Plymouth Magazine - October 2022

Connecting Moms

City Mom Collective and Twin Cities Mom Collective provide resources, support and motherhood connections

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DEPARTMENTS

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER

TASTEMAKERS

Baking Flops

Failsafes

Photo: Chris Emeott

“I truly believe that food—the smells, the tastes, the experiences—is what carries

many memories, especially when

heavily related

and traditions.” —Rachel Ingber, founder of Heirloom Collaborative

Experience the Twin Cities’ best selection of Vintage & Estate Jewelry.

MADELINE KOPIECKI

The kitchen is the heart of the home. I know this axiom without knowing where it came from originally or who wrote it first.

I know it, as I’m sure most do, through observation. When interviewing Sarah and Alex Ulici for Keeping it in the Family (page 18), something Alex said struck a chord with me. Before mov ing to Plymouth, the family was living in a condo with a great living room, but nobody would hang out there during gatherings. “Everyone would go to the kitchen,” Alex says.

I couldn’t help but chuckle at this. The comment brought to mind countless holidays with my family. The bar overlooking our kitchen would be stocked with appetizers or fruit and charcuterie, there was ample seat ing in the living room, but everyone gravitated toward being in the kitchen, much to my mom’s distress. “All right, everyone out of my kitchen,” was her refrain, and we’d sheepishly file out (if only temporary).

People gather around food, but they also gather around the making of it. A holiday meal is more than just what hits the table. It’s the traditions and generations behind making it. Plymouth resident Rachel Ingber learned this over the course of assembling a recipe book that memorialized her grand mother-in-law’s baking and cooking prowess. Now, her company, Heirloom Collaborative, gives others the same opportunity to commemorate the food that’s at the heart of their family and the people who make it. You can read more about her story on page 14.

As we move into the holiday season, it’s a great time to reflect on tra ditions; what you do for certain holidays and also how it all got started. My family does a Valentine’s Day fondue that was inspired by the date nights my grandparents had at Stillwater’s Lowell Inn. The staple salad dressing my mom makes on an almost weekly basis came from a Frenchthemed dinner that she and my aunt put together in high school.

It’s also a great time to consider making traditions of your own. What’s something new you’re bringing to the table?

Nealy Lanzen

FITNESS ON THE GO

TRAVEL IS ONE OF the greatest gifts we can give our selves, and the benefits go well beyond taking a break from our lives. It opens us to new environments, cultures, cuisines and experiences.

Staying active should be an important part of any vacation as it helps elicit dopamine, the feel-good hormone, to drive up our energy levels and keep us motivated. It can also help keep you accountable and make it easier to transition back into your daily regimen post-vacation. Here are my top five healthy tips for your next vacation:

• Pack workout gear. Set aside room in your suitcase for sneakers and two sets of workout clothes. If you pack it, your workout gear will be staring at you every day, making it hard to say, “No.”

• Check out the hotel gyms. Go online before you go, so that you know if there are gym options. Take into consideration the hours, rules, equipment and if any classes are offered.

• Track your steps. Wear a fitness tracker, and set a daily goal.

Aim for 12,000 steps per day. This will push you to get out and explore.

• Bring a band. Mini resistance bands will not put your suit case over the weight limit. They pack a big punch and offer similar resistance to weights.

• Explore the area. Being somewhere new brings on a sense of adventure. Check out a new workout that you have always wanted to try, or find out what is popular in the area and give it a go.

Keep in mind that vacation workouts do not need to be as intense as your workouts at home. Give yourself permission to have fun, and aim for 40-50 percent of your normal intensity level. Let’s be honest, you need to save energy for pool, beach or mountain time!

Laurel Famigletti is an area resident and owner of EndorP.H.I.T, where she provides virtual group fitness classes, in-home personal training and virtual nutrition coaching.

VIEW VINTAGE VIBES

October is filled with days of apple orchards, football, MEA travel and Halloween costume planning. In her art series, Pam Eader’s ladies speak to me with their vintage frocks and fashion trends from decades ago. Being a fellow thrifter of timeless threads, I didn’t have to search far for my Halloween costumes as I had the perfect garments in my closet show casing looks from the ’30s, ’50s, ’60s and ’80s. Whatever costume you decide to don, embrace it with a childlike zeal. Be safe, and enjoy all that bitesize candy.

Artist: Pam Eader

Title: Brocade Vest

Scale: 40x30

Medium: Original Oil on Canvas

Hollie Blanchard is a founder and art concierge with The Art Girls. View more at artgirlsmpls.com.

Art Girls Minneapolis @artgirls_mpls

SIP

Creepy Cocktails

Halloween isn’t just for the younger set. Prepare spirited beverages for your over-21 guests at your own trick or treat celebration.

The Zombie Cocktail

» ½ oz. white rum

» 1 ½ oz. golden rum

» 1 oz. dark rum

» ½ oz. 151 rum, optional

» 1 oz. lime juice

» 1 tsp. pineapple juice

» 1 tsp. papaya juice

» 1 tsp. superfine sugar

Mix all ingredients (except the 151 rum).

Shake well. Pour mixture over cracked ice.

If using, float 151 rum on top of the mix ture. To float rum, slowly pour it over the backside of a spoon and into the glass.

For added flair, carefully light layered 151 rum with a candle lighter. Garnish with mint, orange slice or other fruit.

(Smashed) Pumpkin Martini

» 1 Tbsp. sugar

» ¼ tsp. pumpkin pie spice

» 3 Tbsp. vodka

» 2 Tbsp. half-and-half

» 1 Tbsp. canned pure pumpkin puree

» 1 Tbsp. maple syrup

» ¼ tsp. pure vanilla extract

Combine the sugar and 1/8 teaspoon of the pumpkin pie spice on a small plate. Dip the rim of a chilled martini glass in water, and dip in the sugar mixture to coat. In a martini shaker filled with ice, combine vodka, halfand-half, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, va nilla extract and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon of the pumpkin pie spice. Shake vigorously, and strain into the prepared glass.

For big batch beverages that pack a punch, visit plymouthmag.com.

John F. Farrell III is vice president of sales and merchandising with Haskell’s The Wine People. Find more at haskells.com.

Photo: Chris Emeott

Vacation

With the cooler temps, we’ve curated a list of books that will allow you to travel across time and geographies without ever leaving your couch.

The Lioness by Chris Bohjalian is a sus pense novel set in 1964 when a famous movie star, Katie, treats her closest friends to a luxurious Tanzanian safari … which results in a kidnapping. The imag ery of both the African landscape and the old Hollywood glamour is captivat ing. Each character is well developed, leaving readers at the edge of their seats as to who will survive and who will suc cumb to the forces of either nature in the Serengeti or their Russian captors.

The Arsonists’ City by Hala Alyan is a character-driven multi-generational family saga that follows the Nasr family. Three grown siblings from across the U.S. journey to Beirut to reunite as a family, but each is committed to not revealing the secrets they are harbor ing. The book alternates between past and present timelines as well as across the U.S., Syria and Lebanon. Each char acter is flawed and quirky, but somehow you are rooting for all of them. The novel oozes family drama including lay ers upon layers of secrets, resentment, jealousy and shame, which continued up until the novel’s conclusion.

We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter is a beautifully written novel based on a true story about a Jewish family separated during WWII. The Kurc family is full of optimism and strength during a desolate time, which is the key element that brings them back together. I loved how this book follows everyone in the family, the different routes they take for their safety and how it is brought together at the end of the war.

Local bookworms Katie Timcho and Amy Sundet run the book blog @overbookedmoms on Instagram.

Connecting Moms

City Mom Collective and Twin Cities Mom Collective provide resources, support and motherhood connections.

By Staci Perry Mergenthal

“ENCOURAGING MOMS to connect with one another is a huge part of my heart,” Stephanie Flies says.

Shortly after Flies had her first daugh ter, Nora, in 2009, she was desperate to find a community of moms to do life alongside. Living in Scottsdale, Arizona, at the time, she wasn’t finding the resources she desired, so Flies and her friend Joy Cherrick created Scottsdale Moms Blog to gather and connect moms by providing hyperlocal resources and

support, as well as hosting events in partnership with local businesses.

Now, Flies and her husband, Alan, are raising their daughters Nora, Elsie and Audrey, in Plymouth. As CEO, she rebranded and built the site into City Mom Collective (CMC), a network of 75 hyperlocal sister sites reaching moms in various stages of motherhood across the U.S. Now, there are more than 100 mom entrepreneur site owners and 20 national employees.

For example, momcollective.com is the national website and Twin Cities Mom Collective (twincitiesmom.com) is a local resource for directories, events and con tent written and provided by area moms. You’ll find articles and editorials ranging from a mom’s struggle with breastfeeding or tackling the preschool conundrum to top 10 date night locations, Halloween events, Twin Cities guide to holiday lights and tickets to Donuts with Santa.

“I have a passion for ensuring that

Photo: Stacey Woodward of Dream Photography Studio

Stephanie Flies—wearing the pink jumpsuit in center—with Twin Cities Mom Collective.

moms are connected to their communities, and sometimes that means being brave and stepping out and attending an event where you don’t know anybody,” Flies says. “Motherhood isn’t meant to be alone. We are meant to do life and community.”

Hitting all parenting interests, CMC also covers topics like monthly mom must-have roundups from favorite gift idea for toddlers to skin health and subscription boxes. Celebrating motherhood in a podcast, CMC publishes new episodes of Just Add Sprinkles every two weeks.

Since each market has its own sister site, social media accounts and newsletters, it’s not only helpful locally, but also useful when planning travels to cities with a local CMC site.

Her entrepreneurship journey began early. In sixth grade, Flies started a club of friends that walked to the drug store on Main Street to buy Little Debbie treats and walk home to sit and talk in their secret hangout spot.

“I can tell you from multiple times in my childhood and early adolescent years that I have always been a gatherer of people,” she says. “I believe life is meant to [be done] alongside other people … motherhood can be so lonely and isolating, even if you have little people around you or big people around you all the time. There are so many moms I know that just feel so alone. The blood that goes through my veins pumps with this desire to gather people.”

Twin Cities Mom Collective; twincitiesmom.com

Twin Cities Mom Collective

Twin Cities Mom Collective

Podcast:

City Mom Collective;

City Mom Collective

City Mom Collective

Arend

Chalaine Morrow

SCENE A Supply of Success

Meet the business that’s revolutionizing the protein powder market.

By Zoe Deal

SEVEN FIGURES IN SEVEN MONTHS. That’s the growth Plymouth native Ben Zaver has seen since launch ing the whey protein powder company Seeq Supply in October 2021. With a pro tein-rich formula (available in three fla vors) that tastes more like fruit juice than chocolate milk, Seeq is now delivered to homes nationwide from a Plymouth warehouse. That is, whenever they can keep it in stock.

“I knew [Seeq] was going to do well, [but] I didn’t think it was going to go this fast. It’s insane,” Zaver says. “We could not be ordering more!”

After trying a handful of products that he wasn’t very passionate about while attending Mankato State University, Zaver decided it was time to bring a refreshing alternative to traditional protein powder to the mainstream.

“I was like, ‘How is this not a thing?’” Zaver says.

In the pandemic days post-gradua tion, 24-year-old Zaver spent his days researching, making calls and setting goals alongside co-founder Hannah

Top: Co-Founders Ben Zaver and Hannah Perez in the Seeq warehouse.

Bottom: Mango Pineapple and Strawberry Splash Seeq flavors.

Perez. He spent his evenings sitting at the kitchen table with his parents, sharing plans and new knowledge. “My mom and dad helped tremendous ly. It’s cheesy, but they never doubted me … for one second,” he says.

The sugar, gluten and lactose-free powder boasts 22 grams of protein per serving and is available in three flavors: Mango Pineapple, Strawberry Splash and Blue Razz. A scoop of the powder in 12–16 fluid ounces of water creates a clear, refreshing drink with a Gatoradelike color and texture.

Since launch, Seeq’s tremendous suc cess has come primarily from TikTok. Though it took some effort to gain trac tion (40 videos to be exact), a video of a local construction worker sampling Seeq garnered 800,000 views. “Ever since, we’ve just had momentum,” Zaver says. “We literally can’t stay in stock.”

Seeq went through its first shipment of 14 pallets within a month. The next shipment, 38 pallets, sold half during pre order with the remaining 19 pallets soon to follow. And with a few teaser videos to promote the new Blue Razz flavor, Seeq sold out of that, too—in just six hours. Seeq even attracted the attention of billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban after his son stumbled across Seeq on Tiktok and ordered the protein powder. Their rating? 10/10.

“My 83-year-old mother had to get TikTok, and so did I,” Kate Zaver says, Zaver’s mother. “I was a little skeptical [seeing Ben sell Seeq on TikTok], but … it’s pretty amazing.”

With Perez, Zaver and his brother, Will, on board full-time, a warehouse they’ve already grown out of and a shipment of more than 100 pallets on its way, it’s safe to say Seeq has quickly found success.

“It feels like we launched two years ago because so much has happened … but it’s been the best journey of my life so far,” Perez says.

“... It’s been awesome,” Zaver says. “I still can’t even believe [it].”

TASTE

Pass the Plate

Heirloom Collaborative preserves family histories through recipes.

By Ava Diaz

FOOD IS MORE THAN just an experi ence for your taste buds, it is an oppor tunity to unite people together across generations. For Plymouth resident Rachel Ingber, it is this element that makes her work so special. Creating one-of-a-kind cookbooks derived from rich family histories and traditions, Heirloom Collaborative was estab lished in early 2020 after her idea to commemorate her grandmotherin-law’s cooking and baking skills.

Over the course of five years, Ingber gathered recipes and images to design a personalized keepsake. After publish ing, it wasn’t long before other family members and friends wanted a family memento of their own.

“I truly believe that food—the smells, the tastes, the experiences—is what car ries so many memories, especially when food is so heavily related to things like holidays and traditions,” she says. “I grew up having the same dish for a certain holiday every year, so every time I think of that dish it brings me back to those moments growing up where we would celebrate … It just has that connection to memories, and I think that is what makes it so special and unique.”

The process starts with a collabora tive consultation to establish the goal for the book: addressing who it is for, what are they trying to preserve, their family culture, how many recipes they want to include (40 is the average, but

she has incorporated as low as 15 and as high as 75), how many images to incorporate (50 percent of recipes is recommended) and the role that the recipes play in their family.

In addition to the foundational content, Ingber seeks to add other personal touch es such as family stories related to certain recipes, the origin of specific dishes and images of the original handwritten recipe cards. She uses her own template inspired by elements of her favorite cookbooks to maintain her own brand aesthetic while also providing an organized way of show casing her clients’ diverse backgrounds and content wishes. “It is a sentimental piece that is really personal to them … I try to ensure it is everything they want

and feels just right,” she says.

Her favorite part? Learning about tra ditions that vary from her own. “There has just been such an eclectic mix of dif ferent cultures and family history and it is just so exciting to me; the thought of being able to preserve those, not only for the family today, but for future genera tions,” she says.

Creating keepsakes for years to come, Ingber

continue to spread joy through

and bold taste.

Keeping it in the Family

Written by MADELINE KOPIECKI

Photos by CHRIS EMEOTT

Bob Boyer and his team at Boyer Building Corporation are no strangers to working with generations. As an almost 75-year-old, family run company, it’s built into their DNA. “My dad, [Joe] Boyer, he was a small entre preneur,” Boyer says. “[He] did a lot of work in the Minnetonka area, and he retired in 1983. That’s when my brothers and I took over the company.”

This kind of legacy makes it unsurprising that Boyer Building works with multiple generations of clients’ families, too.

When Sarah and Alex Ulici moved themselves and their young family to Plymouth in January 2021, they knew they wanted to remodel their home. When it came time to do so, Sarah’s parents, also Plymouth residents, made a recommendation.

“I did a remodeling project for the parents back about four years ago,” Boyer says. “We did a major master bedroom, master bathroom renovation.” A few years later, Sarah’s parents contacted Boyer Building again with a kitchen remodel project. “And no sooner did we get that done than Sarah calls, and she wants to have her kitchen done,” Boyer says.

Alex says that their house, a ’92 build, is a fairly common Plymouth setup for that era.

The eat-in kitchen featured hon ey-colored cabinets and granite countertops surrounding a small, two-person island. A small, formal dining room adjoined the kitchen.

“The old kitchen had everything,

I would say, people want written down on paper,” Sarah says. What it didn’t have was space to enter tain the way the couple wanted to.

“The island was an island, but if I was trying to host a party or have anyone over, as soon as you would put some food on it, it’s not usable anymore,” Sarah says.

Moving from a condo with a “decent” kitchen and nice liv ing room, the duo knew not to underestimate the magnetism of the kitchen. “Nobody would hang out [in the living room],” Alex says. “Everyone would go to the kitchen, so we wanted to create this central space.”

With that goal in mind, the couple placed a few bids, and Boyer Building’s vision is what ended up drawing them to the company.

“The other bids that we got, they took our idea and told us how much it would cost,” Alex says. “But Boyer came in and said, ‘Yeah, your idea |is great, but how about we come in and do this, and this and this?’”

This back and forth opened up

the couple’s minds to a lot of differ ent aspects of the kitchen, which is what Alex says sold Boyer Building for them. “We were looking for someone with experience that knows how to envision it, because we were knocking down walls and it was hard to picture that,” Alex says.

“One thing I noticed right off the bat when we went into the house was that it was a very traditional home with a formal dining room,” Boyer says. The best way to enlarge the kitchen, they decided, was to push the kitchen into the dining area, nixing it as a separate room. This also gave them the floor room to add an entertaining-worthy 12-foot island, capped off with a two foot butcher block.

With all that additional space, it was time to consider lighting. “It had very poor lighting and very small windows in the kitchen,” Alex says, adding, “You could hardly see anything out of it because it was higher up, so it was a dark kitchen.”

The window had also caught Boyer’s eye. “It occurred to me that, because of the size of the kitchen, as big as it was going to get, that they could afford to have a much larger window,” he says. They sub sequently installed an 8-foot-wide, 5-foot-tall window outside the back wall facing east.

“That’s one thing, I guess you could call it a signature, one of the things I like to do in kitchens is really open them up to the out side,” Boyer says. “People spend so much time in their kitchen, and it’s a shame that you don’t have more natural light coming into the kitchen. It just makes people happier, and I think it’s a real positive for everyday living, more access to the outdoors.”

Left: Before the kitchen and dining remodel.

Right: After the kitchen remodel, featuring the newly added 12-foot island and new lighting.

Before Photos: Boyer Building

ONE PERSON’S “TRASH” …

“One thing that was important to us was we really didn’t want everything to end up in a dumpster,” Sarah says.

“Just because it’s not our style doesn’t mean it doesn’t work for someone else.” The couple sold all of the cabinetry, counters and appliances through Facebook Marketplace.

Although it was extra work on their end, Sarah says she thinks it was worth it. “I know Bob and his carpenters were like, ‘It’s kind of nice to not throw a lot of stuff away,’” she says.

FAVORITE FEATURES

Alex:

“I’m a really big fan of the pot filler we put in. I use it for a number of differ ent things. I like how fast the water comes out, and it’s so convenient with the pots being right there over the cooktop.”

Sarah:

“I think the one other thing I really like is how we don’t have an eat-in kitchen. You walk into our house, and you see where the eat-in kitchen would have gone, [but now] it’s a straight shot to the sliding glass doors of the back that overlook a big willow. It just makes it feel so much more spacious. We have two little kids, so it’s good to have extra space for them to play around, too.”

Aside from natural light, the couple came up with novel ways to brighten the kitchen space, too. “By far the most unique [feature], that I haven’t seen in any house, is that we put LED lighting under the island,” Alex says. “That’s some thing Bob and the electrician said they’d never done before and that they’d start to do.”

The Ulici’s story with lighting doesn’t end there. “We have cabinet lighting; we have lighting in the glass on the top little cabinets,” Sarah says. There are three pendant lights over the island, as well as three banker’s lights over the window, “ ... So that we can control what we want the light to look like,” she says.

Remodeling during COVID-19 did have its drawbacks, mainly supplychain issues. But Sarah says in one case, this led to a happy mistake in their new kitchen design. “The lights that go above the window, we were originally going to do banker’s lights with a pretty long arm,” she says. But out of the three places they went to, each one reported that the banker’s lights would be out of stock for a very long time. The replacement lighting ending up being a successful choice.

With the new kitchen up and running, the Ulici family now has the chance to gather the way they want to. “Every Friday night is pizza night,” Alex says. “We make pizza with kids, my parents come over, Sarah’s parents come over and we are in no way cramped. Everyone’s making pizza on the counter, and you’re not on top of others. That’s the whole purpose of doing this, to bring people together in one nice space.”

Boyer Building, 3435 County Road 101, Minnetonka; 952.475.2097; boyerbuilding.com

Boyer Building Corporation

@boyerbuildingcorporation

PIZZA NIGHT WITH THE ULICIS

Friday Night marks pizza night in the Ulici household—Sarah, Alex, Elliot and Liliana Ulici invite grandparents Carole and Robert Ries to their weekly tradition, featuring homemade crust from Carole and unique pizza toppings.

International artist Juan Diego Perez la Cruz puts down roots in Plymouth.

If you color art with contrast, Plymouth’s Juan Diego Perez la Cruz is a color wheel.

The architect/artist built a career in his homeland of Venezuela but moved in the midst of social unrest. “I was in survival mode,” says Perez la Cruz. “There were fires and mobs of people. If you put any thing outside, it was stolen.”

Argentina was similar but completely dif ferent. “I lived two or three blocks from the stadium,” says Perez la Cruz. “When they scored a goal, you’d feel it in the building.”

At the polar opposite sits peaceful Plymouth, complete with a bird feeder in the yard.

Perez la Cruz has filled rooms with art and artfully worked empty rooms. He’s turned photographs into visual expressions and expressions into photographs. He has both reached out and offered a helping hand.

A plane ticket gifted by a friend sent Perez la Cruz from Venezuela to Argentina, where the artist’s art took a new approach. In offering a helping hand(s), Perez la Cruz works with the local organization Comunidades Latinas Unidas En Servico, (English translation: Latino Communities United in Service), also known as CLUES.

“I’m helping Latino artists create port folios and doing portfolio reviews,” says Perez la Cruz. “If we can find a way, we’ll have an artist residency program.”

The ultimate goal is to get Latinoinspired art into new spaces.

“It’s difficult to get into those circles,” says Perez la Cruz.

Building and Being an Inspiration

Perez la Cruz himself serves as inspiration and his work is inspirational.

In Venezuela, his art explored the con nection between memory, territory and politics. Specifically, his works serve as a link between shared memories and differ ent cultures. He built his case with photos pieced together and apart.

In casting an artistic eye toward politics, Perez la Cruz traded flat art for performance art. “In an empty exhibit hall, I played the national anthem of my country,” he says.

“I’d turn the lights on and hit the ground. I’d turn the lights off and turn them on again and fall back down.”

Picture a man crashing to the ground with the anthem of his country blaring in the background. The symbolism is clear.

While it happened a while ago and in the heat of the disruption, Perez la Cruz counts a particular exhibition as a favorite. “It was near the Caribbean, and the gallery didn’t have air conditioning,” he says. “It was awful and beautiful at the same time.”

Left: An image from the back cover of Memoria Privada.

Right: Tipa - Centro Cultural Borges Exhibition

Written by Daniel Huss — Photos courtesy of Juan Diego Perez la Cruz

Top left: Untitled image from the Velada De SantaLucia Event. 2013, Venezuela

Top right: Image from Centro Cultural Borges Exhibition. June 2012, Argentina

Right: Perez la Cruz talking to a young boy in Mexico. March 2013

Beginning to Grow

In Argentina, Perez la Cruz shared a house with his mentor. The experience changed his art. “In Venezuela, I had only attended technical schools,” says Perez la Cruz. “In Argentina, I was exposed to different tech niques.” He was also exposed to new medi ums. “I did more with videos,” he says.

During the pandemic, Perez la Cruz’ inspi ration moved from photographing objects in his home to taking videos throughout the neighborhood. “I’d grab my backpack and go,” he says, while noting that his travel was limited because of the pandemic. “You could leave your home, but you couldn’t leave your neighborhood.” While this sounds confining, Perez la Cruz thought it to be liberating. “You

didn’t want to go outside in Venezuela,” he says. “It was too dangerous.”

Getting Grounded

During an artist residency program in 2013 in Michoacán, Mexico, family photo albums and historic photographs were few and far between. In response, Perez la Cruz took a different tact in his cultural exami nation. Instead of incorporating historic photos into his art, he created his own.

Sans camera, he scanned faces with a handheld scanner. “It looks like a wand,” says Perez la Cruz. The results, a collagelike effect, were magical.

The artist experienced something com pletely different in another 2013 artist

residency in Skagaströnd, Iceland. Of the town’s male population, half would leave and go fishing for six months, and half would stay in town. “After six months, they’d switch,” Perez la Cruz says.

Family albums, genealogy and histo ries were available for anyone to check out at the town library. “I was shocked,” Perez la Cruz says.

Needless to say, it made for a unique discovery. “I could link the town’s found ing fathers with some of its youngest residents,” Perez la Cruz says. “Everyone stayed in that area their whole lives, and the children looked like their parents, who looked like their parents.”

A genealogic story, in pictures, would follow.

Right: El Mural De Los Idos. Mexico, March 2013

Bottom left: Open house event in Iceland. November 2013

Bottom right: Magnus. Iceland, November 2013

Settling Down

Perez la Cruz’ family moved to the U.S. in stages. First, his brother settled in Miami after leaving Venezuela in 2010. Later, Perez la Cruz’ mother came after recover ing from open heart surgery in Venezuela. “She had heart issues and had been sleep ing on the hospital floor for months,” Perez la Cruz says.

Perez la Cruz’ father would follow his wife to the U.S. after losing his job in the sugar industry. “He signed a referendum about new leadership,” he says. “They published every one’s name in the paper, and anyone working for the state was fired.”

“I was [the] last one [to move to the U.S.],” Perez la Cruz says. “I moved in with my brother after he moved to Plymouth.”

Q+A with Perez la Cruz

Best thing about living in Minnesota? He wanted to say snow, but he couldn’t. As a medium, snow can be tricky. “It’s easy to play with, but it’s tough to work with,” says Perez la Cruz. “I hold it for a few min utes, and my hands get too cold.”

In reality, he loves urbanism and green spaces. “I do projects and journal every time I go to a new park,” he says.

Favorite space?

Without hesitation, Perez la Cruz lists the Weisman Art Museum on the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus as his favorite. “To anyone who has studied architecture, the Weisman building is an icon,” he says. “Before see ing it in person, I had only seen pictures on my phone. It’s different than I thought it would be, but amazing.”

He also has a list of other buildings he’d like to visit. “I’m finding time to go to those, too,” he says.

Will he visit home again?

“I would like to go back to Argentina, but that chapter is probably closed,” he says. “Because of my visa, I would have to first go back to Venezuela and get permission to go to Argentina. That could take a long time.”

In the meantime, a second chapter in Plymouth looks to be a good read.

Constantine Dance Classes

Sign your child up for private or semi-private lessons and rock bands at Bach to Rock Plymouth! All instruments available and all skill levels welcome.

Bach to Rock - Plymouth 4345 Nathan Lane N. 763.208.7847 plymouth.b2rmusic.com

Comfort Keepers® is here to help seniors thrive safely while living independently at home. Our empathetic caregivers are specially trained to provide uplifting care and support. We’re here to help!

Comfort Keepers 524 Central Ave. N., Osseo 763.273.4207 comfortkeepers.com

Offering in-home, customizable, private partner dance lessons for couples and parties. Be wedding ready in as little as one lesson! Community group classes also available. Proudly introducing Minnesotans to the joy of social dancing for over 70 years.

Constantine Dance Classes Serving all the metro area & surrounding suburbs 612.240.8329

Experiencing pain or health problems that won’t go away?

Dr. Lee uses acupuncture and herbs to reduce pain and optimize your health. Book your appointment today to start your natural and holistic journey to a healthier, pain free life.

Dr. Lee Acupuncture Clinic 1907 Wayzata Blvd. Suite 170, Wayzata 763.691.9570 aculee.us

Enjoy food, Enjoy life. Weekly personal chef services and meal prep solutions customized to your family’s needs. Delicious meals prepared in your home by a professional chef.

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New Location - New Look

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things to see and do in and around Plymouth

CELEBRATE VETERANS DAY IN PLYMOUTH

The City of Plymouth honors residents who have served our country.

THE CITY OF PLYMOUTH will celebrate Veterans Day with free breakfast on November 9 for all veterans residing in Plymouth. In order to include everyone and ensure safety of all attendees, breakfast will be drive-thru. During this event, attendees are encouraged to stay inside their vehicles and will be led through a drive that will progress around the Plymouth Veterans Memorial and the City Hall parking lot.

Remembering the Memorial Debuting in 2015, the Plymouth Veterans Memorial expresses the community’s gratitude for those who have served. Located in Hilde Park, the memorial was constructed from Minnesota black granite as part of the Hilde Performance Center’s 2015 renovation.

The memorial wall, with room for engraving the names of 1,300 veterans, is surrounded by benches, a water feature and landscaping. Additions to the memorial are added twice a year. Names can be submitted for consideration to the department of Parks and Recreation and honors all Veterans, not just those who live in Plymouth. —Paige Schuller

All Veterans residing in the city of Plymouth are welcome. Free. 9:30–11 a.m. November 9. Plymouth Veterans Memorial, 3400 Plymouth Blvd.; plymouthmn.gov

LOCAL EVENTS

Last Day of the Farmers Market 10/05

Visit the farmers market before the winter and stock up on locally-grown and crafted goods. All ages. Free. 2:30–6:30 p.m., Parkers Lake Playfield, 15500 County Road 6; 763.509.5000; plymouthmn.gov

The Moors

10/06–10/08

The premiere of Jen Silverman’s The Moors makes its debut at Wayzata High School. This dark comedy blends Victorian gothic tropes with con temporary social issues. All ages. Ticket prices vary. Wayzata High School Blackbox, 4955 Peony Lane N.; 763.745.6600; whstheatre.com

Compiled by Hanna McDaniels and Paige Schuller

2015 debut of the Plymouth Veterans Memorial.

Tuesday Movie Matinee

10/18

Enjoy an afternoon movie with friends at the Plymouth Community Center. This event is for older adults only and a great place to relax, socialize and enjoy a film with the community. Registration is required prior to the event. Ages 50 and over. Free. 1–3:30 p.m. Plymouth Community Center, 14800 34th Ave. N.; 763.509.5280; plymouthmn.gov

Halloween at the Lake 10/28

Come out to Parkers Play field and enjoy a community-favorite Halloween tradi

tion. Join in for spooky themed activi ties, giveaways and treats. Make sure to wear a costume. All ages. Free. 5–8 p.m. Parkers Lake Playfield, 15500 County Road 6; 763.509.5000; plymouthmn.gov

Minnesota Bluegrass Fall Jam 11/11– 11/12

Jam out with other Bluegrass fans at this two day event, packed with musical activ ities for audiences of all ages. Listen to live performances, attend workshops and even perform on the “fireside live” open stage. All ages. Prices vary. Times vary. Crowne Plaza Hotel, 3131 Campus Drive; 601.651.3694; minnesotabluegrass.org

Support Music in Plymouth

11/14–11/20

Shop at The Foursome and Boundary Clothing during the week of November 14, when 15 percent of sales will be donated in support of Music in Plymouth. All ages. Hours of business vary. Shops of Plymouth Town Center, 3570 Vicksburg Lane N.; musicinplymouth.org

AREA EVENTS

Collectors Day 2022

10/01

Stop by the Bell Museum for the first ever Collectors Day, a celebration of 150 years of Bell Museum. Spend the day exploring collections of Twin Cities locals and learn about their collecting process. All ages. Prices vary. 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Bell Museum, 2088 Larpenteur Ave. W., St. Paul; 612.626.9660; bellmuseum.umn.edu

The Bloody Mary Festival

10/08

Stay festive with October’s favorite drink, the bloody Mary. Get into the spooky spirit early to kick off the most mysterious month of the year. Try a variety of different bloody Mary’s from local bars and restaurants. Ages 21 and over. Ticket prices vary. Times vary. Union Depot, 214 Fourth St. E., St. Paul; thebloodymaryfest.com

Sunday at the Walker 10/9

This monthly event is designed for people of all ages with sensory process ing differences. The Walker Art Center will curate the perfect and calm viewing experience, closed to the general public and with accommodations that make the environment less overstimulating. Walk-ins are welcome, but reservations are preferred. All ages. Free. 8–11 a.m. Walker Art Center, 725 Vineland Place, Mpls.; 612.375.7600; walkerart.org

To have your event considered: email plymouthmag@localmedia.co by the 10th of the month three months prior to publication. Due to the fluidity being experienced in the current environment, please note that some events/dates and even some business operations may have changed since these pages went to print. Please visit affiliated websites for updates.

Halloween at the Lake

A Haunted Evening of Classical Compositions

10/13

Get ready for some spooky tunes with the Listeso String Quartet. Music con ducted ranges from Thriller by Michael Jackson to the Stranger Things theme song, Survive Ages 6 and up. $30. 6–7:05 p.m. Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1200 S. Marquette Ave., Mpls.; listeso.com

Leaf Fest

10/15

Get out and see the beautiful fall leaves at Caponi Art Park’s annual Leaf Fest. Enjoy an afternoon of fall festivities. Between the various crafts and outdoor activities, there is sure to be something for everyone to “fall” in love with. All ages. Free. Noon–4 p.m. Caponi Art Park, 1220 Diffley Road, Eagan; 651.454.9412; caponiartpark.org

Nickelodeon Booniverse Pumpkin Carving 10/30–10/31

Stop by the Mall of America and see your favorite Nickelodeon characters’ images carved into pumpkins and enjoy Nickelodeon Booniverse, complete with Halloween decorations and other spooky attractions. All ages. Admission prices vary. 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Mall of America, 5000 Center Court, Bloomington; 952.883.8800; nickelodeonuniverse.com

Scarecrows in the Gardens

Through 10/31

Take a stroll alongside some friendly faces at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Enjoy a fall day at the arbo retum, and check out the scarecrows before they hang up their straw hats and retire for the winter. All ages. Admission prices vary. 9 a.m.–7 p.m. Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, 3675 Arboretum Drive, Chaska; 612.624.2200; arb.umn.edu

Baking Flops to Failsafes

Jessica Van Hemert talks baking tips and getting kids into the kitchen.

WRITTEN BY HILARY KAUFMAN PHOTOS BY CHRIS EMEOTT

STRESS BAKING— for some, it results in dozens of chocolate chip cookies or a new interest in sourdough bread. For Jessica Van Hemert, it resulted in a busi ness: Haute Chocolate, a wholesale bak ing company that supplies local eateries with fresh baked goods.

Van Hemert first started baking as a way to relieve stress from her 70-hour weeks as a senior program manager over seeing IT projects. “My stress relief has always been baking,” she says. “I would bake and bring in cookies for teams because nothing makes people get along like chocolate chip cookies.”

Although the cookies and other treats helped to relieve some of the stress, the job ultimately led to health issues. So, after 10 years, she left that role— but continued to bake.

Van Hemert, from Plymouth, got her start in 2015 at Ze’s Diner in Woodbury when it was looking for someone to come in and bake for them every once in a while.

“I thought, you know what, this could be fun,” Van Hemert says. “And so, I start ed going in, and eventually it just kind of evolved itself into a business.”

Van Hemert, who now supplies good ies to Nina’s Coffee Café and other local Twin Cities businesses, didn’t get where she is without a few baking fails along the way.

“My [baking] background is growing up, like so many people, watching their mom or their grandma cook, trying it them selves and having things flop and then try ing again,” says Van Hemert. “The IT part of me asks, ‘If this flops, why? What can I do so it doesn’t happen again?’ I will do my research into why it happens.”

Many at-home bakers know the expe

rience of a baking flop: cookies that won’t rise, brownies that are overbaked, sunk en-in cakes and the list goes on. Avoid these common baking problems with Van Hemert’s tips.

For flat cookies: Van Hemert recommends letting the dough chill before baking, so the fat in the dough will melt less and the cookies won’t spread quite so much. If thinner cookies are more to your taste, go low and slow. Bake your cookies at a lower temperature for a longer period of time, allowing them to spread.

“Don’t be afraid to try a test cookie,” says Van Hemert. Cookies offer a great opportunity to play around—feel free to make adjustments to each sheet of cook ies you bake.

For cookies and brownies: Van Hemert warns against overbaking. Keep in mind that once out of the oven, the baked goods will continue to cook internally for a couple of minutes.

“I take my cookies out wet and my brownies out when they look about 90 percent of the way done,” says Van Hemert. That’s the secret tip to perfect brownies.

For brownies:

“The center shouldn’t be gooey, but the brownies should still a little bit under,” she says. “A good way to test that is to put a toothpick in about 2 inches from the bot tom of the pan. If that comes out clean or just a little bit wet, it’ll set really nicely.”

For sunken cakes: Van Hemert says to get creative. Try

PREFERRED SBA LENDER.

crumbling it up and rolling it with frost ing to make individual cake balls— cake pops are trending, after all.

While there’s usually always a way to salvage a baking mistake, sometimes you have to think on your feet. “The best way to do that is to always have on hand ice cream, whipped cream or even Jell-O,” Van Hemert says. “Because if you, for example, take out your cookies, cake or brownies and they’re overdone, all you have to do is crumble the [dessert] up into chunks and layer them in a pretty glass bowl with whipped cream, Jell-O or ice cream and call it a trifle.”

Or, if trifle isn’t your cup of tea, turn an underbaked dessert into an ice cream sundae: Portion it out into bowls, warm it up in the microwave and top with a scoop of ice cream.

“Sometimes the flops end up being the best thing ever,” says Van Hemert. “[Sometimes] you make a mistake, you pull it out and go, ‘This tastes better than anything I’ve ever had.’ So, I just roll with it and go.”

Mistakes are how we learn, and bak ing is a great way for people of all ages to learn and have fun—not to mention, you always end up with a sweet treat.

“You can really use it as a learning experience and a teaching tool,” says Van Hemert. “With younger kids, you can say, ‘We need this many cups of flour,’ and have them count that out. If they’re older, give them the recipe and have them read it out to you. That reinforces a reading experience.” And don’t be afraid to get out of the kitchen.

“With older kids, let them take charge,” says Van Hemert. “You’d be surprised at how kids, ages 10–13, rise to the occasion. [Parents can] be the sous chef or let them take care of dessert completely.”

As to what to bake, “You have failsafe recipes,” says Van Hemert. “Things that are no-bake, things you can supervise like Rice Krispy treats or chocolate chip cookies. Start with the box mix, and let the kids put the ingredients in.”

Have fun with it, and don’t stress out too much! “I think that [baking at home is] the best way to learn,” says Van Hemert. “Because you learn from a place of love.”

FIRST

Picture Plymouth

These pups make for a perfect photo.

“WHEN THE DOGS were standing on the bed look ing out the window, I saw that they were lined up per fectly, and I knew I would not have much time to get a perfect shot,” says Plymouth resident Kim Laberge. “I love the challenge of getting a perfect shot with a good composition and good lighting.”

Photographer: Kim Laberge

Waiting for Grandpa

iPhone 11 Pro Max

To view other Picture Plymouth photo contest winners, visit plymouthmag.com.

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