I’m returning to work this month after a weeklong staycation, and I’ve spent a ton of time inside recently. From deep cleaning my washing machine and organizing closets/drawers to snuggling by the fire, I certainly made the most of my time off.
Kitchen

A few months ago, I happened across a 2017 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report stating that only one in 10 adults meets the recommended federal guidelines of one-and-a-half to two cups of fruit and two to three cups of vegetables per day.

Stress baking—for some, it results in dozens of chocolate chip cookies or a new interest in sourdough bread. For Jessica Van Hemert, it resulted in a business: Haute Chocolate, a wholesale baking company that supplies local eateries with fresh baked goods.

Somewhere, someone in your family or friend circle is already planning this year’s Thanksgiving meal.

I don’t mind turkey, ham, etc., but these traditional holiday offerings are just never as exciting to me as practically anything else on the table.

The old adage, and once popular book title, Chicken Soup for the Soul, is no joke. Turns out chicken broth truly is a restorative food. Dieticians claim that broth can help keep you hydrated, clear congestion and ease cold symptoms.

The past year, we’ve spent much more time at home, making kitchens even more of a focal point. This year’s kitchen is more intuitive, cleaner and a greater reflection of who we are.

For me, a great kitchen doesn’t require a pot filler, built-in griddle or a beverage drawer. Above all else, a true chef’s kitchen is efficient, organized and functional.

I recently helped my college-aged daughter host her first dinner party for her friends. (She said they were just “hanging out,” but it was, in fact, a dinner party.)

The North Star State, the Land of 10,000 Lakes, the Gopher State, the Bread-and-Butter State—though Minnesota has numerous trademarks, its culinary scene is also unlike any other.