Last week, I took a spontaneous road trip up north.
My husband and I had planned to finally attend the Ely Blueberry Festival with our longtime friends, but the wildfires in the BWCA area canceled that. Then we planned to go to the Ely Harvest Moon Festival in September. We had just moved my mother into assisted living, so our plan was to head up north to relax with our friends, but then we got the call that my father-in-law was not doing well. So instead, we flew to Florida to spend a final week with him before he passed away. My father-in-law was the loving father figure that I needed.
Sometimes grief makes us stop in our tracks. John Muir had the mountains calling him, and my husband resets by the ocean. But for me, it’s the forest. All the benefits scientifically documented about forest bathing are true. Nature is good medicine. So, off I went.
I spent Sunday night at a B&B in Duluth and the breakfast – as well as the view of Lake Superior – was exceptional. The corn pancakes with orange sauce and locally made sausage were delicious paired with chai tea. There were sounds in nearby Canal Park of a ship heading out with the Ship’s Horn and the Bridge’s response, and the sunrise was spectacular to behold as the ship passed by. The conversation of other guests was lively as tips were shared about where the gorgeous fall foliage was peaking. Some had been to Ely and others to Grand Marais.
Despite their reports of long traffic delays over the weekend, I quickly changed my plans to head to Grand Marais first since I’d never been there. The leaves were resplendent as I passed Tofte and Lutsen. Our youngest son has brought us smoked salmon from the Farmer’s Daughter in Grand Marais several times, so I had lunch on the sunny patio there before driving over to Ely through Superior National Forest. The drive was stunning!
Ely is my happy place. My father-in-law loved the great outdoors and a good adventure. I had lots of drive time to reflect and think of so many wonderful memories over the past three decades. He was a wonderful man and will be missed by all who knew him.
But my love for all things “up north” came through my Aunt Mary who lives up there. In fourth grade, she and my uncle (now deceased) invited me to spend a week with them. It was quite a change from my usual southeastern Minnesota existence. Mary was an English teacher back then, which was my favorite subject. She taught me about her Finnish heritage, and we had things for breakfast like cucumber and tomato on hearty crackers with herbal tea. Barry took me out bear hunting. I tried so many new things. It was my first adventure up north, and I fell in love with it!
It was fun to reconnect in person again with my aunt on my trip last week. She is still active in her community at almost 80. One thing I have always loved is her handwriting. It’s unique and I spotted it immediately as I was looking through my mom’s recipe box when I got back. Handwritten recipes are a treasure and take us back to times with family and friends who we cherish again and again.
Mom had several of Mary’s recipes, including one for chili that was from Mary’s Finnish mother. The onions and green peppers didn’t have quantities, so I guesstimated. My husband and I continue an ongoing debate about whether green peppers belong in Chili or not, and he would highly approve of Mary’s recipe. I’ve tried many variations of Chili across the country and look forward to making this soon with a batch of corn muffins.
AUNT MARY’S CHILI (FROM HER MOTHER)
1 lb. hamburger
3 T. onion, diced
3 T. green pepper, diced
1 can of kidney beans
1-2 cans of tomato sauce
Paste:
2 T. flour
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
1 tsp. chili powder
Brown 1 pound of hamburger. Add 3 T. diced onion and 3 T. green pepper. Add 1 can of kidney beans and 1 or 2 cans of tomato sauce and let simmer. Make a paste of 2 T. flour, 1 tsp. salt, ½ tsp. pepper, 1 tsp. chili powder and a bit of water. Add and simmer about 25 min. You can also add a small can of whole tomatoes, optional.
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