Funeral Potatoes & Wool Mittens – Details, episodes & analysis

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Funeral Potatoes & Wool Mittens

Staci Perry Mergenthal

Arts

Frequency: 1 episode/16d. Total Eps: 68

Welcome to Funeral Potatoes and Wool Mittens, a show for people who embrace the warm and cozy spirit of everyday living in the Midwest. Whether you cook, bake, or have food delivery on speed dial, everyone has a comforting recipe or story to share. We bake cookies for our kids’ hockey teams and bring cheesy hash browns to funerals. Lefse and krumkake are in our DNA. Candy bars and apples make a salad. We'll ditch work for a lake day, drive an hour for an old-fashioned bakery, and don wool mittens at 20 below. A food podcast for all. Tune in with Staci from Random Sweets in Minnesota.

Recent rankings

Latest chart positions across Apple Podcasts and Spotify rankings.

Apple Podcasts

🇨🇦 Canada - food
11/02/2025
#72
🇨🇦 Canada - food
10/02/2025
#53
🇨🇦 Canada - food
18/01/2025
#92
🇨🇦 Canada - food
17/01/2025
#60

Spotify

No recent rankings available

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

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https://randomsweets.com/
65 shares
https://www.pinterest.com/staciperry/
21 shares
https://randomsweets.com
19 shares

https://www.facebook.com/RandomSweets
26 shares
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560078808331
7 shares
https://www.facebook.com/WisconsinSupperClubs/
2 shares

https://www.instagram.com/randomsweets
25 shares
https://www.instagram.com/showplacecabinets
2 shares
https://www.instagram.com/schadevineyard
2 shares

RSS feed quality and score

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RSS feed quality

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Score global : 68%

Publication history

Monthly episode publishing history over the past years.

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Latest published episodes

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Leah Rodriguez’s Magical Oven and How Joy, Faith, and Family Rise Together

Season 3 · Episode 7

Friday, December 20, 2024 • Duration 01:10:01

Step into the warm and inviting kitchen of Minnesota native Leah Rodriguez, where baking isn’t just a pastime for her, it’s a way to honor tradition, celebrate family, and embrace joy and faith even in life’s hardest seasons.

Get ready to laugh and cry in this episode as Leah shares what she puts in her pumpkin bars that make them extra special, a recipe for funeral hot dish with an Asian flare, and how growing up in a family of 11 kids played a part in raising six children alongside her Juan & Only husband.

She also explains how her magical oven got its nickname, and she takes us on a flavorful journey of her favorite bakeries near New Richmond, Wisconsin where she lives, including a Mexican bakery and restaurant in Chaska, Minnesota.

Photos of Leah, her magical oven, goodies, and recipes for banana bread, pumpkin bars, funeral hot dish, and Crisco chocolate chip cookies are on my blog for you randomsweets.com.

In this episode:

Keys Café & Bakery 9 locations in the Minneapolis and St. Paul area and Hudson WI.

Knoke’s Chocolates & Nuts

El Paisano Bakery, 117 W. 4th St., Chaska, MN, 952-361-9337

Staci Mergenthal, host and producer

RandomSweets.com

#ourSweetMidwestLife

Website randomsweets.com

Instagram @potatoesandmittens

Instagram @randomsweets

Facebook: Funeral Potatoes & Wool Mittens

Facebook Random Sweets

Pinterest @staciperry

Email: staci@randomsweets.com

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Whirlygigs and Watermelon Pickles: Keeping Family Traditions Alive with Stacy Brallier

Season 3 · Episode 6

Tuesday, December 17, 2024 • Duration 49:25

Today, I’m introducing you to Stacy Brallier, a South Dakota mom, grandma, and keeper of family food traditions. Stacy shares recipes that hold a special place in her heart, including Funfetti cookies, her mom’s peanut butter whirlygigs cookies, and her great-grandma Elsie Edgecomb’s watermelon pickles, and a co-worker’s more updated recipe for watermelon pickles—each one tied to cherished memories.

For Stacy, food isn't just about flavor; it's about the people and moments that make life sweet, in all seasons of life. Whether it's making Elsie’s watermelon pickles or baking cookies with her own grandchildren, these recipes celebrate the joy of family and connect generations to come.

Get Stacy's recipe at randomsweets.com.

Staci Mergenthal

RandomSweets.com

#ourSweetMidwestLife

Website randomsweets.com

Instagram @potatoesandmittens

Instagram @randomsweets

Facebook: Funeral Potatoes & Wool Mittens

Facebook Random Sweets

Pinterest @staciperry

Faith and Family at the Center of Growing Veggies with Berndt Family Produce

Season 2 · Episode 24

Wednesday, May 29, 2024 • Duration 59:44

What began with a tent purchased from an anonymous $200 donation and Dawnna Berndt’s idea to grow a garden to bring in more income, turned into a family-based vegetable farm market business (Berndt Family Produce) that’s been serving their community of customers in eastern South Dakota and western Minnesota for 24 years.

At the time, she and her husband, David, had five young children and even though she admits she knew zilch about gardening (she told me she was the “inside girl” and her sister was the “outside girl” when they were growing up), she leaned on David’s knowledge as a lifelong farmer to start growing and harvesting veggies on less than two acres and selling the produce at their local farm stands and self-serve stands.

Since their start in 2000, they’ve grown to six children, eight grandkids, 30 acres of sweet corn and 25 acres of some of the best vegetables, CSAs and canning and salsa shares around! And Dawnna says that along with all that growth and change, faith and family have always been at the center of what they do and how they treat people.

Berndt Family Produce grows everything from broccoli, tomatoes, cabbage, garlic, tomatoes, peppers, onions, pumpkins, gourds, sweet corn, squash, cauliflower, potatoes radish, carrots, watermelon, cucumbers, beans, muskmelon, and more.

While you’re listening, learn more about Berndt Family Produce at Berndtproduce.com. I also posted photos and the recipe links from Dawnna for their favorite corn salsa, potato soup, copycat KFC coleslaw, roasted garlic parmesan potatoes, and 11 easy potato recipes on randomsweets.com.

Dawnna and David Berndt, Berndt Family Produce, White, SD

Email: berndtproduce@gmail.com

https://www.berndtproduce.com

Amber Waves of Anthem Oats with Fifth-generation South Dakota Farmers Taylor and Cassandra Sumption

Season 2 · Episode 23

Friday, May 10, 2024 • Duration 54:23

Roots go deep in today’s show. Come with me to meet fifth-generation farmers, Taylor and Cassandra Sumption, the founders of Anthem Oats. The couple grows and packages premium, gluten-free oats for retail on nearly 400 acres near Frederick, South Dakota, 27 miles north of Aberdeen on US Highway 281, just seven miles south of the North Dakota border, and their packing and offices operation in Frederick.

Taylor’s great, great grandpa homesteaded in the area in 1882 so Taylor and Cassandra are keeping the family agriculture business alive in what’s now 142 years! They’re focused on value-added agriculture and vertical integration to build their legacy-based, farm-to-table company—this means we can count of them for many years of delicious steel cut, old-fashioned, and quick oats and instant oatmeal cups and packets in flavors like vanilla chai, peach and cranberry, dark chocolate brownie, super fruit, pumpkin spice, and my personal favorite, maple pecan.

Learn more about their products and the family at anthem oats dot com. The photos and recipes that Cassandra shared with us for tiramisu-inspired overnight oats, energy balls, and her bacon cheeseburger meatloaf with secret sauce are on randomsweets.com.

Taylor and Cassandra Sumption, Anthem Oats

Taylor@anthemoats.com and cassandra@anthemoats.com

https://anthemoats.com

Instagram: @anthemoats

Facebook: Anthem Oats

TikTok: @anthemoats

Will Read for Pizza: Apps, Sides and Books with Christianne Beringer

Season 2 · Episode 22

Sunday, May 5, 2024 • Duration 55:53

It’s almost summer, which means pool and lake parties, family reunions and picnics, camping, and smoking out the neighborhood with your backyard grilling. It’s also time to dig out your library card, visit your local indie bookstore, and pack your beach bag with books on your “want to read” list.

Today I’m bringing back my friend and book goals hero, Christianne Beringer. First, we are talking about easy appetizers and sides delicious enough for sharing, like creamy red pepper dip, Southwest dip with pepperoni, BLT dip, Clara's corn, and green beans with lemon and toasted almonds.

Then, Christianne catches us up on (and inspires us with) her reading goals, and she tells us about new authors and book series she’s been enjoying, including the one she likes so much she starting checking out two at a time from the library.

We also talk about the handy book recommendation and discovery website and app, Goodreads, which we use to keep track of books we want to read, books we’ve read, and to browse what’s on our friends’ bookshelves as well.

So if you are someone who likes simple recipes and celebrates the joy of finishing a good book, this episode is for you!

I posted the five recipes that Christianne shares on my website randomsweets.com.

Christianne Beringer on Goodreads

Staci Mergenthal on Goodreads

Goodreads

Sausage Wontons and Crafting a Creative Life with Bobbi Lynn Gaukel

Season 2 · Episode 21

Friday, April 26, 2024 • Duration 01:24:21

Living a life of curiosity and creativity means you will, at times, gracefully let go of things that no longer fuel your passion or serve you positively. This week's podcast guest, Bobbi Lynn Gaukel, and I agree—the earlier in life you learn this practice, the more open and freer you are to being curious and trying new things.

Throughout her life, Bobbi has weaved in creativity and learning, leaving a trail of beauty wherever she goes. In addition to her professional life as a graphic artist, she gardens, crochets, writes, takes captivating photos, thrifts, repurposes, bakes desserts, crafts and so much more.

Her Grandma Elizabeth taught her to crochet, all while burning through soap operas together. She began her graphic design career without a computer. And she once threw away a paint-by-number because for her, the whole experience was awful.

She's the friend you give your funeral plants to when they start to die and you feel too guilty to throw them away.

The recipes Bobbi is sharing with you and photos are on my website, randomsweets.com—sausage wonton appetizers made with ranch seasoning and two kinds of cheese, crock pot apple butter, and Bobbi’s mom’s easy carrot cake with an inch of cream cheese frosting.

Just like Bobbi and I do when we meet for coffee, we visit here for a long time. So it’s OK to pause the episode when you need a break and resume when you’re ready for more. I hope after hearing from her, you’ll feel inspired to ask yourself the question, “what would happen if…”

Bobbi Lynn Gaukel, Pie in the Sky Co

Website: pieinthesky.co
Facebook: Pie in the Sky Co
Instagram: @bobbilynngaukel
Instagram: @ps_wedesignthings

Back to Grandma’s Basics and Handwritten Recipes with Wendy Doornink

Season 2 · Episode 20

Wednesday, April 17, 2024 • Duration 52:08

Have you thought about who you’ll pass down your handwritten recipes to? If you’re like Wendy Doornink and me, you have a mix of handwritten recipe cards from family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and of course, yourself. This episode might make you think about who the next person might be to keep those cherished recipes in your family.

In our visit, Wendy shares recipes and sweet and fun stories from her grandmothers, and we talk about the correlation between the food basics and mental health. We’re kind of all over the place, there’s head cheese, raisins in the sheep pasture, and popcorn in the cookie box from grandma.

Wendy shares recipes for zucchini bread, pasties, pie crust, sweet yeast dough and caramel sauce for caramel rolls, and the coconut pie she uses as currency in her family. Those recipes and photos of Great Grandma Emma on a Farmall tractor and grandma Olga are on randomsweets.com.

Staci Mergenthal

RandomSweets.com

#ourSweetMidwestLife

Website randomsweets.com

Instagram @potatoesandmittens

Instagram @randomsweets

Facebook Random Sweets

Pinterest @staciperry

Email: staci@randomsweets.com

Buttery Caramels and Fancy Dishes with Liz Murphy of Betty’s Antiques

Season 2 · Episode 19

Saturday, March 30, 2024 • Duration 55:21

In this episode, you and I are going to meet Betty’s Antiques owner, Liz Murphy from St. Paul, Minnesota. She’s walking us through her charming vintage boutique on the historic corner of Selby and Snelling Avenues, plus she shares the sweet way her grandma Betty influenced how she dresses up a table, in a non-fussy sort of way, so that we can make our guests feel special—even in our everyday living—using touches like fresh flowers and table linens, to glassware and flatware, candles, and pretty dishes.

We talk about an evening with Lawrence Welk, her manageable way to appreciate our fine china, what mindset we should be in when it’s time to wash the fancy dishes, plus, Liz tells us a couple of her favorite spots to each lunch and enjoy a treat near her shop, and we talk about the cookbook that her cousin put together that’s full of recipe and stories the family has of Grandma Betty—she even gives us Betty’s recipe for buttery smooth caramels, which you can get on my website randomsweets.com.

While you’re listening, take a look at Liz’s website and social media, which you can find on https://www.bettysantiques-stp.com. I hope this episode inspires you to use something fancy in your everyday living and for the holidays.

Thank you to Sarah Peterson from the blog Vintage Dish and Tell for introducing us. If you missed Sarah’s episode, it is S2 E9 on Dec. 1, 2023.

Show Notes & Links

Betty’s Antiques, Liz (Elizabeth) Murphy

https://www.bettysantiques-stp.com

Instagram: @bettys.antiques.stp

Facebook: Betty’s Antiques

Flock to Fork: Eggstravaganza and Deviled Eggs with Iowa Egg Council

Season 2 · Episode 18

Friday, March 29, 2024 • Duration 50:16

Welcome to the 50th episode! We’re heading to Iowa today to speak with Iowa Egg Council’s Board Chairman Bruce Dooyema, and Director of Marketing and Communications Melissa Alto-Kintigh about one powerhouse food—eggs.

IOWA IS THE #1 STATE IN EGG PRODUCTION

First, we cover the basics, like how many eggs a chicken lays in a day, what determines the color of eggs, their nutritional value and health benefits, why we refrigerate our eggs in the U.S., and which fast-food restaurant still cracks a real egg for their breakfast sandwich.

Then, Bruce, who is also known as the director of deviled eggs, shares a few of his tips and recipes, plus he tells me why he made deviled eggs on three continents in three days, and what his next bucket list wish is.

You can get Bruce’s recipes for shrimp deviled eggs, smoked deviled eggs, sweet and/or sassy deviled eggs, avocado deviled eggs, and cheesy peasy deviled eggs on my website randomsweets.com. You'll also get my recipe for smoky deviled eggs there.

I answered my own question about the expiration date on egg cartons here: https://ask.usda.gov/s/article/What-kind-of-dates-are-on-cartons-of-fresh-eggs

#deviledeggs #foodpodcast #eggs

Iowa Egg Council

iowaegg.org

Bruce Dooyema Bio

Melissa Alto-Kintigh on LinkedIn

Watch Bruce Dooyema on Hello Iowa

Fish Fry Friday Feeds the Soul with Ron Faiola

Season 2 · Episode 17

Friday, March 22, 2024 • Duration 54:40

Batter up! You don’t have to be from the Midwest to feel like a part of the community we’re talking about today—that’s because our beloved Friday night fish fry welcomes people from around the world to sit across the table with each other at parish schools and fellowship halls, to supper clubs, taverns, and community centers to enjoy golden-fried or lightly baked fish alongside classic sides like coleslaw and potatoes.

Who better to talk with me about this Lenten tradition than Ron Faiola? He’s a filmmaker, director, and author who, in addition to his movies and books about Wisconsin supper clubs, has produced two movies about fish frys in Wisconsin. All four of his films were licensed and broadcast on PBS for several years.

We’re covering everything from which side of Wisconsin serves rye bread at their fish frys, and how to know if you’re getting real lake perch, to how to find a fish fry in your community and why you want to skip the fork and eat fish with your fingers.

Ron Faiola

https://wisconsinsupperclubs.com

Club List

Movies

Facebook: Wisconsin Supper Clubs

Instagram: @wisconsin_supper_clubs

Wisconsin Supper Clubs—Second Edition (2023)

The Wisconsin Supper Clubs Story, An Illustrated History With Relish (2021)