Five Things: Sweet Martha's Cookies

1. Sweet Martha's has been serving up cookies at the fair since 1979!
2. When not practicing the art of cookie baking, Martha Rossini Olson is teaching art at Highland Catholic School in St. Paul [UPDATE: make that enjoying art outside of the classroom! She is now retired.]
3. Sweet Martha's has a tradition of celebrities and VIPs getting behind the counter to serve up cookies to fair-goers; in 2004, Vice-President Dick Cheney took a turn as cookie vendor.
4. Sweet Martha's is high-tech! In 2012, their 450 employees used the new "When I Work" scheduling app. Sweet Martha's is also on Pinterest. 
5. They can bake more than 23,000 cookies in 12 minutes!

Five Things: Heritage Square

1. Before it was Heritage Square it was Teen Fair, then Young America Center, then Youth Expo. In 1975 the name -- and the concept -- was changed to Heritage Square. Out with the lava lamps, in with ye olde pioneers.
2. In 1976 (the Bicentennial), all Heritage Square vendors were required to wear "historic" costumes!
3. Heritage Square is now home to the Minnesota State Fair History Museum, a must-see attraction for any self-respecting state fair buff.
4. Heritage Square is "only" open from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm, so pace yourself accordingly. (The main fairgrounds are open from 6:00 am until midnight. But hey, there's a lot to do and see in only 12 days!)
5. Heritage Square's entertainment stage is sponsored by the August Schell Brewing Company -- the perfect fit, given that Schell's, based out of New Ulm, was founded in 1860. Can't get much more "heritage" than that.

What's your favorite Heritage Square destination?

Five Things: Ole's Cannoli

1. The name -- Ole's Cannoli -- symbolizes that perfect blend of Swedish and Italian food traditions! In other words, Italian cannoli accompanied by hot Swedish coffee. How's that for perfect Minnesota State Fair combinations?
2. Co-owner (with her mother, Pam Olson) and Roseville native Marta Lindey now lives in San Francisco, where she perfected her cannoli business chops at local street fairs. Luckily for Minnesota cannoli connoisseurs, the Bay Area foodies gave them a big thumbs up. And as an aside, how come I was never lucky enough to come across these when we lived in San Francisco? Now I've got to wait until August to get my Swedish coffee and cannoli fix!
3. It took three years to land a concession spot at the Minnesota State Fair.
4. How do they stuff so many cannoli in such short time? With a sausage filler!
5. New business, new baby: Marta Lindsey was pregnant with her first child during the first year of the stand. (and random suggestion for the Lindsey family: wouldn't a cannoli costume make a wonderful first Halloween costume?)

Did you get a chance to enjoy Ole's Cannoli in 2012?

Follow  Ole's Cannoli on Facebook or on Twitter, and visit them at their cute Swedish cottage in Heritage Square.

Photo: Minnesota State Fair.