Author: Connie

Dine in Bette’s Kitchen—Literally

Connie Food & Drink, South Dakota , , 0 Comment
Dine in Bette’s Kitchen—Literally

If not for the sign out front, you might think you were pulling up to someone’s home. Actually, you are. The family dog may greet you and escort you to the door of the manufactured home set on a hill overlooking a lush pine valley.

Bettes exteriorInside, you may be seated next to the fireplace in the dining room. Family photos fill the walls, including photos of Nicolas Black Elk, medicine man and warrior of the Native American Oglala Lakota tribe, who was restaurant owner Betty O’Rourke’s great-grandfather.

Bettes Kitchen fireplaceFamily photosBette’s Kitchen’s menu includes fare like fried chicken, burgers, BLTs, chef’s salad and soup. However, for our group that Betty hosted, she put out a huge spread of chicken, beef, chicken noodle soup, salads, baked beans, fresh watermelon and cupcakes frosted in vivid colors, punctuated with colorful sprinkles. The meal was served buffet style with paper plates from a folding table in Betty’s kitchen, an experience much like a family picnic.

Bettes Kithen saladsBettes Kitchen Cupcakes

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In fact, you can savor your meal picnic-style while enjoying the beauty of the South Dakota scenery in the tented outdoor seating area if you prefer.

Bettes outdoor seatingView from BettesBetty’s cooking is like that of your aunt or grandmother, down-home deliciousness. The soup was chock full of thick noodles, the chicken crispy and juicy, the beef tender and flavorful. It’s no wonder that Betty served over 2,000 people last summer. Besides local regulars, it isn’t uncommon for Betty to serve busloads that stop in for lunch in the remote location.

BetteChicken Noodle SoupBette’s Kitchen is located at 111 Black Elk Road, one mile north of Manderson in western South Dakota. Phone (605) 867-1739.

Disclosure: My visit to Bette’s Kitchen was hosted by the South Dakota Department of Tourism and Bette’s Kitchen. However, all opinions in this article are my own.

Thank you for reading Midwest Wanderer. Don’t miss a post. Enter your e-mail address below and click Subscribe to be notified whenever I publish another post. Subscription is FREE. After subscribing, be sure to click the link when you get the e-mail asking you to confirm.   – Connie

Yoder’s Country Market: Fresh Amish Food

Connie Michigan, Shopping , , , 0 Comment
Yoder’s Country Market: Fresh Amish Food

Fresh rolled butter. Peach fritters the size of softballs. Peanuts ground into cappuccino peanut butter. Salads made from generations-old Amish recipes. The aroma of hickory smoked ribs and chicken. It’s no wonder that Yoder’s Country Market in Centreville, Michigan, has had to expand three times in its ten-year existence—and the market is bursting at the seams again. Read more

NEKZ: The Warm and Fashionable Alternative to a Scarf

Connie Shopping, Tech Stuff and Gear 0 Comment
NEKZ: The Warm and Fashionable Alternative to a Scarf

1501_NEKZ-4083I am a scarf person. Not the silky kind of scarf that you wear to dress up an outfit, but rather, the knitted kind that puts a barrier between arctic winter temperatures and my skin. The problem is that most scarves are too bulky for comfort under a coat, and when worn on the outside of a coat, they get tangled in my purse handles or the camera strap that I often have around my neck. When I go in and out of buildings, as I often do while traveling, and I take off my coat, I have to stuff the scarf in a coat sleeve. I recently received a NEKZTM, an alternative to a scarf, to try out, and I haven’t worn my scarf much since. The NEKZ keeps my neck warm but eliminates the scarf’s bulkiness.

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Just 21 inches long, the fleece or faux-fur NECZ wraps around the neck and fastens with a hook-and-loop type fastener. Designer Raquel Graham Crayton originally created the NEKZ for her children, who had the same scarf complaints as I did. When other moms saw the NEKZ, they wanted them for their children and for themselves, as well.

1501_NEKZ-4088Available in fashionable designs and colors to match your coat or outfit, when you remove your coat, you can leave the NEKZ on, if you’d like. Otherwise, it folds compact enough to easily fit into a pocket or a purse.

1501_NEKZ-4086Nekz designs are available for men, as well, in solid colors, handsome plaids and camouflage.

Nekz, made in Chicago, are reasonably priced from $16 to $35. Check the web site to view available colors and patterns or to order.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary Nekz. However, all opinions are my own.

Thank you for reading Midwest Wanderer. Don’t miss a post. Enter your e-mail address below and click Subscribe to be notified whenever I publish another post. Subscription is FREE. After subscribing, be sure to click the link when you get the e-mail asking you to confirm.   – Connie

Lincoln Pops Up in the Most Unexpected Places

Connie Attractions & Events, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Wisconsin , , 4 Comments
Lincoln Pops Up in the Most Unexpected Places

You expect to find Abraham Lincoln sites all over Illinois, and I have. Of course, they’re ubiquitous in Springfield, his home for 24 years, including the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum and the Lincoln Home.

Me_with_first_familyLincoln's homeAnd then there’s Vandalia, the state capital prior to Springfield and the oldest existing Illinois capitol building.

KONICA MINOLTA DIGITAL CAMERADecatur was his first Illinois home, and he lived in West Salem prior to Springfield.

Lincoln statueAs a lawyer, Lincoln rode all over the 8th Judicial Circuit, and there are commemorative sites throughout Central Illinois where Lincoln stayed, spoke and worked. The Museum of the Grand Prairie captures Lincoln Travels through the area.

Lincoln_buggyI’ve searched out many of these places, which are often part of the Illinois Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition.

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There are plenty of Lincoln sites outside of Illinois, too, like his birthplace and First Lincoln Memorial in Kentucky, his Indiana boyhood home, and of course, his place of honor on Mount Rushmore.

Lincoln_memorial_KYLincoln Cabin, IndianaMt Rushmore 11Occasionally, however, Lincoln pops up where you least expect him. We found him recently in Beloit, Wisconsin. Skip and I were browsing the shops in the downtown area when we wandered past this building and noticed the plaque commemorating Lincoln’s 1859 visit.

1502_Lincoln_in_Beloit-4104 1502_Lincoln_in_Beloit-4096In what unexpected place have you found a Lincoln site? Let me know in the comments below.

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Beloit International Film Festival: What to Expect

Connie Attractions & Events, Wisconsin , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 3 Comments
Beloit International Film Festival: What to Expect

The term “film festival” always brought a picture to my mind of a series of artsy films with deep meanings I didn’t understand, mostly in non-English languages with subtitles. When I was invited to the Beloit International Film Festival (BIFF), I thought why not? I’m always up for a new adventure, I was curious, and I saw there was going to be a Grease sing-along on Saturday night.

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Special Treats a Tradition at Lou Mitchell’s, Chicago

Connie Food & Drink, Illinois , , , 0 Comment
Special Treats a Tradition at Lou Mitchell’s, Chicago

150131_Lou_Mitchell-3915Sometimes it’s the little extras that make a place memorable. Lou Mitchell’s is memorable for several reasons. As you begin Route 66 from the eastern terminus in Chicago, it’s the first diner you reach that has been around since before the route was commissioned. Foods that other restaurants prepare from mixes or purchase ready-made, Lou Mitchell’s makes from scratch. However, the special sweet treats are what most people best remember.

150131_Lou_Mitchell-3901In the Greek tradition of offering a sweet treat as a welcome greeting, you are offered a donut hole as you are seated.

150131_Lou_Mitchell-3900All women and children receive a snack-size box of Milk Duds, as well.

150131_Lou_Mitchell-3896Milk Duds were originally made in Chicago. The candy company owner was a personal friend of Lou Mitchell and a regular restaurant patron. “Uncle Lou” started the tradition of giving all women and children a box of the candies, and both the donut hole and Milk Duds traditions have stuck.

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Lou Mitchell’s doesn’t take short cuts with the food preparation. Their orange and grapefruit juices are both freshly squeezed, and vats of freshly made orange marmalade are on the table.

150131_Lou_Mitchell-3898I ordered a ham and cheese omelet, and Skip ordered eggs Benedict. Both came with hash browns that were really American fries sliced remarkably thin. If fried just a little more, they’d be potato chips. My omelet was so large I could only eat half of it.

150131_Lou_Mitchell-3906Skip claims his eggs Benedict was the best he’d ever tasted. It’s not surprising, since the hollandaise sauce is made fresh every morning from scratch.

150131_Lou_Mitchell-3903I knew about the donut hole and Milk Duds traditions before we visited the restaurant. We were surprised, though, with the treat at the end of the meal: a tiny cup of ice cream. Yep, ice cream for dessert even after breakfast.

150131_Lou_Mitchell-3910Lou Mitchell’s, located at 565 W Jackson Boulevard in Chicago, has been in business since 1923. They’re open every day for breakfast and lunch except the seven major holidays. Check the web site for the hours and menu.

Thank you for reading Midwest Wanderer. Don’t miss a post. Enter your e-mail address below and click Subscribe to be notified whenever I publish another post. Subscription is FREE. After subscribing, be sure to click the link when you get the e-mail asking you to confirm.   – Connie


 

Other articles that may interest you:

Have you been to Chicago’s Field Museum Lately?

Isle a la Cache Museum: Discover the Fur Trade on the Island of the Hiding Place

Dell Rhea’s Chicken Basket: A Route 66 Icon