Podcasts about potted

The 39 Melachos Of Shabbos Series #3 - Caring for your flowers and potted plants on Shabbos? 11/02/2015

This month Bianca Censori, rapper Kanye West's wife, broke the internet after appearing on a red carpet in a transparent dress. Meanwhile, artists were upset about their life drawing class being moved in North London. This prompted a conversation about public nudity and by extension, nudism. Professor Annebella Pollen is from the University of Brighton and author of Nudism in a Cold Climate, she explains the history and significance of the nudism movement in the UK.

Planted or Potted? The post Why Church? – Part 2 appeared first on New Life Church.

Potted plants will bring life and positive energy into any room, and studies have shown that having them nearby can relieve stress, boost creativity, and improve focus. In winter, when the weather is not good for outdoor gardening, it is particularly satisfying when we can help the living gems on our windowsills to thrive and look their best. In this episode Danielle and Carol chat with their friend and colleague, Christine Alexander, about the houseplants they consider to be truly worthy of a spot indoors.  Expert: Christine Alexander is the digital content editor at Fine Gardening. 

Stamford Chidge & Jonathan Kydd are joined by Dan Silver and special guest Dylan Polk from Carefree Louisiana Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

微信公众号：「365读书」（dus365)，有不定期赠书福利；微博：365读书v。主播：潮羽，365天每天更新一期。 文字版已在微信公众号【365读书】发布 。QQ：647519872 背景音乐：1.井内舞子 - Potted one；2.余日秋山 - 山林漫步；3.ゴンチチ - 放课后の音楽室；4.コーコーヤ - はんなり；5.下村陽子 - Dearly Beloved。

It's a much-depleted Pod Squad for this week's episode as Simon and Woody look ahead to the Reading game, discuss Sean Dyche's sacking at Everton and try and work out the CJ Egan Riley contract situation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bloomers in the Garden • 11.30.24• The Beauty of Amaryllis • Thanksgiving Christmas vs Christmas Cactus • Fresh Christmas Greens • Balled & Burlapped Christmas Trees • Bringing a Fig Tree Indoors?!? • and More!  Do you love Amaryllis as much as I do? This beautiful Flowering Bulb has a story almost as beautiful as the flower! Learn all about Amaryllis during our 1st segment! Christmas Cactus are a popular Holiday Plant. Hear about the differences from Thanksgiving Cactus vs Christmas Cactus and how to grow them in our second segment! Bring a sense of nostalgia to this Holiday Season using Fresh greens everywhere in our homes. Hear about thier use in history and lore during our 3rd segment. Before you go out and buy a cut Christmas tree! Con- sider a Potted or Balled and Burlapped Tree you can plant After Christ- mas! We'll weigh the options in our 4th segment. After listening to our Fig Winterizing segment a listener contacted us about how to winterize a fig tree growing in a container! Hear all about it during our final segment! Philadelphia, South Jersey, & Delaware Valley Saturdays at 8am 860am WWDB-AM Saturday at 6am & 5pm 93.5FM & 1540am WNWR "The Word"....   NYC Tri-State Area Sundays at 8am 1250 AM "Classic Oldies" WMTR Bloomers in the Garden helps you and your neighbors have more beautiful yards, gardens and landscapes. Len and Julio are your “go-to” source for practical information, solid “local” advice that applies to the Delaware Valley. Learn about products and plants you can pronounce that are available at local Independent Garden Centers. Get inspired and confident to try new things, building on our past successful recommendations. Your hosts, Len Schroeder & Julio Zamora Len Schroeder has a rich family heritage of horticulture dating back over 100 years. His own experience spans over 30 years as Owner of Bloomers Home & Garden Center. Bloomers is a Retail Garden Center that caters to the home gardener and the do-it-yourself landscaper. Bloomers prides itself on its staff training. We translate the often confusing gardening information into easy to understand, executable tasks. Len brings a professional lifetime of sorting out plants and products that work when customers get them home. Julio Zamora has worked within Bloomers Nursery Department for over a decade and is a life-long gardener. Julio's unique passion for customers inspires Gardeners of all ages to try new things. His relaxed friendly demeanor and enthusiastic joy when discussing the benefits of gardening is inspirational. Julio's authentic love and concern for people makes him and exceptional individual and host! Have a question for us or a topic you like us to discuss? Have a question for us or a topic you like us to discuss? Call the Bloomer's Garden Hotline” at (609)685-1880 to leave your question, your name and the town you're from! You can also write to len@bloomers.com or julio@bloomers.com

On Cincinnati Edition's gardening show, we answer your questions with our gardening experts.

Chris From Brooklyn is back at it again talking about why honesty is the best policy while trying to get laid, Chris finally getting to go on Without A Country to talk some sense into Corinne, Nancy Mase doing one of the coolest things in the history of Congress followed by one of the lamest things in the history of Congress, MTG threatening to out everyone in congress and why that would be the coolest possible outcome, the insane pro-trump cheerleaders who are making very lame content and so much more!Record Date: 11/21/24Support Our Sponsorshttps://www.zefhemp.com - Use Promo Code GOON25 for 25% off your order!YoKratom.com - Click The Link To Get A $60 Kilo Today!WATCH CHRIS NEW "NOT SPECIAL" HERE https://www.youtube.com/@HighSocietyRadioPodcastDo Trivia Hosted By Harrigton At Tavern On Reade Every Tuesday at 7:30https://tavernonreade.com/Email Your Ask The Goon Questions to: askthegoon@gmail.comFollow the hosts on socialChris From Brooklyn Twitter https://twitter.com/ChrisFromBklynHigh Society Radio Instagram https://www.instagram.com/highsocietyradioHigh Society Radio YouTube http://bit.ly/HSRYoutubeHigh Society Radio Twitter https://twitter.com/HSRadioshowWebsite https://gasdigital.comMike Harrington Twitter https://twitter.com/TheMHarringtonMike Harrington Instagram https://www.instagram.com/themharrington/Notes Of A Goon is a weekly podcast where Goon of note, Chris from BK sits down and yells about childhood trauma, how he'd fix the whole damn country, and all sorts of other bullshit. All while splitting a six pack with you the listener. Chris is joined by his stalwart producer and homeless weirdo Mike Harrington on this journey of self reflection and yelling. There's lots of yelling.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Send us a textThis episode, I want to share with you the story about a potted plant and the life lesson it reminded me about. This story and lesson is perfect for anyone who is feeling stuck in life right now. I hope you hear my heart in the sharing.Grab that beverage, have a seat at my table, and let's chat on this episode of the Pivot to Prosper Podcast.PS...don't forget to grab yourself a Towardations Flash Card Deck. These $5 purchases support this podcast. Link below.Support the showLinks: Free Resource Teacher (Digital Products)-"Towardations" Flash Cards & Digital CoursesCoach- When you hurt in your now, I help you pivot to your next.Speaker- The perfect balance of Entertainment and EmpowermentAuthor- My published Fictions and Non-FictionsDisclaimers: I am not a licensed therapist nor medical professional and do not diagnose. Also, the views expressed on this podcast are either those of myself or my guests and should be consider as such. The views expressed by the guest may or may not reflect my own. This podcast is for information only.Music by Zakhar Valaha from Pixabay

We explore 2,500 years of French history and the key events that shaped the destiny of France. We'll also discover some of the most memorable members of France's ruling families through the ages from the Gauls and the Romans to the Visigoths, Vandals and Vikings and through to the dynasties of the Franks, the Merovingians, Carolingians and the Bourbons and on through to French Revolution and the Republic of France we have today. Full of fun and fascinating facts, France's history is part Game of Thrones and part pot luck! Sit back, click play and be prepared to be wowed by the incredible history of France - and all in less than 30 minutes. Follow us: On Twitter On Instagram On Facebook On The Good Life France's website Thanks for listening!

James Mennie / Reporter, Columnist and Editor at the Montreal Gazette

Why have Tilly and Ash been turned into potted plants? Maybe it's because they were trying to categorise an ancient and (apparently) wrathful god. But how does one classify a god? How can we identify them archaeologically? Are they people or objects? And most importantly, how will Ash and Tilly stop this recording? Listen in to find out!Books Mentioned: Small Gods (Terry Pratchett) Bound to the Battle God (Ruby Dixon) Pyramids (Terry Pratchett) Odds and Gods (Tom Holt) Ye Gods (Tom Holt) Godkiller (Hannah Kaner) The Raven Tower (Ann Leckie) The Realms of the Gods (Tamora Pierce) Kaos (Netflix series)Links Article: Are archaeologists afraid of gods? Article: Cattle skull ring in Kheshiya Article: Taking the bull by the horns (Catalhoyuk) Article: Griffins, Myths and Religion Article: The Spatial Configuration of Belief Book: The Archaeology of Religion TeePublic Store linkContact Email: andmytrowel@gmail.com Instagram: @‌and.my.trowelTranscripts For rough transcripts of this episode, go to: https://www.archpodnet.com/trowel/28ArchPodNet APN Website: https://www.archpodnet.com APN on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/archpodnet APN on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/archpodnet APN on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/archpodnetAffiliates Motion

X  -  @GOATangent

In this episode of Down the Garden Path, Joanne Shaw discusses fall mums and asters. Topics covered in this week's episode: Chrysanthemums, many horticultural varieties and cultivars exist including tender florist mums (a favourite because of how long they stay blooming in a vase). Or Garden mums, more commonly known as fall mums. All Chrysanthemums are native to East Asia and northeastern Europe. They became popular in North American gardening during the early to mid-20th century. Overall, fall or autumn gardening in the U.S. became particularly prominent in the 1950s and 1960s. Their popularity grew thanks to their vibrant colours of mums—ranging from deep reds and oranges to yellows and purples—this made them a popular choice for fall displays. Their ability to bloom late into the season and withstand cooler temperatures also contributed to their popularity in autumn gardening. Fall mums grown for our gardens are fertilized and pruned heavily to maintain their dense growth while in containers. It is possible to overwinter them in the garden but without regular maintenance, they can get quite large (tall and wide over a season or two). You often hear of gardeners or articles mentioning mid-summer to cut back or pinch back the foliage on garden mums that are being grown in the garden to slow down their growth and size. If growing in the garden, they benefit from mulching to protect them from the freeze and thaw most of us experience in our Ontario gardens or gardens in zones 4-6. They can be prone to spider mites and aphids as well as powdery mildew. Mildew especially if they are allowed to get large in the garden and then crowd with other plants and especially when there is high humidity and/or overhead watering. The downside of mums: As a designer, my goal is to create gardens that are all season with something happening at all times and for there really not be a need for high-maintenance annuals. I do realize that there are times and places in the yard where one might want a pop of colour -- even me! Potted mums perform much better in cooler temperatures. Unfortunately, garden centres seem to start selling them earlier and earlier each season. They are thirsty plants when in pots, especially in the heat. If the pots aren't watered regularly they die very quickly and I think homeowners think they can revive them. Once they have dried out, they are a throwaway plant. Don't get me started on the plastic waste they generate! A better plant option for fall: asters! There are 32 different species of aster in Ontario and over 100 species in North America. There is a place for one in every garden or even a pot if you choose! While some pollinators might visit garden mums for pollen that is where the benefit ends. Asters not only supply pollen for honeybees and native bees, they also feed adult butterflies and we all want more of those in our gardens. They are host plants or over 100 species of caterpillars, nature's bird feeders. Where there are caterpillars, there will be birds! You may be lucky to find New England asters in pots at your big box store. They are transplantable and will overwinter in the garden. In addition to the New England asters, there are several other native varieties that are sold in the perennial section of your garden centres. There is a variety of aster for every garden. New England Asters Symphyotrichum novaeangliae: (purple, light purple) Full to part sun, blooms August to October, moist average soil. Swamp Aster Symphyotrichum puniceum: (purple, light purple) Full to part sun, August to October, wet garden area White Wood Eurybia divaricate: Part shade to full shade, September to October and will grow in a garden from moist to dry. Heart Leaf Aster Symphyotrichum cordifolium: (lavender to light blue) Part shade to full shade, September to October, medium to dry soil Note: It is also recommended to pinch back or cut back asters in June to prevent them from getting too big and floppy. Resources Mentioned in the Show: Down the Garden Path: A Step-By-Step Guide to Your Ontario Garden Have a topic you'd like me to discuss? Please let me know what other topics you would like me to discuss. Email your questions and comments to downthegardenpathpodcast@hotmail.com, or connect with me on my website: down2earth.ca Find Down the Garden Path on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube: @downthegardenpathpodcast. Down the Garden Path Podcast On Down The Garden Path, professional landscape designer Joanne Shaw discusses down-to-earth tips and advice for your plants, gardens and landscapes. As the owner of Down2Earth Landscape Design, Joanne Shaw has been designing beautiful gardens for homeowners east of Toronto for over a decade. She does her best to bring you interesting, relevant and useful topics to help you keep your garden as low maintenance as possible.  In Down the Garden Path: A Step-By-Step Guide to Your Ontario Garden, Joanne and fellow landscape designer Matthew Dressing distill their horticultural and design expertise and their combined experiences in helping others create and maintain thriving gardens into one easy-to-read monthly reference guide. Get your copy today on Amazon.

It's Wednesday 19th August 2024 and in this EGP, we react to the seismic news coming out of Bloomfield Road this morning, being that Neil Critchley has been “relived of his duties” along with Assistant Head Coach Mike Garrity. With Richard Keogh being put in interim charge ahead this Saturdays game against CambridgeTalking pointsWas it the right decision?Was Saturday a sackable offence? Can Sadler justify ‘backing' a manager in the summer then sacking?Will the new manager have enough time in the window to get us through to January?Will the new manager be picked by the ManagerTron2000 algorithm like last time?Who do we want next?CA26Dobbie (or combo of both)BBBWellensScott LindseyWho do the fans want?Pick our team for CambridgeLISTEN TO THE PODCASTDon't want to watch the full video show? You can also listen to the audio (enhanced quality) version of the podcast wherever you get your podcasts from or by clicking this link https://podfollow.com/seasiders-podcastPATREONIf you would like to help support our show, say thanks for the pods and help us pay for software, hosting, equipment, etc., please consider joining our Patreon supporter program. https://www.patreon.com/seasiderspod And in return for your generous patronage, you'll get a Seasiders Podcast premium pass. This gives you all the podcasts ad-free, exclusive patron-only content and access to our private patron WhatsApp group containing us and all other patrons.You can follow and listen to the pod on these platforms:https://www.youtube.com/@seasiderspodhttps://twitter.com/seasiderspodhttps://www.seasiderspodcast.co.ukhttps://www.facebook.com/seasiderspod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the first of (I think!) a two-part miniseries on Ireland, we are joined by Iain (anoniaino on Twitter!) to talk about the history of Ireland's railways and how we got to the system we have today. Enjoyed this? Please do consider supporting #Railnatter at https://patreon.com/garethdennis or throw loose change at me via https://paypal.me/garethdennis. Merch at https://garethdennis.co.uk/merch. Join in the discussion at https://garethdennis.co.uk/discord.

The end is nigh, after 7 months and 42 episodes season 3 of The Maker and The Merchant is finally coming to a conclusion. Fear not however as we have two more episodes to share with you as we bring this season to a close prior to our summer break. Unfortunately Lee misread the communication from TM&TM hr and has already started his summer hols. Fortunately Ferg was joined by the inimitable Jack Merrylees, Marketing director at Balfour Winery and general history buff. This week Ferg and Jack desperately try to get from the first grape vine to "hommo Winemaker" the evolutionary state human attain prior to ascension. Expect random interludes when the chickpea curry arrives, a very loud cough Ferg wasn't able "to fix in post" and the regular inclusion of a rather loud German Shepherd. It's a fascinating episode leaving you, dear listener on a knife edge to hear more.  TM&TM Grubby Hole Diggers get it ere now 

It's summer, the season of abundance, but when it comes to garden containers, abundance can turn into overgrown and leggy in just a week or two. Meagan from Potted Charm is on the podcast today sharing her tips and tricks for how to maintain those containers this time of year and keep them looking beautiful!Meagan is the creator behind Potted Charm, a boutique garden center in Illinois, and an incredibly informative instagram channel. Meagan's passion is containers and works closely with Janey's favorite plant brand, Proven Winners, to make beautiful combinations that can make the neighborhood jealous! Find Meagan on instagram here.If you love all things about the garden, you'll love listening to the Dig, Plant, Water, Repeat podcast!  Join the inspirational YouTube creator Janey Santos for new episodes every Monday and Thursday.If you're craving video check out Dig, Plant, Water, Repeat on YouTube here! Dig, Plant, Water, Repeat is produced in association with Caloroga Shark Media. Hear other shows from Caloroga Shark along with subscription info and Merch with free shipping here!YouTubeInstagramTikTokFacebook

Message by Pastor Jacob Ouellette from Thrive Church in Lone Tree, CO. For more information about Colorado Church, visit us online at https://colorado.church

Pastor Lucas Kirkpatrick

Gardener Susan Kerney shares her tips for growing potted roses. Plus, we learn about the peculiar Evening Primrose, which…really isn't a rose at all!

Gardener Susan Kerney shares her tips for growing potted roses. Plus, we learn about the peculiar Evening Primrose, which…really isn't a rose at all! LinkedIn is adding new AI tools to help users get ahead in their job search! John Biehler has the details on our weekly App Update. Advocacy organization, Indigenous Watchdog, gave Canada a C in reconciliation efforts, saying just two out of 94 calls to action have been fully realized. We find out more with Laura Bain on The Buzz. Canadian tennis player Milos Raonic broke a record for the most aces in a three-set match. Brock Richardson has that story and more on our Sports Update. “There's more to imagine when you listen”. That's the slogan of Audible's new campaign promoting the versatility of audiobooks. Ryan Hooey tells us what the creative ad campaign means for subscribers on The Chatty Bookshelf. We cap off our Friday edition of the show by reflecting on some highlight conversations from the past week, including discussions about: school plays and online shopping!

In this episode, Julia, Lili, and Andrew discuss the secrets of how to create flourishing combo pots and how to incorporate a thriller, filler, and spiller plant. Fact sheets for this episode: HLA-6458: Container Gardening HLA-6451: Dish Gardening

With spring gardening underway, we turn to local experts with tips on how to make your garden grow.

How to rescue a bush infested with bugs. Plus, Grumpy's brilliant tip of the week.  You can find us online at southernliving.com/askgrumpy Ask Grumpy Credits: Steve Bender aka The Grumpy Gardener - Host Nellah McGough - Co-Host Krissy Tiglias - GM, Southern Living Lottie Leymarie - Executive Producer Michael Onufrak - Audio Engineer/Producer Isaac Nunn - Recording Tech Jennifer Del Sole - Director of Audio Growth Strategy & Operations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The saga of Dili's pigeon woes continues as her unwelcome visitors make a bold return to the balcony, defying all eviction attempts yet again. We delve into ways to accommodate avian guests and why relying on internet gadgets may not be the ultimate solution to bird problems. We also discuss Dili's new found love of ceramics, the lack of value at flea markets, and the problems of bidding on Meissen pottery online. Revisiting a story from last year, we reexamine the uproar surrounding the soaring prices of ice cream from the previous year, questioning the validity of the media frenzy that ensued.Lastly, we tackle the concerning rise in attacks on German politicians, contemplating whether the public discourse over the past 12 months has contributed to this troubling trend.For those of you looking to support Ukraine or the many refugees currently fleeing the conflict, please take a look at these different charities and consider donating if you can.Ukraine Crisis Media Centre - A list of different donation pages to help the Ukrainian military response.Disaster Emergency Committee - Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal Save the ChildrenÄrzte ohne GrenzenTheme tune courtesy of Kloß mit Soß

This week on Electrek's Wheel-E podcast, we discuss the most popular news stories from the world of electric bikes and other nontraditional electric vehicles. This time, that includes new electric bike models launched by Pedego, a discussion of the rising trend of potted e-bike batteries, Bosch-powered e-bikes enter Taiwan, I also entered Taiwan to test Gogoro's new Pulse electric scooter, and I also went to China to visit Yadea's factory for a tour and test riding. Oh, and a lot more! The Wheel-E podcast returns every two weeks on Electrek's YouTube channel, Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter. As a reminder, we'll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in. After the show ends, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps: Apple Podcasts Spotify Overcast Pocket Casts Castro RSS We also have a Patreon if you want to help us avoid more ads and invest more in our content. We have some awesome gifts for our Patreons and more coming. Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the Wheel-E podcast today: Pedego launches three new ‘groundbreaking' e-bikes including Moto, Cargo, and Trike There's a new trend making electric bike batteries safer First Bosch-powered electric bikes enter Taiwan thanks to Tern Gogoro's new lower-cost electric scooter breaks sales records, begins shipping Gogoro Pulse first ride: Testing the most high-tech performance electric scooter Yadea factory tour: The surprises I found at the world's largest electric vehicle maker Here's the live stream for today's episode starting at 9:00 a.m. ET (or the video after 10:00 a.m. ET): https://youtube.com/live/03UbY0Yajhk

Congressman Ritchie Torres (D-NY) joins "Forbes Newsroom" to discuss the police raid on Columbia University Tuesday night after protesters occupied a university building. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Helpful tips for neurodivergent advocates. Susan talks about her personal experiences as a neurodivergent person in education advocacy and together, Renee and Susan talk about how everyone can do something in the work.   Resources: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1S5eipnnnSSIHGbUvdTEFqIrWiETFdD_o/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=111501771460639390946&rtpof=true&sd=true  

"Many people buy potting mix...put their plants in, and then nothing happens", says citrus expert, Ian Tolley.

The Peddler & the Fairy: Part 9 The girls continue their shopping. In 10 parts, by Scholarly Mori. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels. "Now to go get new clothes!" Azalea sang as they exited the goblin smith's shop. She was happy and a bit amused, watching Chitchat walk unsteadily trying to acclimate to her new accessory. "Yes, we've had enough distractions for one day," asserted Reina. "We have a bit of a walk," groused Chitchat. "This way." [[MORE]] The job Chitchat had anticipated to be simple was proving more than she and her rear had bargained for. She rubbed her temples. Friendship assplugs? Really? Who even thinks of something like that? I've never even put my fingers in there before. Thought I was gonna pee myself. This should have been easy -- answer some questions, follow two rural girls around, watch them window shop, and make some money. Easy and simple. You can do it, Chitchat. Just a few more hours, and you'll be eating good and plug-free.' "Hey, Reina, look!" Chitchat's introspection was interrupted. She looked over her shoulder to see Azalea pointing from between Reina's breasts at a large bronze statue of a young arachne woman operating a loom. Reina surveyed the plaza. "They sure do like their urban sculptures." Lanterns placed strategically around the outer edge of the plaza aimed their light at the arachne woman's tapestry which reflected the colors back, bathing the surrounding area in variegated hues. "They are more than just decorative pieces," answered Chitchat. "They help people know which plaza is which since they are all designed the same. This one was erected in front of the tailor and seamstresses' neighborhood." Halfway down the street, Chitchat stopped at a storefront with an unusually wide set of double doors and a hanging sign of two crossed bobbins. "Here we are." "The Silky Loom," read Azalea, wiggling free from Reina. Chitchat leaned against a wooden post holding up the awning. "I'll wait out here while you two conduct your business." "Why?" asked Azalea. She looked down at her tattered cloak. "I'm usually not welcome in nice places like this." Azalea grabbed Chitchat's hand and pulled her past Reina."Then, I'll speak up for you if they don't like you." Reina gave an apologetic look as Chitchat was dragged once again by Azalea. Being the last to enter, Reina closed the door against the outside noise. Shelves of wool, hemp, muslin, and silk were neatly sorted by material, hue, and size on three walls. Hanging from the ceiling were nets filled with balls of yarn. Behind a heavy curtain lining the fourth wall, the patterned sound of a long clack followed by two short ones was heard. Reina took a step forward and felt the floor give slightly with a small creak. The clacking stopped. She looked down curiously. The carpet she stepped on had white threads extending out from it and underneath the veil. "Coming!" called a cheerful voice. A worn hand pushed aside the curtain, and out stepped an older arachne woman with an apron stuffed with needles and scissors. Her salt-and-pepper hair was tied in a bun. Her mature face had telltale crow's feet beginning to develop around her kindly eyes. "Not often do I get so many cute dearies wandering into my shop! Welcome!" She re-adjusted the black and gold shawl over her shoulders. "My name is Gertrude, one of the oldest shop owners in the city! How can I help you today? If you're just looking, you're welcome to browse as long as you wish, or if you have a specific request, I can make everything from formal to loungewear, made with any fabric you find in the store, including my own silk." Reina stepped forward. "We would like a price estimate for formal wear for a business meeting and two winter coats." "Three," Azalea corrected. "Three?" "Yes, something for Chitchat." Chitchat, who had been studying a display mannequin, looked up in surprise. "One gift was already more than enough. No need to trouble yourselves." The large arachne shook her head and marched over, looming over the younger girl. Chitchat slunk back. "Now, sweetie, none of that. I can't rightly feel good with such a young an' sweet thing such as yourself catching your death out in the cold this winter. Granny Gertrude will get you girls properly attired." She ushered them into a side fitting room, fawning disapprovingly over the tiny flaws in their current clothes: "The stitching on this cloak is abysmal! How do you even make clothes out of flowers? The hems on this blanket are way too low -- they'll fray them in no time!" She stopped mid-complaint. "When did you need these completed?" "The formal attire we need by tonight," replied Reina. "That doesn't give us much time. I think I can modify some pieces I already have. I should also have some doll clothes left over I'll be able to modify quick-like. Won't take any time at all! Any particular pattern or cloth you want them to be made out of?" Reina looked at the other girls. "We'll leave it to your judgment." "Splendid!" Gertrude effused and then regarded each girl's overall build and height. "I have a few ideas. I love when my customers give me creative freedom! I'm going to need to take some measurements. Who'd like to go first?" "I will." Azalea landed on a nearby table and assumed a T-pose, standing straight with her arms held out parallel to the table surface. "My name's Azalea, by the way." "And you certainly remind me of one!" Azalea fluttered her wings happily. "Just let me get something to jot some notes down." As the seasoned arachne turned around, Azalea's eyes were drawn to the darkened entrance to her silk hole at the back end of her abdomen. She wondered what it'd feel like to stick her arm inside. Shaking her head at the impolite thought, she jumped as a thread of silk shot out, clinging to the table edge beside her. With paper and chalk in hand, Gertrude snipped the thread and started sectioning off lengths with black marks. "Are you ok, dear? You look a bit red." "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stare. I was just startled." "Good heavens, that was a bit improper of me, waving my bottom in front of your face like that. Technically, I'm supposed to get consent before I do that since some people get hot and bothered seeing me do that. Though I find it rather odd since my unmentionables are actually under my thorax. My memory isn't what it used to be." "We had to sign something like that at the last shop we visited," acknowledged Azalea. "If I sign it, can I see you do it again?" "I don't see why not." "Azalea, isn't that a little rude?" "It's alright, Reina, dear. I'm more than happy to indulge a healthy curiosity" She handed the girls a list of past signees. Upon receiving and nodding approvingly at their signatures, she turned around and reintroduced her abdomen. "All arachne produce silk, but not all use it because they either don't need to, due to their fast running speed or jumping prowess, or only use it sometimes. Take a look." She back up to the table. Azalea helped spread the opening as Gertrude relaxed her hole's entrance and peered inside. Seven little spinnerets were nestled in the shallow, moist cavity. "Arachne silk is a versatile substance; very strong yet light. We produce seven different types of silk: one for raising our young in, a thick one for web scaffolding, a sticky one for making the core part of a web, a strong and non-sticky one we can use like a rope, an intricate one for connecting threads to other threads, and one for creating little sticky droplets we can place along specific parts of a thread." "What's the last one for?" Azalea queried. "For wrapping up things, but male arachne have an alternative use. They don't have that organ humans use for mating, so they use it to hold their seed when they wish to mate." "Was your husband human?" "Yes. He was the most charming and sweetest man I've ever met. He didn't properly know how arachne conducted courtship, but he heard a rumor that male arachne give gifts of their seed to females. So he went out of his way to ask a male arachne for their special webbings just so he could deposit his seed into it and use it to propose to me." She put a hand to her cheek. "He misunderstood the meaning, but I found the attempt very romantic." "What did you do with it?" "I ate it." "You; ate it?" "Normally, when a male gives us that kind of gift, the two are already mates. It just means they want offspring, but I'm infertile, so I ate it. It's not uncommon. Silk-making takes a lot out of an arachne body, so they often eat their silk to recycle it." "My husband may have gotten the particulars mixed up, but it turned me on so much! Before he realized what was happening, I dragged him back home and spun a little suspended-web bed since he was a fair bit smaller than me. I accepted his offer, if you know what I mean. Was my first time mating human style. I quite liked it; but here I am just talking about myself." She set about measuring Azalea with the marking thread. "Are you three from around here?" "Reina and I aren't, but Chitchat is. I'm from a little fairy village in the north-central region. Reina is from the northeast. We both met Life-mate and arrived in town just today to live here with him." "How lovely! Let me welcome you to Iceford. It's a bit noisy at times but a safe place to live. Always lively and innovative. Ok, Azalea, I'm going to need to measure your chest next." Azalea lifted the flaps covering her chest, proudly displaying her breasts. "Ah, to be young again! Such soft, clear skin. I was quite a looker when I was your age. All the young men used to compliment me when I wore lacy stockings or very short skirts that barely covered them." She stroked the glossy black exoskeleton of her thigh and pedipalp. "And for some odd reason, a few wanted me to tie them up and do lewd things to them." "Really?" "I didn't really understand it but always found it amusing." "I'm sad for you not being able to have children," lamented Azalea. "I appreciate your feelings, deary. I do have regrets, but I'm busy enough where I don't get lonely much, and I'm content dressing up all you youngins in pretty clothes." "Well, if I ever see you around town, I'll definitely come say hi!" "That's very sweet of you. So, you are all together with the same special someone?" "Just Azalea and I. We both met Herd-mate very close to each other, time-wise. Chitchat is acting as our city guide for the day." "Does little Chitchat have a special someone?" "Not in the way you're asking. She's; more like someone I take care of." "I bet she appreciates you a lot." "In her own unique way, yes." "Well, that should do it." Gertrude patted Azalea on the head. "Shall we measure lovely Reina next?" Upon hearing her name, Reina tensed up and looked away, Gertrude noticed her trepidation. "Azalea, why don't you take Chitchat into the front room, choose some colored palettes you like, then take her to freshen up in the bathroom upstairs while I measure Reina. There should be a large, hot kettle you can use to heat up the water." "Sure thing!" Reina was still unsure whether it was the sheer force of charisma or confusion, but seeing a ratgirl being dragged away by a fairy a fraction of her size was something she wasn't getting tired of seeing, and she smiled. "Now, my dear, I noticed you seemed a bit uncomfortable. It's alright. No need to feel shy around granny. These old eyes have seen it all." "I'm sorry, it's just, " she hesitantly started as she removed her coat to reveal her scars. Gertrude frowned. "Good heavens! Who would do such a thing to such a lovely young woman? Brutes, I'd wager. People who wouldn't know refinement and beauty if it clobbered them over the head. You don't have to tell me how you got these, but I just want you to know that it's here that beauty continues to mature and blossom," she declared while pointing to her heart. "Take it from me. The outside matters less and less as you get older." "Life-mate k, kissed them the first time he saw them." "Sounds like you found yourself a keeper with a good head on his shoulders." The old weaver stepped back and looked Reina up and down. "This old seamstress knows a few tricks, so let's see if we can't turn your blemishes into something beautiful. My old grandweaver had a strong belief that even the messiest and most lopsided webs could be made beautiful with creativity." "There's really no need for you to go out of your way. I keep them covered well enough." Gertrude stood up straight. "As the foremost seamstress in the city, I'll tell you now! Us craftsmen don't apply our trade just to subsist on. We take pride in making new and more creative facets of beauty when applying our craft. I take great delight in tackling this challenge, so there is no reason we can't boost your self-image a little as well." She smiled warmly. "Now, please raise your arms." A sudden squeal, followed by giggling and a sudden splash, erupted from upstairs. "Sounds like those two are getting along well," Gertrude laughed. Reina sighed. "I'm sorry for all the mess Azalea is probably making." "It's perfectly alright. You youngsters' youthful energy is a delight to these old ears." She wrapped the measuring tape around Reina's chest. "Such lovely breasts. I'll have to make something special for them. While I can't make many large pieces, my specialty is making lacy lingerie from my silk. I'm sure you probably couldn't guess that." "May I make a small request?" asked Reina. "Of course!" "I'm going to be lactating soon, " "Oh, you're expecting?" "No, no, Azalea put the lactation crest on us so we could help Herd-mate with expenses. Could you make it so, " "So It's easy to gain access to suckle from?" Reina blushed. "So they don't stain the clothes." "Sure thing." Reina had redonned her coat when Azalea and a much cleaner but worn-out-looking Chitchat returned wearing only a towel. Azalea struggled to stay airborne while carrying several examples of colors she wanted, and Chitchat brought the rest. "I decided I want some combination of these colors! I heard the word lingerie. What is that?" demanded Azalea in her typical high-energy style. She set the spools on the table. "It's an undergarment worn primarily by humans to increase their sex appeal." "But how do you see it if it's under your clothes?" "Some outfits give little peeks and glimpses of the lingerie. Think of it as clothing that titillates or accentuates what's underneath. Oh, I can't wait to show you what I'm envisioning!" she bubbled. "But first, now that Chitchat looks freshened up, I'll take her measurements." Chitchat removed the towel, still not believing she was exposing herself twice in one day. Gertrude worked her way around, appraising Chitchat's petite form. "Such slender legs and arms you have, and these tiny hands we certainly must make some mittens for." Gertrude turned Chitchat around. "Your tail is so expressive. Please bend over a little." Chitchat did as she was asked. "Oh, this is a pretty little accessory!" Gertrude commented. "Yes, we just got them from Eitri's shop. Friendship assplugs! We all got one!" Azalea exclaimed. She turned around and bent over. Peering back between her legs, she pulled her ass cheeks apart. "Such a sunny color, isn't it?" Gertrude laughed. "Young people have such imaginative ways to express themselves these days." Finished with her measuring, she compiled all her notes and furiously drew up plans for the girls' outfits. Once the plans were complete, she handed them to Reina for review. "I don't know if we can afford all this, Azalea. Herd-mate was rather adamant about not wanting to spend the client's money." Gertrude reached for an abacus and did some calculations. "Taking into account the type of material and estimated amount as well as the number of outfits, we can apply the new customer discount, the cute discount, and the creative-freedom discount." She winked, rewrote a bill of sale, and handed it to Reina. "This should be the final price." Reina looked chagrined but grateful. "Thank you." "Then I'll get to work right away! I should be able to finish your coats before you leave, and I'll have someone deliver your formal attire by tonight." ---- It was late afternoon when the girls met up with Devin, each sporting their new winter coat. They wore matching wool-dyed, bluish-gray cloaks with large wooden buttons and a bunny-fur-lined hood embroidered with images that reminded one of winter. Reina's was different only in its length, extending all the way down her back and over her tail. "Life-mate! I missed you!" Azalea beelined into Devin's chest, giving him a big hug. "It's only been a few hours, but I missed you two as well. How'd it go?" "We had a very; full yet productive shopping trip," Reina replied. "We had so much fun, Life-mate! I can't wait to tell you all about it! How do we look?" Azalea did a little twirl. Devin nodded approvingly. "Adorable as always!" Azalea squealed in delight. "And Reina, equally as majestic. Though I doubt the cold bothered you much." "No, it doesn't, but I'm glad you like it. I can't wait to show you our new dresses tonight and; what's under them," she expressed with a slight blush. He kissed her. "I'll look forward to it." He turned his attention to Chitchat. She stood there awkwardly in her new coat. "I see you all got matching ones." "Y; yes, though I tried to tell them I didn't need one. Reina mentioned something about not spending a lot." "Sometimes it can't be helped. How does it feel?" Devin checked. "It is quite warm," she mumbled. "What's this, what's that!?!" cried an excited Azalea buzzing around the packages in Devin's arms. Reina's stomach growled. "Let's eat somewhere, and then I'll show you," he laughed, trying to dodge her closer inspection. Reina looked to Chitchat for suggestions. "Where should we eat?" "I know!" enthused Azlea, waving her hand. "I saw it before we went to the toy store." "Toy store?" asked Devin. "We'll tell AND show you after we eat,." shouted an impatient Azalea, already several paces away. Devin wondered what she meant as he followed the girls back to the corner with the fenced-off street, causing Devin to pause. Raising his eyebrow at Reina, he challenged, "You went down this street?" Reina pointed at Azalea. "Of course she did. That explains the toy store." "I didn't let her buy anything, Herd-mate," she affirmed. "I wouldn't have minded even if she did, but thank you for looking out for my coin purse, Reina." Chitchat lagged behind, trying to make sense of her feelings. She had set her mind on doing what she had to do to survive. It wouldn't be her first time swindling someone, but it was exceedingly rare for someone to be kind to her, much less give her things this nice or brand new. These chumps were too generous for their own good, and it was causing pesky feelings to arise, making her resolve falter. She pushed the feelings aside and quickened her pace when she saw they were getting too far ahead. "Found it!" Azalea shouted, nearly a block ahead. She pointed to the store-length sign above the window. "Bear Buns Bakery," Devin read aloud. Azalea peered in the storefront window. "I'm loving this street more and more!" she moaned and drooled, face plastered to the window. "They know how to set up an eye-catching display!" "The baker of such; risque confections such as these could almost have drawn inspiration from your special art collection," observed Reina. Arrayed behind the front window, on a slightly tilted display table, were cookies artfully shaped in a multitude of human and demi-human genitalia, surrounded by gingerbread men and women in adorable acts of love-making. Along the periphery were an assortment of similarly-themed pies and cakes with fruits, nuts, and glazes strategically placed to enhance the bawdy display. Azalea smiled smugly. "You're right! Great minds must think alike." This is your opportunity Chitchat! She thought to herself. Now, while their backs are turned! The bag of money hung from Reina's side. With them all huddled around the display, deft fingers and speedy legs would make for a successful grab-and-run before they even knew what had happened. However, for some reason, a tiny piece of her made her hesitate, and she derided herself over her weakness. The fleeting moment was lost. A bare bear ass smooshed against the glass door, causing a bell to ring as it pushed open. A tall woman with a physique that was undecidedly either muscular or plump backed out onto the street. Round, brown ears topped her head, sticking out from under a baker's hat. She was naked, aside from a light yellow apron with a bee pin in one corner covering her human parts. Thick fur covered the rest. She held a wooden folding sign in her fearsomely long-clawed hands. "Oh, hello there!" greeted the smiling portly grizzly woman. "Welcome to Bear Buns!" Everyone looked at her naked, stubby-tailed ass. "Just perusing, or can I entice you with supper tonight?" "We were deciding that," coughed Devin. "If it helps in your decision-making, pastries and baked goods are what we are mostly known for, but we also offer a more dinner-type fare." Devin looked at the girls. He was met with two nods and a grumbling stomach. "I suppose we will." "Wonderful! You may call me Sanna, or Momma Sanna, or Momma Bear -- whichever you like!" The merry woman opened the door and let them in. The interior matched her apron. It was bright and warm, and the ceiling was painted a gentle sky blue. The walls were a mural of flowery fields with scantily-clad bee girls engaged in playfully suggestive acts with aluranes, dryads, and several other plant demi-humans. Potted sunflowers dotted the room to add their cheery faces to the ambiance. "We mostly serve takeout, but we do have a few places for sit-down dining. Please feel free to sit anywhere. I'll go bring you some fresh milk," Sanna said, disappearing into the kitchen. There weren't many options for seating, about five tables in all. Still, they were designed to accommodate the wide assortment of body types found in the city. They chose a table in the corner, near a window, with a prominent flat-padded bench in a corner that allowed Reina to lie down next to the table. Devin sat next to Chitchat on the opposite side, and Azalea perched herself on the table nearest the window. The grizzly woman returned and placed several glasses on the table. "A little something to warm you up from the chill outside." "Hallie, how long are you gonna hide back there?" she shouted behind her. A bunny girl hopped out. Her lower half was covered in soft chestnut brown fur. Her human upper half was covered with an apron identical to Sanna's. One of her long ears stood tall and erect while the other hung loosely. As she rounded the front counter, it smacked her in the face, causing her to trip over her feet and fall face-first in front of everyone. "And here is my mascot and cute ditzy assistant, Hallie. When she's done flashing her dainty bits at ya, she'll be taking your order." The head-under-heels bunny girl took a suspicious amount of time to collect herself, giving ample time to appreciate her poofy tail and prim pink vulva. She jumped up and rubbed her sore button nose. "I'm so sorry! I'm a little clumsy at times. As you heard, my name is Hallie. It's nice to milk you! I mean, it's nice to milk me; You; it's nice to meet you! I'll be taking your orders today!" she stuttered. For some reason, Devin noticed two small wet spots at the top of her apron. He looked at the milk he was holding, then saw her looking intently at him, he guessed maybe waiting for his opinion. He took a sip. "Is this your milk!" queried Devin. With a hint of shyness, she returned, "Yes, it is! Ho; how is it?" "It's delicious. Refreshing with a hint of sweetness." She relaxed. "I'm glad. Normally, momma provides it, but since I'm her brand new hire, it frees her's up to use in baking." "Can I have some more?" inquired Azalea after downing the rest of hers. "Um, I might have a little more left. I only just recently received my milkmaid license, so I don't produce very much yet. I can make just enough for about four glasses." Azalea held out her glass. "Oh, so are we! I mean, we will be lactating soon, too!" Azalea rubbed her lower belly. "I gave Reina and I the lactation crest, but Life-mate needs to hurry up so he can help me fuel Reina's." "I'm making progress. In the meantime, we still have to get your citizen IDs and guild cards before we get your licenses. Maybe, if we have time after we eat, we can get the ball rolling," added Devin. "Ok, but I'm waiting to activate mine since I want to experience it together with Reina." "How delightful," said Sanna returning with menus and passing them around. "Hallie doesn't have any affinity, so we had to induce her the normal way. She was so eager, she massaged her boobs every day till the first drops started to appear." "Saaaaanaaa, don't tell them that! It's embarrassing!" the bunny girl cried. Sanna laughed. "You lucky folk are the first customers to try her milk, so enjoy." Sanna returned to the kitchen, leaving Hallie to her job. Hallie pulled her apron to the side and took Azalea's glass. Lightly milking her breast downward, she squeezed the soft, pink nipples, sending spurts of milk into the empty container. After milking both breasts, she handed a three-fourths full glass back. "I'm sorry. That's all I have left." "No, no! Thank you for letting me enjoy it." Azalea's wings fluttered happily as she drank. Hallie recovered her breasts and played with her hair nervously. "So c; can I get you to eat me? I mean, what can I get you to eat?" Devin hid his smile behind the menu. "What sounds good to you, girls?" Reina ran her finger down the page. "Soup or stew might be nice since it's cold. I'll probably go with this garden vegetable stew with sourdough bread." "Agreed. This summer squash soup with rye bread sounds appetizing to me," mused Devin. "I like sweet things, so maybe I'll try this sweet potato soup," Azalea added, setting the menu down. Chitchat perused the listed dishes. "I've never had food this fancy before." "Might I recommend the melted satyress cheese sandwich and potato leek soup?" Hallie suggested. "Alright! I'll try that, I guess." The bunny waitress took the menus and left to fulfill their orders. Chitchat remained mostly silent, only half-listening to the other three chatter away about their day. She brooded more on why she was not herself today. Stupid rat! You missed a prime opportunity earlier. You just had to let these people and their stupid kindness make you feel guilty, As she took a sip of Hallie's milk, she admitted that if she had done what she had planned, she wouldn't have been able to experience the amazing food she could smell from the kitchen. The smell intensified as Hallie returned with their orders. She placed the bowls in front of their respective hungry customers, bowed, and returned to the kitchen. Chitchat picked up her spoon and took a bite. The fare, albeit simple to her, was some of the best she'd ever had. She felt her chest tighten with emotion. Reina looked at her fairy friend. "Looks like you got a complimentary side salad, Azalea. If it's too much, eat what you can, and I'll finish the rest." "I should be able to finish it, but I'm not happy about it. Mom used to always get on me about eating vegetables and table manners: 'Azalea make sure you eat everything on your plate; stop letting your wings droop; don't slouch; stop masturbating at the table." "At least now you have another reason to eat your vegetables! You want to have a healthy body to produce as much milk of the highest quality as you can." "I know, I know, but they are so bitter." "Looks like they also added some pine nuts as well," Reina attempted to soothe. "Not the kind I like. Life-mate has the only kind of nut I really like." She turned up her nose while taking a bite. "But Herd-mate's tastes bitter too. What's the difference?" "Completely different!" she asserted. "This is plenty bitter. His is warm and creamy and makes me feel all warm and tingly between my legs." "Well, maybe this will distract you a bit from the taste." Devin laid out the things he had bought from Antoris on the table. Azalea jumped up. "Present time!" He unwrapped the cloth containing the remade jewelry box and pushed it toward her. "I had this made for you so you can hang your clothes, store your drawings, and whatever else you want." "Thank you, Life-mate! I love it, and I love you!" She flew up and kissed him all over his face. "But that's not all! There's another surprise inside." Azalea grabbed the honey-colored box and shook it gently. She heard not one but several things rattling. Upon opening the twin doors, the sweet scent of fresh-cut cedar hit her. She looked up at Devin excitedly, seemingly at a loss for words, and back inside the box. "Well, don't leave us in suspense, Azalea! What's inside?" laughed Reina. Azalea pulled out many phallic-shaped dildos, from small fairy size up to Devin's size. "I think these will help stretch you out over time," Devin concluded. "I can't wait to try them! But I suppose I'll have to wait till after we go out tonight! Thank you again, Life-mate. Your little soon-to-be-cock-sleeve couldn't be happier!" "You're welcome, but make sure you do it slowly. Remember how painful it was the first time we tried." "I will." Turning his attention to Reina, Devin confessed, " I'm sorry, but your gift will take a bit more time. It's going to be part of the wagon, and he didn't have enough material. Also, it was quite big and would have been awkward to carry around." "It's alright, Herd-mate. I will look forward to it with growing anticipation." "And lastly, Chitchat, I had a little something made for you. Consider it a small bonus for taking care of my girls, especially the handful one." "Hey, I resemble that remark!" Azalea quipped. Chitchat looked hard at the cloth-covered object. She put her spoon down and unwrapped a wooden dagger sheath, intricately wrought with engravings of a line of dancing rats. "T; thank you," she said, barely above a whisper. Sanna and Hallie returned. "Each of your dishes comes with a dessert." They passed four plates out. In front of Azalea, she placed an impressively elaborate, womb-shaped gingerbread structure filled with a white pudding. Reina was given a plate of four different cookies, each shaped like a different demi-human penis', topped with cream. Devin received a small tart layered with peach slices, shaped like a human cunt, topped with a cherry and fresh cream at the bottom. Lastly, Sanna smiled as she placed two round, jiggly puddings with a cherry placed in the middle in front of Chitchat. The ratgirl took a bite. As the mellow, sweet, fruity flavor spread over her taste buds, a lump formed in her throat. She looked down at the dagger case again, then at her new coat, and finally at the trio animatedly voicing their positive opinions to Sanna. "Chitchat? What's wrong?" Azalea asked, suddenly concerned. "What?" "You're crying." She put a hand to her wet cheek. "I, " She wiped the tears away. "I just, " The more she tried to dry her eyes, though, the more the tears fell. "I'm sorry!" she suddenly blurted out and broke down crying. Azalea zipped over and tried to give her a consoling hug. "Sorry for what?" "For deceiving you!" Everyone looked at her, startled and puzzled. "I'm not really a guide. I'm a thief and pickpocket. I only took this guide job because I thought I could get paid on top of stealing that bag of money you were carrying with you." She paused and bawled. "But; but you were so nice to me. You didn't look down on me like dirty street vermin, and then you started giving me presents and calling me a friend and; and; I'm sorry!" She put her face in her hands, weeping. Everyone looked uncertain about what to do with this revelation. Everyone except Sanna. She stood up to her full height, grabbed the little ratgirl right out of her seat, along with Azalea, and embraced her in a full bear hug. Azalea continued to rub and pat Chitchat's head. "You didn't in the end, and no one got hurt. I still consider you my new friend!" Chitchat sniffled, calming down a little. "You're too trusting." "Maybe so, but I'd rather be wrong in the attempt than not be trusting." "I've raised two girls who got into all sorts of mischief and trouble. While there may have been consequences, I don't believe it's ever too late to change for the better," added Sanna. "Yes, yes! You can start over as the adorable girl who went along with all my selfish requests today!" Sanna put down the puffy-eyed ratgirl. Hallie lent the edge of her apron to dry her tears. "Today was kinda fun," she sniffled. "But I'm still not so sure about the friendship plugs." Several eyebrows raised while Azalea laughed. Devin eyed the girl. "I am glad to see my instincts are still sharp since I thought something was off about you." At that, Chitchat hung her head. "But coming clean about your intentions makes me want to give you a second chance." Devin handed her the other half of the guiding payment and placed the knife sheath in her hands to reaffirm his words, "So you don't cut a hole in your new clothes." She gave a little smile and looked toward Reina. "Well, you haven't done me any harm, and I feel no ill will. I thank you for your guidance during our shopping today." "Um, I should probably tell you something else. My real name is Suvi." Azalea crawled between her ears and hung down over her face. "Chitchat was cute, but Suvi fits you more!" She glanced to Devin. "I still feel bad for Suvi's situation. Can we raise her standard of living somehow?" "Maybe this Whitegold place is needing another employee?" "Whitegold, eh? I'm quite sure she'll be able to find a job there," stated Sanna. Suvi put her knife in the sheath and pocketed her payment. "How can you be sure?" "I know the owner, and should it not work out for some reason or another, you would be most welcome to help Hallie prep my kitchen in the morning. I don't know how many bowls of flour she's broken." "It was only five," demurred a fidgeting Hallie. "Five too many!" Sanna laughed. "I won't be able to provide a place to sleep, though, like Whitegold could." "What kind of place is this Whitegold." "It's a place that server food and drinks. The employees there are all girls and are well taken care of." "If I worked here, would I have to wear only an apron, too?" questioned Suvi. "Not if you don't want to, but before Hallie's ass-flashing loses its novelty, our customers might enjoy seeing a new one. But I would encourage you to try Whitegold first. I think you'll enjoy the perks there more." Once everyone had finished eating, they all thanked Sanna and Hallie and filed out. Sanna called out a "see you again!" from the door. Just a block from the bakery, Devin suggested, "I think we have enough time to stop by the admin office and get you girls your guild cards." "You said it'd be as pretty as yours, right?" asked Azalea. "Yes. They are costly but worth it in the long run." "Let's do it!" With Devin leading the way this time, they walked briskly toward the middle of the city. Abruptly, he slowed and asked: "So what was that about friendship plugs?" "Oh, that! Well, now would be a great time to show you. Let's go over there." Azalea led them down an empty side alley. "I suppose I have to show mine as well." "Pleeease, Suvi!" Azalea begged. "Fine," she sighed, turning around. Reina and Azalea followed suit. She pointed at Devin with her tail and shared, "Consider this a thank you for forgiving me." Azalea called out. "Ready? One, two, three!" All three girls pulled their coats up over their asses. Suvi pushed her belts aside while Azalea spread her cheeks wide. Devin looked at the three citrine-gemmed plugged holes. "You three got matching sex toys?" "Not just matching, they are a physical manifestation of our friendship!" Azalea chirped. "An odd way to express it, but ok." "She's way too proud of them!" complained Suvi. "Can I stop now?" "Not yet! There is a special feature Eitri told me about." "Special?" Suvi hesitated. "Feature?" swallowed Reina. "Yep!" Azalea touched a finger to the gem in her own till she felt a click. She did the same to Suvi's and Reina's and then placed both hands on their hips. Both girls jumped as the plugs buzzed to life. Suvi tensed. "What is this feature!?!" "Eitri said when you turn it on, as long as you stay within physical contact, it vibrates! Two or more friends could all hold hands, mutually basking in the emotional and physical manifestation of their friendship. Doesn't it feel amazing!" "It's surprisingly strong," noted Reina. "Too strong!" squeaked Suvi. "I wonder if I touch you in different places if it changes the intensity?" Azalea traced her fingers down Suvi's ass and circled around until she touched her plug directly. Suvi's legs buckled. "I'm not sure I'm ready to start out with this level of friendship!" Azalea took her hand away. Suvi was red-faced and breathing heavily. "Thanks to you, I'm all horny and wet now." "I'm an expert at fixing that. May I help you cum?" Suvi regarded Reina and Devin. "I'm not sure I can with an audience, but you've already seen every part of me, so I guess I'll try." "I'll help make it a bit more discreet." Reina relocated so she faced the street and blocked the view from there. "Ready, my cute little rat?" Suvi, still squatting, spread her knees. Azalea re-positioned herself behind, admiring her swollen, red cunt. Azalea placed her tiny hands on the slick folds. Immediately, the vibrations returned. They were still focused around her anus, but with Azalea's ministrations, pleasure was steadily building throughout her body. "Azalea, don't get your new clothes wet," Devin warned. "Oh yes, I forgot. You're not a squirter, are you, Suvi?" Her eyelids fluttered open, and she began panting. "A what?" "Do you squirt when you cum?" "No, but this is more intense than anything I've ever felt!" "Well, just in case, I'll stand beside you." She moved to the side of Suvi's bottom. She rolled up her sleeve and busily started working her hand into the entrance of Suvi's vagina. From that angle, she could still push her small arm up into the tight, velvety insides. With her free hand, she pushed and prodded Suvi's plug, slightly changing its angle and depth. "I; I'm close," Suvi moaned. "I can see that. Let me hear your cute cries!" Suvi felt herself peak. Her body contracted as the first dry orgasm washed over her, but the second had loosened her bladder. During the third wave, she squirted a little. The post-orgasmic relaxation left her forgetful of her surroundings, trembling, and unable to control herself. She fell back against Devin's leg and emptied the rest of her bladder as Azalea backed away, licking the juices off her hand. As Suvi came back to her senses, she saw Azalea nodding her approval. Devin handed her a handkerchief, and she suddenly became self-conscious, quickly wiping herself dry and hesitantly handing it back. She re-dressed in silence. "Post-lunch orgasms are the best!" Azalea stated. "Did you have one?" asked Reina. "No, I wanted to make sure Suvi got the best one she ever had." "It was certainly that," the ratgirl acknowledged. "I can do it to you again whenever you want." "One, I think, is more than enough." With Azalea and Reina continuing to enjoy their new toy, Suvi made an effort to ensure she didn't accidentally bump into the large Whitehorn. Once the ladies were sated, they cleaned up, redressed, and continued on their journey with Devin in the lead. Upon reaching the center of town, they crossed an expansive arched bridge to the central council building. "Never been here before," Suvi confessed, looking up at the high-vaulted ceiling inside the reception room. After waiting in line, they approached the receptionist, to who they explained their purpose. She brought the appropriate forms and explained, "This one's your citizen ID. It's mainly to let the bureaucracy know that you are a family." Azalea whispered in Devin's ear on her way to an open spot on the counter. He answered for them all to hear, "If you two girls could fill out these Guild entry forms, I'll help fill out Suvi's." "Which is this?" Azalea held up the paper and squinted. "Is this my Guild entry? Why do I need it again?" "Well, you technically don't, but if you are going to work in any official capacity, it gives you some weight behind you as a potential employee. You also get discounts and perks depending on what rank you're in. Sapphire: 5% discount; Emerald: 10%; Amethyst: 15%; Ruby: 20%; and Diamond: 25%. Amethyst and up gives you access to certain guild functions, parties, festival events, etc., to network and make connections. Since you girls are new, you'll start in Sapphire." "Good enough for me." After she finished filling out all the blanks and signing her name, she handed it to the receptionist. With all the paperwork filled out, the secretary looked it over approvingly. "Everything looks in order. Since your ID and guild cards are two sides of the same badge, it'll take time to craft them, and they should be ready in a few days, but here is a rough idea what it'll entail." With that, she showed them sample cards she had prepared. Reina D. Ebonplume Weight: 500 Lbs | Height: 8.5 Feet Birth date: Autumn 34, 3608 Year of the Dryad Citizen of Iceford Merchant Guild Member Sapphire Rank Milkmaid ---------------------- Azalea Ebonplume Weight: 150g | Height: 7 Inches Birth date: Spring 15, 3605 Citizen of Iceford Merchant Guild Member Sapphire Rank Milkmaid ---------------------- Suvi Norvetica Weight: 70 Ibs | Height: 4' 7" Birth date: Summer 2, 3596 Year of the Dryad Citizen of Iceford ------- The sun was setting when they returned to Jeni's. At some point before they returned home, someone had left the girls' new clothes with her. They found the little owl abuzz in her typically mechanical way, examining the girls' new clothes and catching snippets of their adventures throughout the day. She was a little shy of Suvi at first, but her charisma soon disarmed any hesitancy the little owl felt. "Young patron and friends, are you leaving this one again tonight?" "Yes. We have a business meeting to go to." Her wings drooped. Azalea, striking upon an idea. "Life-mate, can Jeni go with us?" "I don't see why not." Jeni perked up. "I do not know what purpose my presence would be, seeing as I know nothing about economics. Wouldn't my presence be a hindrance?" "The girls also have no reason to go, but it's a chance to get out of your workshop and spend time with everyone." "This one did not go clothing shopping with the others." "Do you have any formal clothes?" Jeni thought for a moment. "My graduation robes from the academy." "That should be fine. Perfect, and since Life-mate already gave us our presents, it's time for us to show him his!" All four disappeared into the back room to get changed, leaving Devin alone. "Guess I should get changed, too." He found an empty corner and dug out his outfit reserved for guild functions with the more well-to-do business owners. A high-collared lace vest, a long sash tied around his waist, and pants tucked into high boots completed the ensemble. As he changed, he played back the events of the day, occasionally hearing a giggle and the murmur of chatter from the adjacent room. The girls' door opened just as he finished buckling a cape over his left shoulder. Azalea came in first, pretending not to notice him. Her hair was unbraided and done up in a bun, held together by a butterfly hairpin. She fluttered around, exaggerating the flow of her one-piece, white and violet kirtle. She acted surprised to see him, coyly coming close, then she crossed her arms, exemplifying the upside-down 'A' cutout showing a generous amount of under-cleavage. While it covered more of her body than her flower dress, it was opaque enough to see an undergown. The undergown was embroidered with crocus, snowdrops, leucojum, and other winter flowers tactically placed to hide the parts of her normally kept private while, at the same time, drawing the eye to those tantalizingly censored parts. "Here we are -- your two presents, Life-mate!" Reina entered right behind. Her demure movements were further dignified by her gown of arachne satin dyed midnight blue and interspersed with snowflakes matching the silver filigree on her horns. A lacy choker set with a sapphire-encrusted brooch of a snow-covered mountain peak, an heirloom of the matriarchs of her family, was clasped about her neck. Devin's eyes wandered down over Reina's womanly figure. A black bodice laced with ribbon hugged her torso, making her already large breasts spill over slightly. She strode to the middle of the room, making the glossy material ripple and giving the illusion of falling snow. With long white gloves, she played with the end of her hair which was done up in a braided ponytail and draped over her shoulder. Whoever the seamstress had been, Devin approved of their taste. Reina's lips curled slightly upon seeing Devin's engrossed assessment of her. Azalea landed on her composed friend's antlers and whispered into her ear. "Must we ruin the moment?" "You mean enhance! Ready, Reina? Aaaaand, go!" Both girls attempted a seductive pose. Devin tried to stifle his laughter but failed. "See? I told you Herd-mate would find this silly." "But it was fun." "Silly or not, you both are lovely, and I love you very much." He pulled them both into an embrace and kissed each of them. "I wanted Suvi to do it with us, Life-mate, but I couldn't persuade her." Suvi poked her head out the door. "I have to draw the line somewhere." "Come on out and show everyone," Azalea summoned. Stepping out from behind the door, she raised her arms and looked over the simple red wool tunic with soft leather-laced jerkin. It was decorous, so it maintained her tomboyish appearance. "It's quite easy to move in it." She tightened the belt around her waist and adjusted her twin tails. "I guess that leaves one more," Devin noted. "This one is still uncertain if this is appropriate attire for an outing," she complained, but Jeni drew everyone's attention as she entered the room last. She was, in every sense, dressed as an academic. A flat-topped scholar's hat set low over her head with a feathered quill sticking out from the top. An open-front, hoodless cowl, held together with two gold chains, laid on top of a heavy, pine green, sleeveless robe. Four polished, inkwell-shaped brass buttons decked the robe which hung to her ankles. She flapped her wings experimentally. Devin reached for her hat. "If you leave this, I think it'll be fine." "Jeni is so smart looking!" praised Azalea. "I'm so glad you're coming with us!" "We were supposed to wait for someone to escort us, yes?" reminded Reina. Devin smoothed down Jeni's feathers. "Around eight, if I recall." As if on cue, they heard a knock at the door. Devin rose and opened it. In the lantern glow of the front porch stood a slim-tailed weasel woman. She wore masculine, form-fitting breeches and a ruffled white shirt. Looking over the merchant with beady black eyes, she bowed and introduced herself. "My name is Sable, Stewardess of Whitegold." She pulled out a monocle and looked them over. "Mr. Ebonplume and guests, I presume?" "Yes, that is us," he declared. "Very good. I am here to escort you to a meeting at our establishment tonight." Devin looked over his shoulder. "We are ready." Sable held open the door to a sleek, white and gold gilded, enclosed coach. Jeni and Suvi hopped in along with Azalea. Devin turned apologetically to Reina. "I'm sorry, Reina." "It's alright, Herd-made. I am not fond of enclosed spaces, and a brief walk will feel refreshing." Sable closed the door as soon as Devin stepped in and climbed into the driver's seat. With a flick of the reins, they set off into the night. To be continued in part 10, by Scholarly Mori for Literotica.

Lori and Missy from the Pissed and Pickled Podcast celebrate reaching 100,000 views on their show, express gratitude to viewers, share funny comments from fans, express their annoyance with gender reveal parties, and tease upcoming challenges and giveaways involving Mama Meat.

New e-bike batteries have a special coating to resist fires. A major battery maker is touting a new formula for cold climates called "Winter Pro." It sounds like a tire. Oil is doomed as these battery makers promise a charge time of 9 minutes and 20 year life-spans. Solar canopies over cemeteries in France. Rest in electrons! Donate to the show to keep us going. Link below! Brian has a cold Barry, our cinematographer friend, gets back to us on why he never got solar on the farm but is now. Brian rightly defends Greta Gerwig and how she was snubbed at the Oscars. EV startup Rivian has two exciting new vehicles BYD slashing EV prices even more to kill combustion cars. The false horse head in Poor Things wasn't far fetched, it's something that happened in a previous transportation disruption. Solar canopies over a cemetery in France How has Australia caught up to North America in EV adoption? The answer is Chinese-made EVs. New York has a program for window heat pumps for apartments Heat pumps cut emissions even on very dirty grids Palm oil is starting to be made in a lab just like fake dairy and fake meat Potted cells for E-bikes offer much-desired fire protection SK ON battery announcement could spell the end of Oil The Lightning Round! A methane-tracking satellite will shame oil companies who leak the greenhouse gas into the atmosphere. The Clean Energy Show is released every week so be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast app to get new episodes delivered to you free! Support the Show Make a small donation to our podcast today! PayPal Donate!https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=VMDCRPHLNR8YE E-transfer: cleanenergyshow@gmail.com Thanks for listening to our show! Consider rating The Clean Energy Show on iTunes, Spotify or wherever you listen to our show. Our Store Visit our T-Shirt and Merch Shop! https://my-store-dde61d.creator-spring.com Contact Us! Email us at cleanenergyshow@gmail.com Follow us on TikTok! @cleanenergypod  Check out our YouTube Channel! @CleanEnergyShow Follow us on Twitter or Threads @CleanEnergyPod Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/cleanenergypod.bsky.social James Whittingham https://twitter.com/jewhittingham Brian Stockton: https://twitter.com/brianstockton Leave us an online voicemail at http://speakpipe.com/cleanenergyshow Copyright 2024 with some rights reserved. You may share and reproduce portions of our show with attribution. All music is copyright with all rights reserved.  

Figs. Lemons. Container Veg. New live events in March and April, 2024. Find out more about these new live virtual events.---- Tried growing a potted lemon tree but it didn't thrive? Citrus expert Byron Martin has the solution. And it's not difficult.AND he also has recommendations for other unusual potted citrus trees. We talk about finger limes, blood limes, pomelo, sweet lemon, sunquat, kumquat, citron, and more.For all of these citrus trees in pots, proper watering is the key to success. We hear how to water—and what to expect from potted citrus trees in the fall. (Spoiler alert: If your lemon tree drops leaves when you bring it indoors, you're not alone!)We also find out about Byron's favourite rootstock for citrus grafting.If you're looking for more on indoor lemon trees, here's a guide to growing a lemon tree in a pot (that actually fruits!)  ***-->Join the 5,000+ gardeners in The Food Garden Gang who stay on top of home food-growing ideas with our weekly e-mail. We're making the world a better place one garden at a time!-->Grab the free e-books: Small-Space Food-Gardening Hacks and Growing Figs in Cold Climates.-->And say hi—we love to hear what you think!-->Upcoming online food-gardening fun!

Welcome to the first of March's Q&A podcast episodes, where Head Gardener Josie Lewis joins Sarah to directly answer questions from our listeners.In this month's episode, we look at the plant varieties best suited to pots with consideration for both small tabletop and larger floor pots, Sarah & Josie share the Dahlias that they'd most recommend growing from seed, and we discover the perfect plants for varying levels of shade.Get in touch: info@sarahraven.comShop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeuFollow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/

Death Note Chapter 49: Potted Plant / Death Note Manga Reading Club -  - Keywords: Death Note, Anime, Manga, Manga Podcast, Manga Reviews, Death Note Manga,  Death Note Podcast, pop culture, dc comics, marvel comics, indie comics, movies, television ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ Like the Show? Help Support All of Our Shows with a Donation Here: https://ko-fi.com/weirdsciencecomicsKeywords: Death Note, Anime, Manga, Manga Podcast, Manga Reviews, Death Note Manga,  Death Note Podcast, pop culture, dc comics, marvel comics, indie comics, movies, televisionLinks to all our Manga Reading Clubs Here: https://campsite.bio/weirdsciencemangareadingclubsSupport us and help us feel loved (plus get early access to all of our shows) for as little as $3/Month by joining our Patreon @ https://www.patreon.com/weirdsciencemanga

Welcome to The KSL Greenhouse Show! Join hosts Maria Shilaos and Taun Beddes as they talk all things plants, tackle your toughest gardening questions, and offer tips that can help you maintain a beautiful yard. Listen every Saturday from 8am to 11am at 102.7 FM, 1160 AM, kslnewsradio.com, or on the KSL NewsRadio App. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram at @kslgreenhouse. Happy planting! #KSLGreenhouse  9:05  Feature: Anti-desiccants for pine trees  9:20  Topics: Christmas cactus, Fertilizer, Tulips  Questions: Why is my Christmas cactus not blooming, Can you plant tulips in a jar  9:35  Topics: Transplanting strawberries, Potted aloe vera plant, Crabgrass, Bermuda grass, Weed killer, Master Gardener Clinic, Weber County, USU Bermuda grass fact sheet  Questions: How do I tell old strawberries from new strawberries and when is a good time to transplant the newer ones, How do you keep a potted aloe vera plant alive, What can you do during the winter time to get rid of crabgrass  9:50  Topics: Honeysuckle, Spring-blooming plants, Yucca  Questions: How do you trim a honeysuckle in the spring and still get fragrant flowers, When will your spring-blooming plants rebloom, How do you keep yucca under control 

Iliana Oris Valiente embodies the spirit of her name, which means "bright light with a brave mouth.” She sits down with Andrea Butcher to share her journey—one marked by burnout that led her to the rejuvenating streets of Paris and toward self-awareness that reshaped her professional life. She unveils her "potted plant theory," where she categorizes people into four archetypes—sequoia, red maple, potted plant, and airplane—each with distinct needs for stability, novelty, and resources. This theory not only helps individuals understand their core needs but also assists leaders in fostering environments that cater to a diverse workforce. Join the conversation for powerful insights! Additional Resources: Connect with Andrea Butcher on LinkedIn Visit HRD Website Follow PeopleForward Network on LinkedIn Learn more about PeopleForward Network Follow Iliana Oris Valiente on LinkedIn Learn more about Accenture

In this episode, we chat about garden ghosts, which I rarely have anymore—leading to how to overwinter garden pots, especially those filled with perennials and woody plants. Then, I share the story of Filling Naked Pots late in the season and the glorious assortment of shade-loving deer-resistant plants that decorate my adored Mother Earth Face Pot.   Related Stories (and Episodes) and Helpful Links:    Overwintering Potted Perennials Filling Late-Season Naked Pots Related Stories (and Episodes) and Helpful Links:    Overwintering Potted PerennialsFilling Late-Season Naked Pots      8888I'd love to hear about your garden and nature stories. And your thoughts about topics for future podcast episodes. You can email me at AskMaryStone@gmail.com. Thanks so much for tuning in. You can Follow Garden Dilemmas on Facebook and Instagram #MaryElaineStone.Episode web page —Garden Dilemmas Podcast PageThank you for sharing the Garden of Life,Mary Stone, Columnist & Garden Designer                                     AskMaryStone.comMore about the Podcast and Column: Welcome to Garden Dilemmas, Delights, and Discoveries. It's not only about gardens; it's about nature's inspirations, about grasping the glories of the world around us, gathering what we learned from mother nature, and carrying these lessons into our garden of life. So let's jump in in the spirit of learning from each other. We have lots to talk about. Thanks for tuning in, Mary Stone Garden Dilemmas? AskMaryStone.comDirect Link to Podcast Page

Fluent Fiction - Dutch: The Bike Ride Hero: Adventures with a Precious Potted Plant Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.org/the-bike-ride-hero-adventures-with-a-precious-potted-plant Story Transcript:Nl: Het was een dag als elke andere in de bruisende stad Amsterdam.En: It was a day like any other in the bustling city of Amsterdam.Nl: Jeroen, een lange man in een blauw pak met een golvend zwart haar, zat op zijn glimmende rode fiets.En: Jeroen, a tall man in a blue suit with wavy black hair, sat on his shiny red bike.Nl: Hij had een brede glimlach op zijn gezicht.En: He had a broad smile on his face.Nl: In zijn handen hield hij een mooie potplant.En: In his hands, he held a beautiful potted plant.Nl: Met de potplant op zijn fietsbalanceerde Jeroen door de kronkelige straten van de Jordaan.En: Balancing the potted plant on his bike, Jeroen navigated the winding streets of the Jordaan.Nl: Prachtige oude huizen, grachten en de geur van verse stroopwafels sierden de lucht.En: Beautiful old houses, canals, and the smell of fresh stroopwafels adorned the air.Nl: Maar onder deze vredige tijd lag een spannend mysterie.En: But beneath this peaceful time lay an exciting mystery.Nl: Jeroen was niet zomaar in pak op zijn fiets met een potplant.En: Jeroen was not just in a suit on his bike with a potted plant.Nl: Hij had een belangrijke missie.En: He had an important mission.Nl: Vroeger was Jeroen een jongen die planten haatte.En: Once upon a time, Jeroen was a boy who hated plants.Nl: Maar toen hij zijn buurman, een oude man genaamd Gerard, een stervende plant zag redden, was hij veranderd.En: But when he saw his neighbor, an old man named Gerard, save a dying plant, he changed.Nl: Jeroen werd een grote plantenliefhebber.En: Jeroen became a big plant lover.Nl: Op deze dag, moest Jeroen een zeldzame Afrikaanse Viooltje bezorgen bij de Hortus Botanicus, een wereldberoemde botanische tuin in Amsterdam.En: On this day, Jeroen had to deliver a rare African Violet to the Hortus Botanicus, a world-famous botanical garden in Amsterdam.Nl: Maar, er was een probleem.En: But there was a problem.Nl: De Hortus sloot over een uur, en Jeroen had nog een lange weg te gaan.En: The Hortus was closing in an hour, and Jeroen still had a long way to go.Nl: En door de oude, drukke straten van Amsterdam navigeren met een fiets en een waardevolle plant was geen eenvoudige taak.En: And navigating the old, busy streets of Amsterdam with a bike and a valuable plant was no easy task.Nl: Dapper reed Jeroen door, slalommend tussen de mensen door, voorzichtig om de potplant niet te laten vallen.En: Bravely, Jeroen rode on, weaving through the people, carefully avoiding dropping the potted plant.Nl: Hij rinkelde zijn bel boos toen een duif bijna in het pad van zijn fiets liep.En: He angrily rang his bell when a pigeon almost walked into the path of his bike.Nl: Met de plant op zijn fiets en zijn hart in zijn keel, fietste hij onder de amandelbloesem door de Albert Cuyp markt.En: With the plant on his bike and his heart pounding, he cycled under the almond blossoms at the Albert Cuyp market.Nl: Tijd vloog voorbij.En: Time flew by.Nl: De Hortus was bijna aan het sluiten.En: The Hortus was almost closing.Nl: Maar net op tijd kwam Jeroen hijgend aan bij de Hortus.En: But just in time, Jeroen arrived at the Hortus, gasping for breath.Nl: Triomfantelijk leverde hij de kostbare potplant af.En: Triumphant, he delivered the precious potted plant.Nl: De tuinman was dolblij!En: The gardener was thrilled!Nl: Hij bedankte Jeroen en zei: "Jij hebt de plant gered.En: He thanked Jeroen and said, "You saved the plant.Nl: Je bent een held, Jeroen.En: You are a hero, Jeroen."Nl: "Jeroen voelde zich voldaan.En: Jeroen felt satisfied.Nl: Hij had zijn missie volbracht.En: He had accomplished his mission.Nl: Met een gelukkige glimlach sprong hij weer op zijn fiets, klaar voor het volgende avontuur.En: With a happy smile, he hopped back on his bike, ready for the next adventure.Nl: En zo eindigde Jeroen's spannende fietsrit door Amsterdam, met de potplant veilig en gezond in de Hortus Botanicus.En: And so, Jeroen's exciting bike ride through Amsterdam ended, with the potted plant safe and sound at the Hortus Botanicus.Nl: Het had een beetje gedoe, een beetje avontuur, maar alles was op het eind goed gekomen.En: It had been a bit of a hassle, a bit of an adventure, but everything had turned out fine in the end.Nl: En dat is wat er echt toe doet in het leven.En: And that's what truly matters in life.Nl: Het avontuur blijven aanvaarden, wat er ook op je pad komt.En: Embracing the adventure, whatever comes your way. Vocabulary Words:Amsterdam: AmsterdamJeroen: Jeroencity: stadtall: langblue suit: blauw pakwavy black hair: golvend zwart haarred bike: rode fietsbroad smile: brede glimlachpotted plant: potplantbalancing: balancerendwinding streets: kronkelige stratenJordaan: Jordaanbeautiful old houses: prachtige oude huizencanals: grachtensmell: geurfresh stroopwafels: verse stroopwafelspeaceful time: vredige tijdexciting mystery: spannend mysterieimportant mission: belangrijke missieboy: jongenhated plants: haatte plantenneighbor: buurmanold man: oude manGerard: Gerarddying plant: stervende plantbig plant lover: grote plantenliefhebberrare African Violet: zeldzame Afrikaanse ViooltjeHortus Botanicus: Hortus Botanicusclosing: sluitinglong way: lange weg

Welcome to another episode of the “Dishing With Stephanie's Dish Podcast” Podcast! In this episode, we dive into the culinary scene of Duluth with special guests Greg Conley, Ned Netzel, and Nick Peloquin, authors of the cookbook "Smoke on the Waterfront" from Northern Waters Smokehaus. The hosts discuss the ins and outs of creating the cookbook, the significance of preserving food in the northern climate, and the upcoming expansion of the Northern Waters Smokehaus Along the way, they share their favorite restaurants and products in Duluth, celebrating the vibrant food and beverage culture of the city. Tune in to learn more about the art of smoking, preserving, and creating delectable dishes in the northern waters of Minnesota.Stephanie's Dish Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.EPISODE TRANSCRIPT FOLLOWS:Stephanie Hansen [00:00:15]:Hello, everybody, and welcome to with Stephanie's dish, the podcast where we talk to cookbook authors and people in the food space that we just wanna spend more time with and get their stories. There is a restaurant in Duluth that is a sandwich counter, I guess, would be the best way to call it. And When you go to Duluth, people that I know actually will, like, beeline through the city, Navigate 35 just to get sandwiches at this place. I have been a fan for a long time, it is the Northern Waters Smokehaus, and they finally came out with a cookbook, Smoke on the Waterfront. And it's funny because I got this book In the summertime, I got an early advanced reader's copy, and I was so glad to get it in the summertime Because it's kind of seasonal, and it goes, like, by the seasons, and I happen to catch it right at the end of the summertime When it was pickling season, and you guys had some great recipes for canning and pickling things. So we have a group of folks with us today. We have Greg Connelly. We have Ned Netsell, and we have Nick Pellequin.Stephanie Hansen [00:01:33]:We are delighted to have you guys. I've never had 3 Authors, chefs, all in the same space talking about 1 cookbook. So imagine the talent that's in here.Greg Conley [00:01:45]:It's probably not a good idea, but we're doing it anyway.Stephanie Hansen [00:01:49]:Okay. And you didn't the funny part about this, and I don't mean to minimize it, it is, And you didn't start the restaurant?Nick Peloquin [00:01:55]:No. Correct.Greg Conley [00:01:56]:No. None of us started the restaurant. The guy that started the restaurant's name is Eric Gert. And he and his wife luckily handed off the project to us with his blessing and said, you know, I'm here as a resource for you. But, ultimately, our other collaborator, Mary Tennis. And these guys are great writers. And so, I think we all felt pretty honored that He just let us kinda take the reins and, go for it. So that's what we did.Stephanie Hansen [00:02:24]:What's cool about this cookbook to me Is it has a real sense of place. So you're located in Duluth and you're cooking from ingredients of the north, which appeal to me. But, also, it it doesn't feel like it's multivoiced even though I know it is. Like, it feels like you guys all have the Same intellect and the same voice and the same passion with which you're doing things. So it would be hard for me to tell, like, oh, this So and so's recipe or this is so and so's style, that's kinda cool. Like, you guys are all really aligned in this book.Ned Netzel [00:03:02]:Yeah. I think that came from us really writing it together. You know, like, maybe, initial parts of the process of compiling the recipes and, you know, reducing the size To the flow of it. You know? We we all, like, respected what everybody brought to the table and also, like, what they lacked. You know, kind of filling in the gaps. So, you know, an intro to a book or to a recipe might have been. Somebody wrote down what they thought made sense, and then we refined it together and talked about, What is really the story of this? Then we ask questions like, how how does it relate to, you know, the active food preservation? Or how does it relate to the city of Duluth or the region or in order to regionally sourcing things. It was all all very collaborative throughout.Ned Netzel [00:03:42]:So that that probably blends a little bit to it. And, moments where somebody really is Writing from their voice are actually directly called outGreg Conley [00:03:48]:in the book too. Greg's got some some moments in there.Stephanie Hansen [00:03:51]:Looking on another cookbook, and I've written one, and it's not easy. Did you, like, okay. You're gonna do the intro. You're gonna do the chapters. You're gonna pick the recipes. You're gonna write the intro to your recipes. Did you have all that work delineated, or did you have, like, meetings? How did this all flow?Nick Peloquin [00:04:09]:So we would meet weekly, just Us together, and and we we definitely parsed out some of the writing tasks, but it was really kinda all over the place as to, like, He's doing a recipe. He's doing an intro. And then we would come together and test together. And then sitting down and finalizing it was all together. So it was like a weekly meeting that we would all get together and and and review everything we had all written individually.Stephanie Hansen [00:04:34]:Other there's a lot of recipes in here. I keep thinking about, like, Thanksgiving time. Giving time. And you've got kind of a lot of things that would be on a Thanksgiving table, like the green bean casserole and the mashed potatoes, But you've also got, like, the the riettes. And then at the very end is sort of where you get into the sandwich sitch, Which is sort of what you guys are known for. So I was curious that it was very at the end, some of your, like, greatest hits.Greg Conley [00:05:04]:Yeah. You know, in our mind, sandwiches are not something you usually have a recipe for. Although, you know, we're pretty precise. Like, we're not like Some other places where you can come in and say, here's what I want on my sandwich. And, you know, they they do it. We don't do that. I mean, we'll put whatever you want on there Within reason, but we carefully craft those sandwiches. And so but I think that, you know, overall, it's like, we're kind of telling you how to do the recipes that lead to that Sandwich.Greg Conley [00:05:33]:You know? We're not trying to tell you, yeah, make this exact sandwich out of your smoked salmon. You know? You can do that if you wanna Do what we well, exactly what we're doing. But also it's like, use your own flourish. Use this for whatever you and here's a suggestion on how to use it, but use it however you want to. Yeah.Nick Peloquin [00:05:50]:And we kinda we kinda debated where to put that section to for a while. Yeah. It was kinda like, should it go in the middle and kinda be like this fold out highlight piece? Or, like, it make sense at the end or beginning or so it we went back and forth to where where that should live because it it is, like, a major part of what we do.Stephanie Hansen [00:06:09]:I feel like I should personally thank you specifically for the pork rillette recipe.Nick Peloquin [00:06:15]:Which one?Stephanie Hansen [00:06:16]:The well, the one that's your basic, and then I know you use it in the, the ricotta ravioli. The not so spicy is probably the one I'll start with. And you add more than 1. Riette is something that, like, you see it on a charcuterie board. And just speaking for, like, Maybe nonchefy people, like, you're kinda like, oh, I don't know. There's a little fat there, but then it looks like there's this Potted meat, which could be good, but I don't know. But once you, like, get turned on to that, it's like crack. Right? You just love it so much.Stephanie Hansen [00:06:55]:And I never felt like I could ever cook it, and I totally feel like I can do this recipe, and I'm gonna do it for Christmastime.Nick Peloquin [00:07:04]:Nice. Yeah. It's perfect. Like, gifting.Stephanie Hansen [00:07:07]:Yeah. And it, like, stays forever.Nick Peloquin [00:07:09]:I'm I wouldn't say forever. But yeah. We lead legally, we can't. It seems a lot more intimidating than it actually is. You know? It's it's almost more similar to a braise. You know? It's it's like a comb keying technique. Right? So it's just Meat, salt, and fat for a long time. You know? And and so it seems like it there's a big skill gap there, but it's it's It's very approachable.Nick Peloquin [00:07:33]:You know?Stephanie Hansen [00:07:33]:I loved it. One other recipe that made it in the book that's, like, a 6 pager that I had In my book, and then I took it out because I felt like I was posing and I wasn't the right person to put that in my book, And you guys were, was this whole, like, sourdough concept. Oh. Tell me about yeah. So tell me about why you felt like You wanted to devote time in your cookbook to sourdough when so many people have, like, written bread books and all of that.Greg Conley [00:08:05]:Yeah. Absolutely. And there are I think I even say in the Recipe that there are so many more comprehensive, probably better versions, than than my version of bread. But I think the whole idea of Putting that in there was initially, when we started writing the book, we had the idea of Calling it preservation because so many of the things that we're doing are not only, preserving food, well, you know, so it doesn't spoil or so it will last longer, or preserving yourself through the long winter months. So a breadwinner recipe seemed like kind of, Something that would round out the recipes that we already had, you know, because we do make sandwiches too.Stephanie Hansen [00:08:47]:Yep.Greg Conley [00:08:47]:It's like, oh, I guess we should tell people if we really wanna be holistic, Let's tell them how to make bread too.Nick Peloquin [00:08:53]:So I'm gonna eat it on. Right.Greg Conley [00:08:54]:So I think that was really the the impetus for that. But then sourdoughs are are really, Obviously, it's had a it's had a moment, for the last few years. But it really is a cool thing. It's it feels like you're making something out of nothing. It's basically you're just starting with flour and water, and you're attracting wild yeast to it, and you're feeding that, and you're making it into something. Then, really, the only ingredients are flour, water, and salt. You know? So it is really a cool and then one of the ultimate forms of preservation when, you know, people learned how to cultivate grains, and then they realized, oh, we can make this really stable food source for ourselves. So we felt like that just made a lot of sense in in the midst of everything else.Stephanie Hansen [00:09:37]:One other recipe that's in here that I was so glad that you included, but I'm a little intimidated by. And the first line of the recipe is the bane of our prep department's existence. It's Northern Water So why did you guys feel like you should include that other than the fact that it's super delicious? Because it is a little more requires a little more patience.Nick Peloquin [00:09:58]:I think it's just one of our mainstay, like, spreads in house, so it's it's something that go it pairs really well with a lot of the things we do. Like, the smoked fish, for example, it's it's perfect for.Stephanie Hansen [00:10:08]:Yep.Nick Peloquin [00:10:08]:It's difficult in how tedious it is just by picking just picking fresh herbs is really like the the thing that people get hung up on a lot because it takes time to do, but it's It's pretty straightforward. Once you get through that initial mise en place, that initial stage of the preparation, then it's you're just throwing stuff in a mixer and and whipping it together until it's a nice consistency. But it's yeah. It's really that just like tedious work upfront that really Throws people off, and it makes it less of a favorite project to start because you you know you're gonna be picking time for a good half an hour.Stephanie Hansen [00:10:42]:Yeah. Exactly. So are you all Duluthians?Greg Conley [00:10:46]:No. I'm from Northwest Wisconsin. So so he's close. So close. No cigar. It'sStephanie Hansen [00:10:53]:Yep. Much fun.Nick Peloquin [00:10:54]:Ned and I are both, Duluthians. So yeah.Stephanie Hansen [00:10:56]:What does it feel like to Be and I don't wanna, like, embarrass you or make it, like, this weird thing, but you really have Become, in my estimation as a TwinCidian, part of the home team For Duluth, like, people think of the restaurant, and people think of you and think of the sandwiches. And a while back, you guys had a more full Service situation and now are kinda more back to the deli side and it must be a source of pride.Greg Conley [00:11:29]:Yeah. Absolutely. And I think, you know, we, the 3 of us have worked for the business for a little while. And, But, you know, there's so many people that came before us. And, of course, Eric, who founded the business. And so we're basically just kinda building off of, a lot of what they've done and, I'm trying to preserve that too. You know? Trying to just do things the best that we can and really have that be our North Star of, like, really trying to Wow, people. So it's an it's an honor that people think of us when they think of Duluth.Greg Conley [00:11:59]:It's really powerful, I think. Certainly something we wanna cultivate and actively wantedNed Netzel [00:12:03]:to cultivate with this book. Wanted to make this book, very much not about only, you know, Eric and his story and his recipes and the business that came from it, but also, the place where, You know, we reside in, what has made us who we are. SoStephanie Hansen [00:12:18]:Well, I would say the goal is accomplished. Also, like, I feel like we're Of the, people in Minnesota in particular, we're uniquely positioned about the preserving and the canning and because we have to get through these winter months. Right? And so we're preparing our vegetables and creating kimcheese and canning things and pickling things in order to get us through to the other side of the winter season. There's a lot of that in this book that I really loved. Is that, like, Something that is in all of the recipes at the restaurant. It sure seems like most of it has some components of that.Nick Peloquin [00:12:57]:Yeah. It's kind of almost, by necessity because of how we're set up as a restaurant. Because, you know, we don't have a full kitchen here, and we don't really have the that utility that comes with All those things. So we do have to kind of focus on things that we can prepare ahead of time and then something that's easy to and quick to serve that's not necessarily Gonna go on a saute pan or, you know, a a bunch of gas appliances because we're really restricted just in the old building that we're in. And so that aspect of the business. But then, yeah, also the just the the area we're in And and the the food that is kind of like the style of a deli is is gonna be geared towards kind of like Making things last longer than than they would otherwise crash.Stephanie Hansen [00:13:44]:You guys are undertaking a move, it sounds like, in the building. Do you wanna talk about that?Greg Conley [00:13:50]:Sure. Yeah. We're actually in the midst be in there by this Saturday. So we just or Friday even. So we just we're Really steaming steamrolling towards that. Yeah. We, you know, have existed in this building. At least our our deli proper has stood in a really a sliver of a space here.Greg Conley [00:14:08]:And, even when the pandemic happened and we had to close our doors, We ended up turning our entire space into a kitchen because it was the only way we could keep up with the increased business. Because we were on one of the only places open during COVID. We were open the entire time, and so we were we got a lot busier, and so we necessarily had to just turn that all into sandwich making. Once the pandemic kinda started to wane, then we have really no place to host anyone. So you could sit out on our deck, and you could sit in the hallway with in on some seats and, you know, 10 seats or whatever we have up there. So this move is really the culmination of a lot of dreams over the years of just having more space, being able to host people more effectively, and then also being able to just try, not only more food things, but also new ways of service and and beverages and all that stuff. SoStephanie Hansen [00:15:01]:How do you see it coming together? Do you see it, like, as maybe a, like, fast casual kinda thing?Greg Conley [00:15:07]:Yeah. That's exactly Yeah. Exactly what it is. Yep. It will just have, a little bit more space to do it with, A little bit more space to host people. The sticking point, for some customers in the past when they would wanna just get 1 piece of fish, but they'd have to get in a Half an hour line of all these other people ordering sandwiches. So it's really nice to separate out those those services.Stephanie Hansen [00:15:31]:As a customer, I love that.Greg Conley [00:15:33]:Yeah. You get way better service on both ends, so it's just a lot lot more convenient for people to do it that way. So it's really exciting.Ned Netzel [00:15:40]:Thing for Eric is to make it a a destination again. And when we were doing, you know, window service and you weren't able to, as a customer, walk in and see your piece of fish, That kinda, I think, soured that a little bit for some people. I mean, our loyal customers have been with us because they just you know, they know it's good food, but, now that we have A place to be in, like, a a location that you can kinda, you know, experience rather than just waiting in a line, you know, maybe during the winter. Hopefully, we'll we'll cultivate that again.Stephanie Hansen [00:16:10]:Well and I think a smoked fish purchase is kinda more straightforward maybe Then, like, you know, talking about sandwiches and people are sandwich nerds too. Like, they wanna talk about your sandwich.Greg Conley [00:16:26]:Yep. Well, I think the the the deli side of things too, that's really one of the funnest things for us is that people on that side really wanna Talk about the food too. Even if they just are getting a piece of smoked fish, they a lot of times, people really, really geeked about food. We love talking people about food. So when a customer comes in and wants me to tell them all about the white fish that we have, I'm really happy to do that. I love talking about food. So That part is so fun for us. And I think even more so than talking about sandwiches, just talking about the components of those sandwiches that we Make olives in house, so it's really fun.Stephanie Hansen [00:17:05]:There is 2 things to tell you. 1 is you inspired a recipe in my book, Which is a white fish trout spread.Greg Conley [00:17:13]:Nice. Sweet.Stephanie Hansen [00:17:14]:It the story that I attached to it was Actually, being with my niece who went to UMD for college, and she wasn't very adventurous of an eater. And she got the love of the smoked fish in Duluth as a college student, and we went to Fitger's and we were sitting there eating. And she said, does anybody wanna Let the smoked salmon dip, and I was like, what? Who are you? And then she was like, have you she wanted to, like, really talk about, like, have you had smoke trout at Northern Waters. I'm like, yes. I have. I've used it to make dip, and it's like a holiday staple. So you have inspired a lot of people with your smoked fish.Greg Conley [00:17:56]:Yeah. But, you know, that's kind of another thing too is that We really want people to come to us, you know? And that's part of being, like, Duluth, you know, is like Duluth is not a suburb of the Twin Cities. Duluth is The major metro in the northern part of the state, and we probably have kind of a chip on our shoulder about that, because we're not, like, You know, lane or something like that. Like, we are a a small city of our own, and we have our own thing going on that isn't Saint Paul or it isn't, Rochester or whatever. So we want people to come here and experience what we have to offer. We're not, You know? Like, you can get a lot of great food in the Twin Cities. We can get some great food up here, and we're part of that. So we want people to experience that as well.Stephanie Hansen [00:18:43]:Yeah. I'm glad you said that because I produce the Art in Bayfront Park Culinary Market that we do there. Yeah. And I really have, like, gotten front and center with a lot of cool Duluth makers both from the art side, but also the food side. And, you know, we hear a lot about Duluth and the cool, like, outdoor scene and the mountain biking and all the stuff that they're working on, but, damn, I mean, the beer scene alone and the distilleries and the craft that's happening in Food and ice cream and hot sauces and I mean, there's a lot of cool stuff happening, and I feel just It's so cool to be a part of that, and I'm glad that my work on that festival can bring people, like, Front and center with businesses that maybe they don't know about in Duluth because there's a lot of cool things happening.Greg Conley [00:19:31]:Yeah. Agreed. And and For us as a business that's pretty well established and pretty well respected, we also wanna foster other food businesses and help them as much as we can. Because all of that, strengthening of our food scene here just strengthens all of us. So we really want people to be Successful and to bring really cool new things to food and the world.Stephanie Hansen [00:19:53]:Okay. So we're gonna play a game. It's not gonna be hard, But it's kinda gonna be maybe, like, picking your favorite child or pet. So each of you, I've got an opportunity to have 3 of you in front of me. The game is, I would like you to tell me a favorite restaurant in Duluth, and it can be whatever, And also a product that's made in Duluth that you're obsessed with.Nick Peloquin [00:20:19]:Is it specifically a food product?Stephanie Hansen [00:20:21]:Not necessarily. No. K.Nick Peloquin [00:20:24]:Well, I think my favorite restaurant at the moment is Fuholic On central entrance.Ned Netzel [00:20:29]:Damn it.Greg Conley [00:20:30]:That's what I was gonna say.Nick Peloquin [00:20:31]:Yeah. Yeah. It's pretty it's pretty banging spot right right these days.Stephanie Hansen [00:20:35]:And serving pho, I'm assuming.Nick Peloquin [00:20:37]:Yeah. So they do pho and other Vietnamese stuff. It's it's so good. As far as the product made in Duluth, man, that's that's tough. I would say, honestly, the beer. It like, it's it's hard to choose 1 of the the breweries, but, like, we we're kinda spoiled for choice up here. I mean, Bed paddle is like a standby. You know? And it's funny to go down to the Twin Cities or even major metropolitans and, like, See Duluth beer on tap, but places that's a big source of pride.Nick Peloquin [00:21:06]:And I think because what people think of Duluth too, you know, is We're a big craft beer town. SoStephanie Hansen [00:21:11]:Yeah. I think that Ursa Minor too is starting to make inroads into the Twin Cities. Their beer, I had a lot of different versions this summer. It was really great, they have a great taproom too.Nick Peloquin [00:21:21]:Yeah. Totally.Stephanie Hansen [00:21:22]:Okay, Ned. That leads us to you.Greg Conley [00:21:25]:Oh my gosh. We might have to come back to me. Okay. INed Netzel [00:21:29]:think I probably eat out the least of anybody here. Yeah. I don't know. Greg, yes. Greg. Minutes.Greg Conley [00:21:35]:Sure. I probably would've said Faholic, but I'm gonna I'm gonna do a tut tut two way tie. There's a place called Oasis Del Norte. Love it. It's the only place that makes street tacos in Duluth. And so that's really a great thing to have. And then, In my neighborhood of Lakeside, there's a place called Lake Superior Brewing, oldest microbrewery in Minnesota at one point, the first established one. But they changed hands after a number of years, and then they moved to the Lakeside neighborhood.Greg Conley [00:22:06]:And they do pizza, smash burgers are kind of their main entrees, which they just do really good versions of those. They do, like, a brick oven style New York pizza that nobody in town does. So that's kinda cool. But they also do a lot of really nice thoughtful, appetizers and great wines to go with some of their Food along with the really, good beer that they're brewing. It's really great to have that nice option in my neighborhood. So I really I really appreciate that.Stephanie Hansen [00:22:34]:I love it. Alright. Ned, are you ready? That leads us to you.Greg Conley [00:22:38]:I think I think so.Ned Netzel [00:22:39]:It's it's really hard for me to pick a restaurant, because I do most of my eating cooked at home or, with my my free daily meal, when I'm working.Stephanie Hansen [00:22:52]:Sure.Ned Netzel [00:22:52]:But but one thing that kept coming up in my mind was Johnson's Bakery, which is a bakery down in, what would you call it? Lincoln Park area. It's like just behind really awesome bread. A lot of our specials back when we were open to the public, in the old space Used Johnson's Bakery Bread. So, yeah, Johnson's Bakery love their donuts. They're like, such a great deal. Please don't raise your prices, guys. So, yeah, Johnson's Bakery and then, something made in Duluth. The the coffee made in Duluth is really great.Ned Netzel [00:23:23]:In addition to, like, the The brewing scene, there's also a great, like, roastery scene. We love a lot of them. There's like Duluth Coffee Company. There's, Underwood Coffee who Most of what we, give to our staff to to see us through the day, is either Underwood or DreamCloud Roasters.Stephanie Hansen [00:23:44]:Wanna thank Ned Netzel. I wanna thank Nick Peloquin, Greg Conley for joining me. The book is Smoke on the Waterfront. It's the Northern Water Smokehouse Cookbook. What I loved is you guys just recommended all places that I have never even heard of, and I have spent quite a bit of time in Duluth. So way to go. I appreciate you being here. I'm excited about the book.Stephanie Hansen [00:24:05]:It is Smoke on the Waterfront. Make sure that when you head to Duluth, And you should head to Duluth this winter, there's so many cool activities that happen there. And of course in the summertime you can come and visit me at Arden Bayfront Park in August, And there's just a lot of cool music festivals that happen down in Canal Park and at the Bayfront area, and Lincoln Park is a whole new area to discover for a lot of people. So it's the Northern Water Smokehouse Cookbook. If you are into smoking or canning or preserving or you just love a damn good sandwich, make sure you pick up the cookbook. Thanks, you guys. I appreciate it. Thanks so much. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stephaniehansen.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to another episode of the “Dishing With Stephanie's Dish Podcast” Podcast! In this episode, we dive into the culinary scene of Duluth with special guests Greg Conley, Ned Netzel, and Nick Peloquin, authors of the cookbook "Smoke on the Waterfront" from Northern Waters Smokehaus. The hosts discuss the ins and outs of creating the cookbook, the significance of preserving food in the northern climate, and the upcoming expansion of the Northern Waters Smokehaus Along the way, they share their favorite restaurants and products in Duluth, celebrating the vibrant food and beverage culture of the city. Tune in to learn more about the art of smoking, preserving, and creating delectable dishes in the northern waters of Minnesota.Stephanie's Dish Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.EPISODE TRANSCRIPT FOLLOWS:Stephanie Hansen [00:00:15]:Hello, everybody, and welcome to with Stephanie's dish, the podcast where we talk to cookbook authors and people in the food space that we just wanna spend more time with and get their stories. There is a restaurant in Duluth that is a sandwich counter, I guess, would be the best way to call it. And When you go to Duluth, people that I know actually will, like, beeline through the city, Navigate 35 just to get sandwiches at this place. I have been a fan for a long time, it is the Northern Waters Smokehaus, and they finally came out with a cookbook, Smoke on the Waterfront. And it's funny because I got this book In the summertime, I got an early advanced reader's copy, and I was so glad to get it in the summertime Because it's kind of seasonal, and it goes, like, by the seasons, and I happen to catch it right at the end of the summertime When it was pickling season, and you guys had some great recipes for canning and pickling things. So we have a group of folks with us today. We have Greg Connelly. We have Ned Netsell, and we have Nick Pellequin.Stephanie Hansen [00:01:33]:We are delighted to have you guys. I've never had 3 Authors, chefs, all in the same space talking about 1 cookbook. So imagine the talent that's in here.Greg Conley [00:01:45]:It's probably not a good idea, but we're doing it anyway.Stephanie Hansen [00:01:49]:Okay. And you didn't the funny part about this, and I don't mean to minimize it, it is, And you didn't start the restaurant?Nick Peloquin [00:01:55]:No. Correct.Greg Conley [00:01:56]:No. None of us started the restaurant. The guy that started the restaurant's name is Eric Gert. And he and his wife luckily handed off the project to us with his blessing and said, you know, I'm here as a resource for you. But, ultimately, our other collaborator, Mary Tennis. And these guys are great writers. And so, I think we all felt pretty honored that He just let us kinda take the reins and, go for it. So that's what we did.Stephanie Hansen [00:02:24]:What's cool about this cookbook to me Is it has a real sense of place. So you're located in Duluth and you're cooking from ingredients of the north, which appeal to me. But, also, it it doesn't feel like it's multivoiced even though I know it is. Like, it feels like you guys all have the Same intellect and the same voice and the same passion with which you're doing things. So it would be hard for me to tell, like, oh, this So and so's recipe or this is so and so's style, that's kinda cool. Like, you guys are all really aligned in this book.Ned Netzel [00:03:02]:Yeah. I think that came from us really writing it together. You know, like, maybe, initial parts of the process of compiling the recipes and, you know, reducing the size To the flow of it. You know? We we all, like, respected what everybody brought to the table and also, like, what they lacked. You know, kind of filling in the gaps. So, you know, an intro to a book or to a recipe might have been. Somebody wrote down what they thought made sense, and then we refined it together and talked about, What is really the story of this? Then we ask questions like, how how does it relate to, you know, the active food preservation? Or how does it relate to the city of Duluth or the region or in order to regionally sourcing things. It was all all very collaborative throughout.Ned Netzel [00:03:42]:So that that probably blends a little bit to it. And, moments where somebody really is Writing from their voice are actually directly called outGreg Conley [00:03:48]:in the book too. Greg's got some some moments in there.Stephanie Hansen [00:03:51]:Looking on another cookbook, and I've written one, and it's not easy. Did you, like, okay. You're gonna do the intro. You're gonna do the chapters. You're gonna pick the recipes. You're gonna write the intro to your recipes. Did you have all that work delineated, or did you have, like, meetings? How did this all flow?Nick Peloquin [00:04:09]:So we would meet weekly, just Us together, and and we we definitely parsed out some of the writing tasks, but it was really kinda all over the place as to, like, He's doing a recipe. He's doing an intro. And then we would come together and test together. And then sitting down and finalizing it was all together. So it was like a weekly meeting that we would all get together and and and review everything we had all written individually.Stephanie Hansen [00:04:34]:Other there's a lot of recipes in here. I keep thinking about, like, Thanksgiving time. Giving time. And you've got kind of a lot of things that would be on a Thanksgiving table, like the green bean casserole and the mashed potatoes, But you've also got, like, the the riettes. And then at the very end is sort of where you get into the sandwich sitch, Which is sort of what you guys are known for. So I was curious that it was very at the end, some of your, like, greatest hits.Greg Conley [00:05:04]:Yeah. You know, in our mind, sandwiches are not something you usually have a recipe for. Although, you know, we're pretty precise. Like, we're not like Some other places where you can come in and say, here's what I want on my sandwich. And, you know, they they do it. We don't do that. I mean, we'll put whatever you want on there Within reason, but we carefully craft those sandwiches. And so but I think that, you know, overall, it's like, we're kind of telling you how to do the recipes that lead to that Sandwich.Greg Conley [00:05:33]:You know? We're not trying to tell you, yeah, make this exact sandwich out of your smoked salmon. You know? You can do that if you wanna Do what we well, exactly what we're doing. But also it's like, use your own flourish. Use this for whatever you and here's a suggestion on how to use it, but use it however you want to. Yeah.Nick Peloquin [00:05:50]:And we kinda we kinda debated where to put that section to for a while. Yeah. It was kinda like, should it go in the middle and kinda be like this fold out highlight piece? Or, like, it make sense at the end or beginning or so it we went back and forth to where where that should live because it it is, like, a major part of what we do.Stephanie Hansen [00:06:09]:I feel like I should personally thank you specifically for the pork rillette recipe.Nick Peloquin [00:06:15]:Which one?Stephanie Hansen [00:06:16]:The well, the one that's your basic, and then I know you use it in the, the ricotta ravioli. The not so spicy is probably the one I'll start with. And you add more than 1. Riette is something that, like, you see it on a charcuterie board. And just speaking for, like, Maybe nonchefy people, like, you're kinda like, oh, I don't know. There's a little fat there, but then it looks like there's this Potted meat, which could be good, but I don't know. But once you, like, get turned on to that, it's like crack. Right? You just love it so much.Stephanie Hansen [00:06:55]:And I never felt like I could ever cook it, and I totally feel like I can do this recipe, and I'm gonna do it for Christmastime.Nick Peloquin [00:07:04]:Nice. Yeah. It's perfect. Like, gifting.Stephanie Hansen [00:07:07]:Yeah. And it, like, stays forever.Nick Peloquin [00:07:09]:I'm I wouldn't say forever. But yeah. We lead legally, we can't. It seems a lot more intimidating than it actually is. You know? It's it's almost more similar to a braise. You know? It's it's like a comb keying technique. Right? So it's just Meat, salt, and fat for a long time. You know? And and so it seems like it there's a big skill gap there, but it's it's It's very approachable.Nick Peloquin [00:07:33]:You know?Stephanie Hansen [00:07:33]:I loved it. One other recipe that made it in the book that's, like, a 6 pager that I had In my book, and then I took it out because I felt like I was posing and I wasn't the right person to put that in my book, And you guys were, was this whole, like, sourdough concept. Oh. Tell me about yeah. So tell me about why you felt like You wanted to devote time in your cookbook to sourdough when so many people have, like, written bread books and all of that.Greg Conley [00:08:05]:Yeah. Absolutely. And there are I think I even say in the Recipe that there are so many more comprehensive, probably better versions, than than my version of bread. But I think the whole idea of Putting that in there was initially, when we started writing the book, we had the idea of Calling it preservation because so many of the things that we're doing are not only, preserving food, well, you know, so it doesn't spoil or so it will last longer, or preserving yourself through the long winter months. So a breadwinner recipe seemed like kind of, Something that would round out the recipes that we already had, you know, because we do make sandwiches too.Stephanie Hansen [00:08:47]:Yep.Greg Conley [00:08:47]:It's like, oh, I guess we should tell people if we really wanna be holistic, Let's tell them how to make bread too.Nick Peloquin [00:08:53]:So I'm gonna eat it on. Right.Greg Conley [00:08:54]:So I think that was really the the impetus for that. But then sourdoughs are are really, Obviously, it's had a it's had a moment, for the last few years. But it really is a cool thing. It's it feels like you're making something out of nothing. It's basically you're just starting with flour and water, and you're attracting wild yeast to it, and you're feeding that, and you're making it into something. Then, really, the only ingredients are flour, water, and salt. You know? So it is really a cool and then one of the ultimate forms of preservation when, you know, people learned how to cultivate grains, and then they realized, oh, we can make this really stable food source for ourselves. So we felt like that just made a lot of sense in in the midst of everything else.Stephanie Hansen [00:09:37]:One other recipe that's in here that I was so glad that you included, but I'm a little intimidated by. And the first line of the recipe is the bane of our prep department's existence. It's Northern Water So why did you guys feel like you should include that other than the fact that it's super delicious? Because it is a little more requires a little more patience.Nick Peloquin [00:09:58]:I think it's just one of our mainstay, like, spreads in house, so it's it's something that go it pairs really well with a lot of the things we do. Like, the smoked fish, for example, it's it's perfect for.Stephanie Hansen [00:10:08]:Yep.Nick Peloquin [00:10:08]:It's difficult in how tedious it is just by picking just picking fresh herbs is really like the the thing that people get hung up on a lot because it takes time to do, but it's It's pretty straightforward. Once you get through that initial mise en place, that initial stage of the preparation, then it's you're just throwing stuff in a mixer and and whipping it together until it's a nice consistency. But it's yeah. It's really that just like tedious work upfront that really Throws people off, and it makes it less of a favorite project to start because you you know you're gonna be picking time for a good half an hour.Stephanie Hansen [00:10:42]:Yeah. Exactly. So are you all Duluthians?Greg Conley [00:10:46]:No. I'm from Northwest Wisconsin. So so he's close. So close. No cigar. It'sStephanie Hansen [00:10:53]:Yep. Much fun.Nick Peloquin [00:10:54]:Ned and I are both, Duluthians. So yeah.Stephanie Hansen [00:10:56]:What does it feel like to Be and I don't wanna, like, embarrass you or make it, like, this weird thing, but you really have Become, in my estimation as a TwinCidian, part of the home team For Duluth, like, people think of the restaurant, and people think of you and think of the sandwiches. And a while back, you guys had a more full Service situation and now are kinda more back to the deli side and it must be a source of pride.Greg Conley [00:11:29]:Yeah. Absolutely. And I think, you know, we, the 3 of us have worked for the business for a little while. And, But, you know, there's so many people that came before us. And, of course, Eric, who founded the business. And so we're basically just kinda building off of, a lot of what they've done and, I'm trying to preserve that too. You know? Trying to just do things the best that we can and really have that be our North Star of, like, really trying to Wow, people. So it's an it's an honor that people think of us when they think of Duluth.Greg Conley [00:11:59]:It's really powerful, I think. Certainly something we wanna cultivate and actively wantedNed Netzel [00:12:03]:to cultivate with this book. Wanted to make this book, very much not about only, you know, Eric and his story and his recipes and the business that came from it, but also, the place where, You know, we reside in, what has made us who we are. SoStephanie Hansen [00:12:18]:Well, I would say the goal is accomplished. Also, like, I feel like we're Of the, people in Minnesota in particular, we're uniquely positioned about the preserving and the canning and because we have to get through these winter months. Right? And so we're preparing our vegetables and creating kimcheese and canning things and pickling things in order to get us through to the other side of the winter season. There's a lot of that in this book that I really loved. Is that, like, Something that is in all of the recipes at the restaurant. It sure seems like most of it has some components of that.Nick Peloquin [00:12:57]:Yeah. It's kind of almost, by necessity because of how we're set up as a restaurant. Because, you know, we don't have a full kitchen here, and we don't really have the that utility that comes with All those things. So we do have to kind of focus on things that we can prepare ahead of time and then something that's easy to and quick to serve that's not necessarily Gonna go on a saute pan or, you know, a a bunch of gas appliances because we're really restricted just in the old building that we're in. And so that aspect of the business. But then, yeah, also the just the the area we're in And and the the food that is kind of like the style of a deli is is gonna be geared towards kind of like Making things last longer than than they would otherwise crash.Stephanie Hansen [00:13:44]:You guys are undertaking a move, it sounds like, in the building. Do you wanna talk about that?Greg Conley [00:13:50]:Sure. Yeah. We're actually in the midst be in there by this Saturday. So we just or Friday even. So we just we're Really steaming steamrolling towards that. Yeah. We, you know, have existed in this building. At least our our deli proper has stood in a really a sliver of a space here.Greg Conley [00:14:08]:And, even when the pandemic happened and we had to close our doors, We ended up turning our entire space into a kitchen because it was the only way we could keep up with the increased business. Because we were on one of the only places open during COVID. We were open the entire time, and so we were we got a lot busier, and so we necessarily had to just turn that all into sandwich making. Once the pandemic kinda started to wane, then we have really no place to host anyone. So you could sit out on our deck, and you could sit in the hallway with in on some seats and, you know, 10 seats or whatever we have up there. So this move is really the culmination of a lot of dreams over the years of just having more space, being able to host people more effectively, and then also being able to just try, not only more food things, but also new ways of service and and beverages and all that stuff. SoStephanie Hansen [00:15:01]:How do you see it coming together? Do you see it, like, as maybe a, like, fast casual kinda thing?Greg Conley [00:15:07]:Yeah. That's exactly Yeah. Exactly what it is. Yep. It will just have, a little bit more space to do it with, A little bit more space to host people. The sticking point, for some customers in the past when they would wanna just get 1 piece of fish, but they'd have to get in a Half an hour line of all these other people ordering sandwiches. So it's really nice to separate out those those services.Stephanie Hansen [00:15:31]:As a customer, I love that.Greg Conley [00:15:33]:Yeah. You get way better service on both ends, so it's just a lot lot more convenient for people to do it that way. So it's really exciting.Ned Netzel [00:15:40]:Thing for Eric is to make it a a destination again. And when we were doing, you know, window service and you weren't able to, as a customer, walk in and see your piece of fish, That kinda, I think, soured that a little bit for some people. I mean, our loyal customers have been with us because they just you know, they know it's good food, but, now that we have A place to be in, like, a a location that you can kinda, you know, experience rather than just waiting in a line, you know, maybe during the winter. Hopefully, we'll we'll cultivate that again.Stephanie Hansen [00:16:10]:Well and I think a smoked fish purchase is kinda more straightforward maybe Then, like, you know, talking about sandwiches and people are sandwich nerds too. Like, they wanna talk about your sandwich.Greg Conley [00:16:26]:Yep. Well, I think the the the deli side of things too, that's really one of the funnest things for us is that people on that side really wanna Talk about the food too. Even if they just are getting a piece of smoked fish, they a lot of times, people really, really geeked about food. We love talking people about food. So when a customer comes in and wants me to tell them all about the white fish that we have, I'm really happy to do that. I love talking about food. So That part is so fun for us. And I think even more so than talking about sandwiches, just talking about the components of those sandwiches that we Make olives in house, so it's really fun.Stephanie Hansen [00:17:05]:There is 2 things to tell you. 1 is you inspired a recipe in my book, Which is a white fish trout spread.Greg Conley [00:17:13]:Nice. Sweet.Stephanie Hansen [00:17:14]:It the story that I attached to it was Actually, being with my niece who went to UMD for college, and she wasn't very adventurous of an eater. And she got the love of the smoked fish in Duluth as a college student, and we went to Fitger's and we were sitting there eating. And she said, does anybody wanna Let the smoked salmon dip, and I was like, what? Who are you? And then she was like, have you she wanted to, like, really talk about, like, have you had smoke trout at Northern Waters. I'm like, yes. I have. I've used it to make dip, and it's like a holiday staple. So you have inspired a lot of people with your smoked fish.Greg Conley [00:17:56]:Yeah. But, you know, that's kind of another thing too is that We really want people to come to us, you know? And that's part of being, like, Duluth, you know, is like Duluth is not a suburb of the Twin Cities. Duluth is The major metro in the northern part of the state, and we probably have kind of a chip on our shoulder about that, because we're not, like, You know, lane or something like that. Like, we are a a small city of our own, and we have our own thing going on that isn't Saint Paul or it isn't, Rochester or whatever. So we want people to come here and experience what we have to offer. We're not, You know? Like, you can get a lot of great food in the Twin Cities. We can get some great food up here, and we're part of that. So we want people to experience that as well.Stephanie Hansen [00:18:43]:Yeah. I'm glad you said that because I produce the Art in Bayfront Park Culinary Market that we do there. Yeah. And I really have, like, gotten front and center with a lot of cool Duluth makers both from the art side, but also the food side. And, you know, we hear a lot about Duluth and the cool, like, outdoor scene and the mountain biking and all the stuff that they're working on, but, damn, I mean, the beer scene alone and the distilleries and the craft that's happening in Food and ice cream and hot sauces and I mean, there's a lot of cool stuff happening, and I feel just It's so cool to be a part of that, and I'm glad that my work on that festival can bring people, like, Front and center with businesses that maybe they don't know about in Duluth because there's a lot of cool things happening.Greg Conley [00:19:31]:Yeah. Agreed. And and For us as a business that's pretty well established and pretty well respected, we also wanna foster other food businesses and help them as much as we can. Because all of that, strengthening of our food scene here just strengthens all of us. So we really want people to be Successful and to bring really cool new things to food and the world.Stephanie Hansen [00:19:53]:Okay. So we're gonna play a game. It's not gonna be hard, But it's kinda gonna be maybe, like, picking your favorite child or pet. So each of you, I've got an opportunity to have 3 of you in front of me. The game is, I would like you to tell me a favorite restaurant in Duluth, and it can be whatever, And also a product that's made in Duluth that you're obsessed with.Nick Peloquin [00:20:19]:Is it specifically a food product?Stephanie Hansen [00:20:21]:Not necessarily. No. K.Nick Peloquin [00:20:24]:Well, I think my favorite restaurant at the moment is Fuholic On central entrance.Ned Netzel [00:20:29]:Damn it.Greg Conley [00:20:30]:That's what I was gonna say.Nick Peloquin [00:20:31]:Yeah. Yeah. It's pretty it's pretty banging spot right right these days.Stephanie Hansen [00:20:35]:And serving pho, I'm assuming.Nick Peloquin [00:20:37]:Yeah. So they do pho and other Vietnamese stuff. It's it's so good. As far as the product made in Duluth, man, that's that's tough. I would say, honestly, the beer. It like, it's it's hard to choose 1 of the the breweries, but, like, we we're kinda spoiled for choice up here. I mean, Bed paddle is like a standby. You know? And it's funny to go down to the Twin Cities or even major metropolitans and, like, See Duluth beer on tap, but places that's a big source of pride.Nick Peloquin [00:21:06]:And I think because what people think of Duluth too, you know, is We're a big craft beer town. SoStephanie Hansen [00:21:11]:Yeah. I think that Ursa Minor too is starting to make inroads into the Twin Cities. Their beer, I had a lot of different versions this summer. It was really great, they have a great taproom too.Nick Peloquin [00:21:21]:Yeah. Totally.Stephanie Hansen [00:21:22]:Okay, Ned. That leads us to you.Greg Conley [00:21:25]:Oh my gosh. We might have to come back to me. Okay. INed Netzel [00:21:29]:think I probably eat out the least of anybody here. Yeah. I don't know. Greg, yes. Greg. Minutes.Greg Conley [00:21:35]:Sure. I probably would've said Faholic, but I'm gonna I'm gonna do a tut tut two way tie. There's a place called Oasis Del Norte. Love it. It's the only place that makes street tacos in Duluth. And so that's really a great thing to have. And then, In my neighborhood of Lakeside, there's a place called Lake Superior Brewing, oldest microbrewery in Minnesota at one point, the first established one. But they changed hands after a number of years, and then they moved to the Lakeside neighborhood.Greg Conley [00:22:06]:And they do pizza, smash burgers are kind of their main entrees, which they just do really good versions of those. They do, like, a brick oven style New York pizza that nobody in town does. So that's kinda cool. But they also do a lot of really nice thoughtful, appetizers and great wines to go with some of their Food along with the really, good beer that they're brewing. It's really great to have that nice option in my neighborhood. So I really I really appreciate that.Stephanie Hansen [00:22:34]:I love it. Alright. Ned, are you ready? That leads us to you.Greg Conley [00:22:38]:I think I think so.Ned Netzel [00:22:39]:It's it's really hard for me to pick a restaurant, because I do most of my eating cooked at home or, with my my free daily meal, when I'm working.Stephanie Hansen [00:22:52]:Sure.Ned Netzel [00:22:52]:But but one thing that kept coming up in my mind was Johnson's Bakery, which is a bakery down in, what would you call it? Lincoln Park area. It's like just behind really awesome bread. A lot of our specials back when we were open to the public, in the old space Used Johnson's Bakery Bread. So, yeah, Johnson's Bakery love their donuts. They're like, such a great deal. Please don't raise your prices, guys. So, yeah, Johnson's Bakery and then, something made in Duluth. The the coffee made in Duluth is really great.Ned Netzel [00:23:23]:In addition to, like, the The brewing scene, there's also a great, like, roastery scene. We love a lot of them. There's like Duluth Coffee Company. There's, Underwood Coffee who Most of what we, give to our staff to to see us through the day, is either Underwood or DreamCloud Roasters.Stephanie Hansen [00:23:44]:Wanna thank Ned Netzel. I wanna thank Nick Peloquin, Greg Conley for joining me. The book is Smoke on the Waterfront. It's the Northern Water Smokehouse Cookbook. What I loved is you guys just recommended all places that I have never even heard of, and I have spent quite a bit of time in Duluth. So way to go. I appreciate you being here. I'm excited about the book.Stephanie Hansen [00:24:05]:It is Smoke on the Waterfront. Make sure that when you head to Duluth, And you should head to Duluth this winter, there's so many cool activities that happen there. And of course in the summertime you can come and visit me at Arden Bayfront Park in August, And there's just a lot of cool music festivals that happen down in Canal Park and at the Bayfront area, and Lincoln Park is a whole new area to discover for a lot of people. So it's the Northern Water Smokehouse Cookbook. If you are into smoking or canning or preserving or you just love a damn good sandwich, make sure you pick up the cookbook. Thanks, you guys. I appreciate it. Thanks so much. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stephaniehansen.substack.com/subscribe

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