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Through Kansas and Seattle, Monica finds her way home


By Travis Svihovec

At one point in her life, Monica Schmaltz-Weninger wanted to try life somewhere besides the Midwest. She did that, but it was really just the start of a long trip home.
Monica is a 1998 graduate of Mobridge High School. She attended Northern State University in Aberdeen and Bismarck State College, earning an associate degree in business and accounting. One of her first jobs after college was as the manager of an Irish pub in Manhattan, Kan. After a time in Kansas, she started looking elsewhere and called her sisters Rose and Lynette, who lived in Seattle, Wash.
“They said come on out,” she said, “so I did.”
She took a job in the photo department of Costco in Seattle. She was living there in 2005 when she married Kurt Schmaltz. She met him in Kansas, where he was the kitchen manager at the Irish pub she managed. A year later their daughter Phoebe, now in third grade, was born.
Three years later she accepted the position of photo department manager at Costco in Omaha, Neb. She worked at Lind’s Hardware and Leonard Studio when they moved to Mobridge in 2009. She’s now the JOM and Title VII director in the Mobridge-Pollock School District.
“I made my way home slowly,” she said.
In her position at the school, Monica is Culture Club coordinator and conducts two meetings per month at Freeman Davis and the upper elementary, middle school and high schools in Mobridge. The after-school program promotes cultural awareness, socializing and other skills for Native American students. The Title VII program is aimed at academic excellence and educational opportunities. Monica does some tutoring and acts as home/school coordinator between the school district and Native American families. She provides homework help and also ACT and college readiness assistance. She oversees two grants that help provide students with school supplies. She’s held the position since April of 2013.
One of the big events on her calendar is the annual powwow to honor graduates.
“Last year we had 17 drum groups and 120 dancers,” she said. “Then there are families and vendors. It’s a big thing we do to celebrate the graduating seniors. We also have feather and star quilt ceremonies.”
With all that going on, Monica is a self-proclaimed “Crock-Pot Queen.” All the recipes she provided are for slow cookers and will also be included in a cookbook the Culture Club is putting together. The recipes are approved by Kurt, who also likes the leftovers they provide.
“I don’t really cook,” Monica said. “I like to burn things, simple stuff like pizza and garlic bread. Especially if I’m watching “Walking Dead.” Then the house could burn down.”
That type of thing appeals to Monica, as evidenced by her experience as a tour guide with Scarecrow Hollow. This is her fifth year as a volunteer at the haunted house, which raises money for local charities.
“I’m excited,” she said. “This year I get to be in the house.”
Monica, Kurt and Phoebe enjoy traveling and have been to Disney, New York City, and Seattle. They are planning a trip to the Bahamas in March, a trip Monica has been on several times since she was 14. It’s the first time for Phoebe and Kurt.
(If you want to be our Cook of the Week or know a good candidate, please call Katie at 845-3646 or email her at news@mobridgetribune.com)

MONICA SCHMALTZ-WENINGER’S

Chicken and dressing
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper to taste
4 slices of Swiss cheese
1 can of chicken broth
1 can of any cream soup
3 cups of packaged stuffing
1 stick of butter
Place chicken in Crock-Pot. Add cheese, then broth, soup and stuffing on top. Melt butter and pour over all. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

Parmesan Potato Wedges
2 pounds of red potatoes, cut to wedges
Finely chopped onion to taste
Oregano and salt to taste
1 stick of butter cut into pieces
1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese
Layer potatoes with all ingredients in slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours.

Super Easy French Dip
1 medium-sized beef roast
1 package of ranch seasoning
1 package of au jus seasoning
1 stick of butter
6 hoagie rolls
12 slices of muenster cheese
Place roast in Crock-Pot. Shake in seasonings. Lay stick of butter on top of roast. No liquid needed. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. When ready to eat, layer roast and cheese on hoagie roll. Dip in remaining juice.

So Simple Supper
1 beef chuck shoulder roast
1 envelope of au jus gravy mix
1 envelope of onion soup mix
3 cups of water
Add potatoes, carrots, celery.
Combine all except vegetables in slow cooker and cook on low for 4 hours. Then combine vegetables and cook for another 4 hours.

Scalloped Potatoes and Ham
6 large potatoes, sliced
1 ham steak cut into cubes
1 can any type of cream soup
1 can of water
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Layer ham and potatoes in slow cooker. Combine all other ingredients in a large bowl. Pour over ham and potatoes. Cook on high for 4 hours, then turn to low for one hour.

 

 

Monica Schmaltz-Weninger

Monica Schmaltz-Weninger

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