Smart Living Rockford - June 3, 2021

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Your Better Quality of Life Magazine • 95¢ • June 2021 • No. I

Joyful Learning: ‘Family Nature Adventures’ See Page 16

Klehm Garden Fair is Back!

A Tasty Quinoa-Onion Recipe Take the Stress Out of Remodels Does Your Lawn Need Dethatching?

Best of Life Information for Our Region’s Residents & Visitors Proudly Serving the Needs of 326,000 Neighbors - For Your Home, Health & Fun!

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Garden fair Weekend

Saturday, June 5 | 9 am - 5 pm Sunday, June 6 | 9 am - 4 pm

sponsored by:

FOR MORE INFORMATION: www.klehm.org/garden-fair-weekend

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CABINETRY AND FLOORING

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In This Issue

Right in Our Region .........................Cover & p. 20 Family Nature Adventures: Find Joy Outdoors Your Home ......................................................... 13 Reduce the Stress of Remodeling Inspiration & Worship ....................................... 14 Rahab: A Preview of Grace Your Kitchen ...................................................... 17 Main Course Salad: Quinoa and Onion Outdoor Living .................................................. 31 Does Your Lawn Need Dethatching?

Your Community ............................................... 35 Klehm Garden Fair is Back!

Your Fun ............................................................. 36

Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Bill Hughes Executive Editor/Web Editor Chris Linden Managing Editor Jermaine Pigee Editor Emeritus Janine Pumilia Graphics Director Samantha Behling Graphic Designer Ashley Smith Contributing Writers Peggy Werner General Sales Manager Brent Hughes Sales Manager Brad Hughes Fort Wayne General Manager Sherri Cassedy Advertising Sales Representatives Brian Hughes, Jeremy Jones, Nita Lasky Administration & Circulation Manager Lisa Hughes Distribution Kelly Fairbairn Website www.SmartLivingWeekly.com Published by Hughes Media Corp.

222 Seventh St., Rockford, IL, 61104 (815) 316-2300, Fax: (815) 316-2301 lhughes@northwestquarterly.com Smart Living.

Copyright 2021 by Hughes Media Corp., 222 Seventh St., Rockford, IL, 61104. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part of any text, photograph or illustration without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited.

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How About Some ‘Think Local’ Summer Shopping?

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or nearly 17 years now, Northwest Quarterly and Smart Living magazines have been encouraging you to commit more of your shopping dollars to locally owned businesses. Why? Because they strengthen our regional economy in ways that big-box stores and chain restaurants never can.

How? A much larger share of every dollar spent at a locally owned business stays in our community rather than flying off to a big-box headquarters out of state. According to a recent Small Business Economic Impact Study from American Express, an average two-thirds ($0.67) of every dollar spent at a small business stays in the local community, far more than big-boxes or Amazon.

Local businesses also build our unique identity in ways that cookie cutter brands just can’t do.

We’re witnessing a rise in the yearning to shop local. More people are seeking out locally grown food at farmers markets as well as locally craft beers and wines. Many small businesses that started out with booths at Rockford City Market now occupy storefronts. Wonderful new restaurants and shops have sprung up in local downtowns and vintage fairs featuring local vendors are all the rage.

But with the pandemic nearly behind us, this is an especially important time to get out and support locally owned businesses. They took quite a hit over the past year.

We realize that it’s impossible to find certain items in small stores, thanks to the big-box takeover of America. We all have to visit the big retailers occasionally. But local businesses sell a whole universe of great gift items and gift certificates, so let’s “think outside the big-box” when we can.

The advertisers found on these pages are some of the finest local businesspeople in our region! They also make it possible for our locally owned publications to thrive. And if you haven’t noticed, there are precious few locally owned media companies of any kind left in our region.

Have a great week as we welcome summertime! ❚ Janine Pumilia SLW Editor

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Your Home & Garden

Take the Stress Out of Home Renovations

By Peggy Werner

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“When it comes to remodeling, you can find a lot of buried headaches in the areas of plumbing, electrical work and framing. Often they can’t be seen at first.

We want to make sure we have everything covered and there are no surprises,” he says.

Macktown Construction offers a free in-home consultation. Its profession-

als discuss goals and fears a customer may have regarding the project and give advice. A pre-construction meeting takes place before the project begins.

When work is finished, a warranty is delivered and followup appointments ensure satisfaction, Bonnet says.

When thinking about a home remodeling project, people need to have an idea in mind of how they want an area to look and what they’re willing to invest.

“The first thing we always want to know is why someone wants to make a change, whether it’s to update an existing space, open up an area, or another goal,” he says.

Learn more at macktownconstruction.com. ❚

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enovation doesn’t have to be a stressful experience.

Macktown Construction, 9957 N. Alpine Road, Machesney Park, offers one-stop convenience to make the process easier. Its Cedar & Stone Cabinetry and Flooring showroom is 2,400 square feet large and carries a full line of cabinets, flooring, cabinet hardware, countertops and lighting to help people make choices, says President Tony Bonnet.

“We want to create a better overall experience for our customers. In this business for more than 15 years, one thing that stands out is just how overwhelming and stressful it can be for people trying to make choices,” Bonnet says.

Macktown specializes in kitchen and bathroom renovations and adheres to a seven-step process to make sure construction projects run smoothly with minimal surprises.

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Inspiration & Worship

Who Was Rahab?

Scripture: Joshua chapter 2

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hile the harlot Rahab may not come to mind as a Biblical heroine, she is nonetheless counted among the “great cloud of witnesses” in Hebrews 11. Her story foreshadowed the Age of Grace we enjoy today. Who was she?

After Moses led the 12 tribes of Israel (Jacob) out of Egyptian slavery and into the Promised Land (Canaan), he handed his leadership authority to Joshua.

During the years of slavery, many groups took up residence in Canaan, including those who built the walled city of Jericho. Joshua sent two spies to scout Jericho and they hid from the city’s soldiers in the house of Rahab, a prostitute who lived just inside the city wall.

Due to her line of work, Rahab met many travelers and heard about the miracles God did for the Israelites. She developed a strong faith in God, even to the point of risking her life by hiding the two spies on her rooftop beneath sheaves of grain.

Rahab helped the spies to escape by lowering them through her window to a safe location outside the city walls. First, however, Rahab made the spies promise that when Israel returned to destroy Jericho, she and her family would be spared. The spies agreed and instructed her to hang a scarlet cord from her window.

In time, Israel destroyed Jericho. It spared Rahab and her family, however, just as the spies had promised. Rahab then married one of the spies, who was named Salmon, and they parented Boaz. He, too, married a foreign woman with faith in God, named Ruth. Ruth came to personify not only faith, but also loyalty.

Rahab and Ruth, neither one born Jewish, are both named as ancestors of King David and therefore Jesus Christ.

In Rahab’s time, Israelites alone were called “God’s chosen people.” First by her faith, and later by marriage, Rahab became one of them, showing us that our faith is more important to God than our ethnicity or our sins. God judged Rahab by her heart, foreshadowing the amazing Age of Grace in which we live. In fact, in Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus Christ, only the foreign women in Christ’s ancestry are named, perhaps to emphasize that Jesus came to rescue all of us from our sins – and we all are sinners. ❚

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-- Janine Pumilia

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Your Kitchen

A Tasty, Main Course Summer Salad A

salad can fill an empty stomach for nearly any purpose, from an al fresco snack to a family appetizer. When combined with protein like chicken, it can become a full, nutritious meal all on its own.

If you’re looking for a way to take your salad from snack or side to a savory main course, consider this High-Protein Chicken, Onion and Quinoa Salad with its own from-scratch dressing.

Visit onions-usa.org for more recipe ideas.

High-Protein Chicken, Onion & Quinoa Salad Recipe courtesy of the National Onion Association

Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 15 minutes Servings: 6

Dressing: 1/4 2 1 1 1

cup apple cider vinegar TB olive oil TB lemon juice tsp. honey tsp. Dijon mustard

Salad:

1 1/2 cups red quinoa, rinsed 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth 1 tsp. canola oil 1 white onion, sliced 3 cups baby kale 1 red-skinned apple, chopped 2 cups cooked chicken, chopped 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. pepper To make dressing: In bowl, whisk vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, honey and Dijon mustard until well combined.

Set aside.

In saucepan, bring quinoa and broth to boil. Simmer, covered, 12-15 minutes,

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or until broth has been absorbed. Cool completely.

In medium skillet, heat canola oil over medium-high heat. Saute onion 3-5 minutes, or until softened and translucent.

Remove from heat; cool completely.

In large bowl, toss onion, kale, apple, chicken, salt and pepper with dressing.

Stir in cooled quinoa.

Nutritional information per serving: 407 calories, 36.5 g protein, 11.6 g fat, 39 g carbohydrates, 297 mg sodium, 4.2 g fiber. ❚ Source: Family Features

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Right in Our Region

Family Nature Adventures: Let’s Go Outside

By Janine Pumilia tudies tell us what most of us know by instinct: Spending time outdoors in nature is good for us.

For children, classroom performance, imagination, and physical and mental health are all improved with regular playtime in nature, yet today’s children spend about half as much time outdoors as kids did 20 years ago.

For all these reasons, the Natural Land Institute is offering a fun, easy way for families to build some outdoor time into their lives this summer. They can do it on their own schedules, at their own pace, and at no cost.

“Family Nature Adventures is an informal but structured way for families to get involved with nature,” says Kim Johnsen, director of marketing and membership at the Natural Land Institute.

“They watch a video and then go do an

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activity together in their backyard or at a local park.”

When at least six of 14 video/activities have been completed, participants can submit a form that qualifies children to earn a Junior Naturalist Badge. They’ll also be entered into a Family Prize Package drawing in August.

“There’s no cost to participate, but we ask families to register so we can email reminders about new videos that are being released each week,” says Johnsen. “Everyone who registers will get a packet of wildflower seeds mailed to them and the first 50 registrants receive a drawstring NLI logo backback.”

Family Nature Adventures runs from June 23 to Aug. 11, but people can register any time before Aug. 11. New videos with activities are posted weekly on Wednesdays, June 23 through July 14.

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The videos are hosted by NLI staff and experts from other local organizations. They’re geared to children ages 2 to 14, although anyone is invited to enjoy them. New this year are subtitles provided in Spanish, and website and event instructions are available in Spanish through a translate button.

Examples of subjects include Buzz and Fuzz – Our Native Bees and Wasps; The Marvelous Monarch Migration from Mexico to the Midwest; Tree Detective!

– Forests; Furry Encounters – Mammals; Shells, Scales and Tails! –Turtles of Illinois; Coughing Pellets – Great Horned Owls; Buried Treasure – Groundwater; and Cheerful Charmers – Bluebirds.”

Those who participated last year will find 2021 videos updated, some filmed in different locations, with new subjects added.

(Dave Watts photo)

“Last year the most-watched video was about wetlands and the second-most popular was about fish,” says Johnsen.

“A new addition this year will be Let’s Write About It, hosted by Rockford Poet Laureate Christine Swanberg. There’s also a new visual arts-focused video titled Leaf Lift-Off.” The complete library of 2020 Family Nature Adventures is available on YouTube.

When the program started in 2015, it was entirely an in-person event. The pandemic forced a new model to emerge last

A muskrat at Nygren Wetlands.

year that didn’t require group activity, and about 1,100 viewers watched the videos. Many families found that the new format works well for them as they work around family vacations, camps and various commitments.

“It still provides some structure so they re- Avery Lovejoy earned a Junior Naturalist badge in 2020. She watched all 13 videos (only 6 required) and did most of the corresponding member to actually do it, activities. The aquascope in this photo is among prizes she won in but the time involved is the Grand Prize drawing. flexible,” says Johnsen.

Groundwater Protection Planning ComThe NLI plans to do the in-person event mittee, Severson Dells Nature Cenat Nygren Wetland Preserve next year. ter, Taylor Creek Restoration Nurseries The NLI education and marketand Welty Environmental Center. ing committees and seven local part“We believe that when you have posner groups provide the video learning. itive experiences with nature as a child, This year the partner organizations inyou not only grow up wanting to continclude Boone County Conservation Disue spending time in nature, you also want trict, Burpee Museum of Natural Histoto protect nature,” says Johnsen. “Nature ry, City of Rockford Poet Laureate Chrisbrings joy to children and also to their tine Swanberg, Northern Illinois Raptor parents.” ❚ Rehab & Education, Northern Regional

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(Kelly Lovejoy photo)

Right in Our Region

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Outdoor Living

Is Your Lawn in Need of Dethatching?

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arly season lawn maintenance can include two rejuvenating processes: dethatching and aerating.

Thatch is that layer of dead grass, leaves and roots atop the soil. A little is OK, but spring is a great time to remove most of it and start over.

“That just kind of brings the yard back to life,” says Tim Kinney, general managaer at Lincoln Rent-All & Lawn Equipment Sales, Inc., 3110 Auburn St., Rockford. “It gets all the wet, heavy stuff off of it and lets it breathe a little better.”

Dethatching can be accomplished ei-

ther with a thatch rake or a power rake.

If you don’t enjoy hacking at your lawn for hours on end with something akin to a long-handled hairbrush, rent a power rake. It looks like a lawnmower but has a series of spinning, vertical blades. (Before you start, be sure to mark any sprinkler heads in your lawn.)

Once you’ve removed the thatch, hand-rake it away with a leaf rake. Now light, water and nutrients can easily reach the soil. This also is a good time to check for bare spots and plant grass seed.

Kinney says some thatch in a lawn is healthy, acting like mulch in the warmer, drier months.

“Basically, you know you have too much if you walk on your lawn and it feels like a sponge,” he says.

Aerating is especially useful for harder, clay soils, or where the soil is compacted by foot or vehicle traffic. An

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aerator looks something like a rototiller, either as a self-contained machine or as an implement that pulls behind a lawn tractor.

It pokes holes in the soil and extracts “plugs.” The small holes then allow water and nutrients to reach deep into the soil.

There’s no need to rake up the dirt plugs, Kinney adds. After a rain or two, they break down and are reabsorbed into the lawn. ❚

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Your Community

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Your Community

Klehm Garden Fair is this Weekend, June 5 & 6

By Peggy Werner

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hop for a variety of plants, antiques, garden art and more, while enjoying food and music from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 5, and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Sunday, June 6, at Klehm Arboretum & Botanic Garden, 2715 S. Main St. “We’re expecting a great year,” says Klehm Executive Director Alexander Mills. “People are ready to return to outdoor events in a safe way. The pandemic really helped people to understand the value of being outdoors, and we want them to continue to visit, explore and experience nature safely, year-round.”

The Garden Fair is Klehm’s biggest fundraiser, and is now in its 28th year. Attendees will notice some new features and vendors.

Klehm’s Fountain Garden will turn into a weekend-long Learning and Education Garden, where nonprofit organizations with a focus on gardening, nature,

conservation and the environment will offer demonstrations, talks and information. Musicians, including Trinadora and Emerald Wind, will perform between presentations.

The food court is adjacent to the fountain area and will include Cantina Taco, Pizza Fresca, Prairie Street Brewing Company and many others.

Mills says the Learning and Education Garden fits nicely with Klehm’s mission “to be a living museum for the enjoyment, education and inspiration of all people.”

“We wanted to add more educational opportunities for people interested in nature, the outdoors and conservation because people attending the Garden Fair have interests in these areas,” he says.

Visitors will notice a new 64-squarefoot limestone sign with bold lettering and Klehm’s logo at the arboretum’s

South Main Street entrance.

To enhance safety at the event, tickets will be sold in advance as well as at the door. Face coverings are required except when eating and drinking.

Tickets are $5 in advance, $8 at the door and admission is free for members and children up to 12. Advanced tickets can be purchased at Didier Greenhouse, both Gensler Gardens locations, The Landscape Connection, Meridian Nursery, Pepper Creek Flowers and Plants, at both Village Green locations and at the Klehm Gift Shop. ❚

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Your Fun

Entertainment & Events

Music in the Park Through Aug. 3, Tue. & Thur. 7 p.m. The sounds of summer set a backdrop for an evening of entertainment in Sinnissippi Park.

Performers this summer include Harlan Jefferson, Emily Hurd and Phantom Regiment.

Check rainouts at (815) 889-2001. Sinnissippi Park Music Shell, 1401 N. 2nd St., Rockford, (815) 987-8800, rockfordparkdistrict.org.

For the Birds Through Aug. 7, Tue.-Fri 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sat. noon-5 p.m. Artwork by 26 Illinois artists including Ellie Bartels, Phyllis Bergagna, Carrie Carlson, Molly Carter, and Diana Garrett. Exhibition displays various bird species native to the Illinois region. Freeport Art Museum, 121 N. Harlem Ave., Freeport, (815) 235-9755, freeportartmuseum.com.

Endangered and Threatened Through Aug. 7, Tue.-Fri 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sat. noon-5 p.m. Local artist Barry Treu depicts endangered and threatened species of birds in Illinois. Freeport Art Museum, 121 N. Harlem Ave., Freeport, (815) 235-9755, freeportartmuseum.com.

Rockford Art Museum June 11-Sept. 26, see website for museum hours. This summer’s special exhibition features nearly 50 pieces from the museum’s permanent collection of modern and contemporary artwork. Rockford Art Museum, 711 N. Main St., Rockford, (815) 968-2787, rockfordartmuseum.org.

Music on the Mall June 11 & 18 6:30 p.m. Local musicians perform their latest tunes; hosted by Mary’s Market, on the plaza outside the cafe. Seating is limited, so bring a chair. May be cancelled in inclement weather. June 11: Trinadora Rocks; June 18: Universal Joint. Edgebrook, 1639 N. Alpine Road, Rockford, (815) 2260212, edgebrookshops.com.

Summer Concerts in the Park June 13, 6:30 p.m. Spend a Sunday evening enjoying live music and a sunset in the park.

Bring a blanket or lawn chair. This week: Bluegrass Reunion Band. In bad weather, concerts move to Community Building, 111 W. 1st St., Belvidere. Boone Co. Arts Council, Baltic Mill Stage in Belvidere Park, 920 W. Lincoln Ave., (815) 544-6242, boonecountyarts.com.

Outdoor music is back in a big way this summer! Bring a chair or blanket and enjoy concerts in many local parks and other venues.

Woodsong: Saturday June Band June 20, gates open at 4:30 p.m., music starts at 6 p.m. Enjoy some tunes amid the blooms and blossoms of the arboretum’s fountain garden at the outdoor concerts featuring a variety of musicians. Klehm Arboretum & Botanic Garden, 2715 S. Main St., Rockford, (815) 965-8146, Klehm.org. ❚

Save more. Shop the ReStore. furniture | quality tools & hardware | home goods | vintage items All new or gently used, all at a great price!

Have items to donate? We'll pick them up for FREE! Call 815-580-1205 to schedule a pickup.

Store Hours: Mon-Sat, 10am-6pm Donation Hours: Tues-Fri, 10am-4pm & Sat 10am-3pm

7141 Harrison Ave, Rockford IL | 815-713-3184 | rockfordhabitat.org @restorerockford

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