Noteworthy

HEAL

IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH THROUGH SERVICE

AROUND THE HOLIDAYS, many people seek out ways to give back through service or financial gifts. And there’s good reason to make the former a priority, as research has found that volunteering has significant health benefits. This is true for both “self-oriented” volunteering as well as “other-oriented” volunteering.

Self-oriented volunteering is that which is done primarily for the benefit of the one providing the service (i.e., volunteering to gain perspective, practice discipline or for other self-improvement purposes). Other-oriented service is volunteering for the sole purpose of benefiting those who receive the service.

What is interesting is that both types of volunteerism produce comparable health benefits for the volunteer. Time and time again, research has shown that volunteering positively correlates with the following aspects of health:

• Greater life satisfaction • Improved self-esteem • Increased happiness • Lower depressive symptoms • Less psychological distress • Decreased mortality and morbidity • Greater functional ability

Contributed by Timothy Borowski, M.S., a natural healthcare professional and founder of Axon Movement, located at Statera Health in Edina. You can find him @timothy_borowski on Instagram.

Denny Schulstad pictured with the bronze sculpture of his golden retriever, which he commissioned in honor of his late wife.

CITIZEN OF EDINA

Denny Schulstad

Denny Schulstad had an illustrious 35-year career in the United States Air Force, rising to the rank of Brigadier General. But in our corner of the world, Schulstad, an Edina resident, is known as a public servant, prolific fundraiser, public speaker and mentor.

Schulstad served 22 years on Minneapolis City Council, representing 30,000 residents of the 12th Ward. Before the pandemic, Schulstad was also giving 30–50 speeches a year, speaking at Memorial Day events, Veterans Rotary meetings and the Edina Community Foundation’s annual Fourth of July Veterans Dinner. While serving as president of the University of Minnesota Alumni Association, he both increased membership to an all-time high of 60,000 and negotiated a solution to an impasse for naming the new campus football stadium.

Perhaps most unique is Schulstad’s involvement with the Minnesotans’ Military Appreciation Fund. In 2005, he co-founded, along with late Edina resident Gene Sit, a statewide nonprofit to thank military members who served in a combat area after September 11, 2001. To date, it has raised $20 million and distributed more than $13 million in grants to nearly 20,000 Minnesota service members.

In addition to all this, as one of the highest-ranking officers in the state, Schulstad has taken the time to mentor hundreds of young men and women in local high schools who were interested in becoming a military officer. As a result, 67 have graduated from the Air Force Academy and numerous others from U.S. Air Force ROTC. One became the commander of Andrews Air Force Base and another the executive director of Kennedy Space Center.

Recently, Schulstad made a donation to the Edina Community Foundation to commission local sculptor Nick Legeros to create a full-size bronze statue of his golden retriever as a memorial to his late wife, Pam. Golden Memories was installed at Centennial Lakes Park this fall.

Contributed by Tina Boher, communications director of the Edina Community Foundation.

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TASTE

Eggnog Sandwich Cookies

IT SEEMS PEOPLE are either adamantly pro- or anti-eggnog. Personally, I absolutely love it, and around the holidays, we typically have a carton in our fridge at all times. Lately, I’ve loved baking with eggnog, embracing more opportunities to enjoy the flavor! These cookie sandwiches are absolutely loaded with eggnog flavor and are a fun treat for the holiday season!

For Cookies:

» 3/4 cups unsalted butter, room temperature » 1 cup granulated sugar » 1 large egg » 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract » 1/4 cup eggnog » 1 tsp. baking soda » 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon » 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg » 1/2 tsp. ground ginger » 1/2 tsp. salt » 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

For Rolling:

» 1/4 cup sugar » 1/4 tsp. nutmeg

For Buttercream:

» 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature » 3 cups powdered sugar » 1/3 cup eggnog » 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract » 1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, and set aside. In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar with electric mixer until well combined, about 2 minutes. (For all subsequent ingredient additions, beat until combined.) Add egg and vanilla extract. Add eggnog, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt. Add flour. In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 tsp. nutmeg. Make dough balls that are approximately 2 Tbsp. in size. Roll each ball in the sugar/nutmeg mixture and set on prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake in the preheated oven for 9-10 minutes, until the edges look slightly golden. The centers will still look soft, but they will set as they cool. Cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

While the cookies bake, prepare the buttercream. In a large bowl, beat the butter with electric mixer for 1 minute. Add the powdered sugar, eggnog, vanilla and nutmeg, beating until combined and creamy. Once cookies are cooled, pipe or spread 2-3 Tbsp. of buttercream between two cookies, repeating with all of the cookies.

Contributed by Taylor Ellingson, a local cookbook author and food blogger at greensnchocolate.com. Find her @greensnchocolate on Instagram.

FATHERDAUGHTER CRUISE

Jennifer E. Smith is a beloved teen author. If you haven’t read her, you may well know a young woman who has. Like Gabrielle Zevin and Rebecca Serle, Smith’s writing has followed her readers into adulthood.

In Smith’s novel, The Unsinkable Greta James, indie rock star Greta James has agreed to go on an Alaskan cruise with her father, Conrad James. James was supposed to take this once-in-a-lifetime trip with his wife, Helen, who died unexpectedly three months earlier. Helen and Conrad’s best friends, the Fosters and the Blooms, are also on the cruise. The three couples have been neighbors in Columbus, Ohio, for decades. Greta’s whole childhood is onboard with her.

The seven days aboard ship bring this daughter and father together in their grief and grievances. Greta has taken a risky and challenging path in following her dream to be a guitarist and rock musician. James may have given Greta her first guitar, but he never dreamed that she would be in her 30s, living in a small apartment in New York and playing stadium shows. Greta is a success, but she is also a worry to her father.

In the midst of these father-daughter dynamics Greta also meets Ben Wilder onboard the ship. He’s a writer and professor, and a romance sparks. This is a great read and would make a wonderful gift this holiday season.

Contributed by Maureen Millea Smith, a librarian and readers’ advisor at the Edina Library and a Minnesota Book Award–winning novelist. You can find her books at maureenmilleasmith.com.

Happy Holidays

As 2022 comes to a close we want to thank our clients for another great year. We are grateful for your partnership and we look forward to helping you create new possibilities in 2023. What can we make possible for your business?

EDINA • 952-285-5800 MINNEAPOLIS • 612-746-5050