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Somebody Paid My Heat Bill for the Winter

Posted by on January 12, 2012 Leave a Comment

Indeck Wood Pellets for my Magnum Countryside pellet stoveI have an exciting story to tell. It starts a while ago when we went to pick up a few bags of wood pellets for our pellet stove.  We switched to an alternative heating source a couple years ago to save money on our heat and allow us to burn whatever fuel is available. We burn wood pellets during the fall because they burn clean, are in expensive, and readily available. With corn prices higher right now, wood pellets remain really affordable. Later in the winter we begin mixing wood pellets with corn,  during the coldest months because of how hot the mixture burns. We’ve been so lucky thus far in January with unseasonably warm temperatures, but we know that won’t last. [Read more...]

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Kids in Rural Minnesota Out to Change the World

Posted by on January 20, 2011 1 Comment

YES team from springfield mnThere is no doubt the creativity and innovation of our youth will have a significant impact on our world. This week I learned about a small school in Springfield, MN who created a video about reducing energy consumption. The kids are involved in YES! Youth Energy Summit which is a team-oriented youth program that uses hands-on, experiential learning and energy action projects to address energy opportunities and issues in rural Minnesota communities. [Read more...]

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My Heart Goes Out to Haiti

Posted by on January 13, 2010 Leave a Comment

Trip to Haiti 024Today I came home from picking the kids up from Chinese class and taking my oldest to swim practise. As I popped supper in the oven, and did a quick inventory of all my “to do” items for the evening, I took a second to check Facebook. Apparently not even 10 minutes prior, a massive earthquake struck Haiti, and a friend was kind enough to alert it to my attention. Suddenly, nothing I had planned seemed important. Tragedy will do that.

As you may know from my previous blog posts, Haiti is near and dear to me. I fell in love with the country when I traveled there in 2008, and I’ve stayed in touch with people and projects there. I am having trouble even comprehending the catastrophic repercussions of what is going on there tonight. If Haiti lacked infrastructure before, it is left with total destruction, pain, and chaos.

We prayed aloud at our dinner table tonight for the people of Haiti, and I had trouble even enjoying the food knowing so many people are suffering, scared, and missing loved ones. We frantically checked CNN, online news, Twitter feeds, and even listened to a live feed from a Haitian radio (in creole) moments after the disaster. Then I was struck by a thought.

Would I get on a plane tomorrow to go help?

Yes, I would. If I thought I could help and not hinder in any way, I would. Would it be a disturbing and hard trip with plenty of safety and travel issues? Yes, but I would still go. Once you travel to Haiti, it gets in your blood. The people are so wonderful. Please, pray for these people. Watch for ways you can help in the days to come. Lend your support in creative ways. If you are like me, you feel stuck in Minnesota with no medical emergency or civil engineering experience, but you can bet that if someone thinks of something I can do to help, I will.

We will continue with our Haiti Fundraiser on January 23rd as planned, and we will all be more determined as ever to help raise funds for Haiti! Check out our Deep Freeze Dunk!penguins

Here’s a great link to organizations helping with the Haiti Earthquake Relief Efforts!

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Lefse

Posted by on November 23, 2009 2 Comments

010Being born and raised in Minnesota means being familiar with heritage dishes like lefse and lutefisk. While I’ve never developed a taste for boiled fish soaked in lye, I do love lefse.

If you’ve never had lefse, it a type of flat bread. It’s made of potatoes, butter, cream, and flour. It’s very thin and moist, and it looks similar to a tortilla.

Many people eat it with just butter, butter and white sugar, butter with cinnamon/sugar, and butter with brown sugar.

I’m on team “Butter with Brown Sugar”!

Two weekends in a row we’ve had a lefse making party at our house with family and friends helping to make six batches of lefse to eat, share, and freeze for later this winter.

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I’ve made lefse via my husband’s grandma’s recipe and a family friend’s recipe. Both are exactly the same, except one insists on Russet potatoes and the other tells us to use red potatoes. That is definately the heritage part. :)

Lefse Recipe:

5 Cups riced potatoes (ricing is key)

1/2 cup butter (real of course)

1/2 cup cream (whole of course)

2 cups of flour

Rice the potatoes while they are hot. Melt butter/cream with hot potatoes and mash. Then put in the frig to get COLD. After a few hours, you can mix the flour into the batter, which will be moist and sticky. You can use extra flour to roll the lefse out, but too much will make them dry and brittle. Good luck! 

Do you make lefse? If so, which “topping team” are you on?

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Great Rental Place in Hutchinson MN

Posted by on October 6, 2009 Leave a Comment

duplexI own a rental property on Main Street in Hutchinson, MN. There are so many stories that stem from this experience, that one day I need to sit down and start writing. Right now, I need to find someone interested in living in a great place owned by spectacular people (me of course), managed by a great property manager, and located close to the hospitals, college, shopping, and more.

Please pass this information along to anyone whom may be looking for relocating to or within Hutchinson, Minnesota.

3 Bedrooms! Our rental property is a side-by-side duplex with three good sized bedrooms. Two bedrooms feature real hardwood floors. The other bedroom has carpet, dormer window and built in dresser, book shelf, and cedar closet. It is so cute!

Hardwood Floors! Because it is a side-by-side duplex, there are three levels. The main floor features a kitchen/dining area with hardwood floors, stove, oven, microwave, and frig included! The kitchen has been completely repainted for a chic old/new look. There’s tons of light wood cabinet space. The main floor also features a bathroom and large bedroom, which have been repainted.

Brand New Carpet!The living room has brand new carpet, fresh paint, and the entire place has old fashioned windows with the “cute little squares” I call them. The living room has updated digital wiring from both cable/computer access companies in town (HutchTel and MediaCom)

Washer and Dryer Included!The basement is great storage space and has a washer and dryer included! There is a full bathroom on the upstairs level, between the two bedrooms. The bathroom has brand new flooring, and updated tub/shower surround and mold resistant sheet-rock (but that’s behind the scenes details).

Make It Your Own Home!You will have a small lawn of your own, and a little flower garden space under the front windows, if you like to do some planting or decorating. Most tenants make it their own space. The garage has an electronic opener and is accessed from the alley. Therefore, you can park on Main Street (out front), in the back parking lot, or in the garage.

Recycling! City services for garbage, water, sewer, gas, and electric. Hutchinson has a garbage recycling program included, plus there is a place to take natural waste to dispose of for free! Oh, and did I mention that twice a year, the City of Hutchinson will pick up your old appliances, furniture and electronics for free? I call it “crap to the curb”, but how great is that?!!

To see pictures and more details, click here to go to Coldwell Banker Advantage Property Management Service.

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