A Girls' Outing

I made a delightful discovery with a bunch of friends a few weeks ago. We stopped by Serendipity in Anoka for Sunday brunch. Not only was the food delicious, but the atmosphere was perfect for a girls gathering.

Serendipity sits off Bunker Lake Boulevard just east of its intersection with Round Lake Boulevard. But you forget the traffic while sitting on the flower-covered patio.

We opted for the all-you-can-eat Sunday brunch. There were multiple cold salads and hot breakfast foods. We topped off the meal with Italian gelatto. Seriously good.

After dining, we headed upstairs to check out the gift shop. It was the perfect way to while away an afternoon with the girls.

www.serendipitystoreandcafe.com
3450 Bunker Lake Blvd Anoka
763-427-0699

Need coffee?

I discovered a great little coffee shop in Minneapolis this week. Anodyne at 43rd and Nicollet.

Anodyne means “something that soothes, calms or comforts”. I spent two peaceful afternoons there. Yet the place - and its coffee - was invigerating. Or maybe that was the company I was with.

A sprial staircase in one corner leads the way to nowhere. Art on the walls explores the subject of eyes. A long table down the center of the coffee shop offered places to sit for people on computers (there’s free wireless), neighbors, and us, a group of five ranging from four months to 31.



I tried the mocha blended with Sebastian Joe’s ice cream one day, and the Honey Bear Toddy (ice mocha with cinnamon and honey) the next. I wish I would have tried the Mischief Turbo (homemaid chai with a hint of orange blended with ice cream). I tasted my friends and oh! it was delicious!

The place, as described by the web site (anodynecoffeehouse.com) says: “Although we began as a coffee shop, we now also define ourself as a homemade eatery offering a complete menu of made-from-scratch, fresh daily classics.  We mix in seasonal specials in our selection of salads, soups and sandwiches to keep things interesting.  Satisfying both an urban feel and a local vibe, we are also a cultural hang out offering free, live music, open mic, and an art gallery that changes monthly.” Oh, and you can also hit a Farmers’ Market across the street every Sunday from 8:30am to 1:00pm. 

Cambridge has a new community center!

Fireworks at Spectacle Lake

The fireworks at Spectacle Lake were fabulous. Every angle I turned I caught another display. I had no idea so many people on the lake shot off fireworks. They reflected beautifully off the water. Of course, being directly underneath one of the displays was amazing.

Grandma's Marathon 2009

An amazing human feat: Grandma's Marathon

I’m not a marathon runner, but there is something amazing about watching people finish a four or five-hour run that chokes me up.
It is simply amazing.
It’s the sort of thing that a human body shouldn’t be able to do. Yet with months of training, people are able to accomplish that feat. I’ve been up to Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth twice now to cheer on my father and sister.
I end up cheering for every runner who passes me.
I can’t help it. “Go, go, go, you’re almost there!” just erupts from my mouth.


Some dress up for their 26-mile run.

View of the final stretch down Canal Park

Our runners.

I prefer to watch the race from the end. We park in town (never getting there early enough to avoid the detour on 35 and subsequently wind up in the stop-and-go traffic jam). Then we walk down the route until we hit the end. Friends of ours watched their runner pass on Superior Street downtown and then walked across the Interstate bridge in order to watch her pass again. I wouldn’t want to almost miss my runner(s) at the end, however.
It’s simply phenomenal how many people run Grandma’s Marathon. This year there were 8,400 runners. In all, between 50,000 to 60,000 crush into the Twin Ports for the annual event. Hotels are booked solid, and restaurants packed.


After the race, runners head straight down to Lake Superior to cool their muscles.

This year we camped on the outskirts of Duluth at Indian Point Campground (Indianpointcampground.com). It’s a picturesque stay nestled up to the St. Louis River. A nice place, my only complaint was that the water was never above freezing in the showers. At one site, we pitched 5 tents. A tent site is $21 a night.



Indian Point Campground 75th Avenue West and Grant/Highway 23.

The best sites are on the St. Louis River.

We fit five tents on a site in the center.

While you’re in Duluth, drop by Grandma’s Saloon for dinner or a drink. But beware when telling folks where to meet — there are 3 locations on Canal Park!

Off-the-vine goodness

I’m a sucker for fresh taste. So the idea of off-the-vine strawberries was enough to lure me to a pick-your-own place this week. We go through a lot of strawberries round this place. Our Vita Mix gets used most days to make smoothies. So, I figured not only would I be satisfying my craving, but I’d also be saving the family money. Right?

Well, I’m not sure I did that, but the berries I plucked from the vines at Rob’s Berry Farm midway between Cambridge and North Branch off County Road 5 sure are sweet and tart. The worker who walked us to the fields and then weighed our heavy boxes later told us that the owner had feared he wouldn’t be open more than a week and one half, given the heat earlier in the season. But they’ll make it three weeks. This is the last one, and the fields are full of small to mid-size berries. Cost was $1.50 a pound.


I brought them home Monday night, saving the washing and freezing for Tuesday. Of course, we did make smoothies right away! Delish.

I did the washing in my sink, putting the berries on a towel to dry off. Then I popped them in a single layer on cookie sheets to fast freeze for an hour. Once they were hard and wouldn’t easily crush each other, I put them in gallon Ziplock bags. Any bets on how long these 4 gallons will last?