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20 SUMMER 18 JUL/AUG

about us editor:

Beth Forkner Moe

contributing writers:

Kari Berit Lisa Cownie Rian Dicke-Michels Carlienne Frisch Mallory Fuchs Julie Buchwald Haley Nancy Iglesias Trent Jonas Gunnar Olson Sarah Osterbauer Ramon Rodriquez Carron Terri Schlichenmeyer Sara Schlueter Nicole Sweeney Isabelle Wattenberg Grace Webb

multimedia consultants: Kristie Biehn Ginny Bergerson Nicole Brandon Kari Clark Kathleen Davies Missy Daschner Pam DeMorett David Granlund Emily Kahnke Tim Mart Abby Matson Mark Nelson Jay Petsche Kyle Shaw Gayle Stelten

graphic designer: Kate Townsend-Noet

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Mary Jo Blanchard Nicole Gilmore Jenine Kubista Kelly Kubista Kate McGillen Jennifer Schoenbauer Volume 10, Issue 4

Copyright © Girlfriends 2018 Published Jul/Aug 2018 by: Southern Minn Media 514 Central Avenue Faribault, MN 55021

southernminngirlfriends.com Send releases and story ideas to:

Beth Forkner Moe at Girlfriends magazine, bfmoe@southernminn.com

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contents features

8 PROFILE - Claire Baker

The baking queen of Mankato.

10 Fad Diets

What are some of the myths and facts about fad diets?

12 Finding Homes for American Heroes

Several local women have joined the team to help our veterans find homes.

16 Turkey Trends

From Sriracha to Cajun, Jennie-O introduces new turkey products.

20 Feeding the Brain and the Body Learning Rx and Owatonna Fitness team up.

22 Eating for the Season

Eating healthy each season.

26 The Savvy Brush

Faribault business offers unique restored furniture and finds.

28 Tea, Anyone?

Exploring some tea and coffee shops.

32 The Comfort of Food

The power of food to give comfort.

36 Small-town Fitness

Putting the fun in fitness and bringing the community together.

38 The Skinny on Food and Education

Learning about ways to make a living in the food/culinary industry in our region.

42 A Shared Love of Learning

Two AmeriCorps programs offer life-changing rewards for every one involved.

44 Pistachios

New research call pistachios superfood for people with desk jobs.

45 From Facebook

Favorite summer foods from our readers.

accessories

15 a man’s perspective 48 book review 24 food sense 50 gf directory 5 note from the editor 18 the coach’s corner 46 unexpected caregiver

47 wellness

41 women in the news!

on the cover: Clair Baker - photo

by Philip Weyhe.

See her profile story on page 8.

NOTE from the editor

“

Food,

glorious food,” sang the hungry orphans in “Oliver.” Sadly, they didn’t live in Minnesota in the summer where the food truly is glorious, and plenty, and fresh. This issue was a lot of fun to put together, during our 10th year of bringing interesting stories to our readers.

We have articles about feeding your body (tummy and the rest of you), your brain, your soul. We talk about the comfort of food during good times and bad, and how it can help build community. We have recipes (literal and figuratively) that add to the health of your body and your soul.

We share information about what is (or isn’t) a healthy diet, and how you can make a good living in the food industry (and our state, with our many food processing companies – from cereal, to poultry and other types of protein, to sugar, to the ever-present Spam, and more - has plenty of opportunities to work in these careers).

Our profile is about a woman named Claire Baker who is – literally – a baker of delicious goods (as well as working her “day job” as a teacher) and has fun doing it.

Finally, we asked our readers to share some of their favorite summer foods via Facebook. In case you’re interested, my favorites are fresh corn on the cob, eaten as soon as possible after being picked, as well as rhubarb, tomatoes and berries. There are so many wonderful Minnesota summer foods. They can be served fresh, or they can be canned/preserved to keep the tastes going throughout the winter.

Enjoy this issue, and keep thinking, as the “Oliver” orphans sang, “Oh food! magical food! wonderful food! marvelous food!”

Find Southern Minn Girlfriends on Facebook

forkner Moe Beth Forkner Moe is the editor of Southern Minn Girlfriends magazine.

P.S.: We’re getting very excited about our Women’s Expo on October 18 – “Let’s Get Cooking” with Chef Guy Klinzing. Save the date and invite your friends. We’ll share a lot more information in the September issue.

SUMMER 2018

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“Cake decorating isn’t my thing… I like what I do now.

Donuts are more abstract things. You can just dunk it and put sprinkles on it.” - Claire Baker

P

By Grace Webb

retzels. Brownies. Strawberries.

Cake. Mini donuts. Each one is a delicious dessert by itself, but throwing them all together in one gooey, fruity, salty, peanut buttery pie? Who knows how that would turn out?

Mankato resident Claire Baker knows the answer: deliciously. In fact, so deliciously that her unorthodox concoction earned her the winning spot in a pie contest hosted last November by the Hennepin Theater Trust to celebrate the visiting Broadway production of the new “Waitress” musical.

Baker said she was already planning to attend the show when it arrived in

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Minnesota since she’s a huge Sara Bareilles fan (Bareilles wrote the show’s music and lyrics). Then her mother, who purchased tickets for them to attend, received an email from the Hennepin Theater Trust mentioning a contest to find the official pie of the Minneapolis stop of the show. The contest called for “whimsical” pies inspired on their bakers’ lives, much like how the show’s heroine crafted her own baked desserts. Baker got to thinking—and to baking.

“It just kind of came to me one day,” she said. “[I thought], ‘I should just throw in all this stuff, since I’m very indecisive when it comes to everything in my life. I named my pie ‘Inde-pie-sive.’”

Baker’s submitted recipe earned her a slot as one of three finalists, who all appeared on the WCCO-TV morning show for a live tastetesting. The news anchors chose Baker’s pie as the winner, which meant CONTINUES ON PAGE 8

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CONTINUED FROM page 7

that her pie recipe appeared on an insert in the show’s program.

“I haven’t heard of anyone trying to make my pie yet, though,” she said with a laugh.

While last year’s contest was probably the biggest event Baker’s desserts have been involved in; she’s been baking since she was a kid. She said she often baked cookies with her mother, and she was inspired by her grandmother, who would bake “amazing” birthday cakes for her siblings and her when they were young.

“I really love baking things,” she said. “It’s a fun creative outlet for me, and it’s a form of art—I like working with my hands. When I make stuff and give it to people, it makes them happy, and it makes me happy.”

Baker dove even deeper into the dessert world when she moved to New York for an internship during college, using her sweet creations as

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gifts for new friends. Not coincidentally, that was around the time Pinterest started, and Baker said she loved finding different recipes online to try for herself. In fact, she admits that she prefers to follow recipes instead of experimenting—usually.

“I like following the recipe,” she said. “It’s nice to have that structure.

They say baking is therapeutic for that reason… you’re following that recipe.”

Baker’s favorite desserts to bake are donuts and cupcakes—and she said she really doesn’t make that many pies. “[My recipe for the contest] didn’t require a lot of technical skill,” she said. “I’m all about the shortcuts.”

A few years ago, Baker started ClaireCakes, a side business that allows her to offer her delicious creations to folks across southern Minnesota. She explained the business started after a friend asked her to bake cupcakes for a birthday party. Then another friend talked to her about setting up a booth at a local farmers’ market, which she did for the first

time last summer. As more time passed, more orders kept coming.

“It’s a nice little side business,” Baker said. “It keeps me pretty busy.”

Baker said she receives a couple orders a month, with Christmas and graduation season being the busiest times. One time, she baked more than 300 donuts for a wedding, waking up at 5 a.m. to finish everything in time before hauling the sweets to Des Moines and attending the wedding herself.

“It was like a race against the clock,” she said. “My whole garage was covered in tables with tarps on them, and donuts everywhere. The whole back seat was full of donuts. But that was fun. I thought it was hilarious.”

Baker said she doesn’t plan on turning her side business into a fulltime job, adding that she’s very happy as a choir teacher at Mankato West High School.

“I love my job and love working with kids,” she said. “For me, this is the perfect balance because my time alone in the kitchen is a great stress relief. I don’t have to talk to anybody… I can just put my head down and bake. The oven never talks back to me.”

If you’re suddenly in the mood to head into the kitchen and finally try baking something from scratch, Baker’s got some advice.

“Don’t be afraid to try new things,” she said. “Pinterest recipes are great, but they don’t always turn out the way they look. But that can be deceiving, because they’re still usually delicious. With enough sugar and butter, almost anything tastes delicious.”

Grace Webb is a wandering reporter whose home base is Mankato.

Inde-pie-sive recipe Crust: d 2-1/2 c. pretzels, crushe 1 stick of butter, melted

and butter until rees. Stir together pretzels Preheat oven to 350 deg well-combined. Press into the a glass bottom and up the sides of 7-9 for e Bak tin. pie pie plate or d. wne bro tly ligh il unt s minute .

Remove and cool completely Brownie filling: 3/4 c. vegetable oil

1-1/2 c. sugar 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract 3 eggs

3/4 c. flour

1/3 c. + 2 Tbsp. cocoa 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. salt preference), melted (depending on your peanut ¼-1/3 c. peanut butter s.

Preheat oven to 350 degree s and mix until and vanilla extract. Add egg Mix together the oil, sugar well combined. der and salt. Slowly bine flour, cocoa, baking pow In a separate bowl, com ter into the preil well combined. Pour the bat add to the egg mixture unt and gently swirl ter bat peanut butter over the pared crust. Drizzle melted inserted 2 inches minutes, or until a toothpick with a knife. Bake for 35-40 clean. Let cool completely. from the center comes out Strawberry compote: 3 c. strawberries, diced

1 c. granulated sugar

2 Tbsp. lemon juice 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

a medium saucear, lemon juice and vanilla in Combine strawberries, sug until the strawberries er heat to a gentle simmer pan and bring to a boil. Low to 1/2 in volume, kened and reduced by 1/3 are soft and the syrup is thic thick after cooling, too is asionally. If the sauce occ ring stir s, ute min 15 ut abo just whisk in a little water.

Sour cream do

nuts

1 c. all-pur pose flour ½ tsp. baking soda ¼ tsp. salt Pinch of nutmeg ½ c. full-fat sour cream ½ c. granul ated sugar ¼ c. vegeta ble oil ½ tsp. vanilla extract

1 large egg

Preheat the oven to 350 de grees. Prepare donut pans with cooking spray.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and pinch of nutmeg . Set the dry ingr edients aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk toge ther the sour cream, granulat ed sugar, vegeta ble oil, vanilla extract and egg.

Switch to a spat ula and stir in the dry ingredients.

Fill a pastry bag (without a tip) with the batter and pipe it evenly among the prepared pans. The batter should reach about halfway up the inside of each donut cavity.

Bake the donuts for 12-16 minut es until they spring back wh en lightly touche d. Let the donuts cool for ab out 5 minutes be fore removing them. Toss in a cinnamon suga r mixture or dip frosting (powde in red sugar mixe d with milk until frosting consist ency).

Place an order

651-491-1513 100 Kingsmill Court, Mankato Facebook: ClaireCakes SUMMER 2018

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9

Myths and Facts about

Fad Diets I

By Isabelle Wattenberg

first heard of the Whole30 diet when I met a friend for brunch and she proceeded to order nothing but straight, black coffee. My other fellow diner and I chowed down on schmeared bagels and frittata, astonished as she explained that no menu items could accommodate the diet, which eliminates all grains, legumes, dairy, and added sugars. According to the Whole30 website, millions have taken on the challenge.

While the Whole30 describes itself as a “30-day into the fad diet dietary reset,� it also falls category. According to Kristi Von Ruden, a registered dietitian at Northfield Hospital, fad diets are characterized by intake restriction, the elimination of specific

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s

foods or food groups, and the promise of major results that usually include weight loss. The Whole30 is just one of many diets of this type; others that have recently gained popularity include the Keto, Paleo, and apple cider vinegar diets.

The draw, Von Ruden said, is that appeal of a “quick fix solution.” These diets offer temporary sacrifices that will ultimately allow us to return to our ordinary regimens, with no long-term lifestyle changes required.

This theory is shared by Dr. Jillian Lampert, registered dietitian and Chief Strategy Officer at the Emily Program, a Twin Cities-based center that provides treatment for individuals battling eating disorders.

Lampert said if a fad diet appears Kristi in popular media, Von Ruden the Emily Program generally begins to see clients discussing or trying the diets within a three-month time span.

In addition to the attraction of rapid or significant weight loss, Dr. Lampert said, the fad diet provides external “guardrails and boundaries” at a time when we face a staggering variety of choice around what to eat.

“I think people often feel a little helpless or a little out of control when it comes to food and their weight,” Lampert said. “Some plan takes away some of the uncertainty and choice, which can be experienced as soothing. If you follow the plan, you don’t have to make decisions.”

The concerns about fad diets are two-fold.

One is nutritional damage. Regimens that eliminate certain foods or food groups often eliminate important nutrients as well. While introducing key foods back into one’s diet can balance this out, the second risk is harder to rectify.

Although the diet itself might officially last only a few weeks, it can lead to long-term behavior changes. Dr. Lampert said she sees diets produce one of two outcomes. Either the individual ends up over-indulging in those

foods they had previously avoided, or they adopt a highly restrictive diet as a permanent lifestyle, which leads to long-term nutrient deficiency. Eating disorders can develop from either response, Dr. Lampert said: binge-eating and bulimia for those who over course-correct, and anorexia for those who continue to diet past the prescribed time period.

Individuals with eating disorders are especially susceptible to these diets, Lampert said, and can often cycle through a number of diets in a short amount of time. But it is easy for anyone to feel the social pressure. It’s an experience friends and colleagues can bond over, sharing recipes and results. And popular media can be quick to promote the latest trend.

“There are so many fad diets Dr. Jillian

Lampert because there have to be new ones to capture our imagination,” she said. “American consumers get taken for a ride; [the diets] are alluring and promise a quick fix, so we do it.”

At the same time, she said, the social element of discussing and sharing food can help direct people away from dangerous habits. Women can serve as a voice or reason for each other, offering alternative paths to healthy eating and behaviors.

“The person’s who’s deciding whether or not to get on the bandwagon can be an important voice in getting people to consider doing something different,” she said.

Isabelle Wattenberg is a social media and data analytics specialist for MSP Communications. She spends her spare moments listening to opera, reading Alice in Wonderland, and writing about Minnesota happenings.

Curious about a new diet?

Or know someone else who is?

Consider your goals before you do: Are you trying to lose weight?

Von Ruden works with Northfield Hospital’s ReShape U! Program, which provides nutrition education, meal planning and even resources to address mindful and emotional eating. This type of program teaches practices to support long-term, sustainable weight loss and healthy eating goals.

Dr. Lampert calls out four key elements that contribute to our body shape and health: eating, exercising, sleeping, and emotions. If any element is out of balance, it affects weight gain or loss--what we put in our bodies is just one factor.

Are you doing it because someone else asked you to join them?

Remember that everyone’s bodies and metabolisms respond differently, and you shouldn’t expect to have the exact same results. Lampert warns that this is particularly the case when couples of the opposite sex embark on a diet with each other. Men’s bodies tend to respond more quickly, which can be disheartening and frustrating for women.

“Often men’s bodies respond sooner to the diet, and it’s really deterring,” she said.

GI trouble?

If stomach or digestive issues are troubling you, Dr. Lampert recommends seeing a physician before attempting self-diagnosis and adopting an un-prescribed diet.

More Information ReShape U! Weight loss and nutritional coaching series and support groups: Held at Northfield Hospital, 2000 North Avenue, Northfield. See their online schedule at northfieldhospital.org/reshape-u. Call 507-646-1410 or email dietitian@ northfieldhospital.org to sign up.

Emily Program support groups and individual and group therapy: Campuses across St. Paul, St. Louis Park, Woodbury, and Duluth. See schedules at emilyprogram.com or call 888-364-5977 (888-EMILY-77).

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The Home Team

Deb Gillard, Lindsey McGurran, Charlotte McCabe, and Tami LaCanne proudly wear bright red t-shirts emblazoned with “R·E·D - Remember Everyone Deployed – FRIDAY” in white lettering. Submitted photo

Finding Homes for American Heroes

B

By Julie Buchwald Haley

AMERICAN WARRIOR I N I T I AT I V E 12

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uying a home has special challenges for active military and veterans. Active military may not be able to browse listings or visit weekend open houses, making the home-buying process overwhelming when they return. The lending process for those separating from service is challenging without knowing what their income is once separated. While VA loans make home ownership easier by guaranteeing part of the loan, there are additional requirements and some sellers shy away from these buyers.

Owatonna-based real estate agents Charlotte McCabe, Deb Gillard and Lindsey McGurran, along with mortgage professional Tami LaCanne, gathered on a recent evening to talk about their new certifications with the American Warrior Initiative (AWI) and giving back to our local military.

Moving to a new home creates logistical, financial, and family

challenges, and is considered one of the most stressful events in life.

Military families relocate ten times more often than civilians and face the added challenges that life in the military presents. The objective of the non-profit AWI is to educate, encourage and inspire Americans to give back to our military. A key part of this initiative is the education platform for real estate agents and mortgage professionals. AWI recently held Military Mortgage Specialist (MMS) and American Warrior Real Estate Professional (AWREP) Boot Camps and All four women participated in these educational and classes, which turned out to be emotional as well.

LaCanne, a loan officer with Fairway Independent Mortgage Corp. (FIMC), was the first to attend the AWI Boot Camp in Austin. She is now a Military Mortgage Specialist (MMS) and knowledgeable about benefits for active and retired military.

“The class opened my eyes to some of the struggles our veterans encounter when they return home, as well as when they go to buy a home,” she said. She was very moved by the stories told

by AWI Boot Camps Trainer Louise Thaxton, a veterans’ advocate and fellow mortgage professional with Fairway, which has teamed with AWI in its efforts to serve those who have served.

The boot camp included testimonies by AWI Co-Founder Sean Parnell, a retired Army Infantry Captain with the elite 10th Mountain Division and veteran of the war in Afghanistan.

When LaCanne’s branch of FIMC organized the training, she recommended the continuing education event to her fellow real estate professionals McCabe, Gillard and McGurran, who went through a similar American Warrior Real Estate Professional Boot Camp a week later. They, too, were inspired by Thaxton and her call to support and encourage local active military and retired men and women.

McCabe, a real estate agent with Berkshire Hathaway, was clearly touched by the story she heard of a “63-year-old Vietnam veteran who was buying his first home and using the VA loan benefits available to him.” He had not wanted to use the benefit in the past in part because of the negativity surrounding the Vietnam War and the soldiers who fought in it. He recalled that he had “not once been thanked or even welcomed home,” McCabe said. “That’s common among many vets… and I want to change that one vet, one encounter, one home (at a time).”

CONTINUES ON PAGE 14 u u u

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LaCanne noted that fellow FIMC employees across the country donated more than $1 million to AWI in 2017. At this year’s fundraiser gala in Austin, donations helped AWI and The Kris Heichel Team (a team of mortgage professionals serving Rochester, Austin and Owatonna) give three service dogs and training for a fourth, along with $7,500 for home repairs to local veterans.

The women each walked away from AWI’s Boot Camp with a new-found appreciation and gratitude for our active military, veterans and their families, as well as the challenges they face when buying a home. In this current sellers’ market, it is easy to just take the highest, simplest offer. The American Warrior Initiative, along with Charlotte, Deb, Lindsey, and Tami, are educating sellers about giving back to

CONTINUED FROM page 13

McGurran, also an agent with Berkshire Hathaway, recalled a personal story of a military friend who was startled by a child running across his porch, the sound triggering frightening memories. She recalled that “fireworks and other loud noises” were also triggers. She learned at the Boot Camp that 100% of soldiers return home with some amount of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The first weeks back, making the transition from killing the enemy to comforting their family, are extremely difficult.

Gillard, an agent with RE/MAX Venture, who has family members who served, is looking forward to “helping to change how veterans are treated when they come home” and learned “Acknowledging all veterans, but perhaps taking it a step that simply listening is important. “I can’t even further with Vietnam veterans, who may not have received imagine what they experience in the field, but I a ‘Welcome Home’ is just one of (Thaxton’s) messages that can listen. Not a lot of us resonated with me.” - Deb Gillard just listen,” she said. She recently spoke with a Vietnam veteran and said she made a point of saying “Thank you. And those who have served and been dedicated to protecting our homejust in case no one has ever said it before, welcome home.” land, homes, and hearts from those who would bring harm.

“Acknowledging all veterans, but perhaps taking it a step further with Vietnam veterans, who may not have received a ‘Welcome Home’ Julie Buchwald Haley is a freelance writer and PTSD survivor who works full-time, volunteers part-time, and is a pet parent to five. She recently returned to Minnesota after a 30+year absence to make new is just one of (Thaxton’s) messages that resonated with me,” she said. memories with her parents.

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A man’s perspective

Stillwater’s Ebb and Flow as a Foodie Destination

jonas Trent Jonas is a Twin Cities-based writer and divorced father of two. He is fascinated and frightened by women but is working through his issues.

I

loved — LOVED — Smalley’s Caribbean BBQ and Pirate Bar in Stillwater. I was an at-least weekly (in truth, way more frequent) customer there for many years. After almost a decade in business, the beloved fixture on the south end of downtown closed its doors for good in January. Management cited excessive rent as a reason.

Smalley’s, however, was not the only recent restaurant casualty in Downtown Stillwater.

Last fall, the Green Room shut down suddenly after its owner was involved in a car accident.

Then Pub 112, on the north end of Main Street, closed after several years in business.

Brine’s Restaurant and Bar, operating for more than 60 years in the heart of downtown, shut its doors at the end of March. The Brine family, which maintains its market up the hill in Stillwater, was no longer interested in being in the restaurant and bar business.

So, what exactly happened? No one among the folks I’ve talked to can say for certain.

But the only significant event that I can think of, which coincided with these restaurants shutting down, was the August closure of the historic lift bridge in downtown Stillwater.

This occurred when the St. Croix Crossing opened over the eponymous river between Bayport and Stillwater.

I have no scientific evidence, but with the routing of traffic away from downtown Stillwater — and no straight shot from

downtown back across to Wisconsin — much of the historic river city felt like a ghost town last fall. The bridge will eventually re-open as part of a planned bicycle/pedestrian trail project that is expected to boost the St. Croix Valley’s economy.

Although the businesses that closed apparently didn’t feel they could tread water for two years before reaping the rewards of the trail project, some new entrants are already rolling the dice. Two new hotels are under construction on Main Street — on either end of downtown.

The Velveteen, a speakeasy-style lounge, opened in August with craft cocktails and small plates. This winter, Brick and Bourbon, a southern-y, barbecue-y place, opened in the old Green Room space. In May, Pearl and the Thief, a nod to elevated Southern cuisine from the folks behind Handsome Hog in St. Paul, opened in the spot where Pub 112 was located.

Brine’s will be revived in a similar, casualwatering-hole format this summer. The folks from the heart of the bar program at Smalley’s will be opening the spot with backing from the After Midnight Group.

Folks with Smalley’s pedigrees have strong influences on The Velveteen and Prince and the Thief, as well. Meanwhile, Sean Smalley — the mastermind behind the old favorite — is now chef at Portside, where he works along with his old sous chef and a former bar manager from Smalley’s.

As of this writing, the space that his much-missed restaurant once occupied stands empty and unleased.

SUMMER 2018

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www.jennieo.com/

From Sriracha to Cajun, Jennie-O introduces new, ‘on-trend’ turkey products

H

(Ed. Note: This was originally published in the Faribault Daily News March 17, 2018.)

ormel’s Jennie-O recently unveiled 17 new turkey products it says are “on trend.” They include uncured turkey breast franks, flavored turkey bacon and taco-seasoned turkey sausage.

“When it comes to meal time, Americans want it all: their favorite dishes, but with less fat, calories, artificial ingredients or preservatives. Fortunately, Jennie-O is in a unique position to meet the needs of today’s families and health-conscious consumers.

Our uncured turkey franks are a great example of the flavorful, better-for-you foods we’re creating to satisfy and inspire grocery shoppers,” said Brent Koosmann, Jennie-O director of marketing.

“Hot dogs are an American food icon, but a preference for premium meats and awareness of common preservatives have prompted many families to move away from this kid-friendly favorite,” according to a release from Jennie-O. “Nearly a third of purchasers are worried about the quality of the meat in hot dogs, and the hunt for more nutritious options may be what’s driving half of consumers to purchase more than one type of hot dog or sausage.

The uncured turkey breast franks are made with premium turkey breast and have 50 percent less fat than beef franks.

There are two new flavored turkey bacon varieties, blueberry and jalapeño, and three new flavors of seasoned turkey sausage: taco, Italian and chorizo. Around the corner in the deli aisle, Jennie-O is rolling out pre-sliced turkey breast in several bold flavors including: Cajun, smokey chipotle and Sriracha. All are 98 percent fat-free.

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THE COACH’S CORNER

Soul Food MalloryFUCHS Mallory Fuchs is a licensed alcohol and drug counselor and a life coach for women. She helps women gain the confidence they deserve so that they can design the life they love.

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Y

ou know that feeling you get when you walk into your home after a long day of work and smell the mouthwatering aroma of garlic and rosemary simmering in butter sauce? Or how about waking up on a Sunday morning to fresh-brewed coffee, vanilla frosting, banana bread, or maple syrup?

YUM! It gets all of your senses going and you feel the excitement in your mind, body, and soul.

There is something about food that does more for us than just fueling our body for the energy it needs to take on the day. Food is a magical force.

Food is what brings a family together after a long hard day at school or work. You all get to sit down together and talk about your day and bond over the food that you are eating. Food is what connects us to other people. Think about it - how many times do you meet your girlfriends out for a great sushi roll or go out on a first date to that

romantic café in the heart of town?

When you go to a wedding shower you often bring a recipe card with your favorite recipes to give to the new couple. It’s because food keeps our hearts and souls connected.

What about all the love that goes into a homemade meal or fresh baked cookies? Food is sometimes the love language that we use to show people how much we appreciate them.

Also trying new foods leads to new experiences and conversations. According to Betsy Davis (Senior Strategic Marketing Manager, Pharma and Life Sciences, Elsevier’s R&D Solutions in New York), “Eating is often a social activity, and for Millennials, this is even more so the case.

They value experiences, which is why the culture of food is important to them from trying new cuisines and sharing their food finds to feasting at food trucks and food festivals.” Food truly does bring us together and get us out of our shell- it forces us to try new things and meet new people.

Food can be the creator of healing, comfort, connection and memories.

Eating soul food can take us back to first

dates, our favorite trips around the world, and our fondest memories. Eating certain foods can connect us to our roots and remind us of joyful memories - that KoolAid ice cream your grandma made for you every summer, the secret family spaghetti sauce recipe, or the cut-out sugar cookies and frosting that you made with your sister every Christmas.

Food becomes our traditions.

Now all that talk is making me hungry!

There is another kind of soul food that is just as important - the kind of soul food that we use to fuel our mind.

Your mind will always believe everything you tell it. Feed it faith. Feed it truth and feed it with love. It is time that we start being mindful of the energy and people that we allow into our life. It is also important that we pay attention to the things that we say to ourselves.

Our physical body needs to be fed or it will starve. The same is true with our spiritual, emotional, and mental bodies. If we are not feeding those with the proper nutrition, they will also starve and die off; then we are no longer a complete and whole

person. Fuel your mind, body, and spirit with healthy things and cut out the toxic.

Sometimes being healthy also means doing things we don’t love. In order to get true results we have to do some uncomfortable things. For example, I LOVE (and I mean I LOVE) Mountain Dew and Cookie Dough.

Giving up those things felt like giving up my left arm. But I knew if I wanted to start feeling better, have more energy and clearer skin, and run faster, the Dew and Dough had to GO! So I kicked them to the curb, and the results I have gained have been phenomenal.

The same is true with toxic friends that just bring you gossip and drama. You may love them and they may be fun, but you know those relationships aren’t healthy and are not getting you to the next goal in life.

Or maybe it’s Netflix- you spend too much time watching reality TV instead of fueling your mind with knowledge or spending time with your family. Whatever it is, ask yourself: Is it making me better or keeping me stuck?

We must surround ourselves with positive energy and allow ourselves to be who

we truly are meant to be. It is having conversations with others to give your heart and soul a fiery passion to achieve your goals.

It is trying new things and seeking out new adventures in your life. It is cutting out the things in life that no longer serve you.

It is having the courage to go after your dreams and goals and it is the comfort and peace in knowing that you are living your life to the fullest.

Feed your soul in more ways than one this summer and try these fun activities: 1. Take a 10-minute date with yourself daily (enjoy a cup of coffee or meditate).

2. Read a personal development book every morning for 5 minutes.

3. Go out with your soul sisters and indulge in your favorite soul food.

4. Go for a walk out in nature.

5. Serve somebody else (bless someone with a small gift or gesture).

6. Try a new recipe or new restaurant and connect with others.

Here when you Need us. Just walk in.

Express Care Clinic Now Open in Downtown Northfield.

The Express Care Clinic can treat symptoms such as: • • • •

Allergies Cough Flu Eye, ear, or sinus infections • Insect or animal bites • Minor injuries such as burns, cuts, stitches

• Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea • Rashes • Sore or strep throat • Urinary tract infections

Express Care is open to everyone.

Express Care Clinic

706 Division Street Northfield, MN 55057 Ph: 507-646-6700

No Appointment Necessary.

Monday – Friday: 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Saturday – Sunday: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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THE

W

By Sarah Osterbauer

Brain Body

ith a name like LearningRx, it is easy to make the assumption they’re a tutoring center. But, as assumptions often go, that would be wrong. While LearningRx can have a positive effect on academic performance, it is not content-based learning.

Instead, the more accurate name for their work is cognitive training.

Owner Darci Stanford compares it to hiring a personal trainer for your brain. By engaging in cognitive exercises designed to work the brain, a client can see improved concentration, memory retention and application. By improving these skills, a brain is optimized for learning. It’s able to process and retain information more efficiently and effectively.

Stanford likes this analogy:

Think of the brain as either a sponge or a colander – those students with sponges are able to absorb, find and use the information. Colanders, however, only keep the information for a short amount of time and need to receive it again and again because it keeps “running out.”

Cognitive development finds and attempts to “plug” those holes so

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and the

that the work that schools do is beneficial to the student.

Watching her son go through the program, coupled with her interest in education and childhood development inspired Stanford to open her own center in Owatonna. She saw an immediate need for parents who struggled to find specialized learning assistance locally. Often she saw parents who wanted specialized help, forced to drive an hour or more to a bigger city.

Only open for a year now, they have been successful in helping individuals of all ages. One-fourth of their clients have been adults which shows how great the need is for adult services. Part of their success has been the ability to partner with Owatonna Fitness.

Owatonna Fitness Reagan West had been interested in health and wellness all her life, but the idea to open her own fitness center didn’t materialize until she began teaching fitness classes. With a background in marketing, she knew opening her own place would be the perfect way to utilize her fitness knowledge and her business savvy.

Owatonna Fitness offers a variety of group classes as well as personal training. The classes run the gamut from cycling to strength training to yoga and boot camp style exercises. Reagan is passionate about helping people create a healthier lifestyle by setting small attainable goals and working to reach those goals at a reasonable sustainable pace. She loves meeting new people, learning their stories and helping

them to make positive changes in their health and wellness.

One of those people happened to be Stanford of LearningRx, and their serendipitous meeting blossomed into a unique partnership.

“Darci started taking my cycling classes and we had many similar goals in helping people and making a difference in our community,” West said. “Our styles and visions are very similar. Partnering together was a very natural fit. I focus on exercising the body, and she works on training brains. We have even done sessions where we combine physical exercise drills with brain training on the breaks. It is an awesome mix and a great way to maximize time and performance.”

It may seem like an odd pairing, fitness and cognitive training, but the core of what they both strive for is improving body and mind.

Both women want to make a difference in the community and lift each other up as female business owners.

The Partnership How does their partnership work? To date, they have done combined sessions, incorporating movement exercises between brainfocused training drills as well as working brain training drills into physical training sessions. In a short time span, they have already seen tangible results.

“Recently, we have had sessions where elite athletes train to hit their fitness goals and we also throw brain drills at them (either during their exercise or a 20-second break). Initially, they have a very hard time focusing and listening to the instructions,” West said. “But, this is perfect! In basically every team sport, top athletes need to use more than just their physical sense of tough to excel. So, adding in

quicker visual processing, increased listening and processing speed is a tremendous benefit. For instance, we had a soccer player who read the field, saw plays and initiated passes much more quickly after adding brain training into the physical exercise training aspects.”

Like many health and wellness centers, West offers nutrition guidance in conjunction with fitness classes. Stanford has also done extensive research on nutrition and how it affects development in children.

Through this research, she has been able to find dietary solutions that can aid in improving brain function for both children and adults.

The brain is a muscle just like the rest of our body so how you fuel it has a direct impact on how it performs. One qualitative study found that physical activity may play a major role in preventing or delaying cognitive decline in adults. Regarding nutrition, the study found that limiting portion sizes; preparing foods in healthier ways, eating more fish, fruits, vegetables, low-fat foods and chicken; and eating less red meat and chicken with skin were associated with better brain health.

Another study published by the American College of Sports Medicine found that fitness was positively associated with cognitive areas of attention and working memory and response speed in children.

Armed with their combined knowledge and expertise, Stanford and West plan to continue partnering in the future. Some of their future plans include cognitive yoga, a muscle and mind class, and youth yoga designed for children with ADD/ADHD. Both women feel that the “possibilities [for partnering] are endless”. They are excited about their new location and expanding on their current joint sessions, while enriching their community and helping people become healthier and happier.

Sarah Osterbauer is a freelance writer based in St. Paul.

115 North Cedar, Downtown Owatonna | 507.451.6644 | www.kottkejewelers.com SUMMER 2018

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I

By Sara Schlueter

t’s common to swap out our sweaters for dresses and shorts when warm weather rolls around, but can we also swap out our produce to match the season?

Eating healthy, fresh produce for each season packs some serious benefits—for both your health and wallet. When you eat foods that are in season, such as berries in the summer or squash in the fall, you are eating fresher produce, saving money and supporting local farmers.

Here we break down why you should give your pantry and fridge a switch-up every season and what foods are in season in the summer across Minnesota. Not only is it easy to eat seasonal produce, it’s a great excuse to try a new recipe and experiment with new foods.

Saves you money When you shop for produce that is in season during your next grocery trip, you may notice some savings on your bill. It is true that purchasing seasonal produce is cheaper. This is because the produce will be locally sourced, and so won’t require as much transportation, storage or labor costs. When out-of-season produce is bought, such as clementines during the summer, the price of them will be higher because they will have to be sourced from somewhere else, most likely overseas, and then stored.

Healthier, and better for you The nutritional value of produce that is purchased in season is much higher.

This kind of produce is generally fresher and has been picked when it is at its peak, and then is consumed much quicker. You will also notice that when you shop local produce it is brighter and fresher looking because it has not been stored for a period of time, which can drastically reduce the amount of nutrients in fresh foods.

Produce that doesn’t need to be stored for long tastes better and has a less likely chance of becoming 22

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limp and spoiled. If you want to store fresh produce on your own, purchase berries in bulk for example, when they are in season and then freeze them in containers yourself. You will have fresh, healthy produce all year round.

Fewer contaminants and pesticides Purchasing local produce from the U.S. may also decrease the risk of various contaminants finding their way into food. When produce is out of season, it is often shipped in from overseas. The regulations for what kinds of pesticides and chemicals are used on fruits and vegetables can vary greatly from country to country.

Supports local famers Even if you shop at a bigger chain grocery store for your seasonal produce you are still supporting local farmers. These stores will look at what is in season and then purchase from the local supply.

Spring and summer especially is a great time to explore your local farmers’ market or co-op to check out what produce is in-season. Not only are you supporting the local community, but it is also sustainable as there is less transportation and storage that goes into purchasing local. Check out minnesotagrown.com to find local farmers markets near you.

Sara Schlueter is a writer and editor in Minneapolis with a passion for storytelling, all things Minnesota and being involved in the community.

How can I eat local?

Eating local and in-season produce is easier than you think! Here is a list of some popular produce that is in peak season across our state right now. A great resource to visit during every new season is seasonalfoodguide.org.

You can search for what produce is in season in every state and when, and tips for how to find the freshest produce.

July Blueberries Carrots Cauliflower Corn Cucumbers Zucchini Tomatoes Quick Tip: Mix together fresh corn from the cob, diced cucumber and sliced grape tomatoes for a yummy summertime salad. Drizzle with olive oil, lemon, basil and feta cheese crumbles.

August Broccoli Cantaloupe Chard Green Onions Lavender Mushrooms Onions Quick Tip: Whip together a veggie stir-fry with chopped broccoli, green onion and mushrooms. Create a simple sauce with sesame oil, garlic, a pinch of cornstarch and soy sauce.

Serve with brown rice or quinoa.

F

downtown t l u a b ari Have you been

lately?

thanks for your su & n o o s u pport o !

See y SERVICES SHOPPING

1 - ACE Hardware 2 - Anadelas Novedades 3 - B&J Sewing 4 - Bloom Floral Designs 5 - Burkhartzmeyer Shoes 6 - Carriage House Liquor 7 - Chappuis Jewlery 8 - The Cheese Cave 9 - Creating A Ruckus Too! 10 - Erickson Furniture 11 - Fareway Grocery 12 - Fareway Spirits & More 13 - Faribault Vacuum and Sewing 14 - Fashions on Central 15 - Fette Electronics 16 - Fierce Nutrition 17 - Finally A Gift Store 18 - Fleur de lis Gallery 19 - Floors by Farmer 20 - Glass Garden Beads 21 - Grit and Grace 22 - Indoor Gardening 23 - Junk Monkey 24 - Keepers Antiques 25 - Kulmiye Groceries 26 - La Regia - Mexican Grocery Store 27 - Milltown Cycles 28 - Pawn Minnesota 29 - Ron’s Pawn Shop 30 - Ruf Acres Market

31 - Suenos de Quinceanera 32 - Voh’s Floors 33 - Weddings By Deb 34 - Zensational

DINING 1 - Anna Dee’s Cafe 2 - Banadir 3 - Bernies’ Grill 4 - Bluebird Cakery 5 - Crack of Dawn 6 - The Cheese Cave 7 - Depot Bar & Grill 8 - El Rancho Restaurant 9 - Gran Plaza Mexican Grill 10 - Lyon’s Meats 11 - Restaurante El Colibri 12 - Signature Bar 13 - Subway

PUBS/CLUBS 1 - 10,000 Distillery - Opening Spring 2018 2 - American Legion 3 - Boxer’s Bar and Grill 4 - Grampa Al’s 5 - F-Town Brewery 6 - Knight’s of Columbus 7 - Lori Ann’s Bar 8 - Signature Bar

1 - DuFour’s Cleaners 2 - Faribault Print Shop 3 - Geek Central 4 - Heidi’s Clubhouse 5 - Phone Station 6 - The Upper East Side 7 - UPS Store

SALON 1 - Beauty Nook 2 - First Avenue Hair Design 3 - Hair Station 4 - Mirakel Salon 5 - JM Beauty Salon 6 - Ron Caron’s Old Towne Salon 7 - Studio 14 8 - Sunset Salon

AUTO 1 - Cenex Gas/Convience Store 2 - Community Coop Oil 3 - Glenn’s Towing & Service 4 - NAPA Auto Parts 5- Reed’s Central Auto Repair

Like us on Faribault Tourism or Facebook Faribault Main Street

ATTRACTIONS

1 - Alexander Faribault trading with a Dakota trading partner stands in Faribault’s Heritage Park. Faribault artist Ivan Whillock created this sculpture which sits atop a fountain known as the Bea Duncan Memorial Fountain.

2 - Alexander Faribault House 3 - Buckham Center 4 - Cathedral of Our Merciful Saviour 5 - Paradise Theater for the Arts 6 - Village Family Theater 7 - Whillock Studio 8 - Restored Tilt-A-Whirl 1950s era car 9 - Restored Tilt-A-Whirl Classic car

MURALS • Bridging Us To Our Past - Alexander Faribault • Bruce Smith - 1941 Heisman Tropy Winner • Flecks Beer • Ice Skating on the Straight River • Faribault Annual Pet Parade Since 1939 • Rotary mural featuring restored downtown clock • Tilt-A-Whirl - A Family Classic Since 1926 • Welcome to Historic Downtown Faribault

DOWNTOWN LODGING 1 - Be My Guest Loft 2 - Historic Hutchinson House Bed & Breakfast 3 - The Inn at Shattuck-St. Mary’s 4 - The Upper East SIde 5 - Vintage Suites

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FOOD SENSE

M

y best memories as a child are those that happened around my family dining table, the long conversations about life, politics, economics, family gossip, parentson disagreements, arguments, happiness, everything and nothing… those moments for me were the best!

I have always been in love with those endless conversations with food around the dining table, sometimes outside of our regular meal times.

We got it wrong!

Ramon RODRIGUEZ Carrion Ramon Rodriguez Carrion is the owner of Ruf Acres Market. He can be reached at (@ Ramonsfoodsense) or (@Rufacresmarket).The market is located at 220 Central Ave, Faribault.

We think that eating is the most important part for our health! We forget about the experience of shopping, cooking, companionship, and the conversations just after eating, Let’s think of eating as the holistic experience where everything from shopping and preparation to feeling satisfied and communing after a meal is important Paella is one of my favorite dishes, not only because the flavor of the food, but because my memories of everything around the paella (looking at the paella holistically).

Sitting down next to the wood fire while the paella is cooking, and before eating we have what we call the “Vermut” – you might think of “Vermouth” but what I am talking

about is not just a drink; it’s more than that.

While some may drink Vermouth, some drink water or another thing and we share some chips, salads, salty prawns, etc. while having conversations about how our week went, what we are going to do next week, how the politicians are helping (or not), where we hope to spend our holidays and with whom…. Conversations without a rush to end. And only then, do we part ways to do our own activities or even continue to share the experience by cleaning up or doing activities together.

This is why paella is my favorite Sunday meal….sharing and enjoying each other with no rush to the end. Every time that I travel to Spain to visit my family we eat paella with my whole family because we are not in the rush to say goodbye. Ultimately, we will say goodbye until the next visit but that comes after the holistic experience of eating together.

My message for all is always that when it comes to food – shopping, cooking, and eating – do not be in a rush. Stop, breath, talk…. Enjoy what you are eating or cooking, connect with your food and do not forget we eat to live, we do not live to eat!

“Faribault’s” Paella Paella means, Sunday, family, friends, relax, sun, my roots, Mediterranean Sea… Ingredients: 1 espresso-sized coffee cup of rice per person 2 red peppers 3 chicken breasts A few pork ribs or pork fillet meat 1 green pepper 3 cloves of garlic 4 tomatoes (ripe) Olive oil Salt Saffron Black pepper Cut the garlic into small slices, and dice the peppers. Add 3 tsp. of olive oil and fry the garlic until golden. Meanwhile (or beforehand) slice the chicken and pork.

When the garlic is golden, add the peppers to the pan, cook for 5 minutes and then add the chicken and pork and fry around 15-20 minutes, until cooked through.

Grate the tomatoes and mix with salt, pepper and saffron. When everything is mixed properly add to the paella pan and

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stir for a couple of minutes. Add the rice to the pan and mix, then add the water (remember 3 cups of water - you can mix it with chicken broth - for 1 cup of rice).

Bring to a boil until the rice is done – be careful to check the rice and keep the water level high enough to cook the rice until cooked. (If the water measure is correct at the start, adding extra water should not be needed.)

Turkey Quinoa Salad Ingredients for 4-6 people

Salad 1-½ c. quinoa (any type) ½ -lb. asparagus 3 medium-size carrots ½ c. raisins 2 small beets

1 tsp. olive oil 2 large turkey breasts Ground pink peppercorn (as much as needed) Himalayan salt (as much as needed) Dressing 1 Tbsp. local honey Sea salt (as much as needed) 3-4 fresh Mint leaves 1-½ Tbsp. olive oil Using a deep pot, boil the quinoa until ready and drain (about 16 minutes). Grill the asparagus and set aside when done. In the same grill pan, grill the turkey breasts.

Prepare the Salad Peel and slice the carrots and beets, cut the asparagus into 1-inch pieces and then,

in a large bowl, combine the quinoa, carrots, beets, asparagus, raisins. Mix all together.

Prepare the Dressing In a deep bowl, add the honey, salt, olive oil, and mix all together. Chop the mint leaves and then add to the bowl and mix again.

Finishing the Turkey When turkey is cooked, add the pink peppercorn and Himalayan salt on top and cut into as many pieces needed.

Bringing it all together For a lovely presentation, take a large dish and make a bed of the salad prepared above as the base layer, place the pieces of the turkey on top, and then spoon the dressing on top. If you like, use some fresh mint leaves on the side as decoration.

Join us for the DJJD Run/Walk

5K run/walk 15K run SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2018 6:30 a.m. Registration begins

•

8:00 a.m. Races begin

(Armory Square, 519 Division Street)

Registration $25 before September 1 • $30 after September 1 Register now: www.djjdrun.org (All pre-registrants receive a free event t-shirt!)

Presenting Sponsors

Gold Sponsors

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The owner and operator of The Savvy Brush is Stacey Roufs, who saw Faribault as a market ripe for her furniture restoration and unique goods business. (Gunnar Olson/ Faribault Daily News)

The Savvy Brush

Offers Unique Restored Furniture in

By Gunnar Olson

S

(Ed. Note: Originally published in the Faribault Daily News April 6, 2018)

tacey Roufs looked high and low to find the right space for her furniture restoration shop.

When she happened upon her suite at 318 Central Avenue in Faribault, she knew she had found a permanent home.

“Last summer, when we moved here, I realized there was nothing like this down here,” she said. “This space screamed that it needed something really special.”

After opening The Savvy Brush in November 2017, Roufs filled the space — with exposed brick and a giant window facing downtown Faribault —with her restored,

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painted furniture and other vintage, rusty, primitive items she calls “unique finds.”

For years, the space has been known to Faribault shoppers as an annual landing spot for pop-up shops, so when she moved into her store, she was asked many questions about how long she would be open.

She’s happy to say that she’s here to stay.

“Everybody is so friendly down here and I’m so happy to have a shop in this building,” she said.

Her new neighbors, including Glass Garden Beads owner Suzanne Klumb, are happy to see her there, too.

“I was delighted with the fact that she had made a commitment to the space and to the business,” Klumb said.

The Savvy Brush opened in November 2017 in this sun-splashed, Central Avenue-facing location. (Gunnar Olson/Faribault Daily News)

Addicting

Bachrach Building

The fascination with restoring old furniture began when Roufs was in college, working toward a degree in animal agribusiness.

After college, she stopped her hobby because the paints she used were no longer up to snuff.

That is, until she discovered Farmhouse Chalk Paint, which she found more practical and stylish. Using the new paint, she fell in love with the art form once again, and looked into making it a career. “It’s so addicting to find the piece and restore it,” she said.

While her career path was not typical of an animal agribusiness major, she still holds a dear “affection for farming,” utilizing farm pieces in much of her work and in her store.

“It’s a great shop,” said Klumb of her new neighbor. “It shows all of the love she has in home furnishings and some fun accessories.”

Along with her furniture work, Roufs also features signs and towels. Much of what one sees inside the Savvy Brush is crafted by Roufs, but she also features 15 other artists’ works.

The Savvy Brush is quite the family affair, too, as Roufs credits much of her early success to her “right hand man” and husband Dale Roufs.

Her grandmother, mother and sister also contribute to the store with their own creative oil paintings, signs and towels.

When asked to describe what caught her eye about her Central Avenue-facing store in downtown Faribault, Roufs replied with a question of her own.

“What’s not to like? Everything good about an old building is in here,” she said. “It’s the perfect backdrop to showcase old wood furniture.”

Roufs’ journey to find a space suitable for her business took her to nearby Northfield and Owatonna, but, as she says, “there wasn’t anything like this.”

In addition to the physical location, Roufs enjoys the camaraderie of the Bachrach Building, too, which is predominantly inhabited by female store owners and operators.

“My sister lives in Indiana, but being here is like having sisters around every day,” Roufs said of Bluebird Cakery, Two Sisters Sewing and Alterations and Glass Garden Beads down the hall. “It feels like a family.”

Klumb said Roufs’ personality fits in well with the other store owners, but so does her business.

“There’s an artistic flair about it,” Klumb said. “It just fits really well.”

Gunnar Olson is a reporter for the Faribault Daily News.

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River Rock Coffee located in St. Peter. Photo from Tripadvisor.

Tea,

(Or Coffee, Perhaps)

A

By Carlienne Frisch

group of long-time friends gather over tea and scones, a family treats their children to lunch, a student takes a coffee break from studying online. Regular tea house or coffee shop customers usually are on a first-name basis with the owner of the business, who often is a female entrepreneur.

Heidi Wyn of Curiosi-Tea House in Mankato, the three women who own River Rock Coffee in St. Peter, and Patty Peterson, who opened Patty’s Place in New

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Prague 23 years ago, are typical of these women business owners.

But all of them have a different story.

Wyn offers more than 200 teas at the Curiosi-Tea House. She has chosen nine vendors from around the world for their environmental and social sustainability. “I’m into experience. I offer samples of several teas and explain their background and flavor,” Wyn said. “I love the variety, and that each tea is its own experience. After teaching every grade from kindergarten to college, I now teach tea.” She even has a program that she offers to groups, Tea 101—the history and etiquette of teas and teapots.

A Mankato native, Wyn, whose caffeine sensitivity prevented her from drinking coffee during long meetings, credits a bottle of white tea with creating her interest. “I wondered why I’d never heard of white tea. So I went to tea shops (in the Twin Cities) and experienced as a customer what I now offer at Curiosi-Tea

Curiosi-Tea House located in Mankato. Photo from Facebook.

House,” she said.

Wyn opened the Curiosi-Tea House in September 2014. She partnered with other local businesses to add scones, cookies, other baked items, sandwiches, salads and puddings. “All foods are vegan or vegetarian, but cream and milk are available, as is tea to take out. We also have teapots, infusers, anything to do with tea,” she said.

The Curiosi-Tea House hosts a variety of gatherings, including book clubs, painting parties, Bible studies, open mic evenings, tarot readings, Red Hatters, bridal and baby showers, and happy hour tea tastings. Wyn provides tea for events such as art show receptions and church gatherings. In addition to selling bulk tea on site, she is considering marketing it online.

Like Wyn, the three women who own River Rock Coffee, do not bring a formal business education to their enterprise, having majored in literature, art history and chemistry. But as university students in California, Tamika Bertram and Katie Aho both learned about organic and specialty coffees and locally-grown organic food.

When Bertram relocated to St. Peter 16 years ago, she realized the area lacked a “community place” that she had seen in other cities. “I wanted to make a special place for St. Peter, a space for joy to inhabit. We have the opportunity to present delicious food - organic, locally produced food - alongside ethically sourced, specialty coffees, in a nourishing environment,” she said.

“We support the standard of fair trade, buying coffee from local cooperatives in each country, from small growers in specific countries near the Equator—Guatemala, Ethiopia, Mexico,” Bertram said. “We get farm products, all organic, from suppliers in South Central Minnesota, including whole wheat flour and other grains, blueberries and honey. We also have gluten-free options.”

Katie Aho and Helena Shanks began their relationship with River Rock Coffee as employees. Last year, they bought into the business. Aho, who handles community relations and staff deCONTINUES ON PAGE 30 u u u Patty’s Place located in New Prague.

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CONTINUED FROM page 29

velopment, said, “The thing that draws me to be a business owner and be part of the community is the dynamic people I get to work with every day - the challenges of working and growing this together.”

Shanks, cafe coordinator and manager in charge of product ordering and scheduling 10 employees, said, “I came in as a barista and continued to feel room for growth. I want every employee to feel that opportunity and the joy in coming to work every day.”

Bertram is still the visionary, or as Aho said, “our brand magic.”

When then 21-year-old Patty Peterson opened Patty’s Place in 1995, she had a degree in baking from the Dunwoody Institute in Minneapolis. She also had been decorating cakes with her mother and sister since childhood.

“I was baking in a coffee shop in another town and realized I liked doing both coffee and baking,” Peterson said. When a building opened in her home town that she thought would be perfect for a coffee shop, she got help from a local banker and her family.

In addition to various coffees, which are also sold in bulk, Patty’s Place offers a variety of pastries, including gluten free, as well as Czech kolacky. (Kolacky is plural of kolacek, which is a small kolac.) Soups, sandwiches and ice cream round out the menu. The specialty, however, is the demand for cakes.

“I’m just crazy-busy at the end of spring, with graduations, and for every holiday,” Peterson said. “People get excited about holidays and treats themselves.”

Whether it’s with tea, specialty coffees or decorated cakes, these five women have made a success of serving the palates of their communities.

Carlienne Frisch, who writes from Mankato, enjoys freelance editing and working with non-profits.

SEPARATE LIVING AREA • QUEEN BEDROOM • LARGE TILED BATH Fabulous apartment-style hotel loft. We offer true hospitality in a luxurious, comfortable, downtown location. Private parking available.

Curiosi-Tea House (507) 317-5354 529 N Riverfront Dr. Mankato, MN 56001

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Apply online at www.dfamilk.com/careers

What are you

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American Legion Hall • 5:30 PM - 8:00 PM All the participating businesses are eager to show you their newest taste treats and get your mouth watering for the best night of sampling! Restaurants, caterers, grocers, delis along with your favorite beers and wines and spirits make it a true Taste of Faribault.

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By Nancy Iglesias

n early American pie safe sits in the corner of our dining room. In our previous home, the pie safe had a special spot in our family room for board games and blankets. Currently, its shelves are filled with most of my table linens (placemats, cloth napkins, tablecloths and runners) and some of my oversized serving pieces. The pie safe was given to us more than 30 years ago by dear friends who had enjoyed many meals in our home while they were in college.

Because our home was situated just a few blocks from a college campus and because my husband’s job found him connected to University students on a daily basis, it was not unusual for our home to be filled with college students. The meals were never fancy, things like home-made soup and bread, baked chicken and cheesy potatoes, casseroles, chili, take-out pizza, popcorn and cookies, dozens and dozens of cookies. The allure of a homecooked meal and a place they could call a home away from home made our house a destination place for students from the local campus.

Growing up, we did not have a pie safe, but the kitchen was very much the heart of my childhood home. My mom was not a fantastic baker and, in fact, I’m not even sure that she would have considered cooking one of her true passions. But what did bring her joy was connecting with her family, friends and neighbors over the gift of food. Never fancy. It might be banana bread or apple crisp, but it could have just as easily been chocolate cake made from a Betty Crocker store bought mix.

And whenever someone in town (our little rural Wisconsin community boasted a population of 467) had a new baby or a death in the family, something to celebrate or something to mourn, my mom joined many of her friends in delivering a note of kindness and a gift of food - comfort food, nourishment for the body and soul. Maybe it was the nature of living in a small town, but so much of everyday life was about food, neighborhood picnics, church potlucks, sharing canned peaches, fresh raspberries, rhubarb, fresh corn or tomatoes. It was an everyday way to say, “Hey, I’m thinking about you today and want to share our bounty.”

I definitely got the compassionate, comfort-food giving genes.

And while I have delivered more meals to friends along the way than I could count, I have also been on the receiving end of those wonderful gifts of food, brought to our home at times of great joy and happiness and also during times of stress and sorrow. After years of waiting, we welcomed our adopted son from Romania into our family in 1998. After spending eight days traveling with a toddler and enjoying all the emotional challenges of being new parents, the friends who came to meet our son and “drop off a meal for later” were so appreciated.

Many years later, I got the call no wife wants to receive when she is out of town – “Honey, just thought you should know, I’m in the hospital. They think I’ve had a heart attack.” Three days later, he had by-pass surgery and spent several more days in the hospital. Over the course of the next weeks and months many, many meals were brought to our home. They were all quite yummy, I’m sure, and honestly it was so nice not to have to think about shopping or cooking at that time, but it was also the kindness of friends and neighbors, the hugs and notes of those standing with us that helped ease our burden.

We often talk about random acts of kindness, but let me just say that equally meaningful are the intentional acts of mercy that have come as knocks on our door, friends whose arms are laden with casseroles and crock-pots, bags and baskets that have offered hope and gentle comfort.

The power of food to delight, excite, comfort and commemorate all kinds of special occasions and their coinciding emotions is as old as time. We often celebrate birthdays and weddings with a special meal and cake. We equate the advent of certain seasons and holidays with certain foods. We have candles and air fresheners to remind us of things like apple pie, mulled cider and sugar cookies. If aromatherapy is designed to soothe our soul, just imagine what the real thing can do.

There is something physiological about our desire to consume extra carbs when we are under duress. A friend of mine told me about dropping their first-born son off at college and the emotional six-hour drive home at the end of the weekend. My friend and her husband are normally very healthy eaters, but when they stopped to fill their car up with gas, she suddenly found the front seat loaded with chocolate and potato chips.

Another friend recently shared a story with me. My friend makes the most amazing brownies with peanut butter frosting—you can’t even imagine the decadent creamy yumminess of CONTINUES ON PAGE 34 u u u

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CONTINUED FROM page 33

those brownies. She recently took a pan to the home of another friend whose 20-something son had died unexpectedly. There were a number of teenage family and extended family members there who simply devoured the brownies. One of the cousins remarked, “It’s going to take a long time to get over my cousin’s death, but if I thought if I could have some of those brownies whenever I’m feeling really sad, it might help!” Haven’t we all felt that way at some point? A delightful treat or warm meal seems to be just what the doctor ordered!

This whole notion of delivering comfort food is not about emotional eating. To see it as such is to totally miss the point.

Instead, it is fundamentally an act of care. It comes with a gift tag that says, “I’m sorry that your life is hard right now, and I want to

Eight Great Reminders for Taking Gifts of Food in Times of Need or Celebration Choose something that can be frozen.

You never know how many people are going to reach out with gifts of comfort food. Bringing something that can be frozen is always a good idea.

The process of grieving takes time and having an extra dish or two in the freezer may be a wonderful gift in the future weeks and months to come.

You can’t go wrong with breakfast basics.

Pack a bag, a box or a basket with milk, juice, granola, yogurt, muffins, bread, jam, coffee and teas. If you know their preferences, you can even add things like cereal, fresh berries and bananas.

It doesn’t need to be homemade.

Deli meats and cheeses, with crackers, bread or buns, a fruit or veggie tray, a ready-made lasagna or even a rotisserie chicken are all great choices. Extra drinks like water, pop or juice can also be helpful. Appetites can be greatly impacted, so an array of bitesized items is often appreciated.

Don’t feel like you must respond in the first few days!

Hearts take time to heal. New moms will be busy for a long time. Sometimes the best gift is to drop by a week or two after all the hub-bub is over with an unexpected gift of friendship. Your 34

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do something to make it just a little better. I want for you to be able to take a step back and just breathe and rest!”

Or, depending on the circumstances, maybe it says, “Congratulations - life is good and I want to be happy and celebrate with you!”

There is no greater privilege and treasure than be able to stand with arms outstretched to embrace the joys and sorrows, challenges and changes of our nearest and dearest friends and family.

While it may seem that our small acts of love and kindness are a blessing to them, my experience says that the blessing is always greater for me!

Nancy Iglesias is a freelance writer and non-profit consultant. She spent 20 years working as an Executive Director for Habitat for Humanity in Winona, MN. Prior to that, she was the Marketing Manager for InterVarsity Press in Downers Grove, IL. Nancy enjoys entertaining, water fitness and teaching preschoolers at her church.

friend may feel more like visiting at that point in time. It’s never too late to show you care.

Don’t be afraid to ask for preferences, especially if there are allergies or small children.

Be sensitive about staying to visit or just dropping the food off.

Whether it’s a time of great joy or a time of grieving, sometimes the family is just plain overwhelmed with the swirl of emotions. Take your cues from whoever answers the door and don’t be offended if you’re not invited in. If you do go in, plan to stay for a very brief time.

Don’t worry about the small things!

There’s lot of advice out there. Take things in small disposable containers, take main dishes, side dishes or desserts are best, and don’t forget the snacks. The Nike slogan – “Just do it!” - might be the best advice. In some ways, it doesn’t matter if yours is the third Tupperware container filled with ham sandwiches. It is the thought and gesture that counts.

It’s OK if cooking isn’t your thing.

Don’t fret if you’re not a Martha Stewart; once again, it’s the intentional act of doing something to show you care. A sweet note of friendship accompanying any of these items is sure to touch their heart - a basket full of paper products (paper plates, plastic silverware, pretty napkins, even toilet paper), stamps and notecards for later, a gift card to a local restaurant, a small bouquet of fresh flowers from

your garden, an invitation to your home for a date a month or two down the road, a journal or even a gift card for a future manicure or pedicure. When my husband was recuperating from his surgery, sweet friends dropped off a bottle of wine and a movie with a touching note about savoring the little moments of life. Comfort comes in lots of shapes and sizes.

Check out these great tools for organizing meals for your friends and family during a time of need (anything from a new baby to a funeral, a job change, a move, a health issue... ).

All of these have invitation and reminder e-mails that can be sent to those who may want to be part of a support team, interactive on-line calendars, food preferences, best times to drop off food, number of people who will be enjoying the meal. You can even note what you will be taking so they don’t get spaghetti pie four nights in a row. Some of them even go beyond meal coordination and allow you to organize assistance for other basic needs like child care, car pool assistance, lawn care, etc. Most of them have great websites and Facebook pages with lots of ideas, blogs, recipes, inspirational stories and ideas for offering support.

TakeThemAMeal.com Mealtrain.com MealBaby.com FoodTidings.com LotsOfHelpingHands.com CareCalendar.org

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ummer is here – and so is vacation season. Americans spend a lot on their summer getaways – more than $100 billion in 2017 alone, as reported in Travel and Leisure magazine. When you hit the road, you will enjoy getting away from your regular tasks, but there's one part of your life that should never take a break – your investments.

To keep your investments working consistently and efficiently for you, consider these suggestions: • Match the right investment with the right “job.” You hire an electrician to install a light fixture, you employ a plumber to clear a clogged drain, and you would not expect either one to work on the other's project. In a way, this view of a division of labor is similar to

different investments.

In general, you purchase stocks with the hope www.edwardjones.com of achieving the growth necessary to help you Member SIPC meet long-term goals, such as a comfortable retirement. On the other hand, when you purchase certain fixed-rate investments such as certificates of deposit (CDs) or money market accounts, you know they won't provide as much growth potential, but are available to fund a short-term goal – such as a dream vacation.

• Evaluate investments’ performance relative to your goals. Some people think the only way to evaluate their investments’ performance is to track them against a well-known market index, such as the S&P 500. However, using an index as a measuring stick has some drawbacks, one of which is the lack of a personal connection to your situation. Look at it this way: In many types of organizations, you typically go through performance reviews, where your work is assessed in terms of how well it helped you move toward your goals – and you can follow the same process with your investments.

Specifically, you can measure their performance by how effective they are in helping you move toward your financial objectives. For example, if you need your portfolio to provide you with a certain rate of return to meet specific retirement goals at a designated age, but you IRT-1848D-A

Cate Grinney, CFP®

find that you are not currently on track toward meeting these goals, you may need to adjust your investment mix to potentially provide you with a higher return.

Be aware, though, that Dreaming Up the Ideal seeking higher return potential will Retirement Is Your Job.likely mean taking on more risk.Get You may want Is to consult Helping You There Ours. with a financial professional to make sure you To learn more about why Edward Jones for makes sense for find a risk/reward ratio suitable your goals you, call or visit a financial advisor today. and risk tolerance.

• Look for hard-working investments. Some investments work especially hard. Some stocks, or investments containing stocks, pay dividends. Instead of taking the dividends, you can choose to reinvest them, purchasing even more shares – and increased share ownership is one key to helping build financial resources for the long term. Dividend reinvestment is typically automatic, so once you have chosen this option, there's really no extra work on your part.

(Keep in mind, though, that companies are not obligated to pay dividends, and they can be reduced or eliminated at any time.)

In the investing arena, as in many endeavors, hard work can be rewarding. So look for opportunities to keep your investments gainfully employed throughout your life.

Cate Grinney, CFP® This article was written

by Edward Jones Financial for use byAdvisor your local Edward HeritageAdvisor.

Place Jones 404 Financial

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Get fit in sominn

Small-town

By Nicole Sweeney (Ed. Note: This originally appeared in SouthernMinn SCENE in it’s April issue that published March 16, 2018)

“Putting the fun in fitness” – “Bringing the community together” – “Getting to know people”

T

racy Langeberg, Lynnea Daleiden and Loree Valek, of Fit On Main Studio in Lonsdale, pride themselves on bringing a new way to work out in the small Southern Minnesota town. When Tracy said, “45 minutes can go so fast or so slow depending on how you use it,” the four of us all laughed a bit in agreement.

Nothing has ever been so true. I’ve always been a firm believer that you shouldn’t be stuck on an elliptical or treadmill for your workout if you don’t like it. Why not try something new or join a group of people in having some fun?

When SouthernMinn SCENE and Girlfriends

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Fit On Main Studio 120 N Main St. Lonsdale, MN 55046 507-838-5815

Here we have it: My Fit On Main Studio reflection: What I liked: Lynnea (and Tracy and Loree as well) did a great job of showing alternative movements if something was too difficult. Lynnea often paused in between the songs to show us the different options we had for a particular portion of the workout, so that we didn’t feel like we HAD to do the most advanced option. ‘Cause, of course, she’s the pro and expert and totally rocked the most advanced option like it was a piece of cake. Trust me, that was not the case.

Magazine invited to try a class at Fit On Main Studio, I did my research, of course.

After reading a bit about the three masterminds behind the studio, I knew I couldn’t say no. These three women all have their own lives outside of the studio – full-time jobs, families to juggle, you name it – they are doing it. The studio, spreading health and fitness to the community they live in, is truly a passion that they have decided to dedicate their time outside of “life” to. They are each their own kind of superwoman.

Country Heat, PiYo (Pilates and yoga), Turbo Kick and POUND Rockout classes are four upbeat, ever-changing fitness classes that these three certified fitness instructors have brought to the Lonsdale area. I was fortunate enough to take POUND and to watch a Country Heat class.

The only thing I was encouraged to bring was a water bottle, which of course, I somehow managed to forget (and I definitely could have used). Fit On Main provided a

mat for me to use, and a spare set of “drumsticks” that we were using for the workout.

For those of you that aren’t familiar with POUND, it’s essentially a cardio drumming class.

So, think bodyweight movements, a little bit of dance, drumming and really just jamming out – oh, and sweating – a fair amount of that too.

Lynnea turned down the lights and created a disco-ish atmosphere with colored and flashing lights.

The music was turned up loud (but not too loud) and sure enough, we jumped right into some basic movements where we waved the drum sticks in the air, banging on our yoga mat with them and dancing around.

There was LOTS of energy and LOTS of laughter (mostly at our own selves).

Country Heat, a mixture of contemporary and country dance to the rhythm of country/ pop music, was similar to POUND.

“45 minutes can go so fast or so slow depending on how you use it.” - Tracy Langeberg

What I learned: It’s been a minute since I’ve done anything musical. Now, you do NOT have to be musical to do any of these classes, but I can see how it might help you a bit. I was struggling because I took quite a few music lessons growing up and ended up focusing on the beat of the music too much and getting stuck in my head. It took a few songs to get out of my head and just workout, but once I did, it was a blast. The lesson here (for me): just let go and have fun!

What I did not like: I blinked and the class was over. I couldn’t believe it when Lynnea announced that the class was finished. Now, I was sweaty, a bit tired and out of breath, but that didn’t mean I was ready for it to be over. You know what they say, time flies when you’re having fun.

My advice: Check out their Facebook page - www.facebook.com/ FitOnMainStudio and look at the schedule for the week. Shoot them a message or give them a call at the number below and set up a time to head on out there.

Nicole Sweeney is a freelance writer in southern Minnesota.

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Chef Michael Broughten. Photo from www.southcentral.edu/Majors-and-Programs/culinary-arts.html

C

By Lisa Cownie

hef Michael Broughten has traveled the country, working in high-end luxury hotels, private clubs and health care, and he’s even done some consulting. For him, it all began at South Central College Culinary School in North Mankato in 1985. Armed with experience, he has returned to where it all began. He moved back to the area five years ago to take over the Culinary Program that gave him his start.

The timing couldn’t be better, Broughten says, because his industry is facing a workforce crunch.

“Culinary education is so important because there is an increasing demand for trained cooks in an industry that is extremely shortstaffed. All of the cooking shows on TV and information available on the internet has made the consumer smarter about their food choices,

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trends and styles,” he said. “Today being educated on all of the special diets necessary is a huge part of the program. We work hard to make food taste good while still filling the needs of consumers. People without this kind of technical training are at a real disadvantage,” Broughten said.

The Culinary program started in North Mankato in 1968. From many perspectives, it has been a cornerstone program in the college and community since that time.

“This year we are particularly in good demand as we are the only culinary school in Southern Minnesota,” he said. “Twenty one (students) is a full program for the department.”

But preparing the food is just one part of the equation. Because food is a basic need for humans, the safe transport, processing, and marketing of food is crucial. So, another related and growing degree is in Food Science. Food science is the study of the physical, biological, and chemical makeup of food. It includes the causes of food deterioration and the concepts underlying food processing. Food scientists ensure that the food that arrives on a consumer’s table is safe, nutri-

tious, and enjoyable.

“Food scientists and technologists use chemistry, biology, and other sciences to study the basic elements of food. They analyze the nutritional content of food, discover new food sources, and research ways to make processed foods safe and healthy” said Christine Seppanen, Ph.D. and Food Science & Chemistry Instructor at Riverland Community College in Albert Lea. Seeing the growth in that industry, Riverland recently added a Food Science program to its offerings.

At Riverland, the Food Science certificate is a set of five courses that provide students an introduction to the science of food. Students who complete the coursework may work in food manufacturing, in production or quality control. They may choose to apply their knowledge of the chemistry and microbiology of food in a retail food setting. In addition, students who complete the Associate of Science (A.S.) degree in Food Science Technology will have an emphasis in science coursework that may qualify them to work in a laboratory setting.

The five courses in the Food Science certificate are Principles of Food Science, Food Safety and Quality, Food Processing, Food Product Development, and Human Nutrition. The program can be completed in one calendar year which involves two classes per semester with one online class in either semester or in the summer.

“The first students who completed the program started one year ago and just graduated this spring,” Seppanen said. “This is a new program at Riverland Community College, and we are actively working to bring more students into the program. We anticipate that interest in the Food Science certificate and also the A.S. in Food Science Technology will grow due to the presence of numerous food manufacturers in our region.”

Graduates with food science training can go on to be food technologists, nutritional therapists, product and process development scientists, or even a technical brewer, among other career options.

The food industry in the United States is highly competitive and innovative. Because of the increased interest nationwide on food technology, specifically the application of food science to the selection, preservation, processing, packaging, distribution, and use of safe food, salaries may be improving. A Food Scientist or Technologist can expect an average compensation of around $48,000 to $72,000 based on experience.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job growth among agricultural and food scientists should be faster than the average for all occupations. In fact, the demand is expected to last for the next decade, a prediction made because despite fluctuation in the economy, layoffs are less likely among agricultural and food scientists than in some other occupations. Food is a staple item and its demand fluctuCONTINUES ON PAGE 40 u u u

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Chef Michael Broughten with his students. Photo from www.southcentral.edu/Majors-and-Programs/culinary-arts.html CONTINUED FROM page 39

ates very little with economic activity.

Recognizing this trend and seeing employment opportunities throughout Southern Minnesota, Minnesota State University, Mankato offers a four-year degree in Food Science Technology. According to the University, the Food Science Technology major is designed to prepare

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for future employment in several of the major aspects of the food industry: production, quality assurance and management; sanitation; research and development; and laboratory analysis.

The University says its graduates in Food Science Technology have a good track record of successful placement in the food industry.

Lisa Cownie writes from North Mankato. Her work can be found at lisacownie.com.

in the Dr. Lorraine Griffin Tareen Dermatology is pleased to announce the addition of board certified dermatologist Dr. Lorraine Griffin. Dr. Griffin completed her dermatology residency at the University of Illinois and then joined the US Navy where she served as a Naval Commander and Head of Dermatology in Charleston, SC. Dr. Griffin returned to southern Minnesota following her time in the Navy where she has worked in her native Owatonna as well as Mankato for the past 25 years. With expertise in surgical, cosmetic, adult and pediatric dermatology, Dr. Griffin will be another great addition to the Tareen Dermatology Faribault office!

News!

Sandy Flom, CPA, CFP

This summer, Sandy Flom will be celebrating 10 years in business!

Also, in June Sandy Flom was elected as the Treasurer to Minnesota Association of Public Accountants (MAPA). She will continue her position on the Rice County Fair Board as Treasurer, for the third consecutive year. While her focus is on income taxes during the beginning of the year, her services throughout the remainder of the year include bookkeeping, payroll, QuickBooks services, financial planning, investments, retirement & Social Security planning.

We are always accepting new clients and furthering our services to current clients, Sandy is looking forward to continuing to grow her business, so please stop by 414 Central Ave N, Faribault or give her a call at 507-333-3973.

Sandy Flom, CPA, CFP

®

Patty Ciernia Patty Ciernia has joined the newly opened Mill City Senior Living community in Faribault as the Community Outreach Manager.

Patty believes seniors are a vital influence in our communities and has worked in this important service industry for more than 10 years. As the Outreach Manager, her favorite part of the job is being able to meet with seniors and their families directly. Helping them through the process of creating a new home at Mill City is the highest priority.

When not working, she enjoys her family’s cabin in Northeastern Minnesota, paddle boarding, canoeing, blueberry picking, walking and spending time with family.

Amy Amundson

On May 17, 2018 Amy Amundson graduated from the first class of the Minnesota Bankers Association (MBA) Leadership Development Academy. This year-long program, which graduated a total of 20 bankers in its inaugural year, develops the skills bankers need as they prepare for critical leadership roles in their banks. “The MBA Leadership Development Academy requires a significant commitment to personal and professional growth” said Joe Witt, MBA President/CEO. “The graduates of this intense and challenging program should be very proud of this accomplishment, as completing this program will help them grow as individuals and bank leaders.”

In addition to completing the program Amy was also Voted by her peers to be the inaugural Class President of the Minnesota Bankers Association Leadership Development Academy.

Laurie Jensen Laurie Jensen joined APG Media of Southern Minnesota in June 2018 as Events Manager. Laurie has a ten year professional background in advertising, marketing and event promotion. She will manage APG sponsored community events in Owatonna, Faribault, Northfield, Lonsdale, Kenyon, Waseca, Le Center, Le Sueur, St. Peter, and Blooming Prairie.

Laurie is past President of the Waseca Rotary Club, past Ambassador for the Waseca Area Chamber of Commerce and completed the Leadership Academy through the Waseca Area Chamber of Commerce and Riverland College. Laurie lives in Owatonna and has been a resident of the area all her life.

You can contact Laurie at 507-645-1116 southern minn media or ljensen@southernminn.com

sm mlm

Do you want to share a small press release about a female staff member and their achievements/awards? This could be an award, anniversary, a joining announcement, retirement, etc.

507-333-3117 pdemorett@faribault.com SUMMER 2018

southernminngirlfriends.com

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A Shared Love of Learning

T

By Sara Schlueter

here is a huge need for tutors in both Minnesota Math Corps and Minnesota Reading Corps. Taking the time to become a tutor provides lifelong benefits to students and can be life-changing for everyone involved.

For 15 years, the Minnesota community has been able to tutor students in need of extra help in both reading and math. The two AmeriCorps programs, Minnesota Math Corps and Minnesota Reading Corps, are in need of about 1,700 tutors for the 201819 school year. By the end of 2018, the program is aiming to serve a quarter of a million students. However, this can only be accomplished when there are enough tutors entering in the program. Read on to learn more about this program and why it is so important in keeping Minnesota students on track with their education.

ternal coach for the Reading Corps program, said. AmeriCorps Reading Corps program is one of the most effective literacy programs nationwide, and there is a reason for the K-3 focus. “Once students enter fourth grade, they are now reading to learn,” Vitito said. If students are struggling to read once they hit fourth grade, they may begin to fall behind in the classroom. It is the hope that the tutors will be able to intervene during the younger years and sit down individually with students and help them if they are struggling with reading before they fall behind later on. Minnesota Math Corps also offers solutions to help struggling students to close in some of the achievement gaps before they fall behind.

What do tutors do?

Tutors go through an through intensive one-week training in August to prepare for

What is this program all about?

Both Minnesota Reading Corps and Minnesota Math Corps are research-based initiatives designed to help students become successful in reading by the end of third grade or successful in math by the end of eighth grade. “Reading Corps is all about supporting students in reading and becoming successful readers,” Judi Vitito, a former in42

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www.minnesotareadingcorps.org/

helping students throughout the school year.

Training sessions also happen throughout the year to accommodate tutors who join the program later. There are also small group training sessions available, and internal coaches who serve as a support system for the tutors.

During a school day, a tutor may see as many as 18-20 students and may become a part of school communities and work with teachers. “I work with students individually on their special needs. I am also involved in school assemblies and I am involved with the school in a bigger way,” said Nadia Graese, a Minnesota Reading Corps tutor. “It is great to see how the teachers work and how they make their classrooms better. I also get to be an insider and an outsider at the same time when I work with students,” Graese said.

The difference a tutor can make Taking the time to volunteer through AmeriCorps has positive impacts on both the student and the tutor. “This is one of those things that is really life-changing. It gives you a way to make a meaningful difference to kids,” said Vitito. “You feel really valued in a school community and teachers value what you do. Because this is such a focused and intense intervention, you see students grow everyday.”

Graese was inspired to become a tutor because she could recall the difference that her first grade reading tutor had on her. “I had no idea what kind of a difference I could make.

There is a need for people like us because we can catch the kids that may be missed. They aren’t failing, but unless we intervene they could fall through the cracks,” said Graese.

And, because these programs are a branch of AmeriCorps, they are resources that are available to schools that don’t require additional funding.

The tutors also walk away from the experience with knowledge of how the education system works, connections and leadership experience. “It offers great opportunities in

www.minnesotamathcorps.org/

education. Tutors work with teachers, look at data to determine which students need these services and you are supporting and collaborating with each other,” Vitito said.

If you are interested in becoming a tutor, or want more information about the program and opportunities, visit readingandmath. net or call 866-859-2825. An education background or a degree are not required,

but applicants should have a strong desire to help students and should be flexible. “It is so worth it to spend time with these students and get to know them as individuals. It can be an intense program at times, but it is worth the commitment,” said Graese.

Sara Schlueter is a writer and editor in Minneapolis with a passion for storytelling, all things Minnesota and being involved in the community.

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New Research Calls

Superfood for People with Desk Jobs

R (Supplied by BrandPoint)

ecent research is giving the 86 percent of Americans who sit all day at their jobs new reasons to reach for a handful of nuts while at work, and in particular, pistachios. Adding to an increasing volume of research around the health benefits of pistachios, one study and a national survey in the U.S. suggest a snack of pistachios might boost brain power and concentration levels at work.

Pistachios helped office workers stay focused until lunchtime In a national survey, 1,000 American office workers who skipped breakfast consumed a snack of 42 grams (1 and 1/2 serving size) of pistachios between 9 and 11 a.m. Ninety-two percent of the participants said they are “distracted from their tasks at work due to hunger before lunch.” Eighty percent said they usually get hungry in the mornings before lunch and think about food often or every day.

The midmorning snack of pistachios proved to be just what they needed to power through the morning. Ninety-two percent of the participants reported the pistachio snack helped improve their concentration at work as stated in the study, “somewhat or greatly.”

That’s not surprising, according to Dr. Mike Roussell, nutrition expert and adviser. “Skipping breakfast is never a good idea, but even with a good breakfast and lunch, hunger pangs and stress-driven hunger can be distracting, leading to unhealthy snacking habits.”

Roussell says pistachios are an ideal midmorning or midafternoon snack because of their unique nutrient package that not

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only promotes feelings of fullness and satiation, but also, newer studies show, can promote an optimal mental state and more focus at work.

Increasingly, people with desk jobs are looking for a healthier snack alternative to the usual donuts and vending machine fare. Ninety percent of the survey’s participants said they believe the snack of pistachios is healthier than their usual snack. The study involved office workers in the Northeast, South, Midwest and Western U.S. who snack at their desk two or more times a week at midmorning.

Pistachios may have a role in improved brain function Loma Linda University (LLU) researchers found that eating nuts on a regular basis enhances brainwave frequencies associated with cognition, learning, memory, recall and other key brain functions. While the research studied multiple nuts, pistachios produced the greatest gamma wave response, which is critical for enhancing cognitive processing, information retention, learning and perception.

In the study, electroencephalograms (EEG) were taken to measure the strength of brainwave signals. EEG wave band activity was then recorded from nine regions of the scalp associated with cerebral cortical function.

“This study provides significant beneficial findings by demonstrating that nuts are as good for your brain as they are for the rest of your body,” said the study’s principal investigator, Lee Berk, DrPH, MPH, associate dean for research at the LLU School of Allied Health Professions, in an interview featured in the November 2017 issue of LLU’s publication, Today. An abstract of the study was presented at Experimental Biology 2017 in San Diego, California, and published in the FASEB Journal.

The workplace-snacking survey and health-benefit studies add to a growing base of pistachio research, solidifying that pistachios have all the ideal qualities for a go-to workplace snack.

Some of our Readers’ Favorite Stephani J: I love salads in the summer! Here are a few of the recipes I make all summer long: www.beinfinefettle.com/vegan-broccoli-salad/ www.beinfinefettle.com/best-vegan-pasta-salad/ Michael G: Ice cold watermelon sprinkled with a little sea salt.

Kerry Ann L: Watermelon, corn on the cob, fresh fish and salad :) I could eat this every day in the summer.

Laura O: Fresh-picked strawberries from The Straight River Farm in Faribault! It’s now a tradition for my kids to go picking. They always leave with bright red chins!!

Liz H: Fresh corn direct from Hines farm and taco salad Jan R: Rhubarb recipes

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Unexpected CaregiveR

Food is Love

I

f we didn’t take seconds when my Grandma Jo offered, her classic response was, “Fine, I guess I won’t make this meal again.” She consistently told us we were too skinny. And at times, if we didn’t want to try something, she would shame us by saying, “Good, more for the rest of us.” The family all knew that food was love when it came to Grandma Jo. It was almost the opposite with my other grandmother. Grandma Gladys didn’t like to eat. She had nearly rotten teeth! She liked saltines with butter, pie at the local post office cafeteria, and considered a glass of milk to be dinner. As a little girl, I preferred the ease of enjoying decadent butter (we used margarine growing up) on salty crackers to fighting for Grandma Jo’s love by overeating.

Mealtimes in senior housing are daily events.

Sometimes the food is good, but most often, adult children hear regular complaints about institutional food—there’s too much, it’s overcooked, it’s underdone, it’s too fancy, etc. Years ago I asked a group of elder care specialists what they would want if they lived in senior housing. Good coffee was the answer; Starbucks on every floor! I see mealtimes in senior housing from both sides.

As a manager, it’s challenging (and

Berit Kari Berit, author of The Unexpected Caregiver, is a keynote speaker who will help everyone better take care while caring for another. Follow me at www.KariBerit.net

costly) to have both flexible eating times and a wide variety. Obviously it’s much easier to “feed the masses” in restricted time frames with a set menu.

For some, mealtimes are the only time they leave their room or apartment. It’s community time, time for sharing during a meal. Most people agree that it’s much more enjoyable to make food for two versus one. But what if you’re caring for someone who can’t express their food wishes? I often wonder about my friend with YOAD (Young Onset Alzheimer’s).

One time when I was with him, I asked, “Do you want a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?”

His eyes lit up and he shook his head and said, “yes,” while grinning.

If food is love, then while we care for someone, we need to remember their history of likes and dislikes. For some folks, Cheerios can be dinner, once in a while. Not every meal is a success. Sometimes I burn a meal and resort to a can of soup or a simple salad. That’s okay, too.

One of the hardest things to give up is food—both for your loved one and for you.

In the last days of my mom’s life, she was not interested in food. My sister tried desperately to get her to eat, until the Hospice nurse said, “She really doesn’t need to eat….” There are times when not eating, but rather sitting with a loved one, is filling enough.

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WELLNESS

Illustration from dailycupofyoga.com

your soul

T

through

By Rian Dicke-Michels

he ancient yogis believed that the yoga practice brought them closer to enlightenment. The very act of meditation created for them a connection to the divine, and the very root of the practice was embedded in a spirituality and surrendering to a higher power. There is a misconception that yoga is religious, but in reality, one could use it in connection to their own religion

or simply to deepen the human experience. This is my favorite part of yoga, and why I became an instructor, because all I wanted to do was share that feeling. It became my soul food, and taught me that the best part of being alive is learning how to live it through ethical conduct, unconditional love, and overall, how this could make me a better person.

In so few words, it is difficult to delve into the meaningful theories around yoga, and there have been many books written that dive into such ideas. One of those is called “The 8 Limbs of Patanjali.”

For now, I’d like to dissect the first limb: the Yamas.

Ahimsa is considered the most important of these guidelines,

as it translates to non-harming.

Whether this is with our words or our actions, we are called to be more peaceful toward ourselves and others. It is easy to do harm.

As we check in with our thoughts, we can choose to focus on the good in the world. We are mirrors to those around us, and they are the mirrors to us. Treat others as you would treat yourself, but also treat yourself as you would treat others: with kindness, patience, acceptance, and love.

Satya means truthfulness, and we all understand how lying hurts. It’s a lesson we’ve been taught since we could understand language and grasp self-awareness.

CONTINUES ON PAGE 49 u u u

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BOOK REVIEW Book Review – “Bound to the Fire: How Virginia’s Enslaved Cooks Helped Invent American Cuisine”

By Kelley Fanto Deetz c.2017, University of Kentucky Press $29.95/higher in Canada 177 pages

Review by Terri Schlichenmeyer, The Bookworm

Bound to the Fire:

How Virginia’s Enslaved Cooks Helped Invent American Cuisine

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Y

ou’ve been cooking up a storm for days.

Soon, the whole family will be sitting at your table, which will be loaded down with everybody’s favorites. The turkey will be golden. The bread, warm and soft. Pies line your kitchen counter because you’ve cooked for days. At least, as you’ll see in “Bound to the Fire” by Kelley Fanto Deetz, you didn’t cook ‘round the clock, too.

Most of us, says Deetz, are used to seeing Black faces on boxes of our breakfast foods. We might not notice them much anymore but those trademarked figures hide an often misunderstood truth.

The “black community” in Virginia, says Deetz, “is almost as old as the colony itself.” In 1619, some twenty “negroes” lived in Jamestown; by 1625, there were 23 “Africans” in all of Virginia. Once slavery took firm hold in the state, there were tens of thousands of enslaved people but Deetz focuses on cooks, beginning with plantation homes.

As slavery expanded, kitchens began to be set apart from the main house, probably because white plantation owners didn’t want slaves under their roofs. For enslaved cooks and their families, that was both good and bad: more privacy was gained by living in the building where the kitchen was, and accommodations were usually larger than in the slave cabins – but that proximity meant that cooks were constantly oncall.

It took “a network of enslaved folks” to put food on the table, not only in growing the food, but in what may have been a house-staff of dozens. Cooks cooked, but they were also bakers, butchers, brewers, distillers, and sometimes, laundresses. A cook was likely taught to read and do “basic math,” and she (sometimes, he) taught kitchen chores to new slaves. Despite a constant likelihood of abuse and brutality, cooks often had surprising power over their

Author Kelley Fanto Deetz. www.randolphcollege.edu

mistresses and may’ve even negotiated their own circumstances.

And if things went really bad, there was always the danger-filled chance for a cook to tamper with the food…

There are, as author Kelley Fanto Deetz indicates in her introduction, several myths and misunderstandings related to enslaved cooks. There were, until now, many unknowns.

“Bound to the Fire” sets things straight, but cooking isn’t the only focus here.

What would “Southern hospitality” be without the influence of enslaved cooks? Not much, as Deetz indicates – and Southern architecture would be the lesser, too. Using documents and research, Deetz explains how this is so, which leads to a fascinating look at day-to-day work of Virginia cooks, the power they wielded, and how they influenced what you’ll eat this holiday season. You’ll come to eagerly anticipate those tales, and they serve to underscore Deetz’s final point: Americans must look beyond stereotypes and be mindful of those who literally nourished a nation.

Be aware that this is not a cookbook. Instead, this is a book of history and a chance to set it straight. Yes, there are old-timey half-recipes in here but really, “Bound to the Fire” is meant for opening eyes, rather than mouths.

-The Bookworm is Terri Schlichenmeyer. Terri has been reading since she was 3 years old and she never goes anywhere without a book. She lives on a hill in Wisconsin with two dogs and 12,000 books. For more information, visit bookwormsez@gmail.com.

WATCH FOR OUR AUTUMN ISSUE

Coming out in mid-September, it will focus on Stages in a Woman’s Life.

Articles will include: • Information about our October 18 Women’s Show and Expo – “Let’s Get Cooking” • Profile: Diane Norland, North Mankato • Book review – “Note to Self,” by Gayle King • Interviews with local female writers who tell stories – of their own, and of fiction • The “sandwich generation” – how to take care of yourself • Writing as therapy • Pageants for all stages of life • Female leaders of different faiths • Getting your affairs in order/planning for your future • Female first responders • Health benefits of friendship • HealthFinders Collaborative • Breast care at every stage

Southern Minn

Have an idea or suggestion?

Girlfriends

CONTINUED FROM page 47

Even in little ways, lying is painful. It can ruin relationships and rot us from the inside out.

We have all felt the yuck of being trapped by our own deceit, even in the ways that we lie to ourselves and refuse to examine the facts.

The truth is usually painful as well, but as the saying goes, “The truth can set you free.”

Asteya is non-stealing. It’s obvious at first glance, but upon further inspection, it has layers. Yes, you can steal material things, but you can also steal energy and moments. Stealing stems from a sense of unhappiness or envy.

Think about a time when you felt someone stole from you in a non-physical way, maybe by making a moment all about themselves, or perhaps a person who is exhausting to be around. Then reverse it by considering if you’ve ever stolen from another in those ways.

Give when you can in any form you can, whether that is food, money, or time.

Brahmacharya literally translates to “walking in God-consciousness.” In practicing energy conservation, it’s more about moderating where we put our energy. When we harness the power of our own minds, we can turn away from cravings, addiction, and unhealthy pleasures. Spending time on Facebook for an hour kills time in the literal sense and fills

FALL SEP/OCT 2018 Contact Beth Forkner Moe at bfmoe@southernminn.com

our heads with distractions. This can even refer to movies we watch, the music we listen to, and personal relationships. If we focus on that which improves our state of existence, we won’t be wasting our energy on that which dulls the senses.

The last of the Yamas is Aparigraha, non-possessiveness. This calls us to release the things that do not actually bring value to our lives. Last year, I watched a documentary called “Minimalism,” where the main theme was that of non-grasping. One of the men challenged himself to part with just a few items a day and found himself able to let go of more than he anticipated. This concept doesn’t call you to get rid of everything you own, but instead to ask yourself if the “stuff” brings value to your life. Do not allow the material to have power over you or your emotions.

In many ways, I am glad that I chose to rediscover the Yamas. Our society pushes Ego, and advertising manipulates us into believing that we need more money, more stuff, more control, and all the bells and whistles to be happy. The truth is that none of these things bring us joy. Happiness is a state of mind and only we have the power to choose happiness over all else. You don’t have to live the way the yogis did in order to live the ultimate

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state of existence, but you can feed your soul simply by noticing how you live and making adjustments. If you don’t love your life, are you Rian Dicke-Michels is a highly independent, Minnesota State University Mankato graduate and the proud mother of an earthy 5-year-old. Although a 10-year yoga practitioner, she earned her 200RYT in 2015 from The Green Lotus Yoga and Healing center, and is continuing her education toward 500 hours. “My life is a continuous journey toward healing and self-love,” she says, “I’m honored to share it with you.”

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DIRECTORY

Financial Resources Castle Rock Bank

The Castle Rock Bank has been serving the women in this community for 96 years. To answer the question, “What do women want in banking?” We believe the answer is, “To be heard, understood, respected and valued.” 27925 Danville Ave Castle Rock, 507-645-7751 www.castlerockbank.net.

EVENT RENTAL SPACE CAMP PILLSBURY

Hold your next event at the historical campus of Camp Pillsbury. Large auditorium, dining hall, conference rooms, ample meeting space and dormitory sleeping quarters that hold up to 750 overnight guests. Perfect for corporate events, weddings, concerts, leadership retreats, youth development retreats and more. 507-214-2200.

Health & Wellness Millstream Commons Assisted Living

Millstream Commons Assisted Living is located in downtown Northfield. 44 Assisted Living apartments (studio, 1 and 2 BR) featuring three meals a day, supportive nursing care, respite care, & life enrichment activities. Pets allowed. Licensed Housing with Services provider. Part of the Three Links Community. Member of Aging Services of Minnesota. 210 8th St W, Northfield, 507-650-9627, threelinks.org.

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Quick, easy and efficient! 2014 Jefferson Rd Suite C, Northfield, MN 55057, 507-664-9999, northfieldurgentcare.com.

Situated on a 30-acre, beautifully landscaped campus, NRC was established in 1969 to provide housing and services specifically designed to meet the physical, social, psychological and spiritual needs of older adults. Housing options include apartments with a minimal level of services, as well as other home settings that make increasing levels of service readily available. Options include rental and owner-occupied living spaces. Units are available for both income-sensitive and market-rate income levels. NRC also provides a fully-staffed care center for those who desire a more traditional nursing home setting. 900 Cannon Valley Drive, Northfield, 507-645-9511, northfieldretirement.org.

Home & Garden Judy’s Floral Design

Whether your wedding is black tie/ ballroom or barefoot on the beach or somewhere in between! Beautiful, quality flowers and great ideas start with Judy Smith. “Specializing in fresh creative and affordable blooms for all the flower moments of your life” 507-645-0008, 1951 Division St. S., Northfield, judysfloraldesign.com.

507-333-3117 pdemorett@faribault.com

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2018 Senior Expo

Simon Bros Cement Co. has been serving the Northfield area since 1969. We specialize in quality concrete and masonry including foundations, driveways, epoxy garage floors.

Call for a free estimate. We will look at your project and use 40+ years of experience to share ideas and advice. Call Ray 612-328-4591.

The Paper Petalum

The Paper Petalum in the historic Archer House at 212 Division St., Northfield. offers friendly customer service and unique gifts for all occasions. Locally owned and operated since 1987 we specialize in Scandinavian gifts, Minnesota products, decorative napkins, Polish Pottery, Rothschild foods, and much, much more. Stop in and visit us.

507-663-0565.

SUMMER CAMP CAMP PILLSBURY

Camp Pillsbury is a unique day and sleepaway summer camp, offering over 100 activities! Flying trapeze, circus arts, musical theater, sports, magic, horseback, gymnastics, dance, technology, musical instruments and waterski– all in the same day. So many activities to choose from!

Camppillsbury.com 507-214-2200.

Transportation Northfield Lines, Inc.

Have your group arrive in style when you pull up in one of our luxurious motor or mini coaches. Single or multi-day sightseeing trips, shopping, girlfriend getaways, dining, concerts, weddings, receptions, casino visits – you name the event and we will get your group there safely and on time.

32611 Northfield Blvd, Northfield, 800-944-2190, www.northfieldlines.com.

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Retirement Is Your Job. Helping You Get There Is Ours.

To learn more about why Edward Jones makes sense for you, call or visit a financial advisor today.

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Investing is about than money.

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At Edward Jones, we stop to ask you the question: you achieve your long-term financial We tailor our recommendations “What’s importantgoals. to you?”

Without that insight based on you: your current situation, and a real understanding of your goals, investing objectives and risk tolerance. holds little meaning.

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Contact your Edward Jones financial advisor for Member SIPC a one-on-one appointment to discuss what’s really important: your goals. www.edwardjones.com

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