Food + Beverage

Farm to Fork

Article by Nicole Swanberg Wright | Photography by Chris Moran and Kenadee Berry There is something different about a meal when you know where it began. When the tomatoes were growing in the garden just steps away. When the farmer who raised the ingredients is sitting nearby. When the menu changes because of rain, heat, harvest timing—or simply because the land had something unexpected to offer. Across the Chicagoland area, farm-to-table dining is becoming about much more than a locally...

Food + Beverage

A Recipe for Opportunity:

Inside Coletta's Crossing Bakery Article and Photography by Kenadee Berry For more than 75 years, St. Coletta's of Illinois has been creating vocational opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Today, that mission is taking shape in a welcoming place where the aroma of freshly baked cookies fills the air: Coletta's Crossing Bakery.  The bakery is more than a place to learn how to bake. It is a real workplace where individuals gain practical job skills...

Entertainment

Gather Around the Table:

Where Good Design Meets Good Memories Article by Nicole Swanberg Wright | Photography by Jean Lachat For Diane DeCero, a beautiful table is about much more than linens, dinnerware and a well-chosen centerpiece. It’s about the memories made around it. Growing up in an Italian household, Diane remembers the kitchen table as the center of family life: a place filled with good food, laughter and several conversations happening at once. Her mother often said, “If that table could talk, oh, what...

Food + Beverage

More Than a Farmstand

Article by Nicole Swanberg Wright On a busy weekend at Kakadoodle, the Farm Market can feel a little less like a grocery store and a lot more like a gathering place. There might be a line out the door, children watching the chickens, families stopping to admire eggs that were just laid, and neighbors striking up conversations as they shop. It’s lively, a little unexpected and exactly the kind of experience Marty and his wife never set out to create. In fact, the Farm Market started as an...

Food + Beverage

The Ripple Effect of Giving

Article and Photography by Nicole Swanberg Wright What happens when a community chooses to share? At ShareFest Will County, the answer can be found in grocery carts filled with food, shelves stocked by volunteers and household essentials placed into waiting hands—and in thousands of people who walk through the doors knowing their neighbors care. Founded in 2007 by Gary Cheney after he saw families quietly struggling with food insecurity and financial hardship, ShareFest began as a small...

Food + Beverage

Meet the Farmers

Article by Nicole Swanberg Wright | Photography by Chris Moran Happy Life Ranch  Beecher, IL For Gus and Melissa, farming began with a simple question: Where does our food come from, and how is it raised? The first-generation ranchers moved to the country looking for a quieter life and a place to raise their family. Their desire to provide healthier food for their own family soon grew into Happy Life Ranch, where they now raise pasture-fed beef, pasture-raised pork, chicken, lamb, and...

Health + Wellness

Yǎngshēng 養生

Yǎngshēng 養生: In Chinese medicine, health is not understood simply as the absence of disease. It is the ongoing cultivation of balance, resilience, and vitality. This preventive approach is expressed through the concept of yangsheng (养生), often translated as “nourishing life,” “cultivating life,” or “preserving health.”Yangsheng encourages us to care for the body before significant illness develops. It includes the everyday practices that support well-being: eating nourishing foods, sleeping...

Professional Services

Capture Your Style

with Chris Moran Photography Article by Nicole Swanberg Wright | Photography by Chris Moran Photography has the power to preserve more than appearances—it captures emotion, connection and the moments that shape our lives. For photographer Chris Moran , every session is an opportunity to tell a story that clients will treasure long after the day has passed. Chris describes his work as cinematic and story-driven, using bold light and thoughtful composition to create images that feel authentic...

Arts + Culture

Community Style Showcase

A Celebration of Ways Lincolnway Expresses Itself Article by Nicole Swanberg Wright Personal expression comes in countless forms — a brushstroke, a custom creation, a carefully rehearsed play, or a moment of inspiration. Explore the talented local creatives who are sharing their gifts, building connections and adding a touch of artistry to life throughout the Lincolnway community. Frankfort Arts Association Underground, the home of the Frankfort Arts Association, is a creative hub in...

Shopping

Lincolnway’s Young Innovators

Article by Nicole Swanberg Wright | Photography by Emily Noesen Young entrepreneurs across the Lincolnway community showcased their creativity, confidence and business skills during this summer’s Young Entrepreneurs Fair events in New Lenox and Manhattan. The events gave children the opportunity to turn ideas into businesses and share their products with neighbors. Designed to encourage entrepreneurship at an early age, the Young Entrepreneurs Fair provided a platform for kids to develop...