When the seed catalogs start to show up in our mailboxes in December, I (Katrina) am definitely not in a mood to think about spring planting! But somehow, a month later, my son Dane and I are giddy about making our garden plans!
When the seed catalogs start to show up in our mailboxes in December, I (Katrina) am definitely not in a mood to think about spring planting! But somehow, a month later, my son Dane and I are giddy about making our garden plans!
Has life ever forced you to stop and take a moment to just be thankful?
As an avid reader, writing a book review should be a task that requires little effort. The hardest part? Choosing a book to write about. I stared at my TBR (to be read) shelves — yes, shelves — and came up with nothing, promptly using it as an excuse to visit the book store. (Ha! Like I need…
Mom guilt. Odds are, if you are a mother, you have experienced this seriously less-than-pleasant feeling more times than anyone cares to think about. That feeling that you messed up, you’re failing your kids, they would have been better off with the next door neighbor as their mom ... or may…
During 2023, the Otter Tail County Museum is featuring an exhibit on hats. I have always found the milliners of Otter Tail County fascinating. The occupation of milliner or hatmaker gave single women a respectable means of making an income. It required business skills as well as creativity.
Wreaths are one of my favorite crafts to create. For the 2021 holiday edition of "Lake Country Living," I completed a tutorial for a loopy wreath, and I have been aching to do another wreath tutorial ever since.
Heather Kantrud
managing editor
Beloved by both her family and other members of the community, Janice Rudh's home is like stepping into your grandma’s house in all the best ways, with an added flair of interest.
Have you ever sipped a shrub? No, not the bushes in your yard, but a fruit, sugar and vinegar mixture that becomes a tangy, refreshing beverage. Wait a minute! Drink vinegar? Get pickled? Relax, it’s flavored with sugar and fruit, so give it a chance.
When my son was in kindergarten, writing the majority of his letters and numbers backwards, reading significantly slower than his peers and breaking down in tears almost daily, it was apparent an intervention was required to help my sweet little boy succeed in the educational system.
Self-proclaimed novice mushroom hunters, Tim and Lisa Litt have been foraging together since they met in 2003. Tim began his foraging adventures in the early to mid-1980s when his parents would take him hunting for morel mushrooms around Buffalo River State Park.
Heather Kantrud
managing editor
My Facebook page is filled with messages from friends saying “Just got my first shot,” or “Yippee, we’re fully vaccinated!” Happy faces and feelings of relief — and one of the reasons for those is the fact that we can again get together with friends and family in person! That’s a real reason…
Many years ago, Fergus Falls mayor and owner of Union Pizza and Brewing Company, Ben Schierer was working in the south of France, where he was introduced to a new way of dining. “Meals there are just different,” he explained, “they have a different atmosphere that is just slower. It’s the l…
Heather Kantrud
managing editor
Pine Hill Pottery, owned and operated by Hillcrest Lutheran Academy art teacher Gaylen Peterson, is a roadside pottery studio and showroom tucked into the countryside near Lake Park.
Heather Kantrud
managing editor
Minnesota provides a rich representation of the four seasons, offering plenty of outdoor recreation regardless of weather conditions. Spending time outdoors has been proven beneficial for physical, emotional, and spiritual health and is considered imperative to good quality life and childhoo…
Heather Kantrud
managing editor
When I was first asked to write for this magazine, the editor requested articles that centered the history of women. This was a chance to remember ladies who made significant but often hidden contributions. The theme of family and re-gathering immediately brought to mind the first women to i…
What comes to mind when you see those juicy red stalks supporting oversized green leaves? Rhubarb pie? Rhubarb crisp? Rhubarb beer? Probably not the latter, but don’t discount it too soon!
When she isn’t helping out a customer or working on her own fitness, New Beginnings manager Tiffany McPherson enjoys getting outside and taking in the sun. As the manager of the fitness center in Fergus Falls, McPherson took her personal fitness journey to a manager role over three years ago…
This issue’s theme is PETS? Hold your horses! How do I make THAT fit into a food column? I’m fairly sure they didn’t want recipes that use pets as an ingredient, so luckily, as it turns out, some my
As summer starts to show, it is time to roll down your car window, get the wind in your hair and smell the aromas of fresh cut grass, rainfall and — friends? But as a family pet, you are reliant on your owner to make these decisions (especially rolling down the window). There isn’t anything …
It was an intensely passionate love affair – as much as a preteen girl could have. It consumed my daily thoughts and nighttime dreams. Each day, my best friend and I would exchange stories as we huddled together in the seat of our school bus, her having the advantage of being part of an actu…
Dr. Jeffrey Lukken’s patients can’t tell him where it hurts.
Interacting with a companion animal is one of the joys of pet ownership. While certain pets seem more naturally inclined toward interaction than others, such as cats and dogs, many pets can be made more social with the right training.
Like many cultural organizations and businesses, the Otter Tail County Historical Society has currently shut its doors to the public to comply with social distancing and keep people healthy. The staff is working at home while also taking care of duties that do not involve personal contact wi…
I have not been to a brewery in months. Grocery and liquor store visits have been limited. My complaining has also been minimal as I am very fortunate to have my health, employment and great outdoor space to roam. The surge in kitchen creativity, as well as a goal of using ingredients on han…
The Humane Society of Otter Tail County (HSOTC) has been in operation for more than 40 years, bringing in about 1,100 animals a year that staff and volunteers either help to make fit for adoption or return to worried owners. The shelter takes care of all kinds of animals, including cats, dog…
While no one is immune from the devastation of a natural disaster, preparing before a storm hits is key to keeping everyone in your family—including your pets—safe. It’s even more important now – in an era of social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic – that pet parents have a plan to ke…
Jamie Lill lives an active lifestyle. As a physical education teacher at McKinley Elementary School in Fergus Falls and as a head coach for the Otter girls’ tennis team, it isn’t surprising to see Lill out and about. On top of that, Lill is an owner of two dogs and enjoys taking them on fami…
Many times, I think my friends are somewhat annoyed when I say, “You know, you can actually make that yourself?” Often, we need a reminder that almost everything we eat was at one point, made in a home kitchen! How about granola bars, chocolate syrup and spreadable butter??? My friends say, …
We upper-Midwesterners are an independent breed, aren’t we? Known for our work ethic, many of us are by nature or necessity, do-it-yourselfers, used to getting our hands dirty. My upbringing was no different, having grown up locally with my parents’ building construction business as a daily …
An opportunity is coming April 18 for those who want to make a statement in the world of trash fashion.
When looking for the finishing touch on my bathroom beautification project, I struggled to find the storage containers to put out on display. Nothing would match my color selections and I got frustrated. Then I got the most delightful and inspiring Christmas gift, my co-worker gave me a hom…
Barnesville-based Junkyard Chicks has turned do-it-yourself into a group activity with their sign painting parties, hosted 3-4 times a month around Clay and Otter Tail counties including Fergus Falls, Perham, Fargo/Moorhead, Downer and Barnesville, in addition to private events.
Looking for a do-it-yourself project that both an adult and a child can enjoy? Putting together a pinewood derby car can not only be fun but a bonding experience.
When architects purchase a modest 1970s rambler and transform it into a hideaway inspired by nature, you can expect to see some dramatic interventions. Such is the case with the home of Darryl Booker and Joan Vorderbruggen in Battle Lake, Minn. Guided by the Norwegian concept of friluftsliv,…
If we could create a recipe for more Elizabeth Hatling’s, this world would be a much better place. A talented chef and musician, she lives a humble, beauty-seeking life in this chaotic world. Elizabeth looks at life as a journey, not with a final destination or goal in mind, but instead enjo…
With the Pisgah Dam just outside the window and the Otter Tail River Reservoir to the east, enjoying a beer at Fergus Brewing proved to be a serene and meditative event. Clean white walls, warm wood beams and sun streaming through multiple windows enhanced that impression.
During March, thousands of local students will celebrate Music in the Schools Month. Add to that the various musical offerings at A Center for the Arts and the Fergus Falls Concert Association. The many orchestra, band and choral concerts proudly proclaim our community’s love of fine music, …
PLEASE CALL AHEAD OR CHECK WEBSITES TO CONFIRM EVENTS ARE TAKING PLACE AS SCHEDULED.
Barb Smith is an artist and teacher that has traveled the world teaching art to willing students. Skilled in a multitude of different mediums, Smith has worked with several different artists that you have seen on TV through her travels.
Krista Hagberg wears many hats. She is an office coordinator for Kindred Family Focus in Fergus Falls, a member of the Fergus Falls City Council, a mother, a partner and volunteer. Hagberg has fond memories of the holiday season, giving and receiving gifts, and some of the holiday food that …
Excitement is in the air! Deer hunting season is upon us, and Governor Walz kicked off the Minnesota season with a bang here in Fergus Falls. The timing of his visit couldn’t be more perfect as the Fergus Falls Fish and Game Club prepares to celebrate their 100th anniversary. Members of the …
I love seasonal beer. No matter what the season, when the selection becomes available, I have to try it.
Ask someone to share a holiday recipe and 90% of the time they will share a sweet or dessert recipe. Time to saunter over to the savory side of the holidays and “desert the desserts.” My plan is to accent the “beginning” (appetizers) instead of the “end” (desserts) of the eating spectrum. T…
The holidays are coming, and right behind all the anticipation and thrill that they bring each year, come feelings of fear and guilt over the unforeseeable weight gain. How can we enter this season feeling confident in food choices we make? Is it possible to avoid those extra five pounds? Wo…
Tis the season for holiday parties and overindulging. If you’re having trouble fitting in your regular fitness routine, or just looking for a better way to manage holiday stress and burn a few extra seasonal calories, we’ve got you covered. For the full effect, be sure to sing along to the t…
The holidays are upon us, the bustling time of menu planning, gathering gifts and creating a beautiful environment for traditions abound! It can be overwhelming.
So, it’s a wrap.
The holiday season is one that usually sparks emotions of all people in the community. Memories of family dinners, spending time with friends, receiving gifts, enjoying the winter weather and, of course, the baked goods. With this in mind, Fergus Falls resident Mavis Schleske looks to bright…
White Christmases might be a phenomenon unique to the Northern hemisphere, evoking images of warm clothes and nights by the fire, but Christmas is a holiday just as beloved and comforting in the tropics. I grew up spending Christmas with my family in Caracas, Venezuela, just 10 degrees north…
Johnson’s dream was the start of their Christmas Village
The Woman of the Season is featured in Lake Country Living magazine. Nominees are area women who portray integrity while having an interesting hobby or story to tell. Chosen nominees will be featured in an article in Lake Country Living.
The Matriarch is featured in Lake Country Living magazine. Nominees are a mother figure who is also dedicated to family life. Chosen nominees will be featured in an article in Lake Country Living.
