As I was driving to Rochester one day to buy crafting ribbon, I was taking count of how many of my quick stop shops had closed – JoAnn’s south, gone. Shopko, nope. Kmart, long gone. WalMart – too crazy, just can’t do it. So, this means that my shopping from now on has to be very thought out and well planned to know what I need and where I can get it. With many of my quick … [Read more...]
Real Bites – Estelle’s Eatery & Bar in Harmony
There are many days in which I get so busy at work that I forget to each lunch. And, I know I’m not the only one. This past weekend, my wife and I decided to go out to eat at Estelle’s Eatery & Bar in Harmony, Minn. Our family always enjoys visiting Estelle’s. The ambiance. The food. The entertainment. Outdoor dining. They have a great thing going. And, they are … [Read more...]
To clean or not to clean
To clean or not to clean Fall comes quickly in Bluff Country, and this year is no exception. The summer vegetable gardens are done, but a few leafy greens, carrots and leeks still remain here and there. Asters and Chrysanthemum may still have a few lingering flowers, but most of the perennials have stopped blooming. Ornamental grasses blow and rustle in the breeze, their … [Read more...]
Real Bites
Village Square of Fountain Some of you may have heard that the Village Square of Fountain in Fountain, Minn., recently won the Fillmore County Journal 2020 Reader’s Choice Award for Best of the Best in the “Pizza” category. Year after year, that particular award bounces back and forth between the Village Square of Fountain, The Pizza Place in Spring Valley, Minn., or The … [Read more...]
Fillmore County businesses make a difficult decision in lieu of the July 25 Executive Order 20-81
The latest COVID-19 Executive Order 20-81 to come down from Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s office has made it difficult for four Fillmore County businesses to continue business as usual. With only three days to prepare, the Harmony Gardens and Floral indoor gift shop, Home Sweet Home Café and Cakery, Burdey’s Café, and The Sweet Shop and Sandwich Shoppe made the emotionally … [Read more...]
We can’t help it, eating is in our DNA
By Al Batt I spit sunflower seeds for distance. It was a contest. I did OK. I’d have done better, but it had been a dry year. I could have been in a pie-eating contest that day, but the two events had been scheduled for the same time. Pity. That was the year Emma Torvaldson hit a pie judge in the face with her signature lemon meringue pie after she’d finished in second place … [Read more...]
The Working Mom
Remember when Remember when we carried on with our lives without a care in the world about catching a virus? I remember being on a plane traveling for a work trip when a mother with three young children boarded and clogged the main aisle as she spent a good 10 minutes using Lysol wipes to clean the seats, arm rests, and flip down tables before she allowed her children to sit … [Read more...]
38th Annual Minnesota FoodShare March Campaign
“Food insecurity means access to adequate food is inconsistent and limited by a lack of money and other resources throughout the year. Food insecure households report their diets to be of reduced quality, variety, or desirability and/or experience disrupted eating patterns and reduced food intake.” In Minnesota, food insecurity affects nearly one in 11 people, 12.5% of … [Read more...]
Equipment grants available for access to healthy foods
Funding for equipment that increases availability and access to affordable, nutritious and culturally appropriate food to underserved communities is now available. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is now accepting applications for the 2020 Good Food Access Program (GFAP) Equipment and Physical Improvement Grants. A total of $225,000 is available to help … [Read more...]
Cooking contest returns
Do you smell that? That’s the smell of a cooking contest in late October. From 2010 to 2015, the staff at the Fillmore County Journal along with staff from Harmony Foods, Preston Foods, and Rushford Foods, coordinated an annual cooking contest. There were nine categories. 1.Appetizers & Beverages 2.Soups, Salads & Vegetables 3.Main Dishes & … [Read more...]