Have you ever had a mystery take place in your own household? For me it happened just the other day. I have been using cotton balls twice daily. I used up the last few, so we got some from the grocery store to restock my collection. One night, I left the whole new package of 100 cotton balls on top of the bathroom vanity. The next morning, I looked for them … they had … [Read more...]
Growing a Better Garden, One Season at a Time
Summer has always been my favorite season. I love the feeling of warm sunshine, fresh air, and endless days spent outside. Whether I’m playing fetch with our dog, hammocking on the deck, or working away in my garden, there’s just something magical about this time of year. The garden is, without a doubt, my happy place. Each year my husband and I try to make our garden a bit … [Read more...]
What is a Salad?
It’s peak picnic and barbecue season across the nation, and during the “dog days of summer,” chefs and home cooks alike seek to create delicious easy, no-cook salads. The Oxford Dictionary defines a salad as a cold dish of mixed ingredients, typically including raw vegetables, greens, or fruits, and often served with a dressing. The word originates from the Latin sal (meaning … [Read more...]
Sweet’s Hotel to be Featured on America’s Best Restaurants Roadshow
There was a sense of excitement on the streets of LeRoy, Minnesota, on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, as the America’s Best Restaurants van pulled into town to begin filming at Sweet’s Hotel. When owners Lu Overocker and her daughter Sarah Srsen applied for Sweet’s Hotel to be featured on the show, they had high hopes but knew that thousands of other restaurants had also sent in … [Read more...]
The Fruits of Leisure
Time and again summer calls us – to the water or the woods – to find rest, recreation, and wellness. Whether seaside vacation, weekend on the river, or a mindful forest hike, a seasonal restoration of our connection with the natural world seems essential, and it’s a thirst the weekly lawn-mowing or even daily garden maintenance alone cannot quench. Long before the term … [Read more...]
Fountain’s Sugar Creek Vineyard and Meadery
Brothers Kevin and Bryan Logue first opened Sugar Creek Vineyard and Meadery to the public in 2021 in rural Fountain. With the COVID pandemic ongoing, they opened an outside area to accommodate visitors for the first few years. In 2023, in a perfectly timed move, they added an indoor tasting room. Providing an indoor spot proved to be great when smoke from wildfires moved into … [Read more...]
Gateway Cafe Rises From the Ashes, Rebuilt by a Community Determined To Bring It Home
If you drive down Gold Street in Wykoff most mornings, you’ll find a familiar sight that was sorely missed for more than a year. The coffee is pouring, the air is thick with the scent of breakfast, and the Gateway Cafe has reclaimed its rightful place as the heartbeat of the community. Following the official reopening on May 1, co-owners Jennie Moreland, Leroy Ellis, and Mary … [Read more...]
A Picture from the Past
Besides the picnics, parades and fireworks that typically happen on the Fourth of July, I had the opportunity to attend the program event put on by the Fillmore County Historical Society. It provided its viewers with a window into the past. On July 5, at the site of the Fillmore County Museum located in Fountain, Minnesota, nearly 100 guests crowded the landscape to enjoy … [Read more...]
Start With Your Shopping Cart
By Sara Mensink Over the last two years, my husband and I have slowly been making small changes to live a more sustainable life. This new way of thinking started while I was pregnant with our son. Having a child made us stop and ask ourselves what changes we could make to create a healthier, more intentional life for our family. There’s so many ways to go about this and … [Read more...]
An American Classic
Which historic food has no reservations about being served at a Minnesota farm table or on prestigious Capitol Hill? Was a Minnesota senator behind this culinary staple being served almost daily at Senate restaurants for about the past 125 years? As America celebrates its 250th Anniversary, let’s talk about an American classic, the humble but iconic bean soup, best served with … [Read more...]