Businesses

Author Alice Tanghe will discuss and sign copies of her book The Minnesota Homegrown Cookbook on Saturday, May 17 at Just Food Co-op in Northfield at 11:00 am. Preregistration is recommended for this free event by calling 507-650-0106 or talking with a cashier at the Co-op.

Alice will discuss some of the 100 recipes from 30 of Minnesota’s outstanding restaurants with a special commitment to locally grown, organic, sustainable cookery that are featured in the book. Mixing the familiar comfort food of Minnesota’s roots in the culture of Northern Europe with the fine new flavors of world cuisine, the book presents a travel guide through Minnesota, with illustrated profiles of each restaurant, chef, and uniquely appetizing locale.

The Amboy Cottage Café in Amboy, Java River Café of Montevideo and the St. Peter Food Co-op all have chef profiles and recipes included in the book. Whole Grain Milling Company, Callister Farm and Shepherd’s Way Farms are the organic suppliers featured who provide the restaurants with fresh, locally produced ingredients.

Published with the non-profit group Renewing the Countryside, The Minnesota Homegrown Cookbook shows the locavore movement alive and flourishing in Minnesota. The book is currently available for purchase at Just Food Co-op. You can also catch her interview on the radio program ArtZany! on KYMN on Friday, May 16.

Alice Tanghe, a resident of Maple Grove, is a food writer with more than 20 years experience. She was the publisher of Minnesota Palate magazine, and is now creating an online version supporting the spirit of “Creating Community Through Local Food.” An avid cook, she has more than 500 rare cookbooks in her kitchen.

AUCTIONEER”S NOTE:  We invite you to join us as we sell one of the finest collections of antique glassware, antiques, and primitives that we have ever seen.  There are many museum quality pieces.  Nearly all of the glassware is in mint condition.  Because of the volume we will be selling on three consecutive days at two separate sites.  Many items will be sold in large lots and box lots.  There will be NO BUYER”S PREMIUM on personal property.  For more information call (507)438-4207.  Please click on our photo gallery on the right side of the web site to see 150+ pictures.

Friday, May 23 at 4:00 p.m.  Morristown Community Center, Morristown Minnesota. Take Highway 60 west from I-35 at Faribault Exit 56.  Take the first Morristown exit to Rice County 16 south to south edge of town.   50 Rose bowls (mostly Carnival)   450 pieces of OLD CARNIVAL GLASS made by companies, such as Northwood, Fenton, Imperial, Dugan, and others including the following patterns: Butterfly, NEstign Swan, Rosette, Ripple Threads, Ribbed Seaweed, Stork ABC, Near Cut, Drapery, Lotus and Dragon, Orange Tree, Windmill, Grape and Cable, Peacock and Urn, Peacock and Rail, Horse Medallion, Three Fruits, and Apple Blossom and Tulip.   400 pieces of NEWER CARNIVAL GLASS   Carnival glass is marigold, purple, green, red, and aqua opalescent. ACGA and ICGA Commemoratives as well as price guides.   Saturday, May 24 at 9:00 a.m. Morristown Community Center Stamps- 1 book of 45 full sheets of ADOLPH HITLER stamps (4500) and other Nazi era stamps, Jewelry- huge quantity, Postcards- including Faribault, Rice County, and Foreign (many from early 1900’s), Advertising and Souvenirs- Voegel’s coupon books, Flecks coasters, Shattuck (5th man and drill rifle), Paper Goods- including letters from Hubert Humphrey and King George V, Political Buttons   Over 2000 pieces of glassware including: 250 pieces Depression Glass including amber Cabbage Rose, and pink Mayfair and Miss America, 75 pieces of King’s Crown. 35 pieces of Belleek. 75 pieces of Waterford Crystal, 40 Glass Baskets, 250 pieces of Milk Glass, 450 Collector Plates, many first editions, 40 Hummel figurines Fostoria (American and Candlewick) Limoges, Epergnes, Lennox, Toby Mugs, Wedgewood, Delft, Commode Sets, Goofus, Pressed and Cut Glass, Glass Bell and Swan Collections, Redwing and Haegar vases and collectible kitchen glassware       Sunday, May 25 at 10:00 a.m. Cannon City, Minnesota Take Highway 60 east of Faribault to Shumway Avenue.  Go one blockleft  and then go right on Rice County 20 to Cannon City. (Watch for signs) or 6 miles south of Northfield on Rice County 20.  We will be selling in 2 rings much of the day on Sunday.   Horse Items including saddles, harnesses, single trees, and very old horse drawn BUGGY, Many, many quality old Books- copyrights to 1787 and many in the 1800’s including Christianson’s 5 volume History of Minnesota, Sandburg’s Biography of Lincoln, Churchill’s History of WW II, several Time/Life series, 100’s of cookbooks, many other collections (see website for extensive listing) Antique Furniture-Estey pump organ, several organ and piano stools, 2 ornate hallway pieces, 9 antique clocks, including Grandfather, crank cabinet phonograph, 2 Edison cylinder phonographs with horns and cylinder records, many boxes of old records, ice cream table and four chairs, many old prints and frames, sewing machine, china cabinets, stack bookcase, many old trunks, and much more including wooden coal hod and very ornate Regal Peninsula PARLOR STOVE (one of the best we’ve seen) and 4’x6’ tapestry. Military-old uniforms, swords, bayonets, books and manuals, old medals to 1883, MacArthur plate, Liberation of Maastrict plates Primitives- very unique Owatonna miniature fanning mill, fanning mill and seed cleaner, ox yoke, ,oil lamps, license plates, coffee grinders, old radios, many old kitchen utensils, barrel churn, stoneware, 4.10 shotgun and Daisy BB guns, hand well pump, walking plow, hand corn sheller, 2 old outboard motors, old buttons Old Toys-including doll house with Tootsie Toy furniture, old Tonka toys, old kitchen stove   Collectibles-Precious Moments, dolls, many old historical newspapers, large collection of Life and other magazines from the 1920’s and 30’s, many hand tools  MUCH MISC and household and “tons” of seasonal decorations, quality household furniture including several couches and beds    CAR-1998 Oldsmobile  

Are you planning your wedding?  Or know someone who is? 

If you book your wedding slide/photo show through us before June 1st, you can get half off your projector rental for your reception.  Just confirm an order with us and we'll take 50% off the rental fee's*. 

*equipement rental must be through Moving Photos.

Everywhere you turn these days there is green building this and green building that. What are some of the easy things that a homeowner can do to make their home green without spending a lot of green.

1. Start with having an energy audit. Most electric companies offer these at a minimum fee. They will test you home to find the leaks and make recommendations for improvements. Then you can decided what you can afford to do.

2. As you light bulbs burn out, replace them with compact florescent bulbs or LED bulbs.

3. Fix all your leaky faucets

4. Caulk around your windows on the exterior to create an air tight seal

5. When your buying new plants purchase drought resistant plants to reduce the amount of water used to keep them happy

6. Run full loads in your dishwasher

7. Run full loads of laundry

8. Air dry clothes instead of running the dryer every time you do laundry

If you want to make some larger changes you might consider:

1. Increase insulation in your attic and walls

2. Replace your windows with 2 or 3-paned windows

3. Replace all of your plumbing fixtures to water efficient fixtures

4. New Energy Star Appliances - and be sure to recycle your old ones

5. Install a high-efficiency furnace

6. Install photo voltaic solar panels to heat your home

7. Put in solar water heating panels

This is just a drop in the bucket of some of the green building products and practices that are going on. Be sure to do your research and put in what works for you. Just composting your food waste can make a huge dent in your production of garbage. Being aware is the first step. Make the changes as you can.

The tables were turned last week when we started replacing damaged roofing for Lampert Lumber in Northfield. Northfield Construction Company purchases quite a bit of lumber and materials from Lamperts. It is nice to have a reciprocal work arrangement where we can provide a service to Lamperts.

This work was related to the severe hail storm that came through Northfield almost two years ago. In some places on this metal roof the hailstones went right through the metal! Imagine the force behind such action. It is no wonder that every asphalt roof and many membrane roofs suffered damage in the storm. With lots of out of town roofers working in the area just about the entire city has had a new roof. This metal roof for Lamperts will be about the last of the hail work for us.

Here’s a book I was waiting for to come out in paperback and — presto! — it has now been done: Al Gore’s Assault on Reason, a national bestseller in hardcover. Not sure about you, but I am tired of important policy debates being washed away by discussions of nearly anything but the merits of the issue at hand.

Here’s what Publishers Weekly had to say about the book in a rarely issued “starred” review: “As scathing as it is meticulous, Gore’s treatise on reason juggernauts its way through the Bush administration, never even needing to include the controversial nature of Bush’s presidential elections. He identifies the growing concentration of power in the executive branch virtually ignored by mainstream media. Drawing on the great political philosophers of history and his lengthy career in government, Gore contends that the loss of a genuine public forum in the age of radio and television has led to the decay of democracy. He delivers a serious critique of the United States tempered by hope and faith in the restoration of checks and balances.”

As you can see by the accompanying photograph, they now have paperback copies on display down at the old neighborhood bookstore.

Well, last week we weighed in on local issues, specifically the proposed annexation. This week is Mother’s Day, and we expect a light turnout. So I’ll be there with the truly dedicate, and we’ll just talk without a hard agenda. It’s Dealer’s Choice at the next Politics and a Pint!

We mostly talked about City process and especially recent power struggles within the City Admin staff.  It seems clear that there is an undercurrent of issues flowing beneath the deceptively calm surface here in this little village on the Cannon.

Legal details (in appropriately tiny font):

What: Politics and a Pint
Where: The Contented Cow
When: Sunday, 11 May 2008, 6-7:30PM

I remember when I applied to college. Man, that wasn’t a fun exercise. So many decisions … so many forms … so many decisions.

If you’re involved in the application process — as a student, parent or staffer at one of the two esteemed colleges in our comely community — you might want to know that help is available. And that help is coming to town.

Author and educational consultant Steven Roy Goodman will appear at River City Books at 7 p.m., Tuesday, May 13, to talk about his book College Admissions Together: It Takes a Family.

What I like about “College Admissions Together” is that it is more than a practical how-to-get-into-college book. Yes, it does explain key aspects of today’s college admissions process for both parents and students. But it is also a guide to healthy family relationships during the college admissions process. Goodman and co-author Andrea Leiman, a family psychologist, help parents recognize what makes the college admissions process a potential danger zone for families. They answer difficult questions, such as how parents can stay involved while allowing children to make more choices.

I should also note that the event is, of course, free and the public is invited to attend. Also, the book is on sale for 15 percent off through the event. I hope to see you there!

Our annual Mother’s Day Plant Sale begins tomorrow, Saturday, May 8, at 8 a.m.! Get your organic & IPM starts, natives, and beautiful hanging baskets. We’ll sell through Saturday, May 17 or until the plants are gone- so come early for the best selection.

Just Food is now hiring a Deli Manager!

Responsibilities include: Ensuring the success and smooth operation of the Deli department including planning, ordering, pricing, inventory control, record keeping, supervision and beautiful product presentation.

Qualifications include: Experience in a professional kitchen environment, supervisory experience, excellent communication skills, ability to read financial statements and knowledge of natural foods and special dietary concerns.

Please submit application and resume including cover letter to
Phil Guida, GM Just Food Co-op 516 S. Water Street Northfield, MN 55057

I’m sure most of you have heard of theOld Farmer’s Almanac

.

What most of us think of when Farmer’s Almanac is mentioned is long range forecasts. But it also contains a lot of other information, such as gardening tips, tide tables, moon phases, astronomy and articles on farming. It has been around for over 225 years, making it the longest running periodical ever.

According to the Almanac, May 2008 wil l be wetter than usual, but with the exception of some of August, we are in for a dry summer with about average temperatures. The fall is predicted to start out very warm.

You can also check out the weather history on any given day all the way back to 1946. http://www.almanac.com/weatherhistory/

This is a fun website to Poke around” on. I like to check out their fishing advice!! It has something of interest for everybody. Have fun!!

Avg. Temperature: 55° (avg.)
Precipitation: 4″ (1″ above avg.)
May. 1-3: T-storms, very warm
May. 4-8: Showers, cool
May. 9-12: Sunny, warm
May. 13-16: Rain, chilly
May. 17-20: Sunny, warm
May. 21-25: Heavy rain, then sunny, warm
May. 26-31: Scattered t-storms, very warm

Twenty-five percent off. Who doesn’t like a great book that’s 25 percent off?

Let me flip the question around: Don’t you think Mom would like a great book for Mother’s Day? Of course she would! And do you think she’s going to care that you picked it up for one-quarter off? No way! Besides, she’s not going to know anyway.

So here’s how you make that happen: stop by the old neighborhood bookstore and browse their newly minted May staff selections. These are new books that booksellers like enough to recommend to the world. There are novels, books of poetry, biographies, works of American history, narrative nonfiction, and several books for the kiddies.

And did I mention they are 25 percent off? Of course I did! What do I look like? Don’t answer that!

The Cow is offering Martini specials!

Girls, make sure The Cow is on your list of places to visit during your adventures on Girl’s Night Out!

See Griff’s blog about Girl’s Night Out

Watch this space for details of the upcoming three-day Festival Of Music in late June ‘08 on the Cannon River in Northfield, MN. (The image is deliberately too small for you to read, as it’s not quite ready yet!)

We installed mirrors and lights in bathrooms on one of our current projects. The first bathroom incorporated light fixtures in the large polished plate glass mirror. The mirror extends to the ceiling. This is a great way to provide good lighting in a room. When the lights are on full power they give off a lot of light. When toned down with the dimmer they create a soft glow.

The second bathroom incorporated a framed mirror the client had. We mounted wall sconces on each side of the mirror. This is a guest powder room so it doesn't require significantly high light levels. The vanity was made to look more like furniture than a sink base, with furniture style legs. The sink itself is a bowl sink set into a hole in the stone countertop. This creates a very pleasing appearance and is an easy to clean detail.

In case you hadn’t heard — of course I have you covered, man — there’s quite a bit of buzz in the book world right now as Stephanie Meyer, the author of the “Twilight” series of national No. 1 bestsellers, has just delivered her first novel for adults: The Host, which is now on sale down at the old neighborhood bookstore.

“The Host,” according to the publisher promo copy, is “a gripping story of love and betrayal in a future with the fate of humanity at stake.”

Here’s the full summary:

Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. The earth has been invaded by a species that take over the minds of their human hosts while leaving their bodies intact, and most of humanity has succumbed.

Wanderer, the invading “soul” who has been given Melanie’s body, knew about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the too vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn’t expect: the former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.

Melanie fills Wanderer’s thoughts with visions of the man Melanie loves-Jared, a human who still lives in hiding. Unable to separate herself from her body’s desires, Wanderer yearns for a man she’s never met. As outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off to search for the man they both love.

Featuring what may be the first love triangle involving only two bodies, “The Host” is a riveting and unforgettable novel that will bring a vast new readership to one of the most compelling writers of our time.

THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

Come and experience Just Food’s own take on a tea party. Sample some delicious scones, finger sandwiches, and some of Just Food’s delicious tea offerings (of course). A perfect way to celebrate with your mom - or just enjoy some good food with great company.

When: Sunday May 11 at 2 PM

Location: The Just Food Event Space, 516 Water St. S.

PREREGISTRATION IS REQUIRED- call today to reserve your seat! Minimum of 5 participants must be preregistered or the event will be cancelled.

from your FrogBlog hostess, Susan Hvistendahl

Welcome to FrogBlog, part of the new, improved website (www.froggybottoms.com) for Froggy Bottoms River Pub in Northfield, Minnesota, designed to keep you up to date on the latest hoppings and happenings at Froggy Bottoms. Special thanks to Stacy Lindblom for our new website design and management and to Brad Sondahl of www.sondahl.com for facilitating the FrogBlog.

Froggy Bottoms River Pub and Suites
305 S. Water Street, Northfield, Minnesota 55057

For information on the Froggy Bottoms River Suites, click here.

Hours for Froggy Bottoms are Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to closing.

New: Kitchen open all day now, with lunch specials 11-4. Happy hour 4-6 Monday-Friday. Lunch specials for each week will be announced at the pub in inserts in our new 2008 Froggy Times newspaper-menu, which spotlights “Dr. Visty’s Vitalic Elixir Medicine Show” on the front page.

SCROLL DOWN FOR POSTING FOR EVERYDAY LUNCH SPECIALS.

Double your piano pleasure: Froggy Bottoms welcomes Piano Man Mark Mraz to entertain here on two Fridays, May 16 and 30th, starting at 8:30 p.m.

Welcome to Northfield’s 2nd annual Girls Nite Out on Friday, May 9. Guys are also invited to come to Froggy Bottoms this Friday, but watch out for marauding, merry-making hordes of girls! Shannon Mills of Open Mic Karaoke will be on hand tonight.

On Tuesday, May 20, the second F2F Northfield social gathering will be held. It is for bloggers, contributers to blogs, lurkers and anyone who wants to meet new people and have some fun in the party room and patio of the pub. Happy hour 4-6 p.m. and beyond. Bring your favorite website/blog to share!

Thanks to all who turned out for Shannon’s Open Mic karaoke contest on April 26 (congrats to winner Matt Tackaberry of Lakeville) and for 80s night on April 13. Scroll on down for photos of both events.

Hey, folks, the joint is jumping! Follow the hopping frog to Froggy Bottoms for karaoke on Thursday and Saturday nights.

Even the great-grandson of Jesse James has participated in our croakin’ karaoke sessions. So what are you waiting for?

(Seen above) Paul Nimbar brings his Windsong Karaoke to Froggy’s on Thursdays, while Shannon Mills offers Open Mic Karaoke on Saturdays, both nights starting at 9 p.m.

An announcement: Froggy Bottoms is no longer accepting checks. So bring cash/credit cards.

Please click on our “Calendar” for upcoming Dates to Remember at Froggy’s and in Northfield and we recommend www.northfieldnews.com, www.locallygrownnorthfield.org and northfield.org for up-to-the-minute community news. For monthly entertainment news in Northfield, see the Northfield Entertainment Guide at http://northfieldguide.com/. Check out our 2008 Froggy Times online for complete menu and feature stories highlighting all that is fun and froggy.

As Froggy Bottoms enters its seventh year in operation, we invite you to visit us and see what has become one of Northfield’s social centers, a community gathering place with a funky, froggy feel all its own. Enjoy your time with us.