What we eat and drink can affect our health, and studies suggest the foods we use to fuel our bodies can actually help reduce stress. Foods rich in good fats containing omega-3, fiber and probiotics can counteract negative stressors.

The next time you’re feeling stressed, reach for these stress-busting recipes.

Berries and oats are high-fiber ingredients in the berry baked oatmeal. Serve with yogurt, which offers natural probiotics to make your gut happy.

Julie Garden-Robinson

As I have been exploring genealogy with my son, we are finding connections to earlier generations. Through the technology of online searching and the translation of marriage, baptism and death certificates into English, we have reached the mid-1600s on our family tree.

Like many of us in the Midwest, our family members were mostly farmers in their home countries. My maiden name meant “rural farm” in Norwegian. My distant grandparents came to America for all the usual reasons: They sought new opportunities while escaping political issues and seeking religious freedom.

pork adobo

Facing the challenge of finding and recruiting teachers to fill eight openings at the start of the 2023-24 school year, the Mott-Regent School District looked across borders to find talent in the Philippines. The rural school district eventually hired two North Dakotans and six Filipino educators, who are teaching kindergarten, first grade, science, math, music and special education this year. Beyond sharing their teaching talents, the Filipino teachers are also sharing their culture, with students, the school and the local community.

Rustic Herb Bread and Tortellini Soup

Americans like food. A lot. In fact, the United States has a long list of national days dedicated to certain foods, which have been carefully researched and catalogued by Marlo Anderson in the National Day Calendar – the official, authoritative source for fun, unusual and unique national days. (Read about it on page 6.)

Veterans Day

In honor of Veterans Day, North Dakota Living features two veteran-owned Pride of Dakota businesses.

Jaydobo is owned by Jayson Parsons, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, whose line of seasonings brings the zest of the Southwest to the heart of the Midwest.

The Jolly Jalapeno is owned by Alfredo and Tabatha Lugo, who balance their salsa-making business with their military careers in the U.S. Air Force.

Read their stories here!

Father's Farm

Chet Yoder, director of Father’s Farm in Wolford, a longer-term, faith-centered rehabilitation center for men reentering the community, shares two of his family’s favorite recipes.

His daughter, Kiera Yoder, is to thank for this stovetop mac and cheese, a quick-and-easy comfort meal your family will request time and again. And the juneberry pie – as delicious as it is beautiful – comes from Chet’s sister, Chalon Yoder.

Read about Chet and Father’s Farm here!

 

 

Cheryl Erickson

In “Cinderella,” the fairy godmother waves her wand, turning a pumpkin coach into a carriage. The pumpkin served as a vessel – helping Cinderella find her prince.

Like the fairy godmother, one woman's pumpkins help people find Jesus.

For two decades, Cheryl Erickson planted seeds in the ground. She hoped they’d grow to the heavens, or rather, help people find heaven themselves.
 

Oldies, but goodies

In May 1957, the magazine’s “Recipe Roundup” was born. Through the decades, the recipe pages in North Dakota Living have remained a reader favorite (as Lucille shares with us in her “Reader Reply”). We even published a series of cookbooks with the recipes featured in this magazine and shared by our cooperative members, readers and home cooks.

This month’s recipes come from the 1987 “REC Family Cookbook.” To celebrate 70 years of North Dakota Living, we made the original version of each recipe, plus a version with a new twist (see recipe notes).

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