By Staci Perry Mergenthal
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The podcast currently has 60 episodes available.
Today’s story is a reminder that not all kids have the luxury of celebrating their birthday with a fun cake, but it’s also a reminder that just one small act of kindness, and a little frosting and sprinkles, can light up a child’s special day, showing them that people care about them and they are not forgotten.
Meet For Goodness Cakes Twin Cities co-chapter leads Carolyn McGovern and Katie Lipe, plus five sprinkle squad volunteer bakers—Audrey Hyatt, Kenzie Taylor, Tiffane Gayle, Tom McGovern, and Emily Beckmann, and Chris Bernard from Jeremiah Program and Melissa Westphal from Missions Inc.'s Home Free Shelter, two agencies served by the nonprofit.
For Goodness Cakes is a nationwide non-profit organization that gives underprivileged youth the chance to have a birthday celebration by matching volunteers to bake special cakes just for them. To date, there are nearly 30 U.S. chapters and they have hand-delivered more than 32,000 cakes.
View photos and links at https://randomsweets.com/for-goodness-cakes-twin-cities-chapter/
For Goodness Cakes® is an officially recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.Tax ID # 81-10383832118 Wilshire Blvd #826Santa Monica, CA 90403
https://www.forgoodnesscakes.org
Email Carolyn McGovern and Katie Lipe from the Twin Cities chapter at [email protected].
Instagram: @forgoodnesscakestwincities
Jeremiah Program https://jeremiahprogram.org
Home Free Shelter, Missions Inc. https://www.missionsinc.org
Lynn’s Cake, Candy & Chocolate Supplies, https://lynnscakeandcandy.com
Kenzie Taylor on Instagram @kenziespastries
Host, Staci Mergenthal
RandomSweets.com
#ourSweetMidwestLife
Website randomsweets.com
Instagram @potatoesandmittens
Instagram @randomsweets
Facebook Random Sweets
Pinterest @staciperry
Email: [email protected]
This is a classic story of two Midwesterners becoming friends over a grandma's handed-down rhubarb muffin recipe.
Growing up in New Richmond, Wisconsin, Shannon's grandmothers, aunts and mom were great Midwestern cooks. Even so, she didn't watch or pay attention to how they worked their culinary magic in the kitchen or with recipes. Her job was to set the table and clean up after dinner.
Eventually, they rubbed off on her.
Get the recipes, photos and links https://randomsweets.com
What we talk about in this episode:
Shannon lives on an acreage near Prescott, Wisconsin and works just across the Mississippi River in Minnesota as the Director of Sales at Visit Roseville.
Connect with Shannon:
Instagram: @shanphotos17
Email: [email protected]
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannonthomasser/
Staci Mergenthal
RandomSweets.com
#ourSweetMidwestLife
Website randomsweets.com
Instagram @potatoesandmittens
Instagram @randomsweets
Facebook Random Sweets
Pinterest @staciperry
Email: [email protected]
He had a self-checkout long before Walmart and Target and he still updates his telephone hotline with garden patch conditions and produce availability. Just call 605-693-4871.
Meet Sanderson Gardens owner Jan Sanderson, the Rhubarb King and developer of the Sanderson Red rhubarb variety.
A visit to Sanderson Gardens on the I-29 corridor just four miles east of Brookings, South Dakota, can mean a quick stop for a pail of strawberries, or hours long in the pumpkin patch letting the kids find the perfect jack-o-lantern and play on the playgrounds, taking fall family photos and enjoying a picnic in the cool fall air.
For nearly five decades, generations of families have come to Sanderson Gardens for asparagus, strawberries, rhubarb, raspberries, aronia berries, pumpkins and more. It's a mostly U-pick commercial garden, but they try to make some pre-picked produce available in the mornings.
We talk about how technology has changed the way he gets the word out about what's available and how you can best pick/harvest strawberries, rhubarb, asparagus, raspberries, pumpkins, and aronia berries.
Sanderson Gardens supplies fruit to a handful of local wineries and rhubarb roots and horseradish to most seed catalog companies in the country, like Gurney's Seed and Nursery.
You'll learn what Jan's dad and an experimental rhubarb patch being plowed up at South Dakota State University had to do with the beginning of Sanderson Gardens. He also shares an interesting story about how he expanded his rhubarb crop in a way that people in a 3-state area had a hand in—in what is now one of the largest rhubarb patches (5-6 acres) in the Midwest.
Jan is a three-time state champion high school wrestler who earned a full-ride scholarship to University of Iowa. He was coached by NCAA national champion, world gold medalist and Olympic gold medalist, Dan Gable. Jan was a team co-captain and a two-time all-American and two-time Big Ten individual champion.
After graduating, he went on to coach wrestling and teach special education in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. So why did Mr. Sanderson trade the wrestling mat and his classroom to run his own South Dakota, mostly U-pick, commercial gardens 47 years ago? You’re about to find out.
Learn more about Sanderson Gardens on their website and follow them on Facebook. I also posted a rhubarb custard pie recipe from Jan and photos on randomsweets.com.
Jan Sanderson, Owner, Sanderson Gardens, 47657 US Highway 14, Aurora SD, 57002
https://sandersongardens.com
Hotline: 605-693-4871
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SandersonGardens
“The Johnson Family” story that Jan wrote:
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/VMEpzBU5JcU86rFp/
Facebook Video of the tiny stalk on rhubarb:
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/Cekkea4DREDTcozP/
Facebook video of Jan picking rhubarb: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/sQaoCJBiyxrEXhwQ/
Facebook video of Jan’s brother Dell picking asparagus:
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/Tz9cQMotrAg9v8kC/
#ag #agriculture #garden #gardening #farmer #farmtotable #produce #vegetablegarden #rural #ruralSD #midwest #oursweetmidwestlife #podcast #foodpodcast #southdakota #midwestAg
Staci Mergenthal, Host
RandomSweets.com
#ourSweetMidwestLife
Website randomsweets.com
Instagram @potatoesandmittens
Instagram @randomsweets
Facebook Random Sweets
Pinterest @staciperry
Email: [email protected]
What began with a tent purchased from an anonymous $200 donation and Dawnna Berndt’s idea to grow a garden to bring in more income, turned into a family-based vegetable farm market business (Berndt Family Produce) that’s been serving their community of customers in eastern South Dakota and western Minnesota for 24 years.
At the time, she and her husband, David, had five young children and even though she admits she knew zilch about gardening (she told me she was the “inside girl” and her sister was the “outside girl” when they were growing up), she leaned on David’s knowledge as a lifelong farmer to start growing and harvesting veggies on less than two acres and selling the produce at their local farm stands and self-serve stands.
Since their start in 2000, they’ve grown to six children, eight grandkids, 30 acres of sweet corn and 25 acres of some of the best vegetables, CSAs and canning and salsa shares around! And Dawnna says that along with all that growth and change, faith and family have always been at the center of what they do and how they treat people.
Berndt Family Produce grows everything from broccoli, tomatoes, cabbage, garlic, tomatoes, peppers, onions, pumpkins, gourds, sweet corn, squash, cauliflower, potatoes radish, carrots, watermelon, cucumbers, beans, muskmelon, and more.
While you’re listening, learn more about Berndt Family Produce at Berndtproduce.com. I also posted photos and the recipe links from Dawnna for their favorite corn salsa, potato soup, copycat KFC coleslaw, roasted garlic parmesan potatoes, and 11 easy potato recipes on randomsweets.com.
Dawnna and David Berndt, Berndt Family Produce, White, SD
Email: [email protected]
https://www.berndtproduce.com
Mobile: 605-690-4522
Facebook: Berndt Family Produce
Instagram: @berndtproduce
Locations: https://www.berndtproduce.com/visit_us
Recipes Dawnna mentions in this episode:
11 Easy Potato Recipes
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/3588874692004262/
Roasted Garlic Butter Parmesan Potatoes
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/241787073737487016/
KFC Coleslaw Copycat
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/153403931048621958/
Best Ever Potato Soup
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/274086327313603706/
Easy Corn Salsa
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/187625/easy-corn-salsa/
Staci Mergenthal
RandomSweets.com
#ourSweetMidwestLife
Website randomsweets.com
Instagram @potatoesandmittens
Instagram @randomsweets
Facebook Random Sweets
Pinterest @staciperry
Email: [email protected]
#ag #agriculture #garden #gardening #farmer #farmtotable #produce #vegetablegarden #farmstand #rural #ruralSD #midwest #oursweetmidwestlife #podcast #foodpodcast #southdakota
Roots go deep in today’s show. Come with me to meet fifth-generation farmers, Taylor and Cassandra Sumption, the founders of Anthem Oats. The couple grows and packages premium, gluten-free oats for retail on nearly 400 acres near Frederick, South Dakota, 27 miles north of Aberdeen on US Highway 281, just seven miles south of the North Dakota border, and their packing and offices operation in Frederick.
Taylor’s great, great grandpa homesteaded in the area in 1882 so Taylor and Cassandra are keeping the family agriculture business alive in what’s now 142 years! They’re focused on value-added agriculture and vertical integration to build their legacy-based, farm-to-table company—this means we can count of them for many years of delicious steel cut, old-fashioned, and quick oats and instant oatmeal cups and packets in flavors like vanilla chai, peach and cranberry, dark chocolate brownie, super fruit, pumpkin spice, and my personal favorite, maple pecan.
Learn more about their products and the family at anthem oats dot com. The photos and recipes that Cassandra shared with us for tiramisu-inspired overnight oats, energy balls, and her bacon cheeseburger meatloaf with secret sauce are on randomsweets.com.
Taylor and Cassandra Sumption, Anthem Oats
[email protected] and [email protected]
https://anthemoats.com
Instagram: @anthemoats
Facebook: Anthem Oats
TikTok: @anthemoats
Also mentioned in this episode:
South Dakota Value Added Agriculture Development Center
Staci Mergenthal
RandomSweets.com
#ourSweetMidwestLife
Website randomsweets.com
Instagram @potatoesandmittens
Instagram @randomsweets
Facebook Random Sweets
Pinterest @staciperry
Email: [email protected]
#ag #agriculture #valueaddedag #oats #oatmeal #farmer #farmtotable #oatfarm #oatfarmer #rural #ruralSD #grocer #midwest #oursweetmidwestlife #podcast #foodpodcast #southdakota
It’s almost summer, which means pool and lake parties, family reunions and picnics, camping, and smoking out the neighborhood with your backyard grilling. It’s also time to dig out your library card, visit your local indie bookstore, and pack your beach bag with books on your “want to read” list.
Today I’m bringing back my friend and book goals hero, Christianne Beringer. First, we are talking about easy appetizers and sides delicious enough for sharing, like creamy red pepper dip, Southwest dip with pepperoni, BLT dip, Clara's corn, and green beans with lemon and toasted almonds.
Then, Christianne catches us up on (and inspires us with) her reading goals, and she tells us about new authors and book series she’s been enjoying, including the one she likes so much she starting checking out two at a time from the library.
We also talk about the handy book recommendation and discovery website and app, Goodreads, which we use to keep track of books we want to read, books we’ve read, and to browse what’s on our friends’ bookshelves as well.
So if you are someone who likes simple recipes and celebrates the joy of finishing a good book, this episode is for you!
I posted the five recipes that Christianne shares on my website randomsweets.com.
Christianne Beringer on Goodreads
Staci Mergenthal on Goodreads
Goodreads
Libby App (free app for digital reading from your public library)
Hoopla (borrow and enjoy books and media using your library card)
Midwest Independent Booksellers Association
Abe books
Thrift books
Also mentioned in this episode:
#amreading #reader #readinggoals #reading #library #books #appetizers #midwest #midwesterner #oursweetmidwestlife #podcast #foodpodcast #southdakota
Staci Mergenthal
RandomSweets.com
#OurSweetMidwestLife
Website randomsweets.com
Instagram @potatoesandmittens
Instagram @randomsweets
Facebook Random Sweets
Pinterest @staciperry
Email: [email protected]
Living a life of curiosity and creativity means you will, at times, gracefully let go of things that no longer fuel your passion or serve you positively. This week's podcast guest, Bobbi Lynn Gaukel, and I agree—the earlier in life you learn this practice, the more open and freer you are to being curious and trying new things.
Throughout her life, Bobbi has weaved in creativity and learning, leaving a trail of beauty wherever she goes. In addition to her professional life as a graphic artist, she gardens, crochets, writes, takes captivating photos, thrifts, repurposes, bakes desserts, crafts and so much more.
Her Grandma Elizabeth taught her to crochet, all while burning through soap operas together. She began her graphic design career without a computer. And she once threw away a paint-by-number because for her, the whole experience was awful.
She's the friend you give your funeral plants to when they start to die and you feel too guilty to throw them away.
The recipes Bobbi is sharing with you and photos are on my website, randomsweets.com—sausage wonton appetizers made with ranch seasoning and two kinds of cheese, crock pot apple butter, and Bobbi’s mom’s easy carrot cake with an inch of cream cheese frosting.
Just like Bobbi and I do when we meet for coffee, we visit here for a long time. So it’s OK to pause the episode when you need a break and resume when you’re ready for more. I hope after hearing from her, you’ll feel inspired to ask yourself the question, “what would happen if…”
Bobbi Lynn Gaukel, Pie in the Sky Co
Also mentioned in this episode:
Staci Mergenthal
RandomSweets.com
#ourSweetMidwestLife
Website randomsweets.com
Instagram @potatoesandmittens
Instagram @randomsweets
Facebook Random Sweets
Pinterest @staciperry
Email: [email protected]
#graphicartist #graphicdesigner #southdakota #midwest #midwesterner #oursweetmidwestlife #podcast #foodpodcast #siouxfalls #creativelife #entrepreneur
Have you thought about who you’ll pass down your handwritten recipes to? If you’re like Wendy Doornink and me, you have a mix of handwritten recipe cards from family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and of course, yourself. This episode might make you think about who the next person might be to keep those cherished recipes in your family.
In our visit, Wendy shares recipes and sweet and fun stories from her grandmothers, and we talk about the correlation between the food basics and mental health. We’re kind of all over the place, there’s head cheese, raisins in the sheep pasture, and popcorn in the cookie box from grandma.
Wendy shares recipes for zucchini bread, pasties, pie crust, sweet yeast dough and caramel sauce for caramel rolls, and the coconut pie she uses as currency in her family. Those recipes and photos of Great Grandma Emma on a Farmall tractor and grandma Olga are on randomsweets.com.
Staci Mergenthal
RandomSweets.com
#ourSweetMidwestLife
Website randomsweets.com
Instagram @potatoesandmittens
Instagram @randomsweets
Facebook Random Sweets
Pinterest @staciperry
Email: [email protected]
In this episode, you and I are going to meet Betty’s Antiques owner, Liz Murphy from St. Paul, Minnesota. She’s walking us through her charming vintage boutique on the historic corner of Selby and Snelling Avenues, plus she shares the sweet way her grandma Betty influenced how she dresses up a table, in a non-fussy sort of way, so that we can make our guests feel special—even in our everyday living—using touches like fresh flowers and table linens, to glassware and flatware, candles, and pretty dishes.
We talk about an evening with Lawrence Welk, her manageable way to appreciate our fine china, what mindset we should be in when it’s time to wash the fancy dishes, plus, Liz tells us a couple of her favorite spots to each lunch and enjoy a treat near her shop, and we talk about the cookbook that her cousin put together that’s full of recipe and stories the family has of Grandma Betty—she even gives us Betty’s recipe for buttery smooth caramels, which you can get on my website randomsweets.com.
While you’re listening, take a look at Liz’s website and social media, which you can find on https://www.bettysantiques-stp.com. I hope this episode inspires you to use something fancy in your everyday living and for the holidays.
Thank you to Sarah Peterson from the blog Vintage Dish and Tell for introducing us. If you missed Sarah’s episode, it is S2 E9 on Dec. 1, 2023.
Show Notes & Links
Betty’s Antiques, Liz (Elizabeth) Murphy
https://www.bettysantiques-stp.com
Instagram: @bettys.antiques.stp
Facebook: Betty’s Antiques
Rose Street Patisserie
Yum! Kitchen and Bakery (multiple locations)
The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning
#useyourfancydishes #bettysantiquesstpaul #StPaul #SelbyatSnelling #shopBettys
Staci Mergenthal
RandomSweets.com
#ourSweetMidwestLife
Website randomsweets.com
Instagram @potatoesandmittens
Instagram @randomsweets
Facebook Random Sweets
Pinterest @staciperry
Email: [email protected]
Welcome to the 50th episode! We’re heading to Iowa today to speak with Iowa Egg Council’s Board Chairman Bruce Dooyema, and Director of Marketing and Communications Melissa Alto-Kintigh about one powerhouse food—eggs.
IOWA IS THE #1 STATE IN EGG PRODUCTION
First, we cover the basics, like how many eggs a chicken lays in a day, what determines the color of eggs, their nutritional value and health benefits, why we refrigerate our eggs in the U.S., and which fast-food restaurant still cracks a real egg for their breakfast sandwich.
Then, Bruce, who is also known as the director of deviled eggs, shares a few of his tips and recipes, plus he tells me why he made deviled eggs on three continents in three days, and what his next bucket list wish is.
You can get Bruce’s recipes for shrimp deviled eggs, smoked deviled eggs, sweet and/or sassy deviled eggs, avocado deviled eggs, and cheesy peasy deviled eggs on my website randomsweets.com. You'll also get my recipe for smoky deviled eggs there.
I answered my own question about the expiration date on egg cartons here: https://ask.usda.gov/s/article/What-kind-of-dates-are-on-cartons-of-fresh-eggs
#deviledeggs #foodpodcast #eggs
Iowa Egg Council
iowaegg.org
Bruce Dooyema Bio
Melissa Alto-Kintigh on LinkedIn
Watch Bruce Dooyema on Hello Iowa
Watch Bruce Dooyema make deviled eggs at home
Instagram: @iowa_egg
Facebook: Iowa Egg Council
X: @IowaEggCouncil
Pinterest: Iowa Egg Council
LinkedIn: Iowa Egg Council
YouTube: IowaEggCouncil
Tik Tok: Iowa Egg Council
Staci Mergenthal
RandomSweets.com
#ourSweetMidwestLife
Website randomsweets.com
Instagram @potatoesandmittens
Instagram @randomsweets
Facebook Random Sweets
Pinterest @staciperry
Email: [email protected]
The podcast currently has 60 episodes available.