Chicz - Nov/Dec 2022

a Magazine for FUN women!

November/December 2022

TM

Grill your Thanksgiving

TURKEY

Easy cinnamon

ORNAMENTS

A new approach to substance use.

An alarming trend in opioid (ie: fentanyl, heroin, OxyContin) overdoses has been made worse in recent years because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Minnesota Department of Health is reporting 1286 overdose deaths in 2021—up from 636 in 2018.

Heading up Alomere Health’s response to substance use is Dr. Allison Juba. Her research and science-based approach to treatment is also tempered by a personal experience. Her brother Pat, began his opioid addiction at the early age of 15. Now 32, Pat is 3-years into a successful recovery, thanks to the support of family, friends, and medical experts.

Pat is utilizing Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT).

MAT is the safe and controlled use of medication that relieves the withdrawal symptoms and psychological cravings caused by chemical imbalances in the body.

The Substance Use Care Team at Alomere Health believes in providing a whole-patient approach to treatment. In combination with counseling and behavioral therapies, Alomere has physicians certified to prescribe medication to help patients with Substance Use Disorder.

In addition, Alomere Health is now offering free Naloxone kits (that can reverse the deadly effects of an overdose) and test strips that can detect the super-potent fentanyl in other drugs.

“We need to change the language around abuse. I call patients ‘a person in recovery’.

And the good news is this: there is real hope for people suffering from opioid use disorder.”

If you have questions, or would like treatment, please contact the Substance Use Care team by calling: 320.763.2508

Dr. Juba notes one hurdle to treatment is the stigma around adiction. She encourages everyone to see the person behind the disease —and not associate the disease as a moral weakness.

Opioid Overdose Deaths in MN: 1286 in 2021 636 in 2018

It’s better here.

Alomere Health • Alexandria Clinic • Osakis Clinic • Lakes E.N.T. • Heartland Orthopedic Specialists

2 Chicz November/December 2022

November/December 2022

It’s the holidays!

We’re swinging into the holiday season and Chicz is here to help you get in the spirit.

We’ve put together articles on making your own cinnamon ornaments to decorate your tree and have added a recipe to help you make cinnamonscented pinecones. Add in some essential oil combinations to give your home the aroma of the holidays.

Love nachos? Check out Al Edenloff’s article on nacho pairings with wine and beer and create your own snack nirvana. Top with a homemade nacho cheese sauce for the perfect munchies.

Want something different for Thanksgiving this year? Why not try grilling your bird. But, before you toss in on the grill, make sure you thaw that turkey safely.

Andy Mellgren brings you some ideas to take advantage of versatility of vodka in Andy’s Choice, then check out some fresh holiday libations, including a non-alcoholic punch for your gatherings.

Don’t forget to check out Celeste Edenloff’s Real Chicz of Douglas County, where she introduces us to adoptee Tina Rice and her journey to meet her birth parents.

These stories and many more are just waiting for you in this issue of Chicz.

Enjoy!

Lori Mork, Chicz editor

To advertise in Chicz call 320.763.3133

Diann Drew, Publisher Lori Mork, Editor/Designer

Chicz is a publication of

Echo Press, 225 7th Ave. East Alexandria, MN 56308 ©2022 Echo Press

Send your feedback to:

chiczmag@gmail.com

GRILL YOUR TURKEY

12

CINNAMONSCENTED PINECONES

Inside this issue

7

The Learning Life. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Puzzles and games. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Chicz contributors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 POTATOES ARE IN SEASON

11

Food and drink

7 nacho pairings to chase the fall chill away. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Nacho cheese sauce: make your own delicious chip topping. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Festive sippers for your holiday gettogethers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Andy’s Choice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 This Thanksgiving, grill your turkey. . . . . . . 12 Thaw your turkey safely. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Slow cooker baked apples. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

TRENDING ACCESSORIES

22

Family

Mommy and me. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

DIY

Easy cinnamon ornaments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Make your own cinnamon-scented pinecones. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Essential oil blends to freshen your home at the holidays. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Life/Wellness

What is mindfulness?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Fashion

Trending accessories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Holiday outfit ideas for women. . . . . . . . . . . 22

NACHO PAIRINGS

6

Real Chicz of Douglas County

PAGE

4

November/December 2022 Chicz

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s n r d n a u t s t s i w t

real chicz of douglas county

NOVEMBER IS NATIONAL ADOPTION MONTH

The

of being adopted

Alexandria woman’s search for biological parents was a rocky one

By Celeste Edenloff When Tina Rice first saw her firstborn child, her son, Sean, she had this incredible rush of love and felt that her heart was going to burst.

Typical for a new mom, but the love she felt went deeper than that.

“He was the first person in my life that I was totally and ultimately connected to,” she said. “I finally belonged.”

Tina Rice is pictured with her husband, John, and their children, Sean and Olivia.

4 Chicz November/December 2022

She added that it is funny how looking or not looking like someone can mean so much. As an adult, she sometimes cringes when people say she looks like her siblings or her cousins because she knows it is not possible.

Tina, 51, of Alexandria was adopted as an infant and is sharing her adoption story as November is National Adoption Awareness Month. Her journey wasn’t one that was always filled with rainbows and sunshine, but she is hoping her story will be beneficial to others and that “someone can get something useful out of it.”

And she wants people to know that she now has a good life, one that includes her husband, John, whom she has been married to for 26 years. People in the Douglas County community may know him as “Johnny Rocket,” a deejay for KX92 Radio.

Tina works for Douglas County Land and Resource Management, as well as the Alexandria YMCA. She is also a member of the Lakes Area Professional Women and was named as the 2021-2022 Woman of the Year.

Tina and John have two children, Sean, 24, who works for the Minnesota Wild and Olivia, 21, who is a student at the University of Minnesota-Duluth and who lives in Duluth with her boyfriend, Jack Berndt.

And in October 2023, the couple will have a new daughter-in-law as their son and his fiance, Paige Ballard, are getting married.

HER REAL NAME When Tina was born, her birth name was Alice Margaret and she was named after her two grandmothers – Margaret DeHoff and Alice Rahlf. These are her adoptive parents’ mothers. Tina was also

named after her adoptive mother, Alice, and her cousin, Alice.

When her parents got married, they both already had children of their own.

Her dad, Charles, had three boys – Robert, David and Charles II. And her mom, Alice, had two girls – Laura and Julie.

The couple were not able to have any children together so they decided on adoption and Tina said she was adopted from Lutheran Social Services in Fargo.

She was picked up on Jan. 20, 1971. She was born Dec. 30, 1970.

“I was a very small baby, about 5 or 6 pounds,” said Tina. “Dad apparently looked at mom and told her, ‘We can’t give this tiny little girl such a big name, we should call her Tina.’ Well mom said, ‘That’s fine, Charles, but the paperwork is done.’ And that was it.”

For her entire life, instead of being known as Alice Margaret, she’s been known as Tina. Except, she said, when she travels. She has to remind herself that her real name is Alice and those traveling with her should probably use that name.

FAMILY Tina comes from a large family as her mother had 12 brothers and sisters and her dad had three siblings, but there are nearly 40 cousins and they all lived in the same area.

She was raised in Binford, North Dakota, which is about an hour north of Jamestown. She grew up on a farm with her mother, father, one set of grandparents and her brothers and sisters.

There were a total of 11 people living in a five-bedroom home with one-and-a-half bathrooms, she said.

John and I talked about it and I talked with my folks. I didn’t want to upset them, but they said they knew the day would come and were very supportive.

TINA RICE Adoptee on decision to search for her biological parents Later on in her life, she also found out she has two half sisters, whom she shares the same mother with.

FINDING OUT SHE WAS ADOPTED At the age of 4, Tina said, her parents told her that she was adopted. They told her, she said, because they were going to Lutheran Social Services to pick up another child, her baby sister.

“I think they figured they better explain it to me, plus they wanted to tell me before I started kindergarten as the whole community already knew,” she said.

When asked what her reaction was, Tina said, “I think I was a pill.

Mom told me one time that I started to call them Alice and Chuck, but she nipped that in the bud quickly.”

She said looking back, she never really thought about the fact that she could have been adopted because as an infant, she looked like Charles (Chuck) because her blue eyes were so dark they were almost black, like his. She also had a very olive complexion, like his, and dark hair.

However, as she grew older, she went through a period where she was blonde and her skin was more fair-colored and her eyes became a lighter shade of blue. She said she looked more like her mom’s side of the family.

Growing up, she didn’t think too much about the fact that she was adopted, but there were times it made her sad.

Kids in her school, as well as some of her cousins, she said, would tease her and call her some not-sonice names, like “bastard.“ “Of course when I was small, I didn’t know what that word meant,” she said, “But when I realized it, it hurt a lot.”

She also said kids who touted themselves as the “Christian kids” would tell her she was a sinful being who was created from sin and who could never be saved. She said now she knows it is all nonsense, but that at the time, it really hurt.

Her mother and an aunt told her that when kids would say mean things to her, to just look them in the eye and tell them, “Well, my folks chose me, yours got stuck with you.”

She remembers having to say it a few times.

FINDING HER BIOLOGICAL PARENTS The journey to her birth parents was long, and not entirely over. She has met her birth mother, Rita, who passed away in 2017. But, she has never met her birth father. She has a name for him, Vincent, but has yet to find him. He didn’t sign the original birth certificate.

Shortly after Tina was married, she contacted Lutheran Social Services to get some nonidentifying information about her birth parents, like how old they were when they had her, if there were any health issues, and things of that nature.

“You could make a request like that and then pay a fee,” she said.

On Christmas Eve in 1997, she received a letter, but it didn’t contain much information. She thought about it some more for a few years and because her son, Sean, had a lot of health issues, she decided she

RICE continued on 18

November/December 2022 Chicz

5

7 nacho pairings to chase the

fall chill away National Nacho Day is Nov. 6

By Al Edenloff

A big plate of tortilla chips covered with your favorite Mexican-style toppings crowned with ooey-gooey cheese can chase away a chilly fall day in no time.

It’s so good it has its own day – National Nacho Day on Nov. 6.

You may think that nachos scream for beer but wine can also bring something special to a nacho party.

Here are seven beer and wine pairings to get cheesy with: Classic cheese nachos with jalapenos Beer: Try a paler lager – think Helles or Vienna. Blonde ales and Kölsch are another good pairing because of their floral notes. You may want to avoid hoppy, bitter pilsners, which would turn up the heat.

Wine: A crisp Sauvignon Blanc is a good choice that will balance cheesy, salty nachos and creamy dips.

BBQ-style nachos with a cheese sauce and pulled pork Beer: Go with a fruity, medium-bodied Hefeweizen with low bitterness. A

darker beer, like a Porter or Stout, is also delicious.

Wine: Look for a savory/sweet balance to the pork. Zinfandel or Pinot Noir are good choices. For a white wine, give Riesling a try. It will work as a palate cleanser.

Beefy nachos Beer: A light lager-style beer is a natural combo.

Wine: Several good options await – Zinfandel, Merlot, Malbec and Tempranillo.

Nachos with lots of guac Beer: If you’re a big guacamole fan, reach for a stronger, bitter beer like a strong IPA. It’ll stand up to the stronger flavors. But be warned: The bitterness may also bring out the heat too much.

Wine: The versatile Sauvignon Blanc should hold up well. If the guac is a bit on the spicy side, you could also try a semi-sweet Riesling to balance the heat.

Nachos with refried beans Beer: This is an easy one. A Mexicanstyle lager.

Wine: Zinfandel is a good choice. If the nachos also include chicken, go with a fruity white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc.

Seafood nachos Beer: Reach for a California-style Pale Ale. It may not elevate the nachos much, but it will have a pleasing palatecleansing effect.

Wine: Sauvignon Blanc makes the list again. Other tasty pairings include Old World wine from Spain or Italy with round tannins – Albarino, Pecorino and Vermentino.

Don’t forget the salsa Here’s a spin-off of nachos. Throw a chips and salsa party. Make a variety of salsas, from simple tomato-based ones, like pico de gallo, to the more creative versions starring peach-mango, blueberry, corn, peach, avocado – let your imagination go wild, from mild to fiery hot. And then bring your favorite beer or wine and do some sipping and sampling. Ole!

Nacho cheese sauce: make your own delicious chip topping 5 MINUTE NACHO CHEESE SAUCE Next time you’re hungry INSTRUCTIONS: for nachos, instead Heat a saucepan on of reaching for a jar of medium heat and add cheese sauce, trying this heavy cream 5-minute option made Once cream begins to with all fresh ingredients. get warm, add cheese, paprika, chili powder, INGREDIENTS: garlic powder, and corn 1 cup heavy whipping starch cream Whisk until thick and 2 cups freshly grated creamy (around 5 minutes colby jack cheese or less).

1/4 tsp. paprika Serve with chips, 1/4 tsp. chili powder over nachos or with any 1/4 tsp. garlic powder Mexican themed dish!

1 Tbsp. cornstarch

6 Chicz November/December 2022

Make your own

Cinnamon-scented pinecones Make your own cinnamon-scented pinecones to give your home a holiday fragrance this year.

Easy Cinnamon Ornaments 1 INGREDIENTS: 3/4 cup applesauce 2 bottles (2.37 oz. each) cinnamon Cookie cutters Drinking straw Colorful ribbon

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 200°F. Mix applesauce and cinnamon in small bowl until a smooth ball of dough is formed.

(You may need use your hands to incorporate all of the cinnamon.) Using about 1/4 of the dough at a time, roll dough to 1/4-inch to 1/3inch thickness between two

crevices. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for all pinecones.

3

Remove the excess cinnamon by individually shaking each pinecone, or placing all of the pinecones in a sealed container and shaking gently.

The cinnamon-scented pinecones are ready once completely dry. If you wish to save some pinecones for later use, store them in a airtight container.

Using a disposable craft brush, thoroughly coat one of the pinecones with a thin layer of glue. Work quickly sheets of plastic wrap. Peel off enough that the glue remains top sheet of plastic wrap. Cut sticky and doesn’t dry out dough into desired shapes before the next step. with 2- to 3-inch cookie Sprinkle the entire cutters. Make a hole at top of glue-coated pinecone ornament with drinking straw or skewer. Place ornaments with cinnamon evenly all around and in between the on baking sheet.

Bake 2 1/2 hours. Cool ornaments on wire rack. (Or, to dry ornaments at room temperature, carefully place If you’ve gathered your own pinecones, them on wire rack. Let stand you will need to prep them first. Lay them 1 to 2 days or until thoroughly in a single layer on a cookie sheet and bake for about an hour on the middle rack dry, turning occasionally.)

Insert ribbon through holes of your oven at 200 degrees F. This will and tie to hang. Decorate with cause tightly-closed pinecones to open paint markers or embellish up as well as kill bugs and/or bacteria. Let the pinecones cool completely. with beads, etc., if desired.

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November/December 2022 Chicz

7

The Learning PERMANENT Life

Make learning

By Lowell Anderson

We’ve all heard the phrase “practice makes perfect.” The problem is, this saying is not entirely accurate. Practicing something in the wrong way will only mean you get really good at doing it imperfectly. The truth is that “practice makes permanent.”

When it comes to learning, another phrase we need to remember is “use it or lose it.” No matter what you learn, if you don’t use it regularly, it will eventually start to fade and disappear from your memory. Rather than simply repeating or reading something over and over, learning will take place faster if you can apply what you are learning to your life. In other words,

practice actually using what you have learned.

However, even though practicing something every day might be good in the beginning, it may not be the most efficient use of our time later.

Once you have learned something, sometimes the best thing you can do is to wait until your memory is starting to fade, and then work at trying to remember it again. The struggle to remember (as long as you are successful) seems to cement those connections in the brain and make the memory more permanent.

Of course, the key is in determining the right amount of time to wait between reviews, because if you wait too long you’ll have to start over from the beginning again.

That’s where spaced repetition software can be helpful.

These are basically flashcard systems that keep track of how easy it was for you to answer the questions and then determine how often you should see the questions again. If you say the question was easy, the program might wait a few days before having it show up again. If you say the question was hard, it will show up again in the same session.

But you don’t need software to use this system. With a little experimentation and record keeping you can determine how long is best to wait

between reviews. If you have no problems remembering something, review it less frequently. If you really struggle with something, review it more frequently.

Just remember that the struggle is not a bad thing.

Learning is hard work and requires thinking and effort.

And the most effective learning often occurs along with that struggle.

Getting information into our minds is just the start. What really makes it permanent is when we practice and work hard at retrieving and using the information in our minds.

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is...

mindfulness?

What is

By Shannon Swenson

Mindfulness has become a popular self-improvement topic. You’ve undoubtedly heard about this “mindfulness movement” trend and probably know people who are practicing it. But what is mindfulness, exactly? And why should you be interested in it?

The definition of mindfulness is simple: being fully present in the moment, focused on and engaged in what’s happening, rather than being distracted or out of touch. It also means noticing what’s going on around us without being reactive or overwhelmed.

It sounds simple, and it is, but like most simple ideas, it’s implementing it that’s dif-

ficult. Mindfulness is a skill that must be learned and that requires practice to maintain.

You’ve probably heard people talk about their “mindfulness practice.” They’re referring to their ongoing practice at being mindful.

The practice required is often done while going about your daily life, or while taking only a few minutes here and there away from your schedule to practice. You don’t have to devote long hours or take classes to learn mindfulness.

It can be done by anyone no matter their schedule.

Most people don’t live in the present. Most of us live either in a future we’re working for or a past that’s already happened. Or we’re stuck in such an obsessive loop about

our worries and problems that we’re too distracted to notice what’s around us.

The point of mindfulness is to be able to stop being distracted and instead be able to be fully with the moment.

Have you ever been to a special event and been so distracted that when it was over, you realized you hadn’t been “present” and had missed it?

Or gotten together but everyone is staring at their phone?

That’s where mindfulness comes in handy. It can help you stop that.

There are only a few things you need to do to learn mindfulness. Most people start with

mindfulness “pauses,” which is a form of meditation in which you stop what you’re doing and learn to pay attention to what’s going on around you.

Then they learn mindful movement and mindful activities -which means you learn to be mindful while you’re doing something else, such as exercising or working. Mindfulness is easy to learn and brings you a world of benefits, both physical and mental. It can even improve your relationships. Why not try it today and see what “presents” “presence” brings this holiday season?

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9

Festive sippers for your

holiday get-togethers

If you’re looking for some special libations for your holiday get-togethers this year, why not try one of these drinks. They’re a perfect addition for Thanksgiving or Christmas. There’s even a mocktail selection for those that prefer a non-alcoholic sipper.

CIDER MAPLE OLD FASHIONED INGREDIENTS: INSTRUCTIONS: 5 oz. bourbon To a cocktail shaker filled 1 oz. pure maple syrup with ice, add the bourbon, 1 oz. apple cider pure maple syrup, apple cider, 4-6 dashes of orange bitters and orange bitters. Shake to Cinnamon sticks to garnish combine.

Strain into two rocks glasses filled with ice and then garnish each with a cinnamon stick.

CHRISTMAS PUNCH INGREDIENTS: namon and whisk until 16 oz. cranberry juice the cinnamon is fully com67 oz. ginger ale (2 liters) bined.

2 oranges, sliced Add ginger ale to cran2 plums, sliced berry and cinnamon juice 1/2 cup cranberries, fresh and stir gently to combine. or frozen Do this right before serv1/8 tsp ground cinnamon ing so the fizz stays in the 10 rosemary sprigs for drink. garnish Add the sliced fruit to 1/3 cup granulated sugar the punch, give it a quick for garnish stir.

Rim your glass with INSTRUCTIONS: sugar, pour in the punch Slice oranges and plums and add a sprig of roseinto slices, saving some mary for garnish and color. for garnish and some for Garnish with any extra adding to the punch. orange or plum slices.

In a large gallon container, add cranberry juice with 1/8 teaspoon of cin-

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SANTA CLAUS SMASH INGREDIENTS: ginger, and lemon to a boil Ginger Honey Syrup over high heat, then simmer 1/2 cup honey for 3-4 minutes and remove 1 inch fresh ginger, chopped from the heat. Add mint, cover 8 lemon zest strips and steep 10 minutes. Strain 8 fresh mint leaves out ginger and mint. Stir in 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract vanilla.

Store in a glass jar in the The Santa Claus fridge for up to 2 weeks.

1/2 cup pomegranate juice The Santa Claus 2 oz. bourbon In a cocktail shaker, juice of 1/2 a lemon combine pomegranate juice, 1-2 oz. (2-4 tablespoons) bourbon, lemon juice and ginger syrup 2-4 tablespoons of the ginger Ginger beer or sparkling syrup. Shake to combine. water, for topping Strain into ice filled glass. Top with ginger beer.

INSTRUCTIONS: Garnish with fresh mint and Ginger Honey Syrup pomegranate arils, if desired.

Bring 1/2 cup water, honey,

andy’s choice

Potatoes are in season!

By Andy Mellgren

There are many ways in which to enjoy potatoes.

Some of the most popular ways are fried, mashed, salad and my favorite – liquid, you know, vodka!

The vodka market continues to be the most popular category of liquor in the United States.

Today, most vodka is distilled from corn, wheat and other cereal grains, such as rye or rice.

Vodka can be distilled

from nearly anything such as potatoes, beets, grapes and grass.

The process involves the main ingredient (potato, rye, corn) being distilled to 97% ethanol and then cut with water.

There are rules. To be vodka there must be NO character, NO aroma, NO taste and NO color. Huh? Yes, quite the opposite for basically every other liquor category. Essentially vodka is alcoholic water. It should be clear, crisp and clean. Some might argue (including me) that the source of water or the main ingredient matters in how smooth and crisp the vodka finishes or “tastes.”

Vodka is perfect for creating cocktails as it matches and pairs with a wide vari-

ety of flavored mixes, sodas, fruits and fruit juices.

Here is a simple and refreshing cocktail. We’ll call this the Club Potato or Potato Highball.

1 oz. potato vodka, an ice cube or two, about 4 oz. club soda and a squeeze of lemon or lime.

Personally, I find that potato vodka has a smoother and cleaner finish than others made from grains. Just my opinion. Do your own homework, get together with

some friends and try a potato vodka, make some cocktails and decide for yourselves.

Here are some fabulous recommendations: Gruven from Poland Chopin from Poland Luksusowa from Poland Blue Ice from Idaho And of course Minnesota’s own Little Round, still produced right up the road in Wadena!

Twoje zdrowie!

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November/December 2022 Chicz

11

This Thanksgiving,

grill your turkey

If you’re feeling adventurous this Thanksgiving, why not try grilling your turkey. Grilling gives your bird that amazing smokey flavor and spices up your holiday.

OUTDOOR CHARCOAL GRILLING (Directions are for whole turkeys 16 lbs or less.)

Removing cooking grate and open all vents.

Place drip pan in center of charcoal grate and add 25-30 briquettes along each side (lengthwise) of drip pan.

Allow charcoal to burn until covered with gray ash, about 30 minutes. Place cooking grate in grill over coals.

Remove giblets and neck from thawed turkey and drain

juices. Pat dry with clean paper towels.

Bend wings back to hold neck skin in place and tuck legs. Brush or spray entire turkey with cooking or vegetable oil.

Place turkey, breast up, on cooking grate over drip pan.

Cover grill, leaving vents open.

Add 6 to 8 briquettes to each side every 45-60 minutes.

Using a meat thermometer, cook turkey to internal temperature of 180 degrees in thigh and 170 degrees in breast.

A 10-16 lb. turkey will take 2-3 hours to grill. When done, remove and let stand for 15 minutes before carving.

NOTE: Don’t stuff a turkey that you plan on grilling.

Source: butterball.com

OUTDOOR GAS GRILLING Lift grate and place a drip pan on the lava rocks or ceramic briquettes. Replace grate and prepare grill for indirect heat cooking according to the owner’s guide. Preheat for 10-15 minutes on high with lid closed.

Remove giblets and neck from thawed turkey and drain juices. Pat dry with clean paper towels.

Bend wings back to hold neck skin in place and tuck legs. Brush or spray entire turkey with cooking or vegetable oil.

Lower temperature to 350 degrees.

Place turkey, breast up, on cooking grate over drip pan.

Close lid; cook, opening lid only when necessary.

Depending on how the burners are arranged on your grill, you may need to turn the turkey over halfway through the cooking time so that it cooks thoroughly.

Using a meat thermometer, cook turkey to internal temperature of 180 degrees in thigh and 170 degrees in breast.

A 10-16 lb. turkey will take 2-3 hours to grill. When done, remove and let stand for 15 minutes before carving.

Make sure to safely thaw your turkey this Thanksgiving

Turkey is the main event at Thanksgiving and you’ll want to make sure that your bird is safe to eat. To do that, you need to thaw your turkey safely. Below are the recommendations by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service:

When thawing, turkeys must be kept at a safe temperature. As soon as a turkey begins to thaw, any bacteria that may have been present before it was frozen can begin to grow again.

As soon as you buy your turkey, you need to take it home and store it in the freezer. It should never be left in the car trunk, on the porch or any place the temperature can’t be monitored.

REFRIGERATOR THAWING When thawing a turkey in the refrigerator, you need to plan ahead, allowing 24 hours for each 4-5 pound if your refrigerator is at 40 degrees or below.

Place turkey in a container so that juices don’t drip on other foods.

THAWING TIMES (whole turkey): 4-12 pounds – 1-3 days 12-16 pounds – 3-4 days 16-20 pounds – 4-5 days 20-24 pounds – 5-6 days A thawed turkey can remain in the refrigerator for 1 or 2 days before cooking.

12 Chicz November/December 2022

COLD WATER THAWING Make sure turkey is in a leak-proof plastic bag to prevent cross-contamination and prevent turkey from absorbing water. Allow about 30 minutes per pound.

Submerge the wrapped turkey in cold tap water. Change water every 30 minutes until the turkey is thawed. Cook the turkey immediately after it is thawed.

COLD WATER THAWING TIMES: 4-12 pounds – 2-hours 12-16 pounds – 6-8 hours 16-20 pounds – 8-10 hours 20-24 pounds – 10-12 hours After cooking, meat from the turkey can be refrozen.

MICROWAVE THAWING Follow microwave oven manufacturer’s instruction for defrosting a turkey. Cook it immediately after thawing because some areas of the food may become warm and begin to cook during microwaving.

Essential oil blends to freshen your home at the holidays

Whether it’s the scent of fall or the fragrance of winter, give your home the aroma of the holidays with essential oil mixtures that recreate your favorite scents of the season.

Christmas morning Candy cane 2 drops orange 2 drops fir or pine 2 drops cinnamon

Manger

3 drops frankincense 3 drops myrrh 1 drop sandalwood

Gingerbread house 3 drops ginger 2 drops clove 1 drop cinnamon

4 drops wintergreen 2 drops cinnamon

Christmas tree 3 drops cedarwood 3 drops balsam fir 2 drops pine

Christmas cookie 2 drops lemon 2 drops bergamot 2 drops cinnamon 2 drops clove 1 drop nutmeg

Eggnog

8 drops nutmeg 2 drops vanilla 1 drop cinnamon

Campfire

Apple pie

3 drops cedarwood 2 drops cinnamon 2 drops sandalwood

4 drops cinnamon 2 drops nutmeg 2 drops ginger 2 drops lavender

Warm cider Crisp leaves 3 drops orange 2 drops cinnamon 2 drops ginger

Pumpkin spice 5 drops cinnamon 3 drops nutmeg 3 drops ginger 2 drops clove

3 drops eucalyptus 2 drops lemon 2 drops peppermint 1 drop lavender

Fresh air 3 drops peppermint 2 drops eucalyptus 1 drop lavender 1 drop sweet orange

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By Melanie Danner

BEADED CORN

(Pinterest) TOOLS AND SUPPLIES: Pony beads 12” Pipe cleaners

TOILET PAPER ROLL CHRISTMAS TREE (Pinterest)

TOOLS AND SUPPLIES: Toilet paper roll Paint Pencil/Pen Scissors Glue/Glue gun Findings (gems, buttons, stickers) DIRECTIONS: Draw a pine tree on one side of the toilet paper roll.

The point should be at the top of one end and the trunk

should end about 1/2” from the other end.

Gently fold the toilet paper roll in half and cut out the tree. Be sure to cut the end with the trunk, keeping a ring at the bottom for the tree stand.

Paint your tree and let it dry completely.

Use the glue to add your gems, buttons or stickers.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!

DIRECTIONS: Take four 12” pipe cleaners and twist them in the center to create eight equal sides.

Your pipe cleaners should look like a star.

String each side with beads (about 15 beads), leaving about 1” on each side without beads.

Once each strand is covered, it’s time to shape your corn.

Gather all the ends together and twist two to three times.

Then fan out the ends to create the husk.

This would look super cute arranged with a few small pumpkins or gourds.

NATURE’S THANKFUL PUMPKIN

(Pinterest) TOOLS AND SUPPLIES: you find? Leaves, bark, maybe Cardboard a pine cone or two?

Pencil/Pen Then it’s time to head inside, Scissors Draw a pumpkin on a piece Glue/Glue gun of cardboard.

Finding from outside (bark, Cut the pumpkin out, leaves, etc.)

Glue your findings on the pumpkin.

DIRECTIONS: Discuss what you are First, bundle up and head thankful for as you glue the outside. What fun objects can items together.

14 Chicz November/December 2022

craft stick sled

WHO’S THERE?

(Pinterest) TOOLS AND SUPPLIES: Black and brown craft paper Standard cupcake liners Mini cupcake liners Googly eyes if available Pencil/Pen Scissors Glue/Glue gun Markers or crayons

DIRECTIONS: Cut a tree branch out of brown paper.

Glue the branch on a sheet of black craft paper towards the bottom.

Next, glue a standard cupcake liner right above the branch for the owl’s body.

Cut a crescent shape from one of the standard cupcake liners. This is going

to become the head.

Glue the liner, with the points facing up just above the body.

Draw feathers on one of the mini liners.

Glue to the center of the body.

Draw eyes on two of the mini liners or you can glue googly eyes, one in the center of each.

Glue the eyes to the owl’s head.

Take a standard liner and fold in half.

Glue one on each side of the body.

If desired, you can glue the crescent to the top corner of the black paper.

Who’s there?

(Pinterest) TOOLS AND SUPPLIES: Crafts Sticks A picture of your child, posing pretending to sled.

Glue/Glue gun Findings (gems, buttons, stickers)

DIRECTIONS: Take a photo of your child pretending to sled or a picture of your child sledding and cut out.

Glue a craft stick across three craft sticks to create the sled.

Add the picture to the sled, mine decided to be daring!

Embellish the sled with fun gems, buttons, or stickers.

Let’s go find the sledding hill!

November/December 2022 Chicz

15

CROSSWORD CLUES ACROSS 1. Polish city 6. Very eager 10. Identifies a specific person or thing 14. Tennis great Naomi 15. One concerned by professional advancement 17. PGA Championship reward 19. A fashionable hotel 20. Norse mythology afterlife location 21. Stood up 22. Car mechanics group 23. Weather forecasters use it (abbr.)

24. Broken branch 26. Astronomy unit 29. East Asian nursemaid 31. ‘Airplane!’ actor 32. Exclamation that denotes disgust 34. ‘Batman’ villain 35. Downfalls 37. Philippine province 38. Once-vital TV part 39. Valley 40. Tax 41. Classic Scorcese film 43. Subway dwellers 45. Book part 46. Taxi 47. Pancakes made from buckwheat flour 49. Swiss river 50. Founder of Babism 53. Have surgery 57. Withdrawal from a larger entity 58. Lot’s father 59. Greek war god 60. 2,000 lbs.

61. Lemur

WORD SEARCH

SUDOKU

ANORAK ARCTIC BALACLAVA BITING BITTER BLIZZARD BLUSTERY CHILLS

CHIMNEY COLD DECEMBER DRAFTY DREARY DUVET EARMUFFS EVERGREEN

answers on page 19

16 Chicz November/December 2022

FIREWOOD FLANNEL FLEECE FLURRIES GALE GLOVES HOCKEY ICICLE

CLUES DOWN 1. Quarrels 2. Right away 3. Comedian Carvey 4. Egyptian unit of weight 5. A Brit’s mother 6. Tropical tree 7. One who speaks Gaelic 8. NHL legend Bobby 9. Vacation spots 10. Military personnel 11. Shakira’s don’t lie 12. Wimbledon champ 13. Teletypewriter 16. Mistakes 18. Whale ship captain 22. Thus 23. From end to end 24. Kids love him 25. One and only 27. Fencing swords 28. Taxis 29. Basics 30. Refuse of grapes 31. Go quickly 33. French ballet dynasty 35. Most open 36. Popular soap ingredient 37. US time zone (abbr.)

39. Items of food 42. Backbones 43. Infrequent 44. Blood type 46. ‘Let It Snow!’ songwriter 47. Dutch colonist 48. Pike 49. Egyptian sun god 50. A cardinal is one 51. From a distance 52. Bolivian river 53. N. American student organization (abbr.)

54. River (Spanish) 55. Chinese life force 56. Chinese surname

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RICE

continued from page 5 wanted to do a full search for her birth parents.

“John and I talked about it and I talked with my folks,” she said. “I didn’t want to upset them, but they said they knew the day would come and were very supportive.”

Tina was told that Lutheran Social Services could only spend up to 90 days doing the search and as she neared that 90-day mark, her research person, Cindy, still hadn’t found anything. However, she told Tina she would continue looking.

“It took her eight years,” said Tina, noting that Cindy said it was the longest search she had ever completed. She also said that the reason it took so long is because her birth mother had lots of different last names, lived in the same area since 1971, but hadn’t worked so there wasn’t much of a paper trail.

Rita was found through an adoptive sister in California. Turns out that Rita’s parents both died when she was young and she and her five siblings were all adopted by other families, Tina said.

Tina had believed she ended up finding her birth father after doing some research herself, along with doing the DNA Ancestry test. She sent a registered letter to a man living in New York explained who she was, saying she didn’t want anything but was looking for medical information and even included a photo of herself.

“He replied via his work email that he was not the person I was looking for,” Tina said.

MEETING HER BIOLOGICAL FAMILY In 2009, at the age of 39, Tina, John and their two kids drove to Ohio so she could meet her biological mom and her half-sisters.

“My research person, Cindy, had prepared me the best she could, but I was not prepared for what I experienced,” said Tina, noting that they had been exchanging letters back and forth with her family and that they were not comfortable hearing about her own family.

The meeting didn’t go as planned. Tina said her family was poor and lived in extreme poverty and that the conditions were less than ideal. No one, including the children running around, had clean clothes on.

18 Chicz November/December 2022

Tina Rice of Alexandria, left, who was adopted as a baby, met her biological mother and two half sisters, in 2009. Rice, her husband, and her two children, drove to Ohio to meet them.

“All the adults were smoking and not all legal substances,” she said.

Tina shared a photo album that had pictures of her at various stages of her life.

Rita, her birth mother, told Tina she didn’t want to give her up and then explained what happened.

Apparently she had joined a commune in New York City and became pregnant while there. She had left her abusive husband and ended up having an affair with Vincent. Rita’s father and her husband picked her up from the commune and then drove her to an Unwed Mother’s House in Fargo and left her there, forcing her to give up the baby.

Tina said she and her family didn’t spend more than a day and a half with them.

“I felt very overwhelmed and needed to process everything, so we left,” she said.

She ended up not having a very good relationship with anyone in her birth family, except for an aunt. There were some trying times between her birth mother and her half-siblings and it was a Facebook post that her husband saw – the family had blocked her – that she learned that

her birth mother had passed away.

“I finally got to talk to someone and was told that I ‘was a disappointment to mom and that she never really cared about me in the first place,’ that I was a horrible person and they never wanted contact from me again.”

Except they did make contact again – to her husband, asking him for money. She said he ignored them.

She has continued doing research on her birth family and found out that they came to America from Sweden and they actually came to the Douglas County/ Grant County area.

“I was able to find my great-greatgrandfather, Petter Setterlund (also spelled Sutterlund), who moved here in 1883. His brother, Axel, carved the heart-shaped runestone in Elbow Lake,” she said. “I was able to find their graves in Zionsborg Cemetery in Douglas County. It was exciting to find that I had a connection to

Tina and John Rice, left, are pictured with their children and their significant others at the 2022 Minnesota Renaissance Festival.

this area and that there is still Setterlunds in the area. Maybe sometimes I’ll find the courage to contact them.”

THOUGHTS ON ADOPTION Tina said she feels bad for people who seem to “blame” being adopted on things that are wrong with their life because she truly believes that life is what people make of it and that everyone has choices. Yes, she knows there are some things that are out of people’s control that make it seem like they don’t have a choice, but she said they do have a choice with how they feel about it and deal with it.

She also believes that the adoption process is far too expensive and that it robs people of the opportunity to have a family unless they are wealthy. She said in the 1970s it was expensive and that nowadays it is almost impossible. She wishes it was less expensive so more babies could be adopted.

When asked what being adopted means, Tina said there are so many things and that it can sometimes vary depending on the day.

Tina Rice, far right, is pictured with her adoptive “I sometimes wish I would have had a parents and three of her siblings. better relationship with my birth family, but I feel that way with my adopted family, too.” and not my adopted one, either. In the end, she said. “At different times in my life, it though, it has made me feel thankful for made me feel like an outsider, that I didn’t what I do have and brought me closer to belong anywhere, not with my birth family my husband and my kids.”

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Slow cooker

baked apples

By Lori Mork

I had an abundant honeycrisp apple crop this year and am always looking for a great apple dessert. Baked apples a tasty treat and are a great way to use some of those apples, but to make it even easier, why not try this no-fuss slow cooker option?

SLOW COOKER BAKED APPLES INGREDIENTS: 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup rolled oats 1/3 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 tsp. salt 5 Tbsp. butter, divided 5 mediumlarge apples 1/2 cup water

INSTRUCTIONS: In a medium bowl, add oats, flour, brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon and salt.

Stir to combine.

Core apples using an apple corer or sharp knife. Slice off the top of the apple so that the top is even.

Stuff the empty apple cavity with the oats mixture, pressing down firmly to pack in. Cover the top of the apple with additional oat mixture.

Add water to the crockpot and carefully place apples in so that they are standing upright. Add a tablespoon of butter on top of each apple. Cook on low for 4-5 hours or high for 2 to 2-1/2 hours.

Remove from the crockpot and let cool for 5-10 minutes.

Optional: Top with ice cream and/or salted caramel sauce.

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Trending

accessories Do you need accessories for the holiday season? If so, here are some of the most notable trends of the year.

JEWELRY Massive bracelets are in. Wear them on your bare arm, over a long glove or atop a sweater sleeve. Choose a single, extralarge cuff or stack several smaller ones together for an ultra-chic look. Go for maximum sparkle by combining your bracelet with a chunky gold chain or dangly rhinestone earrings.

FOOTWEAR Add pizzazz to any outfit with disco-style platforms, white ankle booties or flared block heel thighhigh boots. To give your ensemble a playful grunge edge, slip on a pair of long wool stockings.

Opt for fashionable footwear in your favorite neutral or a frivolous bright color.

HEADWEAR The best hats add a finishing touch to a well-layered outfit. A balaclava will give you an air of mystery whereas a cowboy hat says you’re ready to kick up your heels for the evening. Alternatively, a faux-fur cloche hat will give you an enigmatic air that turns heads wherever you go.

BELTS This season’s belt trends focus on extra-wide and corset-type styles. Wearing two or three belts at once is also trending. Choose identical pieces or mix and match.

BAGS Current handbag trends offer an embarrassment of riches, from mini shoulder bags to mediumsize clutches to slouchy totes. For the holidays, you can’t go wrong if you carry a purse with a braided strap, metallic finish or gold chain embellishment.

for women Holiday outfit ideas

Do you want to ramp up your holiday wardrobe? To inspire you, here are some of the latest fashion trends.

over another elegant piece. For a more daring look, wear your sheer black sheathing with chic underwear.

GORGEOUS IN GREEN From emerald to lime, green is one of the season’s most popular colors. For a festive and fun look, adorn yourself from head to toe in the shade you like best.

SYNTHETIC FUR Faux-fur pieces will warm you up in style. Build your signature look with a cute jacket, full-length coat or a voluminous cape. Red, beige and gray are the current colors of choice.

THE ROARING TWENTIES The opulence of the 1920s continues to inspire fashion designers around the world. Chic minimalist cuts, voluptuous boas, shimmering fabrics and cheeky fringe create the perfect blend of frivolous and refined.

SHEER BLACK Find a transparent skirt, dress or pair of pants, and layer it

ULTRA-SHORT SKIRTS The low-waisted mini-skirt, also known as the micro-mini, is ready for its comeback. For full marks on trendiness, choose one dotted with cut-outs and pair it with a crop top.

To create the perfect holiday look, visit your local shops.

November/December 2022 Chicz

22

contributing writers Andy Mellgren

Lowell Anderson

Lori Mork of Lowry is a mother, grandmother and dabbler in all things food, photography and decor related.

TM

Melanie Danner

23 Chicz November/December 2022

Al Edenloff

women!

January/Febriary

2022

TM

From doodles to drawings

TO ART

Al Edenloff of Alexandria and his wife, Celeste, were married in the heart of California wine country and enjoy sipping wine on their weekend date nights.

Shannon Swenson is a Life Coach at Encompass Coaching in Alexandria. She enjoys cooking and reading and is a nature, animal and classic car lover.

Shannon Swenson

e for FUN

a Magazin

Melanie Danner of Alexandria is an at-home mother and craft lover.

The best

DEVILED EGGS a Magazin

e for FUN

women!

TM

May/June 2022

Lori Mork

Andy Mellgren is the Director of Operations for Plaza and Downtown Liquor.

Lowell Anderson is a photographer at the Echo Press newspaper.

March/April 2022

Celeste Edenloff

Celeste Edenloff is a reporter for the Echo Press. She enjoys perusing her social media accounts, running and participating in races with her husband, Al.

A feeling of

HYGGE

With love,

GRANDMA

Fashion trends

2022

dry TIPS forski n winter

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