SVM_Lake Lifestyle_March 2025 by Shaw Media

Also inside ...

Need quilt supplies?

Area shop owner has got you covered

Rustic retreat has been aging like a fine Pine Cheesecake lovers are in good Kompany

Need a bar? There’s a business that’ll bring one to you

Solar in 2025

Thinking about going solar? Illinois has made big changes to how solar savings work in 2025.

Net Metering has changed.

A new rebate is available to homeowners installing solar in 2025. New solar customers will receive credits to the supply portion of their bill, and will also receive an upfront rebate starting at $300 per kilowatt.

Is solar still worth it?

Yes! Solar helps homeowners cut energy costs, protect against rising utility rates, and gain energy independence.

Plus, Illinois still offers other incentives, like the Illinois Shines SREC program, which provides cash payments for solar energy production.

A home battery system can store excess solar energy for use during peak hours— helping homeowners save even more and reduce reliance on the grid. Maximize savings with battery storage.

Find out what solar looks like for you.

We help Illinois homeowners navigate these updates and design a solar plan that makes financial sense—whether that’s maximizing the new rebate, adding battery storage, or optimizing long-term savings.

MARCH 2025

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PUBLISHER Jennifer Heintzelman

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The White Pines Lodge was constructed in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps in White Pines State Park. The retreat offers dining, entertainment and cabin rentals.

ave you ever found yourself pining for a simpler time, when you could wake up in a log cabin and look outside to see trees instead of traffic? The kind of place where Mother Nature is the innkeeper that keeps the outside world just out of reach. Or maybe you just want to have a bite to eat and take in a show?

You don’t have to go far to find it. About a half-hour southwest of Lake Carroll is a one-stop shop where one thing stops: The daily demands of a routine that’s always in plug-and-play mode. White Pines Lodge offers people a place to unplug and unwind at a rustic retreat that features a restaurant, event space, performance theater, gift shop and 21 log cabins, from March to December.

Ensconced within White Pines Forest State Park, about halfway between Oregon and Polo in Ogle County, the retreat was built 90 years ago during the Great Depression by the Civil Conservation Corps.

“It harbors a lot of family traditions,” said Abby Farrell, area operations manager for lodge owner ExplorUS, a company that operates park concessions across the nation. “People in the area have come here generation after generation to unwind and relax, and they’re out here in nature. There is also the history of the place: A lot of it was built by the CCC and a lot of it is very original and we retain the historic integrity of it. That’s a real cool thing you don’t see often.”

CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@SHAWMEDIA.COM

Of the park retreat he manages, David Larson says

The retreat’s log cabin design, and its origins as a CCC project, led to its designation on the National Register of

in 1985.

but not so well hidden that you can’t find it. Just about a half-hour southeast of Lake Carroll, the park offers a perfect place for R&R&R — rest, relexation, and a retreat. Larson, general manager of White Pines Lodge, is seen here Abby Farrell, area operations manager for lodge owner ExplorUS.

The cabins can be rented for overnight stays, with different options available: 13 one-room, onebathroom cabins with gas fireplaces and queen-size beds, air conditioning, a mini fridge and a TV; larger quad-cabin structures with four bedrooms and bathrooms; and deluxe Romantic Suite cabins with a king-size bed, two futons and an old-fashioned two-person soaking tub.

“It’s a different environment,” Farrell said. “People who are really looking to connect with nature and be grounded, people who want to unwind and unplug, that’s who we’re here for. It gives you an original feeling and an appreciation for real craftsmen work in what we have to offer, in comparison to being in a big city.”

The lodge’s dinner theater performances are its top draw, Farrell said. This year will be the 36th for the performances, whose lineup includes musicians, musical tribute acts, comedy, musicals and the theater’s long-running season-ending performance of “Scrooge the Comedy” in December.

This year’s tribute acts, which come from all over the country, include shows featuring music from The Oak Ridge Boys, Statler Brothers, Beatles, Olivia Newton John, Johnny Cash, George Strait, Eric Clapton, Barry Manilow, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, Elvis Presley and John Denver; as well as a Christmas-themed show with music from Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton.

Original acts include Branson-based country duo Gordy and Debbie, early rock-and-roll cover band Rick Lindy and the Wild Ones, and Vegas entertainer Vito Zatto. Other performances include a Mark Twain-themed musical, a “Getting Better With Age” comedy performance, and a tribute to comedian Red Skelton.

Are you single and ready to mingle with nature? A couple looking for a romantic getaway? Trying to find a spot for a family outing? White Pines Lodge offers 21 cabins in a variety of options to suit guests’ needs.

Whether you stay overnight, or just pop by for a picnic, there’s plenty of beautiful scenery to be seen at White Pines Forest State Park. The 385-acres park offers hiking, fishing, camping, cross country skiing and more. Go to dnr.illinois.gov/parks/park.whitepinesforest.html for more info on the park.

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Dinner theater shows begin with a cocktail hour at 5:30 p.m., followed by a buffet at 6:30 and performances at 7:30. Matinees open for seating at 11:20 a.m., followed by a lunch buffet at noon and performances at 1 p.m. Special ticket rates are available for groups of 20 or more, and all theater patrons get 10 percent off purchases from the lodge’s gift shop.

“We try to make it a really good mix of performances,” Farrell said. “It’s a couple of hours long, and you get food, drinks, entertainment all in one spot.”

The lodge’s restaurant — something you don’t often see at state parks — serves meals from breakfast to dinner, and it’s become well known over the years for its homestyle buffet on Sunday from 8 a.m. to noon. Much of its menu consists of homemade-style entrees such as chicken pot pie and raspberry pie — both “guest favorites,” Farrell said — as well as biscuits and gravy and peach cobbler, along with the typical standard fare and salad bar.

“A lot of our stuff is still done very homemade, and you don’t get that at a lot of places anymore,” Farrell said. “We still take pride in that.”

Those who’ve been to the lodge before may notice some changes this year, as new general manager David Larson brings his 20-plus years of hospitality management experiences to the lodge. He started the job in early February, and is excited to make the lodge and park an even more popular destination for people of all ages.

“This has the potential to have big, fun events, and small family events,” Larson said. “I think of things that you can bring your kid to, to have a couple of hours of fun in the summer with them. Myself, with a 6-year-old, I’m always looking for something to go do that isn’t breaking the bank or sitting in front of a screen. I look at the property as finding out what the untapped potential is that we can do here, how we can go above and beyond with what we’ve been doing for the past few years.”

Looking for a souvenir of your stay at White Pines Lodge? Stop by the gift shop, where you’ll find scented candles, souvenirs, nostalgic candies, food, jewelry, Native American artifacts and more.

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www.elevatedroofinc.com

The lodge and park has evolved since opening in the 1930s, but still retains much of its original style. The park opened in 1927 and the lodge and cabins were constructed by the CCC in the mid-1930s. With its 385 acres of park space and virgin white pine woodland, the park attracts around 350,000 unique visitors a year who come for recreation, hospitality or entertainment. Among the park’s attractions are fords across Pines Creek where motorists can drive through the water. If you prefer a camper to a cabin, the park offers 103 campsites.

While the park itself largely remains the same, the lodge’s events have evolved through the years, and today they offer something for everyone — and both the park and lodge have something in common, too: They give people a reason to come back for more, which is just what Larson hopes they’ll do.

“If you like nature, but you like ‘nature-lite,’ this is a nice gobetween,” Larson said. “If you just want to go out hiking, you can do that. You can go walk by and go on your four-mile hike, and then can go back in the world and let people know where you were. We hope they can say, ‘Here’s where I went hiking, and they also have cabins and a restaurant,’ and all of the other stuff here. It’s definitely a hidden gem.”

White Pines Lodge is located in White Pines Forest State Park, 6712 West Pines Road in Mt. Morris. Find it on Facebook, go to visitwhitepines.com, email info@visitwhitepines.com or call 815-655-2400 for lodging, events and additional information.

The restaurant is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday; Sunday’s breakfast buffet is from 8 a.m. to noon.

For Farrell, that gem is a White diamond — a jewel among the serene surroundings of White Pines State Park.

“We live in such a busy world where everyone’s busy and hustling around, or doing this and that,” Farrell said. “Coming out here gives you the serenity and peace of being out in nature, and having amenities you need.”

Shaw Media reporter Cody Cutter can be reached at 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com.

Evening dinner theater shows begin with a cocktail hour at 5:30 p.m., followed by a dinner buffet at 6:30 and performances at 7:30. Matinees open for seating at 11:20 a.m., followed by a lunch buffet at noon and performances at 1 p.m. General admission and matinee tickets start at $62; discounted prices for seniors starting at $56 and children at $32 are available for evening shows only. Go to the website for a performance schedule or contact the lodge for more information.

The future is fiber internet.

SWEITZER NURSERY,LLC

Jill Shaulis of Yellow Creek Quilt Designs has made a name for herself nationally with her designs and fabrics originating from her Pearl City shop. Shaulis also teaches quilt classes throughout the nation, and will teach one on the pattern seen above in May aboard a cruise ship on the Caribbean.

hey say form follows function. It’s more important for something to work well than look good. But sometimes, form takes the lead.

Take a quilt for example. Its function is pretty simple — to keep us cozy and warm — but its form? Now that’s a different story: Quilts can take countless forms, and they have just as many stories to tell, too.

You can knit ’em or sew ’em, patch ’em or piece ’em. They can be like a fabric photo album honoring a family’s heritage or celebrating a loved one’s memory. Some are works of art, and some are, well, a little crazy. Quilts are like a patchwork of inspiration and creativity. The possibilities are endless and so are the designs, even for someone who’s been making them as long as Jill Shaulis.

The Pearl City native and owner of Yellow Creek Quilt Designs in her hometown has more than 30 years of history at her fingertips, and she’s still creating one-of-a-kind quilts. She’s even managed to make a name for herself nationally through her creations and workshops. CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@SHAWMEDIA.COM

But even though she’s been on cross-country trips teaching her craft, returning to Pearl City is like wrapping herself in a warm quilt, a place where she can connect with fellow quilters. Both novices and experts alike come to her shop for supplies, original quilt patterns, kits for wool appliqué designs, and fabrics, many of which are themed around Civil War reproduction styles.

Quilters would be hard-pressed to find at a big-box store what Shaulis has in stock at her shop. When it comes to what she stocks, she likes to pick fabrics that are personal favorites.

“When we opened, I felt like there wasn’t a lot of availability in the area for quality fabric,” said Shaulis, who’s been quilting since 1989 and owned her store since 1992. “There were a couple of shops, but they didn’t carry the things that I liked. So I decided we needed a place that had quality fabric that I liked. We sell all of the supplies that somebody needs to do quilting and wool appliqué, and they can get the supplies they need here to go home and do it themselves.”

The shop is open Thursday through Saturday,, and Shaulis has helped quilters of different skill levels, from tasks such as getting out of a tricky spot to picking the perfect blends of fabrics and color. If a customer has an image in their head of what they want their quilt to look like, Shaulis can lay out the blueprint for it.

“When you’re going to take the time to make something from fabric, you want it to last,” Shaulis said. Another benefit of her fabrics: “Our customers find that when they get fabric from a big box store, they then find that it’s easier to work with what they get here because the quality is better.”

Colorful stacks and shelves of bolts and fat quarter fabric are found throughout the store. She also stocks notions (tools) as well as the batting that gives quilts their softness and thickness. Books on quilting — including some that Shaulis wrote or contributed to — also are available, along with small gift items.

When Shaulis opened her shop in 1992, she sought to fill a void in the area. “When we opened, I felt like there wasn’t a lot of availability in the area for quality fabric,” she said. “... When you’re going to take the time to make something from fabric, you want it to last.” Today, she carries supplies for quilting and wool appliqué.

PHOTOS: CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@SHAWMEDIA.COM

Shaulis’ quilts, each branded by a line and pattern name, are sold at her store. Her sixth and current line, Meyer House, consists of quilt patterns themed with triangular and hexagonal shapes in the Civil War reproduction style. CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@SHAWMEDIA.COM

Shaulis’ quilts, each branded by a line and pattern name, are sold at the store. Her sixth and current line, Meyer House, consists of quilt patterns themed with triangular and hexagonal shapes in the Civil War style. Each pattern has a name, and the ones in Meyer House — Seven Meyer Sisters, Scioto Mills, Air Waves, The Blue Room and the titular pattern — are a tribute to her father Ken’s family and childhood life. Scioto Mills is a small town in northern Stephenson County, where Ken grew up, and The Blue Room once was the town’s tavern next to the former Illinois Central railroad.

The Civil War-style fabrics consist of both dark and light patterns, typically next to each other, and are “warm colors that fit with most people’s homes and make people feel happy,” Shaulis said.

It was in 2011 that Shaulis earned national recognition in the quilting scene with the inclusion of her store — then called Sew Me Antiques and co-owned with her sister Vicki — as a “Top 10” shop in the U.S. and Canada in Better Homes and Gardens’ “Quilt Sampler” magazine. The recognition led to increased foot traffic, and a name change, to Yellow Creek Quilt Designs, now solely run by Shaulis and her husband Dave (who does the bookkeeping).

For Shaulis, switching from sewing to quilting allowed her to create something that would make a lasting impression.

“Sewing can be its own challenge, getting things to fit, making one particular thing that you’re going to wear only for a short period of time,” Shaulis said. “When I started quilting, the equipment made the process more accurate and more enjoyable. You have something that you can enjoy for years, and that your family can also enjoy.”

Lake Carroll quilters

Shaulis gets customers from both far and near, including some from Lake Carroll, in particular those who are members of the community’s Quilt Club. For nearly 30 years, the club has met once a month at the Lodge to enjoy company, camaraderie and “circle time” to show off their creations. Members make quilts both for personal use or as donations to local charitable organizations.

Donalee Yenney of Lake Carroll has helped Shaulis with her Meyer House works and has cherished a great working relationship with her, she said.

Want to celebrate National Quilt Day?

Share your quilt’s story. The nonprofit Quilt Alliance was established in 1993 with a mission to “document, preserve, and share our American quilt heritage by collecting the rich stories that historic and contemporary quilts, and their makers, tell about our nation’s diverse peoples and their communities.”

So far, the organization said, it’s documented 60,000 quilts and recorded 1,500 stories as part of its QSOS (Quilters Save Our Stories) project.

National Quilt Day is the third Saturday in March — the 15th this year. Go to quiltalliance.org/ for more info.

“The Lake Carroll Quilt Club members are extremely happy to know we have a world-renowned fabric and pattern designer so close to us to answer quilting questions, give suggestions on color or help pick out the perfect backing fabric,” Yenney said. “Our members also love shopping at Yellow Creek due to the large variety of fabrics and wool projects available.”

Shaulis has enjoyed the club’s company as well: “They’re a huge source of my enjoyment,” she said. “They’re a great group of ladies and are great customers.”

Her teaching travels have taken her throughout the United States, but from May 4-11 she’ll be reaching, and teaching, beyond its borders, on the Caribbean Sea aboard Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas cruise ship, during the Legacy Quilting Voyage.

Before she took up fabric education, she taught physical education at Chadwick and Eastland schools, but now that she’s teaching the art of quilting, it’s somewhat of a full circle moment for her.

“When I was going to college, I didn’t know if I wanted to teach phys-ed or wanted to teach art,” Shaulis said. At the time, she followed the money — “I went with the one that paid the most” — but now that she’s teaching quilting, “I get to do art and I still get to teach.”

For Shaulis, it’s the best of both worlds.

“I love being able to have a creative outlet,” Shaulis said. “I love having customers come who enjoy doing what they do, and enjoy having me help. I enjoy the process of creating and sharing with people, and enjoy helping customers make their ideas a reality. It feels good when they feel good about what they’ve been able to do, especially with people who think they couldn’t do it at the start, and then they did.”

Making a quilt or wool appliqué takes its share of time and effort, but when they’re done, the quilt becomes a gift that keeps on giving. There’s a sense of pride and accomplishment in a job begun and done, no matter they’re skill level.

“I’ll have someone who’s not a big quilter but wants to make something for their grandchildren, something pretty basic,” Shaulis said. “Some people come in and are looking to make a milestone thing, like a wedding gift where they want it to be amazing. It allows people to do what they’re comfortable with, and still feel good about it.”

It’s an experience Shaulis has enjoyed sharing with her students and fellow quilters.

“Once you get over the learning curve, like anything, it’s relaxing,” Shaulis said. “You feel like you’re producing something that someone is going to care about. You feel like you’ve accomplished something from beginning to end, you have a product and you did it and made it yourself.”

Shaw Media reporter Cody Cutter can be reached at 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com.

Yellow Creek Quilt Designs, 160 S. Main St. in Pearl City, is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Find it on Facebook, go to yellowcreekquiltdesigns.com or call 815-443-2211 for more information. The Lake Carroll Quilt Club meets at the Lodge at 1 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every month. The club doesn’t meet in January or July due to the holidays. Quilters of all skill levels are welcome. Email nancyaaho@ yahoo.com for more club information.

Whether they’re a gourmet or a backyard griller, people love a good steak — and they don’t mind telling you the best way to cook it either.

Propane proponents say you should taste the meat, not the heat. Fans of the flattop think griddles are great. Kitchen cookers like their beef broiled.

Then there’s the Oregon restaurant that’s staked its claim in the culinary art of cooking the best cuts of beef: charcoal. The cooks at Blackhawk Steak Pit summon their grill power to bring their best to the steaks they cook — rare or well done, they just want to make sure everything is done well.

Sizzling sounds from the large grill at the center of the restaurant blend with the dulcet tones of crooner music on the sound system, flashes of flames add splashes of light to the dimly-lit dining area — and with its selection of meat and seafood, and an even larger lineup of wines and spirits, Blackhawk Steak Pit has become a destination for travelers and food lovers to get out of Dodge and enjoy dinner in the relaxed surroundings of a supper club atmosphere.

Owner Tiffany Cravatta and her staff want to make sure that when their customers come in hungry, they leave happy.

“It’s like the quality of a Chicago steakhouse in the middle of nowhere,” Cravatta said. “It’s a hidden little gem that people come and visit, and it’s affordable compared to the prices there.”

Meat choices range from a 10-ounce filet mignon, to a 16-ounce black angus ribeye and prime rib roast (available Friday and Saturday only), to 20-ounce bone-in New York strips and porterhouses. Still want something bigger? Try a Big Chief center cut top sirloin that weighs in at a whopping 36 ounces (2 pounds, 4 ounces).

Meats are cut fresh each of the four days a week the restaurant is open, Friday through Monday, and its secret seasoning is also made in house each day — but when it comes to the food’s distinct flavor, that’s no secret.

Owner Tiffany Cravatta and her staff work hard to ensure that Blackhawk Steak Pit is more than just a place to eat. “We have people from states away who come just to have dinner here. I’d say after nearly 50 years, it’s kind of become a destination.”

CUT T

“Charcoal just makes a big difference,” Cravatta said. “The difference with the charcoal is the flavor that it gives. If you’re cooking with gas, I don’t think that adds a lot of flavor.

When you’re cooking with charcoal, it adds that charcoal taste to it. When it’s on a flat top, it can cook unevenly; with charcoal, it’s pretty even.

“You can’t go to many places where you can get a charcoal grilled steak other than on a backyard grill in the summer.”

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Other options on the meat menu include chopped steaks, beef shish kabobs, pork and lamb chops, chicken breasts, a gyro platter and a one-pound Blackhawk burger. Seafood plates include Alaskan king crab legs, lobster tails, Rumaki scallops, salmon, shrimp and red snapper filets. Want to try a bite of something a little different? Appetizer selections include calamari, escargot and alligator tail. For the light eaters, there’s a salad bar or a prepared Grecian salad; and gluten-free options are available too. The restaurant’s “little friends” have their own kids menu.

A large bar with two sides of seating is available, as well as a smaller bar with a television. The drink menu includes a wide selection of cocktails, martinis and beer, as well as around 20 red and 20 white wines that range from just under $20 to around $100 a bottle. Gluten-free options are available behind the bar, too: RedBridge gluten-free beer from Anheuser-Busch, made without wheat or barley. For those who might not be up to tackling its generous portions, the restaurant also offers an option that many places don’t: You can split an a meal. Entrees can be cut in half and served on two plates. Big Chief too big for you? Order one and it can be cut into two 18-ounce servings for two. The option is also a good fit for folks who may just be passing through.

Going to grate lengths for a great steak ... When customers hear the signature sound of the sizzle coming from the grill located at the heart of Blackhawk Steak Pit, they know they’re in for a treat. “Charcoal just makes a big difference,” in the taste, says owner Tiffany Cravatta. “You can’t go to many places where you can get a charcoal grilled steak other than on a backyard grill in the summer.”

• SATURDAY: 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM (ALSO OPEN BY APPOINTMENT)

SUBMITTEDPHOTOS

Ample seating is available inside and out at Blackhawk Steak Pit, but reservations are still recommended to ensure you get a seat at the popular dining destination.

“Some people just don’t want to eat a whole ton,” Cravatta said.

“We like to do that because we serve big portions. A lot of people are just traveling through, and they may not be able to take a to-go box with them.” Several options on the menu have a bit of Greek flair to it, particularly with seasonings and sauces. The tastes of Greece come from Blackhawk Steak Pit founders John and Pete Tsioles, twin brothers from Levidi who opened the restaurant in 1978. They sold the restaurant to Cravatta in 2013, and she kept their menu, environment and way they did things largely intact.

The “Blackhawk” in the restaurant’s name comes from the Sauk Native American chief Black Hawk, whose tribe once called the region home until the early 1830s. Travelers coming to the restaurant from the south can get a glimpse of “The Eternal Indian,” a nearly 50-foot tall concrete statue of Black Hawk at Lowden State Park, viewable from across the Rock River. (Want more to do in Oregon? Check out Lake Lifestyle’s article about things to do in Oregon from November 2022 at https://issuu.com/shawmedia/docs/ll_110222/18).

The restaurant can seat up to 185, but tables can fill up fast, so reservations are preferred. Parties and corporate events can also be accommodated in either of the two separate dining areas. When the weather is nice, an outdoor patio can seat about 30 more.

Cravatta and her staff have welcomed many diners, from her regulars to those who are visiting Oregon and want to get the most out of the town, to those who are simply passing through on Routes 2 or 64.

“We get a lot of people who will come out to eat here after going out to hike at a state park, or stay at a hotel for the weekend,” Cravatta said. “We have people from states away who come just to have dinner here. I’d say after nearly 50 years, it’s kind of become a destination.” n

Shaw Media reporter Cody Cutter can be reached at 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com.

Blackhawk Steak Pit, 1429 N. state Route 2 in Oregon, is open 5 to 9 p.m. Friday through Monday. Find it on Facebook, go to blackhawksteakpit.com or call 815-732-2500 for reservations or for more information.

atelyn Glavac and Keri Creason enjoyed playing with their Easy-Bake Ovens as children.

The sisters would plug in their oven and play out their childhood fantasy of running a store, whipping up cakes in their toy oven and “selling” them to customers.

Fast-forward nearly 20 years and the sisters have gone from easy baking to hard work, running their own business where they’re still making cakes, and making their childhood dream come true — and just like when they were kids, mom Tina Glavac is their to lend a hand.

The family owns CheeseKake Ko. — with a couple extra K’s in the mix for the sister’s names — in downtown Ashton, about an hour’s drive southeast of Lake Carroll, where the siblings cater to customers’ sweet tooth with their handmade custom cheesecakes. It’s a business that’s evolved in less than three years, from Katelyn’s desire to make cheesecakes to opening a shop with her family in November.

You won’t find any easy baking here there’s a science to crafting the perfect cheesecake, and Katelyn and her family have mastered their method of making the decadent and delicious delights.

“I wanted to be good at something that not a lot of people were doing,” Katelyn said. “There’s a lot of science behind baking cheesecakes. We bake our cheesecakes in a water bath, because you want to keep a lot of moisture in the oven or else you’re going to have a dry, cracked cheesecake. Being able to understand how your oven works, how much moisture needs to be in there, and your flavors is important, otherwise it’s going to be flat, or super dry or gritty.”

The family of cake bakers have come up with about 200 different varieties of cheesecakes since Katelyn sold her first one, with nearly 50 of them available from its custom order menu. A handful are available by the slice at the shop when it’s open Wednesday through Saturday.

The cakes are crafted, baked and then chilled for 24 hours before being cut into a dozen slices. Each one is made with special attention to make sure its taste lives up to its name, right down to the crusts and toppings, Katelyn said.

“We make any flavor we think of,” Keri said.

Choices range from simple varieties such as banana cream pie, lemon bar and red velvet to creations inspired by cereals and candies, such as Reese’s peanut butter cups, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Fruity Pebbles, Twix and Little Debbie Zebra Cakes. There’s even a cheesecake inspired by Sesame Street’s Cookie Monster — a blue cake with cookie crumbles, chocolate swirls and googly eyes. Can’t decide which one you want? Try a cheesecake sampler, with several samples cut into small squares; small and large samplers are available.

The store also sells cookies and cream puffs.

Since opening its doors on Nov. 2, scenes like this aren’t uncommon at CheeseKake Ko. — customers lining up to try a slice, or a whole cake.

restaurant reopened, her talent for cheesecakes had taken off and she was able to get her desserts on the Flight Deck’s menu.

Katelyn began making cheesecakes — her favorite dessert of all time, she said — during the downtime brought upon by the coronavirus pandemic. The restaurant she worked at, Flight Deck Bar and Grill at Rochelle Municipal Airport, had closed and Katelyn made use of her free time to take on the challenge of baking the perfect cheesecake. By the time the

As the orders — and customers’ rave reviews — grew, it inspired Katelyn to turn a part-time passion into a business, selling at popup markets, stores and other restaurants. Eventually the demand to satisfy orders led her to rope her younger sister in to help her, and later their mother.

“I started making cheesecakes for the restaurant, and then we had a bunch of people asking where they were coming from, and whether they could order full cheesecakes from me,” Katelyn said. “I started to look into how to legally sell cheesecakes, and wound up getting my business license and getting a hold of the health departments to get food selling permits, and then I started selling a couple of cheesecakes a week. Then more people kept hearing about it, and more people were reaching out, and it started to get busy.”

Keri and Tina have enjoyed helping Katelyn grow the business.

“It works well for us,” Keri said. “All three of us have always had a passion for baking. If you would have said when we were growing up, or even five years ago, that this was a possibility, no way. It’s a dream.”

When they’re not busy at the shop they’re coming up with new creations, and no idea is too out there.

“We try to come up with new flavors to entice more people to come back for another flavor that sounds interesting to them,” Tina said. “We’re constantly thinking of more every day. We’re always wondering what we can come up with next. People like to see new stuff come out. When it comes out new, everybody’s wanting it.”

As the demand picked up, it became apparent that if they wanted a bigger slice of the local dessert market, they’d have to step up, and step into a storefront of their own. They found one — fittingly, in a place that also made a business out of slices: the former home of Main Street Pizza. The family worked during the weekends over five months, transforming the pizza place into their dream business.

Their hard work paid off.

They were greeted at the grand opening with a line that stretched outside the front door, and business has continued to be brisk.

PHOTOS: CHEESEKAKE KO. FACEBOOK PAGE

“I never imagined it to grow as big as it did,” Katelyn said. “When it started to grow rapidly, we would always talk about it being so awesome if we had our own store. Now to be actually living it after not that long ago, it wasn’t a thought at first, but it quickly became a goal of ours.”

The store is a three-person operation, and Tina has enjoyed seeing customers try their treats and then spread the word about their cheesecakes.

“The most rewarding thing is when people come here and are like, ‘You guys make the best cheesecakes! No one makes cheesecakes this great,’” Tina said. “It’s very rewarding knowing that the time that you spent doing that is a good product. That’s what we want to do. We want to produce something that people like.”

By having a store, Katelyn has been able to meet more of the people who love her cheesecakes, something that she wasn’t able to do as much with online sales or selling to stores, and she’s come to enjoy meeting new faces and seeing familiar ones return — and the frosting on the cake? Doing something she loves with the people she loves.

“The best part of it for me, personally, is being able to spend every day with my family, doing what we love,” Katelyn said. “Baking has always been a passion of all of ours. Being able to do it, make money off of it and spending every day with your family is the greatest feeling.” n

Shaw Media reporter Cody Cutter can be reached at 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com.

he “I do’s” have been exchanged, the groom has kissed the bride, and the big celebration afterward brings everyone together to raise a glass and make a toast. Love is in the air and spirits are high — and if Lindsay Hardt is there, the spirits are on wheels, too.

Hardt is the driving force behind her Sterling-based business, Roaming Mare, a mobile bar that she’ll set up for weddings, special events and other functions. And if her trailer looks a familiar, that’s because you’ve probably seen ones like it — hauling horses down the highway, which is what it used to do before being upgraded and upscaled into a rustic-styled bar on wheels. It’s equipped with counter space, sinks and fold-out windows, all inside a white trailer with knotty pine accents inside and out, looking right at home at any special event.

She was inspired to put her shoulder to the wheels and start the business after hosting her own special event.

“I had this idea when I was hosting a reunion, and I thought, ‘No one ever wants to be stuck behind a kitchen, always cooking and serving,’” Hardt said. “The host always gets stuck cooking and serving their guests, and never actually gets to enjoy their own party. So I thought, what better thing to do than to have a mobile bar that you can cater to any event?

“Who wants to be stuck doing all of that and serving their guests, and not actually being a part of the party? This would be a great idea to do it,” she said.

When it comes to serving wedding guests, Roaming Mare isn’t Hardt’s first rodeo. The licensed bartender has been on the clock at many wedding receptions, having worked for local event venues for nearly 20 years,

and that’s helped her develop the skills it takes to be a top-notch tender behind the bar: mastering mixed drinks, slinging suds, and developing the art of conversation, all with a smile on her face. When it comes to weddings especially, she knows how important the day is for the happy couple, so she does her part to make sure they stay happy during the reception.

“I’ve been in the event planning business for years at different venues in the Sauk Valley area, and I just love doing events,” Hardt said. “I just love the people, meeting new people, making people’s days perfect, and I love the details of all of it. It’s just exciting, and something’s always different; it’s never the same thing twice, which I love.”

Hardt started thinking about having a mobile bar business in the early spring of 2024. First, she had to nail down the “mobile” part. A truck or a food trailer would have been fine, but how about something a little different — a horse of a different color? Hardt found it in Indiana, at a business that remodels and customizes old horse trailers. Since starting Roaming Mare, she’s hauled her 6-foot-by-11-foot bar to weddings, private parties, community events and corporate functions.

When you hire Roaming Mare, it’s BYOB: You bring your own beverages, and Hardt brings her own bar. Customers supply the drinks they want

Hardt can help plan the drink menu — and she’ll take care of the rest: drinkware, napkins, straws, ice, drink garnishes. She also needs a hookup for electricity; and if there’s a place to hookup for water, that helps, too.

“They don’t have to worry about bringing cups or ice, all they have to be concerned about is providing the alcohol, and we talk about that ahead of time,” Hardt said. Hardt makes a point to contact clients on the day of the event to assure them that everything’s under control to give them one less thing to worry about on their big day, she said.

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“As soon as I show up, I’m ready to roll. I like getting to see what drinks they want to use. Some people are low-key — beer it is and that’s it. Some would really like to have old-fashioneds, margaritas or Palomas. Every event is customizable to their liking.”

The basic rental will get you five hours of bar service for your buck, but if the event runs long, extra time can be arranged for an additional fee. Add-on options include additional bartenders, signage, bistro-style seating and a signature drink of her choice — she’s served summer sangrias in the summer and caramel apple sangrias in the fall.

If hosts want to decorate the trailer in a certain motif, that can be arranged as well.

Hardt’s first year has been a good one, and once word of mouth spreads about her mobile bar service, she expects things to really take off.

“I hope to be a part of people’s special days,” Hardt said. “I hope that people who want that intimate, customizable wedding package can have [the mobile bar], and it makes for a really cute photo op, too. People love going inside it and taking pictures of it. It’s just so versatile that is so different from a traditional venue where you can’t really change a lot of the things.”

Shaw Media reporter Cody Cutter can be reached at 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com.