Happy Dancing Blog

We’re introducing a new blog category that could be fun (at least for the reader!) Up here at the HUG Resilient Living Campus, we are so fortunate to have a campus chef that creates and plans our lunches made directly from the bounty of our garden. Campus Chef Chris G. is a wizard when it comes to making something delicious out of thin air. So, we wanted to put this to the test. Can Chris make delicious food under strict restrictions? Think “Iron Chef” without the drama and a

As the fields turn from gold to brown and the leaves shake off their final layer of foliage, now is the time to revisit the recipes that may have a special importance to you, recipes that your family have kept in a little box, pulled out every time the winds start to get a bit brisk. These are the recipes that bring you back to your childhood. The smells of an evening as you sit near the window, feeling the crisp cold of the chilly night on your hands, as you see the snow sta

The garden in all its splendor. Photo taken in early August. The last CSA shares were distributed out last week, (nothing but rave reviews in terms of quantity and quality!) Dave and the garden crew are spending this week and the next few to finally put the garden to bed. An annual tradition of pulling irrigation hoses and planting garlic (for overwinter germination) have been completed, and now the time to look back is on us. The variety and flavor of the garden was out of t

If you’ve been keeping up with the HDT harvest, you’ve seen that this year has been particularly good for us. We’ve been inundated with a bumper crop of Scarlett Nantes, or in other words, we’ve got a load of carrots! Britney & Dave during the great carrot crop harvest of 2019. With wheelbarrows overflowing, our campus chef, Chris G. has the pleasure of making use of these flavorful root veggies, and not just through salads and roasting. He’s been treating us to rare forms of

Holy smokes. When did summer end? Didn’t it just start? I swear I was just helping my kids clean out their lockers. Now we gotta get back in a schedule? Here’s what we’ve learned that might help out your busy school year. 1) Make Dinner Time a Priority Sometimes a simple act can have important life-long benefits. According to studies, having a set aside time for meals can do the following: Improved grades – It’s not the meat & potatoes. It’s the communication and reinforcemen

As a lifelong resident of the Midwest, I’ve come to the realization that there is no escaping winter. It will have it’s way with you. Some people have chosen to embrace it, like our beloved Nora, who can be seen, even on the most cold and daylight deprived days, out frolicking in the ice and snow. Other, more rational, people have made the choice to fight against the oppressive, bitter winds and the unrelenting below-zero temperatures by turning to the kitchen. There, they’ve

Happy Holidays from the staff of Happy Dancing Turtle. We want to share with you some of our favorite traditions and recipes that we’ve used over the years as we met and dined with our families. Some are more classic while some are different, indeed! However, the main reason behind them is they are a reason we get together with our friends and families during the holiday season. Colin M’s Rosette Recipe We’ll start with dessert, which indeed seems like a good place to begin.

In Minnesota, we have our four seasons, and at the end of the bright, sunny, summer, leading into crisp, sweater-weather, fall, we are inundated with a bounty of end-of-season produce that can make your grandmothers recipe book open by itself in excitement! Just take a quick look at some of the most used produce here in MN; we’ve got garlic, squash, potatoes, carrots, romaine lettuce, spinach, pumpkins, and apples. There’s a lot to go with here, lots of directions to go. Do y

Tuesday, February 27 is National Pancake Day (with International Pancake Day on March Sunday March 4 following close behind). Historically hosted as the last day before Lent, the date moves yearly and always occurs on Fat Tuesday (also known as Mardi Gras). Since pancakes are universally loved, we thought we’d share out favorite recipes from around campus. Jim’s Homemade by Hand Pancakes Food & Water Security Coordinator, Jim Chamberlin thinks it’s better to take your time wi

Jim and Dave wear hats to keep the sun off their skin. We’ve had a pretty off and on summer, so far. For every day that has been a scorcher, there’s been another day that’s overcast. One week of sunburn weather and then another week of rainy indoor weather. In fact, our wonderful Eco Campers and Turtle Trek Campers have gotten the brunt of both rainy days and fun in the sun! However, the heat (when on) is nothing to be trifled with. So, I looked for some ways to beat the heat