Sherwood Community Advantage Magazine February 2023

Published by Active Media Publishing Group

PO Box 672 · Aurora, OR 97002 info@ActiveMediaUSA.com

503.825.2111

ADMINISTRATION

Matthew Nelson, Publisher

Catrina Nelson, CFO

Tara Weidman, Executive Assistant

Donovan Darling, Content Manager

PRODUCTION

Jeremy Okai Davis, Art Director

Stacy Benner, Sr. Graphic Designer

Holly Darling, Sr. Graphic Designer

Shawn Schmidt, Sr. Graphic Designer

Hilary Berg, Sr. Graphic Designer

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Tyler Francke Dennis McNabb

David Bates Robert Matsumura

Patti Jo Brooks Olive Gallagher

Angie Helvey Sherry Dorn

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Carly Carpenter Kara Langley

Laurel Bice Hayley Starkey

Malaina Kinne Angie Helvey

Brittney Waterman Henry Schifter

Andrew Sambuceto Tyler Francke

ADVERTISING SPECIALISTS

Don Ormsby Bill Kistler

Stephanie Baker Jim Belan

Peggy Jacobs David Long

Chris O’Brien John Zobrist

Brad Marti Shelley Zeman

Tina Toney Darren Dwyer

Ashley Berotte Tim Gregos

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MEET THE ARTIST: Doc Severinsen

TASTE OF THE TOWN: Browny Bee Honey

How long have you been part of the family business?

I’ve officially been the owner since 2019, but I don’t remember life without our store in it.

What’s your favorite part about running a hardware & building supply business?

The creativity, and being able to help people find that one specific thing they’re looking for. It’s satisfying.

When you’re not at work, what’s your favorite way to relax?

Well, soccer games, even when they aren’t relaxing. I try to make it to every Timbers and Thorns game! But I also love just watching TV dramas with my dogs.

Describe yourself in five words or less.

*sighs* Oh man...Quiet, loyal, helpful and honest. Uhm, and strong.

What’s something you wished people knew about small business?

I really wish people knew how much work our little team gives to this place. I think I speak for a lot of family-run places when I say it is literal blood, sweat and tears keeping it going, but we love it anyway.

YOUR LOCAL HARDWARE SPECIALISTS GET TO KNOW THE CREW AT CLARK LUMBER HARDWARE

These are the smiling faces of Clark Lumber Hardware - a family owned lumber and hardware store in the business of helping folks build since 1965.

Located on Tonquin Road in Sherwood, this small but mighty team is ready to help with whatever project needs you may have. Do not let their size fool you - collectively, their crew brings over 150 years of experience and knowledge to the table! This makes shopping at Clark Lumber Hardware a unique and personalized experience. How often can you say you had the president of a company ring you up at the register? You can at Clark’s!

Stacey Clark, a 1989 Sherwood High School graduate, grew up working afternoons and weekends at her family’s store. As a Sherwood native and now fourth generation business owner, she plans to keep the business motto, “we like to help folks build” going for years to come.

Clark Lumber Hardware was founded on a passion for helping people. “We don’t believe there is a single definition of the word project!” Clark jokes. Whether you are adding an entire room to your home or simply need to hang a few photo frames in the hallway, no project is too big or too small for the team at Clark’s. Even though it can be an intimidating field, Clark states the best part about the building supply and hardware industry is that, “you are always learning something new. Even if you are a master at one thing, there are countless new things to learn and experiment with.”

Clark Lumber Hardware is open weekdays from 7:00 - 5:00 and Saturdays from 8:00 - 4:00. If you are looking for supplies for that next project, or just need some inspiration, come check them out!

Clark Lumber Hardware is located at 11234 SW Tonquin Road. Connect with them on Instagram, Facebook or simply give them a call at 503-692-0200!

STACEY CLARK

h Meet The Owner j

THE HISTORY OF

Red Velvet Cake

By Donovan Darling, Staff Writer

Cake itself dates back to the 13th century. And for hundreds of years, cakes were basically sweet bread or what we know today as fruitcake, with dried fruits and nuts, and pretty coarse as far as dessert goes. It took about 500 years for bakers to make better cakes, breaking down the flour for a more delicate and delicious cake. But where does the traditional red velvet cake come from?

Historians believe velvet cake was invented during the Victorian Era. In the 1800s, recipes using cocoa for gourmet cakes gained popularity, and the bakers called them “velvet” cakes and served them at fancy parties. To contrast how coarse cakes used to be, they specifically called them “velvet” so the guests would know how delicate and soft the cakes were. And it seemed that bakers were obsessed with trying to perfect the cake recipe. The ingredient cocoa–first imported from the Americas in the 17th century–broke down the coarseness of the flour, resulting in a soft and velvety cake. But where does the red come from? It’s said that the red color is due to a chemical reaction of acid and cocoa, as natural cocoa is high in acidity and functions well with buttermilk and baking soda, common ingredients in cake at the time. In addition to its delectable chocolate flavor, the cocoa is what makes the cake so “velvet.”

Later in the 1900s, cake recipes began using cocoa as the main ingredient. And bakers, home and professional, found recipes for cocoa velvet cakes, red cocoa cakes, and other types. Around 1943, a then successful cookbook, The Joy of Cooking, included a red velvet cake. Irma S. Rombauer, writer of the book, stated she never cared for the cake but felt compelled to include it. And this 1943 recipe was the first official mention of the red velvet cake in U.S. media.

At the outbreak of WWII, food and supplies were rationed to soldiers and civilians, including such baking ingredients as sugar and butter. This resulted in bakers, in lieu of using sugar, choosing beets and beet juice as a sweetener. Funny enough, modern red velvet cake recipes still call for beets! The bright and rich red color of beets made for a more appealing cake, at least aesthetically. Interestingly enough, the beets also made the cake soft and moist, preventing the cake from drying out so easily while being cooked. And during the trying times of war, civilians were actually quite happy to buy red velvet cake because it was different and somehow more special. The beets didn’t adversely affect the flavor, but rather created a soft and moist texture and the dramatic red color the cake is known for, impressing guests with a bright and rich red centerpiece on the dessert table. Still popular today, red velvet remains a wildcard in the baking world, and not just as cake anymore–there’s cupcakes, pie, cookies, and red velvet chicken and waffles! So, ultimately, who is credited as creating red velvet cake?

According to The Adams Extract company, they claim to be responsible for inventing the cake in the United States, as they made a fortune selling red food coloring (instead of beets and beet juice) to make the cake possible. The Waldorf Astoria Hotel also claims they are the inventors and birthplace of red velvet cake. However, in this writer’s opinion, like language itself, it took many years and mouths and minds to evolve what we know today as red velvet cake, and no one person could possibly be credited. Next time you’re enjoying a rich slice of red velvet cake, remember all these bakers who perfected this recipe over hundreds of years!

The Tonight Show DOC SEVERINSEN

By David Bates, Contributing Writer

Remember Carl Hilding Severinsen? No? Actually, many of you will, although you know him as “Doc” Severinsen, the legendary American trumpet player who spent 30 years leading the NBC Orchestra on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, from 1962 to 1992.

Why “Doc,” you might wonder? There’s an Oregon connection there. Severinsen was born in Arlington over in Gilliam County in 1927. The town was roughly the size then as it is now, and his father was the only dentist in town, so Carl became known as “Doc.”

So, the millions who heard Severinsen play the trumpet on The Tonight Show have Oregon to thank. Arlington is where he first picked up an instrument; the town actually had a music store at the time, and as a youth he started with the cornet but eventually settled on the trumpet. He played in the high school band and at local dances, and he even toured with Ted Fio Rito before he graduated.

Severinsen is now 95 years old, and in August he played what was billed as his final concert at the Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs. And that wasn’t a “comeback” concert, either. Severinsen has been working hard since Carson retired in May 1992, so consider that: He’s been playing the trumpet on the road, in concert, for as long as he was on The Tonight Show since he left back when George H.W. Bush was President.

Severinsen went to work for NBC in 1949 in his early 20s and

played with the likes of Steve Allen, Eddie Fisher, and Dinah Shore. He actually played for The Tonight Show even before he began his three decades with Carson, closing out each night’s show hosted by Allen with a solo. When Allen left in 1957, he did as well, but was persuaded to return as first-chair trumpeter in 1962. Five years later, he was the bandleader.

By the end of Severinsen’s run with Carson, he was arguably the most famous band leader in the country. Millions tuned in weeknights, and moments after Carson emerged from behind the curtain, they saw Severinsen, each night wearing a different and hilariously gaudy outfit that Carson loved to poke fun at.

Severinsen said in a documentary about his life, Never Too Late: The Doc Severinsen Story, that his fashion move began with ties he’d purchased at an Italian clothing store in New York. When he and Carson developed their shtick, Severinsen made it a thing.

“I don’t look at Doc’s clothes before I come out,” Carson said one night when Severinsen was wearing a jacket with pink, purple, orange, and red horizontal stripes. “And I don’t look at them after I come out.”

How does a guy in his 90s still play the trumpet, which requires tremendous core strength and lung power? Simple. Severinsen eats right and hits the gym regularly. Consider his age and his documentary: It’s never too late!

Never Too Late: The Doc Severinsen Story (2020)

Doc Severinsen practicing with the Oregon State University Symphonic Band, 1984

A Taste of the Northwest

By Patti Jo Brooks, Contributing Writer

most Northwesterners as many patrons have never even heard of Hot Honey. Browny Bee Honey’s is often the first Hot Honey they’ve ever tried!

Consuming raw honey that is locally sourced may also provide additional health benefits for individuals who suffer from seasonal pollen allergies. A person may be able to stave off these seasonal allergies since local honey contains pollen from the same ecosystem. Therefore, pollen that would typically cause symptoms during allergy season would alternately allow the body to build up an immunity against it through ingesting the local raw honey. Come spring, Browny Bee Honey is hoping to add hives at the farm and start producing their own “Sherwood Honey.”

Browny Bee Honey invites you to “enjoy Local Hive, 100% pure, raw and unfiltered honey straight from the hive of the rich and fertile forage lands of the Northwest.” And shares that “the taste of our Northwest Raw honey is just as rich, with an earthy character, mellow sweetness and a variety of floral and berry notes.” Browny Bee Honey’s many varieties of unique raw honeys are produced “right in your own backyard” on a small farm in the Sherwood area. There are so many reasons to enjoy Browny Bee Honey. It’s a healthy food full of nutrients which include vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, amino acids, enzymes and bee pollen. It also makes a great natural sweetener that can be easily substituted for sugar in baking, tea and coffee.

What truly sets Browny Bee Honey apart from any other local producer, according to Marketing Director Tyrell Trimble, is the “insane amount of varieties we have to offer.” Partnering with other Oregon farmers to help pollinate their farms, Browny Bee Honey is able to obtain varieties such as Vetch, Meadowfoam, Fireweed, Carrot Flower, and Pumpkin Blossom through this cooperative process. Normally, you wouldn’t find such a large selection of honeys in a typical store; and unless someone is a true honey enthusiast, they probably haven’t encountered many of these varieties. They also produce a line of four different Hot Honeys in assorted flavors and intensities of heat, as well as an array of Hot Sauces. Browny Bee’s Original Hot Honey is their best-selling product and a unique item for

Browny Bee Honey owner, Mike Brown, is a Sherwood resident and has always loved honey. Perhaps this played some role in bringing together the serendipitous events which led to the development of Browny Bee Honey. A close friend of Mike’s, who had been a beekeeper for over 50 years, raised and supported his family by selling raw honey and beeswax candles at the local markets. “He fascinated me,” Mike remarks. “He was always happy, peaceful, and calm.” In June 2021, Mike, whose life was quite the opposite, was ready for a change and decided, “I’m going to sell honey.” He had been helping a local farmer grow the bee population, and as a result, Mike was able to obtain plenty of raw honey for his new enterprise. Furthermore, Sherwood Saturday Market had just lost their “honey guy” and Mike was happy to fill the spot. He bottled up the honey, added the logo he designed, and Browny Bee Honey was off to a buzzing start. Towards the end of 2021, Hot

Honey was added to the line and later picked up by New Seasons. During 2022, Browny Bee Honey expanded into approximately 160 markets.

Committed to giving back to the community, Mike Brown and Browny Bee Honey have generously donated

to local charities, and in particular to Sherwood schools. Sherwood Education Foundation’s February 16, 2023 Sip and Spell Event was gifted honey products and a Traeger Grill for their silent auction. Browny Bee Honey also hosts an ongoing fundraiser for cancer

awareness by selling a special edition of Vetch honey, and donating a portion of the proceeds to support individuals within the community and to further cancer research.

The complete line of Browny Bee Honey’s handcrafted premium raw honeys is available through their online web store and seasonally at the local Farmers’ Market. Look for promotions and featured items such as the 2 ounce samplers of Hot Sauce on sale now! Hoodies and T-shirts with the Browny Bee Honey logo are also sold on their website and at the local Farmers’ Market. Take time to peruse the website for accessory products, recipes, and a wealth of information, including helpful tips such as how to decrystallize honey.

Visit the Browny Bee Honey website at brownybeehoney.com to place orders, access more information, or link to Browny Bee Honey Facebook and Instagram pages.

Gut Health, Avoiding Dysbiosis

By Debi M. Huyssoon, D.M.D., General Dentist at Sherwood Old Town Dental

There are literally trillions of individual organisms living in and on your body surfaces, making up an important and diverse ecosystem that helps keep you healthy. Although microorganisms exist everywhere on your body, the ones that reside in your mouth and gut serve a vital role in the proper functioning of multiple organ systems. The gut starts at your mouth and extends to the esophagus, stomach, and intestines. Within your digestive pathway resides up to six pounds of microorganisms which make up your gut flora. It mostly consists of bacteria, but fungi and viruses also reside there, and everyone’s gut ecosystem is unique to them. The gut is healthy when good microbes outnumber the bad ones. When the gut biome is out of balance it is known as dysbiosis and can lead to digestive issues and eventually contribute to a myriad of health issues.

Most people are familiar with probiotics and understand that there are benefits of eating fermented food such as kimchee or yogurt. A commonly known bacteria that naturally occurs in fermented foods is lactobacillus. Lactobacilli serves an important role by helping with the digestion and absorption of certain food nutrients, it also improves immune function and protects against the overgrowth of harmful bacteria that cause infections. This is just one example of a gut microorganism that helps your body maintain good health. When your body does not have enough good bacteria and is overwhelmed with a bad bacteria and dysbiosis occurs. This leads to digestive problems and hinders nutrient absorption. Gut microbial imbalance eventually contributes to a variety of other health concerns, such as diabetes, IBS, thyroid issues, cognitive and memory loss, obesity, cardiac disease, skin problems, arthritis, and other autoimmune diseases.

Since most microbes enter the gut through the mouth, it seems reasonable to assume that dysbiosis can be avoided by controlling the gut microbiome and ingesting things that promote healthy microbes. Here are some ways to improve your gut ecosystem and avoid gut related health issues:

• Cut back on refined sugars

• Avoid processed foods, eat real food & more fiber

• Eat fermented foods (avoid sugary ones)

• Avoid unnecessary usage of antibiotics

• Eat a variety of foods (foods have their own balanced biomes)

• Decrease alcohol consumption & avoid smoking

• Minimize stress

• Get plenty of exercise & sleep

If you want to know more ways to improve your gut health and are looking for an oral health provider, please do not hesitate to call or e-mail our office for a new patient appointment.

Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake

INGREDIENTS

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup white sugar

¼ cup cocoa powder

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup butter

1 cup milk

2 pints strawberries, sliced

¼ cup white sugar

1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

2 tablespoons chocolate syrup

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease two 9-inch layer pans.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, 1/3 cup sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add milk, mixing until just moistened. Spread batter evenly into the prepared layer pans.

3. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool.

4. Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl, combine strawberries and remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Let mixture stand for 10 minutes.

5. Remove shortcake layers from the pans. Place one layer on a serving plate; cover with 1/2 of the of strawberry mixture and 1/2 of the whipped topping. Place remaining shortcake layer on top, then remaining strawberry mixture and remaining whipped topping. Drizzle chocolate syrup over top.

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A SHINING EXAMPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY

By Dennis McNabb, Contributing Writer

Mattress stores seem to be a dime a dozen, with locations on virtually every street corner and dozens of online options as well. And you’d think the buying experience would be the same as the next, right? Wrong. For starters, there’s the personability. Sean has been in the business for over 25 years. He started the parent company Furniture Showcase, Inc. in 1995, and has been serving the community as Mattress World Northwest (MWNW) since 2004. He and his team are dedicated to making your mattress buying experience one of a kind. In talking to Sean, it’s obvious he cares deeply about his employees and his customers.

Sean spoke passionately about MWNW’s three-pronged approach to business success. Firstly, they are dedicated to helping their customers get a better night’s sleep. Thorough training and the largest selection in the NW allow them to assist every person to find the most comfortable mattress for a better night’s sleep.

Secondly, MWNW’s business mission is making sure their employees are happy. This is one of those places you hear about but rarely find – a place young folks start working at and never leave! They legitimately treat their employees like family and empower them to live their best lives.

Most impressive and thirdly, MWNW prioritizes giving to the communities they reside in. Sean and the MWNW team incorporate charitable giving and philanthropy into the corporate culture. Walk into any one of their stores throughout the year, and you’ll see they are promoting some sort of fundraising event, whether it’s in support of Polar Plunge For Special Olympics Oregon, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Susan G. Komen’s Race for the Cure, the Senior Citizens Council of Clackamas County, or one of our local schools.

In the month of March, all MWNW stores will be asking for donations to support Polar Plunge

for Special Olympics Oregon. Their main fundraiser, The Polar Plunge, takes place March 11 at Willamette Park in Portland.

SEAN HATHAWAY Owner

According to Special Olympics Oregon, “Polar Plunge is your chance to step out of your comfort zone by jumping into an unforgettable experience that directly impacts the lives of Special Olympics Oregon Athletes. By participating you provide 5,000+ Special Olympics Oregon Athletes access to sports, activities, and community.”

Here is why Special Olympics Oregon is so important: “Special Olympics Oregon believes in the transformative power and pure joy of athletic competition. Every day across the state, we help children and adults with intellectual disabilities become athletes and grow a strong, supportive community of advocates. Through year-round training and serious competition, Special Olympics participants journey along a proven pathway to better health, essential life skills and lifelong friendships.” Please help us raise funds by donating online or visiting one of our local stores. Family-owned and -operated, dedicated to providing their customers the best products at the best prices, all while donating to and participating in their local communities, Mattress World Northwest exemplifies the best of what retail businesses have to offer. This proves that not all mattress stores are created equal.

Get a better night’s sleep and help support your community at your local Mattress World Northwest, with 22 locations across Portland, Salem, Vancouver, and more. Order online at mattressworldnorthwest.com.

B E B O L D / G E T C O L D March 11th at Willamette Park

Special Olympics Oregon uses sports training and competition to grow acceptance and inclusion of those with intellectual disabilities. Learn more at: soor.org.

Feeling Is Believing.

Wedding Singer

One of my alltime favorite Adam Sandler movies, this is absolutely drenched in ’80s pop culture–movies, cars, fashion, and music. The story follows a talented, funny, and likable wedding singer (Sandler) living in his brother’s basement and who’s terribly in love with the wrong girl. His heart gets broken (of course) and he plunges into a deep pit of despair but refuses to quit working–singing for couples in love–to much expected comedy. Eventually he meets his dream girl (a very cute Drew Barrymore) who’s in love with the wrong guy. Hilarity, flirting, and crossed signals abound, it also stars Alexis Arquette, Christine Taylor, Allen Covert, and more, plus a cameo by Billy Idol. It’s bright and cute and wacky. Rated a strong PG-13 for language and mature content, save this for the older kiddos.

Trolls

Eternal Sunshine Of The MindSpotless

With pure blissful technicolor and heartthumping pop music by Justin Timberlake, the Trolls movie skywrites in bombastic sparkly letters the message of love, joy, happiness, and positivity. A classic Us vs. Them, the meanie ogre Bergens threaten to capture the Trolls once for all–to eat the Trolls one-by-one and finally feel happy. Surely, there’s a better way to find happiness! And through conflict, trial-and-error, and lesson-learning, the Trolls teach the Bergens how to be happy WITHOUT eating others. On a smaller scale, there’s a classic love story: the untrusting hermit, Branch (Justin Timberlake), meets the happy-go-lucky girl-next-door, Princess Poppy (Anna Kendrick). Their relationship very much parallels the Bergens vs. Trolls in their quest to conquer grumpiness and trust. And shocker, they fall in love. There’s singing, dancing, love, good feelings, and colors you’ve never seen before! Rated PG for mild rude humor and the threat of being eaten (I did tell you). Stream these movies where available, or rent from your local movie store, library, or rental kiosk.

This mindblowingly original sci-fi drama romance came barreling out of the early 2000s with an Academy Award for Best Writing and a slew of other awards. One of Jim Carrey’s earlier dramatic roles, his and Kate Winslet’s characters have a bad breakup and opt to have their relationship erased from memory by an experimental doctor, played by Tom Wilkinson. Also starring Kirsten Dunst and Elijah Wood. It’s surreal, quirky, indie, funny, sad, and far too relatable. As chaotic as it is, it’s utterly human with a heartwarming ending. Rated R for language, drug and mature content

WORD SEARCH SUDOKU

Difficulty: Tough

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Fill in the blank squares so that each row, each column and each 3-by-3 block contain all of the digits 1 thru 9. Use logic and solve the puzzle without guesswork. For puzzle solving tips, and more puzzles, visit KrazyDad.com.

The

Origins of the Tater Tot

A Tasty Oregon Invention

By Robert Matsumura, Contributing Writer

The Tater Tot. It’s hard to resist these crunchy golden-brown potato morsels piled high in a basket, or nestled on a plate accompanying our favorite burger or sandwich. For many of us, “Tater Tot” and “comfort food” go hand-in-hand. It’s ingrained in our culture—at least from a food perspective!

But did you know that these world famous potato nuggets were invented in Oregon, and that they were the creative byproduct of potato scraps originally used as cattle feed? The story of the Tater Tot traces back to two young Mormon entrepreneurs named Nephi and Golden Griggs who came of age during the Great Depression. Originally from Idaho, the Griggs brothers were potato farmers like most of their neighbors. Throughout the Great Depression and World War II, the Griggs survived by growing and selling potatoes, but during the postwar years as Americans increasingly turned to convenience foods—frozen foods in particular—the Nephi brothers were certain that their road to riches lay in servicing this growing demand.

Convinced that the future of produce resided in the frozen food section, the two brothers mortgaged their farms to purchase a flash-freezing plant in Northeastern Oregon for $500,000 (approximately $4.5 million today). As the factory was located on the border between Oregon and Idaho, they chose to name their new company Ore-Ida.

Corn and potatoes were Ore-Ida’s mainstay and the company soon became the largest distributor of sweet corn in the country, but the real profit lay in french fries. French fries, though immensely profitable, posed certain production problems. Nephi (the leader of the two brothers) described their challenge as follows: “We had a problem separating the fries from the slivers and small pieces of

potatoes that occurred when slicing the irregular shaped potatoes.” Instead of wasting the scrap pieces, the brothers had been feeding it to their cattle and other livestock.

Despite the fact that their potato scraps were being utilized as feed for farm animals, Nephi Griggs—always focused on efficiency and profit maximization—was bothered by their inability to derive any revenue from the constant flow of potato byproducts. In a letter to an OreIda colleague, Nephi vented his frustration at not putting to better use “product that has been purchased from the grower, stored for months, gone through the peeling process, gone through the specking lines and trimmed off defects, only to be eliminated into the cattle feed.”

An unexpected visit by a representative from an equipment manufacturing company, however, proved to be serendipitous. Although the company representative was there to demonstrate a prune sorter, Nephi and his plant superintendent envisioned utilizing the equipment in a different manner. Instead of sorting prunes, could the machinery be refashioned to sort irregular potato pieces from french fries? To their delight, it could.

It wasn’t long before the Griggs and their people at Ore-Ida devised a creative use for the supply of potato scraps. By smashing the bits together using new machinery, then blanching, forming the crushed potatoes into nuggets, and cooking them in oil, a completely new product was

created. These potato nuggets could subsequently be frozen, bagged, and distributed. Although the original idea was for the nuggets to be fried, it was soon discovered that baking them produced equally good results. According to Nephi, a man on their research committee who “traveled the markets playing a ukulele and demonstrating our product,” came up with the name. Unfortunately, the man’s name has been lost to history, though his talent for creative alliteration lives on. The name “Tater Tot” is iconic across the world for fun, palate-pleasing, potato goodness.

Nephi remarked in his notes (which are now housed at the J. Willard Marriott

“new product has about a three year

the “Tater Tot” name, purchased additional machinery, and began mass producing their tasty invention.

Despite the success of the Tater Tot, the process to create them was a bit of a sticky mess—literally. New equipment had to be fashioned to deal with the starchy potato product. Steel drums the diameter of a human torso rotated continuously filling tot-sized molds with potato. These molded potatoes would then be ejected onto a conveyor belt and sent down a line for seasoning and subsequent freezing.

Ore-Ida’s commitment to the Tater Tot, in spite of production difficulties, proved a gamble worth taking. The Griggs brothers’ promotion of their new product at the 1954 National Potato Convention was a huge hit, garnering interest in Tater Tots throughout the industry. The media was also quick to embrace Tater Tots as a convenient

new food for snacks and meals that was tasty and easy to prepare. So successful was the Tater Tot that Nephi referred to it as their “hero profit item,” and cited it as responsible for making Ore-Ida a household name. By the end of the 1950s, Ore-Ida had captured 25 percent of the domestic frozen potato market. A second plant was opened in 1960, and by 1961 Ore-Ida had gone public.

In 1964, despite generating an annual profit of $31 million, problems within the family necessitated the sale of Ore-Ida. The Griggs sold the company to H.J. Heinz in 1965 for $30 million. The Heinz purchase of Ore-Ida was the company’s first foray into the frozen food market. By the time Heinz merged with Kraft in 2015, the Tater Tot was so common of a product that few people realized the name was still trademarked to Ore-Ida. An advertising campaign was even created to differentiate OreIda tots from the competition. The campaign warned, “Don’t be fooled by Imi-taters,” because Ore-Ida Tater Tots were the “original and only.”

Today, as one of America’s cherished food items, Tater Tots have been incorporated in multitudes of home recipes and even elevated to culinary feature items at certain restaurants. There is no end of possibilities when it comes to something as versatile as the Tater Tot! So, next time you find yourself reaching for a crispy golden Tater Tot, think of the Griggs brothers and the Oregonian ingenuity that transformed cattle feed into a delectable treat enjoyed by millions.

Nephi Grigg was the inventor of the Tater Tot

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Agnes RF is a non-surgical radio frequency device that treats eye bags, tightens and removes fat from the neck and jawline area. Cystic acne is treated by removing the sebaceous gland.

COOLSCULPTING 50% off

Non-surgical body contouring treatment that FREEZE & ELIMINATES FAT from your body.

VANQUISH BTL ME & CELLUTONE BTL

50% off One Area Vanquish BTL ME is a non-surgical FDA cleared fat reduction used to reduce 1 to 4 inches off your body. Cellutone is a FDA approved non-invasive cellulite reduction and body contouring treatment.

SECRET RF MICRONEEDLING $899

(including face, neck & chest)

The Secret RF Microneedling System is a powerful new technology that is ideal for facial rejuvenation, improving scars, celllulite, and plumping and tightening loose skin.

CHOICE OF IPL, LASER GENESIS, NIR, CLEAR LIFT, MICRONEEDLING OR CHEMICAL PEEL

$189 PER ONE TREATMENT (ANY AREA)

IPL: Removes sun spots, age spots, acne spots and any other skin pigmentation

GENESIS: Improves fine lines, skin tone & increases collagen production

NIR: Removes the appearance of sagging skin, wrinkles and fine lines

CLEAR LIFT: Improves Melasma, Lifts sun damage, pigmentation & dark or red scars

MICRONEEDLING: Tightens, lifts & rejuvenates the skin, Improves wrinkles and fine lines

CHEMICAL PEEL: Improve the appearance and texture of the skin by increasing cell turnover

SOLEIL SIGNATURE FACIAL

50 minute facial includes steam, extractions, medical grade Microdermabrasion, collagen mask, and LED light treatment

Only $99