Best of Edina 2012 | Homes | Summer Drinks
Ever since the advent of slamming screen doors and complaints of “I’m bored,” parents have looked for activities for their children to fill the long days of summer.
July 2012
Menu
As the mercury rises on the thermometer, so does our urge to reach for a refreshing, cold drink. In the morning, that might mean getting your caffeine jolt on the rocks. At lunch, it might be the pleasure of flavored iced teas and lemonades.
When Gary Aulik first came upon the mid-century brick Rambler with its outdated iron columns, disheveled entry porch, front-and-center garage, and all-around sad façade, he knew this was the place for him, his wife Laura, and their four kids.
On the first day of school each year, Harriet Abdo’s kindergarten students file into the well-decorated classroom at Normandale Elementary. Their eyes scan the room and they recognize many familiar props: the tables, chairs, teacher’s desk, glue, pencils and multi-colored crayons.
Edina and Minneapolis boast plenty to keep our visitors from out-of-town busy. There are the lakes, the mighty Mississippi, the museums and the world-class retail at The Galleria. Add to that list a unique guesthouse and tour company that combines hospitality and philanthropy into one.
One of the largest Scholastic Book Fairs in Minnesota rolled through Creek Valley Elementary School last April, bringing thousands of books with it. “It really is like walking into a Barnes & Noble,” says event chair Jen Berge.
The cure for a boring summer afternoon? A photo adventure around Edina, of course. That’s exactly what Matt Casey and his friend Charlie had in mind when they set out one day last summer.
“Women learn differently,” believes Claudia Ryan Mosley, whose project Women, Wisdom & Wine (womenwisdomandwine.com) is a new conversation series designed for and dedicated to women and information.
For Katey Taylor, out of tragedy came something truly powerful. After her daughter, Abbey, passed away in 2008 as a result of injuries from an improperly maintained pool drain cover, Taylor decided to make good on Abbey’s wish that this accident would never happen to another child.
Carrie Nielsen was born into a farming family in Iowa, so it makes sense that Good Earth’s new executive chef would favor fresh foods that come straight from the land.
The fun doesn’t stop on 50th and France this summer, as the Crazy Days sidewalk sale follows Ladies Night Out on July 26. Look for stores to roll out racks of clothing with discounts of up to 80 percent.
“I think that theater can help us learn about experiences others have and the feelings they feel even though they may not be near us,” says Noah Deets who, at eight years old, is already an accomplished actor and an astute observer of the power of theater.
Music notes and theater dialogue echo into the distance. Wins and losses fade from memory. But an extracurricular activity led by Makenzie Nolan has posterity.
Round up your girlfriends and head out to 50th and France for its annual Ladies Night Out event, which features shopping, food, live music and great deals–all with a health and wellness spin. Over 30 stores will participate in the event, which will be held July 26 from 4-8 p.m.
Kim Ode would like to start a rhubarb revolution and encourage fans of the summer fruit to look beyond the classic strawberry-rhubarb pairing and find more adventurous flavor combinations such as couscous, figs or … shrimp?
The locavore lifestyle has grown in popularity in recent years, and the benefits of eating fresh, locally grown foods are plenty. In order to support the growing demand for produce, farmer’s markets are cropping up (pun intended) throughout the Twin Cities metro area.
You picked them. Over 500 of you participated in this year’s “Best Of Edina” online voting, and for that we are grateful.
