North Shore, MN
I love the North Shore in the wintertime. Yes, it can be bitter cold. But, it is simply beautiful as well.
On the way up to the North Shore I always stop in Duluth to get a bite to eat. I can never wait long enough to make it to Two Harbors, so Duluth it always is.
My stop in Duluth included a trip to Duluth Grill. I have been talking up this place with many friends and on here after my summer trip. You can read about it HERE.
Duluth Grill serves really good food. The portions are huge and there are so many options I think it would take me a year to eat all of the combinations. I stopped here for dinner this time and because it was a Friday they had fish specials. I tried both the meat loaf and salmon. Both were delicious. I cannot remember anything that I have ever had there that I did not like though. The salmon came with smashed sweet potatoes that were cooked just right with a bit of brown sugar on top. The service was great and made me sad that we don’t have a Grill in Minneapolis. Hint, Hint.
Another stop I have to make is in Grand Marais at the Fish Market. I always pick up fish to make during the trip. It is always fresh and cooks up quickly. I also like the salmon dip from here as well. It is a wonderful appetizer for a wintertime party (see below). I have never eaten at the Fish Market because it does close after New Years for a bit and by the time I get there they are done serving food. I am going to make it a stop on the next summer trip I take.
Also in Grand Marais I like to stop in all the local stores especially the Sivertson Art Gallery with work from artists like Dave Gilsvik and Jim Brandenburg. It is fun to look at all the different artwork and sip tea. Many of the artists live in the North Shore and their art reflects many of the sites of the North Shore. It would be like taking a piece of the shore home with you.
In Grand Marias I also enjoy the trading post because of all the great brands that they have there. I can always find something to use. This year I bought a pair of gloves with fur that are missing the fingers. I like them when it is not too cold outside because it is easy to grab my bus pass.
We always stay in a VRBO rental (Vacation Rentals By Owner). It is a great way to do a vacation with a larger group or if you like to cook. This year we stayed in Tofte, MN. I liked Tofte because there are a few shops and gas stations not too far away for supplies. I haven’t stayed in any of the hotels in the area but, I am curious as to what they are like as well. I am a sucker for a pool. Also, stay on the lake because the views are breathtaking.
If it is not too cold out, take a hike. There are so many places to hike in the area. If you have snow shoes there are cleaned paths that you can take as well. Many of the local gas stations and stores have maps. My best suggestion is to ask a local.
On the way home I stopped at Sir Ben’s. Deli by day, bar by night. I love the relaxed atmosphere and the beer selection. It is a really fun place to be. Try whatever their special is that day or whatever on the menu speaks to you. I have yet to be disappointed.
because you gotta get, get, get away.
@mplsgossipgirl
Uptown Condo Fire Benefit at Amore Victoria
On December 29th a large fire demolished a condo building in Uptown Minneapolis leaving the approximately 20 residents displaced. Many of them lost everything that they own. It is great to see a local restaurant doing everything that they can to help their neighbors get back on their feet.
Amore Victoria, a restaurant in Uptown is having a benefit and silent auction for the residents on January 9th at 6PM. They will be donating proceeds from everyone dining out that evening. They will also be offering $3 beers from Schell’s who will be there to promote their beer. Those who attend also have an opportunity to bid on silent auction items from local businesses.
You can go to the Amore Victoria event facebook page HERE, where you can find updated information on the event.
They are continuing to take donations from anyone who can offer a gift cards and are looking for donations from businesses for the silent auction at the restaurant. You can contact Amore Victoria on their website HERE.
You can also make a cash donation directly to the Uptown Condo Fire Fund at any Wells Fargo location.
Amore Victoria is known for their Italian food and has an old world feel. I hope you can get there early and support other fellow Minneapolis residents. You can make reservations for Amore Victoria on Open Table HERE.
because wouldn’t you want someone to help you if this happened to you.
@mplsgossipgirl
Thank you @WShaneSchmidt for requesting this gossip.
Top 20 New Things to Try in 2013 in Minneapolis
Every year I try to make goals, usually they involve weight loss or cooking a meal so many times a week. This year I needed a change, I picked 20 new things to try for 2013. Goals should be fun and it should be fun completing them.
I encourage you to leave me comments or Tweet me (@mplsgossipgirl) to help me on my quest to complete my list. I am looking for suggestions, helpful advice, and items for my list for next year.
Top 20 New Things to Try in 2013 in Minneapolis
1. Brewing Beer– I love to drink it. I should learn how to make it. I would love to travel to Vine Park since I am a bit low on space. Or even try to make my own at home with Midwest Suppy or Northern Brewer. What do you think?
2. Go to a Pop music concert– I haven’t been to one in years but there is something about going to a Christina, Madonna, or Justin Bieber concert that makes your toes tap. Who is coming to town?
3. Take a Class at The Loft. Clearly, I like to write. I have been dying to take a class at The Loft Literary Center for a while. What were your favorite classes?
4. Find a new hole in the wall restaurant. And share it with all of you. Any suggestions are welcome and I am willing to travel anywhere in Minnesota to find a new favorite place.
5. Enter a baked good in the Minnesota State Fair. I love the fair and I love to make baked goods. I am hoping my grandma who is a ribbon winner will help me. If you have any suggestions of what I need to do as well. Let me know.
6. Travel somewhere outside of Minnesota. Love you MN, but I need to do some outside travel.
7. Learn how to can foods. I really like curried pickles which means I need to make them myself. Do you know where I can take a class? Maybe I will enter them in the State Fair too!
8. Discover a new thrift store. I am open to suggestions, please send them to me!
9. Go to a winery. Or maybe a winery tour of many wineries. Where have you gone? Have you been to Northern Vineyards, Falconer Vineyards and Winery, Cannon River Winery, Alexis Bailly Vineyard, or St. Croix Vineyards?
10. Go see an IMax Movie. I know that this is silly but I haven’t been to one yet.
11. Travel to a small town in Minnesota for a weekend trip. Any town suggestions?
12. Go to a Gopher Football game. I want to go to a game in the new stadium and cheer on the gophers.
13. Do live band karaoke. Where is the best place?
14. Run a 5K. Did I mention I cannot run. I prance. So I will prance the 5K. What is the best 5K in the Twin Cities?
15. Go to a show at 1st Ave. I think it would be fun to go and see a band that I might have never heard of. I am open to suggestions.
16. Take a walk over the Stone Arch Bridge. Sometimes it is nice to do something relaxing.
17. Visit the buffet at one of our casinos. Just for fun! What casino has the best buffet?
18. Dakota Jazz Club. I love jazz and I had some of the food from the Dakota Jazz Club at the Food and Wine Show last year and it was delicious. I need to get there. The whole needing to pay to get in to pay for dinner scares me a bit. But, I need to take a jump off the cliff and try it.
19. Go to the Opera! I am hoping to go see a show at some point this year with the Minnesota Opera.
20. Do something uniquely Minnesotan. I don’t know what this is particular goal is… but I will know once I partake in something uniquely Minnesotan. What do you think is something that every Minnesotan has to do?
because 2013 is going to be epic.
@mplsgossipgirl
A Wonderful Place to Take Your Pet- Lyndale Animal Hospital
Many of my loyal readers may have noticed that I haven’t been writing much lately. This is because I recently lost a part of my family. Baby Nugget, my cat sadly is no longer with us. I was lucky to have her in my life to brighten my days.
Baby Nugget became part of my family when she was adopted from the Animal Humane Society. She was perfect for my home because she was independent and like to snuggle. She was a senior cat and even though she was a little bit slower than a kitten she was still ready to come and snuggle whenever I came home. Her favorite show to watch was Maury.
Baby Nugget’s favorite meal was fresh salmon. Her personality of of external indifference was merely a cover for her warm cuddly soft true colors. She would accompany me to cat film festivals, picnics in the park, and keep me company during flu season.
When I first brought Nugget home we brought her in for a check up at the Lyndale Animal Hospital. We went in on a weekend and met Dr. Koppy. Who did a short check up and talked to me about her care.
Dr. Koppy was also very helpful in treating Baby Nugget during her end of life and helping our family make decisions regarding our pets care. I cannot thank all of the staff at Lyndale Animal Hospital for all their help during this hard time.
The care, compassion, and empathy the entire staff showed during my time of need was truly appreciated. Whenever Baby Nugget was brought in the staff always treated her as family member, because that is what she was to me.
@mplsgossipgirl
Top Holiday Treats from Wuollet Bakery
I love this time of year and I love sugar. But, I am horribly unprepared for holiday gatherings this year. So, to make it easier on myself I thought I would go pick up some treats from Wuollet Bakery instead of stressing over making something sub-par myself.
Here are my top picks:
Gingerbread houses are a fun project for families or as a secret team building holiday office party game. I love the cute houses that are in the window at the Downtown Wuollet’s. Since I don’t have the patience I would go for the already build one but, they do have several packages that include make your own gingerbread house or already built and ready to be decorated gingerbread houses. You choose.
Custom decorated cakes and cupcakes! Lavona who works at the Downtown Wuollets is an expert decorator, she has been working for Wuollets for 36 years. She can create any idea you may have for your holiday party or elf cupakes for your elf on the shelf to eat.
She also is an artist and made all of the cute Stanta’s and Elf’s in the downtown store. You can find her decorating in the window a few times a week.
The holiday Yule Log is basically a Hostess Ho-Ho but one that will not survive the apocolypse because it is made from all real ingredients. It is festive, delicious, and easy to share. It would be the perfect item for after your Christmas Eve meal to have with a cup of coffee.
I cannot stop raving about the peanut brittle. This is a great price for handmade peanut brittle made by the owners of Wuollet’s.
Last but not least, Opera Squares. They are a bigger version of a petit fours and is adorable. They would be a great fancy dessert at your Christmas Table.
Stop in to your local Wuollet Bakery or visit their website HERE. Most locations have special holiday hours, so if you need something last minute you can stop by.
because share the holiday and your treats with those you love.
@mplsgossipgirl
Client Gifts for the Holiday Season
One of the hardest gifts to choose is a gift to give to your clients or employees. If you are business owner you want to send something that is personal, easy to coordinate, and something that most people enjoy receiving.
I recently stopped in to the Wuollet Bakery in Downtown Minneapolis and they showed me some potential gift ideas. My favorite part is that you can completely customize your package to fit your needs. They work with all types of budgets and have some really great ideas to show your clients and employees that you care.
For those with a large budget, they make towers with many items inside. You can even top it with a cookie with your logo on it. (pictured above)
One of the most popular items to give is the peanut brittle. Laura who works at Wuollet Bakery told me that the owners actually make it themselves. They are hands-on business owners. If you visit Wuollet Bakery’s facebook page it is rumored that there is a video showing how they make it.
I also like the idea of including a cookie assortment. Your client can then bring them to a family gathering to share. Most are bite size cookies and come in all different colors. Also, if you need something to bring into your christmas party at work, this would be a great item.
Another item that you could include gingerbread people, gingerbread snow people, and gingerbread santas. They are super cute!
When you walk into the Wuollet Bakery in downtown they have a whole shelf with holiday items. There are many different items that you could include in your present. If you don’t see what you are looking for always ask. Wuollet’s can work with you to make sure your gift is perfect for your clients and employees.
You can call, stop in, or visit the Wuollet Bakery website HERE to order your holiday gifts!
because if I was your client I would be happy to get anything from Wuollet’s. hint hint.
@mplsgossipgirl
Best Free Services in Minnesota- MPR
Minnesota Public Radio is on my list of favorite things. Who said Oprah was the only one who can have a favorite things list?
I love MPR because it entertains me and teaches me at the same time.
I started to listen to MPR after I was forced into it. Why would anyone WANT to listen to talk radio? Apparently I do, and didn’t know it. It is one of those radio stations that grows on you and makes you pay attention to the world around you. If you haven’t given it a chance yet, I would give it a try.
Here are my favorite shows:
The Daily Circuit specifically with Kerri Miller. Kerri chooses topics that interest me and does a great job asking the right questions. What I mean by this, is that she doesn’t let guests get away with sweeping generalizations and always goes for the specifics. She does a great job picking guests who are leaders in whatever topic it might be.
Topics on this show range from how to deal with your family during the holidays to Young Adult Fiction. They use their public insite network of listeners to help them come up with topics and participate in the show. Topics that I think that I will not be interested in always turn out to be my favorites.
I always learn something or take something away whether it be a new book to add to my reading list or a new interest in a local nonprofit.
Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me is a news quiz show. It is part of the weekend broadcast and it is a whole lot of fun to play along with. It is great to put on during a weekend road trip. I am hoping to have Carl Kasell on my answering machine one day.
Car Talk, Tom and Ray are those crazy uncles who talk about cars. Their smart humor makes this show something I like listening to even though I am not a car fanatic.
The Splendid Table not only does this show talk food but they make excellent cookbooks as well. They would make an excellent present for the cook in the family this holiday season. Lynne Rossetto Kasper celebrates food and shares her expertise.
A Prairie Home Companion is a Variety Show that features the famous Garrison Keillor. Keillor introduced us to Lake Wobegon, a place that is very Minnesotan. My favorite segment is Guy Noir private eye because it is very silly and I like the characters that come see Guy.
I love the stories that MPR tells on This American Life. I recently listened to Little War on the Prairie with John Biewen. It was about Mankato, MN and one of the most, if not the most historical moment that happened in Mankato that is never talked about: the execution of 38 Dakota Indians, the site of the largest mass hanging in U.S history. It is a heartbreaking story part of our history that we would like to forget but cannot. It will be replayed Tuesday, December 11th at 12:00PM and can be found online HERE.
MPR now plays a huge part in my life. Every weekday morning I am tuning in to the daily circuit and when I am in the car during the weekend I am playing along.
I do suggest that if you become a listener that you become a member and donate and help MPR continue to produce this quality programing. You can become a member HERE.
What is your favorite show on MPR?
Because educational can be entertaining.
@mplsgossipgirl
Thanksgiving Treats – Wuollet’s (and a contest)
On my Thanksgiving table there is usually an apple pie, a pumpkin pie, and a chocolate pie. Treats are always a highlight of the meal that comes an hour or so after the Turkey and a change into yoga pants.
I thought it would be fun to go in search of some new treats at one of my favorite local bakeries: Wuollet’s. I am usually found in Wuollet’s browsing the cupcake section for a co-workers birthday. My favorite is the red velvet cupcake.
Now, try to stop yourself from running from your desk to the closest baked good after looking at all these pictures. But, I thought it would be fun to share some new ideas for your thanksgiving table.
Why not try a special pie? Wuollet’s has a Pumpkin Chiffon pie that is out of this world. It is traditional but fancy at the same time.
Decorate your table with cookies with each attendee’s name on it for a fun way to show everyone where they are sitting. Wuollet’s will write the names on the cookies for you. If someone doesn’t show you can eat their cookie.
I love this idea because it is a fun way to decorate for this special occasion. I thought about my family and how we never know who exactly is coming to thanksgiving so we might do our last name or fun Thanksgiving words on each one. You could turn it into a fun way to sit by someone new by having each person draw one of those words from a hat.
Get a few dozen croissants or rolls to eat with your leftovers the next day/week. Eating a turkey, cranberry, goat cheese, and a little bit of stuffing sandwich as lunch for the week after Thanksgiving is a tradition for me. Make sure you clearly label your sandwich in the office communal refrigerator or someone may “accidentally” eat yours. Or I guess you could bring rolls and share with everyone, if you are nice.
If you don’t feel like a pie, get a cake. Wuollet’s has professional cake decorators that can make almost anything a reality. I mean seriously, a turkey cake? That is amazing! If you would like a cake that looks like a perfectly baked turkey, cornucopia, or if you want your weird uncle Sal in a chefs hat eating a turkey leg made out of frosting on the top of a cake. I bet they could and would do it.
They have decorators who are professional artists, who have worked there over 30 years, and who are part of the Wuollet family. With all of that talent they can make cakes that should be in a museum.
You could also get a fancy cake as well, which you can find in the rotating cake case. I have had carrot cake before at Thanksgiving and that really hits the spot.
One of my favorite items at Wuollet’s is the cupcakes. Obviously. They have turkey cupcakes in their window that would be fun if you have little children in your family or if you needed something to decorate with. They can easily be eaten afterwards. They can also do cupcakes in the shape of a cooked turkey which are hilarious. So, if you often have trouble with the actual turkey you can bring the cupcakes out and show people how perfect you made the turkey this year.
The best part of all of this is that you can order it next Tuesday and pick it up on Wednesday. It is really convenient for me because I work downtown Minneapolis. I can easily stop by on my lunch hour on Wednesday and grab the items for the next day. If you do want a very custom order I would contact Wuollet’s a few days ahead of time to make arrangements. Since they are a full service bakery if you made a mistake and need to order something at the last-minute, they will do their best to get you covered.
For Thanksgiving they have these handy ordering sheets that you can pick up in any of the locations. It is easy, has all the prices, and takes the hassle and stress out of Thanksgiving. You can go to Wuollet’s website to see more information about their locations HERE.
Contest Time:
Mplsgossipgirl is putting on a contest. The downtown Wuollet’s has a window where they display beautiful and creative cakes. They also help their clients design custom cakes for their special events, which is something I love about this local business. If you could have a custom designed cake at your Thanksgiving table, what would it look like? The best ideas will win a cupcake.
Although, I am sure my crazy uncle in a chef’s hat eating a turkey leg is a great idea to put on a cake. I bet you can come up with some of your own cake ideas for Thanksgiving that will rock.
I will mail the winners a token to get a cupcake at any of the Wuollet’s Bakery locations. It is only open to those with an address in the Twin Cities in Minnesota. You do not have to follow, like, social media the heck out of me to win. This blog will never require people to do these things to enter a contest. I want you reading my posts because they are entertaining.
Here is how you enter:
- Leave me a comment on this post describing your idea. (It is up in the black box in the left hand corner) If you don’t already subscribe to mplsgossipgirl right now would be a great time to do it and you can by clicking in the right hand corner of my blog. You will have to leave me a way to get ahold of you though, so please leave your Twitter handle and if you don’t have one of those if you are a winner I will comment on your post. So, make sure you have it set to notify you.
- Tweet me @mplsgossipgirl. Tweet me your idea to #mplsgossipgirlcontest.
- Most importantly, go to my Facebook page Mplsgossipgirl and comment under the picture of the Turkey Cake with your idea. While you are there like my page and share it with your friends too.
You can enter in all three places and more weight will be given to those who have the most likes/retweets/comments on them but ultimately it will be my decision. I am looking for really creative and fun ideas. Please keep it PG and PC. Contest will end at Midnight on the 21st of November, 2012. Winners will be announced the next day, Thanksgiving.
As always, on Thanksgiving I like to remind those around me that if you are deep-frying your turkey, please make sure it is completely thawed and you are outside and not in the garage. That is my PSA for the day.
because a unique cake will be talked about for years to come.
xoxo
@mplsgossipgirl
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. All views and opinions are my own.
Rainbow Foods UNLIMITED double coupons -pocketyourdollars
It is true. I thought it was too good to be. But, it is really true.
Rainbow foods did unlimited double coupons last Wednesday and will again this Wednesday. Shhhhh. It is not being adversitsed by Rainbow at all. Thanks to another local blogger and fellow Bennie I was able to save a bunch of money. See the final tally at the end of this post.
Okay what does unlimited double coupons mean? It means that Rainbow will double unlimited coupons. There are a bunch of rules to this but it still means saving a bunch of money.
Why should you care? It doesn’t take that much time to get coupons together and you can save a bucketload of money.
As someone who had only watched extreme couponing on T.V. and used coupons to save money but not really to get things free I was sceptical. Carrie Rocha was on a local news station telling me that she got all these groceries for a few dollars. I thought to myself …what a load of bull.
Sure, I didn’t walk out of there with 1,256 dollars worth of items free but I did save over what I paid. I am going to count that as a score. Plus, all the items I purchased I will use. Unlike buying 50 bottles of mustard. (Please extreme couponers, give that crap away)
How I saved money was by using a list that I printed off of pocket your dollars and collecting the coupons that I could print from online. This was key because I don’t get any of those coupons from the papers. But, I might start buying a Sunday paper if Rainbow continues unlimited double coupons.
It really was that simple. Select only items from your list, make sure the product matches the list and the coupon, and during check out confirm they are being doubled.
So, thank your local blogger, Carrie Rocha. You rock!
I suggest you click HERE to get to PocketYourDollars and start your list for this week. PocketYourDollars is a local couponing blog. Couponing blogs are blogs that make money by referring you to use coupons. It seems like a win win win to me.
I saved $39.88 and spent only $31.56. This purchase included mini Baby Bell cheese for $1.00, Morning Star breakfast “sausage” for $1.00 and a few free items.
because mplsgossipgirl saves money like a boss.
@mplsgossipgirl
x0x0
*disclaimer: make sure you check on pocket your dollars to see if the unlimited coupons is still going on and verify with your local store. Unfortunately, these promotions change all the time. Doesn’t everyone wish Rainbow would do this every Wednesday?
Rustica
I can’t remember the last time I had something with currants in it. So, naturally when I saw this currant scone on the menu at Rustica I had to get it. If you don’t know, currants are a small berry fruit that is dark purple in color and very tasty.
In the strip mall across from the Whole Foods in Uptown, Rustica is not what it looks like from the outside. Honestly, it looks shabby from the outside but once you get inside you are transported to a whole new world of coffee and bread. This bakery and coffee shop looks like it should be housed in an old brick building with ivy growing on the outside and a local bookseller next door who sells leather-bound books. Although, its outside is blah, it is in a great location and is fairly easy to get to if you live in Uptown, Minneapolis.
Despite it’s less than glamorous outside, Rustica is always busy because it has fantastic food. I have had several bakery items there and each has been delicious. including this scone. Once you have had one it will be hard to go back to any other scones especially the ones from Caribou. They get baked goods at Rustica. This scone was perfectly cooked with the right amount of browning and had this sugar-coating on the outside which makes a huge difference.
The breads are great and most of the time the coffee is exceptionable. This last time I had a very bitter cup, which must have been made incorrectly. But, I could have cared less since I was busy snacking on this scone.
The staff always is able to point out their favorite items that have been freshly made. So, take their advice. They know what is good and can point you to items that you might not normally try.
It looks like they also make sandwiches there and I am looking forward to having a day off where I can sit in Rustica and drink coffee, eat a sandwich, and write about my adventures in the Minne-apple.
because sometimes you need an escape to the old world.
@mplsgossipgirl.
mplsgossipgirl 
