going home

This will be long, and probably sappy (and way overdue). Deal with it.

I hail from Williston, North Dakota. It's a sleepy little town - barely a dot on the map in the very northwest corner of the state - almost in Montana and not far from our neighbors to the north. Jon likes to tease me about secretly being Canadian - not quite, but I've been known to drop an "eh" in conversation from time to time.

Well, my sleepy little town, isn't quite so sleepy any more. You may have heard about the oil boom that's taken over Williston from the Guardian or New York Times or NPR or from any number of other news sources that seem to rediscover the story every few months. It's a strange feeling when people who struggled to remember if your from the "North" or "South" state can now identify your hometown by name. Almost overnight, Williston went from total obscurity to headline news.

My parents moved to Kansas right before I got married (they like their states flat and tree-less), and since then, I've never been back to Williston. It's been six years, and a trip home was long overdue. I could only keep hearing about the changes for so long before wanting to see them for myself. Plus, as Megan perfectly articulated, the home video project we did for Mom's birthday made both of us miserably homesick.

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That's the town, but now let me tell you about the people because they are really what makes Williston home. Growing up, life was ridiculously idyllic. We lived a quiet life on a quiet street in a quiet town. We never moved. I never even moved bedrooms. I came home from the hospital as a newborn and slept in the same room for the next 18 years. {This might explain my aversion to moving.} We went to the same church, the same school, and had the same friends for 18 years. Expect they weren't just friends. They were family.

Because we didn't have any extended family in North Dakota, these lovely people took us in as family. They had kids together and raised them together. In a way they grew up together, and so did us kids. They were at birthdays and holidays, celebrations and church functions. They make numerous appearances in our home videos - just like family would. They've seen me at my cutest (somewhere around age 3) and my most awkward (everything after 3). They grilled Jon when I brought him home. He didn't just have to pass the test with my parents - no, he had about 10 other surrogate parents who also had to approve. They've nurtured me, prayed for me, encouraged me and loved me. I'm grateful for each one of them.

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I left bright and early on Friday morning. You know it's going to be a great day when your alarm goes off at 4 a.m. I landed in Minneapolis, and was immediately happy to be back in the Midwest - where people smile, say "excuse me" and the airport sells Green Bay Packers items. I did a little preseason shopping at the ripe hour of 7 a.m. Who needs coffee when there is shopping?!

The biggest moment of the morning was boarding the plane to Williston. It was a real jet with a flight attendant, jet bridge and everything. This is huge. For a long time, the only option we had was a propeller flight to Denver with no bathroom or flight attendant...and it was a long flight. To add insult to injury, the propeller flights coming from the middle of nowhere aren't exactly given landing priority. I remember circling the air in Denver on numerous occasions. One time we spent 30-45 turbulent minutes flying around while we waited for Al Gore's plane to land.

First positive change: oil means more people and more people means more air travelers and more air travelers means more flights on real planes. Oil boom: 1.

Upon landing, Williston looked pretty much the same. Still flat. Still treeless.

Much like a face only a mother could love, it's possible North Dakota is only a state a local could love.

Mom and Megan picked me up from the airport - after I successfully found my bag at the baggage claim that was marked with a 8.5x11 printed piece of paper. They had taken the more scenic route to North Dakota - driving up from Kansas. The 4:00 a.m. wake-up call wasn't looking so bad compared to the 2-day drive.We immediately went to Nina's house for lunch with the ladies.

I failed to take any photos, but it was a lovely lunch. We stayed for almost 4 hours catching up. Upon leaving Nina's house, Williston gave us a proper welcome with a big ol' flat tire. The roads have never been great - the hard winters take their toll on pavement - but the increased traffic, especially truck traffic has really made things worse. We ran over something, and sure enough, as soon as we got out of the car, we could hear the air streaming out of the tire.

Meanwhile I waited on the steps because no one was home to let us in.

But old friends are the best friends, and after a quick call, Joe came to our rescue. Except he couldn't get the tire off. Mom's fancy new car had a difficult bolt, and fearing he would break it, we had to call in the roadside assistance people. About 3 hours later, we finally had a spare tire...and another volunteer. Tim took the tire to get patched early the next morning...while I was still sound asleep. Bless him.

Saturday was a big day. We bunked all weekend with Russ & Dorry, which was a great idea. Not only are they great hosts, but Dorry is one of the best cooks I know. Half of my recipes came from her. That morning she made scones. Then it was off to lunch with these ladies at the country club. Williston is apparently very fancy now. With country club restaurants and $25 entrees.

After lunch, we stopped at Books on Broadway, where both Megan and I worked during high school and college over the summers. It's still a magical little bookstore, and one of my favorite places on earth.

Next up was the old neighborhood tour. This is where I grew up. It looks a little different, but mostly the same. We ran into a few old neighbors and got caught up on the 'hood.

We may or may not have broken into the backyard. Hey, that shed looks familiar...and like it needs a new paint job.

We couldn't walk down the block without stopping for a photo of our old mailbox #11. One time Megan tried to lick some snow off the top of it (ew) and got her tongue stuck to the box (duh).

That evening we had a cookout in honor of Russell's birthday. The gang was all there. Of course, we had to break out some of the home videos. We watched a few clips from church programs and had fun picking out all the faces in the crowd.

The next best thing about staying at Russ and Dorry's was spending time with their adorable grandkids. This little cutie. I die.

Sunday was perhaps my favorite day. Probably because it started with a true North Dakota caramel roll. Mom picked them up from two different spots and I definitely ate 1.5 rolls. I'm not ashamed.

Sunday afternoon we took the official driving tour with A+ tour guides Stacey & Jennie. I'll spare you photos of buildings that mean nothing to you - save Walt's Market because everyone loves Walt.

We made a pit stop out at Vance & Darci's house. This was a great choice because we got to take in their awesome view, and besides being great company, they fed us homemade ice cream and cookies. I swear people from North Dakota are the best.

We finally got back later that evening after a full day of touring the town. I was shocked at how much it has changed, but also how much it has stayed the same. It's really true that "the more things change, the more they stay the same." While the footprint of the town is now much larger (so many new houses, hotels and apartment buildings), it's still the same place where you run into the same people. That was somewhat comforting to me.

Poor Papa Tim had been entertaining Connor all day while us girls were away. I'm not sure which one of them was more exhausted.

We said our goodbyes to the Mendros and took a few photos before Connor squirmed away.

Monday morning we had breakfast with Karen and Becca.

And then one more meal at Russ and Dorry's before it was time to head to the airport. She even served ice cream with homemade raspberry sauce. She's the original hostess with the mostest.

More going away photos!

This is Bert. We became good friends over my stay at his house. 

Russell spilled on his shirt at lunch so he had to go Napoleon-style for these photos. 

Thus ended the trip home. It was a whirlwind. Mom's schedule kept us going the whole time. She was determined to see EVERYONE, and I think we did. But, I wouldn't have it any other way. There really is no place like home.

a note on the midwest

I interrupt the vacation storytelling to bring you a little note on my encounter today. I’m going to do some generalizing & stereotyping. If that gets your knickers in a twist, read no further.

I waited for my bus inside a hotel lobby today because it was chilly outside. I sat down next to a man who must have seen me eyeing his goodies because he jokingly declared that I couldn’t have his wine or chocolates. He explained that today was his lucky day. A lady had given him the wine because she didn’t want to carry it around in her purse and the chocolates were from a waitress to make up for his cold eggs.

He asked me if I was from DC, to which I responded that nobody is really from DC. This is, of course, not entirely true, but pretty close. He wanted to know where I’m from. I answer this question differently depending on the situation. When I’m outside the DMV (DC-Maryland-Virigina), I usually tell people I’m from the DC area, but when I’m here in the DMV, the answer is always North Dakota. I haven’t lived there in almost 10 years, but it’s still home.

 “You’ll never guess where I’m from,” he said, “North Dakota!” Of course he was.

We went on to a have a lengthy discussion about home, oil (naturally), his visit to DC, and my life in DC. It was the best way to spend a few minutes waiting for the bus. It reminded me how much I love people from the Midwest, particularly people from North Dakota. There are so few of us that it’s hard to meet one you don’t instantly love.

Some of you may not get the whole Midwest thing, and I understand that. I know we aren’t the warmest bunch. We can be a bit (ok, a lot) reserved, pragmatic to a fault, suspicious of outsiders, annoyingly polite. We think soda is pop, this is salad, and distance is measured in hours, not minutes.

After living in the South for 5 years and now the Mid-Atlantic for just under 5 years (I confess that I always thought  DC was just considered East Coast before moving here), Midwest really is best. This isn’t a knock on the South. I loved the food and was fascinated by the big personalities, bless your hearts. Although, I will admit I could have done without the weather and the hugs. SO MANY HUGS. And I love living here in the DMV where we enjoy 4 distinct seasons, cultural diversity, and trees. Trees are great.

But at the end of the day, there is no one I would rather have in my corner than a Midwesterner. We are fiercely loyal, refreshingly genuine, sensible, hard working, honest, and humble. It can be hard to break through our shells, but once you do, you have a friend for life. We won’t think twice about lending a hand or feeding a neighbor – probably with hotdish.

Since I haven’t lived in the Midwest for a long time, I find those sensibilities in me slipping away. The accent faded a long time ago. I smile less at strangers. I walk faster. Being able to see for miles now seems strange. Today was a nice little reminder that there is no place like home, even if home is considered a flyover state by most.

the friday happy list

Today brings my least favorite type of weather - freezing rain. If it's going to be cold, it might as well snow. Nothing is worse than very cold and very rainy, but I'm doing my best to concentrate on some happy things from this week.

Caramel rolls. The big theme this week has obviously been caramel rolls. I just can't get over the response to the recipe. By far, the best part has been hearing from people far and wide who have the same nostalgia over these rolls as I do. It took a long time for me to find a recipe that was comparable, and it makes me really happy to know that I've shared a little piece of home with so many people. Here are a few of comments that have warmed my caramel roll loving heart:

"My mother had a local cafe in the small town of York ND and always had these ready for when church got out. That was in the 70's and they were the best. I make them now also. Great treat."

"These look like what was served to us in school in Tulsa, OK on chili day! Have wanted the recipe for years and I am hoping this is the one! Tried a different recipe for Christmas, only to be disappointed. Can't wait to try these!"

"They are nowhere to be found in Colorado so definitely going to be trying this recipe. Thanks!"

Dubai. We booked a trip to Dubai this week! We aren't actually traveling until the first week of March, but on a miserable day like today, I'm dreaming about the warm desert. Our friend Rob is there on a state department assignment, and he has graciously agreed to host us. Rob is one of my favorites - I'm not sure if I'm more excited about seeing him or seeing Dubai!

Baby Shower. Speaking of good friends, I'm hosting a baby shower for my lovely friend Melissa tomorrow. She's a faithful blog reader, and we've mostly kept her in suspense about the shower, so I can't share too many details today, but I promise to do a full post next week. I'm so excited for her and Peter and baby boy Saharko. I can't wait to love on that little one when he arrives in early March!








Spiced tea. Over Christmas, Jon's grandmother Mee Maw made us all a cup of her spiced tea. Some people call it Russian tea. I call it Tang tea. Either way, I hadn't had it in a long time, but I've been craving a second cup ever since. I whipped up a batch at home yesterday straight from Mee Maw's cookbook. I brought some to work today to share - it's perfect on this rainy day. It couldn't be easier: 2 cups tang, 1/2 cup instant tea w/lemon (or add a few teaspoons of instant lemonade mix if not using lemon tea), 1 cup sugar, ground cinnamon & cloves to taste.

north dakota caramel rolls go viral in north dakota. go figure.

I certainly wasn't expecting this. After posting the caramel roll recipe earlier this week - it took off - to the tune of 25,000 page views and counting. Apparently it's become a big hit in North Dakota. My hometown family friend Stacey really got the ball rolling (Thanks, Stacey!). She shared the link on Facebook and it just snowballed from there. She sent me a message yesterday with this funny tidbit:

I saw [a former neighbor of mine from Williston] at a local restaurant today and told her about your blog and she said to me, I kept seeing a picture of a carmel roll recipe on my Facebook newsfeed!!! Here it was your blog!!!

I guess you guys really like caramel rolls! I'm totally blown away by the response. If I had known so many people were going to stop by, I would have cleaned up the place.

I hope a few of you will stick around to enjoy future recipes and musings, but if all this traffic means North Dakota caramel rolls are hitting the mouths of people around the country, then I think my work here is done.

north dakota caramel rolls

Stop whatever you are doing and make these right now. I'm not usually this bossy (ok, sometimes I am), but these are just that good.

Caramel rolls are nothing new, but you haven't lived until you've had one from North Dakota. I'm not sure of their origin - maybe a midwestern thing? - but I've only ever had them (or at least had them this good) in North Dakota. In my hometown of Williston, the best ones were at Dakota Farms or Grandma Sharon's. If you didn't get there early, you didn't get one.

The North Dakota caramel (car-mel) roll is light and fluffy in texture, but not excessively tall. They come flat and large. A good one will barely fit on a salad plate. Caramel roll > salad. They are devoid of nuts, light on cinnamon and heavy on soft, creamy caramel. It's decidedly not a cinnamon roll or a sticky bun, which is what you'll find 99% of the time if you order a caramel roll at a bakery or restaurant. Huge disappointment.

This recipe came to my attention via Karen Riekeman - a sweet family friend. I want to say she got it from the North Dakota wheat growers association or something else wheat-related and official like that. I should start telling little stories to go with my recipes. Here is one of my favorites on Karen:

Her husband, my pastor at First Baptist Williston, officiated our wedding. Apparently, he brought a red (I think?) tie to wear. Afraid it would clash with our muted color scheme, Karen made a last minute trip to Walmart (the only shop in town) to get him a tie that would blend in better with our wedding photos. The red really wouldn't have bothered me, but you know you have a good friend when it bothered her!

I've adapted the recipe by using rapid rise yeast (ain't nobody got time for a double rise), doubling the caramel sauce, and a few other little changes here and there. These don't get quite as big as the ones from home, but Grandma Sharon won't share her recipe with me. These come pretty darn close in taste, though!

North Dakota Caramel Rolls

1 pkg rapid rise active dry yeast

½ cup sugar

½ cup shortening

2 cups buttermilk

6 cups bread flour

2 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp baking soda

Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup of water. In a large standing mixer, cream sugar and shortening. Add buttermilk, yeast mixture, 2 cups flour, salt, baking powder and soda. Beat until smooth. Stir in remaining 4 cups of flour to make a very soft dough (I did this part with my mixer's bread hook). Turn onto a floured surface and knead 4-8 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic. 

Let the dough rest for 10 minutes while you make the caramel sauce. 

Caramel Sauce 

3 cups brown sugar

2 cups heavy cream

2 Tbs light corn syrup

2-4 Tbs butter unsalted butter, softened or melted

1 tsp cinnamon

3 Tbs white sugar

Combine brown sugar, cream and light corn syrup in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat until sugar is dissolved & sauce is slightly thickened. Pour caramel sauce in equal amounts in the bottom of two 9x13 pans. [I usually get 12-14 rolls out of one batch. In order to avoid crowding, don't place more than 6-7 rolls in each pan.] 

On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a large 10x18 inch rectangle. Spread with the softened butter. Sprinkle cinnamon & sugar over the dough. Starting with the long side, roll up and press to seal. Cut into 1" thick slices.

Place the rolls on top of the caramel sauce in your 2 pans. Cover with a bread cloth & let rise near your warming oven until doubled in size - about 1-2 hours. Bake in preheated 375° oven for 25-30 minutes. Invert onto platter while rolls are still warm. 

Reheat leftover rolls (leftovers? ha!) in the microwave for 30 seconds. Perfection!