Steadfast; onward!

I have been mulling over my New Year's Resolution for a few days now. I also learned a while back to refer to them as #Intentions. Resolution feels so firm & fixed and leads you down that rabbit hole of failure & guilt when falling short. The concept of an intention greets me better to make the attempt with some permission and flexibility. An intention implies there is a goal or a target at the end. I write this post as more of a journal entry to hold myself accountable than to broadcast it to the masses. But here it is in ink or at least print.

I had been toying with concepts like #Simplify #Breathe #GoGetIt. Generic enough to mold, but not so esoteric that they are not clear in my mind. And then a saw a Facebook post from a friend in Chicago, Whitney Rhodes whom I admire. And she is using the short phrase Steady. I didn't want to grab that, but was drawn to the idea and sat on it for a while to see where it led me. And I am taking it a step further in #STEADFAST.

I remember it from Hans Christian Andersen's The Steadfast Tin Soldier. The term itself seems almost Victorian. As I am digging into it tonight, I see that it has many religious overtones with bible quotes which almost pressured me against it. Some of the definitions are a bit too stoic for me with words like unwavering, unflinching, inflexible. All of these tap into a rigidness I do not want to practice. But there are other words like constant, loyal, determined, resolute and reliable which speak strongly to me. I have the confidence down for the most part. But sometimes, lose focus or am swayed away from my true instincts. And I think this word is a strong reminder to stay the course. So please ask me how I am doing with this concept 8 months down the road!

Here is a noteworthy quote by Victor Hugo that gives me clarity on this idea: “Change your opinions, keep to your principles; change your leaves, keep intact your roots.”

Oh Christmas Tree! Retro!

The Year without a real Christmas Tree inside. Plumbing work and a new dog that would destroy both the branches and the ornaments. A loss but not a deal breaker here. I am sure it will be back next year. I have plenty of other holiday traditions with cookies, skating and TONS of outdoor lights.

Last year I featured a photo blog post of vintage cocktail dresses around vintage trees. Here is another link to Retro trees from the 50's & 60's that capture both the home and the resident of it. Some vivid snapshots for sure. 

Full link below: Mindcircle; People and their Trees

   

Holiday Lights in the Tundra

I have always been festive in terms of holiday decorating. But most of it had been an indoor vibe - the tree, the banister, some flash around the window panes. The first few years I moved into the house, I did construct this tacky blue star out of left over lumber scraps and hoisted it above the door for a few year until the entire unit collapsed on the side of the house. Curiosity was rekindled a few years back when I started at Gertens and holiday lighting became a part of my vocabulary. So each year I grab more on clearance and this year, have a Snoopy's House collection of dripping icicles; multi color LEDs and a big candy cane birch tree. With perfectly coordinated timers and a quilt of extension cords buried in the snow, I enjoy pulling home every night to the brightest house on the block.

Complete credit for this post goes to Karen Cooper who published a smart piece in the Southwest Journal about the history of holiday lights in Minneapolis. It states that it took only 3 years from the invention of the electric light bulb for it to emerge into the holiday market. And of course it was New York City that featured the first lit Christmas tree in 1882. The budding trend was 1st noted in Minnesota at the turn of the century when Henry Boos took the headlights from his auto to illuminate a giant evergreen nearby at 26th & Elliot.

But the true phenomenon arrived in 1914 with a city-wide effort to cloak Minneapolis in a holiday glow by encouraging many homes to light electric candles in their window sills. This was simplicity, and as costs of electric strings became more economical, displays evolved. Thus, by 1926 the fad became a contest decreed by mayor George Leach & the Minneapolis Electrical League. I was interested to find that this League was a civic/ commercial board which was promoting the concept of residential electric to the general public in those days. That seems so foreign to us 100 years later when current travels without a thought. But with this contest, Minneapolis was divided into different zones and a panel of judges would deem which neighborhood was awarded the prize in a quest to make it the "Brightest City in America." Who knew?

In only it's 2nd year the Chamber of Commerce and Retail Association jumped in and downtown saw miles of garlands and light strings culminating in a 75 foot tall tree at the pivotal Gateway Park. Henry Boos who was mentioned earlier, had now grown from car headlights into a mechanical Santa that climbed up his chimney on the roof. Homes began to outline their silhouettes in colored strings. Yard figures appeared. There were patriotic displays, manger creches, and oodles of snowmen.

Prizes were usually donations of electrical appliances like toasters and radios; eventually even television sets! It sounds pretty old-school, but the Minneapolis Jaycees kept this competition going until 1970 - a 44 year tradition. Sadly, because of the lack of color photography, there are limited pictures of the early displays. Attached is a single photo from the Journal article along with a few more vintage shots. 

Read the original feature below.
Southwest Journal - History of City Light Displays 

Killer Waffles

Being a lazy Sunday morning, Jeff is making a batch of blueberry pancakes and I am reading my New York Times. Dogs are around the house somewhere. A great morning.

I love waffles more than pancakes, but they are more cumbersome to prepare; one at a time in a single iron. Sometimes, during cold winter months, I make the effort with a fabulous recipe book I picked up. But to me, waffles are the ultimate eat-out Sunday brunch food. A shout out to Cities 97, I have now found a new destination for the craving. It sells itself as a Coffee Cafe with the motto - Be Woke, Stay Buzzed, but....

Buzz Coffee and Cafe has tapped into the donut craze and brought it into their own, with apparently multitudes of specialty types & 200 spinoffs in toppings. Their Instagram page is drool worthy to be sure. Even gluten free and vegan options  along with vegan meats. They rattle off names like Butter Beer, Candied Pecan & Honey, Chai, Chocolate Potato Chip, Banana Bread, Cranberry Chicken, Chili Dog..... this list goes on and on and really needs to be seen to be believed! How about a Mermaid - a purple waffle w/ sprinkles, whipped cream & Swedish Fish! What 8 year old would not want to try that? Or for adults, the Med Chicken - w/ chicken, spinach & provolone topped with basil and whipped butter!

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Crunch

Two locations are on the outskirts in Plymouth and Burnsville. But this sounds like a road trip worth taking to me. If I went every week for a year it would take me 4 years to make a dent in all 200 varieties. Ponder that.

Vegan Strawberry Brie

Arkansas Black Apple

Here is a story for the Fall Harvest. We are just arriving at apple picking season and I would guess almost each of us will plan an outing somewhere in the area to grab a last gasp at warmth; with a hot cider, some music and maybe even a pumpkin patch.

In Minnesota we are famous for our Honeycrisp variety out of the U of MN. But I wasn't aware that we are truly a pioneer in terms of cross breeding to find something that is hardy to Northern climates as well as a crisp, sweet favorite. I cannot imagine the endless time and effort over the course of many years to yield results. This is not done in a laboratory but in row after row of orchards in both St Paul and the Arboretum. We are notable for the Sweet Tango, Honeygold, Zestar and Haralson among others. That is an impressive fruit basket!

But a variety out of Arkansas caught my eye earlier this year. It is an interesting breed both literally and figuratively. To grab them off the tree, they are a terrible tasting phenomenon. Apparently, the true payoff comes after months of cold storage to let them continue ripening over an extended period. The result supposedly has hints of cherry, cinnamon, vanilla and coriander. Interesting!

This particular crop traces its roots to Bentonville AR going back to 1870. With no horticulture data, it is merely assumed that it was a pollinating accident of a similar colonial Winesap variety. This dates back to the Johnny Appleseed tales of early Americana. The Arkansas Black reached a heyday in the 1920's until a moth infestation and the Great Depression relegated it to a back burner.

Currently, it is still not a hot market item. But with heirloom interest and risk taking in the food industry, it is at least popping up as a curiosity item. I am wondering where the closest vendor would be in MN to give them a taste?

The Great Pillsbury Bake Off and others

As a few of my friends are prepping their pies and other baked good for the MN State Fair. As I myself am pouring over some pickling possibilities for our Gertens work contest. As I am always harvesting left over produce to find new recipes for cherry salsa or peach turnovers.... I was recently talking to my mom about the old Pillsbury Bake Off. I remember her trying out a new variety of a pineapple surprise in hopes of winning some sort of $2000 pay-off in the grand scheme of All Things Baking.

Thanks to a feature I had bookmarked in the Star Trib from a friend Julie Kendrick, I got some useful stats on the contest now that I live much closer to it's original roots here in MN. It started way back in 1949 to promote flour sales. As cooking trends grew throughout the 50's, it was expanded as a way to promote box mixes, refrigerated doughs and other new trends that Pillsbury was introducing. Now it offers a cash prize of $50,000 along with a suite of GE appliances and a feature in the Food Network magazine. It was the pioneer of reality baking that is now a cultural norm on television programming.

2019 - Dublin Cheeseboard-Stuffed Appetizer Bread

 The contest prompted recipes that have now become staples in our kitchens. Peanut Butter Blossoms. Tunnel of Fudge Cake. Rocky Road Fudge Bars. The article also talks about how, like fashion, it sometimes foreshadowed trends in the national baking realm. The aforementioned Tunnel of Fudge Cake created a massive shortage of bundt cake pans in 1966, which spurred a profit opportunity for Nordicware, also in Minneapolis. They produced large quantities to meet the consumer craze. 1954 brought an onslaught of sesame seeds with the Open Sesame Pie. A Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt in 1966 was a new flavor explosion that is now common every Starbucks and Caribou. In the 1980's, oat bran was just coming up as an eating trend.

1950 - Orange Kiss-Me Cake

I myself have a satisfaction in trying out those unusual recipes to be that odd-man-out winner. Cantaloupe bread. Cardamom bread. Sour Cherry BBQ sauce. Along with that come some failures. Like my Triple Layer Coconut Tarte last Christmas. Rarely are they a disaster, but I regret the energy I put into them, so I return to staples like peanut butter cookies. Whether a crock pot or a baking sheet, I enjoy whichever season upon us then file away those new favorites in a plastic recipe box, flag them in a cookbook or save them as a digital bookmark.
 

1952- Snappy Turtle Cookies

I will let you know how my Lemon Pickled Green & Yellow Beans, Horseradish Pickles and Pickled Pumpkin turn out over the next few weeks.

original article: Memories of Past Pillsbury Bake-offs 

And the Winner Is.... every single winning recipe 

Glamour Showgirls

As my feeds filled up with shot after shot last week from Pride marches all around the country, I realize there is a universal fascination with what would be called Glamour Girls. Some lean raunchy & sexy while others are more like pageant queens. Almost all center around sequins, feathers and bright colored eye-makeup.

I don't know my history, but I would guess these #femmefatales really came into prominence with the early days of Hollywood whcih featured Vamps and Ziegfeld girls. Over time it yielded to burlesque, circus shows and even Spectacles on Ice. Playboy Bunnies put them on full display during the 60's.

This post is a draft saved almost 3 years back that was just waiting for the time to present itself to me. It was from a photo collage that showed the backstage antics of the traveling Side Show. There is something gritty to me about the congruence of pump heels in muddy fields of tents & train cars. They brought the glamour to the masses is rural areas that must have seen it as decadent. Whereas some of the 40's pin-up types seemed manufactured, there is something that appears to me to be genuine in these #carny girls. Maybe it is the photos with candid access, but I still prefer this to what many would now call Camp as depicted at this year's Met Gala. Give them a look and click on the link for the full album.

Mind Circle Showgirls