DURING the summer of 2020, the ScagliD one family-like so many others around the world-felt bored and desperate for a break from the monotony of life in quarantine. Mike, who was used to a demanding job in the medical-sales industry, found himself sidelined and was itching for a way to occupy his newfound free time.
"We were all stuck in the house with our kids, and they were constantly on iPads and phones," he says. "I needed to find a way to get them out."
His solution to both conundrums was to construct a tree fort in their Alpharetta, Georgia, backyard. With little building experience and even less knowledge about woodworking, he got started. "Over the course of four to six weeks, he just plugged away at it day after day," says his wife, Kristin. “Then, all of a sudden, this fort that was beyond my-and I think even his-expectations just started appearing."
While Mike was building, Kristin documented the progress on social media. The couple never planned to make a business out of the project, but as the structure began to take shape, inquiries and requests from friends and acquaintances wanting their own backyard tree forts started flooding in.
This story is from the June - July 2023 edition of Southern Living.
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This story is from the June - July 2023 edition of Southern Living.
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Forging a Legacy - A Fredericksburg, Texas, couple is creating a new class of heirloom cast-iron cookware
When Jay Mallinckrodt pitched the idea of crafting cast-iron cookware to his wife and business partner, Heather, in 2020, she was hesitant. I immediately said no, she recalls with a laugh. But I finally agreed as long as we made something that we would actually want to use ourselves. Like many others during the initial throes of the pandemic, their multigenerational family operation, Heartland Enterprises (which specializes in machining parts for jet engines and gas and oil equipment), was seeing a lull. “No one was flying; no one was drilling, says Jay. So we had time to try something different.
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Oktober Feast!
While I respect your right to serve spooky food in October, you won't find any gory grub at my house this month. Instead, I'm hosting a gathering that's inspired by biergartens across the pond. The focus of the menu is a fondue made with Gruyère cheese and crisp Riesling-like beer-cheese dip but more elevated. It's served with a smorgasbord of dippers such as smoked sausage, grapes, apples, and a few amped-up store-bought snacks, like Mustard-Glazed Pretzel Bites and Smoked Paprika Potato Chips. (Just one taste, and you'll want to add this spice to every bag you open.) Pour yourself a Cider Shandy, and get ready for a good time. Prost, y'all!
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