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november| december 2011 • free redouxhome.com
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
HOMEMADE HOLIDAYS REDISCOVER LOST TRADITIONS & CREATE MEANINGFUL MEMORIES
HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
LOCAL GIFTS, SERVICES & EVENTS
REDOUX-IT YOURSELF GIFT WRAP
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PUBLISHER Flying Pan Productions EDITOR Elizabeth Child COPY EDITORS Jodi Ohlsen Read Linda Day Dunlap CONTRIBUTORS Elizabeth Child Nichole Day Diggins Jodi Ohlsen Read Tom Quanrud ART DIRECTOR / DESIGN Nichole Day Diggins SALES Karen Griffiths Linda Day Dunlap Peter Diggins REDOUX HOME • PO BOX 148, Northfield, MN 55057 p: 507.301.9710 e: info@redouxhome.com
Wheat-free pumpkin pies available in the deli cooler. Open Monday–Saturday 8 a.m.–9 p.m. & Sunday 10 a.m.–7 p.m. 516 Water Street S, Northfield • 507-650-0106 • www.justfood.coop
All rights reserved. Copyright 2011. Copies of this publication or its contents may not be made for promotional purposes. For article reprints, contact REDOUX HOME at info@redouxhome.com. to advertise: 507.301.9710 • 612.812.9987 www.redouxhome.com
editor’s note
Bûche de Noël, see recipe on p. 21
RECYCLED HOLIDAYS
For the past five years in my household we’ve been dialing down expectations of big holiday gifts, reducing the number and complexity of parties and using the time off from work to enjoy being home with nothing we have to do – only what we want to do. On Christmas, we’ve brought back caroling and, after the Thanksgiving meal, we sit back and listen to the guitar licks of musical children who can still function with tryptophan in their veins.
Adding new traditions each year refreshes celebrations, as well. An organic turkey now dons our table at Thanksgiving. At Christmas, matzah ball soup has made an appearance in honor of our Jewish family members. Make your holidays bright by keeping them simple. Get creative early enough to enjoy the process. Schedule time to make your own gifts for friends as well as for family. Choose reusable fabric wrapping that adds oldworld romance to the holidays, not waste. Search your memory, and your tattered Betty Crocker cookbook, for retro recipes that make you smile. Happy recycled holidays, Elizabeth Child, editor Editor@redouxhome.com
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Recycled holidays are the best. They create that eggnoggy warm feeling inside. Try recycling traditions you love, and paring down those you don’t.
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eco chic holidays november / december 2011
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host an eco-chic holiday party
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Five easy tips for creating a festive holiday gathering - green style.
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gift giving for grinches
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redouxhome.com NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2011
Inexpensive and creative gift giving make the holidays less stressful and more joyful.
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holiday gift guide Your resource guide for great places, products and services this holiday season.
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giving thanks
The hunt for the perfect holiday turkey is on.
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departments 04
editor’s note Recycled holidays.
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redoux-it yourself Skip the store-bought wrapping paper this year and give your gifts a personalized, eco-friendly flair.
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living well Sturctural Integration opens pathways for body and spirit.
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Holiday rewind: updated oldies but goodies for your retro holiday party.
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interiors Holiday keepsakes: hold on to favorite family traditions while creating new memories.
inspirations
Dakota Surfaces creates environmentally-friendly custom countertops from concrete or recycled glass.
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redouxhome.com
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on the table
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5 easy tips for hosting
an eco chic holiday party
How will you celebrate the holidays and keep the mayhem to a slow hum? Planning ahead helps. Keep it simple by remembering what you love best about the holidays. How about shaking things up with a retro themed party? Remember fondue? Cheese balls? REDOUX HOME staff and friends found simple pleasure in reprising the timeless and the tasty. We invited each person to contribute to our spread and bring a white elephant gift wrapped in recycled or reusable wrapping. After sampling the deliciously updated 70s fare, we circled around for a uproarious game of Yankee Swap (see p. 25 for instructions). Here are five tips for hosting your own eco-chic gathering.
1. scrap the paper
This year, go paperless. Forego the usual paper invitations and go virtual. Facebook and eVite invites are free and easy to use, or for a more casual gathering, there’s always plain old email. Beyond the invites, consider going paperless at the party as well: cloth napkins aren’t just for formal gatherings, and they will add an elegant touch to your table.
Hosting a party is much simpler if everyone pitches in and brings a dish or appetizer. Better yet – ask them to bring only local foods. We have a lot of possibilities in our area, from chickens and turkeys to squash, apples, herbs, wines, ciders and more.
elements
Nature is one of your best resources for eco-friendly decorating. Leaves, evergreen branches, cranberries, pinecones and shrubs right outside our doors make gorgeous centerpieces. Use vintage vases for simply elegant arrangements.
3. green gifting
5. go organic
Organic foods are not only better for you, they’re better for the planet as well. Go au naturel with organic citrus and juices mixed with ice and honey to craft your own green holiday cocktails – with or without alcohol.
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Encourage your guests to bring only homemade gifts. Food, crafts, scarves, jewelry, dish towels and artwork are all good choices. If you have a guest that just can’t find the time – or creativity – to make something, they can find lots of choices at art or craft fairs, or even the local antique or thrift stores. See page 9 for more homemade gift ideas and page 11 for do-it-yourself ecofriendly wrapping.
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2. make it a potluck
4. incorporate the
gift-giving
for
grincheS
Inexpensive and creative gift giving make the holidays less stressful and more joyful BY ELIZABETH CHILD It’s another economic downturn. Been there. Time for holiday Grinches to fold up the newspaper headlines. Instead, save the colorful spreads for wrapping and find the spirit of gift giving again. People like to open presents. Moreover, don’t you like giving them? Seeing the gratitude in someone’s eyes when they receive a package is fun, and there are many ways to make gift giving an affordable ritual you don’t have to give up.
BUY LOCAL Agree to buy from local independent shops. No big
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box gifts allowed. You support your local community and give your hard-working community retailers a chance against the latest electronic “it” gifts. Local retailers carry one-of-a-kind gifts that make someone say, ‘Where did you ever find that!’
handpainted wall art by Jill Enestvedt, Studio Elements
BE PRACTICAL PICK A THEME Decide on a giving theme. Everyone in the family agrees to give books or wine or gadgets under a certain dollar amount. To get downright inexpensive, try a Goodwill Holiday in which every gift has to come from a second-hand store. Include gifts in the name of others to charitable organizations, too.
When you’re striking out on your own, or have had a rough economic year, you’re grateful for soap and can openers. Create a useful gift basket with a theme. For the kitchen, include colorful sponges, brushes, scented “green” dish soap, dish towels and lotion. For the bath, include bar soap, organic herbal shampoo and cream rinse, a reusable razor, and aromatic bubble bath.
add your creative touch In addition to all of the above, consider the thoughtfulness of a homemade gift. If you make jam or salsa every year, you’ve got a head start. Those of you who don’t can still make well-loved homemade gifts for your friends and family. Add homemade wrapping to make the gifts particularly special. (See page 11) MAKE SOME TREATS Packaging up a taste of the holidays makes a perfect book club, tennis group, work or friend gift. Make truffles, chocolate dipped Oreos, hot fudge sauce, favorite family holiday cookies, jams and jellies, or sweet and spicy mustards. Make up some hot cocoa mix and seal it inside a unique mug or cook up your own signature granola (find recipe at redouxhome.com). Don’t want to cook? Put together a pretty fruit basket with Minnesota apples and a variety of organic pears. BOTTLE BATH SALTS Just Food coop in Northfield carries Dead Sea salts in bulk – far more cost efficient than buying them pre-packaged! With nurturing minerals, the salts are perfect for softening tough winter skin in the bath. If you can’t find these, combine sea salts and Kosher salts. Add your favorite essential oils – lavender, sage or patchouli are favorites. Pour the scented salts into a recycled glass or plastic bottle and tie with a pretty bow. BEAD SALAD TONGS Turn inexpensive metal salad tongs into a treasure with bead wrapping. Get help from your local bead store or visit crafts-for-all-seasons.com/beaded-serving-spoons.html
REMAKE FAMILY KEEPSAKES Grandma’s worn needlepoint can be reused in fresh pillows to preserve her work.
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STAMP PAPERS Handmade cards and wrapping paper are great gifts from kids. Make a potato stamp shaped by a cookie cutter. Dab it in paint. Kids can stamp patterns on sheets of paper, roll them up with a ribbon and give them before the holidays for family and friends to use in wrapping. They can also stamp cards and write personalized messages on them. Young children can attach the cards to “gifts” they find around the house. Ask them to wrap up something they know you love, and give it to you with a personal card. As an adult, your job is to be excited when you unwrap it. Afterall, it’s the thought that counts.
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IMPRINT MEMORIES Are you the designated family photographer? The writer who captures family stories? A nature photographer? Make your own beautiful bound book. Search for ‘make a book online’ and you’ll find many online sources.
redoux-it yourself
Get Creative with GIFT WRAP
Instead of going to the store and buying premade gift wrap this year, why not get creative? You can save money, and do a little something to help the environment at the same time.
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Things you find around the house make inexpensive and personalized gift wrap. Adorn with found items such as lace, thread, yarn, hair ribbons, scarves and more.
Just a few possibilities: • • • • • •
children’s artwork newspaper calendar pages magazine pages a paper shopping bag (turned inside out) vintage or repurposed paper (layer several colors and textures)
recycle containers
As you browse garage sales and antique or thrift stores, be on the lookout for vintage boxes and containers you can use to wrap gifts. Think creatively when it comes to ribbon too: measuring tape on a vintage tackle box looks festive when adorned with bells.
swap wrapping paper for fabric
In Japan, the art of wrapping gifts in cloth is called furoshiki and it’s fabulously eco friendly. Use old scarves, dish towels or fabric remnants to wrap gifts with unusual shapes, such as jars or bottles. Simply secure with an elastic band and adorn with ribbon.
make old holiday cards into gift tags
Holiday cards cut into fun shapes make wonderful gift tags (use a hole punch and tie with ribbon, or simply tape to the package). You can also buy vintage cards at antique and thrift stores.
Avoid the last-minute time crunch and wrap gifts as you buy them. When you open a gift, save the wrap and run it through a paper shredder. It can be used to line gift boxes and bags. Add special trimmings to your package, like evergreen leaves and berries, beads or even ornaments people can hang on their trees.
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Save those potato chip bags! Chip bags with shiny white or silver innards make wonderful gift wrap. Cut open the bag and flatten it, wash with soap and water and air dry. Adorn with ribbons and homemade cards.
NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2011 redouxhome.com
more tips:
living well
Structural Integration is a form of bodywork that reorganizes the connective tissues, called fascia, that permeate the entire body.
Walk Straight
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Daniel Martin’s Structural Integration opens pathways for body and spirit. BY ELIZABETH CHILD Halfway through an introductory session in Structural Integration (a.k.a. Rolfing) with Daniel Martin, I looked up from the massage table and said, “You’re not going to pamper me, are you?” Daniel concurred, with a smile. I relaxed my head back down to the table, trusting in his strong fingers as he manipulated something deep in my aching right hip joint. Inside I felt a ping and a release, like a misguided piano string returning to where it belongs. My chronic pain instantly resolved. Even Daniel hadn’t expected such results from one session, but he gently warned that a misalignment created the problem and if I didn’t work on correcting it, the pain might return. There are few quick fixes in life. Structural Integration aligns the body by focusing on releasing the fascia that encase our muscles and thread between its fibers. The cellophane-like tissue can hold the muscles short or long based on habits – a common one is sitting with the head forward and letting the shoulders fold inward. Weighing some 12 pounds, the head, when misaligned, pulls our center of gravity forward. With the stretching of the fascia through Structural Integration, we can begin to realign our head on our spine to improve our energy and our breathing. Frankly, it had taken me a while to get over my fear about a session akin to Rolfing, which I’d equated with deboning a chicken – the client being the animal in question. Structural Integration was developed by Ida P. Rolf, Ph.D., in the 1930s and 40s.
Daniel Martin, Structural Integration practitioner
I know Daniel as a fellow yoga teacher and practitioner and I’ve come to recognize that he’s both knowledgeable about anatomy and sensitive to the body. I also knew the personal trauma as a result of his experiences in Vietnam directed him to his profession. The release from the emotional issues harbored in his body through Structural Integration has inspired him to practice professionally over the last 15 years. I’ve tried to heal my discomforts by moving with yoga alone. One session with Daniel quickly told me that you often cannot see yourself fully. Daniel is like a mirror. Better, he not only sees your structural issues, he can help you solve them. Structural Integration is typically done in 10 weekly sessions. (Disclaimer: I’ve only experienced one sample session.) In the first session, Daniel asks about any issues you’re having in your body. My aforementioned right hip along with my neck and shoulders are my tension spots. After observing my posture, he said, “You sit and stand with more weight into your right hip.” I’ve often suspected that sitting cross-legged at the beginning of yoga class is an imbalance because I always put the same leg forward. Or perhaps one leg is longer, which is a common source of misalignment. Daniel prescribes yoga between Structural Integration sessions and teaches yoga, as well. The passive sessions on his table need to be reinforced with mindful movement. He also gives his clients homework, which for me included flexing and pointing my feet with my ankles lined up, because I turn one foot inward when I walk. He also asked me to walk slowly backwards to stretch the psoas muscles, which flex the hips. I left the session with Daniel feeling more like the dancer I was in my teens and twenties – weight dropped back into my heels, legs swinging in bold arcs. “Change your posture and you change your life,” a dance teacher once told me. I felt freer, more confident, and filled with the belief that I could feel as good as I once did, eyes forward, looking toward the future. Elizabeth Child is editor of Redoux Home, a communications professional and a yoga instructor in Northfield.
Melissa & Doug Sandwich Making Set. Ideal for the little future chef! Ages 3+ $19.99 • Find this and many more gifts at JUST FOOD CO-OP 516 Water St. S. • justfood.coop
Style & substance. HUNTER WELLIES for women and children. The original British classic with its legendary orthopedic fit and all around comfort. $125 tall • $115 short. The RARE PAIR • 401 Division St., Northfield. www.rarepair.com
Give the Gift of Live Music! “A Holiday Mixed Bag: Peace (of pie) On Earth.” Join Sister as they celebrate the season in a truly original fashion. Laugh out loud with Sister favorites like “Gudren” and “The Aunts” and experience brand new characters. sisterproductions.com Dec. 10 - Lakeville Performing Arts Center Dec. 17 - Paradise Center for the Arts
Holiday ACACIA STUDIOS MASSAGE & HEALING CENTER Give the gift of relaxation – gift certificates available In any amount for any session. Massage, Specialty Spa, Acupuncture, Yoga, Energy Therapy, Maya Abdominal Massage. Located in historic downtown Cannon Falls. 507.263.0615 www.acaciastudios.net
Gift
Guide
Heartwork sweatshirts come in brilliant blue and earthy maroon for $34.95. Is there anything more cozy than soft fuzzy cotton? HeartWork Yoga Studio • Downtown Northfield • heartworkyoga.com
Freshen up your interior! Give yourself the gift of timeless beauty. Look your best ALL day, every day with permanent cosmetics. Want fuller, darker brows? Fuller or more even lips? Better definition of your eyes? Licensed • Professional • Sterile • Friendly. Call for your FREE consultation today. SHANTI TATTOO STUDIO & PERMANENT COSMETICS, Northfield. 507.301.2927 • www.shantitattoostudio.com
Orchard-select jams, jellies and flavored butters are simple gifts for friends, family and co-workers. Fireside offers a wide variety from $4.95 to $7.95. Just add a bow. Fireside Orchard & Gardens • Hwy. 19 in Northfield. firesideorchard.com
$100 off any winter interior project over $700 (valid when booked by 12/31/11). Porchlight Painters • 507.663.1515
Update your kitchen or bath with some beautiful custom countertops made with crushed, recycled glass. Endless design possibilities allow you to completely personalize the look. Get 10% off if you sign on before the end of December. DAKOTA SURFACES 612.968.1412 dakotasurfaces.com
Give the gift of the Fireside this holiday season! Buy a $25 gift certificate, receive a $5 gift certificate for yourself (or, buy $50 and receive $10, $100 and receive $20). FIRESIDE LOUNGE & SUPPERCLUB just 10 minutes fom Northfield in Dennision. Delicious food, fun atmosphere. firesidelounge.net • 507.645.9992
Always the perfect gift: AVEDA GIFT SETS – Pre-packaged or build your own. BUZZ SALON, 508 Division St., Northfield. 507.650.0282. Haircuts, styles, perms, color treatments, makeup, waxing and massages. Walk-ins welcome.
When you shop locally, you simult aneously create jobs, fund more city services (through sales tax), invest in neighborhood improvement and promote community development. Tasty assortment of finely crafted artisan cheeses, wholesome crackers and summer sausage. Have the friendly staff at Riverbend Market Cooperative help you put together the perfect gift basket of fine food for any occasion. RIVERBEND MARKET COOPERATIVE 417 Main Street, Red Wing www.riverbendmarket.coop
FISH MAKE GREAT PETS! Tropical & Marine Fish. Aquariums & Supplies for all Pets. AQUATIC PETS - A unique pet shop. 414 Division Street S, Northfield • 507.663.1096. Locally owned since 1990 • Friendly Service.
Local stores help sustain vibrant, walkable town centers, which help reduce sprawl, automobile use and air and water pollution.
Give yourself the gift of beautiful, gleaming wood floors – and save 15% with this ad (minimum order applies). Buff & Coat Hardwood Floor Renewal •buffandcoat.com Rod Magsam 612.685.9172
Share local foods this holiday season! From gift boxes to edible stocking stuffers, we’ll help you create a deliciously memorable gift. We ship gift boxes and smoked turkeys! FERNDALE MARKET, Cannon Falls. 507.263.4556 • ferndalemarketonline.com
Will this recession end already? Bring in this ad for 15% off any service or gift certificate. PIVOTAL POINT ORIENTAL MEDICINE. Acupuncture • Chinese Herbs • Massage. 507.645.4270 • pivotalpoint.com
bookcase ‘before’
GIVING THANKS The hunt for the perfect holiday turkey is on BY NICHOLE DAY DIGGINS and JOHN PETERSON A growing number of Americans are eschewing frozen factory turkeys in favor of fresh, free-range birds. So what’s the appeal? Most connoisseurs say free-range turkeys taste better. They cite the fact that the birds aren’t raised in overcrowded conditions standing in their own waste, so they don’t need to be given antibiotics (to prevent disease) or growth hormones (for plumper meat). A traditional turkey may be supersized because it is chemically and genetically modified, which, apart from the health ramifications, also makes the turkey drier and less tender. If you’re in the market for free-range or organic turkey this holiday season, look no further than your local co-op or natural foods store. Ferndale Market is a third-generation family farm in Cannon Falls, offering antibiotic-free, naturally processed turkey year round, though this time of year is when they really get a chance to shine. A visit to the farm reveals little has changed in the last 70 years. Ferndale Market turkeys are still grown free-range during the warmer months and are moved onto fresh pasture each week in the summer. The Petersons have received USDA approval for their antibiotic-free growing practices, meaning that the turkeys are never administered antibiotics.
To ensure that nothing competes with their rich turkey flavor, all Ferndale Market turkeys are naturally processed, containing no added water or salt like conventional poultry. “I oftentimes remind people that our growing practices aren’t following a radical new philosophy,” says John Peterson, General Manager of Ferndale Market, “We’ve simply continued to do many things in the same ways we have since my grandfather started our farm.” In 2008, the Petersons opened a year-round market at the farm site, featuring products from 70 local suppliers who share their belief in high-quality food using sustainable practices. “We always say that Thanksgiving is the perfect time to incorporate local foods into the meal, because the holiday lands at the end of harvest season so we have an abundance of local items,” says Jane Peterson, who helps oversee the market. “The holidays are also a great time to showcase unique local foods with family visiting from out of town.”
ranging from 10-24 pounds and will also have plenty of frozen turkeys and turkey breasts (no pre-order required for frozen) available. More info at: www.ferndalemarketonline.com Ferndale Market is open 7 days a week: Monday-Friday 10-6; Saturday 9-5; Sunday 11-4. The store is located at 31659 County 24 Blvd. in Cannon Falls, just 1/8 mile west of 52 at County 24.
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To pre-order a fresh Ferndale Market turkey, call 507.263.4556. The Petersons expect they’ll have sizes
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on the table
Holiday Rewind The 70s are back in style, so serve up these updated oldies but goodies for your retro holiday party. For a more hearty meal, add prosciutto ham and artisan cheese on rustic rolls with a variety of mustards, reprise Swedish meatballs using grass-fed beef and a variety of interesting mushrooms or fancy up pigs in a blanket by using organic sausages in phyllo dough.
Caramelized Onion & Blue Cheeseball
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The key to a modern cheeseball is to let the cheese’s flavor shine through. The caramelized onions highlight the blue cheese and the smaller size is appealing and easier to serve. Ingredients 8 ounces quality blue cheese, crumbled (recommended – Shepherd’s Way Big Woods Blue) 2-4 ounces cream cheese 1 large yellow onion sliced into thin rings 2 T. butter 3 T. balsamic vinegar 1-2 tsp sugar In a large bowl, combine blue cheese with 2 ounces of cream cheese. Work with hands or, if preferred, in a food processor just until cheeses are smoothly combined. If the cheeses are not sticking together, add up to 2 ounces more cream cheese. Form into 3-4 plum-sized balls. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate. Meanwhile, sauté onions in butter until golden. Add balsamic vinegar and sugar. Simmer until vinegar is thickened. Cool slightly (hot onions will melt the cheeseball). Roll chilled cheeseballs in caramelized onions, arranging to cover cheeseball. Press onions slightly into cheeseball if they are not sticking. Wrap and chill up to 24 hours.
RED WING, MN
Try our Bread Pudding FREE For a FREE SAMPLE of
Bread Pudding
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Glögg is a traditional Scandinavian mulled wine, simmered with spices and served warm – perfect for cold winter evenings or holiday gatherings.
Glögg
contact: 1-800-201-9650 www.sturdiwheat.com pancakes@sturdiwheat.com
Locally made in Red Wing, MN
All Natural!
Ingredients 1 gallon red table wine or ruby port 1 to 1½ cups vodka or brandy (or half and half) Zest from one orange, and the juice 10 cloves 4 cinnamon sticks 10 cardamom pods (whole) ½ cup raw sugar Optional: raisins, figs, blanched almonds Bring all ingredients except the vodka to a boil and then turn to low heat and let simmer for at least 20 minutes. Add vodka when mixture has stopped boiling. Strain out raisins, figs and almonds, if used. THE YEAR OF THE DUCK
Red Wing
BluewaterYoga.com
651-388-6099
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Foodies everywhere are embracing the art of confit. Confit is a method of slow cooking in fat – duck fat to be precise – which is a form of preservation. The results are succulent and flavorful. Twin Cities’ restaurants are adding duck to their menus as a part of local, seasonal fare. We at Just Food Coop are celebrating the fall season with duck three ways. Look for duck breast portions and duck fat in the freezer section. Then for the holidays we will have duck rillette; an utterly divine spreadable for a meal or entertaining. Duck can be served as a steak, medium rare to well done, pairing well with the earthy flavors of mushrooms as well as fruits such as cranberries and blueberries.
on the table While cake is cooling make the following:
Chocolate Butter Rum Bûche de Noël BY ELIZABETH CHILD If you want to elicit a string of ooo’s and aahhh’s at your holiday celebration, arrive with a Bûche de Noël, the traditional French dessert meant to resemble a fire log. It is typically dressed with meringue mushrooms, berries and holly. The berries can be edible, such as raspberries, or from your yard, just for show (don’t eat unidentified berries). Sprinkle sifted powdered sugar over the frosting to suggest snow. The recipe that follows is my mother’s. She still uses the chocolate sponge cake recipe from her cooking school teacher at the Minneapolis YWCA circa 1950. The frosting is made to our tastes. Vary to suit yours.
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VERNA MEYERS’ CHOCOLATE ROLL CAKE Serves 12 Ingredients 6 eggs pinch of salt ¾ teaspoon cream of tartar ¾ cup sugar ½ cup cake flour ¼ cup cocoa Heat oven to 375˚ Grease a jellyroll pan (flat pan with 1-inch sides). Separate 6 eggs. Beat the whites with a pinch of salt until foamy. Add ¾ teaspoon cream of tartar. Beat until whites are stiff. Beat yolks separately, quickly, and fold into whites. Sift together ¾ cup sugar, ½ cup cake flour and ¼ cup cocoa. Carefully fold into egg mixture. Spread the cake batter over greased, parchment paper-lined jellyroll pan. ‘Drop on bench,’ a.k.a., pick up the pan and drop it from a foot over the counter two times to get the bubbles out of the cake. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Immediately turn baked cake onto tea towel sprinkled with powdered sugar. Peel parchment paper off the cake then roll the cake horizontally into a towel. Let cool at least one hour.
MERINGUE MUSHROOMS Ingredients 1 egg white ½ cup sugar ½ teaspoon lemon juice Directions Beat 1 egg white in mixer. Continue to beat. Add in ½ cup sugar a little at a time. Alternate with ½ teaspoon lemon juice. Beat mixture as you add sugar and lemon. To make mushroom caps, spoon 1-teaspoon rounds of meringue batter onto a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Also make stem shapes, which you’ll paste with frosting to the mushroom caps. Additionally, you can make half-moon shapes for shelf mushrooms. Bake at 275˚ for 15 minutes, or until the meringues have very lightly browned. BUTTER CREAM FROSTING Ingredients 2 sticks of soft butter 4 to 4 ½ cups of sifted powdered sugar ½ cup cocoa ½ cup heavy whipping cream 3 to 4 tablespoons of rum 2 squares of bittersweet Baker’s chocolate Directions Add 2 sticks of soft butter to a mixing bowl. Beat in 4 to 4 ½ cups of sifted powdered sugar (a cup at a time), and ½ cup of cocoa. Add ½ cup of heavy whipping cream. Add up to 3 to 4 tablespoons of rum to taste (and for spreading consistency). Using a double boiler, melt 2 squares of bittersweet Baker’s chocolate. Boil water in boiler, then reduce to low heat. Blend melted chocolate into above mixture. Add more powdered sugar as needed to make frosting the desirable sweetness. Making the Bûche When the cake is cool, unroll it and spread butter cream frosting to cover the entire surface. Roll up the cake, seam side down. Cut a small amount off each end to make ends that look sawn. Place on platter. Frost liberally with remaining butter cream frosting. Drag fork tines across the log to make bark. Draw a circle with the fork at each end to mimic tree rings. Place meringue mushrooms on cake. You can seal the stems onto the caps with frosting. Add other creative touches like holly and berries around the cake. You can make this a day ahead. If you won’t serve for several hours, chill to keep the frosting from melting. Sift with powdered sugar (snow) right before serving.
Chocolate Butter Rum B没che de No毛l
Cheese Fondue
Serves 8
Ingredients 4 tablespoons butter 6 tablespoons flour Heat butter over medium high heat. Add flour all at once whisking vigorously. When mixture thins and starts to bubble, reduce heat to low and cut back on the whisking. Cook until you smell a toasty aroma then cook 2 minutes more, stirring occasionally. (Extra roux can be tightly wrapped and refrigerated for up to a month.)
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Serve with any of the following: cubed bread, raw vegetables (carrots, celery, red or green peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, pea pods, scallions), ham, pepperoni, green olives.
White Roux
redouxhome.com
Place wine in a saucepan and reduce by half. Add the cream and bring to a simmer. Take off the stove and add the roux to thicken. Stirring constantly, place the saucepan on low heat and stir in the shredded cheeses. Season with the remaining ingredients. Pour into heated fondue pot and serve.
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Ingredients 2/3 cup white wine 2 cups heavy cream 2 ounces (1/2 cup) shredded Fontina cheese 2 ounces (1/2 cup) shredded Gruyere cheese 1 ounce (1/4 cup) white roux (recipe follows) 1/2 teaspoon garlic 1 tablespoon Kirshwasser (clear brandy) salt and pepper to taste Pinch of nutmeg (optional)
interiors
Holiday Keepsakes
Hold on to favorite family traditions while creating new memories.
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NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2011
BY TOM QUANRUD
Traditions make holidays memorable. They strengthen family bonds and instill values of giving, empathy and thoughtfulness, especially in children who will grow to cherish their family’s celebrations. Consider the following ideas to put your family’s unique twist on the holidays and create lasting memories. DISCUSS FAMILY FAVORITES While preparing for this holiday season make time to sit down with your family and talk about your traditions. What do members of your family most look forward to each year? Their answers may surprise you. A family ritual that you deem insignificant may very well be at the top of someone else’s list. Enjoy the process of making your list together; this task itself may very well become a new family tradition. To make the season less hectic, mark the family calendar with events you want to be sure to include in your family’s celebration. CONNECT WITH YOUR COMMUNITY Make time during the holidays to take in the sights you may overlook in day-to-day living. Some of the best and most enjoyable places to shop are local businesses. Visit your local downtown shops and introduce yourself to store owners—they will be thrilled to help you and your family with your holiday preparations. Independent, locally-owned businesses pride themselves on carrying unique gift items and out-of-the-ordinary decorations, as well as offering creative holiday ideas. Shopping local is a great way to give back to your community. By keeping dollars local you strengthen your community. VOLUNTEER The holiday season is the perfect time to instill the importance of community in your family, too. Look for volunteer opportunities you can do as a family. Many downtowns hold one or more events during the holiday season. Consider short-term volunteering opportunities with downtown organizations and community organizations. Attend local festivals and ask about other ways in which you can help throughout the year. Volunteering makes you an asset to your community and strengthens your sense of home.
MAKE MEMORIES In addition to honoring family traditions, nurture new memories. Nothing is more rewarding than having family members recall cherished holiday memories they shared with you when they were growing up. Tom Quanrud is co-owner of Inspired Home & Flower Studio in Red Wing, Minnesota.
REDOUX-IT YOURSELF TIPS: RE-PURPOSE. Give new life to Grandma’s favorite vase by placing the vase in a prominent location and use it to create a “tree” by filling it with branches cut from a tree or shrub in your backyard. Hang a few cherished ornaments that evoke memories and stories.
RE-DECORATE. Incorporate framed holiday-themed photos and pictures of beloved relatives in your current décor. Look for photos of memorable past holiday celebrations and display them throughout your home. Family members and visitors will enjoy remembering joyous times with family and friends.
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- Tom Quanrud
Tom Quanrud and Brian Schneider are co-owners of Inspired Home & Flower Studio in downtown Red Wing. They offer professional interior design services, window coverings, accessories, rugs and fresh flowers.
redouxhome.com
REMEMBER. Plan an afternoon each holiday season to create a family history with each family member writing down his or her memorable moments. Recount the events of the past year, month by month. Gather the lists, place them in a box, wrap it up and store it for next year. This box will become a gift when it is found again next year with other holiday items. Plan a special time to gather with family to unwrap this collaborative history. Repeat the same process for the next year. Your growing family history will no doubt become a cherished family heirloom!
NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2011
RE-GIFT. Re-gifting is okay! Look for ornaments and decorations made in years past by children and other family members. Give them back. Grown children especially will marvel at their handiwork as a child and more often than not will remember creating and proudly giving this gift. Share these family treasures and enjoy the smiles and laughter.
P A W S E E K N YA
) ! l a e t (and S
BY ELIZABETH CHILD
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redouxhome.com
NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2011
Yankee Swap (a.k.a. the White Elephant game) adds laughter to a holiday party, is inexpensive and includes everyone – it’s fun for all ages and even the reluctant gift-giver. Yankee Swap is an ice-breaker in groups where you don’t know each other well, and a standard for some families, who typically have a blooper gift that reappears each year, wrapped to look enticing. Beware: You may catch a glimpse of another’s quirky sense of humor, questionable taste or surprisingly competitive nature. The rules for Yankee Swap vary, but in all versions everyone is asked to bring a wrapped gift. Often these are “white elephants” – gifts you received and didn’t want, or items you bought and never used. Re-gifting gets an eye-sore out of your house, often to the delight of someone who actually wants it. Some groups buy gifts and set minimum and maximum spending amounts. The gifts can be useful – like the car trash container you always wished you had, silly – like Chia pets and fuzzy dice, quirky – like gold fish, or embarrassing – like Depends. You could bring a thoughtful gift, too, like oldfashioned candies or pretty candles. You can wrap your gift to look attractive or whirl some newspaper around it and make it look tacky in order to throw off participants. Each person will choose a gift from the center of a circle trying to second-guess the good from the ugly.
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Note: For a ‘nicer’ version, decide that a gift can only be swapped once per round.
MAR / APR 2011 redouxhome.com
YANKEE SWAP RULES 1. Participants bring one wrapped gift and place the gift in the center of a circle. 2. Participants draw numbers to determine the order in which they’ll play. 3. The person who drew number 1 goes first and must open a gift from the pile. 4. The person who drew number 2 goes next and has the choice of taking the gift opened by number 1 or opening another gift. If number 1’s gift is taken, player 1 must open another gift from the pile. 5. The person who drew number 3 goes next and can either take number 1’s gift or number 2’s gift or open a gift. If player number 3 takes an opened gift from player number 1 or number 2, then that player who is now giftless has the option of taking the other gift that was opened or opening a wrapped gift. 6. Play continues with players either swapping a gift or opening one. 7. When each gift is opened the round is over. 8. Once all players have a gift, get some dice and determine how many “swapping” rounds you’ll play. 9. Each person rolls the dice. If they roll doubles they can swap their gift with another’s – perhaps the one someone has declared undying affection for or is trying to scuttle under a chair cushion.
inspirations
Dave Foley of Dakota Surfaces creates environmentally-friendly custom countertops from concrete or recycled glass in a zeroVOC epoxy resin. Dave has been remodeling the houses he has lived in since college and finally decided to start his own remodeling business several years ago.
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redouxhome.com NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2011
RH: How did you get started with custom countertops? I’ve always had an interest in fixing up older homes, and I get a real kick from finding simple, creative ways to bring more functionality and value to a house without spending a fortune. It’s a little like treasure hunting in that once you learn exactly where to start digging, a big payoff will come with a minimum of shovel time. When I started the business, I had been expanding my interest in using unconventional building materials, one of which was concrete for countertops. I did lots of experimentation, making some for myself, some for friends, and soon I found myself busy just making concrete countertops. Soon after that, I added the ability to produce countertops using a zero-VOC epoxy resin, mainly using crushed, recycled glass as the aggregate. RH: You work with concrete and resin - which do you prefer? It really depends on the project. I’ve worked on lots of urban lofts where concrete is the perfect material to emphasize the simple utility of the space. Other projects need a jewel, and a colorful glass countertop can be the perfect focal point. Another thing that is attractive about these glass countertops is that all the glass is processed locally with my own crushing and sorting equipment, and the glass I use is typically the type that can’t be recycled otherwise. So, not only are these countertops beautiful and durable, but they’re keeping literally tons of material out of our landfills. For example, I have a program with Ikea in Bloomington, where I take all of their chipped and broken glass merchandise. This saves them the expense of having to dispose of hundreds of pounds of non-recyclable glass every week. RH: When a client is interested in new countertops, what is the process? I usually bring a wide variety of small samples to the client’s house and we discuss all the design options. I’ll often make a sample for the clients if they want to see a design I haven’t tried yet. Once the decision has been made, and the new cabinets have been installed, I make templates of the tops of the cabinets that are brought back to my shop. Forms are built based on these templates, and the concrete or resin is poured on a vibrating table to remove bubbles. After a few days of curing and many hours of grinding and polishing, the finished countertops are installed like any other solid countertop material.
inspirations RH: You often add recycled glass and mirror to the base - what other things do people add? There is a seemingly infinite number of colors of glass, though I mainly try to use the colors that are all but too plentiful: clear, brown, green, blue, tempered and mirror. Using glass that’s all around us helps keep the price of the countertops down, and cleans up our environment at the same time. Other exotic colors like red and black can certainly be used, though they generally need to be purchased, which adds to the price of the finished product. There are also options in terms of aggregate size. The crushed glass is sorted into several different sizes from sand grains to half-inch chunks, and each size, or mix of sizes, produces a completely different look. RH: Since people can tint the base virtually any color, and add various colors and sizes of recycled glass how do you guide them through the decision-making process? I’m often criticized for giving people too many design options. Some people can find it a bit overwhelming. But once the client’s tastes and concerns are voiced, the obvious choice almost always reveals itself quickly.
Yes. As more people learn about these new materials and the many design options that go with them, they often abandon traditional countertops like granite. People also like the fact that they’re getting a one-of-a-kind product custom made for them at a price that is similar to quarried stone.
NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2011 redouxhome.com
RH: Are you finding more people deciding against the ubiquitous granite, and moving more toward other options?
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NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2011
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Coming up in the next issue... REDOUX YOU! Make a new year’s intention to pick up the 2012 January/February issue of REDOUX HOME, where we help you rethink yourself – and your space – from the inside out. Find strategies for improving your relationships, health and wellbeing, along with inspirations for refreshing your image – and your space. Start your year right with REDOUX
HOME.
redoux home bazaar STRUCTURAL INTEGRATION The Rolf method of structural integration helps you find stability and alignment to increase flexibility, decrease pain and create a sense of peace. • Individual sessions • Posture Lab, Wed. Nov. 9 to Dec. 21, 6:30o 7:45 p.m. • Yin Yoga class, Thurs. Nov. 10 to Dec. 22, 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. Daniel Martin Certified Guild for Structural Integration practitioner and yoga instructor Northfield Buddhist Center 313 ½ Division St., Northfield 507.664.9418
THE INDIGO CONFERENCE ROOM IS AVAILABLE FOR BUSINESS MEETINGS Features: • Roof Deck overlooking the Mississippi River • Elevator Access • Special Daytime Rates • Downtown Red Wing in the restored Indigo Building 325 Main Street • Red Wing 651.267.0076
MAIDEN ROCK WINERY & CIDERY Located in the bluffs overlooking Lake Pepin, we offer wines and our signature hard ciders crafted in the farmhouse tradition of southwestern England.. Great River Road Wine Trail Holiday Food & Wine Festival November 12 & 13 Medieval Feast & Wassaling of the Apple Trees December 3–reservations required info@maidenrockwinerycidery.com Phone: 715/448-3502 maidenrockwinerycidery.com
FINE FURNITURE AND CABINETRY
Hodgson Woodwork Co. Steven Hodgson 304 Poplar Street Northfield, MN 55057 507-645-9671 steven@hodgsonwoodwork.co www.hodgsonwoodwork.co
REBOOT COMPUTERS Computer service and repair in Northfield. System diagnostics Virus removal Data transfer Custom system builds Wireless network setup Hardware sales and installation Reboot Computers 18 Bridge Square, Northfield help@rebootnorthfield.com Tel: 507.663.7050 www.rebootnorthfield.com
LINDA DAY CLAY Handmade functional pottery. Custom clay pieces for all occasions. Linda Day Clay Arkansaw, WI daydunlp@nelson-tel.net Tel: 715.285.5692 www.lindadayclay.com
SHEPHERD’S WAY FARMS Minnesota Artisan Sheep Cheese Shepherd’s Way Farms, a local family-based sheep dairy, produces award-winning artisan cheeses on the farm, just outside Northfield. Find Shepherd’s Way cheeses at Just Food Co-op in Northfield, or other local co-ops, specialty cheese shops, or Byerly’s, Lunds & Kowalski’s. www.shepherdswayfarms.com 8626 160th St East • Nerstrand, MN • 507.663.9040
Women caring for Women The physicians at Women’s Health Center at Northfield Hospital provide a full spectrum of obstetric and gynecologic care, including: Annual or routine gynecologic care Prenatal care and delivery • Contraception • Menopause guidance • Gynecologic surgery • •
our team of oB/GYn specialists:
Deborah Suppes, MD
Melanie H. Dixon, MD
Christine Braun, MD
Dana Olson, MD
We’re located at 2000 North Avenue, Northfield, on the Northfield Hospital campus. Physician services Provided by Mayo clinic health systeM.
507-646-1478
www.northfieldhospital.org/whc