Skills school in Lanesboro

A new educational opportunity is gaining traction around Lanesboro, Minn., a sort of "folk school" model with classes on foods, handcrafts, sustainability skills and more. Its centerpiece right now is a bread-baking class in an Amish home where, "other than natural sounds, the only sound is the clock on the wall," according to organizer Mary T. Bell. The River Roots Skills School is an outcome of Lanesboro Local, which connects local producers to customers, collaborating with the Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center, which has classroom facilities. Its goal, ultimately, is to provide classes in traditional skills and help instructors develop their entrepreneurial network, but ultimately it strives "to empower individuals to live and lead balanced lives." The next bread class is June 28; cost is $45. Other classes are offered, as well. For the full schedule, visit www.riverrootsschool.org. Questions? Call Bell at 1-507-467-2928.

Share Our Strength event

Share Our Strength Minneapolis will host its popular "Taste of the Nation" at the Guthrie Theater on June 23, featuring some of the metro area's best chefs creating signature dishes and cocktails, all toward raising funds to end childhood hunger. Honorary Chef Chair Tim McKee said the evening event also includes a silent auction, live music, dancing and great scenery. Attendees also can cast their votes for their favorite dish of the night. VIP tickets of $100 offer 6 p.m. access, a special raw bar by Sea Change and a goodie bag. General admission tickets are $75. To order, visit bit.ly/1licRZy or go to http://ce.nokidhungry.org/national and click on "Minneapolis."

Cakelicious app

When trying to make an impression on someone, few things are more effective than a homemade cake. Now a new app, Cakelicious, aims to make your cakes even more impressive, providing short films with advice on how to create distinctive cake decorations. Its voice-activated step-by-step mode means you don't have to touch the iPad while baking. Recipes for 20 cakes, including Swedish Princess Cake, cheesecake, rainbow cake, pavlova, red velvet cake, spicy carrot cake and more, are offered. Cakelicious costs $2.99 in the US App Store at bit.ly/1igpdNC.

Julia Child app

Last year we told you about a comic book featuring Julia Child as part of a series about strong females. Now an interactive app from Authorly brings much of the comic book content to life. Users of "Female Force: Julia Child" can click on "audio hot spots" to hear sound effects play and swipe to navigate through Child's journey toward being a chef. Authorly apps include features such as narration, word-by-word highlighted text, audio and video hot spots, basic animation and movements, sound effects and background music. The app is available on iTunes, Google Play, and the Amazon Appstore for $2.99 at http://amzn.to/1jPKDRd.

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