillers Implants - Placement and Restoration Cerec - One Visit Crown Technology
• • • • •
Free Whitening Program 3D Imaging with Fewer X-Rays Cosmetic Dentistry Drill-Free Technology Emergency Care
1400 Lookout Drive, North Mankato 507-625-CARE(2273) • mankatodentist.com
061865612401
• • • • •
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H 507-345.4040 H H facebook.com/AmericanWayRealty H H www.MankatoRealEstate.com H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H Karla Van Eman,H H Broker/Owner H ABR, CRS, GRI H H HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
I would like to wish all of my past, present and future clients a safe and happy holiday season!
54 • december 2014 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
NEW CLIENTS FREE Brazilian Blowout Split End Treatment with a minimum purchase of $25. CURRENT CLIENTS $5 off your next haircut.
#LOVEUNFILTERED KatoKarizma.com 507-779-7110 611 N Riverfront Drive, Mankato EXPIRES 2/1/15
Personalized Gifts for the Holidays Create a gift they’ll CHERISH
Visit our showroom to see hundreds of unique items you can personalize
340 Pierce Ave. North Mankato 507.344.8464
Stay posted on great gift ideas at www.facebook.com/creativeadsolutionsinc
COMPLETE TRUST COMPLETE SATISFACTION.
Because the air quality in your home can affect your family ’s health as well as their comfort and safety, Schwickert’s professionals offer Radon & Indoor Quality testing. With your home’s personalized report, we are able to determine the source of any problems and help you find the solution to keep your home’s air quality at a safe level. Call Schwickert’s to ask for your Air Quality Analysis.
1823 Adams St. Mankato, MN 56001 (507) 387-5000 williamsdiamondcenter.com Like us on
330 Poplar Street, Mankato, MN | 507-387-3101| schwickerts.com MANKATO MAGAZINE • december 2014 • 55
Coming Attractions: December 2 -- University Orchestra 7:30 p.m. -- Elias J. Halling Recital Hall, Minnesota State University -- $9 general, $7 students -- 507-389-5549 4 -- Contemporary Vocal and Instrumental Ensembles 7:30 p.m. -- Elias J. Halling Recital Hall, Minnesota State University -- $9 general, $7 students -- 507-389-5549 5-6 -- MSU Fall Dance Concert 7:30 p.m. Friday; 2 p.m. Saturday -Ted Paul Theatre, Minnesota State University -- $10 regular, $9 discount, $8 MSU students -www.MSUDance.com 5-7 -- GSR Fine Arts Festival 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday; 12-5 p.m. Sunday -Verizon Wireless Center -- free -www.GSRFineArtFestival.com 5-7 -- Merely Players presents “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday -- Lincoln Community Center -- 110 Fulton St., Mankato -- $15 adult, $13 senior, $10 youth 12 and under -- 507-388-5483 5-7 -- “Tender Rose, Starry Night” Christmas in Christ Chapel 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. -- Christ Chapel, Gustavus Adolphus College -$30 -- www.gustavustickets.com -507-933-7520 6 -- Arli-Dazzle Day long event including Santa Day activities, Black Top Fishing Derby, dog sled team and more -- 5:30 p.m. Lighted Christmas Parade -507-964-2809.
56 • december 2014 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
7 -- Holiday Choral Concert 7:30 p.m. -- Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church -- 632 S. Broad St., Mankato -- $9 general, $7 students -507-389-5549 7 -- Mankato Symphony Orchestra Symphonic Series: Handel. With Love. 5 p.m. -- Mankato West High School -1351 S. Riverfront Drive, Mankato -$25 Gold, $20 Silver, $15 Bronze, $5 Youth -- www.mankatosymphony.com 9 -- The Winds of Christmas 10 a.m. -- Christ Chapel, Gustavus Adolphus College -- free -- 507-9337013 12 -- The Annual Michael Johnson Concert 8 pm -- Bjorling Recital Hall, Gustavus Adolphus College -- $15 for adults, $12 for seniors/students/Gustavus employees, Gustavus students receive 1 free ticket with current I.D. -www.gustavustickets.com 12 -- Minnesota Valley Chorale performs Sing the Great MysteryCenturies since Bethlehem 7:30 p.m. -- Christ the King Lutheran Church -- 222 Pfau St., Mankato -- $10 adults, $5 seniors and students -www.minesotavalleychorale.org 12-14 -- Merely Players presents “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday -- Lincoln Community Center -- 110 Fulton St., Mankato -- $15 adult, $13 senior, $10 youth 12 and under -- 507-388-5483
13 -- Minnesota Valley Chorale performs Sing the Great MysteryCenturies since Bethlehem 7:30 p.m. -- St. John the Baptist Catholic Church -- 632 S. Broad St, Mankato -- $10 adults, $5 seniors and students -www.minesotavalleychorale.org 13-14 -- Mankato Ballet Company presents “The Nutcracker” 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. -- Ted Paul Theatre, Minnesota State University -- $20 adults, $15 students and seniors, $12 Children 3-12, free children 2 and under -- MSUTheatre.com -507-389-6661 14 -- Lorie Line The 25th Anniversary Christmas Special 3 p.m. -- Verizon Wireless Center -$49, $44 group price -www.ticketmaster.com 14 -- Mankato Children’s Chorus Winter Concert 3 p.m. -- Christ Chapel, Gustavus Adolphus College -- $10 adult, $7 Senior and Children -- 507-387-9007 19 -- Bill and Kate Isles concert 7:30 p.m. -- Arts Center of Saint Peter -- 315 S. Minnesota Ave., St. Peter -$10 -- 507-931-3660 21 -- Home Free Full of Cheer Holiday Tour 7 p.m. -- Verizon Wireless Center -$29.50, $24.50, $19.50 -- VIP Tickets $117.00 -- www.ticketmaster.com
! !
Christmas at the Hubbard House Saturday, December 6 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Sunday, December 7 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Turn of the Century Costumed Guides Holiday Gift Shop • Refreshments Adults $7.50 / Children 5-17 $5 BECHS Members and under 5 are FREE
OPEN FOR TOURS December 13, 14, 20 & 21 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
606 South Broad Street, Mankato, MN
www.bechshistory.com
! !
Thank You for a Wonderful 2014
Our Showroom Is Where Your Windows Are!
Brook Devenport
Wishing You the Best in the New Year!
Lower your yearly cooling & heating costs!
The right window coverings can lower your monthly bills, as well as protect your flooring, furniture and decor from sun damage.
Jennifer Wettergren Realtor 507-340-2280
jen@nustarmankato.com NuStarMankato.com
58 • december 2014 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
✓FREE Measurements! ✓FREE Shipping! ✓FREE Consultation! ✓FREE Installation! www.blindsandmore.biz
507.469.8276 | blindsandmore@charter.net
Faces & Places
Photos By Sport Pix 1
St Peter Halloween Fun Run 1. Four Smurfs cross the finish line together. 2. Thing 1 and Thing 2 take a moment to soak in the fun while crossing the finish line. 3. A little boy dressed as Iron Man takes off from the starting line at the St. Peter Halloween Fun Run. 4. A younger Batman eyes the end of the race while the older Batman trails behind. 5. Runners dressed for the occassion sprint away from the start line at the St. Peter Fun Run.
3
2
4
5
MANKATO MAGAZINE • december 2014 • 59
Faces & Places
Photos By Sport Pix
Strides Against Cancer
1. To start the walk, Mankato Motors provided the Breast Cancer Awareness Chevy Charger as the pace car. 2. There was a Silent Auction that took place at the Strides Against Cancer event. 3. The group of Breast Cancer Survivers get together to take a quick picture before the walk. 4. One of the many booths they provided at the walk was a photo booth, that came equipped with multiple pink props. 5. Many participants dressed up for the walk to raise awareness for Breast Cancer. 6. Even the little kids participated in the festivities. 7. It was a beautiful day on Oct. 11th for a Strides Against Cancer walk.
2
3
4
6
60 • december 2014 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
1
5
7
Faces & Places
Photos By Sport Pix
Maker’s Fair
1
1. Vendors offered hundreds of handcrafted and handmade items. 2. Hundreds came out to the event to check out what the vendors had to offer. 3. It was a beautiful fall day in Garden City for the event. 4. The Salvage Sisters booth was a very popular one. 5. Kiyi Kiyi soap is made in Willmar using 2 unique Minnesota ingredients. 6. Customers browsed everything from jewelry to potholders.
3
5
4
6
MANKATO MAGAZINE • december 2014 • 61
HI, I’M JOE TAYLOR. Overton, Texas. What keeps me coming back to the Trail? It’s just absolutely sensational.
I have people tell me what they’ve spent playing one round at Pebble Beach and a night at the hotel, or going to Pinehurst for a couple rounds. We do the entire week, travel, hotel, green fees, good meals and everything for the price of one day at these places. And it’s absolutely a sensational place to come. TO PLAN YOUR VISIT to Alabama’s Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, visit rtjresorts.com or call 1.800.949.4444 today. facebook.com/rtjgolf twitter.com/rtjgolf
62 • december 2014 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
From
this
Valley
By Pete Steiner
SEND ALL: the 2014 Annual Christmas Letter
H
ey all, munching crackers and cheese, sipping coffee (cinnamon hazelnut). Looking out on a grey autumn sky. Didn’t sleep well. Haven’t started Christmas shopping. But excited as ever about Christmas. Been quite a year. •••• Sitting here with smartphone and laptop and tablet. Just dumped a hundred e-mails. Trying to contemplate why I never have time to contemplate anymore. Used to get good ideas that way. Checking texts, tweets, Instagram, e-mail, BuzzFeed, trying to find what everybody’s thinking about ISIL, Ebola, Ukraine, NFL domestic violence, Ferguson, Obamacare. Saw some long, in-depth articles on above in New Yorker, Rolling Stone and Foreign Affairs magazines, but didn’t have time to read. Trying to decide whether to join Facebook. Thinking, not now. Sharing here pretty much all I need to share. Don’t need to help them fill out my marketing profile. Did sign up for Twitter. Four of eleven followers replied that they didn’t understand my tweets, thus could not “favorite” them. (I love “favorite” as a verb!) Sending you one I didn’t Tweet — if it comes via snail mail, I suppose it’s not really a Tweet, but here goes anyway . . . w/ digital trail more seductive than snail one’s words should be cryptic b-4 hitting “send” lest one require styptic in making amends on booboos the whole world can see Count em, 140 characters. I figured I’d be twitterary literary, but then told, no one’s looking there for Joyce wannabes. I replied, don’t own a cat, cannot send adorable feline face photos. Random thought: amazing how quickly one can become irrelevant in Techo-Society.
• Heard Beethoven’s Ninth used to promote two new products as well as three new fall TV shows. Promos no doubt created by some well-rounded liberal arts grad like me, who chose advertising over the other two options open to us types in today’s economy, coffee barista or “Jeopardy” contestant. BTW, poor Beethoven was never able to copyright his masterpiece, otherwise, he’d be earning royalties to rival dead Elvis and Michael Jackson.) • Finally getting around to reading “Cold Mountain.” I am always at least 10 years behind on novels – read the reviews, saw the movie. Book better. Beautiful prose. •••• Set this letter aside for a couple days, let it simmer; always best to proof-read before hitting “Send All.” I’m sounding a little “bah-humbug,” agreed. Too easy to think dark thoughts during November’s dark days. Actually should relate that things are pretty good. Life is perilous, yet Life prevails. We had a gloriously golden October. Still payin’ the bills, still able to afford beer, so what’s not to like? Wife and I went to Norway in July. It’s as beautiful as advertised. And we spent our first year as grandparents. Granddaughter’s beautiful, too. Baby’s name is Eva, after her great-great Grandmother, whose favorite song was, “You are my Sunshine.” And yes, she is. Merry Christmas!
•••• Trying to keep this to less than four pages this year. That said, here’s 2014 quick rundown, From This Valley: • Survived Polar Vortex, grew very tired of the term. • Realized a politician’s job is to coddle the Electorate, shield them from harsh truths; to agree that gas and food are too expensive, that Ebola shouldn’t happen here and Putin should accept that we don’t want him messing with Ukraine. Also, that we can’t really predict that Global Warming is happening and could drastically change the way we live. Call it Ostrich Politics. • Heard song on radio, “Blow My Whistle, Baby,” listened, tried to figure exactly, what game are they playing? 64 • december 2014 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
Peter Steiner is host of “Talk of the Town” weekdays at 1:05 p.m. on KTOE.
�re� ufor�the
your home
���i����
‘Tis the season for plush comfort and warm elegance. Warm your home with a beautiful, flickering fireplace to gather around on snowy eves. Shop our beautiful lamps, rugs, and accents to trim your house with winter cheer and charm.
Austin 507.437.1457
Mankato 507.218.0030
New Ulm 507.218.0158
Visit us online at www.roomsandrest.com