In this episode, Lauren gives some examples of what makes a quintessential Midwest Christmas. From Red Hot apple cider to candlelit Christmas Eve service with melted wax dripping onto our hands, she really tries to cover all the bases. Special guest Boomer Suze stops in for a few minutes to remind us of the real reason for the season. Merry Christmas, everyone!

In this episode, Lauren discusses growing up in small town North Dakota, her background in sociology and school counseling, why she left education, and how she accidentally stumbled into creating Midwest content when she was feeling overstimulated and annoyed one afternoon. She also answers your burning questions about Midwest goodbyes, life on the frozen tundra, and she phones in a special guest to answer what exactly classifies as a hotdish.

In this first ever episode of the Midwest Hotdish podcast, Lauren gets the honor of chatting with the guy behind Zip-to-Zap, a party that shook up the sleepy town of Zap, North Dakota in the spring of 1969 and continues to live on as legendary ND folklore. Chuck explains how the party came to be, what they were drinking, what they were thinking, and what his life has been like since. Chuck is an incredibly insightful, reflective man, a great storyteller, and... as Lauren tells him at the end of their conversation... #goals.