inBemidji Winter 2022

Winter 2022

SAVANT OF STONE SIMON ZORNES & HIS LOVE FOR SCULPTING

10

TI P S

FOR THE GROCERY STORE

FR

IS BORN IN PUPOSKY

EE

WILD ROSE THEATER

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A BEMIDJI PIONEER PUBLICATION

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STAFF Editor Jillian Gandsey Creative Director Mollie Burlingame Advertising Lindsay Nygren Business Larisa Severson

ADMINISTRATION Publisher/Advertising Director Todd Keute Editor Annalise Braught Controller Tammie Brooks

TO ADVERTISE 218-333-9200 James Hanson jhanson@bemidjipioneer.com

Questions and Feedback Email inBemidji at inmagazine@bemidjipioneer.com Volume 9, Issue 1

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in Bemidji

All rights reserved. Although some parts of this publication may be reproduced and reprinted, we require that prior permission be obtained.

ON THE COVER Local Ojibwe artist Simon Zornes and his stone angel sculpture.

Photo by Annalise Braught.

inBemidji’s mission is to be Bemidji’s and the surrounding area’s local lifestyle magazine. We strive to enhance the quality of life for the people of the Bemidji area by informing them about all of the amazing people who live in our community. Our concentration is on everything local: fashion, food, health, and most importantly, unique individuals and stories.

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inside Winter 2022

26

Features 10 Sculptor Simon Zornes

Local Ojibwe artist Simon Zornes shares about his love of sculpting and other art forms.

17

Wild Rose Theater

23

Navigating the grocery store

26

Cate and Al Belleveau have added a solar-powered theater to their sprawling art space in Puposky, north of Bemidji.

Jessica Carter, of Core Health Nutrition & Yoga, gives us tips on how to mindfully navigate the grocery store.

Game-day favorites

In the Larisa Cooks kitchen this season, we’re sharing some of our favorite game-day snacks and appetizers.

06 In this issue 06 16

DIY: Yarn snowman

30

Spot the difference

Bookmarked

10 Winter 2022

in Bemidji | 5

DIY

Yarn

homemade

snowman

by Jillian Gandsey in

W

Bemidji editor

e’ve got an adorable and easy craft for you this winter season. Our little snowman — who we could maybe call Olaf — is simple to make and customize. We created ours with the whole winter season in mind, but he could easily be decorated more for the holidays with a candy cane scarf or with a red top hat. Children could certainly help with this one during the yarn wrapping or with the steps where the hot glue isn’t involved.

6 | in Bemidji Winter 2022

First

Draw a snowman pattern with pencil onto a piece of cardboard before cutting it out. Once it’s cut out, cut 1/4 inch slits along all of the sides. This will help the yarn to not slide around the rounded edges.

Second

: d e e n u o y t a Wh bo Upc ycled ca rd W hite ya rn Tw igs But tons Orange felt Felt for scar f Scissors Hot glue gun

ard

Use a hot glue gun to fasten the end of the yarn to the backside of the cut out snowman. Once the glue has cooled, you can start wrapping the yarn around. I started on the bottom and once it was completely covered, I did a few wraps around the neck before moving to the top.

Third

Once the snowman cutout is completely mummified, tuck the end of the yarn under a thicker spot and hot glue it there. While that cools, cut out a strip of felt for the scarf. Cut little slits into each end of it. Here you can also cut out a triangle of orange felt for the nose.

Winter 2022

in Bemidji | 7

Fourth

Fasten the nose onto the snowman’s face with hot glue.

Then you can put a dab of hot glue onto the back of the snowman to attach the scarf.

Once you’ve folded the scarf how you’d like it, use another dab of hot glue to cross the scarf over itself. Again use hot glue to add the buttons on for the eyes and down the bottom.

Fifth

With the twigs, I just tucked them under some thicker portions of the yarn so they would stick out where I wanted them to. You could hot glue these in place, also, but I wanted mine to be a little more flexible and easily replaced if they’re damaged while in storage.

Sixth

Display your cute snowman throughout the winter months!

Enjoy!

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Savant of

STONE Local artist Simon Zornes carves out time to create

by Daltyn Lofstrom

in Bemidji staff

photos by Annalise Braught in 10 | in Bemidji Winter 2022

Bemidji staff

Nestled in the temperate woods south of Zerkel, Minn., Simon Zornes boasts an eclectic collection of talents and passions.

With his 8-year-old grandson and “intern” Marcus in tow, Simon’s controlled chaos of his front yard provides several nuggets of creativity and inspiration no matter where a person steps.

To get to his creative haven, one must drive down his gravel driveway donning a few of his artifacts along its path.

One such artifact, a months-inthe-making stone sculpture angel, rests on a wooden base bolted to its bottom.

Reflecting on the changing seasons and steadily decreasing temperatures, Simon hoped to be done with the angel before it got cold.

“I have to finish the body and the graphics will go on the wings.

I have maybe a week left that I can work on it,” Simon said in midNovember, before detailing the unknowns of how he will move it once it’s complete.

“I’m not sure how I’m going to move it once it’s done other than dragging it around with a tractor,” he added.

Rather than conceptualizing what he will carve, the stone’s shape and color play a role in deciding for itself what it will be.

Having already carved a similar design for his other grandson, Marcus’ brother’s gravestone, he wanted to take his carving to the next level. And so he picked this piece of stone, already shaped for a Native-inspired angel.

“It will end up being a Native version of an angel with the braided hair, feather in the hair,” he said before continuing with a chuckle. “I’ve always thought that angels look kind of vicious. They’re going to come down and fix stuff; they’re not going to pet kittens!

They wouldn’t have that sword for nothing.”

Simon keeps several buckets of water by each sculpture he’s working on so the colors appear more vibrantly when the stone is wet, which makes it easier to grind.

The sculptures also really like the sunlight and the hues become richer the deeper he carves into the stone.

He’s in the gouging stage of his angel, thinning out the eyes, shoulder and head after wetting it. He does most of his work by eye, though he digs out his digital caliper to make measurements closer to the finished product.

He usually dons a hazmat suit, respirator and ear plugs, or in his words, “the whole shebang,” while in the earlier stages of carving. He stays dressed down once he’s in the detailing stage and the flying dust is muffled by the water.

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A range of projects Simon has prepared several other stone projects ranging widely in size, shape and material. He sources his minerals — granite, soapstone, alabaster, pipestone, obsidian and others — from several people.

“I have a bunch of granite that I don’t know what I’m going to do with,” he said.

“People just give me rocks, and I source a lot from gravel pits.

Dave Barrett from Park Rapids sets aside unique rocks for me to have.”

Simon and Dave worked together several years back crushing rock in Park Rapids, which partially piqued his interest in carving stone along with his grandfather splitting stone when he was younger.

“I’d look at that conveyor belt and it was just crystals getting crushed by the jaws of the machine and you’d see them shooting by,” he said. “It goes by so quickly you can’t even grab a handful.”

Since then, he has collected an impressive number of sculptures in addition to his vast array of chisels, grinders, diamond blades, sandpaper and butter knives used for different minerals and tasks.

“You can use a mini chisel for soapstone, alabaster, pipestone… Also, I buy 12 | in Bemidji Winter 2022

Goodwill butter knives to carve pipestone,” Simon said. “It gets more tedious at the end when you do the finer sandpapering, but with granite, you work with finer and finer diamond blades.”

He has $500 worth of diamond blades, although he confessed to not looking at prices while buying because he knows he’ll need them regardless of the price tag.

“I just kind of decide, ‘this is the volume of money we’re spending and once it’s reached, we’re done,’” he said while mentioning that using cheaper materials — which he tries to do as much as possible — allows him to not charge as much when his work is put up for sale.

Simon explained that while he has sculptures that sell, he also has what he affectionately refers to as his “reject sculpture walk,” hanging out in his apple orchard.

While not technically a “reject,” a feather sculpture created with Simon’s friend in mind — whose last name is Flying Feather — rests in the grass with the idea of using the feather as a headstone.

Stored away in Zerkel are a set of granite turtles that will be etched with hieroglyphics in collaboration with graphic artist Linda Knutson and will feature the Turtle and the 13 Moons Calendar.

“Ten thousand years from now, this granite is still going to be here.

I’m still going to have an opinion about what’s going on here on earth after I’m gone.”

-Simon Zornes

Based on the traditional Ojibwe calendar year and themes of place, each hieroglyphic will be etched as White Earth Nation-inspired symbols deriving from natural phenomena and cultural practices.

The turtle’s shell has 28 plates, or scutes, circling the bottom that represent the 28 days of each moon’s lunar cycle, and it has 13 scutes on the top, representing the 13 moons themselves.

Simon sketched the various moon designs including maple syrup, wild rice and berry moons, while Linda will sandblast the designs into the turtles.

A small supply of obsidian lying about hasn’t spoken to Simon yet about what it wants to be, although he said, “I might just rip it on the table saw and make knives.”

Whatever it ends up being, Simon will likely do it in just a day. Though he doesn’t keep track of how many artifacts are bought, he knows that his bigger pieces go as quickly as he makes them.

However, it can’t be denied that he sketches, grinds and sands for more than

just some cash.

“Ten thousand years from now, this granite is still going to be here,” he said. “I’m still going to have an opinion about what’s going on here on earth after I’m gone.”

Changing seasons

Before he began taking care of Marcus when he was merely 9 months old, Simon said he would carve about every other day. As Marcus was a youngster it became a little harder to carve out time for his artwork, but the opportunity presents itself a bit more now that Marcus is in school.

Marcus is Simon’s hearty helper not so much for sculpture creations, but for wild rice harvesting, tapping trees for maple syrup production and the general hustle and bustle of life.

“A couple years ago, we did maple syrup in the fall, which is pretty unusual,” Simon said. “Most people don’t do it in the fall around here because we get such a short window before we freeze, but Marcus and I tried it out.”

This past spring, it took them about two days to check 500 taps that were inserted into the many trees hugging their house and lawn. They were able to collect 65 gallons of maple syrup throughout that season.

Boasting a rice parcher that can hold about 300 pounds a batch, harvesting wild rice is a common method of Simon’s, giving Marcus his yearly practice in guiding the canoe and processing.

“We went to Lake Irving in Bemidji where I’ve been going for decades,” he said. “We collect thousands and thousands of pounds usually, though we only did one batch this year. What we collect I then sell, trade and eat.”

Simon is trying to become more involved with the later stage of processing the rice and limiting how much he collects due to the constant swinging of the flail.

“Most people eventually get their shoulders changed out and when I rice by myself, there’s even more of an impact,” he said while some rice was cooking on his wood stove.

Winter 2022

in Bemidji | 13

Cultural inspiration Other endeavors include black ash basketry, or constructing baskets out of black ash trees, for which Simon used to provide training. Teepee construction, candle-molding, and singing and playing guitar at Brigid’s Pub adds to his need to make the best possible use of time and renew cultural traditions.

He has some of his work displayed at the Bemidji Health and Wellness Center, previously provided pieces for the Bemidji Sculpture Walk and has helped other artists construct sculptures.

One of his busts is also on display in Park Rapids.

His apartment hosts his original carved wooden masks hanging on the walls and smaller sculptures posing on his countertop. On another wall, a picture of his great-grandmother who was forcibly removed from Milaca to attend boarding school.

“Me and my great-grandma both attended boarding school, so we didn’t have that cultural tradition that some people have,” said Simon, whose Ojibwe name is Ishkode. “We don’t really have a plan with raising children. It’s basically whatever we make up as we go.”

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Simon attended Flandreau Indian School in Flandreau, S.D., and around eight years ago, continued his education at Minnesota State for value-added agriculture, alternative energy manufacturing and small business administration, graduating with a 4.0 grade point average.

Simon and Marcus’ humble Bemidji abode serves as a means for a simpler and shorter trek to school at Horace May Elementary for Marcus. In the meantime, Zerkel provides them a more holistic environment.

“It’s nice having a place in town for little Marcus, but this is basically my workshop in the woods,” Simon said regarding the one-and-a-quarter acres of White Earth land for which they have a 99-year lease agreement.

This allows them, as rightful White Earth members, to reside on this land so long as they maintain it.

An avid fan of permaculture, Simon has planted seven types of berries on the property as well as apple trees that were planted 13 years ago when he first moved to Zerkel.

“I want food to be ready for me. The whole ‘farmer and the dell’ thing is not attractive,” he said before adding with laughter, “If 2021 was an apple, it was an ugly apple.”

Persevering through this year is made immeasurably easier with the many ways Simon continues to occupy himself.

Showing no signs of slowing down and expanding his impressive resume of hobbies, Simon looks ahead to the coming years of raising Marcus and leaving an artistic touch on the world for years to come.

Readers can view Simon’s sculpture work on Facebook at “Art From Nature” and can peek at his wild rice, teepee poles and other eclectic activities at “Hand Harvest Foods Dudes.” n

Frosty mornings, bright

futures

We help our community reach their dreams. fnbbemidji.com 218-751-2430

Winter 2022

in Bemidji | 15

BOOKMARKED For the winter edition of Bookmarked, we’ve dug up some reads that are seasonal for the holidays and a couple that sound cozy for the colder months. Cuddle up on the couch and dive into these page-turners.

Happy reading!

Call Us What We Carry

By Amanda Gorman

He Gets That from Me

By Jacqueline Friedland

16 | in Bemidji Winter 2022

Five Tuesdays in Winter

By Lily King

The Matzah Ball

By Jean Meltzer

The Christmas Bookshop

By Jenny Colgan Sankofa

By Chibundu Onuzo

Christmas in Peachtree Bluff

By Kristy Woodson Harvey

A Holly Jolly Diwali

By Sonya Lalli

Wild Rose Theater is born Cate and Al Belleveau add a solar-powered theater to their sprawling art space

by Bria Barton in

photos by Jillian Gandsey in

Bemidji editor

Bemidji

Up the road a ways in rural Puposky, about five miles from the Red Lake Nation border, resides an ancient otherworldly being with an admiration for the arts.

Far from her usual Mount Olympus haunt, she lives amongst artists Cate and Al Belleveau on their 160-acre plot of mixed forest land, earning her keep by inspiring artists who step foot onto the property with the guidance and motivation they need to create.

Thalia, Muse of Comedy, is her name, and — as one of the nine inspirational Muse goddesses in Greek mythology — her living arrangement is an especially welcome one for the Belleveaus, as Cate is the artistic director for the Mask and Rose Women’s Theater Collective, and Al is a prolific welder and sculptor whose work has been showcased in the Bemidji Sculpture Walk.

Together, they have been continuous members of the Bemidji art community for nearly 40 years.

A decade ago, Thalia was called to their land when the couple designated a piece of it as Belle Thalia Creative Arts Space in the hopes of endowing both emerging and established artists with a woodsy environment for creative exploration.

Winter 2022

in Bemidji | 17

In the years since her arrival, Thalia’s namesake space has witnessed these artists live and work in nature and given playwrights, performers and a host of others an artistic medium unlike any other — land blessed by the Muse herself.

While theatrical performances that utilized the land as a character became a distinctive hallmark of the space, the Belleveaus sought a traditional theater to call their own after a few years and went about forging it — and the in-house art gallery Fleur de Lis Gallery — on the property of Belle Thalia.

In October, they unveiled the newly minted Wild Rose Theater, an indoor playhouse where art lovers and art creators intermingle, silenced voices and their stories are heard, and one’s craft is unearthed, nurtured and encouraged — whatever it may be.

And you better believe Thalia has a front row seat to it all.

The beginning

When pioneering sculptor Eva Hesse achieved fame and was thrust into the 1960s art world, she refused to allow the industry’s rampant sexism to back her into a corner and pigeonhole her as only a “female artist.”

“The way to beat discrimination in art is by art. Excellence has no sex,” she bluntly said in an interview with Woman’s Art Journal prior to her early death in 1970.

Like Eva, Cate carried similar sentiments when, in 2006, she organized the Mask and Rose Women’s Theater Collective, a nonprofit organization that supports, empowers and creates opportunities for women in the performing arts.

At the time, she was serving on multiple arts and theater boards and was not seeing complex female character representation or the use of female playwrights, directors and designers in theatrical productions.

18 | in Bemidji Winter 2022

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“I think there is a natural evolution in a woman’s life: She’s busy with her children, family and work, and, all of a sudden, she hits her 50s and 60s. That was me, and I was just not seeing that type of woman on stage,” Cate explained. “There was a period of time where I was only seeing bimbos, sidekicks and even put-down women, but I was always seeing this limited role of women portrayed on stage — and that’s not an oddity.”

So Cate launched her brainchild, not only laying the groundwork for Belle Thalia but staging performances that focused on strong female characters and playwrights — more substantive roles because women are complex creatures, she said.

One such show, called “Voices of Our Sister Worldwide,” included girls and young women from Red Lake, who worked with a therapist to develop their own voices in order to perform monologues recounting personal life stories.

“A Native young woman said, ‘I’ve never had people listen to me in that way,’ and that’s the power and magic of theater because we sit empathetically and listen to other people’s stories,” Cate said. “If women get this narrow little life view, then that’s what little girls see, and that’s not what we should be doing to fully express ourselves.”

Other Mask and Rose shows have brought awareness to topics such as pioneering female innovators in history and female writers — ranging from the ancient Greek poet Sappho to the Victorian era Bronte sisters — who penned their work anonymously or under a male name.

The theater collective also produces youth shows, like the retelling of Pippi Longstocking, to encourage and provide girls the opportunity to become involved in the arts.

“Pippi is this feisty little girl that a lot of girls when they’re young, including me, related to because she wasn’t the norm,” Cate said. “So we really try to pick shows along those lines.”

“If women get this narrow little life view, then that’s what little girls see, and that’s not what we should be doing to fully express ourselves.” - Cate Belleveau

From trash to treasure Over the years, Mask and Rose performances were held in Paul Bunyan Playhouse; a converted church in Nymore, which now houses the thrift store Red Umbrella; and the old Masonic Temple, which was razed in 2015 and was a particular loss for the theater collective.

“When the temple was torn down, I wasn’t ready to give up theater,” Cate said.

“I asked Al what we were going to do, and he said ‘We’re going to build.’”

And that they did. For four years, work was ongoing on their property to construct what Cate described as a solution to her years of endless “schlepping” of costumes,

Winter 2022

in Bemidji | 19

“I like that the theater was built through volunteerism because then there’s ownership and a grassroots desire to keep the place going.”

- Cate Belleveau

props and sets to various locations around town — because now, her own creative space would be just yards away from her front door.

“Virginia Woolf has that famous quote about every writer needing a room of their own,” she said. “And I think every theater needs a place of its own, too.”

The construction of Wild Rose Theater soon became a community affair with “tons of volunteer labor” and donors coming out of the woodwork to get the playhouse up and running.

The Belleveaus’ Amish neighbors assisted in erecting the 40-foot by 100-foot galvanized steel quonset building (what a farmer would typically use to store large combine machinery), and various other neighbors and friends helped to collaborate on its interior, which would prove to be an commendable example of what resourcefulness and upcycling can spawn.

Items repurposed for the theater include curtains from the International School in Minneapolis; seating from the the Chief Theater and the Moondance Jam music festival; donated windows from a Sanford dumpster; platforms and rigging from a Twin Cities theater that did not survive the coronavirus pandemic; and Red Lake High School bleacher seats, which were transformed into flooring for a light booth.

“I like that the theater was built through volunteerism because then there’s ownership and a grassroots desire to keep the place going,” Cate said. “I’m really proud of the whole economy and environmental aspect of it. We realized that when you start asking for help, all of a sudden, these freebies start showing up that save you thousands and thousands of dollars.”

The environmental consciousness of the theater was taken up an additional notch by Al who designated it as a solar off-the-grid space through the installation of solar cells. This way, the theater is powered entirely by the sun, bringing about no electric bills and minimal impact art making.

20 | in Bemidji Winter 2022

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Future shows and goals

Just as the major creative institutions across the globe felt the impact of the pandemic, so did local ones like Belle Thalia and Mask and Rose, whose preplanned shows and events were either canceled or postponed.

But Cate and Al are now looking forward to getting community theater and arts back on track fully next year, and their hope is to have Belle Thalia bustling with activity once the spring thaw begins around early April.

Indoors, Wild Rose’s curtain will rise again with a story slam event and a comedy show. While Cate typically sticks to the dramatics, she said everyone needs a laugh after the pandemic, so a female comedian will be brought in as a consultant, teaching women how to write and perform their own shticks.

Since his recent retirement from teaching, Al aims to use his free time practicing and educating others on his craft of creating sculptures with salvaged materials in a way that is closely connected to the landscape.

Belle Thalia was recently awarded an art grant to produce multiple sculptures, and the Belleveaus plan to host artists and at-risk youth who will work together on the project. The finished sculptures will then be placed in the property’s Nine Muses Sculpture Garden.

“Al has all the gear — helmets, welding gloves, goggles — and everything protective, so these kids can take junk, turn them into sculptures and feel empowered about that,” Cate said.

While they wish for sculpting to be a key focus of the space, the couple hopes to draw in the community with outdoor concerts and events, such as a Taste of the Arts food tour around the property, as well as a chance to escape into nature.

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“We have such a strong arts community in Bemidji, but this adds another layer when you can come out here and enjoy art in the natural world. I don’t know of any other place around here where those two worlds come together like this.” - Cate Belleveau “Look for the yellow submarine,” is what Cate and Al Belleveau tell their guests to look for when they’re coming out to see a performance.

22 | in Bemidji Winter 2022

Trails run throughout the wooded property, providing guests with superb hiking and biking, Cate said. In fact, bicycles were even donated to the space for guests to use, and she has plans to incorporate them into a bicycle art festival.

“I think we want to treat it as a little trip out into the woods — a little getaway — especially when it is three seasons and so beautiful,” Cate said. “Bring your blankets and a picnic and we’ll have stages set out in the field for musicians. The whole time you’ll be near the birches and the meadows with geese flying over your head.”

As a retired educator with a master’s in environmental education, Cate looks to continue working with children by hosting theater workshops and camps, educating them not only in the arts but in the power of the land.

“Being so close to the Red Lake Reservation is a plus because we also plan to hold theater workshops with kids up there again to find their voice,” Cate said. “It’s a blend of teaching them theater skills and then taking them out in the woods to do ecological activities.”

She also hopes to form additional partnerships with female playwrights across the state. And with a yurt and tiny house located on the Belle Thalia property, the opportunity for a visiting artist to live and work closeby in nature is feasible.

“We want to welcome people to a rural setting dedicated to the arts and help them find whatever gives them meaning,” Cate said.

“The land is one of the players and we welcome her.”

Just as the land is under Thalia’s influence, the Belleveaus have confidence that each guest will be as well, perchance, coming onto the property as an art lover and leaving as an art creator.

“We have such a strong arts community in Bemidji, but this adds another layer when you can come out here and enjoy art in the natural world,” Cate said. “I don’t know of any other place around here where those two worlds come together like this.” n

Mindfully

navigating the

grocery store Jessica Carter is a Registered/Licensed Dietitian, Certified Diabetes Educator, Lifestyle coach and 200 hour Registered Yoga Teacher. She is the founder and president of Core Health Nutrition & Yoga, formerly known as Core Health & Nutrition LLC.

by Jessica Carter special to in What’s for dinner? The dreaded question that is posed day in and day out. Whether we are feeding a family, friends or merely ourselves, deciding what to eat is something we all must decide each and every day. How do we make that decision? What factors play into our choice? Are we all experienced meal planners with a thoughtfully designed menu and itemized shopping list attached?

Or do we depend on that last minute creativity when we open the fridge at home?

The truth is many of us allow the lure of the endcaps and displays at the grocery store to make the choice for us — caving to the savory smell of the rotisserie chicken from the deli or impulsively choosing items that may appeal at first glance but do little for our health and wellbeing.

So the question begs not, “What’s for dinner?” but rather, “How do we avoid

Bemidji

those impulse buys, those caves into temptation? How do we make the choices that we enjoy and are good for our bodies as well? How do we navigate the treacherous waters known as The Grocery Store?

There are several factors to consider before embarking on your grocery shopping journey, but most importantly, check in with yourself. Are you shopping after work, tired and hungry? Are you shopping on your lunch break, hurried and distracted?

Or are you shopping mid-morning with a list and coffee in hand with time to browse and visit with other shoppers? Identify where your head is and recognize that your state of mind and the time of day will likely influence your choices. That simple awareness will bring you strength to avoid the temptation of chips and pizza for the third night in a row.

The key to any good mission is to understand the terrain, knowing your territory. What do you see when you walk in? How do you gather your groceries?

Do you use a cart or basket? In terms of item location, each store is laid out slightly differently, but generally most stores shelve their fresh products near the edge and their stable items are contained to the center.

There is no secret here, it just makes sense logistically as there is more space along the edges for refrigeration units, electricity, prep space, etc.

The term “shop the perimeter” was coined to encourage more fresh food items and less processed shelf stable choices.

With “shop the perimeter” in mind let’s discuss what we can expect at each stop along the shopping journey and how to stay healthy in the rough spots.

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Produce

• Try to choose fresh, local and in-season items when you can.

• Choose organic, if you can, otherwise plan to wash your produce before using.

• Choose a variety of fruits and veggies in an assortment of colors.

• Shop sales — always.

• Don’t be afraid of ugly or dated produce. You can cut off the bad parts and no one cares about the perfectly shaped pepper.

• Google or ask a friend how to prepare unfamiliar food items.

Deli

There is variety in how a deli functions. It could contain primarily meats and cheeses, but could expand to house-prepared food like rotisserie chicken, cold salads, etc.

• Choose cold salads with lots of veggies added in and minimal noodles. Coleslaw is always a good choice.

• Choose meats that are low in sodium and avoid smoked or “flavor” added options.

• Have the meat and cheese sliced very thin.

• Do not shop in this section when hungry.

Bakery

• Choose fresh baked whole grain or sourdough breads.

• Sometimes you are able to find smaller loaves of bread.

• Avoid the goodies…

Dairy

• If cost effective, choose organic and/or grass fed.

Quality and taste will be better.

• Don’t avoid the eggs!

• Good dairy choices include cottage cheese, plain Greek yogurt and cheese sticks.

• Milk and other dairy items may need to be limited and/or restricted for certain health conditions.

ANYWHERE - ANYTIME.

Meat

• Choose lean cuts.

• Diversify your choices.

• Ask for assistance on cooking methods, preparation, storage, etc.

• Often they will trim or prepare the item for you, if you ask.

Middle aisles

• Pantry staples are found here: flour, sugar, spices, dried beans, dried noodles.

• Avoid the snacks and shelf stable “meals.”

• When time is limited, shop these aisles last.

• Stick to the list. Consider a master list for your pantry.

24 | in Bemidji Winter 2022

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Regardless of the style, method or approach we take when grocery shopping, the reality is that this trip is one that has far-reaching consequences for not only your wallet, but your health and wellbeing as well.

In addition to understanding the aisles, it is important to keep these 10 tips in mind when you plan your next stop.

Above all, make sure to enjoy your visit to the grocery store and appreciate all the people it takes to bring the abundance of food that we have access to.

Top 10 Grocery Store

Never shop hungry .!

Tips

1. Make a list. Even if it’s jotted down seconds before you step out of the car.

2. Keep a master list at home for pantry items, typical buys, etc.

3. Never shop hungry. Bring a snack or drink a huge glass of water if you forget.

4. Use the smallest cart or basket. This eliminates how much you can fit in the cart.

5. Shop the perimeter.

6. Compare labels to know what you are buying.

Check-out lines • Impulse heaven. Find the shortest line to resist the lure of chocolate bars and candy mints.

• If a long line is your only option, pick up a health magazine to page through, or distract yourself in another way as you wait.

• Grab a water if you must and take a big drink.

Don’t worry, you can still pay for it if you take a drink first.

7. Distract yourself when checking out. Read a magazine to avoid impulse buys.

8. Consider curbside pick-up to avoid all the temptation by preordering.

9. Keep a budget for groceries or consider using cash to avoid allowing the cart to fill up.

10. Shop sales in the produce aisle. This will help keep fresh produce in your price range.

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in Bemidji | 25

favorites GAME-DAY

photos by Jillian

Gandsey in Bemidji editor

Whether it’s a regular season game-day or the Super Bowl, these appetizers are perfect for the occasion. You could do a full taco bar with all your favorite toppings or just whip up a few of these for a filling afternoon with friends and football. We hope you enjoy!

CREAM CHEESE, COCKTAIL SAUCE & CRAB DIP Ingredients 8-ounces cream cheese, room temperature 1/2 cup cocktail sauce 3 ounces crab meat, fresh or imitation

Directions Spread the cream cheese over the bottom of a serving dish. I used the whipped cream cheese and that works well, too. Spread cocktail sauce over the top of the cream cheese after that and follow with crab over cocktail sauce. Serve with crackers.

26 | in Bemidji Winter 2022

BROWN SUGAR BACONWRAPPED SMOKIES Ingredients 1 package of bacon 1 package of little smokies 1/2 cup brown sugar Toothpicks

Directions Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Line a baking pan with foil.

Cut bacon into thirds and wrap one piece of bacon around each little smokie and secure with a toothpick.

Roll bacon-wrapped smokies in the brown sugar and place on a prepared baking sheet.

Cook for about 45-60 minutes, depending on how you like your bacon cooked.

Yum! Winter 2022

in Bemidji | 27

TORTILLA PINWHEELS Ingredients 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened 1 cup shredded cheese 1 cup sour cream 1 2.5-ounce jar dried beef, diced 2 tablespoons dill pickle relish Garlic powder, to taste Onion powder, to taste 6 10-inch flour tortillas Directions Mix softened cream cheese and sour cream until well blended. Stir in pickle relish, diced dried beef, shredded cheese and seasonings until blended. Spread over tortillas and roll up tightly. Place in a gallon zip bag and refrigerate for several hours. Cut into 1/2 to 3/4 inch slices and serve with your favorite salsa.

Open 7 days a week 6 am - 10 pm

Open 7 Days A Week 8am - 7pm 2 LOCATIONS IN BEMIDJI

500 Paul Bunyan Dr SE

728 Paul Bunyan Dr. NW, Bemidji, MN 56601

(218) 444-8963 Dine in | Take out

28 | in Bemidji Winter 2022

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so good...

MINI BEEF TACOS Ingredients 2 pounds ground beef Taco seasoning 1 14.5-ounce can of Mexican flavored tomatoes Shredded cheese Shredded lettuce 1-2 packages of street taco size soft tortillas

Directions Brown ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat and remove the grease. Add taco seasoning and the can of Mexican tomatoes (do not add any water) and mix until blended.

Prepare tacos how you like them with whatever toppings you usually put on your tacos.

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Winter 2022

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30 | in Bemidji Winter 2022 ANSWERS: 1) Extra street light second in from right, 2) extra garbage can near side of road on left, 3) segment of vertical railing missing, 4) street lamp globe shaded light green, 5) red squirrel in tree, 6) extra tire marks in road.

Hopefully we’ll get to see some hoarfrost that’s as marvelous as it was in January 2021.

Can you find 6 differences between these two pictures?

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE

Powering communities one home, one family meal, one unforgettable moment at a time.

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Diane Sharp Kali Jones Real Estate Loan Officer Consumer Loan Officer MLO# 1736850

Winter 2022

in Bemidji | 31

The Shortest Path to Your Dream Job Begins at NTC.

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