Redoux Home HOLIDAY 2010 by REDOUX (home•garden•living)

re•doux

home

november / decmber 2010 • free

northfield • dundas • faribault • cannon falls

home for the holidays holiday entertaining, decorating, cooking redouxhome.com

make your own centerpiece

november / december 2010

EDITOR’S NOTE

A holiday makeover. BY ELIZABETH CHILD

ENTERTAINING

Be the host, not the help. BY ELIZABETH CHILD

MAKE A fESTIVE CENTERPIECE

Forage your backyard for everything you need. BY DARLENE JOHNSON

LET THERE BE LIGHT

Lighten up for the holiday season. BY NICHOLE DAY DIGGINS

TIME FOR TEA

A Victorian Christmas Tea. BY LAURIN WOLF

RECIPE

Leftover turkey tostadas with jalapeno cranberry sauce. BY ANNIE WITKAMP

TALKING TURKEY

Heritage turkeys vs. the Broad Breasted White. BY JOEY ROBISON

THE SEEDS OF GIVING

Helping fill the Northfield food shelf. BY ELIZABETH CHILD

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

You don’t have to leave the area to shop for the holidays.

FAMILY TREASURES

Faribault’s Crafty Mavens. BY LAURIN WOLF

YARD & GARDEN

Planting for winter beauty. BY KRISTIN LUCAS

THE ENERGY EXPERT

Improving home energy performance. BY JOE GRANSEE-BOWMAN

REVIEW

Getting down and dirty: natural laundry detergent. BY SUSAN CROW

CALENDAR

Upcoming events in the area.

redouxhome.com

NOV / DEC 2010

editor’s note Dear Reader:

PUBLISHER Nichole Day Diggins / Flying Pan Productions EDITOR Elizabeth Child COPY EDITOR Jodi Ohlsen Read CONTRIBUTORS Elizabeth Child Susan Crow Nichole Day Diggins Joe Gransee-Bowman Darlene Johnson Kristin Lucas Joey Robison Annie Witkamp Laurin Wolf CREATIVE DIRECTOR Nichole Day Diggins

REDOUX HOME • PO BOX 148, Northfield, MN 55057 p: 507.301.9710 e: info@redouxhome.com

507.301.9710 • 612.812.9987 www.redouxhome.com

Elizabeth Child Redoux Home Editor

Before

You can read the full story and see more photos on our newly-expanded website.

Stay connected Friend us on Facebook to receive regular tips, recipes and updates.

Looking for a local business or service? Check out our online Resource Guide.

Advertise your business. Become an advertising partner with REDOUX HOME and we’ll bring your business to life. Complimentary ad design included.

to advertise:

I decided to have myself redone for our holiday issue, too. Lana Huberg, owner of Northfield’s Salon Synergy, gave me a more contemporary look starting with the cut she had already given me a week earlier. The joy of the cut I have is that I can do nothing, which is my wont, and look pretty good. This time, Lana styled, moussed and sprayed my hair to smooth out the flippy wave and drape the bangs artfully across my brow. Because I was on my way to a business meeting, she used a daytime make-up and, thankfully, no greasy foundation, caked on lipstick or heavy mascara. What a pick-meup in under an hour!

Read more at redouxhome.com

redouxhome.com

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

redoux home is produced by Flying Pan Productions. All rights reserved. Copyright 2010. Copies of this publication or its contents may not be made for promotional purposes. For article reprints, contact REDOUX HOME at info@redouxhome.com.

Fortunately, Redoux Home is all about doable Redouxs. How refreshing! In this issue Publisher Nichole Day Diggins brightens a home with simple lighting solutions. Stylist Darlene Johnson puts together a holiday centerpiece using yard clippings. Sustainable architect Joe Gransee-Bowman answers questions to make a home energy efficient.One of Northfield’s most thoughtful hostesses, Peggy Hanson, helps us simplify hosting so we can enjoy it; and the Bjork family from Faribault exemplifies creativity with ingenuity.

NOV / DEC 2010

SALES Elizabeth Child Sara French Kelly Ligday

Whenever my husband, Dick, and I think about redoing our 1960s kitchen with the red linoleum countertops -- now very retro -- we start a chain of “might as wells,” as in: then we “might as well” knock out a wall or two to enlarge the space. Eventually the “might as wells” overwhelm our budget, and the Styling and make-up are a pick-me-up. kitchen suddenly seems just fine as it is.

Hosting tips Have fun with one dish. Keep the rest simple “I will focus on one special dish, such as a really great salad where I’ve caramelized the pecans and made a homemade dressing. The rest of the meal might be baked chicken seasoned with salt and pepper, baked potatoes and ice cream for dessert. “Or I might make a stew, soup or jambalaya. Then the salad is just washed red and green grapes or sliced apples. I will buy the bread and warm it. I might put butter and garlic in a pan and toast it, but that’s sometimes even too much.” Make “simple” special Hanson makes a simple dessert special with presentation. “I use a fancy stemmed glass, put crushed Oreos in the bottom, add a scoop of store-bought ice cream and top with a hot fudge sauce that I also bought. I make the glasses up ahead of time and put them in the freezer. I add whipped cream to serve them.

redouxhome.com

By elizabeth child

t’s the season of parties, which should be fun for all. But, oddly, when I give a party, I feel duty-bound to overreach my true comfort level in the kitchen. The result? I have to ask my husband for the party highlights I missed while fretting over food service. Enter Peggy Hanson, entertainment angel of mercy. Hanson is known in Northfield for her ability to entertain with ease and thoughtfulness. She hosted thank-you teas for her two girls’ teachers every year until they went to college, and she’s notorious for the etiquette classes she periodically offers to the area’s college seniors or church youth groups to prepare them for the world.

it off because you’re both engineers,’ for example.’”

While “rules” for hosting may strike you as old fashioned, Hanson’s self-made rules are guidelines that can make you a more confident host – and help you enjoy your own party. They are gold to those of us who frazzle instead of dazzle.

Clean and tidy “You can tidy the house without having to break your back. But really clean the bathroom,” instructs Hanson. It’s OK to simply organize the family’s boots in the foyer. But when it comes to the bathroom, she says, “I want to know I’m using the guest towel and not the family towels that are used everyday.”

Greet your guests “Make sure as a host you are at the front door greeting everyone. If someone says, ‘I’ll get the door,’ I say, ‘no, I’ll get it.’ The host should always be the one answering the door and making introductions. It’s a good idea, if people don’t know each other, to give a little background about them: ‘You two might really hit

redouxhome.com

Be the host, not the help

Table mannered Hanson encourages hosts to leave time for the visuals. “I get to the end of the cooking and I’m spent. Then, I realize I haven’t bought flowers!” Luckily Hanson knows how to make a table arrangement in minutes. “I’ll buy one stem of carnations. They’re fresh, they add a lot and you have two dollars in your flowers. I clip evergreens in my yard and add them to the carnations. I place low votive candles down the middle of the table. It’s beautiful. It’s simple. And it’s cheap. You don’t have to have a $40 flower arrangement.”

Make an entrance “Entrances are huge. In winter, make sure people can get to your home. The walk is shoveled and sanded. Maybe you’ve put candles out. The front porch light is on. The address numbers are visible so I can find the house. Lights in the house are on. My first impression is, ‘This is going to be nice; they really want us here tonight.’” NOV / DEC 2010

NOV / DEC 2010

entertaining:

At Christmastime I like to tie a present around the glass – a string of rock candy for the kids, ribbons, jingle bells or a tiny ornament. I put a mini-doily on the plate, and place the ice cream on that. It’s just Ice cream, but it looks beautiful.

Catherine Sheppard, Peggy’s daughter, keeps teacups filled as “mother of the pot,” a British term.

make your own holiday

centerpiece

continued from page 6 work ahead “I do everything ahead of time. I’ll set the table a day ahead of time because I like to play around with the arrangement and make sure it looks nice. If I’m serving bread, I’ll get the basket out and put the cloth in it. I think about what serving dishes I need and I get them ready. Before the dinner, I get the coffee ready so all I have to do is push start at the end of the meal. I have the creamer in the fridge. Dessert plates are out. I know I have enough forks so I don’t have to wash the dinner forks for dessert. I truly want to enjoy myself at my party. I can just relax when the party starts.” Guests don’t do dishes Guests who offer to help can help by clearing the dishes or bringing out the dessert, but not by doing the dishes. And, Hanson adds, “Don’t do the dishes yourself while the party is going on.” Stack dishes or make sure the dishwasher is empty so you can zip everything into it quickly. “As the host, I am anticipating doing the dishes. John [Hanson, Peggy’s husband] and I will often reminisce about the party while we’re wiping dishes at night.”

How do you make a beautiful holiday centerpiece without spending a bundle? Darlene Johnson, a collector and sales associate at Northfield’s Present Perfect, has also been a film, Johnson clips green branches in the yard of varying textures and shapes. They come from common plants such as arborvitae, yew and viburnum that were sporting red berries this fall. Later the berries will dry, but still offer color.

video and theater production coordinator and stylist. Here she shows us how to create a showy display with found objects.

The Guest List Guests have responsibilities, too. Here are a few good rules:

NOV / DEC 2010

redouxhome.com

Add the branches, berries and sticks gathered in the yard. Keep the centerpiece low so your dinner guests can see each other across the table. Johnson’s rule of thumb is no higher than 12 - 14 inches.

Invest in a neutral tablecloth and simple dishes so you can use any display colors you like for different occasions. Mixing and matching plates and cups and saucers you’ve collected can be a fun way to add interest, too.

Add color in candles or candleholders. Make a splash with napkins that spring out of glasses. Decorate a chandelier with boughs, cranberries or dried flowers. Voilà! Dinner is served.

Host or hostess gifts are optional “You can bring a gift and you can offer to bring a dish, but you don’t have to. It’s your choice to offer. Gifts can be small – cocktail napkins or a candle – but they aren’t necessary.” Thank-yous are essential “After the party, sending a thank-you note or calling to say thank you is very important. If the invitation came via e-mail, you could write an e-mail thank you. Written notes are the best. I had a friend who wrote beautiful thank you notes so I invited her to everything because I knew I’d get a beautiful note.” Elizabeth Child is the editor of Redoux Home and a marketing communications consultant based in Northfield.

Peggy’s holi-dazzling cookies take center stage.

redouxhome.com

Johnson prefers a natural, unstructured centerpiece. She starts with a basket from Present Perfect and fills it with moss, available at craft stores. She places it on a vintage mirror to add interest.

NOV / DEC 2010

Be on time “As a guest, your number one job is to be on time. It’s rude to be more than five or 10 minutes late. If you’re a guest running late, call and let the hosts know. They’ll understand if you were in a traffic jam or other uncontrollable circumstance. “

Don’t flood the room. A lot of people think the best way to light their home is to put a 100-watt bulb in every overhead fixture throughout the house. But one central light creates hard shadows and glare, not a warm, cozy feeling. Instead, combine table lamps and floor lamps with accent and task lighting and distribute throughout your space. Place your lighting at different levels – low, mid and high – to create ambiance. Use compact fluorescent bulbs to save energy; every regular bulb replaced by a compact fluorescent bulb saves you $30 in energy costs over the life of the bulb. Choose your bulb accordingly: warm white bulbs feel cozier than daylight bulbs, which give off a cool light and pick up every detail. Take a cue from mid-century trends. Watching television in a darkened room can be a strain on the eyes. To soften contrast and reduce glare, backlight your TV by placing a lamp behind the screen. In the 1950s, the ubiquitous TV lamp sat atop nearly every television in America. In Northfield you’ll find one of the largest collections around. Antiques of Northfield (416 Division Street) boasts more than 1,000 TV lamps of all varieties.

redouxhome.com

NOV / DEC 2010

For many people lighting is an afterthought. But in Sweden, where there are only about 5 hours of daylight in the depths of winter, lighting often takes center stage. Photo: Nordic Light Hotel, Stockholm, Sweden

Let there be

Light BY NICHOLE DAY DIGGINS

There is no mistaking the signs: bare trees, frosted morning grass, dwindling daylight... Omens of winter’s approach are literally in the air. Even people who love winter can hate its short days and long nights. But instead of cursing the darkness, make the best of it. The darkest months are the ideal time to warm up your home with well-placed lighting. And a more luminous home inevitably leads to a brighter outloook as well.

Add elegance in unexpected places. A chandelier on the porch, in the bath or the laundry room adds easy sophistication. Avoid the hassle and expense of hardwiring with a chic hanging pendant - just add a ceiling hook and cord set (see inset). Mood lighting. Sometimes a cozy island of light can lift your spirits more than bright ambient light. For a relaxing vibe, turn off the overheads and use only task and accent lights instead. When shopping for accent lighting, don’t overlook the wall lamps: they come in all shapes and sizes and help spread a warm glow throughout your space.Candles also add ambience and life to any room. If you love to look but not the soot, try a candle-style LED light – they’re surprisingly realistic. Highlight it. Put a spotlight on your favorite work of art or prized possessions and watch them come to life. If you’re not able to hardwire spotlights, there are lots of other options, including an up-light, which you simply plug in and place wherever you want to add drama. Nichole Day Diggins is the publisher of Redoux Home and owner of Flying Pan Productions.

Capiz Hanging Pendant – $69 worldmarket.com

The start of winter is marked by the winter solstice, which occurs exactly when the Earth’s North Pole is tilted farther away from the sun than at any other time of year. Though the solstice lasts only an instant, the term is also used colloquially to mean the first day of winter.

Victorian Christmas Tea BY LAURIN WOLF

redouxhome.com

NOV / DEC 2010

Walking into the Faribault Queen Anne Victorian Bed and Breakfast owned by Tami and Doug Schluter is like taking a step back in time. Yet Tami’s approach to hosting guests, whether it is overnight or for a special event, is thoroughly modern. She follows the business motto KISS, or “Keep It Simple, Stupid.” Her relaxed way of welcoming people into her home reflects the playfulness of her philosophy. Schluter The Historic Hutchinson House Bed & Breakfast in Faribault avoids the clutter that is characterized by the Victorian style in favor of more minimalist decorations. “You don’t have to stress out to be a good host,” she insists.

Victorian Tea Menu: SCONES Blueberry White Chocolate Apple Pecan Cinnamon Cranberry White Chocolate (Rice County Fair Blue Ribbon Winner) QUICHE Florentine - Spinach & Cheese Lorraine - Swiss & Bacon TEA SANDWICHES Salmon Dill Curried Chicken (recipe supplied) Cucumber SPANAKOPITA Spinach & Feta Mushroom & Onion SAUSAGE EN CROUTE DESSERT Petit Fours Belgium Chocolate Cups Cheesecake Cream Puffs Layered Almond Bread Pudding with Amaretto Cream Sauce Laurin Wolf is a Faribault native studying creative writing at Johns Hopkins University.

She and Doug realized they had a gift for hospitality when they repeatedly housed church guests and exchange students in their former residence. During their travels, they stayed in B&Bs and enjoyed meeting the locals. So, when they purchased their Victorian home in Faribault, they knew they wanted to create a laid-back, go-with-the-flow environment where visitors would feel comfortable.

Victorian Christmas Tea

Built in 1892, their B&B is named The Historic Hutchinson House after its famous first owner, John Hutchinson, Jr., a Civil War veteran, local businessman and entrepreneur who owned a flour mill, lumber company, furniture company and bookstore. The Schluters not only host overnight guests, they also book events that range from graduation parties to wedding receptions and baby showers.

Historic Hutchinson House 305 2nd Street NW, Faribault $20 / person Reservations required: 507.384.3291

On Saturday December 5 and 12 at 3 p.m., they will host their annual and extremely popular Victorian Christmas Tea featuring Tami’s blue-ribbon scones. (They’re so complicated to make that she doesn’t give out the recipe.) So, gather some friends this holiday season and check out the annual Christmas Tea. Make reservations early – space is limited.

December 5 & 12 • 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

recipe

Leftover Turkey Tostadas with Manchego and Jalapeno Cranberry Sauce

Just Food Co-op

ANNIE WITKAMP thedabble.com – recipes & musings from a northfield culinary writer

2 small flour tortillas

Jalapeno Cranberry Sauce

2 tsp. olive or canola oil

Ingredients:

3 tbsp. Jalapeño Cranberry Sauce (recipe below)

2 cups cranberries

½ cup leftover turkey, shredded

½ cup + 2 tbsp orange juice

½ cup Manchego cheese, shredded

½ cup sugar

2 tbsp. red onion or scallions, thinly sliced

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced

1 small jalapeño, seeded and finely diced-optional

1 tsp. lime juice

Preheat the oven to 400F. Divide and brush the oil, on one side, between the two tortillas and place the tortillas, oil side down, on a baking sheet. Divide and spread the cranberry sauce between the two tortillas. Top with the shredded turkey, cheese, onion and optional jalapeno on each tortilla. Bake for 8 minutes or until crisp. Cut into wedges and serve immediately.

In a saucepan, place the cranberries, orange juice, sugar and jalapeno. Simmer over medium-low heat until the cranberries burst. Add the lime juice, stir and remove from the heat. Allow to cool and thicken. Refrigerate and store in an airtight container up to a week.

redouxhome.com

NOV / DEC 2010

Joey Robison Marketing and Member Services Manager

Serves 2

Ingredients:

So what is a Heritage Turkey, anyway?

Small family farms used to raise a wide variety of diverse domestic turkey breeds for Thanksgiving dinner. But over the last few decades, these choices have become very limited in standard grocery stores. We’ve come to know one bird and one bird alone as our traditional Thanksgiving turkey: the Broad Breasted White. It’s true that this bird produces a high amount of breast meat in a short amount of time, and industrial production has made it cheap. But in an attempt to create large, cheap turkeys, we may have forgotten one important thing: flavor. The diverse breeds that used to be found on farms across the country—known as Heritage breeds—are being raised once again, praised by chefs for their rich flavor. To be considered Heritage, a turkey breed must be able to mate naturally, have a long, productive life span, and grow slowly (Heritage birds take about 28 weeks to mature, far longer than the industrial average of 14-18 weeks). You can purchase Heritage and Broad Breasted turkeys in limited quantities at Just Food Co-op in Northfield, or find other local producers at LocalHarvest.org.

Ferndale Market in Cannon Falls grows free-range turkeys on the third-generation Peterson family farm. The birds are grown without the use of antibiotics, processed naturally, and available both fresh or frozen in sizes 10-20 lbs. at Thanksgiving. ferndalemarketonline.com Pre-orders for fresh turkeys can be placed by phone or email: 507.263.4556 • ferndalemarket@frontiernet.net. For more leftover turkey & holiday recipes, visit thedabble.com.

“We wanted growing for the food shelf to be a goal, not an after-thought,” says Nancy. On 35 acres, SEEDS produce is grown without pesticides and herbicides to feed those in need of healthful foods, to nurture learning opportunities for new sustainable farmers, including students and Latino immigrants in the community, and to sell as inexpensively as possible to residents, restaurants and food service organizations. Those receiving supplemental sustenance from the food shelf are thrilled with the addition of so much fresh produce including kale, kohlrabi, beets, broccoli, peppers, tomatoes, lettuce, squash and melons. Four hundred twenty families depend on the Northfield food shelf regularly, and some 900 families are eligible to benefit from it, says Judy Bickel, Community Action Center program director. Clients normally can benefit from the food shelf once a month, but because of the generosity of community farms, they are invited to return often throughout summer and fall to partake of the harvest.

redouxhome.com

read more online at redouxhome.com

The Bjork women are a welcoming presence in Faribault, adding old-fashioned ingenuity and good will to downtown. Each is complimentary of the others’ skills. They work in mediums as traditional as paint or needle and thread, and as eccentric and eclectic as the afore mentioned flip-flops or discarded kitchenware that becomes a garden decoration.

Ruth continues to be the active matriarch of the family. She sews aprons, which are sold in the Crafty Maven, and is in a quilting circle at a church near her winter residence in Texas. The group makes nearly 400 quilts a year, which they distribute to high school graduates, newly baptized babies and needy families. “It’s a place where there is a great deal of wealth, but also a great deal of poverty,” Ruth explains.

A Crafty Holiday Beth and Dee offer up their ingenuity to the community over the holidays, too. For the last two years their seasonal store window has won Faribault’s holiday window contest. Beth and Dee play fortune-tellers at a local event. Inspired by childhood memories of the moving window displays at Dayton’s Department Store in the Twin Cities, Beth and Dee dressed two mannequins in costumes and ice skates, and mounted them on a rotating Christmas tree stand where they spun in endless circles last year. They aren’t revealing anything about this year’s display, except that it involves a conveyor belt. The mavens are set to out-craft themselves yet again, spinning something wonderful out of something redeployed, reconfigured and re-imagined.

redouxhome.com

Family TreasureS

Leading by Example The Bjork tradition of remaking the old into new marvels in Faribault dates back to 1948 when Ruth Bjork moved to town from Kenyon with her husband, Bob, who owned Belz Company, a stationery store. As a young wife and former teacher, Ruth led by example when it came to creating something wonderful out of almost nothing. She made all of the girls’ clothing until they went to college – partly out of necessity in the Depression era. Luckily for the girls, she was – and is – a skilled seamstress who could repurpose high-quality, hand-me-down fabrics. “I went off to pre-school in a cashmere coat with a matching muff and hat,” Beth recalls with pride. Ruth could recreate any look that her daughters saw on the cover of Seventeen Magazine, and she did just that with daughter Anne’s confirmation dress.

NOV / DEC 2010

Dee is a practical crafter who specializes in upholstery. “We learn how to do things when we have a customer with a need,” she says, touching us all with the story of a distraught family that nearly lost the treasured chairs that were once their grandmother’s in a house fire. To their relief, Dee found a way to restore the charred remnants.

Planting for

winter beauty

•

Dwarf Norway Spruce (small evergreen with deep green foliage)

•

‘Annabelle’ Hydrangea (the dried blossoms catch snow)

When planning our yards and gardens, many of us dream about the thrills that plants bring us from spring through fall: the blooms, the greenery, the texture, the fragrance and the color. When we think of the long expanse of winter, on the other hand, we visualize anything but a time to enjoy our gardens.

•

‘Jim Dandy’ and ‘Red Sprite’ Winterberry (bright red berries

•

River Birch (beautiful peeling bark and delicate branches)

But mix a few specially selected plants into the landscape, and our gardens can keep delighting us all winter long. In fact, adding in some plants with year-round interest could, along with the absence of mosquitoes and weeds, make winter one of the most exciting gardening seasons of all. You often can plant into November if the ground doesn’t freeze.

•

‘Cardinal’ Dogwood (bright red branches)

•

‘Karl Foerster’ Feather Reed Grass (ornamental grass)

•

Viburnum (many varieties retain their berries into winter)

Evergreens are the backbone of any winter garden. Their deep green needles add color and depth to the landscape, and provide a fantastic contrast to the white snow. They also provide a deephued backdrop, making it easier to see other plants.

•

Black Hills Spruce (deep green contrast to the white snow)

•

‘Red Jewel’ Crabapple (bright red berries stay on through

redouxhome.com

Dry or Upland Areas

winter) •

‘Arctic Fire’ Dogwood (bright red branches)

•

‘Autumn Fire’ Sedum (dormant plant remains rigid and catches snow)

Partly Shady Areas •

Pagoda Dogwood (horizontal branches on this small tree catch snow)

•

‘Taunton’ Yew (deep green foliage)

•

‘Arctic Sun’ Dogwood (yellow branches with red tips)

•

Rudbeckia (dried seed heads catch snow)

Kristin Lucas is a Minnesota Nursery and Landscape Association-certified Landscape Designer. She designs beautiful outdoor spaces for Knecht’s Nurseries and Landscaping in Northfield.

As an added bonus, many of these plants will attract birds during the long winter months, making the garden feel almost as active and alive as it does spring through fall. As you winterize your yard this fall, think about adding some of the following great winter plant combinations to your landscape. Then curl up with a cup of hot cocoa and enjoy the winter!

Moist or Low-lying areas

redouxhome.com

Trees and shrubs with interesting bark or bright berries add color, structure, and excitement to the winter garden. Dried perennials lend form, texture and movement (think grasses blowing in the wind) to the scene. Leaving perennials up over the winter, rather than cutting them back, gives the snow a place to land, adding contour and shape to the landscape.

on light grey twigs)

NOV / DEC 2010

SEPT / OCT 2010

By KRISTIN LUCAS

Small Yards or Foundation Plantings

Redoux Home: What incentives and resources are available for making our homes more energy efficient?

The

Energy Expert BY JOE GRANSEE-BOWMAN

As Minnesotans, we live among some of the most beautiful scenery and seasonal changes. But the great outdoors also brings extreme temperature differentials of over 100 degrees between the summer and winter solstice. Luckily, we have building solutions to address our need for energy-efficient shelter.

redouxhome.com

NOV / DEC 2010

To help us prepare our homes for winter, Redoux Home posed questions to Joe Gransee-Bowman, a Certified Passive House Consultant in Northfield who helps people design plans for integrating systems of food, shelter and energy. Gransee-Bowman holds a master of science degree in sustainable design architecture. For more information, he can be reached at joegb@northfieldwifi.com or 952.406.1215. Redoux Home: What should we consider when planning to weatherize an older home? Gransee-Bowman: In order to address the challenges of weatherizing older homes it is important to start with safety, indoor environmental quality, energy performance and moisture control. First, identify whether your home harbors any safety concerns such as mold or back drafting of carbon monoxide from combustion appliances, including gas water heaters, stoves or furnaces. Next, seal up the leaks in the attic and around the foundation, walls, windows and doors. Once your home is air sealed, insulation can be added to reduce heat loss in the attic and walls, and strategically around crawlspaces and basements. Keeping moisture from building up in your home requires controlling sources of water both from rain with a solid roof, gutters and downspouts, and also by using exhaust fans to remove water vapor from activities such as bathing and cooking.

Gransee-Bowman: I have gathered some of the top resources for you. For a more comprehensive list, please see this article at redouxhome.com (click the “Sustainable Living” page link). energy.mn.gov Learn about Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE), state legislation that will bring about potential financing for energy improvements and renewable energy systems.

Redoux Home: How can we seal up our homes without jeopardizing air safety and quality? Gransee-Bowman: As a homeowner, you can accomplish some fixes yourself, such as using spray foam to seal up leaks in the attic and around the foundation, and blowing cellulose into the attic. However, sealing up one part of the house such as an attic leak might inadvertently cause back drafting of carbon monoxide or increase radon levels. Hiring a professional who understands building science to conduct an energy audit of your house can help you identify solutions to building performance problems. Although utility companies provide building diagnostics for air leakage, they may not test for combustion issues or air quality, and they don’t assess moisture problems. Energy auditors provide a comprehensive assessment of the building and then develop a plan, based on savings to investment ratios, for improving the safety, comfort and energy performance of the building as a whole system.

energystar.gov/yardstick The federal program ENERGYSTAR soon will be replaced by HOMESTAR, offering tax credits to fund recommendations from qualified energy auditors. This is an improvement to the Energy Star tax credits. Learn cost effective measures you can take to improve your home’s efficiency. thenec.org Minnesota Energy Loan: Low interest financing for renewable energy and energy efficiency building improvements is available to those that qualify. mncee.org Home Energy Loan: Low interest financing for renewable energy and energy efficiency building improvements. cleanenergyresourceteams.org Clean Energy Resource Teams have online resources about renewable energy.

ssm3074take3:Layout 1 8/19/2010 9:44 AM Page 1

Shattuck-St.Mary’s School Presents...

THE 2010-2011 FESLER-LAMPERT PERFORMING ARTS SERIES

Get cash back for your energysaving upgrades If there were ever an ideal time to invest in your home by adding more insulation or replacing an inefficient old water heater, it’s now. The economic stimulus package passed by Congress last February included a federal tax credit of 30 percent of the cost of energy-saving upgrades. This is a full tax credit, not just a deduction, but there is a cap of $1,500 per house.

Rhythmic Circus S . 9, 2010 The Princess and the Pea S . 25, 2010

Eisenhower Dance Ensemble J My Antonia M . 24, 2011

Tanner Taylor Trio O . 14, 2010 Igor Stravinsky’s “L’Histoire Du Doldat” J

Chic Gamine M . 31, 2011 The Sweet Land Project A

AN. 20, 2011

EPT

PRESENTED BY MISSOULA CHILDREN’S THEATRE

PRESENTED BY ILLUSION THEATER

CELEBRATING OUR 25TH SEASON...

AN. 6, 2011

PR. 6

& 7, 2011

Time is running out – the upgrades must be installed by the end of 2010. So if you hurry, there’s still time to slash your utility bills and increase your house’s long-term value, too. For more information, visit energysavers.gov.

C ONTACT P ERSON : R ICHARD K ETTERING – 507-333-1631 –

RKETTERING @ S - SM . ORG

ssm3074

Getting Down and Dirty

Laundry Detergent

An assortment of natural and refillable laundry detergents are avaible locally at Just Food Co-op in Northfield.

by SUSAN CROW

ust about every day we clean some part of our house and if we are not careful, dump some pretty toxic chemicals into our already polluted environment. Laundry detergents are no exception.

Here are some tips on ways to tackle a few other global problems and save money in the process. First, always wash in cold water. Most detergents on the market today are formulated to do a great job cleaning your clothes in cold water, so there is no reason to wash in hot water anymore. Hot water uses unnecessary energy, costing you more money. Second, use about half of the amount of detergent suggested on the bottle. The suggested amount is way too much and is hard on your clothes. Third, refill your existing large plastic liquid laundry detergent bottle. I have been refilling the same bottle at Just Food of Northfield for three years. Many laundry jugs are made out of #5 polypropylene plastic which isn’t accepted at our Rice County recycling center. Just think of all the plastic you are going to keep out of the landfills while also protecting our precious water by using less detergent in cold water. So if you want to tackle your family’s dirty laundry including those stinky socks as environmentally friendly as possible: • Buy detergents that list their cleaning agents as plant-derived or plant-based. • Refill your existing plastic bottle to reduce plastic in the landfill. • Wash and rinse your clothes in cold versus hot water. For more information, visit: organicconsumers.org/articles/article_279.cfm Susan Crow is a Northfield-based sustainable designer.

The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health reports that one-third of the substances used in the fragrance industry are toxic.

Throw Cold Water on Assumptions

redouxhome.com

Synthetic chemicals leave toxic residues in our environment, air and water. Many of these chemicals are masked with other chemically based scents that mimic natural scents but very often are also dangerous to inhale or touch.

Products may be labeled “natural” or “eco-friendly,” but if they don’t tell you on the container why or how, think twice about buying them. On the other hand, if a product says “solvent-free,” “no phosphates,” “no volatile organic compounds (VOCs)” or “no petroleum-based ingredients,” then you can be assured that the manufacturer is not trying to pull the wool over your eyes with suggestive words or packaging. NOV / DEC 2010

befo

If the laundry detergent you are using says “Danger, Warning, Poison or Caution,” it is poisonous. Diluting and rinsing it down the drain doesn’t make it go away, it simply takes it to another place. Products labeled “danger” or “poison” are the most hazardous; those labeled “warning” are moderately hazardous and detergents marked “caution” are considered slightly toxic.

According to the Organic Consumers Association, “Fragrances added to many cleaners, most notably laundry detergents and fabric softeners, may cause acute effects such as respiratory irritation, headache, sneezing and watery eyes in sensitive individuals or allergy and asthma sufferers.” The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health has found that one-third of the substances used in the fragrance industry are toxic. But because the chemical formulas of fragrances are considered trade secrets, companies aren’t required to list their ingredients but merely label them as containing “fragrance.”

calendar • nov / dec 2010

REDOUX HOME NOV / DECT 2010

Tuesday, November 9, 7 to 8 p.m. A Night of Silver Sharon Jensen and the Rice County Historical Society’s Alexander Faribault House Committee Members discuss the history and care of silver. Alexander Faribault House 12 NE 1st Avenue, Faribault. rchistory.org

Thursday, December 9 through Sunday, December 12 Festival of Wreaths at the Northfield Arts Guild Wreaths are handdecorated and available by auction. Thursday 5-9 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sunday 10 a.m.-3p.m. northfieldartsguild.com

Saturday, November 13, 2010, 5 to 10 p.m. Red Rock Canyon: The History of Country Music Take a trip through the musical and visual history of country music, presented by Terry T, his band & Barb Piper. Faribault’s Paradise Center for the Arts. Friday, November 16, 6:30 p.m. World renowned author and Post Carbon Institute Fellow Richard Heinberg Heinberg presents “Mom, Dad, We Need to Talk: Preparing Together for a Changed World.” Northfield Ballroom. transitionnorthfield.org Saturday, November 27 ‘Deck The Falls’ Holiday celebration in Cannon Falls includes store open houses, parade, music, bake sales and the ceremonial lighting of the community Christmas tree. cannonfalls.org/ communitycelebrations.html Thursday, December 2 though Sunday, December 5 St. Olaf College Christmas Festival stolaf.edu/christmasfest Thursday, December 4, 10 a.m.-noon Make It & Take It Make a shibori silk scarf, jewelry, candles, purses, or paint a ceramic figurine. Open to all age groups. Pre-registration is required. paradisecenterforthearts.org Thursday, December 9, 7:30 p.m. Simple Gifts with Minneapolis acoustic guitarist Billy McLaughlin Shattuck St. Mary’s Newhall – Auditorium. Contact: dmusselman@s-sm.org Thursday, December 9 12th Annual Winter Walk Downtown Northfield. Enjoy Northfield by candlelight!

Thursday, December 9 through Saturday, December 11 Sun Valley Christmas Written by Merlin Players’ founding member Michael Lambert, this musical revue is a valentine to films such as White Christmas and Holiday Inn. paradisecenterforthearts.org Saturday, December 11, 1-4 p.m. Shattuck St. Mary’s Campus Christmas Walk Figure skating holiday show starts after the event at 4 p.m. at the SSM ice arena. Saturday, December 11, 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. Girls Day Away Cannon River Winery comes alive with handcrafted jewelry, fashions, mini-spa, cooking demonstrations and more. No entry fee. Saturday, December 11, 7-8:30 p.m. Carnegie Centennial Concert Featuring St. Olaf College String Quartets - at the Northfield Library. Friday, December 31 Heartwork Yoga New Year’s Eve IntentionsSetting Retreat. Watch for details at heartworkyoga.com.