Home of Economy-Herald Pie Bake-off: Elaine Westensee-Brooks owns her own coffee and gift shop – Grand Forks Herald

LAKOTA, ND — Elaine Westensee-Brooks claims she used to be so bad at cooking that she couldn’t boil water or make ice cubes.

Now she regularly bakes and cooks for her combo cafe and gift shop.

When Westensee-Brooks was young, she watched her mother and grandmother cook and bake and took in the sights and smells. Her brother was a better cook, though.

But once her mother-in-law started showing her recipes and introducing her more to the process, she said she really found cooking and baking.

When Westensee-Brooks started Elaine’s House of Dreams, it was a simple gift shop and flower shop. She attended craft fairs to sell her wares to support the business. She later moved the shop to a two-story Victorian house. Seventeen years ago she knew she wanted to bake more, but the house didn’t have enough space for a kitchen. She relocated the company to its current location off Highway 2 in Lakota, a community 63 miles west of Grand Forks.

While the flower shop portion of the business has been discontinued, the gift shop is still going strong, as is the café she officially opened 15 years ago.

Westensee-Brooks began cooking by bringing various types of scones and soups to the elderly in town. She would take note of their criticisms – a process that has gradually helped her to improve.

Westensee-Brooks is among 15 bakers taking part in this summer’s Home of Economy-Grand Forks Herald Pie Bake-off, a competition designed to recognize the region’s best bakers. The winner of the tournament, which begins August 28 and lasts four weeks, will receive a prize worth at least $1,000. First prize includes a choice of a $1,400 Home of Economy pie safe or a $500 Home of Economy gift card plus $500 from the Herald on behalf of the winner’s corporate sponsor.

It is sponsored by the Hope Church of Grand Forks.

Part of her love of baking comes from thinking about the women in her life who have inspired her.

“Whenever I try a new recipe or make my own recipe, I think back to Grandma Laura, my mother and my mother-in-law, how they can make something out of nothing and how it becomes something so wonderful.” [Thats] What makes my heart smile,” she said in a brief note she sent to the Herald as she applied to compete in this summer’s bake-off.

She is known for her lemon meringue, peach and sour cream raisin tarts. While she has a few ideas for what to cook in the first round of the bakeoff, she told the Herald earlier this summer that she plans to practice and then decide on her entry into the first round. She wants to try to think “out of the box” at the bake-off.

Although she is nervous about the competition, she also wants to compete in honor of her family.

“I think my mother would just be shocked,” she said.

In addition to running the Westensee-Brooks store, she also owns the Yum Yum Shack, a food truck that serves hamburgers, taco salads, mocha bars, caramel buns, and their special bread pudding made with day-old caramel buns and cinnamon rolls.

The Yum Yum Shack began with Westensee-Brooks packing groceries in the back seat of her car to take to auctions. Over time, this has grown into a real trailer that she takes to auctions, street dances, rodeos, and other special events.

Westensee-Brooks also hopes to one day write her own cookbook. Along with the recipes, she wants to write additional content that explains what to do if something goes wrong with the recipe, telling the reader “this could happen” and how to deal with it. Brooks wants to emphasize, “If something goes wrong, it’s okay.”

After all, mistakes happen.

“You can still learn, you know, because I think people are too critical and I find cooking is fun and basically relaxing,” she said.

Otto is a graduate of the University of North Dakota and a reporter for the Herald.