The Dayton’s Project: A Glimpse Into Then & Now – Minneapolis, MN




It’s said that just one 7-Pot chile pepper is needed to spice seven pots of stew.
From the Caribbean island of Trinidad, this pepper combines intense heat and a nutty-sweet flavor for a truly unique taste experience. I’ve fermented several varieties of 7-Pot peppers and blended them with secret ingredients to give you my 7-Pot Scorn.
I’m Troy, Miss Jenny’s partner in the garden, kitchen, and life.
Miss Jenny, (Jennifer) and I have shared a love of hot and spicy food since we first met. A few years ago our friend introduced us to the 7-Pot chile pepper and shared his harvest with us. Jennifer is an accomplished home cook who enjoys tinkering in the kitchen. She had dabbled with fermenting other foods before and decided to try making a fermented hot sauce with this superhot, flavorful pepper. It was a savory, superhot success.
We began growing our own 7-Pot peppers at home and Jennifer continued to hone her recipe. We made and bottled sauce in our little kitchen and shared it with friends and family. When people started asking us for hot sauce before our peppers were even ripe, we knew we had something special going.


The Little Hot Sauce That Could:
Friends who loved our li’l sauce convinced us to try selling it. So, we came up with a name. Then, talented and generous friends helped us design a logo and a funky-fun label, and Miss Jenny’s 7-Pot Scorn was born. Soon we were selling 7-Pot Scorn at farmer’s markets and to friends of friends.
Finally, we made the leap to selling commercially. So, another talented and generous friend helped us design this website. Then we got licensed and graduated to a professional, commercial kitchen space located in South Minneapolis. This is truly a small, family operation. I do the marketing, sales, crazy ideas stuff, Jennifer does the math-related, legal, creative food stuff. We all pitch in on the chopping, bottling, and shipping stuff–even the kids. Oh, and we both have day jobs. It’s been a fun, crazy project so far! We hope you love our sauce!


photo courtesy of Louise Gray
Local textile brand Louise Gray’s cotton and linen face masks
Since the CDC has recommended wearing cloth face masks to the general public, here are the local designerspivoting to mask making. Sewing machines are whirling in local design studios, but unfortunately the creations won’t be on display at any fashion shows or design showcases, which, like many other spring gatherings, have been cancelled due to the pandemic spreading across our country. Instead, we’ll don the beautiful fabrics in the form of cloth facial coverings only to walk our neighborhood streets and stock up at grocery stores.
“To mask or not to mask?” was the million-dollar question until the CDC started recommending that all people—regardless of symptoms—wear facial protection when in public to help slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Since last month, we’ve witnessed a multitude of local designers jump on the mask-making bandwagon and respond to pleas from those working on the frontlines. Now, many are extending their initiatives and tapping into their materials and creativity to create cloth face masks for us all.
Even some of the masks designed for personal use maintain a philanthropic spin. Take local designer Joy Teiken (Joynoëlle) for instance, who’s teaming up with Birchwood Cafe to create and sell masks via the restaurant’s curbside takeout menu. From each mask sold, 100 percent of proceeds will benefit local nonprofit and food bank, The Food Group. Others are providing customers the opportunity to donate masks to a healthcare professional in-need with buy one, donate one models, including designers Winsome Goods and Indigo & Snow and local textile and homewares brand Louise Gray.
While you consider masking up, do so while supporting our community of local designers and makers. Read on for a roundup of who’s stitching CDC-approved (and stylish) cloth masks in an effort to keep us all safe.
(More on the local design community’s mask-making initiative in the May issue of Mpls.St.Paul Magazine—on newsstands soon.)
*Note: Many of these masks are not intended as medical-grade substitutes and were created using CDC-approved guidelines to provide better protection and slow the transmission of COVID-19.
+ Local textile and home goods brand Louise Gray launched a collection of masks yesterday—and, you guessed it, they are just as dreamy as the rest of its collection. The “Be Well, Be Kind” mask is constructed of two layers of 100 percent cotton and linen fabric and comes in a variety of colorways. With each purchase, LG customers have the opportunity to donate one to a healthcare professional working on the frontlines. Buy one ($18), and buy one, give one ($25) masks via Louisegray.com.
+ Fashion designer Joy Teiken of Joynoelle has teamed up with Birchwood Cafe to create reusable face masks for the public that benefit local nonprofit The Food Group. The masks are available via Birchwood Cafe’s curbside pick-up and delivery. $20, @joynoelle.atelier.
+ After selling out of her first round of masks, Tessa Louise will take face mask orders again in just a couple of days. Her designs come in both adult and children’s sizes, seven different patterns and each mask includes an interior pocket to accommodate a filter. Tessalouise.com, @tessalouise_designstudio.
+ As part of The Ribbon Mask Project, local designer Makwa Studio is donating two masks to organizations in-need for every one sold. $32 each, makwastudio.com.
+ Hackwith Design House is selling masks for children and adults made of her 100 percent cotton fabric. The brand is also giving customers the option to donate to healthcare professionals at check-out. $12 each, hackwithdesignhouse.com.
+ Mother-daughter-owned Excelsior shop GRAY Home + Lifestyle is selling dead stock fabric masks available for delivery and curbside pick-up. $10, @Grayhomelifestyle, grayhomeandlifestyle.com.
+ Kimberly Jurek-Valanzasca, fashion designer behind Alma Mia and owner of The Fitting Room boutique, is selling made-to-order cloth masks out of label’s bold and bright fabrics. Available to order order DM on Instagram. $15 each, @kimberlyjurek.
+ Former Project Runway contestant and local designer Christopher Straub is sewing and selling masks—made from custom-printed materials from his collections—via Instagram. Each sale goes toward the production of masks for his local hospital in Shakopee. @schmistopher
+ Apron company Craftmade Aprons is giving back five dollars to the Project Black & Blue fund for every mask purchased. $10, bacraftmadeaprons.squarespace.com.
+ Designer Carter Averbeck of Omforme is donating handmade masks made of luxe Missoni Home textiles provided by Wayzata shop Julia Moss Designs to those in-need—mail carriers, healthcare professionals, people with compromised immune systems, grocers, and more. Know someone in-need? Just DM @omforme on Instagram.
+ Designer Joleen Torvick has created two 100 percent cotton mask styles, including one pleated mask that features a pocket to put an additional filter inside. $12, JoleenTorvick.com.
+ Eco-friendly and twin sister-owned brand Foat Design is selling men’s, women’s and children’s masks, $12 each, foatdesign.com.
+ Scoop up one of Mezame Designs’ 2020 Care Packages (that includes a pleated face mask, lavender-filled weaving, and a “Stay Home” patch) and donate a mask to our hospitals and health care facilities in-need. $28, free shipping, etsy.com/shop/MezameDesigns.
+ Grand Ave. boutique Atelier957 is giving away homemade face masks with every online purchase this week. @atelier957
+ Minneapolis clothing brand Dallas Daws has also designed a run of protective face masks, now available for pre-order. $10, Dallasdaws.com, @dallasdaws.
Minnesota Makers is a Robbinsdale and downtown Minneapolis shop featuring the handcrafted work of Minnesota artisans. You can expect to find a wide variety of items including handcrafted jewelry, accessories, home decor, and so much more. Visit to shop for yourself or fantastic keepsake gifts.
“We know, it’s sometimes easier said than done, especially under the current circumstances. Last night we sent out emails to all of our artists letting them know we are thinking of them, wishing them good health and well-being, and we are excited to seeing them again in May. You know what? We received the most amazing emails back telling us the same thing. They are thinking of us, they are creating, they are looking forward too. We have the very good fortune to know and work with such amazing folks from the artists, to our customers, our family and friends. Our stores might not be physically open right now, but our community is strong. We look forward and we see the good. We wish that for you as well.”
Much love, Minnesota Makers

– 8 x 11.5 inch – 120 piece cardboard puzzle with Pearlescent glossy finish.
– Organza bag to hold the puzzle pieces. Organza bag color may change depending on available stock.
-The puzzle is hand pressed one by one in the shop using high heat, special inks and special transfer paper for a vibrant, permanent, long lasting image that will not fade, peel or rub off.
Visit: skylinespecs.com

Courtesy of Coloring Books for a Cause
The first coloring book is themed around First Avenue, benefitting and featuring illustrations of local musicians.
His fiancée, Hauser, was already supporting local musicians. If you bought merchandise or music from a Twin Cities musician and emailed her a receipt, Hause would send you a hand-drawn thank you card of that artist. However, demand for these thank yous became too much, and on a walk together, the two came up with the idea of creating a coloring book that could be sold to aid those put out of work.
The first coloring book supports First Avenue, featuring outlines of local heroes like Lizzo, Prince, Atmosphere, and Dizzy Fae, just to name a few. Not only can this coloring book provide a way to keep you or your kids occupied, it can introduce them to some of the legends that have passed through First Avenue. The Big Coloring Book of First Avenue was illustrated by Stacey Combs, Michael Gaughan, and Hauser.
For each coloring book made, about 60 percent of proceeds will go to the place the book illustrates. Proceeds also benefit the illustrators and go toward providing information on how to support the subjects of individual drawings within the coloring books. For the first iteration, proceeds benefit the Twin Cities Music Community Trust.
The first coloring book can be ordered here. It is expected to ship out April 2.