Funeral Potatoes & Wool Mittens (Staci Perry Mergenthal)

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	Date	Titre	Durée
	17 Apr 2024	Back to Grandma’s Basics and Handwritten Recipes with Wendy Doornink	00:52:08
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: staci@randomsweets.com
	20 Jan 2023	Cheesecake Baking 101	00:24:57
After more than 20 years, the most common questions I get are about baking cheesecakes—like how to know when it’s ready to come out of the oven, what causes cheesecake to crack, how to remove it from the springform pan, how to store it, and how long it should thaw before serving it. In this episode, I share my tips for making cheesecake at home—from the casual and easy ways of making it in a cake pan, mason jars, and cupcake papers to the fancier springform pan for elegant slices, and mini cheesecake pans for adorable individual desserts. If you are already a cheesecake baker, hopefully you’ll hear a suggestion or two that are helpful. If you’ve been too intimidated to try making cheesecake, I hope this episode will give you the confidence to give it a try. Because it’s pretty simple, and unless the cheesecake comes out runny, you can always scoop it into balls, dip them in chocolate, and impress people with cheesecake pops! And for those of you who don’t bake, it would be fun if you listen anyway because you never know when you might have an opportunity to impress someone with your in-depth knowledge of cheesecake making. Show Notes https://randomsweets.com/category/cheesecake/ https://randomsweets.com/you-can-make-your-own-new-york-vanilla-cheesecake-with-fresh-strawberry-sauce/ https://randomsweets.com/there-may-be-andes-mints-under-my-pillow/ https://randomsweets.com/bring-your-fork-to-the-table-white-chocolate-raspberry-cheesecake/ Website: randomsweets.com Instagram: @potatoesandmittens Instagram: @randomsweets Facebook: Random Sweets
	14 Jul 2023	Homemade Strawberry Apricot Jam and Broiled Parmesan Potatoes with Sydney Andera	00:51:11
Today on the show, South Dakota native Sydney Andera talks about who inspired her to make homemade strawberry apricot jam, her favorite flavor of birthday cake since she doesn’t like chocolate, the meal she likes most that her mom, Michelle, makes, her Grandma Naomi’s broiled parmesan potatoes, and a barbecue joint and a doughnut shop she and her boyfriend, Sajen, enjoyed on a recent trip to Colorado. All that, plus a funny story about how Sydney broke her electric hand mixer with potatoes. Photos from this episode and the recipes are on https://randomsweets.com/homemade-strawberry-apricot-jam-with-sydney-andera/. Links from this episode: Sydney's Strawberry Apricot Jam Recipe G-Cue Barbecue Voodoo Doughnut Beano's Classical White Pizza Sauce with Oregano Strawberry Pound Cake Recipe Vodka Pasta Recipe Spaghetti Bake Recipe Beer Chili Spaghetti Recipe Key Lime Pie Recipe Raspberry White Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe #ourSweetMidwestLife Website: randomsweets.com Instagram: @potatoesandmittens Instagram: @randomsweets Facebook: Random Sweets
	17 Dec 2024	Whirlygigs and Watermelon Pickles: Keeping Family Traditions Alive with Stacy Brallier	00:49:25
Today, I’m introducing you to Stacy Brallier, a South Dakota mom, grandma, and keeper of family food traditions. Stacy shares recipes that hold a special place in her heart, including Funfetti cookies, her mom’s peanut butter whirlygigs cookies, and her great-grandma Elsie Edgecomb’s watermelon pickles, and a co-worker’s more updated recipe for watermelon pickles—each one tied to cherished memories. For Stacy, food isn't just about flavor; it's about the people and moments that make life sweet, in all seasons of life. Whether it's making Elsie’s watermelon pickles or baking cookies with her own grandchildren, these recipes celebrate the joy of family and connect generations to come. Get Stacy's recipe at randomsweets.com. Staci Mergenthal RandomSweets.com #ourSweetMidwestLife Website randomsweets.com Instagram @potatoesandmittens Instagram @randomsweets Facebook: Funeral Potatoes & Wool Mittens Facebook Random Sweets Pinterest @staciperry Email: staci@randomsweets.com
	23 Dec 2022	Breakfast for Houseguests	00:14:06
What do you make for breakfast when you have overnight houseguests? In this episode, I share recipes for two meat, egg, and cheese breakfast casseroles, plus my favorite recipes for muffins, butterscotch monkey bread, mini cinnamon sugar doughnuts (much easier than you think), coffee cakes, amaretto pistachio Bundt cake with booze, and cake batter pancakes with sprinkles for the kids. Rise and shine! o Randomsweets.com https://randomsweets.com o 8x8 Hash Brown and Sausage Breakfast Casserole https://randomsweets.com/8x8-hash-brown-and-sausage-breakfast-casserole/ o 9x13 Sausage and Cheddar Hash Brown Casserole https://randomsweets.com/feed-your-family-or-hungry-team-ham-sausage-and-cheddar-hash-brown-breakfast-casserole-for-the-win/ o Butterscotch Cinnamon Chip Muffins https://randomsweets.com/butterscotch-cinnamon-chip-muffins/ o Butterscotch Monkey Bread https://randomsweets.com/butterscotch-monkey-bread-fit-for-houseguests/ o Cinnamon Sugar Mini Doughnuts https://randomsweets.com/morning-donuts-in-a-teensy-minnesota-town-blessings-of-life-and-making-cinnamon-sugar-donut-holes-at-home/ o Traditional Cinnamon Coffee Cake https://randomsweets.com/comfort-food-for-the-bigfork-construction-crew/ o Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake https://randomsweets.com/before-you-put-the-turkey-in-the-oven-pumpkin-streusel-coffee-cake-on-thanksgiving-morning/ o Pumpkin Butterscotch Coffee Cake https://randomsweets.com/pumpkin-butterscotch-coffee-cake/ o Amaretto Pistachio Cake https://randomsweets.com/amaretto-pistachio-cake-good-enough-to-share-at-church/ o Double Chocolate Banana Muffins https://randomsweets.com/double-chocolate-banana-muffin-loaves/ o Cake Batter Pancakes https://randomsweets.com/cake-batter-pancakes-from-how-sweet-it-is/
	22 Mar 2024	Fish Fry Friday Feeds the Soul with Ron Faiola	00:54:40
Batter up! You don’t have to be from the Midwest to feel like a part of the community we’re talking about today—that’s because our beloved Friday night fish fry welcomes people from around the world to sit across the table with each other at parish schools and fellowship halls, to supper clubs, taverns, and community centers to enjoy golden-fried or lightly baked fish alongside classic sides like coleslaw and potatoes. Who better to talk with me about this Lenten tradition than Ron Faiola? He’s a filmmaker, director, and author who, in addition to his movies and books about Wisconsin supper clubs, has produced two movies about fish frys in Wisconsin. All four of his films were licensed and broadcast on PBS for several years. We’re covering everything from which side of Wisconsin serves rye bread at their fish frys, and how to know if you’re getting real lake perch, to how to find a fish fry in your community and why you want to skip the fork and eat fish with your fingers. Ron Faiola https://wisconsinsupperclubs.com Club List Movies Facebook: Wisconsin Supper Clubs Instagram: @wisconsin_supper_clubs Wisconsin Supper Clubs—Second Edition (2023) The Wisconsin Supper Clubs Story, An Illustrated History With Relish (2021) Wisconsin Supper Clubs: Another Round (2016) Wisconsin Supper Clubs, An Old Fashioned Experience (2013) It’s Lent. Do You Know Where Your Fish Fry Is? (Atlas Obscura article with Ron Faiola) Staci Mergenthal RandomSweets.com #ourSweetMidwestLife Website randomsweets.com Instagram @potatoesandmittens Instagram @randomsweets Facebook Random Sweets Pinterest @staciperry Email: staci@randomsweets.com
	26 Jul 2023	Hive to Jar, The Sweet Story of Adee Honey Farms with Marla Hoyer and Sarah Hauge	01:18:11
You are in for a sweet and sticky treat today! Joining me are Adee Honey Farms’ second and third generation family members, Marla Hoyer, and Sarah Hauge. We cover everything from the history of Adee Honey, way back to even before Richard and his brother Stanley purchased the South Dakota honey operation of about 1,000 honeybee colonies in 1957, to how they’ve grown the business to 100,000 colonies of bees that journey thousands of miles between producing honey in several states, and pollinating almonds in California and apple orchards in Washington. As with any agricultural industry, growth comes with challenges and honey production is not immune. Sarah shares about the company’s rebrand and adding new merch like hats, hoodies, stickers and T-shirts. We cover a few health benefits and the healing power of honey, tips to enhancing your baking, and how to be a smart consumer when it comes to fraudulent honey. Plus, after many years of mostly selling to the wholesale market, they let us in on a few development ideas as the company expands their retail line to meet the needs and wants of consumers. We wrap up the episode with a mocktail recipe using a simple syrup made of honey, the sought-after recipe for honey of a fudge sauce, and Marla is so kind to share her grandma Mae Adee’s Honey Apple Crisp recipe. This episode is jam-packed with so much more good stuff like Bruce Honey Days, how the color of your honey affects the flavor of the dish you are making, and tips for substituting honey for sugar, maple syrup and corn syrups. And you’ll learn why you should add honey to your first aid kit, and why you want to turn honey bottles upside down and watch how the bubble flows through the honey. Recipes, links, and photos are on randomsweets.com Adee Honey Farms adeehoneyfarms.com Instagram: @adee.honey.farms Facebook: Adee Honey Farms Pinterest: Adee Honey Farms Random Sweets: Website: randomsweets.com Instagram: @potatoesandmittens Instagram: @randomsweets Facebook: Random Sweets #ourSweetMidwestLife
	11 Feb 2023	Game Day Appetizers with My Sisters Heidi Thomssen and Kalli Reisetter	00:47:39
This episode is all about appetizers. We’re sharing a few of our go-to game day recipes – whether for tailgating, a house party, or watching the big game on TV with our families. We talk about South Dakota sushi, slow cooker cowboy beans, buffalo chicken dip, cream cheese wrapped olives, baked cheesy bacon dip, and our different versions of taco dip. Plus, you’ll hear what books my sisters are reading—from fiction to nonfiction, and a new Midwest cookbook. Show Notes & Links https://randomsweets.com/game-day-appetizers-for-tailgating-or-the-couch/ Trader Joe’s Corn and Chile Tomato-less Salsa Presto Slow Cooker (great for traveling) Full Circle Organic Yellow Corn Tortilla Chips TW Angus Beef (South Dakota, where Kalli gets her beef) Dakota Butcher (where Josh picked up the bacon) Dakota Martini Primal Kitchen Barbecue Sauce The Sisters of Sugarcreek by Cathy Liggett It’s Murder Dontcha Know: A Quirky Murder Mystery with Recipes by Jeanne Cooney Find Your Path: Honor Your Body, Fuel Your Soul, and Get Strong with the Fit52 Life by Carrie Underwood Home is Where the Eggs Are by Molly Yeh Website: randomsweets.com Instagram: @potatoesandmittens Instagram: @randomsweets Facebook: Random Sweets
	28 Sep 2023	Steak and Coffee Cake with Millennial Rancher Calli Williams of TW Angus	00:59:46
Calli and Tate Williams' love story began when they met at the South Dakota State Fair. Tate asked Calli to show his heifer. Having grown up on a farm with a small herd of cattle and a love for 4-H, she did it. And that's all it took to begin their lives together building a family and pouring their hearts and hard work into TW Angus, their purebred Angus seedstock operation and direct to consumer beef business near Letcher, South Dakota. In addition to talking about her days on the ranch with their boys, Jack and Tommy, we discuss Angus marketing, selling bulls and genetics, their Angus seedstock operation, why they started their retail beef business and how you can buy it, challenges of being first-generation ranchers, agriculture organizations she and Tate support, children's books, coffee and restaurant recommendations in Mitchell and Sioux Falls, and what she loves about the Midwest. We talk about food, like tacos and day-two (leftover) shredded beef chuck roast burritos. Calli reminisces about her grandma's graham coffee cake recipe that will now replace the one that I've used for years. Where to Find Calli, Tate and TW Angus TWAngus.com callicwilliams@gmail.com 605.695.1990 Instagram: @calli_williams Facebook: TW Angus Recipes and links from this episode: randomsweets.com The Source Coffee Roastery + Taproom 421 N Phillips Ave, Sioux Falls, SD The Back 40 511 N. Main, Mitchell, SD, Mitchell Depot Pub & Grill 210 South Main Street, Mitchell, SD Hot Shots Espresso 322 E Havens Ave, Mitchell, SD Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle. It's a full series of books—Little Blue Truck Goes to School, Little Blue Truck Makes a Friend, etc. A is for Angus. Written and Illustrated by C.J. Brown. Contact Staci Mergenthal at staci@randomsweets.com. #ourSweetMidwestLife Instagram: @potatoesandmittens Instagram: @randomsweets Facebook: Random Sweets
	17 Mar 2023	Quick and Easy Recipes and Pantry Items to Satisfy Your Sweet Cravings	00:21:24
Imagine, it’s Saturday afternoon and you’re craving something sweet and homemade. But you want something quick and easy, and you don’t feel like running to the store. I’m sharing the ingredients I keep on hand for a few fast and simple recipes that you can bake (or no-bake) on a whim. From sweet and savory caramel corn chips for a night of Netflix, popcorn and a cozy blanket, a giant chocolate chip skillet cookie you’ll eat hot out of the pan, to Reese’s peanut butter cup poppers that start with a cookie pouch mix, to starting your Sunday morning with fresh-baked butterscotch muffins or pistachio cake with a sweet glaze, get all the recipes in today's episode on randomsweets.com. Show notes: Get all the recipes in today's episode on randomsweets.com Instagram: @potatoesandmittens Instagram: @randomsweets Facebook: Random Sweets
	14 Oct 2023	Pumpkin Dessert and Kids in the Kitchen with Danielle Herberg	00:47:55
Danielle Herberg and her 7-year-old daughter, Carly, join me by phone at their home in Browns Valley, Minnesota. Danielle talks about who influenced her love of baking, what happened when she and her daycare kids experimented growing seeds from a tomato, and she pulls out some of her favorite recipes from her go-to community cookbook and her grandma Ileta’s recipe box. Plus, she gives the local scoop on a coffee shop in Wilmot, South Dakota, and the Pub in Beardsley, Minnesota where they’re cooking up great burgers, and the restaurant and bakery in Sisseton South Dakota where her mom, Connie works. And Carly pops in to tell us what her favorite part of baking is, what breakfast item they only make homemade, and what books she likes to read. Photos and recipes from this episode are on randomsweets.com, including easy chicken pot pie with biscuits, creamed chicken on a biscuit, s’mores bars, pumpkin dessert, breakfast-stuffed French toast, and Grandma Leet’s quickie stickie buns. The Grind Coffee + Cafe Big G’s Pub & Grub Rosalie’s Restaurant, Bakery and Lounge Kirby Science Discovery Center at Washington Pavilion, Sioux Falls, SD Children's Museum of South Dakota, Brookings, SD Randomsweets.com #ourSweetMidwestLife Website: randomsweets.com Instagram: @potatoesandmittens Instagram: @randomsweets Facebook: Random Sweets Email: staci@randomsweets.com
	09 Feb 2024	Painting Personality and Vibes into Your Kitchen with Wendy Doornink	00:57:08
We're heading into the kitchen with Wendy Doornink, the color services manager at Hirshfield’s, a family-owned paint, wallcoverings and window fashions company headquarted in Minnesota. Wendy has been painting since she could hold a paint brush, so when Jason and I started talking about painting our kitchen and possibly even our cabinets, I knew I needed professional help. Maybe you can relate. It's because I have a hard time choosing paint colors, for two main reasons—I’m worried I’ll choose a color that once it’s on the walls, I won’t like it. Second, as soon as I choose a color and like it, I find another I wish I would have used. We cover timeless and daring paint colors, how to incorporate personality into our kitchens, painting cabinets, and we even talk about wallpaper and a few fun places to use it. Show Notes & Links Hirshfields.com Blog Facebook Hirshfield’s Instagram @hirshfieldspaint Pinterest @hirshfields Hirshfield’s At Home Magazine Hirshfield’s Design Resource Showroom The Effects of Light on Color Color 101 Staci Mergenthal RandomSweets.com #ourSweetMidwestLife Website randomsweets.com Instagram @potatoesandmittens Instagram @randomsweets Facebook Random Sweets Pinterest @staciperry Email: staci@randomsweets.com
	19 May 2023	Eating Kuchen, Mexican Corn, Pickle Dip, and Fried Knoephla & Sauerkraut Pulled Pork and Cruising the River in North Dakota with Betsy Ziegler	00:50:37
In this episode, my North Dakota sister-in-law Betsy Ziegler joins me to talk about the German dessert, Kuchen, Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park, beloved maple bacon long johns at Bearscat, and cruising the Missouri River and drinking blood-red cocktail pouches. She shares her recipes, most of them using the “eyeball” method, for a non-mayo-based German potato salad, bacon and cheddar ranch dip, chicken and wild rice soup that she makes using a box of Uncle Ben’s wild rice and seasoning, Mexican corn, pickle dip, and smoked pulled pork and sauerkraut with fried knoephla, along with her secret to lightening up the “krautiness” of the sauerkraut. While you’re listening, take a look at the photos, recipes, and all the links from this episode on Randomsweets.com. Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park Bearscat The Paddle Trap Grandma’s Kuchen Cattail Bakery grilled marinated kebabs Website: randomsweets.com Instagram: @potatoesandmittens Instagram: @randomsweets Facebook: Random Sweets
	30 Jun 2023	Bake With Me: Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Poppers	00:14:34
On today’s Bake With Me episode, I invite you to bake along with me as I make Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Poppers. With just a few ingredients and a mini muffin tin, you can quickly make a batch of these poppers that all the peanut butter and chocolate lovers in my family like. Since we’re using a peanut butter cookie mix, all we need is the cookie pouch, the ingredients to make the cookies, peanut butter, and Mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. And we’re doing this by hand so there’s no need to dig out your mixer. They bake in about 7-8 minutes. Here is the recipe on randomsweets.com. Website: randomsweets.com Instagram: @potatoesandmittens Instagram: @randomsweets Facebook: Random Sweets
	20 Oct 2023	Arepas, Allergen-Free Cookies, Holland Michigan, and Gulf Shores Alabama with Boutique Vacation Rental Superhost Alicia Wright	01:05:22
Today you’ll hear from my first Michigan (the Mitten State!) guest, Alicia Wright. We cover a lot of topics in this episode—from mud water and allergen-free chocolate chip cookies, and Alicia’s favorite spots in Holland, to her motivation behind becoming a boutique vacation rental owner in Gulf Shores Alabama, to the Venezuelan arepa recipe her dad brought with him when he came to America with just a suitcase and his guitar. If you've been thinking about vacationing to Gulf Shores, you’re in for a treat because Alicia surprises us with a discount code to both of her Alabama properties. So, while you’re listening, check out her properties at bluepalmgetaways.com, and get the recipes, links and photos from this episode on randomsweets.com. Randomsweets.com #ourSweetMidwestLife Instagram: @potatoesandmittens Instagram: @randomsweets Facebook: Random Sweets Email: staci@randomsweets.com Alicia Wright/Blue Palm Getaways bluepalmgetaways.com discount code: staci10 bluepalmgetaways@gmail.com Facebook: Blue Palm Getaways Instagram: @bluepalmgetaway Allergen-free chocolate chip cookies Kin Coffee and Craft House Itty Bitty Bar Playa Tacos + Tequila LuLu’s Gulf Shores GT’s on the Bay Stacey St. John (The STR Sisterhood podcast episode with Alicia) Ed Mylett Mud\WTR Short-Term Rental, Long-Term Wealth by Avery Carl P.A.N. for the arepa recipe
	26 Apr 2024	Sausage Wontons and Crafting a Creative Life with Bobbi Lynn Gaukel	01:24:21
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 Website: pieinthesky.co Facebook: Pie in the Sky Co Instagram: @bobbilynngaukel Instagram: @ps_wedesignthings Email: bobbi@pieinthesky.co Bobbi's monthly article in etc. for her magazine. (In addition to the current issue, you can read her articles in the back issues too.) Watch: How to thrift your way to a beautiful, sustainable home with Bobbi Also mentioned in this episode: Cindy Lindgren, artist, you may recognize her Midwest vibe http://www.cindylindgren.com Alissa's Flower Farm near Rock Valley and Hull, Iowa, alissasflowerfarm.com Staci Mergenthal RandomSweets.com #ourSweetMidwestLife Website randomsweets.com Instagram @potatoesandmittens Instagram @randomsweets Facebook Random Sweets Pinterest @staciperry Email: staci@randomsweets.com #graphicartist #graphicdesigner #southdakota #midwest #midwesterner #oursweetmidwestlife #podcast #foodpodcast #siouxfalls #creativelife #entrepreneur
	11 Nov 2023	Nordic Waffles: From Fair to Food Hall to Freezers Across the U.S. with Founder Stine Aasland and CEO Jeremy Ely	01:06:56
Stine Aasland’s dream of creating a Nordic Waffle Wafflelution has come true, and that means we get to delight in sweet and savory, handheld, heart-shaped waffles all day long. Stine, known as Norway’s Waffle Queen, came to America in 2015 with two suitcases, a waffle recipe, and a dream. On today’s show, Stine and Nordic Waffle’s CEO, Jeremy Ely, talk about everything from selling cozy, soft and thin waffles at Valleyfair to the Minnesota State Fair, to what happened when a pandemic shut down their main revenue stream, her advice to people with a business dream, and why they like to partner with companies close to home. Stine, Jeremy and I talk about what we add to our Nordic Waffles to make them extra special. And then Stine unexpectedly advises us on the only one ingredient she says is not very good on a Nordic waffle. And if you want to make the Scandi snack at home, Stine shares her basic Norwegian waffle recipe, which includes her two most special ingredients—cardamom and love. Get the recipes and photos on randomsweets.com. Web: nordicwaffles.com Where to Buy: https://www.nordicwaffles.com/locations Email: hello@nordicwaffles.com Instagram: @nordicwaffles Facebook: Nordic Waffles TikTok: nordicwaffles #wafflelution Randomsweets.com #ourSweetMidwestLife Website: randomsweets.com Instagram: @potatoesandmittens Instagram: @randomsweets Facebook: Random Sweets Email: staci@randomsweets.com Also mentioned: Kramarczuk’s Top The Tater Hormel Foods Urban Growler Brewing Company Farm Stores Gjetost (brown cheese) Lunds & Byerlys Kowalski’s Markets Cub Foods Hy-Vee Potluck at Rosedale Mall Pheasant Restaurant & Lounge DashMart
	18 Jan 2024	Revolutionizing the Cafeteria: Farm to School Impacts Student Well-being and Local Agriculture	00:50:22
We’re going back to school—to the school cafeteria, that is. And although I do ask about good ol’ square school lunch pizza, and the pairing of cinnamon rolls & chili, my guests, Karla Sawvell and Amanda Reilly are spilling the beans on how the Huron South Dakota School District is implementing Farm To School. In addition to being one of the very few public school nutrition programs that cooks from scratch AND bakes all of their own bread, they are striving to serve fresh and local foods to 2,200 students each day. You’ll come to the end of this episode knowing: 1. How to champion your school district to cultivate a farm to school initiative if it isn’t already. 2. If you’re a farmer, rancher or producer, you can help revolutionize school lunch in your area. 3. How many pounds of cheese, and the secret mixture of cheeses they use, to make 132 commercial-sized sheet pans of pizza in one day. So grab your pencil box and sharpener, because it’s time to learn how local agriculture and school nutritionists are positively impacting student well-being and benefiting the community. The seasoned turnip fries with herb dipping sauce is on randomsweets.com. National Farm To School Network The Patrick Leahy Farm to School Program Farm to School Planning Toolkit from USDA Find the network in your state https://www.farmtoschool.org/our-network Facebook: National Farm to School Network Contact Amanda Reilly, Nutrition Director or Karla Sawvell, Farm2School Coordinator: Amanda.reilly@k12.sd.us and Karla.Sawvell@k12.sd.us. #agriculture #food #schoolnutrition #farming #FarmToSchool Staci Mergenthal: Randomsweets.com #ourSweetMidwestLife Website: randomsweets.com Instagram: @potatoesandmittens Instagram: @randomsweets Facebook: Random Sweets
	24 Jul 2023	Bruce Honey Days 2023 and Community Cookbook Honey Recipes	00:42:45
Many Midwestern towns host annual festivities in celebration of characteristics unique to their community—like the city celebration we’re talking about today—the 32nd annual Honey Days in Bruce, South Dakota. Joining me for today’s show are longtime parade emcee, Mary Bjerke, and her husband, Russ, and their daughter, Christianne Beringer. Mary shares the itinerary for the 3-day weekend of events, kicking off with KCountry 102.3’s cookout in Museum Park at noon on Friday, July 28, and other traditional events like a parade and craft show, competitive activities like basketball, bean bags, volleyball, horseshoes, and baseball, to the 5K run, walk or pedal where Denise Ulvestad shares her beloved honey protein energy balls, a kids bike parade, Legion pancake breakfast, car show, street dance, yard games, cow pie bingo, and wrapping it all up with the town vs. country softball tournament on Sunday evening. If you’ve listened to episode 8 of Funeral Potatoes & Wool Mittens, you already have Mary’s meatloaf recipe. Today, the family is sharing 5 recipes with honey as a main ingredient—sloppy joes, BBQ ribs, fudge sauce, barbecue sauce (all from a South Dakota honey cookbook I will be eagerly scouring antique and thrift stores for), plus the Greek Loukamades recipe Mary and her family used the year they won the honey bake-off competition. Recipes and photos they share are on random sweets dot com, along with links to Bruce Honey Days on Facebook. https://randomsweets.com/bruce-honey-days-2023-and-community-cookbook-honey-recipes/ We'll hear all things Bruce Honey Days from Mary, Christianne, and Russ. I also have an announcement about the end of season 1. Bruce Honey Days Instagram: @brucecomunityclub Facebook: Bruce Honey Days Random Sweets: Website: randomsweets.com Instagram: @potatoesandmittens Instagram: @randomsweets Facebook: Random Sweets #ourSweetMidwestLife
	03 Aug 2023	Season 1 Finale. What's Next?	00:10:50
After seven months and 32 episodes, Season 1 has come to an end. But not without a huge thank you to guests, listeners and supporters. What's next? Tune in to find out. Random Sweets: Website: randomsweets.com Instagram: @potatoesandmittens Instagram: @randomsweets Facebook: Random Sweets Email: staci@randomsweets.com #ourSweetMidwestLife
	29 May 2024	Faith and Family at the Center of Growing Veggies with Berndt Family Produce	00:59:44
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: berndtproduce@gmail.com 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: staci@randomsweets.com #ag #agriculture #garden #gardening #farmer #farmtotable #produce #vegetablegarden #farmstand #rural #ruralSD #midwest #oursweetmidwestlife #podcast #foodpodcast #southdakota
	03 Feb 2025	Fishing, Foraging and Exploring: Midwestern Alice’s Alaskan Adventures	01:07:12
Born and raised in South Dakota, Alice Klopstad stayed for college and the start of her corporate career. Then Alaska captured her heart and now she calls it home. Join me as Alice tells her adventurous and inspiring story of moving to a place where she’s embraced the outdoor lifestyle—hiking, snow machining, fishing, foraging, and filling an entire freezer with fresh-caught halibut and salmon. When she’s not exploring Alaska, Alice is baking sourdough bread, sewing and quilting, cozying up with books from the Anchorage Public Library, planning her next international travel adventure, visiting family, or responding to “moose down” texts from friends, summoning her to help when their hunt is successful. In 2024, Alice squeezed in reading 39,862 pages in 110 books! Find her on Good Reads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/52706555-alice. Alice shares three of her favorite recipes and the stories behind them: roasted shrimp enchiladas, her Grandma Joyce’s Danish butter cookies, and a comforting classic from her friend Jill—potatoes Romanoff. Alice also shares what tattoo she has in honor of her grandma. And grab a couple of Kleenex for her introduction to her beloved dog, Rambo. May he rest in beautiful peace. View this episode’s photos and recipes on my website randomsweets.com. Staci Mergenthal, Host and Producer RandomSweets.com #ourSweetMidwestLife Website randomsweets.com Instagram @potatoesandmittens Instagram @randomsweets Facebook: Funeral Potatoes & Wool Mittens Facebook Random Sweets Pinterest @staciperry Email: staci@randomsweets.com
	04 May 2023	Bake With Me: Tangled Caramel Peanut Butter Corn Chips	00:14:02
It's a busy week at my house. Our daughter graduates from college and I'm making the food for her party. So come bake with me in my kitchen on this episode as I make tangled caramel peanut butter corn chips, a sweet & salty favorite and one of the most popular recipes on randomsweets.com. It's one of those snacks that's hard to stop eating once you start. https://randomsweets.com/tangled-caramel-peanut-butter-corn-chips/
	16 Jun 2023	18 Camping Meals and Snacks, Plus Jenn Buse’s Favorite Campgrounds in South Dakota and Minnesota	01:19:08
Do the great outdoors beckon you to the campground all summer long? Today’s guest, Jenn Buse from Tyler, Minnesota, is such a seasoned camper, I knew we’d have fun talking about meals and snacks she shares with family—whether fireside folk singing, watching the sun set over Lake Poinsett, or cozied up in the camper on a rainy day. Jenn has celebrated nearly all 49 of her birthdays at campgrounds. Once she became a mom, she and her husband, Brent, carried on the summer camping tradition with their children, MacKenzie and Landen. Jenn shares how she came to love Midwest summers as a bassinet camper, a few of her favorite campgrounds in South Dakota and Minnesota, the surprising way she grew up eating graham crackers for breakfast, and her approach to simplifying the dreaded unloading process on the return home. She is so generous to share family-favorite recipes that we can make for camping, a picnic, or a summer day at home. With breakfast being the most important meal of the day, we begin with omelets in a bag, their famous Buse flapjacks, and toad in a hole. For lunchtime and snacks, Jenn shares MacKenzie’s Mustard Dip, her mom’s horseradish pickles, and Grandma Beth’s macaroni salad that never misses a camping trip, and Grandma Henkel’s potato salad that people used to buy by the ice cream pail. Once supper rolls around, we’re firing up the grill to make hobo dinners, Jamie’s glazed ham and SPAM pizza burgers. We leave the best for last—the sweet treats for the campfire, like what they use to switch up their s’mores, how to make pie pockets in a bonfire sandwich cooker, and the funniest story about her dad, popcorn and raccoons. If you like lefse, be sure to listen all the way to the end because Jenn has a little secret about how to buy it from the Lefse Ladies, which she co-owns with her sister-in-law, Amy. While you’re listening, please enjoy the recipes, links, and photos on randomsweets.com. If you aren’t already, please subscribe to this podcast so you can binge-listen while on your next camping adventure. Show Notes & Links Recipes and photos from this episode: https://randomsweets.com/18-camping-meals-and-snacks-plus-jenn-buses-favorite-campgrounds-in-south-dakota-and-minnesota/ Lefse Ladies Shear Attraction Douglas Lodge at Itasca State Park Aebleskiver Days Honey Days Lake Poinsett Recreation Area Oakwood Lakes State Park Itasca State Park Sleepy Eye City Park and Lake Lake George Blueberry Festival 2023 SPAM Museum #ourSweetMidwestLife Website: randomsweets.com Instagram: @potatoesandmittens Instagram: @randomsweets Facebook: Random Sweets
	20 Jul 2023	Gardening, Salsa & Mocktails, A Summer Conversation with Medary Acres Greenhouse	01:19:04
I’m talking all things summer gardening with two special guests—Lynn Darnall and her daughter Sarah Alfano, owners of Medary Acres Greenhouse—a 71-year-old, third-generation business in Brookings, South Dakota. We cover a variety of topics, from basics like watering and deadheading, to the value of mulching tomato plants, how to properly cut stems so you can bring the beauty of your flowers indoors, natural ways to keep plants healthy, and how to divide peonies. And when I ask how to protect my plants and vegetables from critters like rabbits, raccoons and deer, Lynn surprises me with a super special spray that was hard for her to say. I don’t want to think about it yet, but we talk about how to prepare for winter, from what to do with our pots and perennials, to a fun way for plant lovers to get through the cold months. If you’ve listened to at least a few episodes of Funeral Potatoes & Wool Mittens, you know we always find a way to talk about food and today is perfect because what’s better than eating foods fresh from your garden? Sarah shares a mocktail recipe with a fresh herb, and a salsa recipe and Lynn has a secret natural sweetener up her sleeve—the stevia plant. Lynn and Sarah leave us with gardening advice for novice gardeners and the more seasoned gardeners who may have been around long enough to remember what gardening was like in the late 1960s. This episode is so full of information, you’ll learn about rhizomes, nubs and a beer fridge. All recipes available on https://randomsweets.com/gardening-salsa-and-mocktails-with-medary-acres-greenhouse/. Thyme Mocktail and Salsa Recipes Dill Pickle Pasta Salad Sarah’s band: Hot Freaks Medary Acres Greenhouse 1100 8th St. S., Brookings, SD medaryacres.com Instagram: @medaryacres Facebook: Medary Acres Greenhouses, Inc. Random Sweets: Website: randomsweets.com Instagram: @potatoesandmittens Instagram: @randomsweets Facebook: Random Sweets #ourSweetMidwestLife
	10 May 2024	Amber Waves of Anthem Oats with Fifth-generation South Dakota Farmers Taylor and Cassandra Sumption	00:54:23
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 Taylor@anthemoats.com and cassandra@anthemoats.com 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: staci@randomsweets.com #ag #agriculture #valueaddedag #oats #oatmeal #farmer #farmtotable #oatfarm #oatfarmer #rural #ruralSD #grocer #midwest #oursweetmidwestlife #podcast #foodpodcast #southdakota
	06 Apr 2023	Dill Pickle Pasta Salad, Peanut Buster Bars, and Marie's Beans with Marie Mergenthal	00:50:14
My mother-in-law, Marie Mergenthal, is giving away her secrets for tangy dill pickle pasta salad, and the calico beans she is so well known for in the family. And if you like a Dairy Queen Peanut Buster Parfait, stick around because Marie has a recipe to make it at home in a 9x13 pan. I’ve posted photos and these recipes on randomsweets dot com. She also shares a funny story about a time I brought salted peanut chews to a long weekend family outing. After you listen to this episode, you’ll know why Marie once put up a Hippy Head Shop tent. Randomsweets.com Website: randomsweets.com Instagram: @potatoesandmittens Instagram: @randomsweets Facebook: Random Sweets
	05 May 2024	Will Read for Pizza: Apps, Sides and Books with Christianne Beringer	00:55:53
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: Tikka House at Historic City Market, Kansas City How to Freeze Green Beans, Good Housekeeping #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: staci@randomsweets.com
	26 Nov 2024	The Meatery MN: Connecting Meathusiasts Directly with Farmers	01:04:59
If you like meat or stories about family businesses that connect producers directly to their customers, you’re going to love this episode with Bruce and Jodie Drager, Allie and Michael Drager, and Mackenzie Drager, half of the Minnesota family of farmers and food enthusiasts behind The Meatery MN. While sharing meals together on vacation in Oregon, the Drager family dreamed up an ecommerce business that connects the producers of premium, USDA certified meat directly with consumers who appreciate fine food and knowing where it came from. Founded in 2022, The Meatery MN has been creating a community of meathusiasts across the U.S. by creating an online platform for consumers to purchase high-quality beef, poultry and pork and have it shipped to them directly from the farm families who raised the animals. As a gift from The Meatery MN this holiday season, use code Mittens15 at checkout to get 15% off an additional order. This code is active until December 31, 2024 and can be shared with friends and family. (Each new customer who orders automatically gets a $15 coupon off their first order. That is why the code Mittens15 is off an additional order.) Use the code to purchase meats like Waygu ribeye, dry-aged burger, smoked rib steak, beef sticks, chicken breasts, smoked ham, tomahawk chops, pork shoulder roast, raspberry chipotle bacon, and charcuterie boxes, just to name a few. To learn more, browse themeateryMN.com. Photos and recipes for garlic butter instant pot short ribs and smashburgers are on randomsweets.com. The Meatery MN https://themeaterymn.com Email: Contact@TheMeateryMN.com Phone: 507-479-1367 Facebook: The Meatery MN Instagram: @themeaterymn YouTube: The Meatery MN TikTok: The Meatery MN Staci Mergenthal, Host and Producer RandomSweets.com #ourSweetMidwestLife Website randomsweets.com Instagram @potatoesandmittens Facebook Funeral Potatoes & Wool Mittens Instagram @randomsweets Facebook Random Sweets Pinterest @staciperry Email: staci@randomsweets.com
	07 Dec 2023	Hosting a Ranch Cracker Snack Mix and Cookie Exchange with Carissa Trygstad and Val Ellens	00:36:25
Rural South Dakota friends since kindergarten and K-mart co-workers in high school, Carissa Trygstad and Val Ellens have a bond that even Val’s dense molasses cookies can’t break. They’re joining me today because I heard that Carissa hosts an annual ranch cracker snack mix tossing party, and to top it off, she weaves in a Christmas cookie exchange and an evening of cocktails and appetizers with their friends. Get the recipes and photos on ⁠randomsweets.com. It hasn’t always gone as planned though, so along with Carissa’s snack mix recipe from her friend Lorna Nielsen and Val and Carissa’s tips for planning a successful night, these BFFs share some pretty funny stories from over the years. Like how they define the 5-second rule and why scented garbage bags aren’t on the list. Carissa has done this enough years now to know a few things about what works, what doesn't, and what to do when things go hilariously wrong. Like how a bag of snack mix ended up on the floor so now they use the large, heavy duty Ziplock bags. Carissa Trygstad: @carissatrygstad Val Ellens: Instagram @valellens Showplace Cabinetry: Instagram @showplacecabinets Form Fitness: Instagram @formfitnessboutique Staci Mergenthal Randomsweets.com #ourSweetMidwestLife Website: randomsweets.com Instagram: @potatoesandmittens Instagram: @randomsweets Facebook: Random Sweets Email: staci@randomsweets.com
	13 Mar 2022	Trailer	00:02:13
How do you make contest-winning caramel brownies? Smoke Cheez-It crackers? Where is the best bakery in Minnesota to get a glazed blueberry or old-fashioned doughnut? Staci Perry Mergenthal, freelance writer, author of Random Sweets blog, TV guest baker, and speaker talks to people who embrace the warm and cozy spirit of everyday living and comfort food in the Midwest. Get the recipes at randomsweets.com.
	26 Mar 2023	Taking a Break from Midwest Winter in Gulf Shores Alabama with Jason Mergenthal	00:48:07
Yearn for a sugary soft, white sand beach vacation, but prefer a destination within the United States? You’ll find unforgettable spring break fun, romantic getaways, activities with the kiddos or teens, snowbird adventures, or time away with your friends in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Alabama. Located on a 32-mile stretch of beach along the Gulf of Mexico and Mobile Bay, Gulf Shores and Orange beach Alabama straddle Florida at Perido Key. Southern hospitality is in season all year long, while pine and palm trees wave in the salty sea air. In this episode, you’ll learn about a few fun places to go to, the ferry you’ll want to take for a quicker trip to Mobile, four iconic bars to drink at and the Airbnb where we stayed. After listening to this episode, you’ll know which town we want to move to, and why I will forever refer to the Waldforf Astoria as the Waldorf Hysteria. And although we leave our top five favorite Gulf Shores dining experiences to the next episode (Episode 17), Jason reveals where he ate the best banana pudding, even though it was in Florida. Show Notes I'm working on an episode for April and I want your funeral potatoes or cheesy hash brown casserole recipe. Please email it to staci@randomsweets.com. Thank you! Website: randomsweets.com Instagram: @potatoesandmittens Instagram: @randomsweets Facebook: Random Sweets
	22 Apr 2023	What Are Funeral Potatoes and Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole?	00:43:50
It’s time to talk all things funeral potatoes. Cheesy hash brown casserole has more names than any dish I know—funeral potatoes, hash brown casserole, cheesy hash browns, party potatoes, company potatoes, Cracker Barrel potatoes, hash brown baked potatoes, taco potato casserole, hash brown potatoes, company potato casserole, and many others. In addition to sharing our recipes and the stories behind them on this episode, I share everything from what the common ingredients are and how people change things up like adding taco seasoning or not using cheese, to how to prep, cook and store funeral potatoes, how to make them in advance, and how much to make for a crowd. For the last month or two, I’ve been asking you to share your recipe for funeral potatoes or hash brown casserole with me. Thank you, Kalli Reisetter, Aimee Bastian, Amanda Runia, Kathy Rasmussen, Betsy Ziegler, Marie Mergenthal, Heidi Thomssen, and Christianne Beringer for sharing your recipe with us. Recipes on this episode: https://randomsweets.com/9-cheesy-hash-brown-casserole-and-funeral-potatoes-recipes-one-is-cheese-free/ Website: randomsweets.com Instagram: @potatoesandmittens Instagram: @randomsweets Facebook: Random Sweets
	17 Dec 2022	Cookbooks I'd Give As Gifts	00:16:32
As I’m wrapping up my Christmas shopping, I’m thinking about how much I like to give and receive cookbooks as gifts. I’d like to hear from you which cookbooks you’d give as presents so I thought I’d share a few of my favorites. It turns out, it’s like trying to pick a favorite child, which is impossible. So on this episode of Funeral Potatoes & Wool Mittens I’m sharing 13 cookbooks, 14 actually, that I enjoy so much that I’d give them as gifts—well, not MY copies of course because I couldn’t part with them—but new ones. View the cookbook list on Random Sweets: https://randomsweets.com/my-new-podcast-and-13-cookbooks-id-give-as-gifts/
	04 Nov 2023	Family Recipes and Braving Youth Mental Health with Kristin and Anna Rehkamp	01:08:37
Tuck a few Kleenex in your sleeve. Everyday living—the highs and lows of everyday life—is exactly what today’s show encompasses. Because whether we, or someone we love, is braving adult or youth mental health battles, our everyday lives continue around us. But how we cope with and support each other makes all the difference in the world. You might cry, laugh, cry again, and then even laugh out loud. In the first half of the show, Kristin and Anna Rehkamp share their personal story about how Anna’s panic attack at a well-child check in 2020 when she was 11 years old turned into a debilitating panic disorder within two weeks. Counseling was booked months out. And their daughter was in crisis. Although it is hard for Anna to talk about it, she and her mom bravely and candidly tell their story, with the purpose of changing and opening the current conversation and advocacy, or lack thereof, around youth mental health with parents, children, medical and mental health professionals, the community, and anyone who can help make change. Anna is remarkably courageous, and she is wiser than many of us when it comes to accepting people where they’re at. She and her mom continue to advocate for youth mental health initiatives. This journey led Kristin to write and publish her book titled, “Finding Us: A Mother’s Memoir of Braving Mental Illness with Her Young Daughter,” along with opening La Vie Est Belle, her boutique in Lake Elmo, which in turn, she donates a percentage of net profits to pediatric mental health initiatives. I learned that there is a long line of bakers in this family, Anna and Kristin being two of them. And Kristin’s mom, Lynn (Johnson) Rohman, has taken it up a level by publishing two family cookbooks! So naturally, we thought it would be fun to talk about some of their handed-down family recipes like turtle cake, chocolate chip shortbread bars, and cinnamon rolls. Recipes, photos, links and Lynn’s dedication to her mom, Eileen (Klinkhammer) Johnson in the family cookbook are on https://randomsweets.com/family-recipes-and-braving-youth-mental-health-with-kristin-and-anna-rehkamp/. This episode is NOT intended to be medical advice. Kristin and Anna Rehkamp shoplavie.co “Finding Us” Instgram: @lavieestbellegiftshop Facebook: La Vie Est Belle Gift Shop LinkedIn: La Vie Est Belle Instagram: @honey_beebakery_ #youthmentalhealth #smallbusiness #recipes Randomsweets.com #ourSweetMidwestLife Website: randomsweets.com Instagram: @potatoesandmittens Instagram: @randomsweets
	21 Sep 2024	Frosting the Heart: For Goodness Cakes Twin Cities Chapter	01:27:56
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 twincities@forgoodnesscakes.org. 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: ⁠staci@randomsweets.com⁠
	27 Apr 2023	Changing a Child’s Story with Ashley Rhodes-Courter and East Central CASA	01:54:53
Joining us today is Ashley Rhodes-Courter, author of the New York Times and international bestselling memoir, “Three Little Words,” and its sequal, “Three More Words.” She’s an international keynote speaker, licensed clinical social worker, and founder of The Foundation for Sustainable Families. Since her first national keynote at age 14, Ashley has shared her story with thousands in the United States and in more than 7 countries. By the age of 3 she was in Florida’s foster care system where she spent almost 10 years being shuttled between 14 homes—some quite abusive—before being adopted from a children’s home at the age of 12. We’re going much deeper in today’s show to discuss a topic that affects all communities—child abuse and neglect and how, through CASA, a National, non-profit court-appointed special advocate and guardian ad litem organization, communities and individuals are changing a child’s life-story by advocating for children and youth who have experienced abuse or neglect. And, how even just one small act of kindness or a little bit of encouragement can have a positive ripple effect on someone’s life. In this episode, Ashley shares how the gift of a book from her fourth-grade teacher inspired her love of literature and writing, the impact her CASA had on her life, and how she came to write her first book, Three Little Words, which started in her teen years as an essay to raise money for college. The book is now being made into a major motion picture. And joining us from East-Central CASA in South Dakota, are Julie Wermers, Terri Mielitz, and Amy Henrich. We’ll learn about the CASA organization, how it serves some of the most vulnerable children and youth in our communities, including those targeted for sex trafficking, kids affected by the opioid crisis, and advocating for children with incarcerated parents and preparing young adults to age out of the foster care system, plus we’ll talk about the many ways we can all get involved. We hope after listening to Ashley’s powerful story, you are inspired to learn more about CASA in your area. You can find Ashley Rhodes-Courter’s books, “Three Little Words,” and “Three More Words,” here or at many independent bookstores. The Nook on Main Street in downtown Brookings, South Dakota will soon have copies on their shelves. Connect with Ashley Rhodes-Courter on her website rhodes-courter.com. Learn about East Central CASA at eastcentralcasa.com and connect on Facebook East-Central CASA. Purchase tickets, bid on auction items, or donate to Fire & Ice, visit CASAgala.GiveSmart.com. For more information, call 605-697-6106 or email info@eastcentralcasa.com. Learn about National CASA and find a CASA program near you at nationalcasagal.org. (00:00) Intro (3:27) Julie Wermers (28:00) Terri Mielitz (50:21) Amy Henrich (01:21:50) Ashley Rhodes-Courter #ThrivingFamilies #ChildAbusePreventionMonth #ChangeAChildsStory
	01 Apr 2023	Our Top 5 Restaurants and More in Gulf Shores Alabama	00:55:46
Welcome to part 2 of our Gulf of Mexico getaway. This episode is all about the restaurants and delicious food we enjoyed while on vacation in Alabama’s Gulf Shores area this past February. My husband Jason and I share our top five meals and places to eat, like a smoked turkey sandwich, dry aged Delmonico steak, key lime pie, eggs Benedict atop a waffle, fried pickles and fried chicken, candied yams, Gulf grouper, fontina dip, and mac and cheese. Plus, we talk about the smoked tuna dip and a salad we want to recreate at home. Although it was hard for us to rank our top five out of the more than 15 restaurants we dined at, our number ones ended up being the same, hands down, easy choice. A place that was such a memorable experience, we just knew we were in for something special from the time we called to make the reservation. We don’t leave anyone out, so we include honorable mentions like the giant pepperoni pizza and the coffee shop we happened to eat at after we had to turn around and go back to the condo to get Jason’s swim trunks. Stick around to the very end and we’ll mention a few places we wanted to go to but ran out of time. Hopefully you’ve already listened to episode 16 when we talk about fun things to do while vacationing here. View photos and get the links on https://randomsweets.com/22-places-to-eat-in-alabamas-gulf-shores-area/ Website: randomsweets.com Instagram: @potatoesandmittens Instagram: @randomsweets Facebook: Random Sweets Show Notes: Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii Big Mike’s Steakhouse Brookman’s Smokehouse Calavera Tacos Champ’s Nashville Hot Chicken The Garden at Palafox & Main The Gulf The Hangout Hope’s Cheesecake Janino’s Pizza Jesse’s Restaurant Moe’s Original BBQ Ole River Grill at Flora-Bama Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen Picnic Beach Bar and Grill Pink Pony Pub Pollman’s Bake Shop Punta Clara Kitchen Scoops Ice Cream The Southern Grind Coffee House Spot of Tea Sunliner Diner Sweet Cone Alabama A Sweet Secret Café & Bakery Tacky Jacks Waffle House
	10 Dec 2022	Hello. My name is Staci.	00:52:43
On today’s episode, we’re talking about why I started this podcast and where the name came from, what you can expect, and a personal look into my history of baking. My funny and talented friend Jen Miller joins me with all kinds of questions, and you’ll learn what happened the first time I brought homemade cheesecake to a food day at work and why I like living in the Midwest. Random Sweets Blog: https://randomsweets.com Yes! Yes! Caramel Brownies recipe: https://randomsweets.com/yes-yes-everyone-deserves-a-gooey-caramel-brownie-recipe/ Plum Cake recipe: https://randomsweets.com/dont-be-too-quick-to-stir-someone-elses-pot-southern-plum-cake-creates-bond-between-friends/ Ritz Cracker Cookies recipe: https://randomsweets.com/chocolate-and-peanut-butter-ritz-cookies/ More about me: https://randomsweets.com/about/
	26 May 2023	Smoking Cheese, Pulled Pork and Ham with Russell Ziegler	00:43:37
Today my North Dakota brother-in-law, Russell Ziegler, a coal miner and former United States Marine, joins us to talk about cold-smoking cheese, smoking pork butt, and how he turns a plain old pork shoulder into an incredibly flavorful smoked ham that practically shreds itself at the sight of a fork. You'll learn where he uses maple syrup, what’s in his brine that turns a pork shoulder into smoked shredded ham, and why he puts his smoked pork butt in a slow cooker to finish it off. We also talk about his wife Betsy’s recipe for cilantro lime slaw that is the crown to all meats, and it wouldn’t be a Midwestern show if we didn’t talk about dessert so Russell shares his thoughts on his Aunt Henrietta’s kuchen. While you’re listening, take a look at the photos, recipes, and links from this episode on https://randomsweets.com/smoking-cheese-pulled-pork-and-ham-with-russell-ziegler. Website: randomsweets.com Instagram: @potatoesandmittens Instagram: @randomsweets Facebook: Random Sweets
	16 Feb 2023	Childhood Favorite Comfort Food Meals With My Son Sajen Perry	00:40:44
Do you have childhood favorite meals? In this episode, my son, Sajen Perry, shares a few of his favorite childhood comfort meals like beer chili spaghetti, hot dog casserole with potato chips, Chicken In A Biskit chicken strips, pepperoni pasta bake, and chip and mint ice cream brownie dessert with hot fudge…and, he tells me a little story about the butterscotch muffins and breakfast egg bake that he and his hockey team liked so much. NOTES FROM THIS EPISODE Mail your funeral potatoes or cheesy hash brown casserole recipe on a 3x5 recipe or index card. By sending it to me, you agree that I can use the recipe and your name on an upcoming episode of Funeral Potatoes & Wool Mittens. Staci Mergenthal 1614 130th Street Verdi, MN 56164 Randomsweets.com Sausage and Cheddar Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole Baked Spaghetti Marinara with Tiny Pepperoni Chip and Mint Ice Cream Brownie Birthday Treat The T Boys Hot Dog Casserole Chicken In A Biskit Chicken Strips Beer Chili Spaghetti Full Send/Nelk Boys Podcast on Spotify Kowalski’s North Woods Grill Seasoning Grinder (I use the traditional North Woods Grill Seasoning, not the grinder) Website: randomsweets.com Instagram: @potatoesandmittens Instagram: @randomsweets Facebook: Random Sweets
	29 Mar 2024	Flock to Fork: Eggstravaganza and Deviled Eggs with Iowa Egg Council	00:50:16
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: staci@randomsweets.com
	28 Aug 2024	Recipes, Rhubarb Muffins, Roseville Restaurants and Mississippi River Road Trips with Shannon Thomasser	01:15:13
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: Growing up and living in Wisconsin Why Shannon didn't own a pair of jeans until eighth grade Entering and winning ribbons at the Pierce County Fair How she organizes her recipes, especially the ones from the internet Ho Ho cake, roasted spaghetti sauce, potato and ham soup, everyday sandwich bread, Jen G.'s cheesy potatoes, rhubarb muffins, and pumpkin bars Is it hot dish or casserole? Gardening and canning—her husband planted 800 sweetcorn seeds this year She's not really a crazy chicken lady Cocktails and maple syrup Where to eat the best coney dogs in St. Paul Roseville, Minnesota restaurant and bakery recommendations from bread and pastries to Mexican and Vietnamese Day trip itineraries along the Mississippi River highways in Wisconsin 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: sthomasser@visitroseville.com 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: staci@randomsweets.com
	30 Mar 2024	Buttery Caramels and Fancy Dishes with Liz Murphy of Betty’s Antiques	00:55:21
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: staci@randomsweets.com
	29 Jun 2023	Try These 26 Iconic South Dakota Foods, Plus a Few From Neighboring States’ Plates	00:49:47
As South Dakotans love to road trip across the state, plus, hundreds of thousands of tourists vacation here throughout the summer, this episode is for anyone who wants to learn more about, and try, 26 iconic dishes and drinks that define the Mount Rushmore state. If you’re from the Midwest, you’ve probably already checked a lot of these foods off your list. And even though I’m mostly talking about South Dakota where I was born and raised, I included a few iconic dishes from neighboring states like Iowa, Nebraska, Wisconsin, North Dakota, and Minnesota, where I live now. I found some fun commonalities among foods we consider to be iconic in the upper Midwest. The South Dakota list includes foods with Native American influence like Indian tacos, fry bread, wojapi and wasna, and Germans from Russia influence like fleishe kuchele and kuchen, to down-home comfort meals like hot beef commercial and beer-battered and fried walleye (just a note, the restaurant mentioned no longer serves walleye or cooks a fisherman's catch of the day), to the sought-after watermelons grown in the sandy soil near the James River, the Zebra doughnut in Centerville that’s so good it has its own trademark, Dakota martinis and chokecherry wine, to the liquid gold produced by the state insect—the honeybee. In this episode, I reference an article I wrote and photographed in 2017 for the Food Network for its collection titled, States’ Plates. I thought it would be fun to talk about the delicious foods on a podcast episode that you can listen to while you’re driving around the state, and maybe try some new ones if you haven’t had all 26. The link to the article is in the show notes if you want to follow along and look at the mouthwatering photos in the gallery. Since I grew up in South Dakota, I was familiar with many of these foods like lefse, chislic, and SDSU cookies ‘n cream ice cream, but there are a few that were new to me—like tiger meat, pasties, and kolache. I share which two I was most surprised that I liked, the one that I still dream about and highly recommend you try at least once in your life, the one that I now always try to eat when I’m in Rapid City, and the one dish I have not, and will never, eat. Show Notes & Links Food Network States’ Plate South Dakota Wheeel Inn Cheyenne Crossing Watecha Bowl WoodenKnife Tyndall Bakery Pietz’s Kuchen Kitchen & Specialties Prairie Berry Winery Schade Vineyward Purple Pie Place Meridian Corner Adee Honey Farms Fleish Kuchle recipe Grandma’s Kuchen Sanderson Gardens Harriet & Oak Lou Lou’s Bomdiggities Pasties & Coffee Shop Dakota Life: From Cornwall to the Hills Pasty recipe Laughing Water Restaurant Savor South Dakota, Wojapi recipe Savor South Dakota Mavis Two Bulls and Rachel Nava making wojapi Black Hills Burger & Bun SDSU Dairy Bar Zebra King Donuts Dimock Dairy Stensland Family Farms Cattleman’s Club Steakhouse Boat House Bar & Grill at Spring Creek (the restaurant has changed hands and no longer serves walleye and do NOT cook a fisherman's catch of the day) The Pheasant Restaurant & Lounge Tanka The Cardinal Tap Dakota Butcher Kessler’s Flandreau Bakery Ruth Schumacher’s Cheese Buttons Recipe #ourSweetMidwestLife Website: randomsweets.com Instagram: @potatoesandmittens Instagram: @randomsweets Facebook: Random Sweets
	18 Nov 2023	Thankful for You, Turkey Leftovers, and Pumpkin Cheesecake, Cookies and Bars	00:27:14
This episode is dedicated to thanking you, a listener of Funeral Potatoes & Wool Mittens. Plus I share a few of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes, like sausage stuffing, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, KAHLÚA pumpkin chocolate cheesecake, cherry crunchobblerumble, and pumpkin bars with maple cream cheese frosting. I'm also sharing ways you can support this podcast and a sneak peek into a few upcoming episodes. Thank you for pressing play today! Recipes in this episode: Sausage Stuffing Cinnamon Chip Muffins Pumpkin Bars with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting Buffalo Chicken Dip Turkey Leftover Ideas 9 Recipes for Cheesy Hash Browns/Funeral Potatoes Ham and Cheese Stuff’n Puff Breakfast Bake Sausage Hash Brown Egg Bake How to Smoke Cheese, Crackers and Summer Sausage Salami Pasta Salad Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins Butterscotch Monkey Bread Smoky Garlic Hummus KAHLÚA and Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake Cherry Crunchobberumble Staci Mergenthal ⁠Randomsweets.com⁠ #ourSweetMidwestLife Website: randomsweets.com Instagram: @potatoesandmittens Instagram: @randomsweets Facebook: Random Sweets Email: ⁠staci@randomsweets.com⁠
	23 Jul 2024	Fresh Pickings with Jan Sanderson of Sanderson Gardens	01:37:29
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: ⁠staci@randomsweets.com⁠
	03 Mar 2023	Food and Fun in Phoenix, Plus 9 Trader Joe’s Products We Discovered	00:54:03
My husband Jason joins me in this episode as we share a few of our favorite experiences in the Phoenix and Tempe Arizona area this past January. From the strawberry cocktail on our hotel rooftop bar and the biggest breakfast burrito I've ever seen, to memorable Mexican food in Scottsdale, to the buffalo wings Jason has been talking about for years and the burgers at a place he assumed was long ago swallowed up by redevelopment around the ASU campus—we talk about it all. Even the place with amazing philly cheesesteak sandwiches and shuffleboard, and this isn't your Love Boat shuffleboard. Stick around for the last five minutes or so because we share the nine (new to us) products we discovered when we went to two Trader Joe's in one day for hotel snacks. My new favorite everyday wine is included on this list. Show Notes Mail your funeral potatoes or cheesy hash brown casserole recipe on a 3x5 recipe or index card. By sending it to me, you agree that I can use the recipe and your name on an upcoming episode of Funeral Potatoes & Wool Mittens. Staci Mergenthal 1614 130th Street Verdi, MN 56164 Randomsweets.com Cartel Roasting Company The Chuck Box Daily Jam Desert Botanical Garden Devil’s Advocate (formerly Maloney’s on Campus) Hyatt House Tempe Los Sombreros Mullett Arena Papago Park (Hole in the Rock) Philly’s Sports Grill Piestewa Peak Postino Annex Romancing the Bean Coffeehouse Café Six40rty Snooze An A.M. Eatery Sol Diablo Cantina (Rooftop bar at Hyatt House Tempe) Sun Devil Stadium Tours The Vine Tavern & Eatery Website: randomsweets.com Instagram: @potatoesandmittens Instagram: @randomsweets Facebook: Random Sweets
	28 Jan 2023	Mary's Meatloaf and Beverly's Mac and Cheese with Christianne Beringer	00:52:27
Christianne Beringer shares her family recipes for two quintessential comfort foods—her mom’s meatloaf and her grandma’s macaroni and cheese. You'll learn how to elevate your classic meatloaf by topping it with a sweet and savory brown sugar sauce that caramelizes as it bakes. Whether you like meatloaf or not, if you have ties to the Midwest, emotions of nostalgia will drench over you like ketchup just thinking about it. Join us for a conversation about Midwest comfort food, the story behind Christianne's family’s meatloaf recipe, how to make her Grandma Beverly’s mac & cheese without a written recipe, who she got her love of cooking from, her version of funeral potatoes, how many books she read in 2022 and who her favorite author is at the moment. Bonus, Christianne shares something on the podcast about Velveeta cheese that I did not know. View photos and the recipe here: https://randomsweets.com/marys-meatloaf-and-beverlys-mac-and-cheese/ Author Fredrik Backman Website: randomsweets.com Instagram: @potatoesandmittens Instagram: @randomsweets Facebook: Random Sweets
	11 Dec 2024	Cooking Without Loving It: Inherited Recipes from the Heart with Amanda Runia	01:08:06
Today’s guest is Amanda Runia, a busy mom, South Dakota business owner of In-House Ally, and self-proclaimed non-cook who has still managed to gather an abundance of beloved Midwest comfort food recipes from her family. Drawing from the kitchens of her mother-in-law, grandmother, and mom, Amanda shares her approach to keeping mealtime manageable and delicious, plus her go-to resources for recipes that bring a little warmth and nostalgia to the table—even though she doesn’t inherently love cooking. See photos and get the recipes and links on my website randomsweets.com. Amanda shared recipes for chicken divan, a few versions of goulash, rhubarb juice, Grandma Jo’s casserole, baked oatmeal, hamburger rice skillet, beef taco skillet, and her alfredo sauce that has ruined it for all other alfredo sauces when dining out, plus a few more. Amanda Runia In-House Ally (Amanda's business website) Instagram: @inhouseally Instagram: @amanda.runia Goodreads LinkedIn Facebook Substack Mentioned in this Episode Mother-in-law's hash brown baked potatoes Mel's Kitchen Cafe Mel's Kitchen Cafe baked oatmeal recipe Mel's Kitchen Cafe chocolate pots de creme recipe The Lazy Genius The Lazy Genius change your life chicken podcast episode The Lazy Genius change your life chicken recipe Instagram @thelazygenius Canoe Bay Bri McCoy The Cooks Book The I Hate to Cook Book The Ettlin's Cafe (Harry Potter flights) The Nook Rabbit Den's Gaming Author John Mark Comer Author Stuart Turton Staci Mergenthal RandomSweets.com #ourSweetMidwestLife Website randomsweets.com Instagram @potatoesandmittens Instagram @randomsweets Facebook: Funeral Potatoes & Wool Mittens Facebook Random Sweets Pinterest @staciperry Email: staci@randomsweets.com
	31 Dec 2022	26 Bakeries You Should Know About in Minnesota and South Dakota	00:34:10
There are hundreds of bakeries across the Midwest. Come along with me as we explore 26 of them in Minnesota and South Dakota. From chocolate croissants and kouign-amann at Red Bench Bakery in Chaska and Excelsior Minnesota, and the famous and trademarked Zebra doughnuts in Centerville, South Dakota to a surprise menu item at Taste of Scandinavia, I briefly share about 26 bakeries I have enjoyed. Website: randomsweets.com Instagram: @potatoesandmittens Instagram: @randomsweets Facebook: Random Sweets https://randomsweets.com/doughnuts-donuts-or-olykoek-a-few-of-our-favorites-in-south-dakota-and-minnesota/ Minnesota Hendricks Bakery https://www.facebook.com/HendricksHometownBakery/ Raphael’s Bakery Café https://www.raphaelsbakery.com Kowalski’s Markets https://www.kowalskis.com Lunds & Byerly’s https://lundsandbyerlys.com Muddy Paws Cheesecake https://www.muddypawscheesecake.com Keys Café & Bakery https://keyscafe.com Rustica https://www.rusticabakery.com Yum! Kitchen & Bakery https://yumkitchen.com Honey & Rye Bakehouse https://www.honey-and-rye.com Cosetta https://cossettas.com Taste of Scandinavia https://tasteofscandinavia.com Red Bench Bakery https://www.redbenchbakery.com Patisserie Margo https://patisseriemargomn.com South Dakota Flandreau Bakery Queen City Bakery https://queencitybakery.com Josiah’s Coffeehouse, Café & Bakery https://josiahscoffee.com Breadico Sourdough Company https://www.breadico.com Flyboy Donuts https://www.flyboydonuts.com Ellis Donuts (formerly Royal Bake Shop) https://www.zebradonuts.com Tyndall Bakery https://www.facebook.com/TyndallBakery/ Wall Drug https://www.walldrug.com Harriet & Oak https://www.harrietandoak.com Jerry’s Cakes & Donuts https://jerryscakesanddonuts.com Purple Pie Place https://purplepieplace.com The Donut Shop https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Donut-Shop/100063667567615/ The Donut Shoppe https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063620136750 Ward’s Store & Bakery https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wards-Store/126897320799035
	06 Jan 2023	Hiking, Funeral Potatoes, BBQ and a Bakery in Bemidji Minnesota	00:36:50
Visiting Bemidji Minnesota and wondering where to eat, stay and get in a little shopping and hiking? My husband, Jason, joins us on this episode as we reminice about our October trip to Bemidji for hockey, dining, hiking, shopping and lakeside lodging. From a hearty meal at Fozzie's Smokin Bar-B-Q, gourmet hot dogs at Lucky Dogs, to whipped honeymooners at Raphael's Bakery Cafe and Funeral Potatoes (cheesy hash browns) at Minnesota Nice Cafe, we share about our stop at Bemidji Woolen Mills, hiking and exploring at Neilson Spearhead Center and walking across the Mississippi River at Mary Gibbs Mississippi Headwaters Center in Itasca State Park. And we wouldn't want to sleep it off anywhere other than Ruttger's Birchmont Lodge on Bemidji Lake. Show Notes https://randomsweets.com/5-restaurants-2-shops-and-hiking-for-your-weekend-in-bemidji-minnesota/ Website: randomsweets.com Instagram: @potatoesandmittens Instagram: @randomsweets Facebook: Random Sweets
	28 Oct 2023	Sugar Cookies and Mrs. Chandler’s Chocolate Fudge Cake with Stacie Suedkamp of Fig Tales	01:10:08
You may have met this week’s podcast guest Stacie Suedkamp, the owner, artist, and cookie engineer behind the South Dakota luxury cookie company, Fig Tales. But how well do you know her? Tune in to Funeral Potatoes & Wool Mittens S2 E5 to learn: 1. What’s the one word Stacie doesn’t allow people to use? 2. How is Stacie using high-tech engineering tools like a 3D printer and AutoCAD? 3. Why does Stacie use emulsion instead of extract? 4. What’s the one question Stacie asks each of her clients? You'll hear all about the interesting jobs she's had like selling mini doughnut machines and a Catholic youth minister, and what she sold to help pay for college, to her time owning the Bean & Vine coffee shop in Flandreau to finally starting her dream cookie business. She teaches and entertains during her cookie classes, engineers and bakes cookies for special occasions like birthday parties, weddings, hockey tournaments and funerals, fills corporate orders, and she's even made cookies for the Sanford International PGA Tour. And it wouldn't be Stacie without a sprinkling of her family and faith. Stacie shares expert sugar cookie making tips and a chocolate fudge bundt cake recipe from her seventh-grade science teacher, Mrs. Chandler. Get the recipe for Mrs. Chandler’s Chocolate Fudge cake, links and photos from this episode on Randomsweets.com. #ourSweetMidwestLife Instagram: @potatoesandmittens Instagram: @randomsweets Facebook: Random Sweets Email: staci@randomsweets.com Connect with Stacie: Website: Figtales.com Instagram: @figtales TickTok: @figtales Facebook: Fig Tales Email: figtales@gmail.com Stacie's Newsletter for Cookie Tips Stacie's segments on KELOLAND Living Meet the Creative Stacie Suedkamp, 605 Magazine article from 2022 #foodpodcast
	20 Dec 2024	Leah Rodriguez’s Magical Oven and How Joy, Faith, and Family Rise Together	01:10:01
Step into the warm and inviting kitchen of Minnesota native Leah Rodriguez, where baking isn’t just a pastime for her, it’s a way to honor tradition, celebrate family, and embrace joy and faith even in life’s hardest seasons. Get ready to laugh and cry in this episode as Leah shares what she puts in her pumpkin bars that make them extra special, a recipe for funeral hot dish with an Asian flare, and how growing up in a family of 11 kids played a part in raising six children alongside her Juan & Only husband. She also explains how her magical oven got its nickname, and she takes us on a flavorful journey of her favorite bakeries near New Richmond, Wisconsin where she lives, including a Mexican bakery and restaurant in Chaska, Minnesota. Photos of Leah, her magical oven, goodies, and recipes for banana bread, pumpkin bars, funeral hot dish, and Crisco chocolate chip cookies are on my blog for you randomsweets.com. In this episode: Keys Café & Bakery 9 locations in the Minneapolis and St. Paul area and Hudson WI. Knoke’s Chocolates & Nuts El Paisano Bakery, 117 W. 4th St., Chaska, MN, 952-361-9337 Staci Mergenthal, host and producer RandomSweets.com #ourSweetMidwestLife Website randomsweets.com Instagram @potatoesandmittens Instagram @randomsweets Facebook: Funeral Potatoes & Wool Mittens Facebook Random Sweets Pinterest @staciperry Email: staci@randomsweets.com
	02 Dec 2023	Family Recipes and Stories with Sarah Peterson of Vintage Dish and Tell	01:27:10
For Minnesota native and public relations professional Sarah Peterson, launching her own blog with family recipes helped her find her writing voice. But it didn’t take long for Sarah of Vintage Dish and Tell blog to expand her passion for handed-down recipes and the stories behind them by inviting others to share the cherished food and family traditions that are dear to their hearts. We talked about Aunt Jeannie’s famous lasagna parties and her friend Annette’s sugar cookies, which recipe earned Sarha the title of a Minnesota State Fair blue-ribbon baker, recipes to inspire you such as Carol’s Krispies Bars, Ede’s Cucumbers, Sarah’s Lucy's Juicy Tater Tot Hot Dish, gluten-free coffee rum cake with boozy buttercream, and chocolate chip shortbread, plus two cheesy hash brown casserole recipes. Some people don’t like to share their secret thrift shops, but Sarah generously gave us the scoop on where she finds the best vintage wares and enjoys an afternoon of nostalgia in St. Paul and northern Minnesota. And bonus, she gives us a “local’s” list of where she goes out to eat in the Twin Cities or Duluth. Recipes, photos, and recommendations from this episode available on Randomsweets.com. Sarah Peterson Blog: vintagedishandtell.com Instagram: @vintagedishandtell Facebook: Vintage Dish and Tell Staci Mergenthal Randomsweets.com #ourSweetMidwestLife Website: randomsweets.com Instagram: @potatoesandmittens Instagram: @randomsweets Facebook: Random Sweets Email: staci@randomsweets.com
	15 Nov 2024	Vineyard Visionary: Jim Schade of Schadé Vineyard & Winery on Pouring Connections and Pioneering a State Industry	01:05:11
If you drink South Dakota-made wine or beer, Jim Schade and Eldon Nygaard are the guys to thank. Because prior to the South Dakota 1996 Farm Winery Act legalized commercial production of wine in South Dakota, you couldn’t make an alcoholic beverage in South Dakota and sell it since Prohibition. So, Eldon came up with the idea to start a legal license for making and selling wine, wrote the legislation and Jim took it to the legislators at the state capital in Pierre. The bill passed. Eldon got the first license and began the state’s first winery, Valiant Vineyards of Vermillion. Four years after the bill passed, Jim and his wife, Nancy, founded Schadé Vineyard and Winery west of Volga. In this amusing episode, Jim shares where they first fell in love with the wine industry and why he quit his job in Pierre before he applied for the third winery license in South Dakota. Plus, you’ll learn why they hosted inventory reduction parties at their house, which two fruits don’t work well for winemaking, the funny story about how their winery got its name, how they became sponsors of The Iditarod, and how caller I.D. killed their original approach to picking grapes. Jim has handed the vineyard reins over to Dillon Ringling, even though Dillon broke all three of Jim’s rules and now hosts weddings and events at the vineyard with the most beautiful sunsets as a backdrop. Jim is still pretty involved with the business. And having been on the ground floor of South Dakota wine since the late 90s, Jim admits that what he loves most about the winery hasn’t been the wine, is has been the people and relationships behind the pours. Schadé Vineyard & Winery 21095 463rd Avenue, Volga, SD https://schadevineyard.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/schadevineyard/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SchadeVineyardandWinery Airbnb listing: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/50269250?guests=1&adults=2&s=67&unique_share_id=9d8fa87b-13ed-42d5-9c18-be1aac27f316 Staci Mergenthal RandomSweets.com #ourSweetMidwestLife Website randomsweets.com Instagram @potatoesandmittens Instagram @randomsweets Facebook Random Sweets Pinterest @staciperry Email: staci@randomsweets.com
	23 Dec 2023	Christmas Baking Recipes With My Mom Linda Moe	00:59:33
Since I can remember, my mom, Linda Moe, has shared dozens and dozens of delicious goodies at our family’s Christmas gatherings. Today we’re talking about most of them, like vintage treats from her mom like mashed potato candy, cherry bing bars, and fruit salad with a cooked pineapple dressing, and newer recipes she’s added over the years like Ritz cracker cookies, Corn Pops clusters, puppy chow, taco dip, veggie pizza, caramel corn chips, chex mix, and orange chewins cookies with orange slice candies. Of course, we love our bars in the Midwest so we’re reminiscing about the ones with our take on candy bars like Mounds and Babe Ruth, 9x13 pans that start with a box of cereal like s’mores, caramel rice krispies and peanut butter krispies treats, and our Christmas classics like 7-layer and mud hen bars. We each share a funny memory from Christmases past, like what happened to my mom’s forgotten kisses, and why my sisters and I brought large totes with us to Christmas at mom’s one year and headed straight to her spare bedroom. Get the recipes on randomsweets.com. Staci Mergenthal www.randomsweets.com #ourSweetMidwestLife Website: randomsweets.com Instagram: @potatoesandmittens Instagram: @randomsweets Facebook: Random Sweets Email: staci@randomsweets.com
	19 Feb 2024	From Cabinets to Sculleries and Floating Shelves: The Art of Your Kitchen Design With Carissa Trygstad	00:55:46
On today’s show, we’re expanding on last week’s theme of incorporating personality into your kitchen as we sit down with expert designer, Carissa Trygstad, about what she’s seeing in kitchen trends and the classics, plus the revival of the scullery, and how it differs from a butler’s pantry. From cabinets to heated countertops, Carissa covers kitchen work zones, function and organization, floating shelves, appliances, cabinet hardware…everything including the kitchen sink, even a few tips for giving your kitchen a refresh without a remodel. While you listen to this episode, I recommend you visit showplacedesigncenter.com and showplacecabinetry.com for all sorts of ideas for your dream kitchen. Showplace Cabinetry Design Center is where you will find Carissa working with clients, and incorporating brands you love, plus the company’s South Dakota-made cabinets. One thing I know for sure, no matter the style or age of our kitchen, the food is just as delicious, and family and friends are what make it the heart of our home. Show Notes & Links Carissa Trygstad, Designer Carissa.trygstad@showplacecabinetry.com Pinterest @carissaleight Showplace Cabinetry Design Center 804 S Minnesota Ave., Sioux Falls, SD Instagram @showplacedesigncentersd Showplace Cabinetry Instagram @showplacecabinets Pinterest @showplacecab Houzz @ Showplace Cabinetry Design Center Bamboo Drawer Knife Block, (affiliate link) Carissa talked about this in the episode, but please note the price has increased since she purchased them. Martha Stewart article about sculleries making a comeback Staci Mergenthal RandomSweets.com #ourSweetMidwestLife Website randomsweets.com Instagram @potatoesandmittens Instagram @randomsweets Facebook Random Sweets Pinterest @staciperry Email: staci@randomsweets.com
	31 May 2023	Fudge, Tacos, Fruits, Vegetables, Smoothies, Cocktails, Chicken Alfredo, and All Things Vitamix with Leah Brink	01:02:08
You are going to love today’s guest—my friend and a true Midwesterner, Leah Brink has lived in Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, and for nearly 20 years, she’s called Brookings, South Dakota home. She’s the kind of person who brings the fun to a party. It was her idea to start our show making strawberry daiquiris in my kitchen, and I certainly didn’t argue with that! She speaks frankly about the influence her mom had on her philosophy regarding food, and how her short-lived rebellion led to her own goal of fitting more fruits and vegetables into her and her family’s lifestyle, in more of a lifelong, enthusiastic way. But don't worry. Along with the nutrient-packed smoothies Leah starts her day with, and the salsa, soup, Caesar dressing, bean dip, and hummus she makes in her Vitamix blender, we still talk about Cajun cream sauce, chicken alfredo, decadent fudge, and Taco John’s. See her recipes on this post on randomsweets.com. Leah is a second-generation South Dakota State University alum, with her daughter, Maddie, a junior SDSU Political Science major with a goal to attend law school. Her son, David, will graduate Brookings High School in 2024, so she has one year left of being a busy baseball and hockey mom. Leah has spent her professional life in a variety of careers, from property management and owning and operating a restaurant, to international services which gave her the opportunity to travel to London 15 times, to corporate recruiting, and most recently, a marketing and training executive. But she doesn’t limit herself to whatever her current job role is. Leah commits to understanding her community and using her skills to play a part in it, like serving on countless boards and commissions, performing as her church’s pianist and organist for 14 years, plus, she served three years as an elected city councilor. She’s one of the smartest, polished, and energetic people I know, yet, she humbly champions for her family, friends, and community of entrepreneurs. Leah loves being a South Dakotan, and she cherishes her childhood memories of picking potatoes, and tending to the raspberries and strawberries at her grandma’s farm in rural Trent. Leah shared her recipes for good greens smoothies and strawberry daiquiris, and photos of her family and her Vitamix blender creations so while you’re listening to this episode, visit randomsweets.com. This episode is not sponsored or endorsed by Vita-Mix Corporation. But just like friends chat about stuff that makes our lives easier, and more fun and meaningful, I’m excited to hear all about Leah’s experience with her new blender—as she says, “the kitchen tool I never knew I needed.” Vitamix Pro 750 Heritage Series (affiliate link) Biscuit Love Recipes: https://randomsweets.com/leahs-vitamix-strawberry-daiquiris-and-good-greens-smoothies/ Website: randomsweets.com Instagram: @potatoesandmittens Instagram: @randomsweets Facebook: Random Sweets
	05 Dec 2024	Harvesting Holiday Spirit: 70 Seasons of Traditions at Krueger’s Christmas Tree Farm	00:54:27
Krueger's Christmas Tree Farm has been more than just a place to pick your own perfect tree—it's been at the heart of holiday traditions for families in the Lake Elmo and Twin Cities Minnesota area for 70 years and counting. Spanning four generations, the Krueger family has cultivated not just evergreens but cherished memories, as they continue to welcome visitors with the warmth and magic of the Christmas season. From the fresh scent of pine, the warmth of a crackling fire and hot cider, to the timeless ritual of cutting the perfect tree and pulling it on a sled through the snow, Krueger’s has become a beloved part of holiday celebrations. So get cozy, as Neil, Deb and John Krueger takes us from the accidental start to selling Christmas trees in 1954, to the traditions, Tootsie Rolls, and the stories behind this family-run farm that’s been keeping the spirit of Christmas alive and families returning for seven decades. In this episode, Neil talks about the varieties of trees and which ones are most popular for their needles and which ones people like best for that fresh pine scent. And they share tips for how to keep your evergreen looking its best all Christmas season with water and spritzing. Who knew the sap would seal the bottom and not absorb water anymore if we let the water run out? For the 2024 season, Krueger's has Fir—Balsam, Canaan, Fraser, Korean and Siberian—and White Pine and Norway Pine trees. Plus, you'll find gorgeous, handmade wreaths, swags, spruce tops, garland, roping and tree stands. Reservations (⁠on their website⁠) are required for pre-cut and cut-your-own. Krueger's is a full-service experience. If you want to cut your own tree, they'll provide you with a saw and a sled to move it. Make holiday memories sipping free hot cider and getting cozy around the blazing bonfire. Before you head home, Krueger's staff will shake the tree to remove dust, old needles, grass, etc., wrap it with a tree baler and secure it to your car. You'll also receive a gift—Krueger's custom annualized tree ornament. To reserve your tree time slot, see photos, and learn more about experiencing the farm, browse their website https://kruegerschristmastrees.com. See more photos on randomsweets.com. Krueger's Christmas Tree Farm ENTRANCE & EXIT: 10920 43rd Street North Lake Elmo, MN 55042 651-350-4545 https://kruegerschristmastrees.com Instagram: @kruegerschristmastreefarm Facebook: Kruegers Christmas Tree Farm ⁠Frequently Asked Questions ⁠ Staci Mergenthal, Host and Producer RandomSweets.com #ourSweetMidwestLife Website randomsweets.com Instagram @potatoesandmittens Facebook Funeral Potatoes & Wool Mittens Instagram @randomsweets Facebook Random Sweets Pinterest @staciperry Email: staci@randomsweets.com
	13 Jan 2023	Nearly 60 Years of Homemade Birthday Ice Cream with My Dad Ron Perry	00:25:25
December birthdays can be hard. On this episode, I sit down with my dad in South Dakota, while he shares how he started his homemade ice cream birthday tradition, how, as the youngest of the family, he would get his brothers to turn the crank on the ice cream maker at his party, why my sister thought the ice cream would maybe taste like slough water, and dad’s tip for making smooth and creamy homemade ice cream every time. Vanilla and rocky road ice cream recipes: randomsweets.com Follow on Instagram @potatoesandmittens and @RandomSweets. Join the fun on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RandomSweets
	23 Feb 2023	Vintage Snow Frosting and Cocoa Birthday Cake with My Mom Linda Moe	00:42:57
Because my favorite birthday cake frosting is a recipe my mom has made for many of my 50 birthdays, I asked her to share her cocoa fudge cake and snow frosting, also known as 7-minute frosting, recipes. I was surprised to learn that both recipes came from her mom, my grandma Janet, when my mom and dad got married in 1969. We walk through the steps to making snow frosting, and how humidity affects the outcome. And it was never a birthday party without my mom's barbecue meat on white buns. Since there isn't a written recipe, she had to write it on a sticky-note for me. Show Notes Mail your funeral potatoes or cheesy hash brown casserole recipe on a 3x5 recipe or index card. By sending it to me, you agree that I can use the recipe and your name on an upcoming episode of Funeral Potatoes & Wool Mittens. Staci Mergenthal 1614 130th Street Verdi, MN 56164 Randomsweets.com Watkins clear vanilla Website: randomsweets.com Instagram: @potatoesandmittens Instagram: @randomsweets Facebook: Random Sweets
	26 Jan 2024	From Pucks to Potlucks: Hockey Moms Stick Together	00:42:46
It’s hockey season and I live in Minnesota, the State of Hockey. And even though my kids played hockey in South Dakota where’s it’s not school-sanctioned, there’s one thing we have in common across the sport—once a hockey mom, always a hockey mom, even after our kids have shot their last puck as a high school player. We may not wear our player’s photo button on our puffy winter coats anymore, but we’ll always proudly wear the “hockey mom” title. It’s been a few years since my guests, Kathy Lesnar and Julie Pederson and I screamed from the bleachers together, so I thought it would be fun to swap a few stories and share the recipes that our hockey players loved at team breakfasts and potluck dinners—like caramel rolls, biscuits and gravy, crockpot spaghetti at the hotel, egg bake, pancakes and butterscotch muffins, and it wouldn’t be the Midwest if we didn’t include Casey’s breakfast pizza on that menu. From hotel hallway knee hockey, parent bonding over beer in the lobby, and driving to games in blizzards, lifelong friendships were formed on and off the ice—among players, parents, even grandparents. So whatever sport or team your kids are, or were, involved in, I think you’ll be able to relate to our amusing and heartwarming recollection of our time as Brookings Ranger Hockey Moms. Recipes and photos from this episode are on randomsweets.com. breakfast egg bake butterscotch muffins cake batter pancakes Staci Mergenthal: Randomsweets.com #ourSweetMidwestLife Website: randomsweets.com Instagram: @potatoesandmittens Instagram: @randomsweets Facebook: Random Sweets Email: staci@randomsweets.com
	02 Feb 2023	Vodka Pasta Recipe, Cossetta in St. Paul and 7 Sioux Falls Restaurants with My Daughter Kalani Perry	00:45:44
My daughter Kalani Perry joins me to share our spicy vodka pasta with chicken recipe, and she gives us a suggestion for how to use up that carton of heavy cream you need to make it, what it’s like to experience Cossetta, an Italian restaurant in St. Paul, Minnesota, especially what she likes most to eat there, and she gives us a list of seven restaurants in Sioux Falls, South Dakota that she likes. Randomsweets.com Cossetta PAve Josiah’s Coffeehouse, Café & Bakery All Day Café MacKenzie River Blarney Stone Pub JL Beers Oshima Sushi Website: randomsweets.com Instagram: @potatoesandmittens Instagram: @randomsweets Facebook: Random Sweets
	04 Jan 2024	Harvesting Hope: Iowa Teen’s 7,000-pound Garden Bounty Feeds Thousands, Aims to Triple Impact by 2025 with Lauren Schroeder	00:55:53
Today we’re heading to rural Dixon, Iowa to meet Lauren Schroeder and her mom Katie on their family farm, and Lauren’s FFA advisor and ag teacher, Jenna Kingsley. Lauren is a junior at Calamus-Wheatland High School. She shows sheep and rabbits at county fairs, plays softball and volleyball, she’s the junior class president, and somehow, Lauren, who is a three-time National FFA grant recipient and a My Impact Challenge Special Award winner, has found time to grow more than $15,300 in retail value of fruits and vegetables over the past two years and donate them to local nonprofits. Having already donated more than 7,000 pounds from her bounty of 25 different crops, Lauren will triple her impact when she meets her goal of expanding to two acres and growing and donating a total of 20,000 pounds of fresh produce to at least 10 organizations by the end of her community service project in the summer 2025. We have a lot to talk about like where in the world Lauren came up with this idea, how many green beans she’s donated and how she likes to cook them at home, why she’s watering it all by hand with watering cans, how Jenna sees Lauren’s project inspiring others, and what impact her generous bounties have had on communities. Her mom, Katie shares her recipe for homemade spaghetti sauce, how Lauren gives with the goodness of her heart, and, a heartwarming story about the time she saw firsthand how the fresh produce affected a mom and her children at a domestic violence shelter. While you’re listening, go to randomsweets.com to see the photos of Lauren with all her bounties and the recipes for green beans and spaghetti sauce. Watch Lauren on ABC News: Teen harvests huge vegetable garden for charity. Lauren in the Washington Post: Iowa teen grew 7,000 pounds of veggies, then gave them all away #ourSweetMidwestLife Website: randomsweets.com Instagram: @potatoesandmittens Instagram: @randomsweets Facebook: Random Sweets Email: staci@randomsweets.com
	10 Mar 2023	Snickurtle Pie, French Toast Casserole and Love of the Midwest with Jill Coene	00:29:41
My friend Jill Coene joins me on this episode to share her love of the Midwest, the three restaurants she's sure to eat at when she's back in Brookings, South Dakota, her family’s favorite recipes for Thanksgiving leftovers galette, French toast casserole, and snickurtle pie (a mash-up that tastes like Snickers candy bars and no-bake turtle cheesecake), plus, what she’s discovered about macaroni salad living on the East Coast. All recipes available on Randomsweets.com. Show Notes Mail your funeral potatoes or cheesy hash brown casserole recipe on a 3x5 recipe or index card. By sending it to me, you agree that I can use the recipe and your name on an upcoming episode of Funeral Potatoes & Wool Mittens. Staci Mergenthal 1614 130th Street Verdi, MN 56164 Randomsweets.com Website: randomsweets.com Instagram: @potatoesandmittens Instagram: @randomsweets Facebook: Random Sweets
	10 Dec 2024	Sweet Generosity: Local Impact of the Lake Campbell Lutheran Church Cookie Walk	00:54:41
You don’t need walking shoes for the Lake Campbell Lutheran Church Cookie Walk. Just an appetite for homemade, tried-and-true Midwestern treats and a giving heart to support local non-profits. This year's bake sale is on Saturday, December 14, 2024 at 9a.m. Be there early to get in line! They run out of cookies quickly. The church address is 46610 219th Street, Volga, South Dakota. Cash or check only. Three big-hearted women, the organizers behind the church’s 22nd annual cookie walk, gathered around a table in their fellowship hall with our steaming cups of Lutheran coffee to talk about how it all works. You’ll learn what kinds of goodies sell best, the most important piece of a successful cookie walk, and why it’s always a good idea to sample your home baked goods before donating them to a bake sale. Open to the public and held at this charming 154-year-old country church south of Brookings South Dakota, the bake sale is a celebration of community, fellowship, and giving back. You’ll hear about some of the treats like raspberry almond shortbread thumbprints, lemon bonbons, pecan tarts and delights, maple pecan thumbprints, and caramels, and of course what you’d find at any self-respecting bake sale of Nordic heritage—lefse, krumkake and rosettes. Visitors are invited to sip coffee, enjoy freshly baked cinnamon and caramel rolls, and connect with one another after picking out an assortment of homemade goodies generously donated by church members and the community. How does a church bake sale get even better? Well, one hundred percent of the proceeds from this festivity are donated to local charities, they average about $3,000 each year, making the cookie walk a true gift that keeps on giving. Let's meet Inga Trygstad, Ginny Jensen, and Glenda Derdall and learn how cookies, coffee, sweet rolls and a little holiday cheer can make a big impact. Go to randomsweets.com to get the four recipes they share in this episode: pecan tarts, pecan delights, maple pecan thumbprints and raspberry almond shortbread thumbprints. Lake Campbell Lutheran Church on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SinaiandLakeCampbellLutheran Staci Mergenthal, Host and Producer RandomSweets.com #ourSweetMidwestLife Website randomsweets.com Instagram @potatoesandmittens Facebook Funeral Potatoes & Wool Mittens Instagram @randomsweets Facebook Random Sweets Pinterest @staciperry Email: staci@randomsweets.com
	06 Oct 2023	Gaylen's Gourmet Popcorn is Popping with South Dakota Pride	01:11:31
When Gaylen Backus was in his peak popcorn growing season, he was popping out nearly half a million pounds of popcorn seed on his 350 acres of South Dakota farmland near Wentworth. He went from selling most of his crop to wholesalers, to his family popping and packaging his wife Shirley’s homemade caramel corn and selling it at farmers markets and vendor shows. People loved it and demand exploded. So much so that in 2015 he and Shirley and their youngest son, Tyler, converted their 2-stall garage into a commercial business. In this episode, Tyler Backus shares about the growth of the family business, where they moved their popcorn showroom to, Gaylen’s services like corporate gifts, fundraisers and subscription boxes, their most popular flavors, and the one people are most hesitant to try. Tyler also tells us the flavor he’s tried to create but just hasn’t gotten right yet. Each year, they not only grow their business by adding new flavors—like cranberry crave, birthday cake, chocolate drizzle, caramel green apple, Santa’s snack, dill pickle, cheesy pizza, buffalo ranch, parmesan garlic—but they also expand the number of local products they sell in their showroom and on gaylenspopcorn.com. Photos available on Randomsweets.com. Gaylen's Gourmet Popcorn, 118 E. Center Street, Madison, South Dakota Website: gaylenspopcorn.com Facebook: Gaylen's Gourmet Popcorn Instagram: @gaylenspopcorn TikTok: @gaylenspopcorn Email: gaylenspopcorn@gmail.com #ourSweetMidwestLife Website: randomsweets.com Instagram: @potatoesandmittens Instagram: @randomsweets Facebook: Random Sweets Email: staci@randomsweets.com SDSU Ice Cream Halogi Hot Sauce Twisted Noodle Ramen Noodles Adee Honey Farms Dimock Dairy Cheese Char’s Kitchen Four Families Pasta Uptown Sauce Company Home Porch Gifts The Merc Dimock Dairy Corn Palace Sioux Falls Regional Airport Mount Rushmore National Memorial

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