Pictured above with a mixed berry compote (recipe coming next week), gooey butter cake is prepared in two layers that melt together in ooey, gooey, goodness. It is wonderful enjoyed alone, or topped with fruit, cream or various sauces.
managing editor
I am thankful I can read. The ability to read and comprehend is something we often take for granted. Access to books of our choosing is empowering, as is the ability to read. When people tell me they don’t like reading, I often enquire if they enjoy reading their mail or appreciate the abili…
Scientists view the interaction of plants, fungi and bacteria as a “co-evolutionary” arms race. The result of this arms race is that plants die of various diseases, even though “truces” are usually the norm. The result of these truces is that neither has the upper hand. Plants and fungi, in …
This spinach dish was so good, even the kids liked it! It definitely got added to our recipe book to make again at a later date.
managing editor
A few weeks ago, I was house-sitting for some family members while they were out of town. The house was located outside of Fergus, by a lake, and had beautiful sunrises in the morning. While this two-week adventure started without a hitch, things took a turn for the worse towards the end of …
Every gardener has committed “planticide” at some time or other. Planted an acid lover in alkaline soil, a sun lover in the shade or a plant that likes damp feet in sandy soil. Put a plant that wants “peaty” soil in regular garden soil. Or planted a zone six plant and expected it to live thr…
With the wind and snow blowing, I am ready for spring and summer to be here!
Bunkey wanted to get a head start on his garden a few years ago. He planted tomato and pepper seeds on March first. They popped up by the end of the first week and took right off. The last day of frost in Otter Tail County is May 15. By that time, his tomato plants were almost two feet tall,…
Opal Lee. Patsy Takemoto Mink. Kate Moore. Lotte Reiniger. Jeanne Villepreux-Power. An activist, politician, lighthouse keeper, filmmaker and seamstress turned marine naturalist. How many of these women have you heard of? They might not be household names … but they should be. March is Women…
When the weather isn't ideal for throwing meat on the grill, you can still turn out a delicious pork loin, right from your oven.
The only thing better than reading a good book is being able to share it with friends. To celebrate reading with others, I’m featuring books that foster discussion. These books would be ideal for a book club or to chat about with a friend. Feeling extra? Check out a copy for yourself and the…
You expect to see insects in your house during winter, but outside? Actually, there are a surprising number of insects, covering a wide variety of groups that are active in the cold, especially now. While it may seem counterproductive to evolve and finish their development in the winter, the…
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While it may seem hard to believe, spring really is on the horizon. It seems mid-February is the perfect time to start thinking or perhaps dreaming about gardening. The library’s collection of resources related to gardening is prolific and inspiring. It can be tempting to skip ahead to books…
If you have been storing geraniums or tuberous begonias in the basement over the winter (and good luck with that) now is the time to pot them up. Start watering and put them under lights or in a bright window to get them up and growing. Our warm, dry basements don’t have the best conditions …
In the quest to come up with a new baked offering (amidst many) over the Christmas holiday season, I stumbled across Irish potato candy. It isn't Irish. It doesn't contain potatoes. It does, however, look like a mini potato, which is how it got its name.
managing editor
The year was 1953. Eggs were around 70 cents a dozen, Dwight D. Eisenhower became the 34th President of the United States, two men successfully reached the summit of Mount Everest for the first time and the Disney movie Peter Pan was released. While there were many other notable historical e…
Petunia saw a bug crawling across her kitchen floor and promptly screamed for Bunkey. “There’s a cockroach in the kitchen!” she yelled. Bunkey arrived and saw a bug leisurely strolling across the kitchen floor, obviously not a cockroach. This critter was stout, reddish brown with some white …
Recently, I wanted a change from steamed broccoli, which my kids slather in cheese. I did some researching and ran across a few recipes that used the plastic shaker of parmesan cheese, which they kids happen to love — so I tweaked it up a little and tried something new.
managing editor
“Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived.” So goes the centuries-old English nursery rhyme used by school children to help remember the fates of each of the six wives of King Henry VIII (1491 - 1547). These also happen to be the opening lines of the sensational musical “Six,” …
Valentine's Day is just around the corner, so you are probably thinking about flowers for that special person. Red roses are the first flower that comes to mind for valentine flowers as they symbolize love. Even the guy who can’t tell a mum from a delphinium, knows what a rose is.
A recipe that is great reheated, garden gratin was submitted to The Market & Lake Country Living's Hotdish Contest.
One thing I’m doing this year is “reading first”. I’m using the “read first” motto to prioritize reading. I realized that the last few years, chores like laundry and cleaning up the house had taken over my daytime reading and I wasn’t picking up a book until late in the evening. I’m determin…
Petunia is in a tizzy. She is the type of housekeeper who has the vacuum cleaner out before the guests are in their car. She just has to get the footprints out of the carpet before she can sit down. So, you can imagine her distress when she walked into HER kitchen and seeing her kitchen tabl…
Entered into The Market & Service Food's Lake Country Living Holiday Cookie Contest, these classic, old-fashioned peanut butter cookies are sure to please peanut butter lovers.
The life of a library book can be an interesting journey. Some books have a long life on our shelves, while others have a limited shelf life. A book may inadvertently become a chew toy for a dog (this never ends well). A beverage may spill onto the pages, which most often results in the book…
For a first-time gardener, buying seeds can be an adventure. They first have to determine what to plant, then what varieties, how much of each plant and then, design the plot. Let’s start with the plot. The rows should run north to south. The reason for this is so there will be no plant in t…
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Can you believe we are already two weeks into 2023? By now, there has been plenty of time for us to create, begin and potentially dismiss our New Year's goals. Hey, life happens! Before this goes any further, I feel like I need to be transparent with you all. I do not make New Year’s resolut…
Bunkey decided last year that buying plants was too limiting so he was determined to start his own. He bought all the proper equipment, covered flats, seed starting mix, shop lights and chains to put them at the proper distance from the new sprouts, heating cables and timers. He set up shop …
The Dorn family welcomed Jessalynn Phyllis on Jan. 4, the New Year’s baby at Lake Region Healthcare, weighing in at eight pounds, four ounces and measuring 20.5 inches.
Entered into The Market & Service Food's Lake Country Living SOUP-er Soup Contest, this chowder tastes like the ocean in a bowl.
Throughout the last month, the library has been sharing some of our favorite books of 2022. Katelyn Boyer, adult services librarian, wrote about recommended fiction and nonfiction titles. Krista Kugler, children’s services librarian, shared some of the youth picks. I am rounding out the rema…
Proven Winners Color Choice shrubs is introducing a dwarf weigela as a permanent replacement for coleus (really?). Midnight Sun weigela is only a foot tall and 18 inches wide and has colorful foliage. It grows in full sun or light shade.
According to a press release from Michael Denny, of Tri-County Health Care in Wadena, parents Sam and Joseph Reineke of Henning welcomed the first baby born at Tri-County Health Care in Wadena for 2023, their son Kyson Joe Reineke.
Gluten-free sweets don't have to be difficult, as is demonstrated in this recipe for Meghan's gluten-free peanut butter cookies, an entry in the second annual The Market & Service Food Lake Country Living Holiday Cookie Contest.
Every year, the Fergus Falls Public Library staff excitedly pick their favorite new books of the year for our “Staff Favorites Guide.” Two weeks ago my coworker, early learning librarian, Krista Kugler, featured our youth picks. This week, I’m highlighting our favorite books of the year for …
This time of year the gardening magazines check with the commercial nurseries to see what new plants they are developing for the coming gardening season. Here are a few for our 3B-4A zone.
Entered into The Market & Service Food's Lake Country Living Holiday Cookie Contest, these tasty sugar cookies are appropriate for any holiday or occasion.
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas and with any luck, all your preparations are in place for a splendid holiday.
This is kind of a cruddy time of year for gardeners. It’s too early to start seeds and you have “debugged” all your houseplants. The seed orders are all sent so now what?
The Market & Service Food's Lake Country Living Holiday Cookie Contest award-winning cranberry, white chocolate, macadamia nut cookies can be made at home by following the recipe below.
It’s that time of year where gift ideas for family and friends are in high demand. While the usual electronics, toys, games, and gadgets immediately come to mind, the Fergus Falls Public Library would like to remind you of another option. Books! I mean, are you really surprised? For over ten…
It’s about time to pick a Christmas tree, but which one? There are three species of conifers usually available for Christmas tree, firs, spruces and pines, but there are several varieties of each. If you hate falling needles, look to the pines. The Scotch pine is the fluffy one. It is a vibr…
This lovely, sweet and tart recipe, was submitted to The Market & Service Food's Lake Country Living Holiday Cookie Contest.
Jigsaw puzzles have a special place in my heart. I have fond childhood memories of putting together puzzles with my family. I grew up in Southern California during the 1980s with my mother, grandfather and two siblings. It was usually during holidays and extended family get-togethers, that w…
Gardeners are pretty easy to buy gifts for. If you are having difficulty thinking about what to get for your favorite gardener, here are a few suggestions.
Life is often compared to a book — close one chapter, begin another. The same is true for author Jess Lourey, whose story contains chapters in Battle Lake and Fergus Falls.
managing editor
Submitted for The Market and Service Food's Lake Country Living Holiday Cookie Contest, this recipe brings a traditional Christmas treat to cookie form.
The holidays are a wonderful time to get together with family. Although, along with family, often comes drama – at least, this is what happens in the novels that I love to read at this time of year.
The master gardeners get a few new members every year. One job that is really fun is answering the questions that come into the office. The newbies are afraid they don’t know enough to take the job. Many questions are quite simple to answer, but there is an extensive library and a computer i…
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Fall and winter holidays involve a fair amount of preparation. Even finding the Christmas spirit can take a little effort, depending on how your year is going. Preparations for the holidays can become a bit frantic, and with already busy schedules, it can be complicated to fit in holiday aff…
The fragrance and beauty of real Christmas trees means that there will always be a market for them. If you are concerned about cutting a living tree, don’t feel guilty. Most of the evergreens cut in Minnesota were produced on tree farms. They are a very important crop here, with about half a…
Hot dish and pie and cookies, oh my! Lake Country Living magazine, a publication of Daily Journal Media, kicked off it’s very first contest late in 2021, with the first annual Holiday Cookie Contest. Due to the popularity of the contest and the positive response from participants, judges and…
managing editor
Here is a gluten-free, grain-free, paleo, vegetarian dish for those with dietary restrictions.
If you follow the Fergus Falls Public Library’s social media platforms – Facebook and Instagram – you may have noticed our weekly Friday posts highlighting different book covers. And if you have no idea what I’m talking about, take a moment to head over to these sites and peruse some of the …
Bunkey was sitting at the kitchen table one morning watching the birds when he noticed that some of his trees were looking a bit scraggly. One had a broken branch he hadn’t noticed before and a few had water sprouts he missed last spring. Another had some crossing branches that should have c…
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A friend of Bunkey’s had spent some time in the hospital and had been gifted a Ficus plant. Since she has 10 brown fingers, she gave it to Bunkey. He tripped getting out of his car and dumped the plant on the snow-covered driveway. Ficus are a pretty tough group of plants so it should be fine.
“You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children.” This insightful quote was penned by Madeleine L’Engle, author of the Newbery award-winning fantasy novel “A Wrinkle in Time.” I believe that children ar…
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