We hope you had a warm and peaceful holiday season and that you've successfully braved the blustery winter we've had so far.  Thank you to everyone who made it down to Trumpet Blossom on the extra-cold days; we really appreciate it!  

Since this is our first official newsletter I thought I'd let you know of a couple general things that you may or may not be aware of:

We use organic produce 100% of the time.  One of the main reasons I wanted to continue in the restaurant business after The Red Avocado closed is that while I was an employee and co-owner at the Avocado I learned so much about the benefits of organics--for our planet and our bodies.  I felt it was vital to our community to have a place where the food, and the earth it lived in, is respected and treated with care.  We order our produce from local, regional, and national suppliers & growers who make the extra efforts to take care of our land and our food so it can take care of you.

We are constantly working towards using several local ingredients in the off-season.  There are a handful of local farmers and small companies that offer fresh produce & grains during the colder months and we are thankful for their work and try to use their ingredients as often as possible.  We also enjoy "putting up" as much as we can during peak harvest times.  This past summer & fall we were able to pickle and can dozens of jars of veggies; we dried herbs, fruits, and veggies; and we froze some too.  It's quite the treat to be able to use these delicious foods during times like this when it's sooo cold outside that the thought of something as special as local asparagus seems like a distant dream.

Be sure to like us on facebook to stay updated on all our events as we've got a great spring planned so far AND we are super excited about our Second Anniversary Party on Saturday April 19th!  We can't believe it's been almost two years since we opened and we are really looking forward to spending many more years here in Iowa City.

There's so much more I'd like to share with you in this inaugural newsletter but since it's best to keep them short & sweet, check out this interview that I did with Heidi from Little Village.  She was great & it's full of stuff you'd hear me say if we were chatting since the whole interview was printed (fine with me!) and I also didn't know there'd be a photo, so... if you want to know what an average day-in-my-restaurant-life looks & sounds like, read on: http://littlevillagemag.com/an-interview-with-trumpet-blossom-cafe-owner-katy-meyer/

-Free dessert on your birthday! Show us an ID and dessert is on us! 

Thanks again for your support from the whole crew at Trumpet Blossom Café.

Hope to see you soon and lots of love,
Katy Meyer, chef/owner

 

Official Visit to Include Benito Juárez Tribute, World Premiere at Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum

CHICAGO - Governor Pat Quinn today announced he will host Mexico State Governor Eruviel Ávila for an official state visit from Feb. 9 to Feb. 12. Governor Ávila's trip is a result of Governor Quinn's trade mission to Mexico City which took place in April 2013. Next week's visit will include several events, including a ribbon-cutting at Illinois' new "Casa del Estado de Mexico" (a trade office representing the state of Mexico), a free concert from the Orquesta Sinfónica del Estado de México, a wreath-laying at the Benito Juárez statue on Chicago's Magnificent Mile and the world premiere performance of "Of Mutual Interest: Lincoln and Mexico" at the Lincoln Presidential Museum in Springfield. The visit is part of the Governor's commitment to strengthening relations between Illinois and Mexico.

"When I led a delegation to Mexico City last year, Governor Ávila showed us why the state of Mexico is as strong an economic partner as it is a wonderful place to visit," Governor Quinn said. "My trade mission to Mexico strengthened ties with our sister state - especially in agriculture, water technology, manufacturing and tourism - and our relationship continues to grow. We are honored that Governor Ávila has traveled to Illinois and will help us celebrate 150 years of friendship between Illinois and Mexico."

"I am eager to see my friend Illinois Governor Pat Quinn and continue the discussions we began last spring about increasing commerce and tourism between our two states," Governor Ávila said. "And I am looking forward to learning about Matías Romero's historic visit to Springfield in 1861."

Governor Ávila will be accompanied by Aarón Urbina Bedolla, Chairman of the state of Mexico's Congress, and Baruch Delgado Carbajal, President of the state of Mexico's Supreme Court. The delegation will include Dr. Jorge Olvera García, Rector of the Autonomous University of the State of Mexico, who will sign a Memorandum of Agreement with the State of Illinois and University of Illinois to promote collaboration between the two states on veterinary medicine, animal genetics, bio-fuels, crop sciences and irrigation.

As a gift to Governor Quinn and the people of Illinois, the Governor of the State of Mexico is bringing a 70-person symphony - the Orquesta Sinfónica del Estado de México under conductor Enrique Bátiz. The symphony will play a free concert at Benito Juárez Community Academy at 6:30pm on Monday, Feb. 10, 2014. The concert will be open to the public. Benito Juárez Community Academy High School is located at 1450-1510 W. Cermak Rd. Chicago, 60608.

On Feb. 11, the day before Abraham Lincoln's 205th birthday, Governors Ávila and Quinn will travel to Springfield to visit the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. The highlight will be a special theatrical production of "Of Mutual Interest: Lincoln and Mexico," a reenactment of the fateful meeting in 1861 when Matías Romero - Mexican President Juárez's envoy - met President-elect Lincoln to seal a friendship between their two nations.

That evening, Governor Quinn will host a reception for Governor Ávila at the Illinois Executive Mansion.

Governor Ávila has been the Governor of the state of Mexico since 2011. He was twice elected Mayor of Ecatepec de Morelos and was a deputy of the state of Mexico's Congress. He is an attorney who has authored a book about constitutional law in Mexico. The state of Mexico is Mexico's most populous (16.2 million residents) and most industrialized state.

Governor Quinn has vowed to make Illinois the "most welcoming state" in the United States, and has often noted the friendship between Juárez and Lincoln. Last year, Governor Quinn declared March 21 as "Benito Juárez Day" across Illinois. Mexico is Illinois' second-largest trading partner. With sales of $8.2 billion, Illinois is the third largest agricultural exporter in the United States, and the country of Mexico is one of Illinois' most loyal agricultural trading partners. Since 2010, the country of Mexico has purchased $1.9 billion in agricultural products from Illinois, including $780 million in 2012 alone, making it the state's third largest agricultural export market.

Governor Quinn was the first Illinois governor to visit Mexico in 13 years and only the fourth U.S. governor to visit Mexico since 2005. There are now 1.6 million people in Illinois of Mexican origin, about one in eight Illinois residents. Mexico and Illinois have had a sister state relationship since 1990.

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(DES MOINES) - Gov. Terry E. Branstad today announced that he has asked the Iowa Supreme Court to review and overturn Wednesday's district court order to reopen the Iowa Juvenile Home, which was found to have mistreated youth and denied them the education they deserve.

"Governor Branstad has the duty to faithfully execute all laws of the State of Iowa. These laws include the entire statutory scheme of children adjudicated delinquent or in need of assistance ... these laws are based on a single, overriding premise -- the best interests of the children," the request said. "The district court's extraordinary and unprecedented order demands this Court's immediate review."

The governor is represented in the case by the Attorney General.

"My utmost concern is protecting the health, safety and education of the children who resided at the Iowa Juvenile Home," said Branstad. "The children were subjected to over 47,000 hours of isolation, denied the education they deserve and mistreated by staff. As chief executive, I have the responsibility to ensure the safety of Iowa's most vulnerable. These children are now in licensed and accredited facilities where they are being better served, receiving the education they were denied at the Iowa Juvenile Home and the treatment and care they need."

On behalf of the governor, the attorney general filed the request, called an Application for Appeal in Advance of Final Judgment, with the Iowa Supreme Court.  Under the district court's decision, the order does not take effect until the plaintiffs file a bond, giving both parties until March 3 to submit additional documents regarding the bond amount.

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Can Mindfulness Raise Your Net Worth?
Meditative Focus Improves Both Health and Business
Intuition, Says Veteran Consultant

Sitting down with the intention of stilling one's mind and body is no longer the sole province of hippies and Eastern medicine aficionados, says leadership expert Dr. Stephen Josephs.

Nike, 50 Cent and the Marine Corps all embrace the benefits of mindfulness meditation, he says.

"The benefits of mindfulness meditation do not exist in a vacuum; mindfulness meditation not only lowers your blood pressure, it also offers a host of other positives, including increasing business acumen," says Josephs, who has coached executives for more than 30 years and recently authored the new book, "Dragons at Work," (www.DragonsAtWork.com).

"It sharpens your intuitive business sense. By relaxing your body, breathing evenly, and paying attention to the present moment, you notice things you might otherwise miss. Paying exquisite attention is the key to staying real, and daily meditation builds that capacity."

The benefits of a calm and focused mind are ubiquitous; Josephs offers tips for business leaders.

• If you're faced with what looks like an enticing opportunity, don't just do something. Sit there. Breathe quietly and let the fear and greed subside. The easiest way to fool yourself in a deal, negotiation or transaction is to let your thinking stray from what's happening and get seduced by a dream. It could be the dream your counterpart is spinning for you or simply the dream of results, good or bad. Like most people, you have probably experienced moments when you knew something - a business relationship, an investment - was going south, but you hesitated to act because you didn't have facts to support your intuition. Sometimes, your intuition knows something that your logical mind does not.

• Pay attention to what your body is telling you; you may be expressing signals that your logical mind is slow to notice. In a psychological study titled "The Iowa Gambling Task," researchers gave subjects the task of making the most money possible by choosing cards from four decks. Unbeknownst to the subjects, the decks were stacked. Some were "good decks" (producing winners more of the time) and some were "bad decks," (producing losers). After about 40 to 50 picks, most subjects caught on to which decks produced winners and losers. Their bodies knew something that their rational minds had missed. After about 10 picks they began to produce physiological symptoms of stress when their hands reached for the bad decks. If you're not paying attention to those subtle signals, your innate wisdom is inaccessible.

• Meditation develops emotional balance and a better business mind. If you've never meditated, try it! Start small by simply sitting still and keeping your eyes closed for five minutes. Feel the weight of your body in its sitting position. Try to simplify your thoughts to basic things, down to the subtle sounds of the room, your breathing. Mindfulness meditation does not require extensive study in ancient traditions. Notice the difference after only five minutes; you will feel more relaxed. Later, try it for 10 minutes, and then longer. Do your due diligence in that state of mind. The equanimity that will sharpen your acumen is also the source of your happiness in life. Don't trade it for anything.

About Dr. Stephen Josephs

With more than 30 years experience as an executive coach and consultant, Stephen Josephs, Ed. D, helps leaders build vitality and focus to make their companies profitable - and great places to work. His doctorate at the University of Massachusetts focused on Aesthetics in Education: how to teach anything through art, music, drama and movement. Josephs is particularly interested in the intersection of business performance, psychology and mind/body disciplines. His new novel, "Dragons at Work," tells the story of a tightly wound executive - a fictionalized case study of coaching that produces fundamental changes in a leader. Josephs has also co-authored "Leadership Agility: Five Levels of Mastery in Anticipating and Initiating Change" (Jossey-Bass, 2006) with Bill Joiner, which shows how certain stages of psychological development affect leadership.