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SAVOUR

HOLDING SPACE FOR WELLNESS Page

PRATT HOMES CELEBRATES 50 YEARS Page

CONTEMPORARY CABIN IN THE WOODS

SPRING 2023

THE JOY OF LIVING MAGAZINE Page

SAVOUR MAGAZINE Vol. 10, No. 2

COPYRIGHT © 2023 PRESS PUBLICATIONS

Material may not be reproduced in whole or part in any form whatsoever.

Publisher

Carter Johnson

Managing Editor

Shannon Granholm

Editor

Corinne Stremmel

Photographer/

Photo Editor

Paul Dols

Marketing Director

Patty Steele

Advertising

Brad Solem

Production Manager

Melissa McElin

Production Designers

Laurie Ericson

Zoey Nguyen

Mary Peterson

SaVour Magazine connects our readers and local businesses through personal stories and compelling images. We foster shared ideas to highlight creativity, the beauty of nature and perseverance. Our mission is to humanize the economic and community impact of supporting local merchants. The majority of content is paid for by our advertisers.

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From the SAVOUR TEAM

The SaVour team is ditching our winter coats and putting our snow shovels in storage because we’re officially declaring it spring. When discussing the spring issue, the first thing that came into our minds was wellness. We had just written our New Year’s resolutions in the hope we’d at least keep them by May and somehow our own personal wellness

goals seeped into our pitch meeting. In this issue you’ll find that wellness can encompass many different things. Perhaps it’s spiritual wellness where we get in touch with our emotions with the help of a local wellness instructor or maybe we’re creating a home that acts as the perfect escape from our busy lives. You’ll be sure to get a healthy dose of both in our local business profile and

home and design feature. If you’re wanting a more traditional route to feeling healthy, we have some delicious and wholesome recipes from Kowalski’s that are sure to jumpstart your way to a happy and healthyfeeling spring.

— With sincere gratitude, the SaVour team

SAVOUR SPRING 2023

Cover

Holding Space for Wellness:

How One Stillwater Instructor is Connecting with Her Community

By Corinne Stremmel

Photos by Paul Dols

When it comes to wellness we typically think of eating right or exercising, but Kali Higgins knows there are other ways to be well.

“When I think of people starting their wellness journeys, they think 'oh I need to go to the right studio or take the right class'. Just remember it’s all inside you, and if you hold that pure intention in your heart, you’ll find that sense of wellness,” Higgins explains.

Higgins' career has been centered around helping others in their wellness journey. She worked as a doula, herbalist, and yoga instructor and eventually

wanted to create her own space for wellness.

“At a point I had a dream of opening a Korean spa, and I’d always loved going to K spas.”

Higgins was asked by a property owner in Stillwater if she was interested in taking over a former yoga studio space as a studio of her own in order to revive the community. It was the community aspect that stuck with Higgins, who saw this as an opportunity to create her own wellness center.

Finding the perfect space turned out to be a challenge for Higgins. After going through the process of finding two different

locations to run her business, her second space flooded.

But Higgins is the type to know that when something doesn’t work out, it must lead to something better.

“I remember when the second studio flooded, one side of me was just like ‘this is so crazy,’ but my spiritual side told me to go with the flow,” Higgins explained.

Ever since her studio flooded in February 2022, Higgins has maintained her commitment to helping folks on their wellness journey all over the Stillwater area. Now Higgins has taken up a spot in the St. Croix Art Reach office space, offering astrological readings and flower essence readings.

“These practices can be good for emotional blockages. Doing something that can clear your head is good for the rest of your body. I really believe the state of your mind informs the rest of your body,” Higgins explains.

That’s how Higgins runs many of her yoga sessions. Her students come for both the physical aspect of class as well as the spiritual element, which is what Higgins does best.

Though losing her space made Higgins pivot the way she practices wellness, she knows there is still a

need for her teaching.

“With the pandemic a lot of things changed. Some people started taking classes online, and now I can do stuff over Zoom. I can still reach a lot of people even if I don’t have that physical space,” says Higgins.

Higgins has been showing up all over the area, leading her winter retreat at Dunrovin, teaching Girl Scout troops at the library, and running a prenatal yoga class at Yoga Fresh in Woodbury. While it’s taken some time for Higgins to adjust to what is next, the most important thing she’s held on to is her connection with others who are seeking spiritual wellness.

“When I’d have breath work events, I’d have people come in from Menominee, Madison, Maple Grove, and Minneapolis. It’s like people were coming together energetically for a reason,” Higgins says.

As for what’s next for Higgins, she’s still settling on what feels right for her, whether it’s a new space or a new chapter of her spiritual journey. She just knows she doesn’t want to do it alone.

“I really feel like collaboration and working together is what’s next for me. I’m really open to working with other people who want to provide a space for people to heal, connect, and feel human again.”

X350 Lawn Tractor

Passion Fruit Smoothie Bowl

Servings: 2 people

Ingredients Directions

• 12 oz. frozen passionfruit pieces

• 1 cup (approx.) frozen mango chunks

• 1 banana (optional)

• 2 tbsp. Kowalski's Pure Honey (or more to taste)

• 1 1/2 cups (approx.) Kowalski's Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice or nondairy milk

• Toppings, to taste: sliced pineapple, kiwi and strawberries; Sugared Sliced Almonds; fresh mint leaves; chia seeds and fresh passionfruit halves

1. Combine all ingredients except toppings in a blender; blend on high until smooth.

2. Pour into 2 serving bowls; top as desired. Serve immediately.

Recipe provided by Kowalski's Markets

Green Goodie Smoothie

Servings: 2 people

Ingredients

• 1 cup chopped kale, no stems

• 1 cup seedless green grapes

• 1 cucumber, sliced

• 1 Granny Smith apple, cored and chopped

• 1/2 cup water, or more as desired

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor; purée until smooth. Thin with additional water, if desired.

2. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 2 days; shake before serving.

Variation

For a Green Goodie Smoothie, add roughly 2 cups ice, 1 cup low-fat plain yogurt and 2 peeled bananas to ingredients. Serves 4.

Recipe provided by Kowalski's Markets

BORN & BUILT IN WHITE BEAR LAKE

At the base of a steep and windy road barely large enough for one car, sits a sleek, modern cabin that doesn’t compromise cozy for contemporary.

“It takes on this elaborate treehouse feel,” says architect Brian Hinz.

The home, which is only a few miles outside River Falls, WI is carefully tucked away in the treetops just off the bank of the St. Croix. Upon spotting the home, the clean lines and geometric angles almost feel out of place, but that’s the whole concept of the home, mixing two very different ideas in order to get a one-of-a-kind result.

Whether it’s mixing the indoors with the outdoors, or a log cabin with a modern home, this property is the best of both worlds when it comes to feeling off the beaten track while still having all the bells and whistles of a contemporary home.

With high demand for waterfront property and its remote location, building this cabin escape presented a few challenges. The only way Thomas Building Company and architectural firm Studio EA could build a home so close to the river was if there was an existing structure.

Luckily, the team found a property

CONTEMPORARY Cabin in the Woods

By Corinne Stremmel

with a small cabin near the river that the house could be built out from.

“First and foremost we had to respect the footprint of the original cabin that was built here. The only way we could do it was by staying in that exact footprint,” said builder Thomas Bystrzycki.

Construction began in 2011 with the help of some clever design work. While the team had to stay within strict guidelines of the cabin’s footprint, architect Brian Hinz decided to cantilever out much of the home, leaving it with a canopy-like effect.

“As you go up each level it feels like you are getting higher and higher up into the canopy,” said Hinz.

Level one acts as an introduction to many of the themes repeated in the home’s design. Sheets of raw steel, hidden closets, and nearly undetectable light fixtures lean into elements of contemporary design while a wall of Eastern Yellow Pine adds a sense of texture in the home’s foyer, giving it that log cabin feel.

“The Eastern Yellow Pine has been harvested to extinction unfortunately, but we wanted to include it in the entryway,” said Bystrzycki. “It’s truly unique, we got the wood from a granary

up in Duluth which was the only granary in the country that was built with it. I have maybe five more of these slabs left, and it was the perfect time to use it.”

Even the stairs leading up into the main area of the home had to undergo several phases before finding the right design.

“We probably had 30 iterations of these stairs. We wanted to try it with center beams, cantilevering it out, attaching it to the wall, floating it out, but we settled on these steel stairs, which actually feel pretty soft when you’re climbing up them,” Hinz explains.

The home’s kitchen follows the invisible kitchen trend, hiding everything from the pantry, to dishes, cabinet handles, and even the sink.

“Part of building this home with entertaining in mind was that you could just close the door to all of the mess,” said Hinz.

The kitchen is completely open into the dining room, making it perfect for entertaining, plus the invisible kitchen gives the look of zero clutter. The kitchen island doubles as an eating bar as well as the perfect prep station with hidden compartments for knives, cutting boards, and ingredients.

Photos by Paul Dols

With entertaining in mind, the home includes an outdoor kitchen just off the dining room that feels like an extension of the indoors. In the summer months, the dining room can open up right onto the cantilevered porch which includes outdoor kitchen appliances plus a pizza oven.

Back inside, the dining room includes two hidden drink fridges and an eye-catching slab of Arabesque marble for the dining room table, which was hand delivered by the Stillwater hockey team.

“We had about nine hockey players come up here to deliver marble. It’s super breakable, so it has to be supported at all times, we need each one of those guys to transport it,” said Bystrzycki.

The living room includes one the home’s most

stunning views of the river just opposite of a patinated cold rolled steel wall.

“When you cold roll steel it gets this discoloration as you can see on the wall, which we actually kept because it creates a nice purple and greenish color,” said Bystrzycki.

In addition to the public entertaining spaces, the main floor includes private spaces like a cantilevered sunroom just overlooking the property’s ravine and a deep green bathroom as a reminder that you’re in the forest.

“Even the bathrooms are like a little resort in themselves, each one has a different experience, a different energy and that adds to the fun of the home,” said Hinz.

Upstairs into the true canopy of the home is a more subtle division of public and private. The upstairs bedroom features the same Eastern Yellow Pine slab on a custom-made headboard, a generous walk-in closet, dual shower, and a sun filled reading nook, all of which can be closed off when entertaining. Just off the bedroom is another outdoor porch with a hot tub, which required even more imagination to install.

“There are a lot of limitations when you’re building in a location like this so we build the entire place using a lull. We basically had to find a way to lift the hot tub over the top of the home,” said Bystrzycki.

The top floor features another heated outdoor porch with a spectacular view of the river. The top floor views don’t end there. The third floor bathroom features its own window just over the sink to provide scenic views while guests wash their hands. Plus the bathroom features a blue mosaic of shadowy trees to give the exact feeling of being up in the canopy.

And because the home is close to the river, the cabin wouldn’ t be complete without what the building team affectionately referred to as the “dorch” or dock porch, where guests can park their boats and walk up to the cabin.

Just like the rest of the home, the cleverly named dorch is the perfect mix of two must-haves for a cabin made for entertaining. Instead of asking for one or the other, this property is the blueprint for mixing cozy and contemporary while redefining the classic cabin.

Pratt Homes Celebrates 50 Years

By Debra Neutkens | Photos by Pratt Homes

Pratt Homes has stood the test of time.

When Len and Lowell Pratt started their custom home-building company in 1973, the brothers were continuing a path started in college where they paid their way as carpenters.

There was plenty of work after graduation in the construction business, Len recalled. And there was something about the tangible evidence of a day’s work they found appealing.

“You can stand back and look at your progress: ‘That’s what we did today,’” Len said.

Fifty years later, the

Vadnais Heights company has grown exponentially to a crew of 40 highly skilled employees who build the products they sell.

“We always pride ourselves on maintaining our own in-house carpentry staff to ensure the best quality,” pointed out Art Pratt, Lowell’s son and president of construction operations. Art grew up on job sites and has a true passion for custom home construction. He stepped in as partner after Lowell semi-retired.

The family business is centered in the northeast metro, where the Pratts

grew up and still live. Their specialty is premium homes with price points at $600,000 and up. “We’re not into expediency or less expensive,” Len said. “We’re into detail. Properties must have unique characteristics in a context that has appeal, space and good backdrops.”

The work is especially gratifying, continued Len, because they have an identity that survives. “Our homes are permanent and become a statement for our customers. We look at neighborhoods we’ve done and there is a quality

of experience, in my book, that has an afterglow.”

Pratt Homes’ mission is exemplified in neighborhoods like Hugo’s upscale Fable Hill: Building developments that honor a community’s heritage while volunteering personal time and profits to give back to those communities.

Pratt Homes donated land, for example, to the White Bear Lake school district to build Oneka Elementary. That served two purposes, Len explained. “What is good for children matters to me a great deal. It’s also impossible to sell houses

that don’t have visual evidence there’s a quality school nearby. We make sure components for our neighborhoods are well served.”

Their quest for excellence has not gone unnoticed. The Pratts have earned a long list of accolades during their 50 years.

Both Len and Lowell were inducted into the Minnesota Building Industry Foundation Hall of Fame and they were named as two of the 100 most distinguished alumni from the University of Minnesota College of Education and Human Development. They’ve been recognized as “Builder of the Year” twice from the Builder’s Association of the Twin Cities, now rebranded as Housing First Minnesota. Art will chair the organization in 2024.

Lowell led lobbying efforts at the Capitol for a law requiring builders to be licensed and complete continuing education. Pratt Homes holds Minnesota Builder License No. 1 in recognition of Lowell’s efforts after the law passed.

Specialty products like luxury villas are a hot market for the builder. The one-level patio homes come

with three-car garages and grounds maintained by an association. They’re popular among empty nesters looking to downsize. Their signature villas are present in Hugo, Lake Elmo and Woodbury and under construction in a new North Oaks development called Spring Farm.

Remodeling existing homes is also a significant part of their business. “That has really grown, particularly during the pandemic,” Len noted. “People were ‘ugly’d’ out and looking for a change.”

Pratt Homes believes distinctive design, exceptional locations and attention to detail are what set them apart from other builders. But it’s also about outstanding service and a personal touch.

“Being the best local home builder is about more than simply putting in the work – it’s also about caring,” Len said. “We understand home building and remodeling and we are here to guide you through every step of the process.” For more information on the custom homebuilder and remodeler, visit pratthomes.com.

We understand home building and remodeling and we are here to guide you through every step of the process.”

Len Pratt President, Pratt Homes

Honey Pecan Granola

Servings: 16 people

Ingredients

• 4 cups old-fashioned oats

• 2 cups sweetened shredded coconut

• 2 cups chopped pecans

• 1 1/4 tsp. kosher salt

• 3/4 cup canola oil

• 1/2 cup Kowalski's Pure Honey

• 1 cup chopped dried cherries

• 1 cup chopped dried dates

• 1 cup chopped dried apricots

• 1 cup golden raisins

• 1/2 cup raisins

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, toss together oats, coconut, pecans and salt.

2. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together oil and honey; pour over granola mixture, stirring until well coated.

3. Pour onto a large rimmed baking sheet; bake in a preheated 325° oven until granola is golden-brown (about 35 min.), stirring 1-2 times.

4. Cool on pan for 45 min.; stir in fruit.

5. Serve alone or with milk or yogurt; store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 weeks.

Recipe provided by Kowalski's Markets

EXPECT MORE... The Madores

We are a mother-daughter duo who have over 50 years of combined real estate experience in a variety of market conditions. This leads to streamlined and smooth transactions from start to finish, resulting in happy, repeat clients. We take care with our clients and are extremely competent in handling what is often our clients largest financial asset.

When selecting a full-service Realtor you want someone who has the experience that matters with a commitment to representing your individual needs. When you work with us, we work along side you as your trusted advisors. We work exclusively with you throughout the entire process providing individual attention and guiding you through the steps to homeownership, whether buying or selling.

We work throughout the twin cities and into western Wisconsin. We specialize in waterfront properties, however, we have a wide range of experience in all things real estate and are backed by Edina Realty, the market leader for 23 consecutive years. We have consistently received Edina Realty’s highest achievement of Executive Circle, awarded to the top 3% of agents within the company of 2300 agents.

Kathy is a graduate of the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and Lisa is a graduate of St. Catherine University. We look forward to the opportunity to work together!