Well, the dishes are done, laundry is still going, bills are paid, cleaned the stove, and it is now time at 11:00 p.m. to write my article and think of how I can dedicate this article to my mom and all of the great moms out there.

I assume some of the moms reading this article right now might be tuckered after a long day but still trying to squeeze in a few more household chores before going to bed. To all of you, I raise my hand for a big high five…you are awesome! You are inspiring, strong and giving mothers… and probably the organizing queen that keeps the family schedule chugging along.

I am sure that your list of Super Mom characteristics could fill the universe. So, as I worked in my office today, the inspiration for this article was glaring at me from the bulletin board.

Written in pencil with some of the wrong letters capitalized and some of them misspelled, was a worn piece of paper written by my son when he was eight-years-old that listed the “Top Ten Reasons I Love My Mom.” When he brought that list home, I remember asking if he thought of all of those reasons by himself.

He shared that the teacher wrote ideas on the board but he thought of ONE of the reasons all by himself. That reason turned out to my favorite …”She is Kickin’ Fun!” it said. 1) Makes me wonder if my new teenager would have written the same list? 2) Makes me hope that his list will always be as long as the one from third grade and 3) Makes me pray that he will always HAVE a list. The job of parenting gets so crazy at times with always trying to teach children what is right and wrong and to have strong values that we have to remember their minds are creating memory lists each day.

Is my mom fun? Does she ask and value my opinion? Can I talk to my mom? It has been so difficult over the years to extract any school information from my son so I instead started asking him, “What was the funniest thing that happened today?”

I love that he will now come home and want to tell me something funny from school before I even ask, which then morphs into the schoolwork and grades conversation or “boring stuff” as he says.

Many of my favorite memories are of sitting with my mom at our kitchen table and filling her in on my day at school and, after moving out of the house, returning home for the weekend and having those same talks—of course those conversations after age 21 were a bit juicier (ha!).

So Happy Mother’s Day to all of you great moms out there…I hope your Top Reasons list is very long for many years to come. Watch for my next column on June 18th to see the winning recipe from the recent Working Mom Hotdish contest. With Rhubarb springing up all over, try this switch on the standard cake:

Quick Cream Cheese Iced Rhubarb– cupcakes

1/3 cup finely chopped rhubarb

1 stick soft butter

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

pinch salt

1 tsp. baking powder

1 cup milk

1 cup sugar

1 1/3 cup all purpose flour

Cream butter and sugar. Add the eggs and milk. Sift dry ingredients and add in. Toss the rhubarb lightly with a bit of flour and gently fold in. Place batter by spoonfuls into cupcake cups approximately halfway. Bake at 350F for 15 or 20 minutes. Let cool before icing.

Cream Cheese Icing

2 cups icing or fine sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

pinch salt

4 oz. plain cream cheese

1/3 cup soft butter

** Beat with mixer until the sugar crystals are broken down and it is smooth.

By Jason Sethre

I’ll never forget when I first walked into Preston Apple & Berry Farm and first met Joe Gosi — the world famous “Pie Man.”

I heard his accent and asked him where he was originally from. He said, “I am authentic Norwegian. That’s what I tell everybody.” I replied, “Oh, I was thinking Texas.” He may not remember that, but I do.

And, then he told me the truth. He is from Hungary.

Even though he hasn’t lived in Hungary for many decades, his accent is still prevalent.

Joe, along with his wife Carole, are business partners and life partners. Back in 2010, Joe celebrated his 75th birthday (he has another one coming up in June), the happy couple celebrated 45 years of marriage and the 25th anniversary of owning and operating the Preston Apple & Berry Farm.

I remember when I mentioned to Joe one day that I was thinking about experiementing with an all apple diet for an entire week.

He told me that in his younger years he ate apples all the time. As he worked throughout the day, he’d eat dozens and dozens.

Well, apparently, apples are just like anything else. The doctor tells us to eat an apple a day for a reason — only one! Joe said he started getting ulcers from eating too many apples all the time.

Moderation is key, even with apples. So, I took Joe’s advice and put that apple diet on my bookshelf of vicarious experiences.

Every town has a local watering hole, a place where people come and hang out to chat about the happenings of the community.

The Preston Apple & Berry Farm is one of those places. Every time I stop by, I find a crowd sipping on coffee and talking about the weather.

And, at the same time Joe and Carole are hosting local folks, they also draw a huge tourism crowd from all over the tri-state area. I don’t know how many times I have seen out-of-state plates in the parking lot.

In essence, Preston Apple & Berry Farm is an outstanding form of agri-tourism for the city of Preston. Yes, this apple farm is a tourist attraction.

Most locals may not think of that way, because they just enjoy visiting with Joe, Carole and their friendly staff.

As you are planning your weekday or weekend, I would suggest stopping by for a breakfast treat.

I probably consume about five to 10 turnovers from Preston Apple & Berry Farm per month.

And, these are not those little turnovers you might find at some fast food restaurant in Rochester. These are real, handmade turnovers big enough to cure any appetitie. Joe knows apples, and this one is a winner in my book.

With a light, flaky wrap brushed with frosting, the apples ooze out of whichever corner you attack first.

I have always been an apple fan, and I am not talking about computers.

From my perspective, if we didn’t have our claim to fame with the Root River and our recognition as the “Trout Capital of Minnesota,” I’d suggest we aim for “Apple Capital of Minnesota.” I know La Crescent has been bestowed this honor and I wouldn’t want to take anything away from them, but I’m sure Preston Apple & Berry Farm would give them a run for their money.

By Mitchell Walbridge

Whether you are a local resident, seasonal tourist, or just someone who has passed through the quaint community of Lanesboro, it would be extremely difficult to say that you haven’t noticed the old-fashioned dining car on Parkway Avenue a few paces from the front entrance of the Cornucopia Art Center. Spud Boy Lunch, one of the newest dining establishments in Lanesboro located at 105 ¾ Parkway Avenue North, opened its doors for the first time on April 30. Now getting the business into a routine of their schedules, owners Gordon and Val Tindall have this new, unique dining car open seven days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Gordon Tindall grew up in the eastern United States on a farm in New Jersey. It didn’t take him long though to become interested in the dining car business. Years ago in Decorah, Iowa, Tindall opened a diner and ran it for six years before selling it and moving to Pennsylvania to renovate another dining car similar to his first. Years later, a friend of Tindall’s had come across a dining car bound for demolition. It turns out that this is the one that Tindall has transformed into the Spud Boy Lunch located in Lanesboro.

The Tindalls took possession of that particular dining car in February of 2007 and began the restoration process. In the four to five year period of working on the Spud Boy Lunch, Gordon has been doing manual modification to the dining car in addition to searching for old fashioned appliances online, in antique shops, and restaurant supply stores. Gordon has missed the dining business since leaving Pennsylvania and is glad to have the opportunity to be open for six months of the year. During the winters he can focus on his artwork.

However, the Tindalls aren’t the only people excited for the opening of their new business. Many townspeople and locals have been anticipating the grills to be fired up inside the historic dining car. Mary Stream, who moved to Rushford in May of 2009, said she took notice of the structure years ago and stated, “I’m very excited for the opening.” Since opening about two weeks ago, business for the Tindalls has been great, and they’ve been enjoying the experience.

The menu of Spud Boy Lunch contains quite the list of classics focusing on breakfast and lunch meals. In addition to the homemade potato salad and coleslaw, Gordon has also earned bragging rights for his pies. For years he has been learning more and more about the art of pie making by frequently asking his customers about their pie recipes, all in the process of developing the perfected pie recipe. Gordon Tindall noted that all of his diners have been known for having delicious pie.

Gordon and Val are proud of their accomplishments with Spud Boy Lunch. One can tell this from a number of different ways. First, it’s easily noticeable that they’ve put considerable effort into their décor and into their food choices. And second, you can bet that Spud Boy Lunch will offer kind service, great food, and a great social experience. One can be confident that he or she will be satisfied after a meal at Spud Boy Lunch as the menu proclaims, “We take pride in what we serve. Everything’s pretty good here.”