things to do

More than ever, America is counting down to Christmas by watching Hallmark holiday movies, but we’ve found a new way to embrace this cultural phenomenon: We went in search of local spots that make us feel like we’re extras on the set of a Hallmark Channel “Countdown to Christmas” movie. If you’re a fan, you know what we sought: Main streets dressed up in twinkly lights; cozy bakeries, coffee shops, bookstores or other cute shops for people dressed in Christmas sweaters to gather; gazebos and ice skating rinks — and, of course, Christmas tree farms. Judging by the ratings so far this holiday season — think blizzard effect — why are so many of us enchanted by this sparkly world that Hallmark has created? “We are not just creating a backdrop, we are truly embracing the spirit of the holiday season,” says Michelle Vicary, the Crown Media Family Networks’ executive who oversees the programming for the Hallmark … [Read more...] about Love a good Hallmark Christmas movie? Go here to feel like you’re in one

It looks like Garth Brooks may have some friends in high places. Gov. Mark Dayton heard the cries of the 50,000 people who didn’t get a ticket Friday when they sold out for Brooks’ May 4 concert at US Bank Stadium and issued a request to Brooks via press release to hold a second concert. “Our state-of-the-art stadium is the perfect place to host fans from across Minnesota and the upper Midwest for one more outstanding concert performance,” he said. “We would love for Garth to spend the weekend in Minneapolis, where Minnesotans and fans across the region would surely welcome him with open arms.” Tickets went on sale for the concert Friday and sold out in under an hour. Over 50,000 fans were in line, on the phone, or online when the last ticket was sold. Some fans took to Twitter to express their dismay. “Garth, we love you in Minneapolis but it was very disappointing to wait in the waiting room on 4 different computers, then told site crashed … [Read more...] about Gov. Dayton appeals to Garth Brooks to do more shows after tickets sell out in under an hour

If you were to look at some of the most popular toys over the decades, you’d find the majority were made of plastic and wrapped in plastic — and then were probably wrapped in paper and bows. “We know we live in a consumer culture, but it goes into overdrive over the holidays,” says Anne-Marie Bonneau, the California blogger known as the Zero-Waste Chef. What happens to all that plastic and waste after the carols are done and the food is eaten? According to the Environment Protection Agency, 8.8 million tons of plastic ends up in the ocean every year. Holiday excess isn’t limited to plastic toys and plastic wrap, though. Every year, Americans throw out an incredible amount of food — about 200 million pounds of turkey meat over Thanksgiving alone, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental advocacy nonprofit. Disposable wrapping paper, cheap decorations, fake trees, white elephant exchanges, cards, cookie packaging — it … [Read more...] about Less waste, more cheer: How to rein in holiday excess

This week on “Top Chef: Kentucky,” St. Paul chef Justin Sutherland got to visit the Maker’s Mark Distillery and cook for a very pregnant Gail Simmons. Simmons, a regular judge on “Top Chef,” is out this season due to the imminent arrival of a baby, but the team brought her into the show by having the chefs try to satisfy her pregnancy cravings. Simmons’ friend, Nilou Moutamed, flew ingredients and instructions for the top two recipes to Simmons’ New York City home where they cooked the dishes and Simmons chose a winner. Unfortunately, Sutherland’s beef tonkatsu with spicy Asian slaw didn’t land him in the top two, so he was not granted immunity. But he wasn’t on the bottom, either. The chefs then visited the Maker’s Mark distillery, where they had a great time, tasting bourbon and being served an epic feast of Kentucky delicacies like mutton barbecue, burgoo and hoe cakes. It was all fun and games until host Padma … [Read more...] about St. Paul chef is middle of the pack in second episode of ‘Top Chef’