Hominy Bake from N. D. “Oh, I remember another old recipe. I got it back in the late ’70s from Zenda Carney, wife of Frank Carney (co-founder of Pizza Hut). It’s delicious, but not many people like hominy, so I understand if you don’t use it.” Ingredients: 1 large can white hominy 1 large can…
Firm Update: The Process of Creating the Courtney Law Office Annual Thanksgiving Card As many of you know – and some of you will discover for the first time this year – every year I send out an annual Thanksgiving Card to my clients, professional contacts, and friends and family. (If you are not on…
Historic Will: Lizzie Borden’s Inheritance Today, I bring you the next installment in my series on historic and celebrity wills. In honor of Halloween and the spooky season, and at the suggestion of my friend and colleague, Rachel Schromen, I am focusing on that infamous, alleged murderer: Lizzie Borden. Many of you are familiar with…
Firm News: Award for Legal Work During Operation Metro Surge On Monday and Tuesday of this week, I attended the Elder Law Institute, one of the annual continuing education conferences for attorneys in my practice area. Every year on the first day of the Elder Law Institute, the Elder Law Section (of the Minnesota State…
Firm Recommendation: Naturalization Ceremony at the Minnesota State Fair For those of you who do not already know: I love the Minnesota State Fair. There is a lot about the State Fair that I love: honey ice cream, the Fine Arts Building, listening to music, running into friends and neighbors, the llama costume contest, math-on-a-stick,…
Firm News: “My Friends Say to Avoid Probate! So What Is Probate Anyway?” Webinar Twin Cities PBS invited me to prepare and present a webinar on probate, titled “My Friends Say To Avoid Probate! So What Is Probate Anyway?” I chose the title because this is something I hear in my office probably once or…
Vietnamese Iced Coffee A wonderful treat for the end of summer and early fall. If you don’t believe me—try some at the state fair! You can find it at the Que Viet Concessions (the Eggroll-on-a-Stick stand). Ingredients: Coffee grounds (Café Du Monde grounds work particularly well; in general, you are looking for dark roast coffee…
The Complexities of Probate Administration with Nonprofits and Charitable Organizations To accompany my guest writer’s blog today, I knew that I wanted to discuss a subject related to nonprofits and estate work. However, the subject of “nonprofits and estate law” is a wide-ranging area with many different topics and important considerations, including but not limited…
Planned Giving with Mike Klinefelter, Planned Giving Officer, Twin Cities PBS Although estate planning can seem intimidating, even a simple estate plan can provide you with peace of mind while making a lasting impact at the charitable organizations you care about most. There is calmness and relief in knowing that your wishes have been clearly…
Rosemary Gin Fizz A refreshing herb drink to enjoy with friends in the last month of summer. Please note: you can easily substitute in a zero-proof gin to enjoy the taste and avoid alcohol. Ingredients: Water 1/2 cup sugar Rosemary sprigs (2 plus as many cocktails as you are making) Gin (optional: substitute zero-proof gin)…
Firm News: Probate, Trusts, and Estates Council Appointment I’m excited to announce that for the 2026-2027 fiscal year, I will be serving on the Council for the Probate, Trusts, and Estates Section of the Minnesota State Bar Association. The Minnesota State Bar Association has “sections” for the different practice areas of attorneys in Minnesota. For…
Estate Movie Recommendation – The Sheep Detectives Last month, my spouse proudly told me that he’d found the perfect family movie. It had everything, he explained. An appropriate rating for all ages, excellent A-list actors, amazing reviews across demographics, a cozy mystery, and talking sheep. He had me at “talking sheep.” I was in. I…