Got a Sweet Tooth?

Whole Grain Flours: Delicious and Healthy

You’ll find decadent treats in the Illinois Valley

Story and photo by Courtney Jonsson

Spanning across a 2,000-square-mile radius, the Illinois Valley is rich with small businesses ready to better residents’ lives. From services to products, these businesses set out to ensure the lives of their patrons are more fulfilled, a little bit easier, and a tad sweeter. Shops around the Illinois Valley are stocked with treats that will hit the spot the next time you gather with loved ones or even as an after-lunch snack.

Flour House Bakery and Coffee in Princeton is an excellent place to start your day on a sweet note. Opening at 7 a.m., they serve fresh bagels, scones, muffins, and breads. Following the Flour House on Facebook will give you insight into what is in the display case on any given day. Raspberry cream cheese coffee cake, chocolate almond biscotti, and caramel pecan rolls are just a few treats that rotate through the case.

Sallee Zearing, owner of Flour House Bakery and Coffee, urges new customers to try an Amish pumpkin cinnamon roll or a flourless monster cookie. Everything is baked in-house from scratch. There is more to the Flour House Bakery than just providing delicious breakfast items, desserts, and a warm cup of coffee. Zearing and the employees embody a mission of acceptance and strive to bring joy to their patrons.

“The spreading of joy throughout this community and our mission of acceptance of all people are my favorite aspects of running this business. We want all humans of all backgrounds to know they are welcome at Flour House,” Zearing said.

While Flour House opened with every intention of selling treats, Heartland By Hand in Ottawa was steered toward stocking sweets in a much different way.

Located in a historic feed and flour store, Heartland By Hand is a custom picture framing and gift shop. When walking in the store, you’ll be greeted by Caroline and Hank Wolf, the owners, but you’ll also hear a tip-tapping on the wooden floor draw nearer to you. Wet nosed, with a wagging tail, Lincoln, Caroline and Hank’s dog and full-time greeter, will meet you at the threshold waiting for your attention.

When they first opened, Caroline and Hank would give away Anellabee’s honey caramel with each purchase as a way to thank customers for shopping at the store. Soon, customers were requesting to purchase the caramels in-store. That led the couple to order Anellabee’s honey caramel gift boxes to have in store. Soon the word spread about their tasty treat selections.

“Downtown workers started to adopt us as an afternoon snack stop, and we started stocking a few new favorites, like malted milk balls. Candy, as a gift, became so popular that we added boxes to fill up and tie with a bow to make a gift basket. People wanted to grab a bottle of water and snack for their walk down to the river, so we plugged in the vintage reach-in Coca-Cola machine. We now stock bottles of water and glass bottles of coke,” Caroline said.

The selection of sweets is vast at Heartland By Hand. From just a few caramels on the counter to a selection that includes chocolate-coated sunflower seeds, Sweet Caroline’s gourmet lollipops, Sweeter greeting cards with a chocolate bar inside, Rice Krispie treats, Willa’s butter cookies, and many kinds of chocolate, it’s a great spot to stop to indulge your sweet tooth.

“We carry that unique and delicious treat that you want to put in a gift, buy for your grandkids, bring a friend who is having a bad day, or try yourself,” Caroline said.

Both Flour House and Heartland By Hand carry sweets in the traditional sense, but one Illinois Valley shop does it a bit differently. In flourishing downtown LaSalle, you will find Rawfully Yours, a health-based cafe that provides whole foods, fresh-pressed juices, plantbased shakes, and desserts.

Sandy Hoos, owner of Rawfully Yours, was on a mission to live a healthier lifestyle after seeing her mom’s health decline. After deciding to make a change for herself, she wanted to offer healthier options to the community as well. She surveyed the public, researched the market, and patiently waited for a prime spot in downtown LaSalle to become available.

At Rawfully Yours, they want to make healthy eating fun again, and they do that by offering sweet treats that have a little spin on them.

“A favorite right now is our peanut butter shake, and it has no Reeses in it. We use peanut butter, dark chocolate, almond milk, and plant-based gelato. There is a preconceived notion that because it is healthy, it will not taste good. I really challenge people to come in and try it,” Hoos said.

Caroline Wolf, co-owner of Heartland By Hand, rings up a customer after helping her find some unique items.

Along with the peanut butter cup shake, Rawfully Yours offers other flavors such as pineapple, blueberry blast, strawberry-banana, chocolate, and vanilla. Hoos loves chatting with customers and guiding them toward healthier items. She founded Rawfully Yours because she has a passion for educating people.

“A lot of our customers would like to make a change, but they are unsure where to start. That’s why we are here,” Hoos said.

While these shops are a good starting point, you can always find somewhere to grab a treat no matter what part of the Illinois Valley you find yourself in. When you go into these small shops, you can ask about their story and hear about the evolution of each one. Understanding how these places have evolved into a staple for sweet treats in their community gives insight into what makes each place so special.

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