NewsTribune_IV Woman_022523

Getting rid of what weighs you down

Is anyone else excited that spring is just around the corner? We’ve almost made it through another long, cold Illinois winter, and I couldn’t be happier to welcome warmer weather and greenery after how gray and dull things have been lately.

It’s always so thrilling to see the first buds come on the tree, have that first 60-degree day of the season, and begin to think about all the projects you want to tackle now that the weather is finally cooperating. This spring, I’m going to take this whole spring cleaning thing seriously. My home was built in the 1970s, and it has never had enough clos-

ets and storage space to suit me. I watch those home-buying shows and see people stroll into walk-in closets the size of my bedroom, and I have to admit, I get insanely envious of all that storage space.

Other than the lack of closets and storage, I love my cozy-feeling house, and I know that in a few short years, I’ll have extra space to work with as my kids grow up and move out. In the meantime, I need to put some effort into being better organized and purging what I don’t use.

It can seem overwhelming to purge items in a whole room in a day or even a week when you already have a busy schedule. So, I will break down my workload into smaller, manageable goals that I can do quickly. I will find ten things each day that I can throw out or donate to free up some extra space in my house. My goal is to do this for a month and then see how much of a difference I feel it’s made.

I’m not sure my husband and kids

will love this new plan of mine, so I’ll start with my things and some of the paperwork and documents I’ve held onto way longer than necessary.

We all have things that weigh us down in life, creating more stress than they’re worth. For me, in my already packed house, it’s the little items I no longer use but feel the need to hold onto anyway. If you have something weighing you down in your life, think about how freeing it would be to kick it to the curb. It can be daunting, but you might feel better coming up with a workable plan to rid yourself of that burden.

Best wishes, Shannon Serpette Niche Editor

Illinois Valley Woman 426 Second Street La Salle, Illinois 61301 (815) 223-3200 (800) 892-6452

www.newstrib.com

Publisher

Dan Goetz

Niche Editor Shannon Serpette sserpette@shawmedia.com

Regional Advertising Director Jeanette Smith jmsmith@shawmedia.com

Writers

Brandon LaChance

Katlyn Sanden

Shannon Serpette

Photographers

Brandon LaChance

Katlyn Sanden

Shannon Serpette

Designer

Liz Klein

On the cover: Christy Donahue shows off an eye-catching citrine geode in her shop, The Rock and Soul, located at 229 S. Clark St., Utica. PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHANNON SERPETTE

Published by: est. 1851

‘Are you nuts?’

La Salle-Peru native Debbie Miller picked, operates successful business

Story and photos

by Brandon LaChance

When Debbie Miller’s daughter, Ali Mae, asked, ‘Are you nuts?’ when her mother proposed the idea of buying Uniforms Etc, Debbie thought, ‘Maybe.’

Whether the idea was a little outside of the box or came from left field, the business endeavor has proven to be a smart, prosperous, successful move for Miller, who was born and raised in La Salle and Peru.

“It was a very well-established business. The uniforms have been in the area for approximately 50 years,” said Miller, who now lives in Oglesby and has two daughters, Lindsey and Ali Mae. “I think I am the fourth owner of the business. It wasn’t like I came into the industry starting from ground zero. I bought the name, the product, and the phone number from Betty Nawa, who had owned it for 20 years.”

“It was a smooth transition. On a Friday night, she closed, and I had trucks and vans lined up to move the store from 637 2nd St. to where the store is now at 637 1st St.”

Selling scrubs to nurses, doctors, veterinarians, and other health care professionals, as well as embroidered items, tote bags, baby items, wedding merchandise, tumblers, medical accessories, and shoes, was not Miller’s first desired profession or original intended way of making a living.

Miller graduated from

beauty school because she wanted to do hair. She also earned an associate degree from Illinois Valley Community College in criminal justice because she wanted to work with and help kids.

The go-getter also managed Disc Jockey in the Peru Mall, began an embroidery business in her home in 1995 (which is still active), and went back to IVCC in 2002 and transferred to Sauk Valley Community College to obtain the education to run X-rays. She worked for two doctors in Peru before owning Uniforms Etc.

Actually, needing shoes to

give x-rays in the doctors’ offices is what brought Miller to Uniforms Etc as a customer. She came away with the knowledge that Nawa wanted to sell and the idea that her daughter thought was nuts.

“My business saw success and benefited when work to downtown La Salle started. When I first came here, I think there were only four or five stores on 1st St.,” said Miller. “When Jeff Grove became mayor, it just seemed like he changed everything. He did an awesome job.”

“I belong to La Salle Business Association and the

La Salle-Peru native and Oglesby resident Debbie Miller came into Uniforms Etc to buy a pair of shoes to wear at a doctor’s office when operating X-ray machines. She heard that the owner, Betty Nawa, wanted to sell the establishment. Miller purchased the shop in 2007 and has been successful ever since.

La Salle Chamber of Commerce. I feel like La Salle businesses have a great support system behind them. Small Business Saturday, the day after Black Friday, is always huge, and it’s because the community supports it.”

Being a woman business owner hasn’t always been easy. Miller has grown a thick skin as she makes sure business partners are operating ethically, customers understand the importance of shopping locally instead of on the internet, and of course, the Covid-19 backlash.

“As a woman, it is a disadvantage. Sometimes I feel sorry for the people who have to deal with me because if I know someone is trying to pull something over on me, I get even stronger,” she said. “I think women have to be very strong in the business world. We have to set our goals, and we have to stick with those goals.”

“We have to have a mindset of knowing we’re going to encounter issues and that we can overcome them. The companies I work with have been pretty good, but every once in a while, I run across something I know shouldn’t be the way that it is. You have to be very assertive,” she said. “Women who own a successful business are a different breed. We’re not a little mouse sitting in the corner; that doesn’t cut it.”

One part of making sure partners are operating ethically starts with an invoice.

“You have to watch your invoices. You have to watch what you’re being charged for items. You have to watch your shipping costs,” Miller said. “You have to watch everything. But I think it’s a sign of the times in our society. It’s just the way that it is. I actually sit and read my bills. I study my bills. I’ve found many mistakes where companies were overcharging me.”

The tough-minded business owner demands fairness. Over the years, being a woman business owner has become fairer in Miller’s eyes.

“I think it’s easier now because more females are starting businesses. We’re being more accepted in starting a business,” Miller said. “If you look at downtown La Salle, there are more and more females owning businesses. I think women want more than just sitting in an office. We want more, and we’re going after it. You have to go after it because nothing comes to you; you have to go to it.”

“The uniform industry has changed drastically since I first started. I keep saying it’s the hospitals and the nursing homes that are dictating the uniform industry. A print scrub top at an agency is becoming less and less. Every place of medical industry employment is moving to solid colors in both the pants and tops,” she said. “They’re also doing color coding. CNAs will wear one color, LPNs another color, and so on. The prints are less and less every year.”

Whether you’re looking for scrubs, shoes, or a stethoscope, Miller will greet you with a smile and help you find anything you need.

“One of the main reasons I bought the business was to take care of my customers and help the medical industry in our area,” she said.

Above: Uniforms Etc offers scrubs and uniformed clothing for medical workers, including nurses, doctors, veterinarians, and dentists, as well as medical accessories, tumblers, embroidered items, shoes, baby items, wedding merchandise, and more.

Right: Medical professionals bored with ordinary scrubs will find a large assortment to choose from at Uniforms Etc.

Ready to Rock

Utica shop is a real gem for learning more about rocks and minerals

Christy Donahue knows the potential market for her shop, The Rock and Soul, is huge. After all, the shop, located at 229 S. Clark Street in Utica, sells items that everyone has touched at some point in their lives – rocks, minerals, and gems.

“If it was pretty, they picked it up,” she said.

A long-time rockhound, Donahue has been a regular attendee at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show in Tucson, Arizona, a world-renowned annual show that draws up-

wards of 65,000 attendees. She’s attended that show for 30 years now and loves to chat with rock enthusiasts, whether they’re serious collectors or novices. Donahue realized there was a market for this type of store in the Illinois Valley and decided to take a leap of faith, opening the shop in 2018.

Owning The Rock and Soul allows her to be around her favorite hobby and chat with others who share her passion. Educating those who walk through the shop’s doors is

fulfilling to her, and she loves to use ultraviolet lights to show her customers how the lighting makes patterns and colors show up in certain minerals.

“There is more than meets the eyes,” she said when noting how the UV light makes a gem or mineral look completely different. “I get so excited about it.”

In addition to rocks, gems, and minerals, her shop features meditation supplies and

See ROCK page 9

Those who are looking for jewelry will find a lot to choose from in The Rock and Soul in Utica.

Story and Photos by Shannon Serpette

Christy Donahue loves showing off how ultraviolet lights can make crystals glow and reveal colors you wouldn’t notice without the light.

FROM PAGE 7

other unique items. The shop offers commonly found rocks and gems, but also some rarer ones. Some are on display only, and others are available for purchase. There’s so much to look at that customers tend to stay awhile.

“People don’t come here for a minute,” Donahue said.

With its beautiful and carefully constructed displays, the whole shop has a calming vibe to it.

“The spirit is good here. That’s what people say when they walk in,” Donahue said. “I’m so proud of how it looks.”

To make her shop more of a family destination experience, she added a cool-looking sluice box in front of the building. The sluice is open from May 1 to Oct. 31 and can fit 20 people at a time. She sells bags of materials to use in the sluice box, so kids and adults can have the experience of washing away the dirt and seeing what rocks or gems they can spot.

Behind the shop, she created and decorated a sanctuary area. She’s offered small classes there, ranging from yoga to mandala painting and meditation. In addition, the property offers two Airbnbs that people can rent to take full advantage of her prime location in downtown Utica.

This year, Donahue is

looking forward to some new developments for her shop. The LaSalle County schools will be visiting historical spots throughout LaSalle County during the school year.

“One of the options this year is to come here,” Donahue said.

She’ll explain to the students about the geological history of the area, and they can try their hand at sluicing. She’s excited about the prospect of sharing her knowledge with local children, just as she does her customers.

“I love our customers that come in here,” she said, adding that she gets joy from seeing someone connect with an item they love. “If it only takes one little rock to make someone feel happy, here you go.”

Above: The shop carries a selection of Tibetan singing bowls, which can be used for décor, relaxation, and meditation.

Upper Right: Whether you want a rock-based bracelet or a bigger display piece, The Rock and Soul offers items of all sizes and prices.

Right: These gorgeous rocks can be displayed or carried around with you for those who believe that crystals and rocks have healing powers.

Preserving the Family Farm

WWhen one thinks of the family farm, what comes to mind? Is it rows and rows of corn? A large garden that feeds the entire family? Milking cows? Raising beef, pork, or poultry? A livelihood?

For Rhonda Telfer, it’s memories of climbing up in the hayloft looking for baby kittens, flying on the rope swing tied to the barn beam, and running in wide open spaces. It’s also what inspired her to write her own children’s book, Grandpa’s Treasure.

As a mom to four children, the little seed planted in her heart as a child continued to grow while raising her own children and then blossomed into a well-loved children’s book enjoyed by families around the world.

“I had a wonderful English teacher in high school,” Telfer said. “She was affirming in my writing. Even as a kid, I’d write poems. My mom always had books for us kids, and she’s a very creative person. So, (with) the combination of her creativity, reading good literature with well-crafted sentences, and having a great English teacher, I ended up majoring in English. It was a good fit.”

Grandpa’s Treasure is a story of two young city boys who head to Grandpa’s farm for the day. Much to their surprise, they discover Grandpa’s barn is actually a “castle” and find joy and contentment climbing in the hay loft, running in the fields, and riding in the combine. Ultimately, they discover Grandpa’s treasure as they learn to appreciate the hard work the American farmer does every day.

Telfer grew up on a fourth-generation family farm in western Bureau County with her parents and three brothers. When Telfer left the farm to make a life of her own in the suburbs, she remembered the trips out of the city and back to the family farm served as a wonderful reprieve for her and her children.

“I’ve always loved reading and wanted to be a writer,” Telfer said. “As a mother of four, I loved nothing more than reading high-quality books to my kids. I made sure there was a big collection of children’s books in our home because it’s a good foundational thing. I have always admired wellcrafted children’s books.”

As a stay-at-home-mom, she joined forces with a photographer who specialized in creating picture books with a strong social message. That’s when Telfer’s desire to preserve the rich rural history in Illinois came to life.

“Remember, I was a farm kid raising my kids in the suburbs who would go to Grandpa and Grandma’s farm,” Telfer said. “If you’ve lived in Chicago or the suburbs, you know the experience of driving out of the city, into the suburbs, and then there’s that moment when you see corn fields and a mall. Or an old barn and a neighborhood. There’s a pic-

Top: Grandpa’s Treasure can be purchased on Amazon.

Bottom: This is the cover of Grandpa’s Magic. Like Grandpa’s Treasure, it portrays actual photographs of rich farmland in Illinois.

ture in the book with a barn with a For Sale sign. As an adult, you know that’s rural history being lost. As a kid, you just know you’re getting more and more into the open spaces. Grandpa’s Treasure came about from the experience of driving from the city suburbs to Grandpa’s farm.”

See TELFER page 12

Story and Photos by Katlyn Sanden

Rhonda Telfer is back enjoying life in rural Bureau County, where she continues to share her love of reading with the area’s farm kids.

Telfer

FROM PAGE 10

As a kid, a barn feels like a castle. If the barn’s a castle, then there’s a kingdom, and the farmer has to be the king, and it’s through this imaginative play that Telfer preserved the history of old barns and farmsteads that sit or have sat right here in the Illinois Valley.

“One of the things I wanted to convey was city boys bringing their own toys because they don’t think there will be much to do on the farm,” Telfer said. “But then, they’re really drawn into the rural beauty.”

But what really makes this story unique are the illustrations, Telfer added. She said it’s rare to find a book filled with full-color photographs of real farmers, farm kids, city kids, and real working farms.

“Every page in the book has a story behind it,” Telfer said. “There’s a photo of a farmer’s field with development behind it in the book. We met an elderly farmer who still lived on his farmstead surrounded by a Home Depot. Hearing the farmer talk about how he was hanging on to his farm, even though he’d been offered a lot of money, is very moving. It’s real life.”

Finding a publisher to get Grandpa’s Treasure on the shelves was challenging, despite

the award-winning photography and rich, rural history, but once a large agricultural company caught wind of the story, thousands of copies were sold. The company gave the books as customer appreciation gifts.

Telfer has completed a sequel to Grandpa’s Treasure entitled Grandpa’s Magic. While Grandpa’s Treasure is about two little boys at harvest, Grandpa’s Magic takes the reader on an adventure with two little girls at planting.

“Grandpa’s Magic is even more educational, about a grandfather explaining to his granddaughters how a seed turns into a crop,” Telfer said. “I call it magic because it’s really amazing. As a Christian, it’s the way God has created it to be. If you think how amazing it is what those little, tiny seeds grow into and how the cycle continues; that’s how God designed the natural world.”

Grandpa’s Magic takes the reader through an entire planting season, the ups and downs of the growing season throughout the summer, ending at harvest. To share the agriculture lesson embedded in Grandpa’s Magic, Telfer hopes to once again partner with an agri-business to sponsor the book for gifting to farm families and perhaps local school children.

“We’re surrounded by beautiful farmland, but most kids have never been on a farm,” Telfer said. “I’d like them to learn how amazing the crop cycle really is.”

NEXT LEVEL BROWNIES

Indulge your chocolate cravings with these unforgettable creations

Story by Shannon Serpette

Chocolate can make a bad day better and a great day perfect. By stirring just a few ingredients together, you can make delicious brownies that will give you a much-needed chocolate fix.

Brownies are quick, easy, and don’t require much of a clean-up when you’re done baking them. And with a few simple ingredient additions, basic brownies can become one of your most-requested desserts.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups sifted flour

2 cups sugar

1 cup butter or margarine

7 Tbsp baking cocoa powder

1 cup water

1/2 cup buttermilk (or regular milk)

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Chocolate Fudge Frosting

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup butter or margarine

5 Tbsp baking cocoa powder

6 Tbsp milk

3 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

DIRECTIONS

Melt butter in a heavy saucepan. Add the cocoa powder and milk and stir well. Boil the mixture, and then remove it from the heat. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla, and beat or stir until smooth.

More RECIPES on page 14

DIRECTIONS

Sift together flour and sugar in a bowl. Mix together butter, cocoa, and water in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Slowly pour the mixture over flour and sugar, blending with an electric mixer. Add buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, baking soda, and cinnamon, and mix well. Spread in a greased 15 by 10-inch jelly roll pan or a smaller pan (but make sure to increase baking time accordingly). Bake in a 400-degree oven for 20 minutes or until done. Cool in pan on rack. Frost with chocolate fudge frosting.

Nutella Brownies

INGREDIENTS

6 Tbsp butter, melted

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 and 1/4 cup Nutella, divided

1/2 tsp kosher salt

2/3 cup flour

1/2 cup chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 by 8-inch pan and line it with parchment paper, going up the sides. Then grease the paper as well

with cooking spray. In a bowl, add whisk the melted butter and sugar until well combined. Add the eggs and vanilla. Beat until combined.

Add in one cup of the Nutella and the salt. Mix it until fluffy, which takes about three minutes. Add the flour and stir or mix until it is just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Pour the thick batter into the pan. Drop teaspoonfuls of the rest of the Nutella on top of the batter. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, and test the batter with a toothpick to make sure it’s done. Make sure you don’t overbake the brownies.

Fudge Cinnamon Brownies

Chocolate Chip Brookies

Editor’s note: This cookie dough recipe will give you more than you need for this recipe. You can freeze the remainder of the dough to use at a later date.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE COOKIE DOUGH

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup and 2 Tbsp flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup chocolate chips

INGREDIENTS FOR THE BROWNIES

1 cup unsalted butter

12 oz 60 percent cacao, semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

1 and 1/2 cups brown sugar

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

4 large eggs

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup unsweetened natural or Dutch-process cocoa powder

2 tsp baking powder

Zucchini Brownies

BROWNIE INGREDIENTS

1 and 1/2 cups white sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 and 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 cups shredded zucchini

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

FROSTING INGREDIENTS

6 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup margarine

2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 by 13-inch baking pan. Combine and mix the sugar, oil, and vanilla in a big bowl until well blended. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in another bowl, and stir it into the sugar mixture. Fold in the zucchini and walnuts. Spread the batter into the pan. Bake in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Let the brownies cool before frosting. While baking the brownies, make the frosting by whisking 6 tablespoons of cocoa and margarine in a pan over medium heat until the mixture is glossy and smooth. Set it aside to cool. In the meantime, blend the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla together. Stir into the cooled cocoa mixture and then frost the cooled brownies.

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 by 13inch pan and then line the pan with parchment paper. Grease the parchment with butter or cooking spray and set aside.

First, you’ll make the cookie dough by using a hand mixer to cream together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar for approximately four minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat again until smooth. Then, stir in the flour, baking soda, salt, and chocolate chips with a spatula or spoon. Once it’s combined, put it in the refrigerator.

For the brownies, you’ll melt together the butter and chopped chocolate in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until it’s melted and smooth. Stir in the brown sugar and vanilla.

In another bowl, whisk the eggs for one minute until bubbly on top. Stir the eggs into the chocolate mixture, and then add the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder and stir until it is just combined. Spread the brownie mixture into the prepared pan, and place pieces of cookie dough over the top of the brownie batter. You won’t use all the cookie dough, so save it for future use. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the brownies are set. If the cookies begin browning too quickly, cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil.

S’more Brownies

BROWNIE INGREDIENTS

1 box of packaged fudge brownie mix

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs

3 Tbsp water

TOPPING INGREDIENTS

6 graham crackers

1 and 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

Eight 1.5-ounce bars of milk chocolate, chopped coarsely

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 by 13-inch baking pan. Make the brownies by stirring the brownie mix, oil, eggs, and water in a medium bowl until they are mixed well. Pour the batter into the greased pan. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. While they are baking, make the topping by breaking the graham crackers into one-inch pieces and putting them in a bowl. Add the marshmallows and chopped chocolate and stir or toss to mix. After the 15-minute timer goes off, take the brownies out of the oven and sprinkle them with the S’mores topping. Put the pan back in the oven and bake for an additional 7 to 10 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

WHERE

FRESHNESS, AND SERVICE IS GUARANTEED!