Real Milwaukee | November 5, 2026

Well, good morning, everybody. I feel like after the Brewers hype last week, we got to continue celebrations this morning. Yeah, we're in, like, the holiday spirit. I feel like we've just been vibing, and today's a good day to get started with things. Yes, okay, should we start the bubble with that? Now, the annual City of Milwaukee Christmas Tree Harvest. This is one of the oldest Christmas trees in, like... Going in the entire country, I think it's going back, what, 113 years that we've been doing this? Oh, no, the tree. The tradition's 113. Yes, the tree, I don't know how old it is. 30 years old, actually. It's 30 years old. Oh, wonderful. Yes, the son's family, the uncle, I believe, of Joanne. Gave them the Christmas tree, which is when it was like a small like they planted it. Yeah, it started as like red and white. And then all of a sudden it got so big that they started projecting lights onto it. It's a lot easier. It's what, 40 feet tall, I believe. Yeah, it's beautiful. So this is her right there. She's a beaut, Clark. Harvested this morning. This is a 40 foot tall Colorado blue spruce. It was donated by Joanne and Al's son. They live on the northwest side of Milwaukee. The son shared the story behind the tree with Stephanie Quirk earlier on Wake Up. Let's take a listen in here. About 30 years ago my uncle showed up one day with a tree and said here you can plant this in your yard and we did and it has been a Christmas tree every single year. It started with white lights and red bows and then we strung the lights and at the end we just projected lights onto it. It is really an honor just to donate it to the city and that everybody's going to see it downtown. And it's going to go out in style as the best Christmas tree ever. It sure is. Those people look like a good time, and that is very generous of them because there's literally going to be, you know, a hole in their yard now. But the city will donate them another tree, slightly smaller, though. After it was harvested, as you can see, it was loaded onto the back of a flatbed, and it headed down to the Deer District, which will soon be the Cheer District. It received a special police escort, as you can see there, to its new home. This is really exciting, guys. This year marks, again, the 113th anniversary of Milwaukee's annual Christmas tree lighting. The longest official. City tree in the United States second only to New York City's. I would say that's still a pretty good run though. The tree lighting ceremony will take place on November. 20th. Okay. So it's a little earlier this year. I liked how it was like a neighborhood event. Yes. I believe when I was on earlier, the, one of the homeowners said they, uh, brought donuts out and coffee out for their neighbors. Yeah. To enjoy. Like I loved it. It was a community event in the neighborhood. It's like the fellowship of holiday spirit. I was just kind of just getting started. Yeah. I'm excited for that. Um, and speaking of holiday cheer. So the holiday market is also returning to the Plaza Art Forum. Visitors will be able to shop with local vendors, try out And just enjoy. Enjoy the holiday experience. The market is free for everyone and the event will be open daily except for Thanksgiving Day. And it runs from November 20th until December 6th. So obviously the 20th is going to be marking the lighting of the tree, too, which is going to be decorated by David Caruso, who does a lot of great special planning and events. Yeah, so that's going to be great. There's going to be like MPS kids out there dancing, performing, and it's really going to be. Oh, it's a whole thing, yeah. It just makes me want to put on Christmas music, but I feel like I'm a little too early for that. I don't know. I think it's time. I feel like you go to the stores, and my first reaction when I see that is to be like, well, it's a little early. It's really not. Yeah. We're going to be here, what, six weeks away now almost? Yes. It's crazy. When are you going to start decorating? I'm going to. Get the stuff from the Annex this weekend. I have my own little corner in the basement. That's where I keep all my things. I'm going to bring it up for this weekend. Just kidding. That's what I said. Go there again. Yes, I'm going to pick it up this weekend. Then I think I'll probably just, you know, start to kind of sprinkle it in. Last year, the tinsel took six hours, so I've got to lock in. I think I enjoyed it. I'm a Scrooge. I don't decorate my place. That's shocking to me, Dawn. Hi. You don't want to come home and just feel like the vibe? You know what? I'll put on the screen saver on my TV and it looks like it's like Christmas-y. You don't even have a scene. And so I'm like, I don't have one thing. Or like a nativity. No. An angel. A small one. I don't have a small tree. I don't have anything. Well, maybe Christmas isn't your thing. No, it's my thing. I just don't like to decorate. It's work. I'm not going to lie. It's a lot of work. I get that. I don't know. I feel like it gives a vibe. It does. I enjoy it. It does. But I blast Christmas music around that season. That's how I get a spirit. That's your vibe. It's not labor intensive. Just turn on a play. Whatever works for you. I think when you're a grown-up, you start to appreciate all the work that your parents did, moms in particular. To make it so special and so magical because it's a schleppy, when you're lugging all that stuff up in the basement. You leave it up for weeks, so I feel like it's so worth it. I feel like last year, Derricka, both of us were so delayed. We didn't do it until like, at least, kind of like early December. Well, I like to do it the day after, like right after Thanksgiving. I like to give Thanksgiving its due, like a Thanksgiving period. So we still have fall stuff up in the house. It's all the pumpkins and things like that. But then, yeah, the next day. Not usually like the Saturday. I would say Black Friday, we're still kind of like, eh. Yeah, right, right. I get that. The food, the good food you have. Yeah. All right, speaking of the holiday spirit, let's let it continue. Milwaukee Downtown is kicking off the holiday season November 19th at Pier Marquette Park here. So they will be kicking off their Holiday Lights Festival with live music, dance performances, holiday treats, fireworks, something you name it. The lights will also be on display at four downtown parks through the first of the year. Returning this year? Here though, visitors can hop on the Jingle Bus, which is a 40-minute tour narrated by Milwaukee Downtown Public Service Ambassadors. One of our managers is dancing to that. I think he's ready to get on board. You can learn more at milwaukeeholidaylights.com. I'm still back with the lights with you. I think you should do something. Maybe I'll buy like a small Christmas tree. Something about seeing the lights, having the magic, and just kind of take me back to your youth. I feel like a huge Christmas tree stored away in my... One of my closets in the house just won't fit in my... Okay, so let's get another one. It's humongous. So I've got to get something like this big. Like a desktop one or the ones that they put in little kids' rooms. Yes, something like that. You know, like next to the bed to get a little... Put it on the island or something, on the bar. Yeah, there's something about, I think, just seeing the lights. I know that takes you back. That's real. For me, a lot of my Christmas stuff stays up through January because it's more like wintry, you know? So you can make it last a little bit. There we go. All right, I'm going to surprise you guys. All right, so how about this? The perfect holiday bow. You having a party? Hey, Marty. Hey, Keith. The perfect holiday bow is Just a few twists and turns away. Brian Krampus at Milligan's is learning how to make a festive finishing touch for your Christmas decor. I'm so excited about this segment because I've always wanted to learn how they do this because they're just so perfect. Yeah, they are perfect. And I've got to tell you this. Look at the bow that matches my shirt that matches the Brewers' colors, kind of. You could have yourself a Brewers' tree if you want. Blue and gold. It could be blue and white and gold. Kara, as well as Christine, joining us right now. Guys, hey, happy holidays, I guess. Because look at the background over here. Oh, we're running. Oh, my goodness. I can't believe how ahead of the game you guys are here at Milligan's. But then again, you start so early, Chris. We start more than a year ahead of time. More than a year ahead of time. Now, we're going to make the perfect bow. But before that, can we show what this is, Kara? What is this thing? This is for Nicola. This is our tinsel spray. So you said someone took like six hours to put tinsel in their tree. This is so easy. You just shove it in there. Wait, what? Oh, look at that. Nikolai. Nikolai. You would never know. Wow! Wow! You would never know. And then it comes off on the same thing. Oh, it's like hair extensions for a tree. Thank you for grabbing me. Guys, we're going to make a bow, and Chris says that it's as easy as... Tying a shoe. Okay, let's see. So if you can tie a shoe, you can make a bow. And this is the rising star of holiday decorating. So I'm just going to make one loop. Those are hot this year. They're everywhere. And this is a ribbon that is double-sided, so I like the shiny side. And I'm going to add some of the John Mark ribbon that we have here. Now, you were saying that John Mark is kind of the guy that brought the bow back. Oh, he has really changed the industry because he's done elaborate fancy ribbons with very strong wire inside so that you can make it undulate and you put it on your tree, you know, it has a lot of motion and has a feeling of going somewhere. Now I noticed you just made that one loop for each ribbon and then you put them side by side and now you're making your third ribbon with your third bow. So she doesn't loop the bunny ears. And if you buy a whole bolt, you can just take it home and do all the bows for your tree. So I have this kind of situation going on. And Kara, maybe you can cut these for me. I would love to do that. I also love that you have so many different styles of ribbon. Oh, we have hundreds of styles. And we love ribbon. You've got the Nutcracker. You've got the Grinch as well. Wow, this is so fun. Okay, there's a... Here's the Grinch one. That Grinch one is awesome. Everyone loves it. That is a fun bow. I mean, on a tree, on a door, on a wreath, on swag, on garland, on a present. You just see the legs and you know right away. Right, who it is. Yeah. Here's Presto Chango on your swag and you've got your ribbon. Oh, that's a great idea. Everything looks better with a ribbon. Okay, so easy. And you're already on your fourth different type of ribbon and this is like under two minutes that you've created that. Now, you're an expert, Chris. This is competition for us. Your husband did it. I did mention that you guys have only 10 trees up so far at your house. And counting. And counting. Wait, at her house she's got 10 trees? Yeah. Or is that at Milliger? 10 trees, guys. Oh, at her. And counting. That means there's more coming. Does she have a big house or is there one in the bathroom? It's... So it's the house, but it's also like little trees and big trees. It's not just all big trees, right? No, it's not. If you look to the left over here, they have trees like this. So these are considered a tree as well. So they could be smaller. And Donovan was saying he needed something smaller for his place. And you've got smaller trees. We have every size. So when you get to this point, you're going to take a wire and draw it from the front of their little clump of... Loops, draw it around the back, and pull it really tight, that's the secret. It's a secret. And twist it, I think we can do that. And then we'll shape it out a little bit. And we're ready to put it on our tree. Now, do you cut the excess wire off, or do you leave that in case you have to wrap it around? So you can just wire it right onto your tree. So you can see, like, some of these we have tucked in the tree here. And this is another, you know, option or way that you can decorate. You can do this on a garland, on a tree, your swag, whatever it may be. But that gives you the ability to secure it. It's really one of the most inexpensive decorations on a tree because it covers so much space. It really does, and it makes it look... Hey guys, did you see the cardinals on the tree? Nicola, I know you like cardinals. Look at the amount of cardinals on this tree. Spiritual experience there. They're all over the place. Oh my gosh! We have a few of these too and I feel like I need to grab some because my parents are no longer around and Christy's grandparents are no longer. I feel like I need at least four or five cardinals to fly on their trees. Yeah, there's some like that. Earlier on you guys said something that stuck out to me that you guys decorate four You're customers, you're clients, so you decorate inside, you decorate outside. You can do trees as well? We can do trees. We can come in and set up your tree. We can decorate the entire tree, or you can do the fun part and put the ornaments on. Yeah, that is the fun part as well. I do like having a mom that has 10 Christmas trees, Karen. Thank you. Thank you. Well, I remember as a little kid, we would all be in the room doing our tree, and she's like, no one's doing Christmas, so all the ornaments are hung. And at first, you're like, oh my gosh, there's so many. But as you're decorating, you have so much fun as family. And all the great things that you're talking about. Oh, and the memories that every ornament brings back. Do you guys have any, like, ribbon classes or anything coming up soon? Is that something that you need? Well, all of our design workshops usually incorporate some sort of a bow. And it's amazing when people come into the design workshops and they're like, I don't know how to do this. I don't know how to make anything. Or I'm not very creative. I'm not very good. I'm not creative. And so we have an expert staff. We're both design teams at those stores. And we teach them how to do this. And it's amazing the smiles that they have when they leave. Yeah. of accomplishment of what they can do. It's a life skill. Yeah. Well, I was just going to echo the same thing. This makes you feel good, like I can do this, you know, and the most fun part is picking out all the combinations that work in your setting. Well, you guys always do great, which is why we're here today. It's a customer appreciation day, guys. So here at Milliger's Racine, as well as Sturdivant location, 20% off, full purchase price, okay? So if it's already on sale, then you're not going to get the 20 off. Karen Didion, who we saw earlier on, is going to be at Sturdivant at noon today. She's going to be back here at 3 o'clock. And we have refreshments at both stores, from 3 to 7. A lot of refreshments. I saw wine back there. Yes, beverages. Wait, wait, wait. I saw bottles upon bottles of wine. Cases and cases. Cases of cases of wine. So I don't know when you break those out. And it's a free event. Can I come? Is it free? Yes. We appreciate you guys. We're so thankful for you. 66 years here in business with our family. I couldn't do it without you. Yeah, 100%. Awesome, guys. And I want to say that our viewers represent down here in Racine in big ways. I mean, truly, there are so many great customers that you have that are here a lot, that watch us a lot. So we appreciate that as well, guys. Beautiful bows from beautiful ribbon and beautiful family and beautiful displays, guys. The holidays are here. Racine, Milliger's, Sturdivant, Milliger's, yeah, Customer Appreciation Day. Swing on by. Oh, and we appreciate them. I'm surprised he hasn't run into my dad down there. That's where he likes to hang out. Oh, at Milliger's? Take a little work break. He's got a tab there. Oh, nice. Like, he doesn't even, they just, they bill him. Yeah. That's hilarious. It's like old school. Great spot. You know, we like it. Yeah, well, the holiday season is here, and so is the cold temperature, apparently. So let's talk about the Coats for Kids drive. The temperatures are falling, and of course, Fox 6 is ready to keep kids warm one coat at a time. We just kicked off our 42nd annual Fox 6 Coats for Kids drive. When we need your help, you can donate new or usually gently used winter coats at Steinhafel's Landmark Credit Union or the Salvation Army through December 6th. To scan that QR code you see on your screen, you can safely donate money that will be used to buy brand new coats for the campaign. For more information about Coats for Kids, go to our website, FoxXNow.com. We'll be right back with more from Milwaukee. On unresolved serial killer cases reignited when a boy who went missing years ago, years earlier, shows up alive. Yeah, Gino talked with the showrunner of Nocturne. As you know, this department has been working with the FBI to help locate several missing people. But as of today, we have our first lead. So I look at this series and the caliber of people you have in it. What are your thoughts as they each join onto this project? I mean, it was an embarrassment of riches. You start with Zazie Beetz, who's already amazing. Like, right off the jump, you have somebody in the show that's great. Now, everything is going to be elevated around that. Then you get Liev Schreiber, who, you know, it speaks for itself, right? He's also incredibly choosy. So you're getting someone who's an amazing actor, really authentic, full of gravitas. And then two weeks later... We get Stephen Graham. Now, he had made, I think we had seen Adolescence, but it hadn't had, you know, it had been released, but it hadn't been swept up into the awards season yet. So Tim Van Patten, who did the pilot, knew Stephen very well from Boardwalk Empire. Doesn't mean that it was a fait accompli by any means. I think Stephen really liked the material. But once that triangle was completely formed, you know, once we had those three pieces, you really feel the pressure, you know, that it's kind of up to us to screw up at that point Because you have. You have like a world, and this is everyone else, Bill Camp, Horna, Rory, I could go down the line of every actor in the show. Everybody is great. You know what I mean? Everybody is amazingly talented and really everyone brought their A game. Well, I'm going to say you brought your A game because you did not mess up. You have this great talent and it is one of those compelling series that you have to keep watching. Yeah. Thank you. That's the goal. The first rule is to entertain. You know what I mean? Like the job is to get people to lean forward and put down anything that might distract them and, you know, enjoy the program that we took the time to make. So it makes me glad to hear it. Urich Walter has been locked in the basement of a Riverside psychiatric hospital under six feet of concrete. The people are disappearing again, just like before. Liev does something in his career, like I know him from something and I said, I will always think of him as that. And then he comes along with this and completely evolves and changes again. Yeah, it's the first if I'm correct, it's the first time he's been the lead of a show, you know, since he did Ray Donovan, which is, you know, iconic, you know. But he's not doing that here. You know what I mean? Like, it's a different, it's, you know, he's older, number one. But he's got so much gravitas as an actor. He's so authentic as an actor. When he locks in to do something, and, you know, like everybody else here, he's offered a lot. You know what I mean? So when he makes a decision to do something, he really locks in. And a lot of what you're seeing on that screen with him is him leaning forward, you know, and him saying. This is the look and feel, I think, for my character. And this is, you know, this is the level of comfort I have. And I'll give you a small example. There's a scene in episode two where he's interviewing a kid in a hospital bed. The kid's 14 years old. Now, he has a former detective in the show, so he's allowed to wear his sidearm and he's always wearing the ball cap. But when he does the interview, if you notice, he puts his hat, he puts his ball cap over his sidearm. Now, why would he do that? Because he's interviewing a 14 year old kid. And he doesn't want to scare the kid by seeing his gun. No one told him to do that. No, nobody, no, the director didn't. It just happened because he locks in so hard and he's so authentic to who he is. He just realized, oh, if I was a. If I was a cop trying to question this young man, I wouldn't want to frighten him. And I'm not going to take it off and make a whole thing out of it. Like, I'm not going to take my gun belt off. He just hung his hat right on it and it just made it go away. Love that. Thank you for sharing that story. So I think in athletics, a lot of times in my life, and Stephen Graham is Michael Jordan at his prime. I don't think there is anybody who is as strong as he is today as an actor. As a showrunner, can you watch those moments and just say, I'm the luckiest showrunner in Hollywood? I mean, you hit it right on the head. I mean, he is an amazing person, number one, right? Like, when the camera flips off, he's charming, he's personable. He comes to set singing in the morning. He's a very grateful human being, right? Like, that's kind of how he operates at base level. And then when he locks in. It is terrifying, and for a chunk of time, you know, when that camera's rolling, you're seeing a very different person, and I think he did an amazing job of, because he's working through glass, he's working through concrete, like, he doesn't have, he's not, he doesn't have the luxury, you know what I mean, of kind of the physicality you would normally, he has to do it all with this, you know, that's really all he has, and every actor on this show that spent time with him, I think, came away from it slightly improved. It's only a matter of time got your attention looks intense there. So nocturne, if you're interested in watching, is streaming now on Apple TV. There he goes. All right. Still ahead on Real Milwaukee, an unforgettable raptor experience is happening at Schlitz Audubon Nature Center. It'll be this weekend. We've got the details and the birds right here after the break. Welcome back to Real Milwaukee, everybody. So up-close encounters, interactive experiences, and so much more. Lindsay Foch is here from the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center ahead of Extreme Raptor Day, which is this weekend. It is this Saturday at Schlitz Audubon Nature Center from 10 to 4. It's our all-day raptor festival where we're celebrating these amazing birds. Okay, so you brought some of the amazing birds that are going to be on display there. Sure did. To our studio this morning. It kind of looks like a raptor fashion show in here this morning because we have three wonderful handlers. and three incredible birds. Can we start with Valkyrie? We would love to. She is a World Series famous eagle. She is, yes. Our wonderful Valkyrie. She's been dubbed Milwaukee's eagle. She was wonderfully invited by the Brewers to participate in their postseason games. And so she attended the first game of each series. series and. unbelievably the World Series. And so we are out on the field during the anthem. Just a magical moment to be able to celebrate Milwaukee and celebrate this historic event. I mean, for you all and for all the work that you do in the community, but also for everybody else, because I think that there's just. Excuse me, a majesty, a, I don't want to describe it. It's, it's, it's, it's spectacular. Yeah, no, absolutely. It absolutely is. And the fact that we're able to kind of provide this experience for people and be a part of it and shed light on Milwaukee and Wisconsin's conservation work and our messaging. It was just really, really something special. Now, do you think that she knows what's going on when she's at a packed baseball game. Like, do you think she gets it? I think she understands there's an energy in the air. So it's palpable. And I know that she's very tuned into it. So she knows that when we step out on the field, it is, it's showtime. She knows. Does she get nervous? Like, can you tell that there, I know, cause I know you're just an expert, Lindsay, in terms of Raptor behavior, like, you know, I would be nervous. No, I understand. I think that, yeah, her humans are more nervous than she is. She's a very confident bird. She's been very well-trained and exposed to these kinds So she is just ready to ready to. We need to rock when we go and do those. And to be on the field with everybody and represent what we can do in Milwaukee is amazing. Yeah, ready for her moment, ready to shine in front of tens of thousands of people and the whole world. Okay, so now should we go down the line here and meet Perseus next? Yeah, absolutely. So Perseus is our cover girl this year. Every year for Extreme Raptor Day, we do showcase one of our wonderful ambassadors. So Perseus is our barred owl. She was hatched out in the wild. 2018, which makes her eight years old, and she lives with us because she is way too comfortable around people. So, as a very, very young chick, she was exposed to people, and they were picking her up, and they were petting her, and so she actually seeks out human companionship. Which is so interesting. That's not a little counterintuitive to owl behavior, right? Absolutely right, yes. In fact, yeah, she sees us as her flock, really, but it makes her an amazing ambassador, and so she's able to go out to schools and libraries and teach people about these amazing birds that we don't often get to see. That was clearly Perseus' calling in life, was to do this kind of work and to live with you guys. She excels at it completely. You can tell. She just is so chill. Every time she comes into the studio, she's completely unfazed by everything here. So lovely. She likes the spotlight, yep. And visitors to Extreme Raptor Day this Saturday will actually go home with a button pin of Perseus as their takeaway, so they can kind of sport some barn owl flair on their way home. And walking around. Kind of the mascot. Yeah, exactly. And then, yeah, next up is one of our hawk ambassadors. So in total, we have 16 raptor ambassadors that live at Schlitz Audubon. Okay. So it's a variety of hawks and owls. We have falcons, of course, our wonderful bald eagles. And so this little hawk that is with us, this is Nico. Nico is one of three hawks that lives with us. He is a broad-winged hawk. Beautiful. And he was out in the wild just in his first year of life and he was hit by a car. And so when he was wonderfully found, went into wildlife rehabilitation and they found that that car collision did a lot of damage to his body. These little tiny hawks will actually migrate every fall and every spring, but in the fall they will migrate all the way down to South America. Oh, so because it's an amazing feat, but because of all of those injuries in his body, he can't make those flights at all. So he was, it was decided that he would stay in professional care. And he moved in with us shortly afterwards. And we're able to teach people about the importance of protecting our habitats and migration paths and, and really just the amazing feats that birds will do. Can I ask you a potentially dumb question? Never a dumb question. You'd be Well, let's, okay, let's see. You just wait, Lindsay, you just wait. Like, because... This animal is inclined to not be here during the winter months. Does Nico get like seasonal effective? Yes. That's not a, that's not a weird question at all. It's a little weird, but I feel like I would want to be in South America if I were Nico. Yeah. Because something triggers in their brains with the sunlight, the daylight. Yeah. They know. Yeah. And, and they get a hormonal mental shift and then they start to get antsy. So we see it in the wild birds. They start eating a lot of food and like fattening up for the winter or for the migrations. And so we'll see that in professional care as well. is that our birds will get a little bit more antsy. Like they, there's a change in the wind. And we just kind of help give them like extra enrichment, extra stuff to do so they can kind of work that out for themselves and then they calm down. So we do, so birds eat more in the winter time too. It's not just humans. I just feel like I have a lot in common with Nico. I feel seen. Yeah, I know. We're all animals, just different kinds. Exactly right, yeah. Beautiful. Okay, so this event is this Saturday. It's all day long. For folks who want to go, do they need tickets or anything, or can they just show up? Yeah, you can do both. So you can purchase tickets on our website at schlitzaudubon.org, or you can show up the day of. We do suggest that you buy them ahead of time so it's just easier for you to get through the line. But the event runs tend to 10 to 4, it is our raptor festival. You get to see all of our birds out on the trails. We have fun, interactive activities, so it's great for all ages. And it's just an amazing experience and a way to support our raptors. So the entire event is a fundraiser for the raptors of Schlitz Audubon. And we have to support them in all the work that you do, because obviously, you know, like an animal like Nico, for example, you really give it a second chance at life. So it's a beautiful thing. And we're proud to be able to do it. Wonderful. It's a great responsibility. Well, thank you, Lindsay. Thank you for having us. Hello to all of our... We have our fabulous Raptor models, Valkyrie, Perseus, and Nico. You look wonderful. And we will be right back after this with Speaking of Eating. We're talking about eating carbs. Oh, my favorite. Same, same. And apparently it's all hot girls like to eat carbs. Nobody knows it better than our dietitian, Kate Peterson. She's going to be walking us through some different ways we can eat carbs because I'm always open to more ways to do that. We'll be right back. Don't have to be justified, right? Registered dietitian Kate Peterson is here with some simple ideas to keep your body fueled throughout the day. Yes, so hot girls. We're all hot girls. Hot girls means you're nourishing your body, you're taking care of your body, and one thing that hot girls do is we eat carbs. As you can see from my sweatshirt, I'm going to shout it from the rooftops. As a registered dietitian, I hear this all the time. People are maybe afraid of carbs, feel guilty about eating carbs, are avoiding carbs, and I'm here to tell you that carbs are such an important piece of our diet. So I'm going to walk you- News we can use. Yes. So I'm going to walk you through the hot girls, hot guys, hot girls guide to eating carbs. We're hot girls, whatever. So our first step is the hot girl mindset. So first of all, I want to take away a little of the stigma of carbs. Carbs are incredibly important in our diet. They are your body's most preferred energy source. So whether you're working out, you're working your brain out, your body wants carbs. It doesn't want to burn fat. It doesn't want to burn protein because that means taking from our brain, our heart, our muscles, it wants carbs. So we need to give our body carbs. And it's important, as you know, that you would tell us to do it in the correct way because it's what you're craving it. Like you said, you'll do it in the wrong way if you're not filling your body. So I like to see carbs spread throughout the whole day, which brings us to step two, the hot girl snack. With snacking, I am a big proponent of snacking. I think snacking is an incredibly important part of a balanced day of eating. And back to those carbs, carbs help keep our energy up. So when we're snacking and incorporating carbs in our snack, that helps keep our energy up, maybe helps you avoid that 2 p.m. Starbucks run or diet. Or overeating later. Correct. Because I will go to town at dinner if I don't eat a snack. Yes, snacking is so important for that. So for our hot girl snack, I'm featuring Paulo Popcorn here. Wisconsin brands and the thing that I love about this as a hot girl snack is that we're getting that carb we're getting a good high quality carb because popcorn is a whole grain so we're getting that fiber we're getting that whole grain we're getting that carb but these have really delicious flavors they use no artificial flavors or dyes and they use real cheese all of this so if you want to try we've got movie theater butter dill pickle and Wisconsin cheddar. I love the flavors and the nutrition facts are good on it. Yeah they're not bad ingredients are great but one thing I like You know, carbs or popcorn as part of a balanced snack. So while popcorn on its own is a great snack, popcorn mixed with maybe nuts for a little bit of protein, a little bit of extra fiber, maybe some apple slices or fruit of your choice for a little bit of extra fiber makes it an even better snack. And would you say just kind of in general, is that a rule for you when you are eating to kind of combine it with other things in your body getting nutrients in it? If you were to peek in my house and see how I eat, I'm always combining different foods. It's nutritious. It helps us make sure that we're hitting all of our nutritional needs, but it also is satisfying. When you're switching up your different textures, temperatures, different types of foods, that makes for a more satisfying snack. And when you're putting together meal combos or snack combos, I like to think about how can I make this nutritious and how can I make this satisfying? Now, speaking about snacks here, so is this like a recommended portion here? Because I feel like my issue with stuff like that That is, it's a whole bag situation. Yes, or can be. It can be. It's a slippery slope, right? Yes. Yeah, so... Yes, I would say that this is kind of what I would consider a portion size. One thing that can help with that is not eating straight out of the bag when you're snacking, putting it in like, I have a million of these little ramekins. It kind of just helps portion size. But another thing that can help with that is eating the food that you like, that maybe is a little bit more indulgent, such as like a more indulgent popcorn, and combining that with other foods that give you that volume, such as maybe fruit or nuts that kind of fill the rest of that plate. But it's not all carbs, for example. it like this, I probably would eat it one at a time versus eating it out of the bag and you're going like this because it helps your portions when you see it differently too. Yeah, exactly. And then you know exactly what you're eating. I feel like it's so easy because I feel like when you look at like calories or whatever in the back of the bag, they're like 16 pieces. Who is, well, maybe some people, but I don't do one, two, three. Not from a bag, but you do it like that. Right, right. So yeah, using a little ramekin, putting things on a plate. Also, that helps with the mental piece of snacking or eating. When you see your food, that increases satisfaction. satisfaction. When we see it, we get excited and it's like, oh, I got all this food coming my way. Okay. This bread looks beautiful. Yes. Okay. So let's flip to stage three of the hot girl guide to eating carbs. And that is the hot girl meal. So I am, you know, I've mentioned this a couple of times eating carbs throughout the day. I'm a big component or proponent of that. Hot girls are eating pasta. Hot girls are eating rice. We're certainly eating sandwiches. And the star of this little meal here, oh, don't lose the disco ball. No, I just wanted to look at this, because this bread looks really soft. It is so good. So this is the S. Rossin's Mini French Loaves. So this is a Chicago-based, family-owned company. I've seen this, yeah. Yeah, been around since the early 1900s. They're really known for bringing their restaurant quality breads and rolls from the restaurant. to the grocery store shelves. I know my family has used this brand for years. Their French rolls are really popular for Italian beef and that kind of thing, but I love these little mini French sizes for just like a little hot girl meal, just a perfect portion size. See, I was literally just thinking you could have, I would have two, because that would be reasonable. Well, and that works too, yeah, that works too. So one thing, you know, it's important to get carbs in, it's important to get balanced meal, but I don't want you feeling like you're spending a million hours in the kitchen trying to make this happen. In with these little rolls I made kind of like a semi-homemade meal I call them. So I used frozen meatballs of your choice to create these little meatball subs. So we're not cooking everything from scratch but we're assembling. So for this one I just did frozen meatballs a little bit of my favorite jarred marinara and a little bit of mozzarella. And then these ones, more of like an Asian-style meatball with an Asian-style slaw. That looks great. They both took like 10 minutes to make, and you have a really delicious hot girl meal with those carbs. And for me, it's also giving you texture. You know, I like texture. So it's giving me, yeah, your bread, but also the crunch within the slaw that you made. That's really good for you, too. More satisfying. Yeah, and you know, bread and carbs, they give us that mouthfeel that we crave. There's a reason that we crave carbs. A lot of reasons that we crave carbs, but the feel in our mouth, the feel of that crunch or that softness. Yeah, doughy. It's just so delicious, right? And these are great, too, because you can freeze them. I feel like with me, with breads, if I leave it out, then it's like a race to the finish. Like I got to, you know. Yeah. I'm like mainlining a loaf in three days because it goes bad. But this is not good either, right? No, this is perfect. Yeah, these go in the freezer, really all breads. I would freeze them versus putting them in the fridge. It kind of maintains some of that moisture, and then you can pull it out really easily. And these are just a couple of things that you recommend because you also do meal preparing for folks. I do. Share a little bit about that. Yeah, yeah. I think everything I do really stems from feeding yourself or feeding other people and making sure that you're eating really good, nutritious meals. I do have a meal prep company called MealWalkie out of Pewaukee, and I do fully prepped heat and eat meals, and the idea behind that was really teaching people healthy eating through them tasting good foods. And getting ideas from you. Now, I feel like folks at home, or even myself, love your sweatshirt. Yes. Where can we find... Yes! Um, cause I, I love the body positivity of this. I love the message of it. And it also looks very cozy. It is very cozy. It's very hot in here. So I'm very hot in this right now. It's a good thick material. Exactly. Right. Yeah. Thick for winter. Um, yeah, this was kind of, um, my birthday was this week. I wanted to do something fun for my birthday. I love this body positive message. So I have sweatshirts, hats, tank tops, tote bags. And I do have, um, a little birthday sale. If you use code Bday at checkout, it's 15% off. What's the site? Oh, Kate Peterson Nutrition.com slash hot girls eat carbs, caps, totes. Good for it. And I want to thank you for doing what you do and for spreading this message, because I think like as a nineties girl, it was a very different message at that time. Yes. And so I'm so grateful that things have changed and that this is happening. I fully support it. Thank you so much. I really feel very passionate about what I do and this message and all of these messages that I bring to you guys here. And so thank you Thank you for saying that. It shows. It shows. All right, Maura, we'll walk you after the break. Thank you, Kate. Thank you. Where can we get the polo? Oh, you guys should take me. Hey, everyone. Welcome back. You know, November is Long-Term Care Awareness Month, and we know a little planning can go a long way when it comes to, you know, how you receive care. We've got Barry Fees over here. He's a private wealth advisor with MHF Wealth Partners. Okay, so you're unpacking this month. It's very meaningful for a lot of people, very important. I kind of want to start by asking you this, brother. Why is it important to plan in advance before you get to where you need this kind of care and don't have it? Yeah, I think one of the biggest things that One of the things that always comes to my mind with this Having time and optionality, so the reality is the earlier you start to plan for something, think about something, the more options you're going to have. So it might start with just thinking about what you want, what your wants or needs might be in that setting. And then it's also going to eventually transform into, Well, how do I accomplish that? How do I make sure that what I want actually happens? So the earlier you start thinking about that stuff, Just the more options you have. Fair. Is this expensive for folks in Milwaukee who are watching right now? I think it certainly can be. It really just depends on what you want. One of the things that The recent planning and progress study that Northwestern Mutual did found that on average, most people really know where they want to have care, which is good. They want to have care at home overwhelmingly. Almost three quarters want to stay at home. And staying at home, depending on the time that you need care there and your circumstances, can be pretty costly. They've found that, you know, on average in the Milwaukee area, Probably something like $37 an hour for average care. And depending on how often you have somebody come in to assist or to help you, I mean, you could see costs upwards of $100,000 more or less to do that. So obviously it's something that's very important to kind of account for, to plan for, and to figure out. From talking to different customers and people you serve, is there a specific type of care that most Minnesotans want to receive? I would say that I think from the study's perspective, If people could stay at home and receive care at home, they'd prefer that. You know, if they're forced into it, a nursing home type circumstance or something like that, people are going to be accepting of the outcome there, obviously. But I think as far as the type of care, they'd want to stay in the place that they're familiar. They want to be at home. They want to receive that care at home. It's familiar. It's a familiar environment. Yes, absolutely. Especially once you approach that part of life. Yeah. You know? Tell me this too, brother. Um, is there a specific age that you're seeing or demographic that you're seeing when people start really entertaining this type of care and coming to see you in terms of preparation for it? Yeah, I would say probably somewhere in between like the ages of 40 to 60 is the most popular. I think part of the reason for that is as you're getting into that age, you might have parents that are experiencing some type of care or they're talking about it or you're seeing things a little bit firsthand, obviously, as you move. Through your 50s and maybe into your early 60s, retirement's getting very real for you. So you're probably thinking a little bit more about those circumstances as well. So I would say, you know, on the early end, probably in your 40s, on the later end, closer to retirement, which probably tends for most people to be somewhere in their 60s. Okay, okay. How can planning long-term care for like your family members or maybe a close friend affect your own finances? That's a really good question. You know, at the end of the day, Today we've seen a lot of different I'll call it circumstances that people do to basically account for that. We've seen from the planning and progress study, things like picking up a second job, spending their own dollars, changing around housing or home situations. So as far as accounting for how some of these costs are going to get paid for, it can have various impacts, not only to the individual. And their immediate family, let's say their spouse or something like that, but also to the slight extended family, maybe their kids or otherwise who might be helping or assisting with providing that care. there. So. So, yeah. Okay. Okay. Is there a certain complaint or concern you hear from people in terms of, what do I do? How do I start this? How do I unpack long-term care for my family member, especially with things being so high as they already are at the moment? I think that just... The discussion sometimes can be the tough part. It can be really easy to just put off long-term care or the idea of it because you imagine it's going to happen at some point in time, distantly in the future. Just don't know when. Yeah, and you're like, if it happens, right? Maybe it won't even happen. And so it's very easy to just not have the conversation, but I think it starts with just... Having a dialogue, as I mentioned earlier, about figuring out what you want. And once you know what you want, then you can back into that a little bit. Certainly sitting down with an advisor who might be able to help you quantify based on what your goals are, what your wants are. Here's what that might look like. Here's what that might cost. And here's how you could go about planning for it. So I think if I heard maybe a regret or a complaint, it typically centers around something like I wished I would have started this process earlier. Thought a little bit about it earlier. I wish I had. I knew I should have. It's everyone's complaint. That's why they always start. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Yeah, man. Well, somebody watching right now wants to maybe get in touch with your services or maybe needs a little bit of help. Where can they go? So probably just start at the website, which is mhf.nm.com. Reach out to our team. We'd be happy to sit down and have those discussions. Wonderful. Thank you so much for that. I appreciate it. I'm sure they all do too. All right, more of a Milwaukee right after the break. Here's a question for you. Okay. What is the best way to heat up leftover pizza? You guys have an answer? There's so many options. Probably, I would say the oven or like an air fryer. Oh, okay. Toaster oven. You know, sometimes I just, I'm not going to lie. These days, it's a paper towel in the microwave. And then you rip off the crust because it gets all rubbery. That's fair. Well, there's a survey in the Washington Post that found that pizza lovers say the best method is not always the fastest one. Most popular being the microwave. Results on that are mixed. Pros recommend covering it with a slightly damp paper towel. Nick, to soften hardened crust. Erica, to your point. Other methods include the oven, the air fryer, skillet, and on a pizza stone. Well, I don't have a pizza stone at home. And while pizza super fans... A pizza stone? Yes, I've never heard of that. You serious? Yes, I wouldn't lie to you. It's like a wooden stone. Not wooden, it's a stone. But it's round, and you heat it up, and you put it on there. You heat the stone? Yeah, well, most people cook it on there, but if not, a lot of people have a... No, I never grew up with that. We grew up with the pizza. We used cardboard or just put it on the rack. My parents always used a pizza stone. Really? That's all right. Well, listen, super fans. Don't wash it. I did that the hard way. Oh, you learned the hard way. Yeah. What happens when you wash it with soap? Because it's porous, almost. It's almost like you treat it like a cast iron situation. Wait a minute. Okay, so is it like... It's like a champagne chiller. You know those marble ones? You put them in the freezer and they keep... But for pizza? But for pizza. Essentially. Oh, God. Okay. Yeah. Maybe someday we'll throw that on the registry. You know, once I'm done with the pizza, I'm done. I don't save it for like the next day. What? Really? No. Even better the next day. No. Because I don't want to... For me, reheating pizza with like meat on it, it just is a little gummy. Oh, I don't mind it. I don't really reheat it. How are you about lasagna? I don't eat lasagna. Are you serious? Why? I don't. I make a really good lasagna. Really? Well, maybe I'll try yours. Yeah. Yeah. Why don't you like that? I just don't like it because it's like thick and it's like. Oh, no. Bite right into the mouth of it. He's already choking on lasagna. The more you know. It's even better the next day. I'll bring you a slice.