Jennifer Hildebrandt, Jill Hildebrandt make the news with diverse accolades
There is this expression, “Sisters are like two different flowers from the same garden.”
As different flowers from the same garden, Mountain Lake natives (and Mountain Lake High School graduates) – sister act siblings – Jennifer Hildebrandt and Jill Hildebrandt, both made the news this week, receiving accolades for reasons as diverse as their bloom.
Older sister, Jennifer, was honored for her writing ability, while a younger sister, Jill, was recognized for her dedication to man’s (and woman’s) best friend.
Read on to find out why these two Hildebrandt sisters recently were a hit in the media.
Jennifer Hildebrandt’s ‘Jacket’ is her first published piece
By next spring, Jennifer Hildebrandt of St. Paul will be able to add to her list of accomplishments – “published author.”
Jennifer was recently named as the Felice Buckvar Prize for Nonfiction (as selected by Ariel Levy) Honorable Mention award winner with her literary work, “Jacket.” The winner was Caitlin Kuehn with “Of Mothers and Monkey: A Case Study,” The prize is one category in the Bellevue Literary Review.
“Jacket” will be published, along with winners and those receiving honorable mention, in the spring 2017 issue of the Bellevue Literary Review.
Jennifer is a former hairdresser-turned-Pilates teacher and writer following the death of her husband from cancer in 2011. She is also a graduate student in the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) program in Creative Writing at Hamline University in St. Paul, where she served on the creative nonfiction editorial board in 2016 for Hamline’s literary journal, Water~Stone Review, and was recently appointed assistant creative nonfiction editor for 2017. She did her undergraduate study at Minnesota State University-Mankato. Jennifer’s nonfiction stories weave together themes of love, life, death, nature, science (anatomy and biomechanics, in particular) and redefining life after loss. She blogs at www.realigningred.com.
The Bellevue Literary Review (BLR), founded in 2000, was created as a forum for creatively exploring a broad array of issues in medicine and society, using fiction, nonfiction, and poetry to better understand the nuanced tensions that define our lives both in illness and in health. They are devoted to publishing writing that brings together the perspectives of patients, caregivers, family members, students, healthcare professionals and the general public, allowing for deeper understanding of others’ experiences.
Founded by physician-writers who had frequently incorporated literature into their clinical teaching, the BLR was also initially conceived as a way to improve communication skills and to foster a greater sense of empathy in doctors-in-training. This focus expanded to the general public, given the broad and expanding societal interest in topics of illness, health, and healing. The aging of the population, the greater presence of illness in everyday life, and the intense political and economic focus on healthcare have combined to drive health-related issues into the public discourse in an unprecedented manner. By bringing in the creative literary arts and a fresh set of voices, the BLR provides a unique contribution to this societal conversation.
The BLR is published by New York University (NYU Langone) Medical Center as part of the Department of Medicine’s thriving Division of Medical Humanities, which is also home to the Bellevue Literary Press, the NYU LitMed database and a host of other programs. Its offices are housed in Bellevue Hospital, the oldest public hospital in the United States, which has been witness to nearly three centuries of human drama.
For more on the 2017 works to be published, go to http://blr.med.nyu.edu/submissions/BLRPrizes/contestwinners/2017.
Jill Hildebrandt and daughter, Amelia, have ‘tails a-waggin”
Jill Hildebrandt of Golden Valley focused the cameras and spotlights on a project she has teamed up on with daughter, Amelia – healthy dog treats.
Jill appeared on the Thursday, December 1 broadcast of the WCCO Morning Show, promoting the product varieties of Amelia & Holly (Compassionately-Created Canine Treats), alongside hosts Ali Lucia and Matt Brickman.
Amelia & Holly’s was inspired by Jill’s daughter, Amelia, and the family’s now 12-year-old rescue dog, Holly. Holly had sensitivities to certain treats, so mother and daughter searched for commercial treats. They didn’t like the long list of ingredients – including ingredients they couldn’t even pronounce and didn’t know where they came from. So, the duo decided to make their own.
Since then, Jill has been segueing her career as a Speech Communications college professor at Century College in White Bear Lake and the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, to that of canine chef. Her husband has a four-hour daily commute to-and-from his job, so the career shift has so far been a plus for the family, which includes son, Otto, in addition to daughter, Amelia.
All treats have been tested and approved by Holly, as well as seven test dogs – her canine BFF taste-testers. They also have the stamp of approval of a Minnesota Business License and Minnesota Commercial Feed License. Official production began on August 25, 2015 – ironically recognized as “National Dog Day.”
The first meeting between daughter and dog eight years ago exploded with elation, love and compassion – emotions Amelia still feels for Holly. Those feelings inspired the vision for the business – compassionately-crafted canine treats – and a commitment to pooches, people and the planet.
The treats feature no junk or gunk; bad to the vegan bone. Natural, organic, vegan ingredients are used – and there are no preservatives or additives. The fresh produce and herbs are handpicked at Minnesota, organic-certified farms. In fact, eight of the treats’ 11 season ingredients come from the Minnesota farms Little Hill Berry Farm, Open Hands Farm, Garden of Eagan of Northfield), Alternative Roots of Madelia and Living Land Farm of St. Peter. The peanut butter used is made from peanuts – and the applesauce, from apples. Four-to-five ingredients are used in each flavor.
The commitment for a small carbon “paw print” is emphasized with the use of environmentally-friendly packaging, compostable packing peanuts produced by Starchtech of Minneapolis and compostable baking parchment paper. Even the fruit and vegetable peels are composted.
Amelia & Holly’s also is a philanthropic (or, in this case, philanthropuppy) enterprise, with a percentage of profits donated to non-profit organizations on a quarterly basis. This quarter, donations are being given to the Jacob Wetterling Resource Center, honoring the memory of Jacob, along with recognizing that Amelia is now 11-years-old, the age of Jacob when he was abducted.
Additionally, treats are donated to local rescue center and people in metro communities through http://www.peopleandpetstogether.org/.
Treat varieties – packaged in different size bags – include:
+ Bark Up The Right Tree – Two-inch folk heart-shared treats that can be broken into smaller pieces. Ingredients include organic garbanzo bean flour, organic apples, organic pumpkin, organic carrots and organic applesauce (organic apples).
+ Berry Thankful – Also heart-shaped and have a six-month shelf life. This is a crunchy treat that breaks easily Ingredients include, of course, organic cranberry, along with organic pumpkin, organic Fair Trade Ceylon cinnamon, organic applesauce and organic garbanzo bean flour.
+ Minnesopaw Love or Pride – From Minneapawlis, around the state, and to St. Pawl, these treats show state love and pride. Minnesota-shaped treats come with either Minnesopaw Pride or Love label. The ingredients in these treats include organic garbanzo bean flour, organic pumpkin, organic peanut butter (organic roasted peanuts), organic unsweetened apple sauce (organic apples) and organic cane molasses.
+ Kiss Me, Canine – When your pooch gives you a slobbery smooch, these folk heart-shaped treats will provide he or she with a fresh parsley and mint breath-smell. Ingredients are organic garbanzo bean flour, organic butternut squash, organic applesauce (organic apples), organic spearmint and organic parsley.
+ P. B. Punk – Heart-shaped gnarly peanut butter treats comprised of organic coconut flour, organic pumpkin, organic peanut butter (organic roasted unsalted peanuts), organic apple sauce (organic apples) and organic sugar cane molasses.
+ Tangled Pup in Blue – These blue heart-shaped treats are named as a salute to the song, “Tangled Up in Blue,” by Minnesota native Bob Dylan. These, too, can easily be broken into smaller pieces. The ingredient list includes organic garbanzo bean flour, organic blueberries, organic sweet potato, organic unsweetened apple sauce (organic apples) and organic cane molasses.
+ Wispawnsin Love – Showing love to neighboring state, Wisconsin. Wisconsin-shaped treats with paw print and heart with P. B. Punk flavor.
Find them online at: http://ameliaandhollystreats.com/.
See the WCCO video at: http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/video/3586079-golden-valley-family-creates-health-dog-treats/.
