Visit New Ulm: Winery 2 of 4

I’m a sucker for anyplace with a winery, a brewery and links to famous authors. New Ulm has all of that — and more. Click here to read the first installment of this four-part series.

See more at morgancreekvineyard.com

MORGAN CREEK WINERY

Billed as the only underground winery in Minnesota, Morgan Creek Winery (morgancreekvineyards.com) is about 10 minutes outside New Ulm. The drive in is beautiful; turn right before the creek. The winery building is set inside the hill and spills out into a pasture. There are plenty of tables for folks to sit a spell, as well as a fire pit. Live music drifted out of the building, and folks were spending their Friday evening sipping wine and snacking on wood-fired pizza ($6.25-$7), swiss raclette ($4.75) and bruschette sticks ($6.75).

Don't you want to be sipping a glass of wine there right now?

My toddler immediately went running through the field, straight to the swing hanging from a huge tree. We chased her down there and relaxed awhile, enjoying the early evening light coming down on the vineyard.

The appetizers coming out of that European wood-fire stove looked amazing.

This was a great swing to while away a few hours.

Warm up on a cool evening with friends and wine.

Then we headed back up. I had some wine to taste!

That's what I was there for: the wine tasting. During the Friday night Winedown for the Weekend, tastings are free.

This particular evening, during the “Winedown for the Weekend” event, the tasting was free. Among the offerings were:

DRY

Puck’s Pride

St. John Researve

Colure

Redtail Ridge

SEMI-SWEET

Nova

Gerwurtztraminer

Zeitgeist

Relativity

SWEET

Fox Run

Morgan Creek Myst

Fantastic.

I love their wine names. The place produces German, French and American-style wines, including Minnesota coldhearty varietals. I would have enjoyed staying at the winery all evening, but the toddler had sat enough that day. I bought a few bottles to bring back, and off we went back to our hotel. Maybe I’ll return for the German winefest later in the summer, the Cambria Crush: The Annual Great Grape Stomp in the fall, or the Christmas Candlelight Winetasting.

Nova. Relativity. Zeitgeist. What great names!

23708 478th Avenue

New Ulm

(Four miles south of New Ulm on Highway 15, then 4 miles each on County Road 24, and south 1/2 mile on 478th to site.)

507-947-3547

www.morgancreekvineyards.com

Hours: May to October - Friday & Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday 12 a.m. to 5 p.m.

COMING UP

Schell Brewery

Wanda Gag House

Visit New Ulm 1 of 4

Jaunt down to New Ulm, Minn. this summer. You won’t be disappointed. There’s a ton of stuff to do. Just check the city’s web site, http://www.newulm.com. A quick scroll was enough to convince me we should head there over Memorial Day weekend.

I’m a sucker for anyplace with a winery, a brewery and links to famous authors. New Ulm has all of that — and more.

We packed up the toddler and the truck, and took off a few hours later. I didn’t plan ahead but we didn’t really need to. Well, mostly it wasn’t necessary. When we looked at the weather forecast and saw that there was a good chance of thunderstorms every day I called Flandrau State Park to see if they had a cabin free. I knew it wasn’t likely, but thought I’d try. Of course, I wasn’t the only one who wanted a roof over my head and the possibility of heat on a rainy May weekend. They were all booked.

The closer we got to New Ulm, the worse the sky looked. About 1/2 hour out, the skies opened up and it started to pour. We definitely needed an alternative to camping at the only state park in Minnesota with a sand-bottomed pool. I called the Holiday in New Ulm and made our reservations for a night. Man I love having a rewards card with free hotel stays.

The Holiday Inn in New Ulm has a Bavarian feel.

The rooms are pretty average.They lack a mini fridge or microwave.

HOLIDAY INN

First things first. We checked in and took a dip in the pool. The decor in this Holiday Inn matches the Bavarian feel of the town. The rooms are average, with your standard bed, desk, TV, blow dryer, and luggage rack. No mini fridge or microwave. Bummer. We opted for a second-level poolside room. Never again. That evening and early the next morning, the noise coming from the pool was deafening. If I do decide to subject myself to a poolside room in the future, like when Josey is old enough to swim by herself and I want to keep a half-eye on her while I read a book, I’ll do the main level so that I’m close enough to get to her fast if she needs help.

The pool was average, but the whirlpool was huge. It fit 20 people. We had the place to ourselves on a Friday night before supper. My husband and I get bored of swimming faster than our toddler, so before too long we were ready to see what kinds of culinary delights New Ulm could offer up.

Holiday Inn Hotel New Ulm

2101 S. Broadway

New Ulm, MN 56073

(507) 359-2941

OTTO’S

The heritage of the town is German. It was settled by German immigrants four years before Minnesota became a state, and the German influence is still strong. I made the executive decision that we try someplace German. Turns out our hotel boasts a great in-house German restaurant and bar. Otto’s feierhaus and bierstube was coincidentally featured in the Travel Section of the Star Tribune the same weekend we were in New Ulm. It’s the place to eat, folks.

Yum. The sausage plate with sauerkraut and red cabbage.

Or, go safe and get the prime rib. This is the frau cut.

We had a great time at Otto's and would give it 5 stars.

The menu at Otto’s Supper Club features wienerschnitzel, hasenpheffer, jagerschnitzel, sausage platter and kessler ripchen. Expect mouth-watering sausage and tangy cabbage. I want more of that purple cabbage. If you’re in the mood for something a bit more American, try the Prime Rib or the baby back ribs (they’ve recently been voted the “best ribs in southern Minnesota”). My husband loved the prime rib. At 8 ounces, the frau’s cut ($15.99) was enough for him that evening. His meal came with a popover (he had to ask me what that was), choice of potato and a vegetable. The side dishes for my Sausage Platter ($15.99) were much more fun: spaetzle, red cabbage and sauerkraut. If you’ve got a group (and that includes a family of five), consider the Schlemmer Platter and get a taste of everything German. The large platter, at $49.99, serves three to five.

When we walked down, the hostess tried to talk us out of going into the Supper Club area. I supposed that dressed in our camping clothes and toddler in hand, we looked like the sort who should be in the bar. But things went great from there. Our two-year-old still sits where she’s supposed to during dinner; there was no running around the Supper Club chasing her down.

Our waitress was fantastic. My husband greatly enjoys giving waitresses a hard time. She took it and came back for more. She answered all our questions and made our dining experience more enjoyable than it would have been without her.

I definitely recommend that all vistors to New Ulm head over to Otto’s for an authentic German meal.

Otto's Feierhaus & Bierstube

2101 South Broadway

New Ulm, MN 56073

(507) 359-5300

ottosnewulm.com

Breakfast Hours: Monday to Saturday 6:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., Sunday 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m., Sunday brunch 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Dinner Hours: Monday to Thursday 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., Friday 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday 1:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

COMING UP:

Morgan Creek Winery

Schell's Brewery

Wanda Gag House

Looking for a baby shower gift?

Here are the things I recommend:

• Healing Body Butter by Olsen Naturals, $15

http://www.olsennaturals.com/catalog/i27.html

I stumbled upon this stuff in the first few months of my pregnancy while browsing through the Mill City Farmer’s Market. I’ve used it for a million things. It is fantastic! It kept stretch marks at bay; I applied it every night when I was pregnant. During those first days of breastfeeding, I used it as a nipple cream to keep from experiencing those terrible cracked nipples (everything is natural so I didn’t have to worry about the baby injesting it). And whenever she got a diaper rash, I put the body butter on. Ingredients include organic coconut oil, organic jojoba oil, organic shea butter, local beeswax and organic cocoa butter.

• Healthy Meals for Babies & Toddlers by Valerie Barrett

My cousin-in-law gave me this book before Josey was born. It empowered me to make my own baby food. Sections cover nutrition, weaning, allergies and introducing new foods. Recipes range from infant rice and first purees to falafel with carrot salad.

• Bath Toys

When we prepared for our first shower, I asked my husband what he wanted to register for. He had only one request: bath toys. Since our daughter was born, baths have always been their time.

• Smock bibs from Ikea, $3.99 for two

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70179754

I’ve written about these before, but I love them so much that they’re on my list of items to give. These smock bibs cover the entire shirt and sleeve. Plus, they have little pockets that catch falling food so that it doesn’t hit the floor. They work great from baby to toddler.

• Go Fish, “Party Like A Preschooler,” $10

http://www.gofishguys.com/cms/pages/the-music.php

Go Fish keeps our family sane. Josey loves their music, and it doesn’t drive me crazy like a lot of other tinny kid’s songs do. Party LIke A Preschooler is a collection of many well-loved kids ditties, such as Do Your Ears Hang Low, 5 Little Monkeys and Pop Goes the Weasel. Buy one album online for $10 and then all the rest are just $5. That’s a deal.

• First Aid/Choking/CPR Chart, $2.95 each

https://www.nfaap.org/netFORUM/eweb/DynamicPage.aspx?webcode=aapbks_productdetail&key=d4c5689a-b05b-4806-ab79-c964dacf35db

This chart from the American Academy of Pediatrics should be hung up in every child’s bedroom. The quick guide helps folks respond quickly in an emergency. Topics include burns, scalds, fractures, sprains, head injuries, poisons, skin wounds, stings and bits, as well as infant/child CPR. The chart is 11x17 inches.

Know any budding journalists?

I love journalism, so I thought I'd pass along information on a camp being offered this summer for high school students.

High school students interested in journalism may want to check out a High School Journalism Mini Camp being offered at Bethel University June 12-14, 2011. The focus will be on using social media such as Facebook and Twitter as a reporting tool.

Highlights:

- Led by Bethel journalism faculty and recent grads

- Includes special visits with Twin Cities journalists

- Opportunity to post stories on the mini-camp website

- Appropriate for students interested in a wide variety of majors & professions

Details:

- High School Journalism Mini-Camp

- June 12-14, 2011

- Bethel University campus

- $50; includes food & campus housing for three days & two nights, plus equipment & supplies

- Sponsored by the Johnson Center for Journalism and Communication Studies

For more information or to register, contact Phyllis Alsdurf at english-department@bethel.edu or 651.638.6149.

DIY Expand your book shelves

When we moved into our new house, my bookshelves didn’t work like they had in the old house. The one that had been custom-made for our upstairs hallway only fit on one wall in my daughter’s room. That meant I had roughly 100 books without a home.

That simply wouldn’t do.

But I wasn’t sure how to solve this problem until I went to the Parade of Home Remodeler’s Tour earlier this year. I was inspired by a set of bookshelves someone made using just brackets and boards. It could be placed anywhere.

In other words, I could take advantage of wall space that wasn’t good for much else. Like in my stairwell and my upstairs hallway. In general, I hate hallways because I think they’re a waste of space. But my mom saw potential in mine. After looking hard at it every day for two months, I saw it too.

The original plan was to put bookshelves above the door frames on both sides. But I wasn’t sure how to fit in the brackets with all the door openings. And what would I do at the far wall where I would have to link up three sides?

I decided to start with one shelf and work from there.

Off I trotted to Home Depot for the brackets and the white melanine shelves. I spent forever standing in the aisle trying to figure out what type of bracket to buy, and ended up with a plain white one. I liked its simple lines. The brackets were about $6 each, but I bought three for each 10-inch-wide by 6-foot long shelf. The boards weren’t too much either, but I think I spent as much on these shelves as I would have on a free-standing bookshelf from Ikea. And it would have used up floor space I didn’t have. The goal was to take advantage off any cranny I had.

NEED:

• Screws (the ones that came with the brackets are junk and I immediately stripped them out.) I recommend 2-inch-long screws.

• Stud finder

• Power screwgun

• Pencil

• Tape measure

• Shelves

• Brackets

PUT ‘EM UP

I used the ceiling as my base point for measuring and just hoped that it wasn’t too uneven. After I found the studs, I measured down for each support bracket, placing a pencil mark where the two met. I made the shelf even with the top of the trim around the doors in case I extend the shelves. The toughest part was at the far end where I couldn’t get a ladder directly underneath what I was working on. That meant I couldn’t put my full weight/strength behind the screw gun. The nails went in slower, and I admit, more crooked.

After the brackets were up, I popped the shelf on. Then I screwed a little screw into the front hole on the bracket to keep the shelf from sliding around.

In hindsight, I would have picked a slimmer shelf. The shelf is just wider than I need for the paperbacks I put up there. And I definitely won’t be putting a shelf on both sides of the hallway as I think that will close the space in too much. I also decided to just do one row as otherwise I think we will hit our heads in the middle of the night.

MORE COWBELL — ER SHELVES

After enjoying the first shelf I put up for a few weeks, I decided that a better place for them would be at the top of the stairs. The wall is really high there, and I just knew all that space could be put to good use.

Back off to Home Depot. This time I decided to do shorter and skinner shelves (4 foot by 8 inch) — but more of them. The smaller brackets and shorter shelves were cheaper than the larger ones had been. Because I had my method down, they went up faster. Between the new ones and the old ones, my children’s/teen chapter books have a place of their own. Perfect! And for now I have two shelves on my big corner bookshelf that are empty. Finally I have some room to grow.

It’s time to catalogue! Anyone know off a good app/website that helps organize one’s collection of books? I want to made a complete list — and I don’t want it to take forever. I have a lot of books.

DIY: Raised garden beds in an hour

Did it HERself, in fact. And I feel very proud of myself.

The husband has been traveling a lot lately for work. We’ve recently moved into a new house, and yes, there’s a lot to do. I was determined to put in a garden this year. During one of our over-the-fence chats, my neighbor asked if I was going to do a raised bed. I’d never thought of it, but that would be a nice way to set the garden off and keep things contained. I’m in the city now, so I don’t want a huge garden. Just enough to give us some food for dinner now and then.

During another over-the-fence chat, my master-gardener neighbor told me she buys dirt and mulch in 25-pound bags from Home Depot. It’s easier to schlep around, she confessed. Hmmm... I was wondering how I’d get a dump truck full of dirt and/or mulch (and who I would order it from down here), and where I would dump it in the small yard I have now. Plus, getting stuff in bags suddenly made things very doable for me.

I loaded up the toddler and we headed off to Home Depot that night.

I found a bin in back of the lumber area where they sell scrap boards for 50¢. Score! I grabbed four 5-foot by 6-inch boards, being careful not to get any pre-treated lumber. I don’t want those nasty chemicals leaching into my veggies.

Then I headed over to the garden center. A nice young guy helped me load up my cart and then unload it into my truck. Score again.

Back at home, I found my power screwgun (which every woman should have) and some two-and-a-half-inch nails. I put three in each side. Then I dug a bit of a trench along three sides of the new garden bed. My yard slopes towards the fence and I wanted the garden bed to be level. I popped the boards in, unloaded the bags from the truck (which I had parked as close as I could), and walah.

One hour later I had a new raised garden bed.

Course then I decided I needed another one the same size and a smaller one for herbs. Back to Home Depot. The 6-inch pre-cut boards I needed were gone, of course, so I settled for some longer ones that a store employee cut down to size for me. The hubby was home that day, but it was nice not to have to ask him to cut the boards for me. I could remain self-sufficient. I opted for cedar this time, instead of regular wood, on the advice of my dad. It’ll withstand the weather better.

Again, it was less than an hour and I had two new garden beds. Time to plant!

Indoor playground with your coffee?

Looking for a place to bring the little ones on a rainy day when you’re both going crazy? Check out Sovereign Grounds in south Minneapolis. It’s a coffee shop that also bills itself as an indoor playground. I know you’ve been looking for a place like this!

The indoor playground. It's not huge, but it's enough.

Sovereign Grounds is located just off the corner of 48th and Chicago in South Minneapolis and has been there since 1995. Owner Hakan Sezer immigrated to the United States from Turkey in 1988. He’s typically behind the counter making espresso and selling the various bakery items, spinach pie and tamales his wife wakes up early to make. I recommend staying away from the espresso (which always tastes burnt) and trying the Turkish Roast instead. There are juice boxes and a number of sugary treats for the kids, if you’re so inclined.

The place is usually pretty busy in the mornings, but clears out for nap time. It’s a great place for a play date, that’s for sure. It’s too bad there aren’t more out there.

Sovereign Grounds owner Hakan.

813 East 48th Street

Minneapolis, Minnesota 55417

(612) 825-6157

Hours: Mon - Fri 6:30 AM - 5:30 PM, Sat 6:30 AM - 4:30 PM, Sun 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM

www.sovereigngrounds.com

FEATURES

• Kid-friendly

• Indoor playground